CMJ: MacLaurin wants counties to consider big picture (8 Jul 1998)

8 July 1998

MacLaurin wants counties to consider big picture

Christopher Martin-Jenkins

Lord MacLaurin, chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, has called the counties to an autumn review of the "whole structure of first-class cricket". He planned the meeting before the debate about England's future which was reignited at Old Trafford last week, writes Christopher Martin-Jenkins.

Reacting to the request by the Professional Cricketers' Association for a further consideration of two or more divisions in the county championship, and to the Government's decision to allow satellite and cable companies to bid for the televising of Test matches from next year, the chairman has written to all county chairmen and chief executives.

Lord MacLaurin said yesterday that when the television negotiations have been concluded - tenders have already been invited - the time would be right to talk again about the game's finances, two divisions and other ideas to make the structure which breeds England's international cricketers more competitive than it is widely seen to be.

Two divisions of the championship, with promotion and relegation for two, three or even four counties, will be considered again. So, probably, will a proposal for a premier league of six, with two equal feeder leagues, from which three counties would win promotion to the premier league the following year after televised play-offs, thus avoiding the possibility of six rich clubs dominating everyone else.

A more radical plan for a regional tier between county and Test cricket, often discussed here, is now strongly supported by Michael Atherton, who will explain his reasoning in Sunday's edition of ET soon. Regional cricket is already being seriously considered at the heart of the game's administration at Lord's, but officials are aware that it would be accepted only if the counties are sure of their own financial stability.

By the end of the season the ECB will know more clearly how much money will be available to cricket. New sponsorship for the championship, for next year's 50-over National League and for future one-day internationals in England, including the triangular tournament with South Africa and Sri Lanka next month, has been badly affected by the uncertainty over television rights.

Would-be sponsors will be keen to have as much live cricket on the BBC as possible, because of the discrepancy in viewing figures. Aware of the need for as many young viewers as possible, the ECB's public relations chief, Richard Peel, told BBC radio listeners at Old Trafford that he was confident of at least some live Test coverage by the BBC in future. Further complicating matters is the belief that Sky chiefs will only be prepared to make a reasonable bid if the ECB's are willing to stage more one-day internationals in England in future.

That would bring in more revenue to the centre but make it even harder to sell the county game commercially, a matter which also concerns the chairman. "It is easy to understand," he said, "why those who follow the fortunes of England's team can become dispirited but there is a much bigger picture. We have some excellent players bubbling under. We are working to develop better players around the country by establishing centres of excellence in each county and we are examining a National Cricket Academy.

"Talent is being scrupulously monitored, radical changes to the structure of the game have been agreed for next year and new facilities are being developed. But English cricket will either be deemed healthy or in crisis depending on whether the top team wins or loses."

The same message was expressed on Sky's Pavilion End programme last night by the ECB's chief executive, Tim Lamb.

So much depends on England winning, but whether a renaissance is possible against a side as hard as the South Africans, with a pair of opening bowlers in Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock stronger even than the Ambrose-Walsh combination which eventually overwhelmed England in the winter, must remain doubtful.

England's splendid defiance at Old Trafford on Monday was all the better for the fact that Ramprakash, Croft, Gough and, last but not least, Fraser, managed not to waste the long hours of resistance by Atherton and Alec Stewart. The survival was symbolic. This was a team, not a group of individuals; a relatively weak team, perhaps, short of world-class bowlers but not, after all, a pushover, especially on a slow pitch with Pollock not playing and Lance Klusener unfit to bowl.

Brian McMillan may return for South Africa for the fourth Test which starts at Trent Bridge a fortnight tomorrow, and even if that means that Jacques Kallis will have to open the batting, it will only strengthen their side. The more all-rounders of different sorts a side possess, the harder to beat them it tends to be: South Africa can choose Kallis, McMillan, Pollock, Klusener, Cronje and Boucher. At 22, Kallis is already a seasoned and versatile Test cricketer, and he won the man-of-the-match award at Old Trafford as much for his consistently dangerous bowling as for his century.

England, however, will at last try to exploit the one acknowledged weakness of the South Africans at Nottingham. When the selectors meet again next weekend they will not only pick Ian Salisbury but consider him as the only spinner in the eleven if necessary.

If Mark Butcher has proved his fitness he will no doubt resume as Atherton's opening partner and Graeme Hick is the obvious and likely replacement for Graham Thorpe, who will consult back specialists in London later this week. Surrey expect to make a statement before the weekend on whether he will require surgery on a damaged disc and, if so, when.

Surrey would be further depleted if Ben Hollioake can press his own case much harder than he recently has by performing well in one-day matches today and Sunday, and in the championship match against Middlesex next week. Ed Giddins and Alan Mullally are the other alternatives to Croft or Ashley Giles, but serious consideration will also be given to two other 20-year-olds, Alex Tudor and Andrew Flintoff.

When he gets it right Tudor is the quickest fast bowler in the country but so raw that Flintoff, an exciting talent indeed, hit 34 off one over from him two weeks ago. England coach David Lloyd is keen that Tudor should not be put off. Lloyd said yesterday that he would like a version of the Yellow Pages Speedster, which measured the pace of bowlers, to be used by all counties.

Lloyd's report to the ECB last year identified a need for fast bowlers and wrist spinners. Serious efforts to discover and then nurture talented young leg-spinners have at last been started but Chris Schofield, the England Under-19 leg-spinner, is overdue a championship appearance for Lancashire.

The course of the series to date is no surprise: South Africa are the third best Test side in the world in The Cricketer's international ratings, England only sixth of nine, with Sri Lanka a fraction behind them.

They play England at the Oval from Aug 27-31 in a match already sold out for the second and third days. Surrey say that speedy application is advised for those wanting to go on on Thursday or Sunday.

Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)