ALL PLAYED OUT

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 19, 23 January 1937, Page 11 (Supplement)

ALL PLAYED OUT

TESTS IN AUSTRALIA CASH ELEMENT A FACTOR EXCITING FINISHES IN LONG GAMES Australia is the only country where the custom is to play all Test matches to a finish, and several Australian whiters have had something to say recently on various aspects of the situation. In England the custom up till quite recently was to allot three days for every first-class match, Test or otherwise. No match which is allotted less than three days is regarded as first class. On a couple of occasions it was decided that the fifth Test should be allotted four days, or be played to a finish, in theevent of the rubber not being decided when it was entered upon, but not otherwise. In 1930 as a concession to Australian opinion four days were allotted for each match, with the fifth to be played out if the rubber depended upon it, but even the four days did not bring finality in two of the games and the fifth extended over five days before Australia won it and the rubber. In South Africa and the West Indies four days are usually set aside for a Test, and in New Zealand, where most visiting teams play what are called Test matches, three days are allotted. The result as in England, has been many drawn games. The game at Melbourne was the ninetieth Test that has been played in Australia and only two of them have been drawn. In England roughly one out of every three Tests against all countries have been left unfinished—--27 of them against Australia. The two drawn games in Australia were against England in 1881-2, when there was a time limit. It was early realised in Australia, however, that the leaving of such important games as Test matches in an unfinished state was unsatisfactory, and the decision was come to that they should be played to a finish. Perhaps the financial aspect weighed considerably. Recouping Heavy Outlay. In Australia there are only four first-class associations, with, at the most, five such populous centres as might bring in large gate money from the visit of an English team—as opposed to seventeen populous and profitable centres in England. Big cricket means heavy outlay and the controlling body in Australia has to think in terms of finance whether it likes it or not. The answer to the problem was obviously to play extra time in the Test matches allotted to the few big centres in Australia. Every extra day in Sydney or Melbourne means an extra attendance of 10,000 to 20,000 spectators. One Test that occupied four days in Melbourne brought in total gate money of £16,722; another that, lasted seven days brought in £22,56].. The extra three days meant, in effect, an addition of £SOOO to the profits. All records were, however, broken by the recent international in the Victorian capital, as nearly 300,000 saw it on the first four days alone! YVhat We Would Miss. Limit the time for the Tests, and we will miss many of the thrilling finishes that we have seen in those wonderful games with England. The sentimentalist will be disappointed on this account and the finances will suffer. And after all, the financial side cannot be overlooked in these days when cricket is very largely a business as well as a game, and it costs so much to keep it going. No, Australia’s custom is to play all Tests to a finish and she will continue to do so. No Test will be left unfinished in this country except for very extraordinary reasons—and two or three days’ rain is not one of them. Under a time limit would we have seen that one wicket win by England at Sydney in 1879-98, England’s one wicket win at Melbourne 10 years later, when an over-tnrow lost the match for Australia, and that 11 runs win by Australia against Arthur Gilligan’s team at Adelaide 12 years ago. And there was that great sensation, again at Adelaide, in 1928-29, when Bradman was run out, leaving Chap- , man’s team to win by 12 runs. Shorter Hours in Commonwealth. Still another reason for this variation is the different climatic conditions of the two countries in relation to cricket. The hours of play in Australia, for instance, are: Noon to 1.30, 2.15 to 4, 4.15 to 6, a total of five hours. In England the prescribed hours are: 11 to 1.30, 2.15 to 4.30, 4.45 to 6 30 a total of six and a half hours, except on the first day, when the start is at 11.30. The shorter hours played in Australia are in part a concession to the fatigue induced by play in the greater heat of that country, on harder and faster fields. Incidentally, the shorter houis of the Test cricket day in Australia weie decided on largely in the interest of the English players, who, naturally, are more greatly affected by the Australian heat than are the home placers. At the same time all the players in the match are forbidden to rest or retire from the field unless injured or sick. Queensland the Disturber. Australians like to see some definite result to a cricket match or other sporting event, and drawn games are always unsatisfactory to them. It is an interesting fact that up to the entry of Queensland into the Sneffield competition in 1926-27, there had never been a drawn game in the matches in which New Soutn Wales, Victoria and South Australia were opposing each other —and matches between Victoria and New South Wales go back to 1856, between Victoria and South Australia to 1880, and between New South Wales to 1890. The only draws in inter-State games up to then occurred in matches In which the non-Sheffield Shield States were opponents. The entry of Queensland in the

Shield competition, however, altered the position, because with the enlarged programme it was found impossible to allow every match to be played to a finish. The result is tha'.: unfinished games have been frequent since then, to the great regret of those of us who love to see a match fought out to the end. But, whatever changes may be made in regard to other matches, it Is unlikely that any time limit will be placed on Test matches in Australia. There are two things that will operate against it—sentiment end finance. To the enthusiastic cricket follower sentiment is the factor that sways most; lo the cricket administrators finance also plays its part. The Tests have proved such tremendous draws, and have brought in so much money that they have gone a long way towards placing our leading cricket organisations in the flourishing position they are to-day.