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Post by Wicked Cricket on Feb 24, 2015 21:24:42 GMT
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Post by invicta1977 on Feb 24, 2015 21:59:41 GMT
An additional tournament but a 'decongested' county calendar? Stand by for a culling of the first class programme. Three divisions of 6 teams coming to a country near you soon. |
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Post by flashblade on Feb 25, 2015 8:36:39 GMT
An additional tournament but a 'decongested' county calendar? Stand by for a culling of the first class programme. Three divisions of 6 teams coming to a country near you soon. I agree with that. The CC is the least commercial format and needs to be fitted around the tournaments that will hopefully fund the preservation of the 4 day format. |
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Post by invicta1977 on Feb 25, 2015 8:51:08 GMT
An additional tournament but a 'decongested' county calendar? Stand by for a culling of the first class programme. Three divisions of 6 teams coming to a country near you soon. I agree with that. The CC is the least commercial format and needs to be fitted around the tournaments that will hopefully fund the preservation of the 4 day format. Surely, by finding and developing players who go on to represent the England Test team, a huge source of income for the ECB, the CC is indirectly a vital commercial format? |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2015 9:07:46 GMT
Well said, Colin Graves. Perhaps at last we have someone at the top of English cricket who is prepared to grasp the nettle and will not allow county parochialism to prevent the changes that are essential if the Engish game is to prosper again.
I wouldn't like to see the championship reduced by too much, but 14 matches would be fine, I think. Slot in a Big Bash in July, reduced the domestic county T20 to three groups of six playing ten games each and either turn the 50 overs game into a knock-out cup or if not, return to the old Sunday League format played in sensible hours without floodlights.
It is the recognition in this paragraph that gives me hope that something will finally be done:-
"English cricket is at a crossroads and needs to change," Graves added. "Test Match attendances are down, T20 hasn't been as successful as we'd hoped and the 50-over competition isn't bringing in the crowds.We need to look at the whole structure of the County Championship and how much cricket we're playing."
Let's hope that Sussex and the other non-TMGs don't try to block progress as they did in 2008 over the Stewart/Bradshaw blueprint and are sufficiently long-sighted to accept that we are indeed at a crossroads and we need to change in order to survive.
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Post by invicta1977 on Feb 25, 2015 9:22:05 GMT
Well said, Colin Graves. Perhaps at last we have someone at the top of English cricket who is prepared to grasp the nettle and will not allow county parochialism to prevent the changes that are essential if the Engish game is to prosper again. I wouldn't like to see the championship reduced by too much, but 14 matches would be fine, I think. Slot in a Big Bash in July, reduced the domestic county T20 to three groups of six playing ten games each and either turn the 50 overs game into a knock-out cup or if not, return to the old Sunday League format played in sensible hours without floodlights. It is the recognition in this paragraph that gives me hope that something will finally be done:- "English cricket is at a crossroads and needs to change," Graves added. "Test Match attendances are down, T20 hasn't been as successful as we'd hoped and the 50-over competition isn't bringing in the crowds.We need to look at the whole structure of the County Championship and how much cricket we're playing." Let's hope that Sussex and the other non-TMGs don't try to block progress as they did in 2008 over the Stewart/Bradshaw blueprint and are sufficiently long-sighted to accept that we are indeed at a crossroads and we need to change in order to survive. 14 CC games would still equate to a loss of around 45% of Championship overs per season in the past 50 years. And I have no doubt the next step would be to trim it yet further. I fear a New Labour scenario in which we're told that changes have to be made to ensure survival, but the thing that survives is so fundamentally different from the original that we conclude it might as well have been left to perish slowly. |
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Post by flashblade on Feb 25, 2015 9:25:14 GMT
I agree with that. The CC is the least commercial format and needs to be fitted around the tournaments that will hopefully fund the preservation of the 4 day format. Surely, by finding and developing players who go on to represent the England Test team, a huge source of income for the ECB, the CC is indirectly a vital commercial format? The ECB need players not just for test cricket but for the limited overs formats. The fixture list ought to be re-balanced with that in mind. Also, test cricket is gradually falling out of favour globally, so there will be less emphasis on 1st class cricket in the next decade, methinks. |
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Post by flashblade on Feb 25, 2015 9:28:51 GMT
Well said, Colin Graves. Perhaps at last we have someone at the top of English cricket who is prepared to grasp the nettle and will not allow county parochialism to prevent the changes that are essential if the Engish game is to prosper again. I wouldn't like to see the championship reduced by too much, but 14 matches would be fine, I think. Slot in a Big Bash in July, reduced the domestic county T20 to three groups of six playing ten games each and either turn the 50 overs game into a knock-out cup or if not, return to the old Sunday League format played in sensible hours without floodlights. It is the recognition in this paragraph that gives me hope that something will finally be done:- "English cricket is at a crossroads and needs to change," Graves added. "Test Match attendances are down, T20 hasn't been as successful as we'd hoped and the 50-over competition isn't bringing in the crowds.We need to look at the whole structure of the County Championship and how much cricket we're playing." Let's hope that Sussex and the other non-TMGs don't try to block progress as they did in 2008 over the Stewart/Bradshaw blueprint and are sufficiently long-sighted to accept that we are indeed at a crossroads and we need to change in order to survive. 14 CC games would still equate to a loss of around 45% of Championship overs per season in the past 50 years. And I have no doubt the next step would be to trim it yet further. I fear a New Labour scenario in which we're told that changes have to be made to ensure survival, but the thing that survives is so fundamentally different from the original that we conclude it might as well have been left to perish slowly. This suggests you would rather end up with no cricket at all, rather than concede the fact that preferred cricket formats are changing. If we want to preserve 1st class cricket, surely we need to make sure the popular formats are viable enough to support it? |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2015 9:29:26 GMT
