Letter: League promotion

Sir: Having watched England play cricket during the summer and listened to their performances in India, it appears strange that the management is insisting everything is OK. Clearly the team was not undone by food poisoning or the conditions, but outplayed by the opposition.

I'm not suggesting that all our problems can be solved by a change in structure, but what seems clear is that there is no structure for natural progression from promising young cricketers to county Second XI as there is in other countries, like Australia. I suggest that the development of a national club league, possibly in the style of the rugby union leagues, would enable talent that currently slips through the scout net a chance to develop in competitive cricket rather than school cricket.

Obviously a sponsor would be required for administration and travel costs etc, however the main sticking point appears to be the understandable attitudes of individual league adminstrators who would like to ensure the survival of their league and maintain its standards.

Yours faithfully,

ED McKENNA

Sheffield

5 March