In post-war Britain, the Evening Standard newspaper campaigned for competitive league cricket in the South to improve the sport's performance. The Club Cricket Conference (CCC) had enforced non-competitive cricket for over 30 years, but the Evening Standard challenged this by reporting on attempts to form leagues in Surrey, Essex, and Sussex. The newspaper's deference to the socially elite CCC delayed the introduction of competitive league cricket in the South for at least 20 years.