mad
Member
One thing that annoys me is this insistence in high performance in the traditional formats of the game almost to the level where the players are literally meant to go right to the edge (all very Strauss that) and yet in these new fangled formats which have most resources chucked at them there is far less pressure on the players or the teams once they are in - it's all geared towards fun, signing autographs, posing for selfies etc... just like county cricket as I remember it in the 1990's. The games are never going to all be of a high standard (despite the hype) especially when it only lasts 200 balls in fact many games will be pure dross but that matters not whoever finishes in the bottom two won't go down. Same with the boring IPL and big bash - when you've seen one display of fireworks you've seen them all I've seen Brendan McCullum in T20 and Gilchrist do the same in tests and Keith Barker in county matches not to mention Lara.
If there's one thing county cricket can learn from the hundred it is it must be a priority to make the matches fun for the players and spectators not drive them close to the edge in search of higher and higher performance at smaller and smaller margins and at great cost to player mental health and the attractiveness of the game to spectators. This is what I recall of county cricket in the 1990's when it was fun - 4 competitions for all 18 counties to aim to win at the start. Maybe they wouldn't be so keen to drift off to mickey mouse competitions then.
Not a lot we can do about the global stuff other than allow it to go over our heads and carry on supporting the Bears and county cricket. Pity then that there's very little of it to watch at the moment - 2nd xi masquerading as a first team in the RLODC/age group and local Saturday league stuff apart
If we did reduce the CC how would we feel if it was the 7 grounds with hundred sides that were cut from the championship plus Middlesex. That would be fairer than what I've seen proposed which is to cut the Worcestershire's and the Derbyshire's out of the CC. It would be dreadful for us as Bears fans for sure but fairer because at least there'd still be hit & giggle to watch at our grounds. Agree with comments about the 16.4 being a bit like watching wrestling on the TV in the 1970's you have to wonder at what point the stage managed nature of games become will too obvious
Fair play to Milo. Doesn't bode well for the 16.4 though if his calibre of lad is being brought in. Sub par big bash let alone competing with IPL. What a waste of money the 16.4 is proving to be.
When you see players of his ilk getting called into the 16.4 you begin to have to wonder why on earth aren't there 18 counties playing this format? What exactly was the point of an 8 team model with drafts and stuff when (no offence to Milo who is very talented and super fielder and Keeper too) county trundlers are in it? Why on earth would it be worth having a draft if - getting on for 2/3rds of the county pros - get a game anyway?
The behaviour of Lancs CCC has been far more reprehensible than any tweets from individuals of the LAG. Their statement last Thursday was effectively a big fuck you to the members and to county cricket as a whole. They should be ashamed. Good on the LAG for bringing attention to their shameful attitude to wider county cricket
Have any other so called self professed big county CEO dared put their head above the parapet and made their position clear yet? Can't wait to start on them next
Warwickshire under 18's take on Cricket Wales at Moseley CC in their third 3 day championship match - Tuesday August 9th to Thursday August 10th. This is following their defeat to Gloucestershire at Portland Rd a fortnight ago and last week's defeat away to Northants
I hope Lancashire get a right volley off him for their use of his name in the afformentioned piece. How dare they...
Still a hard fight to win this one but one we must persist in fighting. 14 is already two too few in my opinion and must be the very bare minimum compromise. Move the earliest April fixture and the latest September fixture back into August while we're at it. Any fewer and they can't seriously call it a championship any more and that would be sad indictment of those mismanaging the game
The next step will be to fight for a "15th CC game" to help the outgrounds out as it would be designated outground week and would be something gained back for proper cricket fans
The ECB do have a lot to answer for with regards their disgraceful treatment of the test players especially in those horrendous bubbles on the Gold Coast and how it has left the likes of Ben Stokes literally scarred for life man. Why the county championship should pay the price for those ECB mistakes is beyond me
I have already now decided I will never set foot inside Old Trafford again. One by one I will find out which counties respect and which counties do not respect their members/supporters of the wider game and I will cross them off my list.
So far it's;
Lancashire in the bin
So this is what the buffoons in charge of the Category A county grounds think. You can bet they've colluded to come to some sort of nonsense statement - Warks, Hants, Lancs, Notts etc... who think players need a fortnights rest between T20 matches
We have to hope the Category B and C counties tell these twits in no uncertain terms that less CC or less Blast cricket is off the table. 14 CC games is already too few
And before they edit it;
Club Statement: High-Performance Review and future domestic schedule
In light of the High-Performance Review being undertaken by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the on-going debate concerning the structure of the domestic schedule for 2023 onwards, Lancashire Cricket would like to update its Members and supporters on the Club’s position.
Lancashire Cricket fully understands and respects the strong feeling from within the Membership and from wider cricket supporters throughout the country regarding the amount of County Championship cricket that is played throughout the English domestic season.
At the time of writing, the Club has not held any formal meetings with the ECB that relate to the High-Performance Review, which is currently being carried out, nor have we had any formal discussions regarding the 2023 domestic schedule.
Tomorrow (Wednesday 3 August), representatives from all 18 First-Class counties will meet with the ECB for a first update session on the High-Performance Review and future domestic schedule.
The decision that will be made later in the year, and ultimately voted for by the First-Class counties, will not be a commercial decision. Rather, it will be one based on the development and welfare of our players, which must always be at the forefront of our minds throughout this process.
We all know the cricket schedule has become increasingly gruelling, both at a domestic and especially at an international level. Covid-19 also impacted the schedule around the world and has had a significant impact on player welfare. Additionally, there is an increasing number of T20 leagues which are being hosted around the world competing for priority slots within the calendar.
