https://edgbaston.com/news/edgbaston-to-host-first-ever-blast-off-double-header/

I actually like the ambition here. Whilst slightly inconvenience to Derbyshire fans I think it is testament to how well liked Edgbaston has become as an events stadium. It's an attempt to replicate the kind of crowds we get for the Worcester game which we never seem to get for Derby/Yorkies etc... Might attract more away fans and neutrals. I know many will balk at this but I think it's a good idea I'm open minded about it at least. Guessing other grounds will try something similar on other weekends too

More than a slight inconvenience for Derbyshire fans, imagine our members were told that one of their home games was being moved down the road? I recall something similar happening in the CC a few years back and it didn’t prove popular.

It’s even more inconvenient for Lancashire fans! I like the idea but I feel that it would make more sense for us to play both games if we’re going to do a double header.

Club advertising 8 game blast passes for 85 quid it's not bad at all that. This will be aimed at getting a similar crowd in to what the 1oo does plus maybe a few hundred county fans on buses down from Leeds, Manchester and Derby. It's much earlier in the year though so probably looking at 15,000 crowd similar to the Worcester home games but higher than for games vs these opponents individually. They'll want to aim higher than that and if some world champions/stars are on show they might but I'm just being realistic

I had assumed they'd try double headers with two matches against the same opposition to cut down on play and travel days etc... What they're doing isn't aimed at reducing playing days as I had thought but is an interesting way to try to sell more advance tickets than would normally be sold for these fixtures particularly for the time of year. If the weather is crap Derby don't lose out on staging costs as they can stand down their match day staff. If the weather is good Warwicks will benefit from staging an event with potentially double/triple the attendance for the same (give or take some overtime) staging costs

I can't believe Derbyshire have agreed to this.

There must be some benefit for Derbyshire. Will they get some percentage of gate takings?

Why have they given up a home game? I'd be livid if I was a Derbyshire member.

Derbyshire have less than 1,000 members so I guess their powers that be thought it worthwhile upsetting them for a cut of the gate money. I'd say it was worth a try - they can always shelve after a year if it doesn't work.

Perhaps fewer members but they make up a greater percentage of the gate at the county ground than our membership does at Edgbaston. They will also draw a lot of extra spectators, that’s the benefits of the T20 games.

Really hard to understand their agreement with this. U less it’s a case of them having some Women internationals being hosted around that time?

Also worth considering Sky TV might be looking at reducing production costs. One way to do this is have two games at the same venue and thus avoid the need for cameras, equipment and staff at two different venues. They saw what Edgbaston was capable of doing for the commonwealth games and finals days and double header 100 stuff. The Premier League is still on that weekend but I guess Sky will have their two games on the Sunday. The EFL championship play offs will be in full swing but will have probably been completed before May 20th Sky might have a League One or League Two play off semi on the Saturday but little other football to show.

It could be a belting day I do hope they're both daytime matches 1pm and 4pm which would make sense from the perspective of trying to attract a 100 style crowd (more families and more diversity) as opposed to the boozy stag do Friday night crowds and also make sense from perspective of offering fans of Derbyshire and the other two visiting sides a day out at Edgbaston with ample time to get home afterwards or enjoy Brum nightlife. To mind it's also pointless even having it on a Saturday if it's just gonna be in the evening anyway. Of course times will depend on Sky.

One of the protests/suggestions members made at recent forums was about the lack of weekend cricket - so at least this is partly addressing that concern of members. It's potentially an additional day of weekend county cricket in the sunshine - what's not to like?

Amazing to me they can change the venue when it suits, but for the championship in August they can’t move matches away from Edgbaston to the unused grounds such as Derby and Hove.

Money talks!

It is still worth asking why on earth they have 16 rounds for the championship when each team only plays 14 games? We had no suitable answer from various forums blank faces in fact Lancashire chiefs asked this themselves last year.

I'm beginning to wonder whether it is to do with the competition sponsors paid for their 16 rounds of matches?

Pleased to see that -aside from the opening round of matches - it appears to be the case that when Warwickshire are away (or have a bye week) Worcestershire are at home. This hasn't necessarily been the case in recent seasons to much frustration for many