COUNTY CRICKET CRISIS

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1722, 12 April 1913, Page 3

COUNTY CRICKET CRISIS

TWO-DAY MATCHES AS THE

SOLUTION.

Interest in. tho_ English county crickct championship crisis has become very keen (says an English exchange), especially in those counties which, it is understood, have l>een mentioned as likely to be excluded from the championship. The five counties, it is said, aro Northamptonshire (second in last year's championship), Gloucestershire (eleventh), Sussex (tenth), Somerset (fourteenth), and Worcestershire (sixteenth). Tho Gloucestershire officials do not appear to have any fear concerning tho County Club's future, but those at tho head of tho other county clubs view the situation with some alarm. It is, however, generally recognised that with 1G counties there is not :ime for each ono to play all tho others two three-day matches during, tho season. Northnnts aro prepared for two-day matches instead, but Lord Hawko and others connected with some of tho stronger counties aro opposed to this idea, and do not appear to appreciate the boldness of tho comparatively young county like Northampton attempting to reform tho game. Mr. F. W. Green, tho secretary of the Dudley Cricket Club, to whoso enterprise tho establishment of tho county cricket ground at Dudley was duo, is highly indignant. "I cannot see any reason," said Mr. Green, in'an interview, "wliy any of the counties should be excluded from the championship. Rather I can see a reason why all should bo included, and why each should play tho whole of tho other counties twice. Six months ago I suggested two-day matches as the solution of tho difficulty. I. am quito sure that two-day notches furnish the solution required. Thero are sixteen first-class counties, t.nd if two-day matches were the rulo each county would play thirty matches, and that would menu that sixty days: would bo taken up with county champio:3sliin (rmnes. . "Some people sc?m,.to think, or suggest, that two-tiny matches would bo farcical. I consider they would produce exceedingly good cricket, and in nine eases out of ten, apart from considerations of wet weather, we should'get a definite result. My idea is to play from eleven in tho morning until seven at night." He pointed out also that it would bo a serious thing for Warwickshire to lose their matches with Worcester-hire, and thus it is not altogether a matter of' tho flit" of the excluded counties. Mr. A. J. Darnell, the leading spirit in Northampton cricket, considers that rcleuntion on grounds other than nmrit is ?rr>c«]v "nfnir. TTe firmly believes that on calm reflection tho counties generally wil* nut nu«i fmni Umir momUm-ship any county without due consideration of tho legal obligations entered into with players and landlords and of engagements made on the basis that, so long as every first-class county was prepared lo fullll its fixtures, it should not bo removed from its position. Colonel E.' A. Pruce. the hon. secretary and manager of tho Sussex County Club, is of the opinion that it is impossible to go on with the chamnionship under the nresont conditions. He says: "We play too many matches, and we have not (ho money to do it with, but unless we play each other—that is, every other first-class county without leaving anyone out—you cannot have a true championship. As an instance of this, last year Northampton wero second, but tlicv. did not play four of nur strongest counties." Of course the championship goes on as usual this v»ar. Tin- county season will open at the' Oval with the Surrey v. Northamptonshire match an May 8. but it. is clear that the next ncoting of tho Advisory Committeo in July will bo. ono of the most momentous i.n the history of tho great summer game.

The death is announced in his eightyseventh year of Sir. Patrick Joseph Mahon Power, of Faithlegg House, Comity Waterford, who was reputed to bo the richest commoner in Ireland. In addition to great landed possessions in IVnlerford, he had a large amount: of property in Dublin, being ground landlord of Sackvillo Street and Grafton Street, the two chief thoroughfares of the city. Jlr. 11. E. Lcightcm has received instructions io sell by auction the contents of a. woll-fiirjiishcd six-roomed house, at. Lover Ihitt. The sale. which is to he held tu-dnv in tile Oddfellows' Hull, Luwcr Butt, jr.ill cemmcuco at S y.in,