Minor Counties Championship 1907

6 preference shall be given to that county which shall have won the greatest number of completed matches. The winners of the semi-final matches shall play a final three-day match, and the winner of the final match shall be reckoned champion county of the Second Division. 5. Points in the competition shall be reckoned as follows: Five points shall be scored for a win in a completed match. Should the match not be completed, the side leading on the first innings shall secure three points. In the event of a tie the points shall be divided. Matches in which no result on the first innings shall have been attained shall not be included in the table of results. 6. The semi-final and final matches shall be played on such grounds as may be agreed upon by the counties engaged respectively. 7. In the semi-final and final matches each of the counties engaged shall bear its own expenses and shall receive half of the gross gate-moneys, after deducting the fees to be paid to the umpires. Rules 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 equal Rules 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 of the Rules of the Association. Rules Of The Minor Counties' Association – These were carried with only minor amendments. Among the alterations were the proposal (under Rule 3) that “a special meeting shall be called by the honorary secretaries at the request of four or more counties. One month's notice of every such meeting shall be sent to each county, and the notice shall contain the agenda of the meeting.” The new Rule 8 stated: These rules shall not be altere d except at a general meeting of the Association. First-Class Players And The Minor Counties Championship – W W Marks (Bedfordshire), speaking on behalf of a delegate who was unable to attend, put forward the following motion: “That in the opinion of the Minor Counties' Cricket Association no player who has in any season played in six or more matches for a first-class county should, in the same season, be qualified to play in the Minor Counties' Competition, and that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the committee of each of the first-class counties whose second elevens play in the competition.” Marks pointed out that, at the end of a season, it might be possible that one of the counties whose second eleven was competing could field a side which w as “practically ... a first team” and so gain an unfair advantage. Stating that he, personally, “had no feeling whatever in the matter” and desired only a firm ruling, he had accepted the proposal of R W Frank (Yorkshire 2nd XI) and increased his original idea of a cap of four games to six. A M Miller (Wiltshire) said that, as far as his county were concerned, they preferred to play against the best players available. K J Key (Surrey 2nd XI) grumbled that some of the second-class counties were being ungrateful, given that county second elevens had originally entered the Championship with the purpose of helping the competition. He went on to say that any player not required by the first eleven if they had a match on was fully entitled to play for the second team. After some discussion, the resolution was carried by ten votes to five but, since sufficient notice had not been given it was technically “a recommendation and not a rule.” It was further understood that the six first-class games referred to had to be matches in the first-class County Championship. Payment Of Umpires – R W Frank (Yorkshire 2nd XI) proposed that the umpires' fees should be increased from £3 10s to £4 a match. In defence of his motion he stated that the umpires often had to make lengthy journeys by train, in spite of the secretary of the MCC lending his organisational powers to the Association in order to keep travel to a minimum. He went on to say that the lack of a pay demand from the officials should not be taken as evidence that they