Scheme to revitalise senior cricket contest

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31784, 14 September 1968, Page 11

Scheme to revitalise senior cricket contest

’THE Canterbury Cricket Association will have plenty of material for discussion when its annual meeting is held next Wednesday, but it could spend some of its time with profit in considering a scheme for giving club cricket a greater public appeal than it has held in recent years. Last season, fewer than half of the senior matches were completed. In 1966-67, there were only six outright results in the 40 matches played. Dreary draws kill cricket A plan to give cricket more interest both for players and spectators, has been* devised by Mr N. V. Burtt a former Canterbury and South Island player, and it is one which is well worthy of the association’s consideration.

It is a simple scheme, designed to produce attacking cricket and results. Basically, it is the division of the full playing time so that both sides have completed their first innings at the halfway stage. In senior cricket there is a playing day of 375 minutes. The team batting first makes its runs until its score equals the number of minutes left on the first day, so that the other side has an opportunity of catching the total, provided its scores at a rate of a run a minute. Thus team A may score 215 in 160 minutes, and leave its opponents 215 minutes to make a similar total—but it has that longer period in which to take the wickets. So the struggle for first innings points would end on the first day. Should team B be dismissed within its batting time, A bats again, and continues —on the second day—until the playing time in minutes again equals its lead, and a further 61-runs-an-hour tar-get-is set team B. On the other hand, should team A be out for 100 in 120 minutes, team B has the rest

of the first day to establish its lead, but if it is not all out, it must declare at the end of the day. In the event of rain, the time lost is deducted from the secondinnings batting time. Mr Burtt’s proposals also call for a bowling rate of 18 overs an hour, with a penalty against the fielding side of six runs for every over under 18. Among the points he makes in supporting the proposal are these.—(a) a definite result is almost assured: (b) batsmen are almost certain to bat twice in the match, which is important to their development, and to the watching public; (c) the

need for quick scoring as early in the match as possible is obvious, for a side fielding last would much rather see its opponents set out to score 180 in three hours than 60 in an hour; stroke-making would be encouraged, because the big hitter seldom lasts as long as the skilled batsman; (d) bowlers would have to attack. The Canterbury Association could do far worse than consider giving a scheme such as the one devised by Mr Burtt a trial in the coming season. It would be certain to revitalise senior championship matches.