Cricket 1913

36 CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. F eb . 15, 1913. I don’t mind owning that I am one of those for whom professional football has small charm, and it is possible that in consequence I am prejudiced against the applica­ tion o f Football League methods to county cricket. But I have tried to free myself from prejudice, and I have attained so far as to admit that if a system o f promotion and relegation can be shown to be a good thing in itself, the mere fact that it obtains in League footer is no argument against it. “ I f ” — for I am not sure ! What would happen to Yorkshire, Lancashire, Kent, Surrey, or Sussex should an unlucky season drop one o f them into the Second Division? Would the second-class shires promoted to that company find their membership and gates sufficiently increased to enable them to bear the additional cost? Suppose— let us say— Dorset should gain promotion in 1915. Considerable extra expense would have to be in­ curred to enable a county now playing eight two-day matches to play anything from twelve to sixteen three- (or even two-) day games. Then, suppose Dorset to drop again in 1916. A ll the efforts put forth would be wasted ! It seems to me that any such system, to work smoothly, will necessarily involve levelling both down and up. The conditions obtaining in Divisions I., II., and III. must not be too markedly dissimilar, or a change from one division to another might be ruinous. T o take Dorset as an instance is to go to extremes, for Dorset is one o f the counties that have gone quietly on their way, with no itch o f ambition. But even in the case o f such counties as have, have had, or may be supposed to have had, a yearning to be first-class, those counties whose teams contain a number o f cricketers capable o f holding their own in first-class company— and at various times Staffordshire, Glamorgan, Norfolk, Hertfordshire, Durham, Devon, Berkshire, and Wiltshire have all shown capital form,, though I have no warrant for a statement that all have cherished such ambitions—- would these, or any o f them, be prepared to accept promotion which might be automatically cancelled after one season’s play? I don’t say they would not; I only ask. Much more on this and kindred subjects will be heard during the next few months; and I shall be glad to have the matter thoroughly threshed out by competent critics in the columns o f this paper, if the said com­ petent critics will avail themselves o f the hospitality thus offered. The Minor Counties’ scheme, as given on the agenda for this month’s meeting o f the Advisory County Cricket Committee, struck me as an old familiar friend. I believe it dates back something like ten years. But I have it on the verv best authority that this scheme is not necessarily to be taken as representing the Minor Counties Associa­ tion’s present attitude, and it has since been with­ drawn from the agenda. The M.C. Association is likely to give the matter further careful consideration, and will probably have something to say before the “ Reform Committee ” has completed its work. Northamptonshire’s scheme mav be summarised thus— (a) Two-day matches; (b) seven hours per dav ; (c) all counties to play one another ; (d) two counties' at foot of first-class table to forfeit their places automatically, but the question o f their re-admission to be considered with the applications made by other counties to fill those places ; (e) jfour points for a win, the county with highest per­ centage to be champion county; (f) three points for sides leading at first innings, none for side behind; in the event o f an innings each not being completed, match not to be counted (or, alternatively, to be replayed;). The Northants Committee consider that their scheme meets the present difficulties— Too much county cricket; Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday start; un­ satisfactory method of the championship; partial pro­ motion by merit. As to the first o f these, I don’t quite see it. With two-day home and home matches between each of the sixteen counties and every other there would be 240 matches— 480 days’ play. The County Championship programme for this year is one o f 184 matches— 552 days’ play, that is, taking every match as running into the third day. But in 1911 (a very fine, dry season) as many as 30 Championship matches were finished 011 the second day, while in 1912 (I won’t trust myself to refer to 1912’s character) 21 were so finished, and more would have been but for shortened days’ play! Perhaps if we deduct 30 from the 552, we shall not be far wrong- This gives 522 days’ play, as against 480 under the proposed scheme, a difference o f less than 10 per cent. All counties should play one another to make the com­ petition a real one, undoubtedly. The late Mr, George Lacy used to maintain— but he was rather fond of metaphysics— that the competition could never be. a true test, because no county could meet itself. I f Surrey., in the days when Lohmann and Lockwood, or, later, Lock­ wood and Richardson, were carrying all before them, had had to play Surrey, it would have meant loss o f points to Surrey, he said. But it would also have meant winning o f points,- surely. I give it u p ; it is too .deep .for my mind. Leicestershire, never much in luck’s way, wijl suffer a heavy loss in the retirement o f Albert Knight. Tha,t worthy cricketer-litterateur has accepted a place as coach at Highgate School. It is a pity, fo r.A . E- K . had a lot more first-class cricket in him still. Mr P- P- Cornell disclaims personal credit for the narked improvement in Suffolk’s financial outlook, re­ ferred to last month. It is the work p f Mr. A. K- Watson, the old Harrow (13" v. Eton in 1885), Oxford. Middlesex. Norfolk, and Suffolk batsman, now Head at Ipswich School, who is the cpunty’ s hon. treasurer. Palmam qiti meruit ferat, says .Mi;. Cornell, in. classical style. And quite right, too,, say I, in the language that someone once, said was good enough, for St. Paul to write his epistles in ! W. G. Qu.aife, who is coaching at Kimberley, was at Tohannesburg for the Transvaal-Natal match, and told an interviewer that in two o f the three Tapgcqtt brothers and W. V . Ling. Diamondopolis possessed three cricketers who should be quite South African form in the near future. I had to cut out a reference last month to a fine display by one o f the Taoscotts, because an enthusiastic Kimberley correspondent o f a South African paper had referred to him as “ Doodles ” Tapscott, and mv be-1’ nighted ignorance is such that I did not know which o f the trio glories in this pet name. I had attributed the