The recent retirement of England’s Test captain Ben Stokes from One-Day International cricket provided strong evidence of these pressures with Ben quoting in his statement: 'We're not cars - you can't fill us up with petrol’.
The Club believes that by ensuring our players are at their best, both physically and mentally, they will be able to perform at their highest ability throughout the season, leading to higher quality cricket being played across the board. In this regard, we are supportive of the process being led by Sir Andrew Strauss.
However, it is also vital that cricket listens to the voice of its fans. At Lancashire Cricket, we are committed to ensuring that the voice of our Members and Supporters is heard at the highest levels whilst this review is carried out.
Daniel Gidney, Chief Executive of Lancashire Cricket said: “We are listening to the views of our Membership and, alongside player welfare, these will be at the forefront of the discussions during our upcoming meetings.
“Following the conclusion of the ECB’s High-Performance Review and the meetings, which will take place between all 18 First-Class Counties, we will endeavour to support the creation of a domestic cricket schedule which is suitable for all counties, players, Members and supporters alike.
“As conversations between all stakeholders continue, we will keep Members updated on progress.”
Chair of the Members’ Representative Group, Colin Gore, added: “This is an issue of huge significance for Members and as a result, we have been speaking to the Senior Management Team at the Club regarding the on-going speculation around next year’s domestic schedule.
“In our most recent meeting last week, they confirmed that no decision has been made on this and that there is an all-county and ECB meeting this week, to give an update on the review.
“Lancashire Cricket and the MRG are well aware of strong feelings amongst Members and cricket supporters generally and the Club have said that these concerns will be put forward to the ECB. We do acknowledge however that a key priority for all stakeholders is the players themselves and ensuring their welfare is at the forefront of any decision.”
So this is what the buffoons in charge of the Category A county grounds think. You can bet they've colluded to come to some sort of nonsense statement - Warks, Hants, Lancs, Notts etc... who think players need a fortnights rest between T20 matches
We have to hope the Category B and C counties tell these twits in no uncertain terms that less CC or less Blast cricket is off the table. 14 CC games is already too few
Should definitely bring back the Knockout cup
I know ECB and PCA are then concerned about lack of 50 overs experience if certain counties get knocked out but that can be remedied earlier in the season. One way would be to have a league again and maybe have it a mix of 50 (or maybe 40 overs) matches and T20 matches. Kinda like the Blast now but as a league and with two trophies at the end of it. T20 blast finals day with the best 4 teams in the T20 format and an overall limited overs league Champion the team with the best record overall from the various formats combined. They do this in Grade Cricket in Australia where games can count towards more than one trophy.
There'd be 4 trophies counties would compete for each season then but without adding to the volume of cricket.
County Championship 16 matches
Limited overs League 16 matches (4 40 overs games + 10 T20 games + 2 50 overs games)
Standalone T20 Blast Finals Day (competed for by the 4 sides with best T20 records)
Knockout Cup (Round of 32, Round of 16, Quarter Finals, Semi Finals, Lord's Final)
George Maddy took a ball to the face in last week's Under 18's game v Gloucestershire. Hopefully he's been mended but if not we may well see Kai Smith starting in one of the first few away games
McAndrew's last game for the club. If he could sign off with a quick fire 6-fer that'd be welcome.
Don't think there's any need for panic. No game till Sept 11th now. Before then Somerset will collect 12 points today. Yorkshire are still within reach and still to receive some form of points penalty. Then Sept 5th is the cider derby at Taunton where we could do with the North Bristolians doing us a favour against the South Bristolians
https://youtu.be/MaogEEpsLcI?t=12506
Essex chairman and former player John Stephenson at 3 hours 30 speaking yesterday
The numbers across the country are big. Yorks/Gloucs having their festivals have helped get the word round. Not sure what it can achieve however. I think just like football, cricket needs regulation to save it from the administrators wrecking the game for all. It needs the kind of ear bashing the ECB got over the Azeem scandal to shake the game to get a hold of itself.
Counties like Warwickshire and Worcestershire used to make up for that deficit of privately schooled cricketers as compared to the Surrey's and Hampshire's by producing a stock of good working class lads who could play a bit. But since the 1980's selling off of the playing fields, closure of most workplace sports and then the hiding of the sport behind a paywall from 2006 that's kinda knackered our chances of keeping up with the Surrey's in this respect
Don't agree with everything in it but Duncan Stone's recent book chronicles this decline of cricket as a game for the masses played by factory and Public bodies teams quite nicely in his closing chapter
Bowling wasn't up to it for the most part last season either which was plain to see - failing to beat Derbyshire, only drawing with Worcestershire etc... Bresnan, Woakes and Rhodes/Briggs chipped in we've missed their contributions this season. Miles probably had his best season last year, OHD is probably peaking this year. A fully fit Norwell, Stone or if Brookes had made the strides that we'd hoped he'd have made by now and the situation could be very different. Our batting hasn't been able to take us deep into the last session on 4th day this season and remains the major area of concern for me
Difference is Yates is a top order/opening bat very specialist position with limited options available for his replacement. Lamb bats in a position where there are 5 or 6 other vying for his spot and also his overall record over 5 seasons now is modest at best. A bit like Sibley would've had to have had a monumental start to the season scoring hundred after hundred to force his way back into the test reckoning, Lamb needed several big scores this season to put the doubters to bed
Scores of 22, 4, 6, 8, 3, 37, 0, 1 and 18 since the start of June will have that effect especially if there is no second string to his bow (1/57 on a flat one in Northampton excepted). He can't have too many complaints. I'd have got shot of a couple of others
Yates got a bit of a shocker looking at the replay