The suggestion has been made that one-day cricket matches should be introduced after the war instead of the three-day matches which have hitherto been the feature of first class cricket. One-day matches are now being played in England owing to war conditions- and they have proved immensely popular with the players and the public alike. There was something wrong with first-class cricket before the war, as the receipts of many of the county clubs proved. Huge scores were compiled at* a painfully slow speed. Batsmen seemed more worried to guard their averages than to get runs quickly. Bowlers were sometimes content to keep the scoring down instead of going all Out to get wickets. A result was that many matches lacked interest and spectators were kept hanging about watching displays of skill v that-fet-4é. players' sides nowhere:. There were many suggestions made as to how this. could be got, round—widening the wickets legislating against too perfect pitches. and scores of others. But county cricket being such an institution. cutting the length of matches to one day was not seriously considered. The experiences in this war have shown. however. that shortening the matches has improved rather than detracted from the game. and those who have hesitated in the past to interfere with time-honoured customs have had demonstrated to them the fact that their fears were groundless. One-day matches may have the effect of keeping in first class cricket many a good youngster who has not been able to spare. the tithe fo play after leaving the university Many an excellent cricketer has had to give up the game except for Saturday afternoons because he has had to earn his living else-Where. and has not been able to persuade his employers to allow him three days off at a time to play for his country, These young ers will be kept in the first ranks if the one-day match is made permanent. and the whole of cricket will benefit accordingly. It is hoped that the many problems—financial and otherwise—which will have to be overcome before the one-day first-class match is introduced will not prevent the MCC. from giving it their full consideration
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.