TRIANGULAR CONTESTS. LONDON, March 3.

Otago Witness, Issue 2817, 11 March 1908, Page 61

TRIANGULAR CONTESTS. LONDON, March 3.

Mr Abe Bailey, the South African^ millionaire, presents a cup, to be held by successive winners in the triangular cricket contests. March 7. The Marylebone Cricket Club has issued a draft scheme in connection with the proposed triangular matches. It suggests that England, Australia, and South Afria should each play each other twice during the next year, each taking onethird of the gross gate receipts. The Marylebone Club considers it difficult to make an arrangement to comply with Australia's wish, and that a permanent programme of international cricket fixtures should precede an agreement to play an Imperial contest, but points out that a meeting of cricketers from the three countries next year will afford an opportunity to discues the proposal. SYDNEY, March 9. The secretary of the Board of Cricket | Control statea that the board has not considered the proposed triangular matches, and he thinks there is not much likelihood of Australia agreeing to the proposal in its present form. In August last considerable anxiety was felt among sportsmen in Johannesburg owing to the possibility of some members of the South African cricket team severing their connection with South Africa. In an interview on the subject, Mr Abe Bailey said he hoped that the rumour was unfounded. South Africa, he pointed out, could not afford to lose any of the men, and they ought not to overlook what the country had done for them. South Africa, Mr Bailey continued, had won its position in the cricket world, and must maintain it. She could not do so without the help of the men in England. If there were any serious depletion it would be impossible to maintain their side at its present strength. For a few years the members of the team had a personal responsibility in upholding the country's prestige. The "South Africans, Mr Bailey went on, had beaten England on a South African wicket ; it was the more imperative that England should be beaten on- her own wicket. He alluded to the possibility of a three-cornered contest in which England, Australia, and South Africa would participate. He suggested that the battle-ground should be in England, dcepito the fact that the South Africans would be hit hardest thereby in consequence of the fact that the others were i accustomed to playing on turf. He added that the contest might take place in 1909 or 1910, oach team playing each other thrice and to a finish. In January the Advisory County Cricket Ccmmittee resolved, subject to consideration of Ihe detailed scheme, to assist the Marylebone Club if it invited Australian and South African Elevens to visit England' in 1909. THE FOURTH TEST MATCH. THE ACTUAL PROFIT. MELBOURNE, March 4. With reference to the statement that the Cricket Association made only 5d profit in the fourth - test match, the trustees of the Cricket Ground have published a statement showing the actual profits to be £1337. March 5. In reply to the statement of the Cricket Association that it made over £1300 profit on the fourth test match, the treasurer of the association has published a balance sheet, establishing his announcement that the profit was only sd. Since the balance he has drawn £3 15s and paid for M'Kenzie's coat and cap as twelfth man, making the debit £3 14s 7d. MaTch 6. An official statement by the Cricket Ground Trustees describes the Cricket Association's balance sheet as showing a profit of 5d on the fourth test match, as ''all nonsense." It proceeds to state that the Association niacje a net profit of about £2000 out of the four English matches played on the Melbourne Ground