Overs and out
Mark Nicholas, the new President of the MCC, suggested he would favour ending the annual Eton vs Harrow cricket match at Lord’s when its future is next reviewed in 2027. Which school is the better at cricket?
– The fixture has been running since 1805, 72 years before the first test match.
– Eton has won 60 matches, Harrow 57 and 68 have been a draw.
– Harrow are the current champions, having won the last two matches.
– The match used to attract crowds larger than some Test matches, with 38,000 spectators attending over two days in 1914.
– Eton has produced the most players who have gone on to play for England: 15, against 6 for Harrow
– However, Harrow has produced the two most recent England players, in Nick Compton and Gary Ballance.
Net benefits
Jeremy Hunt wants to dock the benefits of those who refuse job interviews. What were the most-claimed benefits in February?
State pension 12.64m
Universal credit 5.84m
Personal independence payment 2.96m
Housing benefit 2.44m
Employment/ support allowance 1.63m
Attendance allowance 1.59m
Pension credit 1.37m
Carer’s allowance 1.36m
Income support 153,000
Jobseeker’s allowance 93,000
Source: Department for Work and Pensions
Country files
How many people work on farms? In June, the agricultural workforce in England was 292,000, a fall of 2.9% on a year earlier. The age breakdown was:
16-24 1%
25-34 5%
35-44 10%
45-54 18%
55-64 32%
65+ 35%
Source: Defra
Ratings war
Adam Boulton called for GB News to be taken off air because it was trying to ‘bust the delicate and important broadcast ecology’ in Britain. How are the older TV news channels doing compared with the newer ones? Figures for ‘four-week reach:
Aug 2023 Aug 2021
BBC News 9.54m 12.34m
Sky News 8.09m 8.82m
GB News 2.79m 2.28m
Talk TV 1.38m –
Source: Barb
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