Random Cricket Thread (Domestic Cricket)

[Arthur Crabtree]

I could tolerate three divisions, ten games, as the best way of reducing fixtures, if it had to happen. But there has to be a viable FC system for Tests to survive, which is still the ultimate format in the UK. And arguably, limited overs skills are honed in a traditional cricket environment. Cricketers who only play T20 seem to start to struggle when they give up the longer game.

Kill off first class cricket (which of course has survived over a century) and what happens if T20 struggles? I can see T20 killing off the other formats, and then dying itself of its own insignificance. I think T20 needs to shelter under a more substantial format.

[captaincolly]

I could tolerate three divisions, ten games, as the best way of reducing fixtures, if it had to happen. But there has to be a viable FC system for Tests to survive, which is still the ultimate format in the UK. And arguably, limited overs skills are honed in a traditional cricket environment. Cricketers who only play T20 seem to start to struggle when they give up the longer game.

Kill off first class cricket (which of course has survived over a century) and what happens if T20 struggles? I can see T20 killing off the other formats, and then dying itself of its own insignificance. I think T20 needs to shelter under a more substantial format.

That's an excellent point. T20 on its own could well wither away in time without being one format played beneath the umbrella of the more substantial format.

[Durhamfootman]

I argued for 3 divisions of 6 teams way back in 606 days (so before 2010), so I have no problem with 10 matches a season (of course, I assumed with tongue in cheek, that season ticket prices would have to fall to reflect the loss of 12 days of cricket.... which obviously didn't happen when the 9 home 50 and 40 over games a season were eroded to 4 with a corresponding hike in subs).

I argued for promotion/relegation across all 3 divisions, which I (perhaps naively) hoped would lead to a concentration of the best players into the highest standard of cricket with associated benefits for England selectors, but this is very different. The idea of an annual, randomly generated, conference system is, for me, a complete nonsense. It reminds me how well we did as a country when there were no winners in school sports and all kids were given medals for taking part. This will kill county cricket quicker than almost anything else I can of, apart from cancelling it altogether

[Durhamfootman]

While I take the point about short-termism from the counties.... I can't see the richer counties ever stopping hoovering up all the best players whenever they possibly can.

[captaincolly]

While I take the point about short-termism from the counties.... I can't see the richer counties ever stopping hoovering up all the best players whenever they possibly can.

Yep. There will always be a few counties - same ones as now - who are able to cherry pick players regardless of the domestic structure.

[Alviro Patterson]

I feel going back to a one league County Championship has got to happen, there is a danger of counties neglecting the red ball game and make white ball cricket a priority. For example Derbyshire have employed a Twenty20 specialist coach and that decision has paid off in reaching the Blast quarter-finals last year. Since they make more gate money from one Twenty20 against Yorkshire at Chesterfield compared to all home County Championship matches, the board might just consider making T20 Blast a priority in order to survive.

From an exapnsion perspective, there is more incentive for Gloucestershire to make Twenty20 a priority and become a City T20 host than develop red ball cricketers.

The two Division County Championship structure has been a success in improving England a test nation, but it's shelf life is ending because of Twenty20 taking off worldwide at a domestic level.

[westoelad]

The rich are getting richer-further handouts to Test grounds even when they don't hold tests.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/935d ... 3211a65142

[captaincolly]

The rich are getting richer-further handouts to Test grounds even when they don't hold tests.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/935d ... 3211a65142

Sounds as if the ECB are up to their old trick of making up rules as they go along.

[Making_Splinters]

Said it multiple times on both here and 606. We need to have a set number of named Test grounds and get rid of the whole bidding process. The ECB contributes to upkeep of the Test grounds and all revenue from international cricket is equally distributed between the counties. The international grounds get a reduced amount in line with any spending the ECB has made on their grounds.

[Durhamfootman]

they have got rid of the bidding process, as far as I'm aware

[andy]

Lecistershire have signed Mohammed Nabi for the t20 blast

[westoelad]

Good piece on FTECB shenanigans on Testpayouts by Atherton.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coun ... 5a7cc7f921

[andy]

Ed Cowan has retired from first class cricket

[captaincolly]

Good piece on FTECB shenanigans on Testpayouts by Atherton.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coun ... 5a7cc7f921

Andy Nash has resigned from the ECB board and these payments seem to have been the major reason. His letter of resignation doesn't pull many punches.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/201 ... -critical/

[westoelad]

Good piece on FTECB shenanigans on Testpayouts by Atherton.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coun ... 5a7cc7f921

Andy Nash has resigned from the ECB board and these payments seem to have been the major reason. His letter of resignation doesn't pull many punches.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/201 ... -critical/

FTECB make great play of their individual independance Harrison, Graves and v.chairman Ian Lovett appear to dictate policy unchallenged. Graves is independent, of course, because he's said so himself. Lovett, who chaired the "independent" board that decided the test and franchise T20 ground allocation, was long time chairman of Middlesex until a few years ago.
Nash will be rightly aggrieved over the illogical decision to make Glamorgan in preference to Somerset for the SW venue for T20 franchise