Worcestershire v Somerset, 1979

Worcestershire v Somerset, 1979
Event 1979 Benson & Hedges Cup
Somerset Worcestershire
1/0d. 2/0
1 over 1.4 overs
Worcestershire won by ten wickets
Date 24 May 1979
Venue New Road, Worcester
Umpires Terry Spencer and Jack van Geloven

In the final round of group matches during the 1979 Benson & Hedges Cup, a one-day cricket competition, Somerset County Cricket Club faced Worcestershire County Cricket Club at New Road, Worcester, on 24 May 1979. The result of the match would help to determine which teams progressed to the quarter-finals of the competition. If Somerset lost the match, and Glamorgan won their match, then Somerset, Worcestershire and Glamorgan would all be level on points, and bowling strike rate would be used as a tie-breaker. Brian Rose, Somerset's captain, realised that if he batted first and declared the innings closed after just one over, it would protect Somerset's strike rate advantage and guarantee them qualification. Somerset scored just one run from their over, and Worcestershire then took ten balls to score the two runs they needed to win. The match was completed in 18 minutes, and consisted of only 16 legal deliveries.

Although Somerset's declaration was within the laws of the game, Rose was condemned by the press and cricket officials. The Wisden Cricketers' Almanack claimed that Rose had "sacrificed all known cricketing principles by deliberately losing the game".[1] Just over a week after the match was played, the Test and County Cricket Board met for an emergency session and voted to expel Somerset from the competition by a vote of seventeen to one.

Background

Coming into the 1979 season, Somerset had never won a major trophy in their 104-year history.[2] The previous season, Somerset came close to winning each of the three English county cricket one-day competitions; they were losing semi-finalists in the Benson & Hedges Cup and losing finalists in the Gillette Cup. In the John Player League, they finished second on run rate; Somerset, Hampshire and Leicestershire were all tied on 48 points, but Hampshire had the superior run rate, and won the competition,[3] a similar fate to that they suffered in the 1976 John Player League, when five teams had tied on points, and Kent won on run rate.[4][5] The Somerset team, which featured international players such as Viv Richards and Ian Botham, was one of "the most talked-about and glamorous" cricket teams at the time, according to Somerset cricket historian David Foot.[6] Worcestershire were not challenging for honours as much as Somerset, though they had finished fourth in the 1978 John Player League,[3] and had won the 1974 County Championship.[7] Cricket was undergoing a period of increasing commercialism; Alex Bannister of the Daily Mail suggested that "the game [of cricket] is now about prize money and is more so-called professional"; the Benson & Hedges Cup offered total prize money of over £27,000, with £6,500 of that being awarded to the winning team.[8]

Group A with one round of matches remaining[9]
TeamPWLPts
Somerset3309
Worcestershire3216
Glamorgan3216
Gloucestershire4133
Minor Counties3030

Entering the final round of matches, Somerset led the group, having won all three of their matches. They faced Worcestershire, while Glamorgan had to play a side representing the Minor Counties. The Somerset players, led by their captain, Brian Rose, worked out that despite their place at the top of the table, they could still miss out on qualification for the quarter-finals. Aware of their previous problems with run rate in the 1976 and 1978 John Player League tournaments, they knew that if they lost heavily to Worcestershire, and Glamorgan beat the weak Minor Counties side by a large enough margin, all three teams would be level on points, and Worcestershire and Glamorgan could qualify by having superior bowling strike rates.[10] Rule Vii (c) of the Benson and Hedges Cup stated: "In the event of two or more teams in any zone having an equal number of points, their position shall be based on the faster rate of taking wickets in all zonal league matches (to be calculated by total balls bowled divided by wickets taken)."[11] After their near misses over the previous years, the Somerset players were determined that they were not going to miss out again; one of the players, Vic Marks, later described how they wanted to "atone for the acute disappointments of the 1978 season."[4]

In order to avoid suffering a heavy defeat that could eliminate them, Rose worked out that if they batted first and declared within the first seven balls of their batting innings, it would not matter if they lost, as their bowling strike rate could not suffer sufficiently for them to be knocked out. There was no rule against declaring in one-day cricket, but Rose was aware that his plan was controversial.[10] He discussed it with his teammates and there was no significant opposition–Derek Taylor, the wicket-keeper did not like the idea, but was not vociferous in the discussion.[6] Rose sought clarification from Donald Carr, the chairman of the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB), who administered cricket in England. Carr told Rose that his plan was legal, but against the spirit of the laws, and that he thought there would be repercussions if they went ahead with the plan.[10] Roy Kerslake, the Somerset chairman, was with the team in Worcester and though he had reservations, he told Rose that he would "support the team whatever their decision".[6]

