MInor Counties Championship 1912

The meeting moved on to discuss the question of revising the format of the competition so that the system of grouping counties into divisions would cease and there would be a single table for the 1912 season; the counties had already considered this and only one county had not found favour with the proposal. After some discussion Dr Norman proposed and Mr F C Toone seconded a resolution to the effect that the recommendation to drop the organisation of the Championship into two groups be approved, but just for the season of 1912. The committee was empowered to suspend any rules that would be required by the changes, but there was at least one dissenting voice. It was agreed that, in the event of the two teams finishing first and second in the table not having met during the season and a challenge match taking place, play should be extended into a third day if it was necessary to secure a definite result. An alteration to Rule 21 was made resolving that all clubs should forward the full score and all details of each home match to the committee as soon as possible after completion. It was stated that Carmarthenshire had written to the hon. sec. to say that they did not intend to participate in the Second Division Championship in 1912, though they wished to remain members of the Association. Dr Norman reported that he had provisionally arranged for a combined team of the Minor Counties to play against the South African tourists in a three day match at Stoke-on-Trent, starting on Monday 29 July. There remained the issue of whether the Minor Counties would have to provide a ‘guarantee’, that is to confirm whether the South Africans would receive an agreed sum for playing the match and that, should insufficient funds be obtained from gate receipts to meet that amount, the Minor Counties would be obliged to make up the shortfall. At the time of this meeting, Mr H D G Leveson-Gower had not yet been able to provide a definitive answer on this matter but he was of the opinion that the tourists would not insist on such a guarantee. It was decided that some of the poorer counties would be unable to undertake such a financial responsibility and, after a discussion, Mr A M Miller proposed that, should a guarantee be demanded, there would be no option but to cancel the proposed fixture. This motion was carried. The following were appointed as a sub-committee to deal with the arrangement of the match and the selection of the team, should the fixture come to fruition: Messrs W C Hancock (Staffordshire), T A L Whittington (Glamorgan), E H D Sewell (Buckinghamshire), J Gilman (Northumberland), C B Leathes Prior (Norfolk) and A W F Rutty (Surrey 2 nd XI). It was stated that no player of the 2 nd XI of a first-class county would be regarded as eligible for selection. [Presumably the South Africans did not require a guarantee for the fixture took place as planned.] The meeting was then closed, with hearty votes of thanks to Mr F E Lacey (on behalf of the MCC) for the use of the committee-room and to the Chairman. Umpires The following captains and representatives of clubs of the Minor Counties Cricket Association met in the pavilion at Lord’s on the morning of Thursday 7 December with the purpose of determining which umpires were to stand in Championship matches for the 1912 season:- Bedfordshire – Mr H R Orr Berkshire – Sir C E M Y Nepean Buckinghamshire – Mr W Frith Lowndes Devon – J F Shelley Dorset – Mr W Hatton Bridge 5