SPEEDING UP CRICKET

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20961, 15 September 1933, Page 14

SPEEDING UP CRICKET

j, : c ONE DAY MATCHES ! SUGGESTED ;j 1 < MU W. H. WINSOIi'S IDEAS j| One day matches, and a premium of : one run for maiden overs were sug- . gestcd by Mr W. H. Winsor last evenIng as a means of brightening up cricket. Mr Winsor made his suggestions at the annual meeting of . the Canterbury Cricket Association, and both will be discussed at a meeting to be called in December, members agreeing that such big changes would need a good deal of discussion. Mr Winsor read extracts on one-day malches from two cricket journals, both of which gave unqualified approval to the scheme as a means of eliminating the tedium of two-day fixtures, and encouraging enterprising batting, more careful bowling, and smarter fielding. The extracts also stated that associations adopting oneday games would be entitled to expect better financial returns due to the increased interest the public would take in the game. The advantages of the system, Mr Winsor claimed, would first of all be that increased capacity would be •called for in captains. They would require more mental agility to deal with a game that would contain quick changes. From batsmen the system would exact alertness, enterprise, and determination, and do away with the stodgy exhibitions that were too often seen at present.

Marathon Bowling. j' Bowlers would have to give to the I game increased thought and care, as the idea would be to keep down runs , as much as get wickets. There would be no more marathon bowling efforts , such as were too frequent now, where ' a man sent down 20 or 30 maiden overs , when he was bowling to stodgy bats- : men. Fieldsmen would have to be ' 100 per cent, efficient and be on their ' toes all the time. Ground fielding, catching, and returning to the wicket • would all be improved. Wicketkeepers would share in the general increase of efficiency. - The spectators would undoubtedly enjoy a game more where the fortunes of the match were continually changing, and changing rapidly, where the batsmen were going lor runs, and where the whole game would be speeded up. He suggested also that one-day games would give unlimited opportunities for reporters to write picturesque descriptions which would attract public interest. Commercially, the game would become more like football, where spectators were kept interested for the length of the game. The only disadvantage would be that for the start, only the more vigorous batsmen would have a chance to succeed, but even this would be an advantage in smartening up fielding, and raising the standard of bowling. The speaker felt certain that the system would brighten cricket verjr considerably, and asked members of the association to give the scheme every consideration, although it was i too late this season, perhaps, to adopt it for competitions.

The Best Defence. "Too many players to-day forget that attack is often the best defence," said Mr Winsor. "Too few will take the risk of turning a defensive stroke with a flick of the wist into a scoring stroke." Mr W. Simpson, who presided, suggested that as the subject was too wide for the annual meeting, a meeting later in the season should be devoted to it, and it was decided to hold it over for a meeting in December. I Mr Winsor then remarked that as he had failed to get one-day cricket adopted for this season, he had another matter which he would like to be considered. Thirty years ago Hugh Trumble brought up the idea of giving a side some recognition for maiden overs. Trumble had suggested a premium of one run, Mr Winsor quoted some figures~lor last season in first class cricket. Badcock, for instance, bowled last season 331 overs, of which 126 were maidens. There was nothing to stop the as- I sociation in its own competitions giving a premium of one or more runs for maiden overs, although of course this could not be done in Plunket Shield or overseas matches. It would be an inducement to batsmen to open out to avoid maidens. Mr Winsor then moved that the committee consider the matter for the coming season, but Mr Simpson's suggestion that it be considered at the . December meeting was adopted.

ANNUAL MEETING OF ASSOCIATION

NEW POINTS SYSTEM ADOPTED Mr W. Simpson presided last evening over the annual meeting of the Canterbury Cricket Association. In moving the adoption of the fiftysixth report and balance-sheet, Mr Simpson said that the report was so well set out that it needed no comment. A lot of the work of the association had fallen this year on the competitions committee, which had done remarkably well. The report noted the falling off last season in fielding, not only in repre-1 sentative matches, but also in club, games. The average player seemed to regard fielding as a necessary evil to be avoided as far as as possible. At practices, too, many players went to the nets to bat and bowl, and when they finished stood about the paddock. The speaker personally got a great amount of pleasure from fielding. Mr Simpson urged every club to see that there was plenty of fielding practice this season. The chairman referred to tjie excellent work done by the bowling coach, A. W. Thomas. He thought that it would be money wasted if the coaching was not carried dh this season again. The association would have to be very careful with money this year, but he looped that it would be able to continue bo.wliog coaching,