NO TINKERING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 30 March 1929, Page 9

NO TINKERING

WITH THE LAWS OP CRICKET (From our own Correspondent.) LONDON, 7th February. A thousand cricketers, representing tons of thousands of players, have made an emphatic protest against the proposal to change the laws of the game. They spoke on behalf of the clubs in all parts of the country outside the county championship, and the M.C.C. arc bound to be influenced by their decision. This "branch of the game is not concerned with the problem of high scoring which confronts the counties. What in effect the club cricketer says is: "Our matches last four or five hours, and we can get them through in that time. The counties allow three days to their games, and if they can't finish them it is their own fault." But even Lord Hawke, the old Yorkshire captain, who is one of the most conservative legislators in the game, insists that something must be done to reduce scoring. His only suggestion, however, apart from that to widen the scope of the leg-before rule, is to impress oir the county clubs the necessity to a return to natural grass pitches which have not been artificially dressed on the top. Three questions were put to the clubs. Would they favour the l.b.w. rule being altered* making batsmen out if the ball would have hit the stumps had it not struck the batsman's pads or hands ; were they prepared to make one season's experiment with the stumps increased in height from 27 inches out of the ground to 29 inches; and, alternatively, would; they experiment with thicker slumps increasing the total width of the wicket from eight inches to nine and a half inches.

To all of these proposals they gave an emphatic ; 'No. !! It was the tmanimous opinion of these thousand cricketers that the game as it is at present played does not call for any alteration, r.nd that those' concerned with county, cricket should be left to find their own salvation.

What will the'M.O.C. do?. So satisfied are they that reformsars necessary so far as the championship is concerned, thnt it is likely they will have to rlo something, anrl the simplest way out of the difficult situation seems to be to let the counties make their own experiments, ;i!u! leave the clubs to play under the rales as they stand at present.

As has been stated, the suggestion to change the l.b.w. rule does not find favour even with tlie counties, but the end desired might bo reached by increasing the r ize of the wicket. 'lt is unfortunate this war not tried last' season. Two or three matches might have been played under these conditions towards the end of last season, and they would have been a useful guid?.