Cricket’s new test

THE soul-searching over Yorkshire’s relegation from county cricket’s top tier has, thus far, masked concerns about the sport’s future existence at this level. “Warm beer and cricket” maybe quintessentially English, as Sir John Major regularly alludes to, but the long shadow cast over the county game at the end of another turbulent season was more financial than meteorological.

That Yorkshire supremo Colin Graves fears that a county club, the bedrock of the game, could go out of existence is a stark reminder that a funding structure is still required to help provide the next generation of players, like the exciting Jonny Bairstow, to sustain England’s giddy position at the top of the Test world rankings.

Mr Graves is also right to acknowledge how Headingley Carnegie’s status as an international venue is under threat from a myriad of new grounds that have been built. Until recently, Leeds was guaranteed a Test match each year. His club’s challenge now is to formulate a compelling financial case that makes it difficult for the England and Wales Cricket Board to refuse any future bid by Headingley to host such matches.