(To THZ EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."1 Sul, — You have done a
great service in the cause of genuine sport by calling attention in the Spectator of May 16th to the decay which has set in of recent years in our two leading national games. With all that you say as to the evils of pro- fessionalism most people will cordially agree, but you seem to regard the present state of things as hopeless, and, unfor- tunately, you do not indicate any means of bringing about healthier conditions. Now, in respect to cricket, I am thankful to say I belong to a " second-class " county. It has remained so—although one of the first to possess a county eleven— because it cannot command a "gate," and therefore is unable to afford to buy or hire expert bowlers from the outer world. Our matches of only two days' duration are played at moderate intervals through the summer, with perhaps a fortnight or more right off in the month of August, thus not necessitating the abandonment of the serious work of life.
Moreover, the new method adopted by the minor counties of registering points from the result of the first innings gives a new interest to the inevitable drawn match. The amateurs are genuine amateurs. The professionals, the few faithful bowlers who have not been tempted away, are usually men who have been born and bred in the county for which they play. It may sound a bold thing to say, but it seems to me that if " first-class " cricket followed the lines of that of the minor counties, we should return to the days when cricket was really a recreation and not a business. To accomplish this we must bring back "first-class" cricket into the halide of the gentlemen by forbidding any county club to play more than three professionals in any team ; we must insist that these professionals shall have the birth qualification ; and finally, what you truly describe as the present congested list of fixtures must be reduced by one half. The gate-money might suffer, but that is by no means certain, for there would be a concentrated interest in the fewer matches. Expenses also would be much less. By changes such as I have sug- gested a new spirit would be infused into the greatest of athletic games. Modifications in the rules relating to the width of the wicket or of the bat may have to be resorted to, but without other drastic alterations besides the decay of cricket can never be arrested.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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