Whenever those within cricket circles self -scrutinise the health of their own sport, then conclude that there are aspects to worry about, it's hard not be be a little tickled by their negativity.
You feel like telling them they should thank their lucky stars that, compared to the sport of horse racing, everything is in rude health and their house is in order with a bright future ahead.
When I purchased a ticket for day one of the Old Trafford Ashes match, it was in the lap of the Gods how kind the weather would be. Then, being the fourth test, the series may already be dead, taking the edge of it. Being wishfully picky, I was also hoping both Jimmy Anderson and Steve Smith would be fit to play with Australia batting first.
As things turned out, going into that first day the series could not of been at a more finely balanced point. Smith was able to play with the Aussies batting first. But Anderson was crocked and the rain interfered resulting in a few hours lost play.
It also provided an excellent opportunity to observe how the attending audience related to the game itself. I went with an expectation that they would be more attuned and in sync with their sport, than the horse racing crowds are with theirs.
I came away left in no doubt that here was a sport with a vastly more knowledgeable mass of attendees than those who waste space at our racecourses at weekends and evenings.
Admittedly, just like at the racecourse, large volumes of alcohol are consumed, but the behaviour that it influences, while often boisterous, tends to fall on the right side of acceptability - though I did have some fast drinking slow thinking character, with a member's badge, seated nearby who opened a giant fishing size brolly rather carelessly, causing someone on the row behind to caution, " careful mate you nearly took my eye out, " to which the brolly man replied, " Sorry, I thought you were Steve Smith". He then made a thrusting motion with the umbrella in the direction of the players, uttering, " Up Steve Smith's arse !"
Surprisingly, from listening to his conversations he seemed a knowledgeable cricket fan. I could not imagine a Wetherby racegoer with an annual membership, stood around the paddock carrying binoculars and Raceform loose leaf acting in the same manner. Then again, racegoers fitting this description have almost died out.
In fact most within earshot at Old Trafford sounded learned disciples of the game, sharp eyed in noticing changes in field positions and predicting the tactical angle in the bowling what would follow, and offering insightful thoughts on what changes will or should be made.
It's pleasing to witness yet at the same time makes you realise what a mess horse racing is in. It is only horse racing where at certain meetings the courses could get away with changing the sport at late notice.
Make no mistake, at the calvacade of wimsey that is the overpriced Chester, or the rough and gruff Haydock Park, and at some other venues too, a sizezable chunk of the evening or weekend audiences would not bat an eyelid if motor bike or rally car racing replaced the equine sport. Not all of them, but enough to realise that a problem exists in their engagement level with the sport.
The traditional cricket fans have mixed views on the shortened versions of the game, particularly the Twenty 20. Comparisons have been drawn with concert nights at racecourses. They are chalk and cheese, the so called racing audiences are there only for the concert and would not be there otherwise, while the cricket crowds, who will drink just as much, have come to watch the game play out before them. For many, it will also lead to a lifelong interest in the longer, more traditional forms of the game.
Interestingly, in his book Over But Not Out, Richie Benaud welcomed the additional arm of the twenty over format, hailing its popularity and opining that it is easier for someone who had made his name in this version to adapt to the four and five day game than vice versa.
Gambling and related match fixing are another that those within cricket are embarrassed about, believing it's harmed the image of the game. Well, they should consider themselves damn lucky for in racing, horses are prevented from running on their merits on a daily basis.
In fact, cricket needs gambling less than bookmakers need cricket. By contrast, horse racing could not survive without gambling.
Then, there is the matter of the sparse crowds that attend English county cricket matches during weekdays. Lets face it, it's been the case for a long, long time but should not be used as a barometer. Given normal modern day committments, how many cricket fans are readily available to attend during the week, all day starting at 11am ? Probably only Ballard ' Boycott made a century ' Berkely, types from Fawlty.
Another area in which cricket can be proud of is the general quality at local league level. I suppose in trying to draw a racing comparison, local league cricket would be racing's flapping circuit, which is almost non existent. The minor counties cricket could be racing's point-to-point.
There are some incredibly strong local leagues all over the UK. The most famous has hit hard times, the Lancashire League, the one where all the clubs seem to be within a twenty mile radius of Blackburn. In the 1970's and the first half of the 1980's it was held in such high esteem that Australian cricketers use to play in it to keep favour in the eye of their test selectors.
It's the equivalent of Neymar being advised it would not do him any harm to play for the likes of Droylsden, Marine, Winsford United or Runcorn !
While cricket's Lancashire League is going through a quiet spell, with some clubs struggling financially, other leagues are thriving. The Liverpool & District League which now has clubs as far apart as Colwyn Bay and Lytham, has county regulars and has had it's fair share of test players down the years such as Grant Flower, Neil Wagner and Sherwin Campbell. There was also a certain Curtly Ambrose who played a season for Chester Boughton Hall as he rose to fame. Chester Boughton Hall have since moved to the Cheshire Counties League, another competition that is thriving at the moment.
In these leagues some players receive a wage, many are full amateur. So when Curtly Ambrose was turning out for Chester Boughton Hall in the Liverpool & District League, there would be anxious players in nine to five day jobs, anticipating having to duck for their lives at the weekend.
This quality level of local league competition does not exist in the tarnished but worshipped world of top level football. As for racing, point-to -points fly the flag but when compared to the number of regional cricket leagues all around the country, they are few and far between with their future threatened by those who pull the strings at the top end of racing, who threaten to withdraw support and sacrifice them to the modernists.
Cricket has no such concerns. It's future is safe, assured and rosy. Racing should be very jealous indeed for it cannot boast of any such guarantees.
image taken by author
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