ALL’S WELL WITH CRICKET.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 July 1923, Page 4

ALL’S WELL WITH CRICKET.

(By Lord Hawke in Daily -Mail). If there are those who believe that cricket is in danger of losing its position as the paramount sport of this country I certainly am not of the number. .My view most emphatically is, and I state it- without equivocation, that cricket to-day is as popular as over it was. Expressing so decided an opinion, I am writing chiefly ol what I know to he n fact in regard to my own county of Yorkshire, with which I have had a very intimate connection all my life and whose eleven I had the honour of captaining for the record period of twenty-eight years. And from what I know of other counties, the same is true in their eases also. For the popularity of cricket in Yorkshire a great deal is due to that magnificent secretary and splendid orgati-i-er, Mr F. < . Tootle, who ever since he took office has worked heart and .-mil for the game. If there were more -ecreiarie- like him I venture to think that we should hear precious little loose iti Ik about cricket’s popularity being on the wane.

By the end of April this year no fewer than 2.300 out ot more than u.ilfKt members of the Yorkshire Club had paid their subscriptions.

Acting on the principle that a Y orkshireman always likes to teceivo something before he gives anything, w* make ii practice of sending out the tickets to all members before the ojtening of the season and hetore the subscriptions it re paid- Then when each suh-eription is received the member is -enl the Yorkshire Cricket Annual, giving the whole ol tlie records and much other useful information regarding the history of the game in tin

And what call make pleasanter rending for a YOrk-hiremaii Limit the recced- of those three most wouderlul year-, ISOO. IDO I. and 1!)02, when util of -nine SO matches York-hire lust nniv two. one in each ot the two lastnamed years, ami both, euriou-Iy enough. to Somerset ?

In iiiv view there is no occasion lor despondency because Australia, chiefly by the aid of two line fast, howlers—something which we had not got—triumphed in the last Test matches held in this country. Our fast bowlers, 1 make no doubt, will come along in duo course, and then I have little tear that we shall become top-dog again. Apart from the absence of last howlers of real merit, our i rouble at the moment appears to be a growing dislike lo stand on to fast howling, especially when, as not infrequently happens. the last howler is out lo Irighion the batsman. This may possibly he due in a large measure to the I act that our hat stiii'ii obtain -o hi lie experience of real last howling nowaday--1 hat when they come to meet it they are somewhat nonplus-cd, and iiLatete.i of going out to attack it are content to act almo-i entirely on the deletl-

ln regard to the charge that we are j wiiiit to rely too much upon veteran , erieki let's, it ha- lo he remembered that the youiig'ter- ol promise are) very scorer iil-t now. and. when dis- 1 covered, lived considerable expel'icix c ; before they are lit to engag" in inter- j national encounters. It i- ii.r tlii- reason ’.hat ! cordially] welcome t lie iust it us ion ol trial ] matches, though 1 tlook that tin | Beard ol ( mi! nil would have been heller advi'ed had l hey adopted the | ReJ.y t'i.i.i h.-dl I III« Ido IV and played . ib,.. prospective England team agam-tb the North, tlie 'south, ami the Rest J io-tral of having tun matches Not Hi j v. -..tiih its at present, arranged, j The-'.' ho tin matehe- are. I am alraiil.j haw in vi. w -namely, i l .. building up. j 111 | lie ■ t palp.',-'-I .-id" that I 1 e Moth"! - count r-. can put into the th.'ld. The player- in these maleic.:-, having | nga 11 1 Io III" tael that tin England ! team will not he elm.-eti until next year, cannot, he expected to put the entlm-insm into the game that they otherwise would. It seems to me to b" a p.ii at pity to disturb a domestic season ol county j nickel by tlie inti'll luet am of these maleic- :. 'lkller remit-. so tar as ihe hniMiti,; up of an England team i- concern".!, could have been obtained, I fa lie v. if .selectors had been chosen who could have gone round and watched the fornt in county mal"hos, where • ■c* rv man is seen at hi- keenest nod be-i, lu much the same way a- the Rugby Fnion selcetats do.