CRICKET

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144669, 1 May 1915, Page 8

CRICKET

(By “Square Leg.”) M. A. NOBLE INTERVIEWED. The old Australian captain, M ; A. Noble, has not taken part in big cricket for five years, although he has played regularly for Paddington Club in the iniwirim. In an interview ho stated that tho game was just as good now as formerly, and ho gave the following reasons for tho decline of interest in Sjwlney cricket:— ‘“What is to bo done, then, to save the game?” “Primarily elect men to tho association! and the board of control who have the interests of the game more than thisr individual clubs at heart. If this be done it will help to restore confidence in the public, mind. Then the association must reduce tho number of clubs. Seven or eight years ago, at a meeting of the association. I spoke against the introduction of more clubs into tin association. My main argument win that additional clubs would lead to tin distribution of the better players ovci a -aider area. This would, 1 contended. le:»I to weaker combinations and con. petitions, and tho game would lose it: mburest. However, I was outvoted, biri, unfortunately, my prediction turned out correct. If the association she-uld now decide to reduce the ropreso'i.tation to eight clubs, it would mean stronger teams with a bigger area to recruit from. With tho improvement of club cricket, tho State representation would reach a higher standard, and international form would similarly impiiivc.”

"‘How does pvesent-day cricket eompiftre with that of the time the increase in the number of clubs was made?” "It is 50 per cent, below tho form of eight or ten years ago,” "Do you agree that summer tennis, sun’ bathing and baseball have greatly detracted from tho attendance at eiieket matches?”

."Surf bathing nml baseball aro undoubtedly attracting many old followons of the gamp. The now Richmond wiicli lias coino into the field, baseball, if the cricketers are not careful, is g-irng to have a big pull in Saturday afibernoon sport. It seems that the inti irest and enthusiasm in baseball incuease every week. It is a quicker Rime, and. to my mind, a decided menus' to cricket; though a cricketer who is. now playing baseball told me bn does nett think so. In winter the baseballefs ate able to seeurc gates worth £JO and JL3 HI per match, a sum which club cricket never attracted. Nowadays the grounds arc thrown open to tbo public Iml the players have the grounds U.ninly to themselves, since the public litre found other forms of entertainment. This but emphasises the need of greater care being taken by all conoerned in regaining the publie interest in cricket, striving for a better standard of representation on the association, and in only selecting those players lo represent who havo won their place by merit, and thus cutting out once and for all the eril results of influencing the selectors. If men are willing to .accept the duties of selectors, they should havo sufficient force of character to carry out their duty without accepting advice which might lead to an in■.forior player supplanting a better man.” ■'Wha; do yon think of the season's colts!'”

“The association has still very pood material to work upon, but it is useless to hope for any improvement unless the clubs are prepared lo combine in an effort to rebuild the game and re-estab-lish it in public confidence. I think the way the men on the association and the board of control have legislated for the game, and the methods adopted in appointing selectors and selecting teams, is responsible for the present low position of the game. If the representation on each body be improved. if the delegates will consider foremost the Interests of the game. 1 am certain cricket will Indore long recover its old prestige; but 1 have no doubt the only way we can secure competitions between the clubs which will again attract the public is to increase the strength of the teams. This can onlv he done, ns 1 said before, by materially reducing the number of clubs/’