A T20 Franchise League in England

[hopeforthebest]

If I am reading that article correctly, it is suggested that England would have two T20 competitions a year? That is daft.

Being daft is what the ECB are good at. If we have an ECB run by wealthy businessmen we must expect them to apply the idea's that made them rich to their plans for cricket. Every aspect of a business is viewed as a profit centre and the CC is seen as a drag on the profitability of the ECB.

[Aidan11]

If they play some games at Wembley and get the roof over it they could play in the winter as well.

Surprised they hadn't thought of this.

[hopeforthebest]

If they play some games at Wembley and get the roof over it they could play in the winter as well.

Surprised they hadn't thought of this.

I've been thinking about something similar but more attractive. Buy a few plots of land in southern France and Italy and build some stadiums for the winter.

[dan08]

If they play some games at Wembley and get the roof over it they could play in the winter as well.

Surprised they hadn't thought of this.

The roof at Wembley doesn't close all the way.

[Making_Splinters]

Was it Wembley or Cardiff where Afridi scored the first 12 in cricket for hitting the roof? I assume Cardiff.

[Alviro Patterson]

If I am reading that article correctly, it is suggested that England would have two T20 competitions a year? That is daft.

Being daft is what the ECB are good at. If we have an ECB run by wealthy businessmen we must expect them to apply the idea's that made them rich to their plans for cricket. Every aspect of a business is viewed as a profit centre and the CC is seen as a drag on the profitability of the ECB.

If the ECB have any serious business accumen, they would broadcast matches on their own (with a production company) and sell a range of packages to digital and television outlets.

[Aidan11]

Was it Wembley or Cardiff where Afridi scored the first 12 in cricket for hitting the roof? I assume Cardiff.

Yeah it was Cardiff. New Wembley hadn't been built then.

[Durhamfootman]

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

finally common sense might actually prevail

it's the only thing that would work, and they should have done it immediately after the big bash was born, but then the ECB are a bit dim, I suppose.

[Durhamfootman]

Was it Wembley or Cardiff where Afridi scored the first 12 in cricket for hitting the roof? I assume Cardiff.

I remember Mussey hitting the roof in the telstradome, or whatever it's called, in the Aus-v-ROW thingummybob nearly 10 years ago. I also remember that hitting the roof was discussed prior to the match starting and we were all assured that it was impossible to hit the roof...... yet hit it he did.

Good old Mussey!

Durhamite, you know

[Aidan11]

I think it was classed as a dead ball too.

[Making_Splinters]

Was it Wembley or Cardiff where Afridi scored the first 12 in cricket for hitting the roof? I assume Cardiff.

Yeah it was Cardiff. New Wembley hadn't been built then.

Here we go. I enjoy the fact they came up with an umpire signal for 12 runs as well.

[st_brendy]

I don't think the ECB would have much choice but to keep the normal t20 competition running (albeit maybe in a reduced format, with say only 5 - 10 group games), if a franchise competition were to come in.

Just having a franchise competition would take t20 away from, in all likelihood, ten county grounds. In some areas of the country, particularly in the south, members of the public could find themselves miles away from their closest t20 cricket - to the extent that they might never again attend a t20 match. The number of families and non-t20 lovers attending t20 cricket would fall drastically in some areas, potentially having a knock-on effect (be it now, or in the future) on one-day and four-day attendances. The original reason why this country created t20 would then cease to exist, save for potentially eight areas of the country.

[Aidan11]

Spectators speak out -


http://www.espncricinfo.com/county-cric ... MP=OTC-RSS

[Alviro Patterson]

Spectators speak out -

http://www.espncricinfo.com/county-cric ... MP=OTC-RSS

Article amended to city based teams on hold as T20 Blast attendances have increased and any changes won't be made until the current TV rights expire.

One flaw in this article is Colin Graves favouring city based T20 sides, yet has said from the outset that counties must be more financially self-sufficient. Surely if counties are to be financially independent, they must be at the heart of a new Twenty20 competition.

[Aidan11]

For counties to be self-sufficient they need to stop putting demands on ground improvements, especially test grounds.

T20 is a success already but only with some counties. There is very little interest up at Durham and even local derbies against Lancs & Yorks don't come anywhere near to filling the ground.

The ECB's finances are very healthy and I can understand them wanting to stop giving so much to the counties but cricket is not Premier League football or other wealthy sports. Nor will it ever be.