1960-11-17 — Page 9

Page

THE CHINA MAIL, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1960.

IS CRICKET DYING? NO FOLLOW-ON IN

No-counties have more members than pre-war : Gates are bigger

London, Nov. 17.

This winter MCC are likely to hold yet another inquiry into the state of county cricket-the fifth since the Findlay Commission in 1937-38.

This latest inquiry was proposed at a meeting of the Advisory

County Committee at Lord's yesterday.

Its Loms of

clearly embrace the

referenze economics

of county cricket, the need

find ways to attract large

19

31-

tendances, and the problem t

11 11 raise the standard

ploy,

In the Orst of two article. we seek to cover soms of-the ground of this inquiry and

to answer the

question:

CRICKET DYING?

arned with

li

new committee wilt be the encouraging fact-shown lo the adjoining table that membershiga has Increased entsiderably since the ; wur.

-

A survey conducted by ALEX BANNISTER and ROY WEBBER

and-away basis. In 1959 the Baures had gone up to £83. Their matches with Yorkshire show an even greater increase, In 1939 the bill was £305. Last

year it was 2702.

Even in such a small item ns teas for players and officials most counties report an increase best around £20 to £60.

CROWDS: THE TELL-TALE FIGURES

COUNTY

Annual average 1934/39 Membership

Gote

Ansual average 1955/60 Membership

Sate

IS

DERBYSHIRE

2,202

-65,000

..2,675

63,902

ESSEX

2.402

4,381

GLAMORGAN

2,019

60,957

3.498

87,593

HAMPSHIRE

2,234

71,420

5,073

82.811

KENT

97,703

96,561

MIDDLESEX

1,041

123,505

2,500

137,751

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

1,000

2,500

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE....

3,839

63,962

6.810

48,037

WARWICKSHIRE

3,600

10,500

YORKSHIRE

6,000

187,196

10,000

165,777

24,337

669,743

47,437

682,432

23,100

12.609

Some have doubled, Warwick- shire in pre-war seasons never had more than 3,000 members. In 1948 They introduced a wall. ing list for the first time with proximately. 18,580 Kiembers. That figure has remained con- Mant

record Kent have, a

Agure, while Hampshire have nearly 3,000 more. Even Yorkshir The stronghold DI pre-war -county cricket before the wat with a membership of 0,000. Ive gone up to 10,000,

Rise and fall

1

Member's pre noi included in the totuls viven for turnstile receipts al couniy matches. Despite this gate attendancest

of man-members also show at Increase, on the pre-war figures.

Clearly intèrent furtulates with the weather and the strength and atirseliveness of the touring side-and locally with the success or falture of the home county,

The case of Nottinghamšħlia is interesting. Once one of the i Big Six counties they have tal- Jen on hard times in the past .decade. Although they have thre Jost ground in the past years in 1957 they were up to 0,057-they are stili considerably up on pre-war records,

The maintenance of their high membership is no doubt due la the fact that Trent Bridge is on the rota of Test match grounds. Next summer, however, they do not stage a Test match be- tween England and Australia. It is unlikely they, would have lost any membership had Aus- trala played a Test in Notting- hamshire in 1981.

What's the score?

Bad weather is blamed by almost

every one

17 of the county secretaries for the de- cline in attendances inst season. All show the same trend of de- crease on 1958. but that year was a considerable increase on the previous seasons,

We find county authorities Rre inclined to base Chef: comments on falling attend- aners on a peak year—a year which has a happy combina tion of sunshine and visitors of calibre of Australia or

West Indies,

A strong touring side is vita! to the English pubile interest. This is unmistak bly shown by the number of telephone - quiries made to the Test match service Instituted by the GPO when the Australians were fast here in 1930,

The total number of calts minde each reason is us follows:

1956 v. Australla. G.063,489 1957 v. West Indies 7,306,200 1958 v. New Zealand 2,747,561 1359 v. Ta

... 1,836.340

113

1900 v. Routh Africa 2,000,340

That gap

The GPO representative told that the record igure 3 1957 was largely due to the world-record-breaking stand of 411 for the fourth wleket be- tween Peter May and Colin Cowdrey which started befors lunch on the Monday and was not broken until after lunch the following day.

