The Triangular Tournament

The Triangular Tournament between England, Australia and South Africa--so long expected and so much discussed--duly came off last season. Of the nine matches three were played at Lord's, two at the Oval, two at Manchester, and one each at Leeds and Nottingham. The result was a victory for England, who won four matches out of six--beating the South Africans three times and the Australians once--and did not suffer a single defeat. From the first the South Africans were obviously outclassed. Owing to rain the matches between England and Australia at Lord's and Manchester had to be left drawn, but in a game which lasted four days England gained a decisive victory at the Oval, and so won the competition.

Bad weather interfered sadly with the success of the Tournament. In the England and Australia match at Lord's play on the second day was only practicable for twenty minutes, and when the teams met five weeks later in Manchester rain caused great delay and not a ball could be bowled on the third day. The experiment of fixing two of the Australia and South Africa matches at Manchester and Nottingham on the Whit-Monday and August Bank Holidays respectively did not turn out well, the attendance at both places falling far below the Test Match standard. The full accounts in connection with the Tournament were issued from Lord's by the Board of Control in October, the Test Trial games at the Oval and Lord's coming into the general statement. The total receipts amounted to £12,463 4s. 2d. Of this sum, gate-money produced £9,004 8s., and stands and enclosures £3,458 16s. 2d. The Australians received as their share of the gate-money £2,986, and the South Africans £1,878 10s. Deducting these sums and all expenses, there remained for appropriation to English clubs £4,465 16s. 2d

Taking 60 per cent. of this sum, the M.C.C. and the sixteen first-class counties received £157 12s. 4d. each. Thirty per cent. going to the grounds where the matches were played, the M.C.C. received £487 3s. 7d., Surrey £365 7s. 8(1., Lancashire £243 11s. 9d., Yorkshire £121 15s. 11d., and Notts £121 ISa. lld. The remaining 10 per cent. yielded £24 lbs. 3d. each to the eighteen second-class counties.

By far the most attractive of the Test matches were in the order named: England v. Australia, at the Oval; England v. Australia, at Lord's; and England v. South Africa, at Lord's. These matches produced respectively in gate-money and receipts from stands and enclosures £3,429 8s. Sd., £2,713 15s. 6d., and £1,696 13s. The least attractive match by a long way was Australia v. South Africa, at Nottingham, on the August Bank Holiday.