FOUR-DAY TESTS IN FUTURE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 47, 19 November 1936, Page 11

FOUR-DAY TESTS IN FUTURE

Next England-Australia i Cricket in 1938 •- PLANS FOR COMING N.Z. TOUR OF BRITAIN By Telegraph.— I’ress Assn.—Copyright. i Received November 18, 7.20 p.m.) London, November 17. The cricket Tests in England in 1938 were fixed at four days, by the Board of Control, subject to the approval of Australia, with the proviso that the last shall be played to a finish if neither side wins fwo matches or if the results are even. The grounds will be Nottingham, Lords, Manchester, Leeds, and the Oval, in that order. The advisory committee, representing the counties, recommended the M.C.C. to adopt an experimental l.b.w rulp under which county matches have been played for two seasons, as a law of cricket. Subject io New Zealand’s approval the board has arranged three Tests for 1937. to be played under the general conditions current for the All-Iff-dia Tests last season. Admission will be 2/-, tax inclusive. FIRST-CLASS STATUS Opportunity For Dominion Cricketers (By Burwood.) The Board of Control of Test matches at Home, which was formed at the request of the counties bjQthe M.C.C. in 1898. consists of the president of the M.C.C. (in the chair), five of its club committee, and one representative from each of the ten first-class counties at the top of the last season’s list. Test matches between England and Australia in the past were limited to three days, with a proviso that, if, after the fourth Test match neither side had scored an advantage, the fifth Test match should be extended, if necessary, to six days. Cricketers in England and Australia will welcome the M.C.C.’s tardy agreement to extend the duration of Test matches in England in future to four days, as too many Test matches in the past in England have been drawn. In fact, given fine weather, a match _ between England and Australia has little chance of being finished in three days, In 1930 and 1934 the Test matches at Leeds and Manchester were drawn. la the whole series of Test matches, dating from 1877, no fewer than 27 Test matches between Australia and England have been drawn in England, while only two have been drawn in Australia. Strangely enough, both of these were in Melbourne—in 1881, and again in 1882. As Test matches since have been played to a finish in Australia, these are the only instances of . Test games being unfinished in Australia. Four (lavs will give a reasonable chance of finality being reached in future, and will add greatly to the interest taken in the matches. The M.C.C. decision to arrange three Test matches for the New Zealand team’s programme in England next year will be received with the greatest satisfaction in New Zealand, as Dominion players shaped so feeblv against South Africa and England in New Zealand that New Zealand for a time was dropped from Test match status. The reinstatement of the Dominion among first-class cricketing countries is most satisfactory, and it now remains for New Zealand players to show in England next year that they artworthy of the high honour.