An additional tournament but a 'decongested' county calendar? Stand by for a culling of the first class programme. Three divisions of 6 teams coming to a country near you soon. Three divisions of six might work. Based on last season's tables: Premiership: Yorks, Warwicks, Sussex, Notts, Durham, Somerset Div Two: Middx, Lancs, Northants, Hants, Worcs, Essex Div Three: Derbys, Surrey, Kent, Glos, Glam, Leics. With the exception of Northants and Surrey, that doesn't look too far from what we might call the 'natural order'. Promotion and relegation would be restricted to one side per season, possibly decided by a play-off game in September. But only ten games per county would be the main drawback. Perhaps we need to add in Scotland, Ireland and MCC YCs or the minor counties and have three groups of seven, which would give us 12 games per county: Premiership: Yorks, Warwicks, Sussex, Notts, Durham, Somerset, Middx Div Two: , Lancs, Northants, Hants, Worcs, Essex, Derbys, Surrey Div Three: Kent, Glos, Glam, Leics, Ireland, Scotland, MCC YCs/Minor Counties The main thing is that in Colin Graves we now have someone who recognises that we cannot continue as we are and will not be easily deflected from seeing through change. |
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Post by invicta1977 on Feb 25, 2015 9:35:33 GMT
Surely, by finding and developing players who go on to represent the England Test team, a huge source of income for the ECB, the CC is indirectly a vital commercial format? The ECB need players not just for test cricket but for the limited overs formats. The fixture list ought to be re-balanced with that in mind. Also, test cricket is gradually falling out of favour globally, so there will be less emphasis on 1st class cricket in the next decade, methinks. Isn't it already balanced in favour of the one-day format? In the current home season format, the counties play a maximum of 64 days' CC cricket. England play 35 days' Test cricket. In the one-day game, the counties play between 22 and 28 days' cricket while England play 12 days. |
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Post by invicta1977 on Feb 25, 2015 9:42:16 GMT
14 CC games would still equate to a loss of around 45% of Championship overs per season in the past 50 years. And I have no doubt the next step would be to trim it yet further. I fear a New Labour scenario in which we're told that changes have to be made to ensure survival, but the thing that survives is so fundamentally different from the original that we conclude it might as well have been left to perish slowly. This suggests you would rather end up with no cricket at all, rather than concede the fact that preferred cricket formats are changing. If we want to preserve 1st class cricket, surely we need to make sure the popular formats are viable enough to support it? A CC that comprises half its games in April/early May and its other half in late Aug/Sep would almost feel like no cricket at all. If there's a call for culling a format, surely it should be the 50 overs competition. Poor crowds and, according to my visits on various message boards, it's disliked by every cricket fan in the country bar myself and about 46 others. Replace that with the franchised T20, ensuring the counties get a slice of the cake, whilst maintaining the CC as it is. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2015 9:45:22 GMT
In the one-day game, the counties play between 22 and 28 days' cricket while England play 12 days. But England have played 22 one day matches since they last played a Test match, with more to come in this world cup. Then we start the preparation for the T20 World Cup in 12 months time! |
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Post by invicta1977 on Feb 25, 2015 9:46:55 GMT
In the one-day game, the counties play between 22 and 28 days' cricket while England play 12 days. But England have played 22 one day matches since they last played a Test match, with more to come in this world cup. Then we start the preparation for the T20 World Cup in 12 months time! Depressing isn't it? Roll on 12th April. |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 25, 2015 11:15:45 GMT
In the light of the new ECB chairman's comments, I looked up what Zac Toumasi said last month and it is good to see that Sussex are apparently ready to embrace Graves' plans if a fair distribution of franchise profits can be arranged:-
“We have got an open mind to it providing the distribution is fair...I think franchises are worthy of a healthy debate ... it is something we definitely need to have a thorough review of... I think there is enough head of steam worked up for us to have a good look at it now."
Let's hope the other non-TMG counties are as open-minded and forward-looking over franchises as Sussex. Well said, Zac.
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Feb 25, 2015 11:48:33 GMT
No surprise KP is supporting Graves' views. www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/feb/25/kevin-pietersen-twenty20-t20-english-premier-league-twitterecb-colin-gravesI agree with Bms views. 12 Championship matches a season is a fair compromise. Any less eg. 10 and I can't see the county Members agreeing.This allows more wriggle room for an EPL in June/July or August/September to capture the school holidays. The latter is surely more preferable. Attracting the youngsters to cricket must be the No.1 priority and a primary reason behind an EPL as well as to help reduce the £90m county debt. Of those I have spoken to within County and England cricket, Colin Graves is one of the more impressive. He may be a typical no nonsense and gruff Yorkshireman (leedsgull I hope no offence is taken) but his entrepreneurial experience and success has taught him that any business, even cricket, must change with the times. If you don't you won't survive. Meanwhile, the 50 over competition must surely be re-thought unless this season shows a marked attendance improvement. Due to sponsorship deals already signed, I can't see any major changes occurring though for another 4 years. Finally, for the future survival of our wonderful game we have to be forward-thinking now and I believe Graves is the man to instigate such changes. PS: Well done to Ireland. What a great finish. |
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