Chesterfield: Spinners Tales (26 Oct 95)

TRADITION OF St GEORGE AND THE DRAGON LIVES ON

Spinners Tales by Trevor Chesterfield

One childhood memory that has left a lasting impression was an impressive framed portrait of Len Hutton (sans cap) wearing an England blazer with the inscription "Australia 1946-49". It was also personally signed by the great Yorkshire and England opening batsman, long regarded as the ultimate craftsman in runscoring ability to come out of the British Isles.

There was the unmistakeable gold and red MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) piping outlining the navy blue blazer with its St George and the dragon on the pocket. In those days pictures taken of touring teams were rather informal affairs, hence the wearing of the cap, and in some cases the touring team`s tie. Yet what was intriguing about the Hutton picture was that instead of the three lions, with the crown on top (as England have for home matches) we had the St George and the dragon motif and the yellow and gold colours. While the colours (affectionately known as scrambled eggs and bacon) date back some 150 years or more, they are derived from a distilling company who produced a brand of gin with a distinctive yellow and red label.

There are also those with a sense of humour who suggest the distillers gave MCC members their taste for pink gin (That the company at one time came to the aid of the club and baled them out of a tricky financial position, seems to be overlooked). And St George and the dragon? It is the MCC touring badge. You will see it adorning the pockets of Mike Atherton`s tourists now in the country, and the caps, just as it has done with MCC and England touring teams for almost 100 years. Some will tell you it was inspired by the Punch cartoon of the colourful WG Grace, wearing pads and a bat in his hand, riding out on a large charger to meet the threat posed by the Great Central Railway who in 1890 wanted to buy Lord`s. But the decision to use the club`s emblem was made several years before that when an MCC team toured, of all places, North America.

Only traditions die hard in the fusty one-time halls of power. While the MCC have over the years relinquished much of their control in organising internal and overseas tours, to that group of diehards, known as the Test and County Cricket Board (soon to become the new English Cricket Board), they are still owners of the laws of the game. Yet this role has also been eroded over the years by the International Cricket Council, who seem to have assumed "advisory powers" through the governing bodies of each country.

"It is more a question of continuity at international level than it is removing power from the ICC," said Dave Richards, managing director of the ICC when questioned about the diminishing role of the MCC. "We must remember, after all, that they are the guardians of the Laws, and their copyright is sacrosanct. We act more in an advisory capacity than anything else."

One thing that hasn`t changed however, is the England`s touring badge.

Source :: Pretoria News