westoelad wrote: I don't think the venues who don't stage 100 will have their T20 gates affected if at all. Conversely those staging 100 will as I don't think spectators will attend both 100 and T20.
Great that Northants have turned their finances round- I believe Derbyshire and Durham have done likewise.
Its obviously hypothetical, but I think while you maybe correct in some regards, I can see a lot of county's being flattened or severely damaged by the 100 even if they dont host matches. Its going to be a question of the quality of final product, and factors like geographical proximity. As an example, take our respective counties. Is it likely CLS gets a franchise? Nope. Is it likely Sussex get one? Zero chance. Where will the nearest franchise be to the biggest city in the NE (Newcastle).... probably Leeds. 2.5 hours each direction drive, probably not that dissimilar on the train (thats also expensive). Are people from Newcastle going to travel 5 hours on an evening for a cricket match? Nope. I cant see it making a large difference.
Brighton/Preston Park to Elephant and Castle now the Thameslink has been extended? Probably 50 minutes. From there you are what, 500 meteres from the ground? Trains all the way into the early hours at regularly. Aside from that, how many people in Sussex commute to work into London anyway? Very very many. So, if given an option to book tickets for the London Zombies or whatever dumb yankie name they will no doubt use, when Kohli is turning out to bat with Chris Gayle, facing the best bowlers around..... would you trade that to watch Phil Salt bash around some 37 year old medium pacer from South Africa?
A lot of the counties that have struggled, or have relied on T20 cricket to survive, are located in that pocket of the Midlands...... with a Franchise almost certain to end in Birmingham, that could really dent Gloucestershire, Northants, Notts, Derbys, Worcs and Leicestershire..... they are all probably around an hours drive max away from Brum, or all have direct train links in.
I cant see how both co-exist. If the 100 ends up with World Class imports, people will sacrifice the county nights. If it ends up not being that, people wont bother.
Only one shall stand after say 5 years, I literally cant see how both can work.