Interesting that the marketing "genius" was interviewed ahead of the Hundred yesterday.

He accidentally said "final" year of the Hundred and then corrected himself to "third" year.

It would be ridiculous to play at an outground which wasn't in Warwickshire.

And there's no need whatsover!

KingofSpain wrote:

I'm not sure why lack of "facilities" is cited as a reason not to play at outgrounds. As long as there is enough space and a decent pitch, that's all that really matters. Everything else can be brought in: seating, marquees, vendors, toilets etc.
Warwickshire is a county cricket club and it does not revolve around Edgbaston, despite its "facilities" in the members lounge.

I think its a myth and excuse.

Its purely about the will and the current culture of those running the Club.

The Clubs I mentioned earlier are all more than capable of staging first class matches. Timed right there would be much bigger crowds than Edgbaston and no reason why it should run at a loss given sponsorship etc. I remember local companies ensuring their sponsorship went to Griff rather than Warwickshire to ensure continuity of staging.

Not sure what induction non exec Board members receive but one would hope the geography of the historic county and the history of WCCC would play as prominent a role as "Edgbaston Stadium" (the artist formerly known as the County Ground, Edgbaston)

BosworthBear wrote:

Yep its all about will not about regs.

There are more than enough outgrounds in Warwickshire but needs a different outlook and level of geographical and historical knowledge from the current hierarchy.

Done right they will attract bigger crowds than at Edgbaston (as Griff & Coton used to show)

Yep its all about will not about regs.

There are more than enough outgrounds in Warwickshire but needs a different outlook and level of geographical and historical knowledge from the current hierarchy.

I'd like to see Nuneaton CC, Cov and North Warwick, Rugby, Kenilworth and Stratford on a rota.

The facilities thing is a complete red herring. Edgbaston is pretty basic for county games.

And of course the latest wicket at Edgbaston was pretty low quality. So there's another red herring there.

If there is a will there's a way but the present Executives think they are running a "stadium" (which is really a ground) rather than a County Cricket Club. I was shocked at the ignorance of a fairly prominent Non Exec member on a recent linked in discussion.

All the suggestions above would easily match and surpass Beckenham and the Middlesex outgrounds..

KingofSpain wrote:

Edgbaston is quite a soul-less place to watch championship cricket. It's probably a better experience in the members area but that's not very inclusive for the ordinary fan.
I love outgrounds, they have more character and it feels like more of an occasion. I really wish the club would invest in a cricket festival in Warwickshire rather than being wedded to play everything in Birmingham. Gary Barwell needs a break too!

Yep there are loads of suitable venues on our county with lots of room and facilities.

It’s simply about overcoming the Edgbaston and Birmingham obsession. Portland Road hasn’t helped that!

Time to remember who we actually represent!

Exiled Bear wrote:

Highveld wrote:

One the subject of outgrounds, Rugby School has zero facilities for spectators, Nuneaton has even less facilities, the outfield at Stratford is not fit for first class or list a cricket and facilities and Cov & NW are not good.

Sadly there isn't a club, or school ground in the county that would be suitable to host a first class or list a game.

Maybe the club should invest some money in bringing one of them up to scratch

It’s also clearly not true. Both Griff and Cov had huge social clubs in addition to the pavilions. More facilities than Edgbaston has for county matches

There are always loads of risible excuses rolled out for why we don’t take games around the county. Basically the club and a few members don’t want to play outside Birmingham!

Andy wrote:

Is it only points deduction worthy if its considered dangerous? I'm not sure.

In 2019

Following an investigation Somerset were charged with a breach of the regulation which requires that: “Each county shall actively seek to prepare the best quality cricket pitch that it can for the match that it is staging.”

Somerset accepted a pitch rating of “poor” was correct but pleaded not guilty to a second element of the charge that the Taunton surface “was not the best quality pitch that Somerset was able to prepare for the match”.

Exiled Bear wrote:

This surely isn’t points deduction-worthy, given what some other grounds have got away with in the past. Not good though

Not at this stage. But say we bowl them out for 70 now with Hannon Dalby having a stormer. What would they do if 20 wickets fall in one day? That's why I think its Catch 22.

Can't disagree.

What an opportunity this would have been to have played the game around the county with a decent crowd!

If we bowl our way back into it we are likely to be docked points - Catch 22.

Needs better planning - but Nuneaton, Stratford, Kenilworth, Cov and North Warwicks, Rugby would all do the job and actually fulfil the function the Club is supposed to (its in the constitution) to take games around the County.

Unfortunately we've become too short sighted and obsessed with Edgbaston including branding.

And Stratford certainly didn't cost a fortune because controversially it was underwritten by the Warwickshire taxpayer.

In the days when Griff and Coton held an annual fixture it always had Warwickshire's highest attendance of the season - which used to be listed in the Annual Report.

If they have to reserve wickets for the Hundred why on earth didn't they plan ahead and use an outground?

Especially during the school holidays.

Unfortunately we seem Edgbaston obsessed these days!

A good game to win from here!

Really don’t see why we can’t go on and win it now

Surrey on the decline

Essex benefitting from kookaburra.

Hopefully Miles and Norwell on the way back.

We may need a signing next week but we look strong!

why do we always have trouble with 9th and 10th wickets?

so frustrating

Anybody have any recollection of whether MJK was involved in a similar controversy against South Africans In Johannesburg in 1965? With the appeal withdrawn?

Unfortunately people on both sides of the debate trying to fight their culture wars via cricket.

If you look at things logically commercial interests have been far more of a threat to the game and linked to the findings in this report than people who watch cricket.

It’s commercialism that has ostracised WCCC from its members as has happened with other counties. It’s commercialism which drove the ECB to take cricket away from free to air and to cannibalise the game via the Hundred. Commercialism which made Board members forget why WCCC exists and who it represents. Literally no one on the current board represents our clubs best interests. The non exec Board members will pay lip service to the reports findings whilst patronising members never realising for a minute that their ideology of chasing sponsorship and pounds and ripping out heritage has created this situation.

Please don’t name call fellow cricket watchers but call out the real cause of the issues in the game!

Whenever it’s anything fluffy or exciting it’s “Edgbaston” or “the Bears” - as soon as it’s a tricky subject and the back foot we revert to Warwickshire County Cricket Club!