DYING CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 777, 29 March 1910, Page 7

DYING CRICKET.

The New South ;Wales Cricket; Association is tackling the question of matches drawn out to an length—a matter'requiring immediate attention if-tKo'gameV interest, ib .to be preserved with tne public. .What is the cause of the decreasing attention when big "cricket is being playedr" Mr- 0. *. W Lloyd gives an answer in his motion to put a tune limit, which he submitted at a meeting of: the association on March 21. ho moved:— - : ■_■-■:-■' ' That it bo-a-recommendation trom this association to the associations in the States of Victoria, South-Australia, 1 and Queensland that all future matches between England and South Africa, or matches known "as ; international matches, arranged to be played intta. Commonwealth of Australia, should be ' played on the same conditions as regards time as prevails in England,. Samely, three days. match ~or matches to commence on the first day at 11.30 a.m., and at 11 o'clock onthe i two succeeding days; stumps> to be drawn on each day at 6.30 p.m: :_ Tho recommendation to be forwarded to the Board of Control, with a request that such board (in the eventrof the recommendation being approved) take steps to bring into immediate operation the■ alteration: referred to. v'-. O "Something must be done,;', ho went on, "to revivo the interest'in cricket. During tho last; few years cricket, especially international cricket, has been very uninteresting, and certainly very painful to watch."; The time had now coma, he asserted, when a time limit should be put on the matches. ■•■- r .The games were drawn ont to an absurd length: Thero was no enterprise among tho batsmeu. It was simply a questiou of physical enduranco and staying powers. With the time shortened the matches would bo very much ap-' preciated by the public. .Ho quoted statistics. When the last team was here four matches wont into tho sixth day, and one-took four days. The averago number of runs they made. per darwas never more than 260. This was starting at 12 and finishing at 6. And< ; tho takings were by no means large, tho cross amount when the- last team .was here being £7345. That was in Twenty' years before—in 1890, when Lord Sheffield's team came out-4he gross amount received for three matches was £6118—and no tamo Emit. The time taken was one match three days, one fohr days, and one five days.; In.; 1901-2, out of five -matches, three took four days, After that the matches wore longer drawn out. In 1903-4, out of five matches, two took six days, one took five, one four, and one threo. "As a matter of fact," he added, "the cricket played when the List team was here was painfully slow. No one will stand cricket lasting a week." It was decided'to call in tho assistance of some of '9re prinoipal cricketers, and obtain their opinions' ad to the best [.means i»-Ire-taken to save time-'