CRICKET must keep moving with the times. The one-day, limited-overs game is here to stay.

The one-day game is not just a showcase for sloggers. There is scope for all styles within its framework.

I was an opponent of the change at the outset, but have come to appreciate the excitement and variation it can produce.

The three and four-day games, produced many outstanding and famous players, but I believe talent will out and they most likely would have succeeded in the present set-up.

Before we criticise it - and say it is for the big hitters only, see how the bars on the grounds empty when one comes to the wicket.

The spectators pay to be entertained. Who could have asked more from the recent Australia v South Africa encounter?

The innovations of coloured clothing, the magic eye to help decisions, etc, have helped to promote the one-day fixtures.

The emphasis has shifted, and the one-day game will hold sway in future years.

K SOWERBUTTS, Southwood Drive, Baxenden.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.