AS both a player and adminstrator in Cornish cricket Gorran's Charles Lovell writes a response to proposals to establish an elite Premier Division in Cornish Cricket next season. "The views expressed are entirely my own", he says. "I feel qualified to pass comment having been involved in Cornish cricket for over 50 years". As both sections of the Cornwall Cricket League (East and West) are having meetings at this time of the year and many clubs will discuss the issues at their annual meetings he feels the article will be found relevant if somewhat controversial!
WHEN the Cornwall Cricket League undertook re-organization to its present format in 1990, members accepted a league model which, at least in theory, offers equal opportunities to all participating clubs. Its principle of promotion and relegation offers any club with enough skilful players and possessing a ground which meets high standards of playing conditions, the opportunity to gain a place in the league's top section.
Now cricketers in the top divisions are being asked to consider the establishment of an elite division of only ten clubs, and accept a completely different game-plan by raising the number of available over from the normally accepted 96 overs in a full game, by at least 14, to a minimum of 110 overs.
These proposals by the ECB seen to be on a par with the sportmaster who picks a small squad for the school team with all the benefits which go with it; and tells the other lads to amuse themselves with a knock around elsewhere. It seems that promotion to the top section would no longer be a possibility for any club determined to get there and equality of opportunity could disappear.
Who will gain from these proposals? We are told that the ECB is offering grants to clubs and to the league if such an elite division is formed and if other criteria is met, involving the standard of pitches and other facilities. Actions which are taken to improve playing surfaces and general conditions - covers, sight screens, practice facilities etc., and promote and encourage youth cricket are to be commended. But at what price to our enjoyment of the game?
We are told it is the aim of the ECB to 'improve the top standards of club cricket where the most ambition and talented players compete over a longer format in high profile games'.
If there are to be only ten clubs in the top flight of Cornish cricket,we must assume that a minimum of some 120 cricketers will form the teams fielded by these participating clubs. If we assume all ten clubs employ a professional; that the County Club will call upon all 15 players to form its squad for their Minor Counties programme; and that the County's Young Cricketers at Under 19 and Under 17 levels will each form similar size squads, taking players from this division; we have only accounted for 55 players out of the entire playing force of those ten clubs. This means that the other 65 players are just making up the numbers. Is it worth having so much change for so few?
I thought we already had an elite division - Division 1. At present there are 12 clubs in Division 1. Who is going to be pushed aside to compress this top flight to ten clubs? Will two clubs be turned out or will promotion be now refused to two clubs who won the right to promotion by virtue of their successful efforts in the past season's campaign? Either way is a recipe for Chaos and resentment.
With only 10 teams making up the proposed Premier division, this will give each participating club 18 games - four games short of the normally accepted programme. Allowing for at least two games being cancelled by reason of poor weather and not re-arranged, we come back to a 16 match programme. This hardly appears an advancement whilst the offer of a supplementary programme - a Sunday cup competition run on a mini-league basis - would be in danger of falling flat through lack of interest in the same way that the existing Sunday trophy struggles to win popularity.
What of the proposed early starting time of one o'clock? Where the longer distances are involved, some players will be debarred from making the journey, especially in the height of summer when our roads are clogged with traffic. The assumption that players can be available to make this earlier start, might be right in areas where conditions of employment are different from here; and where that are plenty of young players with few ties and attachments, eager to play at a level which will bring them to the notice of County Second teams; Minor Counties, or the high powered league sides of the Midlands of Northern England. But is the assumption of availability for earlier starts and longer games an accurate one for here?
The administrators who think up these ideas often live in densely populated areas with relatively few miles between clubs and have the use of quicker roads. I recall being with the County side at an elevated ground in Oxfordshire where distant views of four other counties could be seen. I can't think of any club in Cornwall which has even a distant view of another's ground!
And what of the spectators? The long drawn-out sagas of Grade Matches at Minor Counties level was shunned by all but the most ardent supporters in the country and was disliked by may players. These games have now been set aside. There is a great similarity between these proposals and the now abandoned form of Grade cricket. It seems to me that one the administrators get an idea, they will push it as far as they can hoping that somebody will adopt it. Now that the Minor Counties have thrown out Grade Cricket, the clubs are being asked to adopt a similar game.
If these proposals are adopted, I can foresee the majority of spectators choosing to watch cricket at a lower level where a result will be forthcoming, rather than suffer the yawns and frustrations of a 110 over game which ends in a draw. The only positive advantage from such games over the cricket as we now play it might be the possible emergence of young spin bowlers encouraged to develop skills in order to prise out teams aiming for the draw.
The idea of a new ball for each inning has much to comment it and should have been introduced when the present league set-up was formed in 1990. However, I would suggest that the second new ball should be an option for the side fielding second rather than a requirement, and that the decision to take it or not should be made at the start of the second innings and not permitted later.
By all means should we look at ways of improving standards and not least should we examine the important matter of sporting conduct. "Sledging' has crept into our cricket; it created tension and bad feeling and detracts from the skills of the players involved.
That the umpires should state that last season was marred by dissent is nothing short of disgraceful. The list of umpires gets smaller season by season. Who in his right mind is going to spend his Saturday afternoon being the subject of abuse? The game has to have umpires and standards of play and of enjoyment would improve if players took the initiative by accepting decisions without question and by refraining from any form of intimidation.
As they stand, the proposals for change seem to me to offer marginal playing benefits for a minority of players whose skills can be developed by other means, The offer of cash to participating clubs and the league will, no doubt, prove a big temptation. But those clubs who year by year offer employment to a professional can hardly claim to be strapped for cash.
For now, I think that the Cornish Cricket League should hit these proposals for six and that players and officials would do well to think very carefully before bringing this particular ball back into play. We need to take guard again.