CRICKET.
[To =3 EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Allow me to thank you for your excellent paragraph in the Spectator of August 19th on the subject of drawn games at cricket. My interest in the matter, I may explain, goes back a good many years, for I am, I believe, the second oldest cricketer in England. I played my first match at Lord's in 1832, I am one of the original trustees of the M.C.C., have been on its Committee for about forty years, I am one of the founders of the I Zingari, and I think that I was on the original Committee of the Surrey Club. Now, this sounds very much like boasting, although there is really nothing to boast of. My object is to show you that, however much my judgment and opinion may be at fault, I have had a long experience of the game. I, like many others, feel very strongly on the subject, and am sure that if something is not done to put a stop to these long, dreary innings, the noble old game will, like its sister - sport foot- ball, go to the dogs. The great hindrance to any reform is the batting interest, which is unhappily very strong. Most of the rising batemen seem to consider nothing else but their averages, which, they ought to know, are no test whatever of good cricket. Surely all real cricketers will prefer quality to quantity. I wish, too, that some one would try to impress upon many of our modern bowlers that their object should be to hit the wicket, and not to bowl maiden overs, which never can win a match. Alas! here comes your average again! One cause of these very long innings is the state of the ground. This is, of course, a difficult subject to deal with. "Lord's" is now, owing to the care of our able secretary, and I must not altogether ignore the work of his predecessor, like a billiard-table. I do not myself think that " billiard-table " grounds conduce to brilliant cricket. Some things, however, can be done, and ought to be attended to at once, especially two of the subjects mentioned in your paragraph, viz.,—the " boundary " and "1.b.w." questions. I do not at present quite see how any altera- tions in the "follow on "can conduce to the shortening of the innings. Most cricketers will, I am sure, agree with you that there must be no tampering with the size of the wickets or bat, There is one more question which I must refer to ere I conclude. I do so with regret, and it is very probable that I may give offence in some quarters. There is a growing opinion among cricketers, and many have spoken to me about it, that the question of gate-money in many cases, but most certainly not in all, has much to do with these long innings and drawn matches. I hope that every real, earnest cricketer will do every possible thing in his power to save the game from becoming, like football, a mere commercial speculation, which will be simply ruin to the grand old game, and a national calamity. Of course, there are too many matches played
now. Many of the players seem to be very stale when they enter the field. If there were half the number of matches we should have better cricket. I wish that my Committee would take the whole matter up in earnest. It is my opinion, as well as that of many others, that the M.C.C. Committee, with their great power and influence, ought to lead, and not foilow.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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