Cricket: Boycott on back foot in election

GEOFFREY BOYCOTT could lose his seat on the Yorkshire committee in the March election. The corridor of uncertainty for the television commentator, former England opener and county captain is opened by the nomination of eight candidates for three seats in the new regionalised voting system designed to reduced the committee from 23 to 12 members.

Each of four regions can elect only one former player. Boycott has to surmount the challenge of Bob Platt, once Fred Trueman's opening partner, plus six other candidates. These include four former members of the committee, each of whom can be expected to keep a small but loyal constituency, and Mollie Staines, a forthright former schoolteacher from Dewsbury, the only woman to have served on the committee and the only woman standing this year.

At least Yorkshire will have no difficulty in paying for these elections. Last year's record loss of pounds 83,000 was converted into a record profit of pounds 89,962. Subscriptions rose by pounds 25,000, attendances by pounds 30,000, sponsorship by pounds 71,000 and the share-out from the Test and County Cricket Board by pounds 81,000. The chief executive, Chris Hassell, is reporting record sponsorship figures for the coming season and membership enquiries 'are flooding in'.