Match

Summary

The match was originally scheduled to be played on Wednesday 23 May at Worcestershire's New Road ground in Worcester, but no play was possible due to bad weather, and so the match was moved to the following day.[10] The same thing happened in Watford, where Glamorgan and the Minor Counties were due to be playing.[12] Although it was overcast and slightly wet the next morning, play started on time. Rose won the toss for Somerset, and chose to bat first. The Somerset captain himself opened the batting, alongside Peter Denning. Worcestershire's West Indian bowler, Vanburn Holder, bowled the first over. Holder bowled seven deliveries—six denoted a normal over, but he had to bowl one extra due to a no-ball—all to Rose, who did not play any scoring shots, and declared Somerset's innings complete at the end of the over. Somerset had scored just one run, which they were awarded for the no-ball, and Worcestershire only needed to score two to win. The players left the field for the ten-minute break between innings,[10] and when they returned Glenn Turner and Alan Ormrod were the batsmen. Colin Dredge bowled the first over for Somerset, and Turner scored one run from it. Keith Jennings bowled the second over, and Turner scored another single from the fourth delivery to grant Worcestershire the victory.[13]

Play lasted for just 18 minutes (of which 10 minutes were the interval between innings) and 16 legal deliveries. There were around 100 spectators at the ground, but many were just arriving, or still travelling to the match. Charles Burnett was supposed to select the man of the match, but in light of the nature of the game, he decided that it would be "improper" to make such a selection.[10]

Scorecard

  • Toss: Somerset won the toss and elected to bat first
  • Result: Worcestershire won by ten wickets[14]
Somerset batting innings
Batsman Method of dismissal Runs
Brian Rose * not out0
Peter Denning not out0
Extras (1 no-ball)1
Totals (1.0 overs)1/0 dec.
Did not bat: Peter Roebuck, Viv Richards, Ian Botham, Vic Marks, Dennis Breakwell, Derek Taylor dagger, Hallam Moseley, Colin Dredge, Keith Jennings
Worcestershire bowling
Bowler Overs Maidens Runs Wickets Economy
Vanburn Holder 11000.00
Worcestershire batting innings
Batsman Method of dismissal Runs
Glenn Turner not out2
Alan Ormrod not out0
Extras 0
Totals (1.4 overs)2/0
Did not bat: Phil Neale, Ted Hemsley, Younis Ahmed, Dipak Patel, David Humphries dagger, Vanburn Holder, John Inchmore, Norman Gifford *, Paul Pridgeon
Somerset bowling
Bowler Overs Maidens Runs Wickets Economy
Colin Dredge 10101.00
Keith Jennings 0.40101.50

Umpires:

Key

Reaction and aftermath

Group A final positions[15]
TeamPWLNRPts
Somerset43109
Worcestershire43109
Glamorgan42117
Gloucestershire41303
Minor Counties40311

The small crowd in Worcester were angered by the decision, and Worcestershire's secretary Mike Vockins gave all those present a full refund while describing Somerset's declaration as "an absolute disgrace". Some Somerset fans had travelled over 150 miles (240 km) to watch the game, while Alan Gibson of The Times (although the paper was on strike at the time) had only just arrived at the railway station when he was told by a porter that he might as well head back as the match had finished.[10] The Somerset team left the ground within 14 minutes of the end of the game. As they were leaving, one spectator banged on Rose's car window and shouted at him, "You've done a terrible thing for cricket."[16]

The wet weather which had delayed the match continued for most of the week, leaving the newspaper cricket journalists with little else to write about other than the "Worcester affair". Some speculated that the Somerset players may have placed bets on Worcestershire winning the match,[4] while John Arlott of The Guardian was kinder, writing that Rose "did not infringe them [the rules of the competition], he exploited them". His newspaper blamed the action on the TCCB, suggesting that it was the rules that were to blame, rather than the players. In contrast, The Daily Telegraph complained that Rose was "plumbing the depths" with his "cynical tactics".[10] In their end of year summary, the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack were disdainful of the declaration, writing that Rose had "sacrificed all known cricketing principles by deliberately losing the game".[1] Despite this condemnation, Rose was still named as one of five Wisden Cricketers of the Year, primarily for captaining Somerset to their first major honours.[17]

Rose defended his actions, claiming that he "had no alternative", and that his "first duty is to Somerset. If anybody wishes to complain, he should do it to the people who make the rules."[8] Somerset's president, Colin Atkinson spoke to representatives from Worcestershire the day after the game and offered to play the match again, but his suggestion was rejected.[6] The TCCB chairman, Carr, made a statement after the game that "Somerset's action is totally contrary to the spirit of the competition, but is not in breach of the rules as they are written" and announced that an inquiry would be held at season's end.[4] However, due to the strength and volume of complaints, a special meeting of the TCCB was called for 1 June. At that meeting, Somerset were disqualified from the competition by seventeen votes to one. Only the representative from Derbyshire opposed it, with even Somerset voting for the expulsion. Due to Somerset's disqualification, Glamorgan joined Worcestershire in the quarter-finals. As it turned out, had Somerset played the game as normal, they would have qualified, as Glamorgan's match against the Minor Counties ended with no result due to rain, leaving them two points behind Somerset and Worcestershire.[10]