This proves that the public wants a fight,

Why is it that, with member- ship revenue increased and al- tendance recaluts not mib. changed, frat-class stantially cricket is unable to pay its way? They have also-with. the sole exception of Yorkshire-tha help of Supporters' Associations. Funds come from footbal! competitions. Bome plough. such revenue into ground im- provements. Others 190 it to

shares

remain solvent.

The' clubs also have from Test hintches; and TV and

radio rights,

Yet inke the crno of Sussex, Their membership subscrip toni lave risen from £8,100 to £14,859 last year.

share from Teila, TV,

Their

Annual total

Difference

Owing to war damage and hombing, several counties are unable to supply pre-war figures lar the purpose of comparison. Some of them, however, have interesting fures.

• KENT membership, now standing at 4,499. shows a new racord for the 101 years of the

club's history

• WORCESTERSHIRE have a membership of 3.61 big increase on jrewar bgures, but a slight ball on recent grandes.

2

Last acason's SOMERBET membership Agure 01 2,950 was the bost 10r the past 31X, STRONS. but poor weather meant a drop of nonly 20.00 on the average gate of 1955 to 1959.

SURREY membership was 7,384 Ihat season and will increase in 1961 now that the restric tions on letal membership have barn eased.

Most counties showed a decrease in gutes last season, but this is mooounted for recreat extent by the weather.

Big demand for equipment

The cost of maintaining pro- professional staffs has also risen, There are tew amateurs able to devole six days a week to cricket, and therefore have to be larger.

The

average

Staffs

professional,

however, hus not seen his wages rise in proportion to the cost of living. Before the war he was comfortably off earning between £400 and £500 Now he gets between £800 and £BUD,

More interest

There are about 500 counts professionals, and it is possible nany potential first-class players

the are lost to the game for simple reason that a belter ilv- ing eun be mude in commerce or industry.

This particularly applies to areas like Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire where in years gone by many were thankful to ex change the mine for the erickel feld.

We do not bellove interest On the In cricket is flagging.

Stuart Surridge contrary,

COUNTY CRICKET

NEXT SEASON

London, Nov. 16. There will be no follow-on in English county cricket next season. That was the most un- expected decision reached at today's meeting of the Advisory County Cricket Committee at Lord's. The possibility of abolishing the follow-on

unchanged in its present form since 1900 - had been discussed at the last Imperial Cricket Conference, but action was not ex- pected so soon.

The change will not apply to the Australları matchies against louring team or to matches out- akle the County Championship.

The new plan is designed to encourage sides to declare fairly early in their first inn- ings Instead

on to of going compile massive totals in the hope of an innings victory.

Inquiry committee

It would also give the side batting second reasonable chance of a win at all times.

The expected inquiry into the future of the game was started today when the Countles invited MCC to set up a committee to rider the whole structure of first class cricket,

2011-

would also come within their

scope.

The English Counties wit nol apply the throwing truce with Australia to Cham- plership matches.

They agreed.

however, that

as far as English bowlers are | concerned. the truce will operate in their matches against the Australians unt the first Test.

Test profits

So any English bowlers who transgress the throwing law in these matches will be reported by the umpires to MCC in the same way as Australians.

It was announced that pra- በts from last season's Test matches with South Africa, in- The Committee will

and broad. on the centrate only

wider cluting television aspects of the game, such as casting fees, were £93,080. how to increase

Yorkthire's recent proposal Income for cricket and how many matches for seven three-day Tesla was should be played each season, passed to the new Cricket In- Matters

and

three

war. Most

tells us his dem seils times the cricket equipment, it did before the

report far ceantics activity than ever before,

more

Northamptonshire, for in- stance, run three teams includ. ing a Colts XI, and their new indoor school, provided by Supporters' funds from the Association is occupied every evening by club players.

TOMORROW

cuss

they

DA.

will dis- the scoring rate trends

much and how

contribute to falling attendances, and whether county cricket would find it practicable to play profitable only at weekends.

con-

or

radio over the past nine years Costs have risen steeply. Be- | Glamorgan show the position

£35.850. bas amounted to

fore the war Surrey would have with these words: "Very

£209 bridge of

for mintches siderable cost is cricket's biggest Yet they still cannot the gap.

against Lancashire on a home problem."

