Cricket Witness No 1 - Class Peace

142 original intention of acting as a route-way to watching first-class cricket. They may even have run the risk of throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Moreover, the length of these tourneys has been reduced to a minimum of twenty overs. The initial limited overs version was 65 overs, then described as the minimal amount for a ‘proper’ game of cricket. As support for 60, 50 and 40 overs matches languished a little, Twenty20 fixtures – currently described, inevitably, as the lowest over rate possible for reasonable cricket – are now all the rage. Probably the safest prediction one might hazard about the future of cricket is that, as the Twenty20 furore subsides, a ten over competition will be on offer, bringing cricket ever more nearly to parity with the football codes in respect of the duration of the game. Reduced teams and even single-wicket gladiatorial contests are further possibilities. 2 In addressing these issues some years ago, I reached very much the same conclusions and, ever conscious of the need to economise on one’s material, I find that a repetition of those thoughts has stood the test of time and serve adequately for a final commentary. 3 ‘Cricket’s best chances lie in another swing in society’s pendulum, back to a situation of social coherence and cultural togetherness. First-class cricket, as a spectator sport, might thrive again. It would be a dreadful calamity if, in our endeavours to save cricket for the consumerist, self- centred generations, we actually maimed it beyond repair and were left with nothing of cricketing value when times become more propitious. In the meantime, Erasmus taught us that we ‘plough the sands in vain’. At present the soil of our country is unfavourable for the cultivation of first-class cricket; both soil and plant require our urgent and profound treatment.’ During the spring of 2017, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced proposals from 2020 onwards for a new Twenty20 competition with eight franchised teams, playing games during the cricketing high-season of July and August, and the drier months when traditionally the English twirlers have come into their own. The announcement followed a winter when the national side suffered defeats in spin-friendly conditions in Bangladesh and India, but fear not, as the ever ailing counties will be compensated with £1.3m each for their troubles in agreeing to the new proposals which is set to see many of the four-day Championship matches being shoehorned into the chronological fringes of spring and early autumn. It was a final – for now – piece of evidence for the case made in these pages about the gradual diminution of first-class county cricket. 1. Bowen op.cit pp 256/257. 2. Perhaps prophetically the TV series Midsomer Murders on 16 January 2017 entitled ‘Last Man out’ , featured a globally franchised ten overs’ competition. Its Australian entrepreneur was the murder victim 3. Eric Midwinter Cricket Lore ‘Putting the Squeeze on Cricket; part one Cricket and the Integrated Culture vol 5 issue 2 and ‘Putting the Squeeze on Cricket; part two Cricket and the Hourglass Society’ vol 5 issue 3 (2002/05). First-Class Fragility