Date-stamped : 11 Dec95 - 14:37 Tour Match: Boland v England Boland Bank Park, Paarl. 10 December 1995. England catch the one-day bug Decision to cut short tourists` provincial `bore draw` estab- lishes dangerous precedent, says Christopher Martin-Jenkins in Paarl England (244) beat Boland (170) by 74 runs BOLAND Park, the majestically situated ground laid out only two years ago, has already achieved a unique double: two matches against touring teams in a year; one abandoned because the pitch was too dangerous; the other because it was too flat. The decision to stop the first game, against New Zealand last De- cember, was no doubt made for reasons of common sense. The one on Saturday to exchange a four-day game, which still had a perfectly feasible chance of a normal conclusion, for a one-day match, was at best cavalier, at worst deeply cynical. It was made, of course, for innocent reasons. Mid-tour provincial games can be dull, and this one certainly was. The local players, having crawled on a grey, lifeless pitch to 288 in 135 overs, floated the idea to Ray Illingworth, who thought it would do no harm. Boland officials, no doubt anticipating a larger Sunday crowd, though it was not in the event significantly greater than Saturday`s, contacted Dr Ali Bacher, chief executive of the Unit- ed Cricket Board, who had no objection. Courtesy still comes naturally to the well-bred South African, whatever his background, and the good doctor no doubt took the view that it would be impolite, in a matter so apparently trivi- al, not to accede to a request from both teams. He cannot have thought of the possible long-term consequences, however, and nor can the England tour officials. Illingworth said: "The match had dawdled all along and at this rate it would have kept on dawdling." But England should still have won and it would have done their bowlers no harm to have worked for the necessary wickets, even in the absence of the in- jured Darren Gough. You may say it would never happen in a Test match, but who can be sure of that in a cricket world increasingly dominated by commer- cial forces? Mike Atherton, not a party to the decision since he was not play- ing, said after yesterday`s match that he would not be in favour of such a change in future. Typically, he did not waste the op- portunity of an extra knock himself, but now that a first-class game has been abandoned because everyone was believed to be bored, there may be nothing to stop the same decision from being taken in similar circumstances elsewhere. Precedents are dangerous. You may say it would never happen in a Test match, but who can be sure of that in a cricket world increasingly dominated by commer- cial forces? Last week`s Test in Johannesburg was a classic exam- ple of the best kind of draw, but there can be some excruciating- ly dull five-day games, especially those that have been affected by weather to the point where only one result is possible. The temptation to abandon a game in such a context and stage a one-day international could be irresistible. Indeed the first of- ficial fixture of that type took place at Melbourne in 1970-71 after rain had caused the first three days of the Test to be washed out. There has to be a distinction, however, between a first-class match which has started and one which has not. Once the laws, lo- cal rules and hours of play have been agreed, they should be adhered to. It is, or should be, as simple as that. Not only was this a dubious precedent, but a further kick in the teeth of first-class matches played by touring teams everywhere. Already there are those, not least senior West Indian officials, who believe that tours should consist almost entirely of Test matches and one-day internationals, with perhaps a few warm-up games for those who want them. When the West Indies toured India last year, they played one first-class match before the first Test - which they lost - one after it, and that was that. The West Indies have already lobbied Lord`s to play many fewer games against counties on future tours. They have a point, perhaps. There would certainly be something to be said for tour- ing teams playing regional rather than county sides. Despite the Tetley Bitter incentives and however attractive these matches still may be for the majority of counties, too often they are de- valued by senior players having a rest to keep their powder dry for `more important` inter-county matches. Atherton stayed to score 77 from 92 balls, a rollicking pace for such a surface The crowds for provincial games against England on this tour have been poor everywhere, but that is nothing new, nor peculiar to South Africa. Even in India they cannot now be certain of at- tracting a big gathering for a three, or four-day, game against a touring side, so deep has the one-day bug bitten. For players on a tour, however, especially the fringe performers, no game is without significance. Not only that, but if every match is a They were planning to call the game off on Saturday when England`s last wicket fell, 1.5 hours before the scheduled close. The crowd`s reaction soon changed that and the England innings meandered until 5pm, for appearances` sake. John Crawley, 18 not out when the dismal affair ended, made the early pace yesterday morning after Atherton had won the toss in the 50-over game. Helped by two glorious strokes off the back foot past cover, he made 48 of an opening stand of 84 with his captain but, having clearly been run out and adjudged not out, he was given out caught off his forearm. Atherton stayed to score 77 from 92 balls, a rollicking pace for such a surface, albeit one which had been enlivened by a good dousing the previous evening. The quality of Atherton`s timing was evident from his six fours across a still slow outfield. True to recent form only Jack Russell matched him for power of stroke. Later Adrian Kuiper, the powerful former Derbyshire and South Africa hitter, pull-drove Angus Fraser for six on his way to 54 off 52 balls, but Dominic Cork and, significantly perhaps, Peter Martin, bowled too well for there to be any serious chance of Boland getting past England`s 244. The hardest decision to be made by Atherton and Ray Illingworth over the next few days is going to be which of Martin, Mark Ilott and Richard Illingworth should take over from Gough at Durban on Thursday. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)