World Cup forces changes to Eton match

The match against Eton Ramblers on Sunday, July 11 will start an hour early at 10.30am to allow those interested in Spain and Brazil to watch the World Cup final which starts at 7.30pm. In another sign of falling standards the match will be a 45-over contest.

Tristan Rosenfeldt, the fixtures secretary, said: “Eton requested this as they have had problems raising a side when the fixture coincided with the Wimbledon fixture [the idiot means Wimbledon tennis], and it was agreed with Eds that this may be a problem for us when putting together a side, particularly if (and fingers crossed) England get to the final.”

Old Etonians have strong football links, having been in eight FA Cup finals, winning the competition twice. In 1882 they were the last truly amateur side to win the Cup, and in 1879 three of the England side which beat Wales were OEs.

The move to tinker with the timings is not without precedent. In 1995 the afternoon game at Headley started a hour early and the mid-innings break was agreed so it would allow both teams to watch the Rugby World Cup semi-final between England and New Zealand during the break. However, England were so outclassed that at half-time both teams agreed to head back out and resume the cricket rather than sit through the second half.