Although Atkinson initially gave a public apology, and stated that the declaration was "wholly indefensible",[8] he later suggested that he thought Somerset were victims of a kangaroo court, and that the meeting had happened at a point when the topic was still very emotive and people were "baying for blood". Kerslake, the chairman, offered to resign, while Rose considered similar, but ultimately both continued in their roles.[6] The Somerset players, who felt like they were being treated like criminals by the press, were concerned about what sort of reception they would get at their next match; a home fixture against Hampshire. They need not have worried; the team were cheered onto the pitch, while Rose was given an individual standing ovation when he batted.[4] A few supporters at the match hung out a banner stating "It's Brian Rose I do declare!".[10]

Somerset went on to win the Gillette Cup and John Player League that season,[18] while Worcestershire were eliminated from the Benson & Hedges Cup in the quarter-finals by Surrey.[19] The organising committee of the 1979 Cricket World Cup, which was held in England, met in early June and decided that declarations would not be allowed during the tournament.[20] The laws of cricket were subsequently altered to ban declarations in one-day cricket.[21] Arlott suggested that the strong action taken by the TCCB meant that it was unlikely that captains would seek to exploit any loopholes in the future.[22] David Frith, writing for Wisden Cricket Monthly was similarly hopeful that the action taken would prevent any further instances of poor sportsmanship. Both of their suppositions were proved wrong, as just under two years later, Trevor Chappell bowled the last delivery of a One Day International match underarm to prevent New Zealand from scoring the six runs they needed for victory.[10] Similar to the declaration, the delivery was within the laws of the game, but was widely condemned for being against the spirit of cricket.[23]

A not dissimilar incident occurred in Welsh club cricket in 2017, when Carew Cricket Club declared their final match of the season on 18 for one. They had worked out that a loss would still result in them winning the league, as long as their opponents, who were second in the league, did not score any batting or bowling bonus points. Carew retained their victory over Pembroke County Cricket Club, and also their league title, however a league disciplinary committee decided to relegate the team, impose a £300 fine, and suspend their captain for the start of the following season.[24]

References

  1. 1 2 Preston 1980, p. 693.
  2. ↑ Foot 1986, p. 218.
  3. 1 2 "John Player League 1978 Table". CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 April 2017. (Subscription required (help)).
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Marks 1984, p. 65.
  5. ↑ "John Player League 1976 Table". CricketArchive. Retrieved 17 April 2017. (Subscription required (help)).
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Foot 1986, pp. 194–97.
  7. ↑ "1974 County Cricket Championship". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 "Somerset banned for freak declaration". The Cricketer. July 1979. p. 6. (Subscription required (help)).
  9. ↑ "Points table for matches completed by 23 May 1979". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Williamson, Martin (23 May 2009). "I do declare". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 17 June 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  11. ↑ Arlott, John (25 May 1979). "Art of winning without actually cheating". The Guardian. p. 28 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "Benson & Hedges Cup, Group A: Minor Counties South v Glamorgan at Watford, May 23–25, 1979". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  13. ↑ Sengupta, Arunabha (23 May 2016). "Somerset declare their innings after one over in a One-Day match". Cricket Country. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  14. ↑ "Benson & Hedges Cup, Group A: Worcestershire v Somerset at Worcester, May 23–24, 1979". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  15. ↑ "Benson & Hedges Cup, 1979 Points Table". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
  16. ↑ Ross, Gordon (July 1979). "Somerset—for a different reason". The Cricketer. p. 6. (Subscription required (help)).
  17. ↑ Preston 1980, pp. 77–80.
  18. ↑ Preston 1980, p. 537.
  19. ↑ Preston 1980, p. 715.
  20. ↑ "Meeting on cricket rules". The Guardian. 9 June 1979. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ↑ Lawford, Mark (8 July 2008). "The day Somerset skipper Brian Rose took the rules to the limit and declared in the first over to ensure his side went through". Daily Mail. London: DMGT. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  22. ↑ Arlott, John (2 June 1979). "Retrospective justice". The Guardian. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ↑ Williamson, Martin (29 January 2011). "Underhand, underarm". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  24. ↑ Watson, Leon (27 September 2017). "Village cricket team relegated for 'spineless' declaration that led to title". The Telegraph. Retrieved 18 August 2018.

Bibliography

  • Foot, David (1986). Sunshine, Sixes and Cider: The History of Somerset Cricket. Newton Abbot, Devon: David & Charles. ISBN 0-7153-8890-8.
  • Marks, Vic (1984). Somerset County Cricket Scrapbook. London: Souvenir Press Ltd. ISBN 0-285-62631-0.
  • Preston, Norman, ed. (1980). Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 1980 (117 ed.). London: Queen Anne Press. ISBN 0-362-02002-7.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.