from_the_stands wrote:Alviro Patterson wrote:In the longer term England have more potential to hold the urn longer than Australia, purely because the County Championship is a far stronger competition than the Sheffield Shield.
I wouldn't say that at all. Having seen both competitions live, the Sheffield Shield is much more intense than County cricket. Fewer teams means the talent isn't spread as thinly as it is in England, where too many players are just going through the motions. If any division one team went up against any of the 6 Oz state teams, thy would probably get a walloping, especially some of those teams in the north!
Chris Rogers says otherwise, that County Championship cricket is of the higher standard and Sheffield Shield cricket has lost it's intensity.
The other argument is Counties are financially encouraged to develop cricketers, thus increasing the talent pool. Every county has at least one England international cricketer or future prospect.
I'd like to see the County Champions pit themselves against the Sheffield Shield Champions in some form of a club series.
A certain Northern cricket team are effectively supplying the England squad, so chances are that team would give any State cricket side a good pasting