This verdict was to show the work of the ECB out of perspective. In fact, the main thrust of the report was heartily endorsed apart from the resistance to the championship being cut into two - or even three. Raising the Standard will do so, in time - and I'm sure the cricket world in general is grateful to the chairman and his staff for having identified and tackled the issues involved.
It is time, perhaps, to answer in kind some of the jeering comment which a strong majority of the counties find so distasteful. People are tired of endless jeremiads by cricket writers mostly of limited knowledge and little range of subject. Glamorgan have been properly applauded for their popular victory in the championship. If a division of the 18 counties into two had taken effect in 1997, Glamor- gan could not have celebrated as they did last Saturday because, having finished 10th in 1996, they would have been among the also-rans in the second division. If a division had been settled on the basis of the 1997 placings, Leicestershire, the 1996 champions, who were so cru- elly rained on in match after match that they had no earthly chance of defending their title, would also have been below the salt in 1998, having just finished 10th. Two years ago Kent, fourth last year, second this, finished 18th. The year before that, Warwickshire leapt from 16th to the summit.
The fact is that the weather in most summers is a crucial factor in determining a county's fortunes: other considerations are con- flicting Test demands and the vagaries of the toss. Championship plac- ings need interpretation. Without repeating the pros and cons of the matter, which have also been clearly put in these pages by Christopher Martin-Jenkins, the divide was rated too chancy and too deep.
Those 11 counties who reckoned they were protecting the interests of their members and, yes, in the long run their players, by say- ing no have acted in the spirit of the report by preventing nine of the 18 outlets to the top from being much diminished. Several coun- ties feared for their very survival.
The ECB will do well to focus on the personal element in first-class cricket rather than the structure. At last week's meeting I was glad to see that Lord MacLaurin spoke of the need for ``better coaching''. I have located and am passing on to the ECB a video comprising highlights of Gary Sobers's superlative 254 for the Rest of the World against Australia with a commentary by Don Bradman: one great knight explaining and in slow motion analysing the other. One sees the stance, alert but motionless, everything still, bat on the ground; then, the ball having left the bowler's hand, the full, straight upward swing of the bat, the feet moving back or forward (mostly back) on to the line of the ball. The basics are simple as we used to be reminded by watching such fine players as May, Dexter, Graveney and Cowdrey. It is a valid criticism of the ECB that they have not brought old Test batsmen and bowlers more into the scheme of things.
STRONG leadership, supported by good and understanding coaches, has been well-expressed this summer in the success of the leading sides and not least by Matthew Maynard and Steve Marsh. Under them, Glamorgan and Kent have played attractive, positive cricket throughout the summer. These two sides, by the way, are below only York- shire in relying on home-grown talent wherever possible. County identi- ty counts in both cases.
If, sadly, it is outside immediate practical politics to hope for uncovered pitches - though there is everything to be said for their return in second XI cricket - the ECB must give urgent priori- ty to the composition and maintenance of pitches. A resurgence of spin to restore balance to attacks will only come from surfaces of which the slow bowler can get a fair degree of bounce and turn.
THE ECB have, however, a problem wider and ultimately more important than any other in the attitude of cricketers on the field. The editor of The Cricketer, Richard Hutton, remarking that ``the commodi- ty of which England's cricketers are in the greatest need is con- trol'' has fired a polemic in the October issue which should shiver the egos of Stuart Law and Ronnie Irani in particular. The former comment- ed on his recent thoroughly-deserved fine and reprimand that his was ev- eryday behaviour back home, which is Australia. He and his kind should be made to realise that Australia's standards, thank goodness, are not ours. Nor should be those of Nasser Hussain, who echoed the outburst I referred to a month ago in Radio 4's Today programme: ``We have to get a bit of nastiness in our game. Everyone can work out how to get nasty.'' This is the philosophy of the yob which, if it is not shackled, will turn away decent followers more surely than de- feats in Test matches.
Boys and club cricketers aped, and always have done, the stars on TV, and our schools' correspondent, Gerald Howat, tells me of the concern of masters in schools which should show the best example. I understand that the subject of behaviour on the field is to be given a serious airing next month in the sports subcommittee of the Headmas- ters' Conference chaired by Mr Chris Hirst of Sedbergh. I expect note may be taken of the visits of Australian and South African schools, some of whose behaviour has been far from salutary.
At the start of the summer I applauded a strong letter sent to county chairmen by the chairman of the ECB discipline committee, Ger- ard Elias, QC: His committee ``has once again asked me to write to you all to express our fears that our game is in danger of becoming less attractive because its players are less disciplined''.
More power to their elbow! I wonder what their thoughts are now that the last over has been bowled.