Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

It seems the popularity of the Big Bash in Oz is leading to calls for a similar franchise-based league over here.

Is it possible? Can it work?

Personally I don't think so. Just taking Durham as an example. What would we call them? Newcastle? Durham has a large Sunderland membership so the rivalries that exist in football would transfer to cricket and it's unlikely the majority of Sunderland based fans would watch them.


Make it regional then. Again this causes problems. Durham merging with Yorkshire and/or Lancashire? Where do they play? Headingley, OT or CLS?

I can only see negative things from this idea.


Thoughts?

It wouldn't really interest me personally. As I doubt any franchise would be based in Northampton I wouldn't watch any of them live.

I've said this before, but I'll say it again

Ignore the counties... they'll have their weekly match every Friday for the T20 cup.

Invent half a dozen franchise teams, all based in London, no affiliation to any county sides, all playing their matches at the Olympic stadium over a 3 week period, completely separate from county cricket.
Have no restrictions on overseas players
Make all England players available to participate for different teams
Allow county players to be selected for the franchises (no CC cricket over this period)
Have a firework display at every match
Jessie J, Kaiser Chiefs, Cold play, anyone who's popular, performing
Red Arrow fly by's
all singing
all dancing
every gimmick you can think of
Ravi *modded* Shastri and Danny Morrison
Bumble and the funny Kiwi fella

It would work and it wouldn't require any sort of amalgamation of county sides which would be a disaster anyway

If Clarke had remained in the hot seat I'm sure he'd have pushed for Franchise-based T20 cricket.

I get a feeling he is ever-envious that other countries can do good T20 tournaments and we can't.

depends what you mean by 'good' T20 comps

I doubt anyone expects 'good' cricket, so 'good' for cricket execs must mean hugely and obscenely profitable

Giles Clarke was only ever interested in one thing IMO - money. The cricket was a distant second.

Durhamfootman wrote:I've said this before, but I'll say it again

Ignore the counties... they'll have their weekly match every Friday for the T20 cup.

Invent half a dozen franchise teams, all based in London, no affiliation to any county sides, all playing their matches at the Olympic stadium over a 3 week period, completely separate from county cricket.
Have no restrictions on overseas players
Make all England players available to participate for different teams
Allow county players to be selected for the franchises (no CC cricket over this period)
Have a firework display at every match
Jessie J, Kaiser Chiefs, Cold play, anyone who's popular, performing
Red Arrow fly by's
all singing
all dancing
every gimmick you can think of
Ravi *modded* Shastri and Danny Morrison
Bumble and the funny Kiwi fella

It would work and it wouldn't require any sort of amalgamation of county sides which would be a disaster anyway

That would work.

Particularly the effervescent Danny Morrison.

braveneutral wrote:Particularly the effervescent Danny Morrison.

I'd have to emigrate if I knew Danny Morrison was here.

Aidan11 wrote:Giles Clarke was only ever interested in one thing IMO - money. The cricket was a distant second.

money was second, behind boosting his own personal profile
getting rid of KP was third
hanging on to Steely was probably fourth

so cricket was likely to have been about 5th on the Clarke scale

DiligentDefence wrote:

braveneutral wrote:Particularly the effervescent Danny Morrison.

I'd have to emigrate if I knew Danny Morrison was here.

I only included DM and Ravi *modded* Shastri, because they are the two commentators most willing to prostitute themselves for the sake of ingratiating their way into the good books (and fat wallets) of T20 competition execs........ and also the most willing to sacrifice any integrity that the actual cricket might still have

Bumble and the funny little Kiwi fella (whose name escapes me completely, annoyingly) would be there, because at least the sh1te they spout is quite amusing and seemingly tongue in cheek

Funny Kiwi?

Coney? Smith?

Arthur Crabtree wrote:Funny Kiwi?

Coney? Smith?

Danny Morrison!

He mentions cricket's Keith Chegwin by name. So it can't be Danny.

Oh I thought it was to throw us off the scent of his true desires.