Euglibh Cricket Motes.

Feilding Star, Volume XIX, Issue 103, 28 October 1897, Page 2

Euglibh Cricket Motes.

(Loadon Correspondent Ghristcharch Press.) Cricket is over for the se ason, and has left behind a plentiful ciop of controversies. Many cricketera are outraged that Lancashire should win the championship, although beaten on each occasion by Surrey, which take* second place. This result is, of touree, due to the method of reckoning adopted by the M.CC, viz , that losses are deducted from wins, the balance being scored as points, and the championship going to the County that made tho largest percentage of points proportionately to the finished games played. This method ignores all proportion as to the relative number of games played by the various counties It h»B other drawbacks, too, but the difficulty is to find any belter plan. The large proportion of the unfinished games, and the diiference in the number of matches pliiyed by the various counties form the chief difficulties iv the way of devising a satisfactory scheme. Then there is the old vexed question as to the "follow on." This is as far from settlement as ever. But in any match now a crisis may arise when the batsmen do their best to avoid making runs, and the bowlers to give runs by means of wides and no-halls, and the fieldsmen to assist in this latter endeavour by means of byes and. over-throws, when it is desired to secure or prevent a " follow on." Ido not see bow any of them can be blamed for doing what they deem best for their sido while cricket law sanctions such devices. If they are considered wrong the Isws should be altered. But the worst of it is cricketera canaot agree an to the form any change should assume. It has lwen suggested to abolish the follow-on altogether; that would mean doubling the number of unfimshed gamies ; to increase the shortage of runs which should co upel a follow, that would merely perpetuate the present trouble as did the fcrmer increase from 80 to 120 ; to leave I>he question to the option of the aide having a certain majority on the first innings, which seems on the whole, the best. But opinions differ widely on the point, and there is no present liklihood of unanimity. As to the increasing proportion of games left incomplete tli rough lack of time, the latest idea is to treat them like one day matches, and lot them be decided on the first innings But this has many obvious drawbacks. Could not New Zealand cricketers come to the aid of the Mother Country cf cricket with some really good and feasi ble suggestion ? The cricket match between Colyton and Eongotea, which was fixt:d to be played on Saturday next on the latter club's ground, has been postponed to a date to be arranged owing to the ground being out of order on account of the recent wet weather. Our Melbourne correspondent telegraphs from Auckland ac follows : — " The Victorian Cricket Association have decided to play Fisher, the Dunxlin bowler, in the intercolonial match against South Australia, provided the South Australia Association will agree. The idea is to give him a thorough test before deciding about his inclusion in tr c international matches. Should he do well, or even fairly well, against South Australia, he will be sure of his place. Fisher will, however, find the wicket on this side very different to those in New Zealand."