mad
Member
It wasn't obvious at all and not many actually know how it's sorted. If the table is exactly the same in 2025 they might change it and of course they might change the size of divisions again before the end of March so it would all then change. Seedings were not really used for the COVID seasons so they've only been in play for three seasons although they have used seedings in Div 2 when that was ten teams
In a parallel universe we finished 8th last season and ended up with Notts set of fixtures;
Surrey and Essex only once
Hants and Somerset twice
Worcester only once but Durham twice
Notts twice still as they came 7th last year (our partner seed)
Sussex only once but Yorkshire twice
It's seeded. So we get the fixtures arranged that match up Somerset's set of fixtures last season as we finished 7th in 2024 as Somerset did in 2023.
So
We get to play top seed Surrey twice but second seed Hampshire only once in 2025. Notts are our partner seed - as they finished 8th - get to play Surrey only once but Hampshire twice
And so on...
We play Somerset (seeded 3) once but Essex (4) twice whereas Notts have it the other way around
We play Durham (5) once but Worcestershire (6) twice
We play our partner seed Notts (8) twice
We play Sussex (9) twice but Yorkshire (10th seed) once. Notts get the opposite to what we get
All teams play their partner seed twice and have three fixtures against the other set of partner seeds to make it as fair as is possible
A series which has been a big advert for playing championship cricket throughout the middle of the summer months regardless of what other nonsense formats are on
Hampshire have had a less than stellar season. Nowhere in the two white ball comps but several of their batsmen have made big scores plus the ability to take twenty wickets have clumped them to second in the table. Warwicks have had several seasons themselves like that since it went to two divisions occasionally over reliant on lower order runs. Our stats look okay but there is a brittleness there hence some real shockers of late
Ironically, avoiding relegation so often is perhaps not the best thing for counties developing young players.
Think of how Ian Bell's game was honed in the very early days of 2 division cricket. Now Sussex and this Yorkshire team coming up ought to be quite a handful now I think
BBC Radio coverage of County Championship in danger
It’s apparently under threat. Listening to how Dave Bracegirdle signed off earlier on the live feed as it came to a close today and was concerned to hear it hinted quite strongly that all the BBC commentataries are at risk as the Beeb are considering closing the commentary service down.
The almost inevitable draw here coupled with Lancs forcing a win at New Road would haul is up to an almost respectable 6th.
A couple of youngsters now blooded it represents something to build on I would suggest we need a good overseas batter and bowler (barring a full season of Woakes) if we want to challenge at the top end as opposed to the bit part overseas we seem to get these days.
Given Lancashire have been relegated 4 times now since they fluked the title in 2011, Warwickshire only being relegated once in that time isn't so bad
Worcestershire are safe Exile. They are as it stands 41 points clear of Lancs. Lancs only have another 16 + 24 points to play for.
Worcs will bowl lots of spin at New Road next week to ensure they don't nause up their over rate
He had a go at the team after Worcester and then THIS happened. He's gotta be careful. Very scratch team available now with lots of weaknesses showing through. Need them to stand up tall at Trent Bridge. 11 points for safety so no need to worry about bonus points just need to be game savvy
Sad to hear that Matt Lamb has announced his retirement from the game due to injury
Pleased with the home tie on a personal level but it doesn't half sum up the absolute state the ECB has led the game to. Worcestershire one of those counties that last few seasons are shorn of and therefore need multiple days cricket to host in summer and a Lions v Sri Lanka game will have attracted maybe a couple of hundred to go and watch it. A plum semi-final against their local rivals will have had a fair few hundred more and they've been denied this. The game has and continues to be driven into the gutter by ECB shortsightedness
Either that or they move the game to Saturday and then the semi final at Taunton would have to be moved to the Monday but they've already been selling tickets for their semi final
Worcestershire away. New road in use so game will be switched to Edgbaston anyway. I'd prefer Kidderminster
A brilliant day for Warwickshire county cricket club. Props to those who've organised this event and those who campaigned for it. I think it's vital occasions like this take place and it might only pay off the way it has once out of every three or four attempts and in spite of it meaning I couldn't just rock up for a couple of hours this afternoon like I might have at Edgbaston. For many Bears fans it will be the highlight of the season the day they remember more than any other
I wonder if Keith Barker is available for a loan?
I like all the streams and commentators in general I think they do try to be fair minded and you have to accept a Surrey focused stream will be more up to speed on their players. I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing just worth having in the back of one's mind when tuning in. On Surrey I've always liked that Mark Church very warm and convivial commentary style last year when Warks got absolutely pumped by them you could tell he a bit like the majority of county fans sounded a bit embarrassed when it gets so one sided. I think the Surrey members will be rather pleased Warks are giving them a game this time as they did to be fair at the Oval in 2022 when Warks were in decent positions to go on to win several times.
Counties like Worcestershire to get a paltry one off £5 million to lose the whole of August and be silenced forever. It is shameful and it is unclear yet whether the £1.3 million original per annum hush money will continue to be provided by the ECB to Worcestershire. If that is not provided per annum on top of the £5 million they'd be mad to accept this deal
Hain gets an absolute shocker
Go to 2 hours 19 mins here listen to a discussion between Alan Higham and Kevin Howells
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001z1sq
Sorry to sound alarmist but in 2022 county members pulled the emergency stop lever on the dreadful Strauss Review. Some of the circulated chatter from leaks do concern me about the impact of private investment. The horrifying prospect of cricket following the failed model of rugby union and water companies and suffering to the same extent is very real and pressing indeed. We are in this position precisely because of failed policy over 15 years now at ECB level and many of those same people are running the game into the dirt now - you only have to look at the impact on Blast attendances post Covid. Was supposed to be different with the two Dickies but is it really any better than the dreadful Graves and Harrison?
I hope folks have had chance to read Barney Ronay's piece this morning;
The problem is the collateral damage to all the other bits. The Hundred is unavoidably parasitic. It requires every other format to be subjugated and run down, although part of this is a deliberate managed decline to ensure its own success. People who have supported the game and kept it alive like the other formats. Test cricket is still the greatest cash cow. It is currently being asked to subsidise the thing that will cut its legs off, a Hundred that provides no players, no pathway, no midsummer stage in return.
It is obviously something that of all the counties our very own Warwickshire (the hierarchy) along with usual suspects Lancashire are pursuing most strongly - the threats of breakaways etc...
If you are a Warks member and want to avert a future without Worcestershire or Kent or Sussex to play then start getting active now. Tomorrow they will throw county cricket to the wolves it seems and Warks members need to be active and make their voices heard