Four D. Jones BY MADDOCKS

TV MOTA

FERDINAND

NANCY

THE VICTOR OF THE BULLRING IS CARRIED SHOULDER HIGH FROM THE FIELD BY THE CHEERING

CROWD

BRICK BRADFORD

BRING THE OTHER BARTH-

MAN!

WE CAN MAKE 17′′

GOSH, THIS IS REALLY TOO MARVELLOUS

I HAVE A BARGAIN IN HOME PERMANENT WAVE SETS

A POUBLE ACCIDENT

IN NUMBER TWO.

MING SHAFT!" }

HOLD ON! I WAS SENT HØRG AS A

VISITOR!

ARE THEY ANY GOOD ?

"THAT'S WHAT YOU

LET'S ALL GQ

TO FRED'S CAFE FOR

DAY. BUT THE OTHER BARTHMAN SAYS YOU ARE A FRIEND

OF SHADY LAYNERÍTHAT

MAKES YOU A SOY IN OUR BOOK)

STEAK N'CHIPS

By Mik

By Erale Bushmiller

BUSHMILLER,

By Paul Norris

MABANWHILE, ON THE FISH BROUIND "ABOVE THE INNER ARBAçm

SOMETHINKS HAS DONE WRONG) THỦY CARE TREATING BRICK AS A

PRISONER

a

fice weekend games quiry Committee for considera- knockout competition tton-Router.

Holland Cup

hockey

opens this weekend

By NUMPERE

There being no men's League hockey matches this weekend, three of the Holland Cup first round tics originally scheduled for November 27 have been brought forward to this Sunday. First Division Recreio 'A' who have not had a very successful season to date will be at home to Second Division Army 'C' who are unbeaten so far.

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Whilst allowing fer the dit- ference i standard between the iwo divisiona this will be no pushover for Recreio but they should go through to the second round.

In the other two ties Recrea 'B' and Prisens should win ngainst HKHC 'B' and Dutch HC respectively.

Visiting Macao

in a friendly fixture the RAF play Royal Navy at Kai Tak to- (nurrow. The Navy have lost their two matches so far against the Army and Combined Civilians but it may be a case of third time lucky og:inst the RAF.

The RAF also play the Army on Sunday and KCC are visit- ing Macto for their annual sories.

The Ladies' Division bas a full programme on Saturday. The best match should be that between KCC and Recreio at at King's Park where Recreio should rein their unbeaten record.

Preceding this match Grem- Ins 'A' should prove much too strong for St Georges and climb hark to second position in the league table.

- Över at

Happy Valicy Gremlins 'B' should take both points against KGV 'B' whilst the game between KCV 'A' and Victorians eauld go either way,

RAF

Fixtures TOMORROW

Friendly match

v Royal Navy at Kal

Tak, 4 pm.

SATURDAY

Ladies Divisjo

KGV 'B' vs Gremins 'B', at Happy Valley 2.30 pm. Umpires: W. Matthews, F. Van Dongen.

KGV 'A' VE Victorians st Happy Valley pm. Umpires: H. Crabos, H. Brandt.

St George ve Gremlins 'A': al King' Pork 2.30 pm.-Umpires: F. Soares, Y. Khan,

KCC vs Recreio at King's Park 11

pm. Umpires: B. Mair H. Paterson,

SUNDAY

Holland Cup (First Round) Recreio Ava Army :C" at Recreio 2.30 pm. Umpires: A. Cunha, Y. Khan.

HKHC 'B' va Recreio 'B' ot Happy Valley 2.30 pm. Umpires! KM. Hussálni, C, Blackburn,

Dutch HC vs Prisons at Hoppy Valley 4 pm. Umpires: K. Loli, II. Carton.'

Friendly match

RAF VA Army at Kai Ta's 3 pth.

Sports Diary

TODAY

Tennis Open Hard Court tennis champion. ships at CNC, 2.10 p.m.

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