The 2020 County Cricket Season (and effect of Coronavirus)

These are the other proposals.

: Nine rounds of fixtures will be lost in the County Championship season, but blocks for red-ball cricket and white-ball cricket will be held in a revised schedule.

: The Vitality Blast will be pushed as late in the season as possible to give it the best opportunity of being staged. All matches previously scheduled in June will be moved later in the season.

: International cricket, featuring England men’s and women’s teams, will look to be scheduled from July until the end of September, with the West Indies Test Series and the whole women’s
series against India (Vitality IT20s and Royal London ODIs) both moving from their original slots.

: An additional Board meeting will be scheduled next Wednesday on The Hundred, following a request to dedicate a further session to the competition.

For all the details click on the link below including possible ticket refunds.

sussexcricket.co.uk/news/ecb-announces-further-delay-professional-cricket-season

Some interesting views and ideas from the ECB and those around it.

From the BBC Website

ECB planning for matches behind closed doors

Harrison said international and county matches could be played behind closed doors, with players and officials potentially staying in a "bio-secure" environment. He told the BBC that the ECB is "starting to get comfortable with the idea that there won't be crowds this summer. Much of our planning is now based on what behind closed-doors-cricket might look like," he said. "If you talk about the measures the government has got in place through this lockdown and the subtle messaging that's coming out about the longevity of some of the measures, probably the last lever the government is likely to pull is the one around mass gatherings. That is obviously something for us that impacts the ability to put cricket fans into stadia."

Prioritise

The ECB will prioritise the most financially important forms of the game, its commitment to broadcasters and the growth of the women's game. To that end, the Twenty20 Blast, which was due to begin on 28 May and had 11 rounds of matches scheduled up until the beginning of July, will be pushed as late as possible into the season. Nine rounds of the four-day County Championship have been lost, but the ECB moved to allay fears that no domestic first-class cricket would be played by stating that a window for red-ball cricket will be scheduled. The men's version of The Hundred, which will feature eight city-based franchises, is set to run from 15 July to 14 August, and the women's competition from 22 July until 14 August.

Games could be played in UAE

Surrey chairman Richard Thompson, whose county will host the Oval Invincibles, said he does not think The Hundred will be held this year. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I can't see how in a season of four months you could possibly cram that in with an international schedule, which is crucial; the Blast, which is essential to the counties; and the County Championship, which is still the gold standard." Thompson also said it is possible to extend the season by playing matches in the United Arab Emirates.

The MCC Champion County match, the curtain-raiser to the domestic season, was played in Abu Dhabi between 2010 and 2018, and several counties often play pre-season matches in the UAE. The UAE has been less affected by coronavirus than many parts of the world, recording 56 deaths so far. "Abu Dhabi have made it clear that they could host matches if the season is to be extended," said Thompson. "If the season needed two months to finish the competitions, they could potentially host it. Abu Dhabi have got four grounds now and Dubai have got three. It's not beyond the realms of possibility. There's a significant cost to ship 18 counties to one location and to play a tournament out that way. But if there is no possibility of playing in this country then you've got to be creative."

From: www.thecricketer.com/Topics/banner/england_cricket_delay_coronavirus_july_hundred_t20_blast.html

: The Hundred - the ECB’s new flagship competition, which was meant to launch in mid-July - is expected to be postponed until 2021, but a decision has not been formally reached.

: ESPN Cricinfo reported on Thursday that Abu Dhabi is set to offer its Sheikh Zayed Stadium complex to the ECB in an effort to complete some semblance of a season in the months between October and January. England’s international summer is up in the air. In their statement on Friday, the ECB said that matches against West Indies for the men and India for the women would be shifted backwards in the calendar and played, if possible, during the July to September period. The ECB continue to look into the possibility of creating bio-secure settings for matches, which would be played behind closed doors and with minimal man power on site.

: Stadiums with on-location hotels - such as Emirates Old Trafford and the Ageas Bowl - are thought to be under consideration, with only individuals integral to the delivery of the event - players, officials, backroom staff, security, stadium management and broadcast crew - permitted to attend. A scenario whereby England’s white and red-ball teams play matches concurrently has also been investigated.

: ECB chief executive Tom Harrison said: “Our role as a national governing body during a crisis of this scale requires us to carefully plan alongside cricket’s stakeholders and supporters to attempt to overcome COVID-19’s impact on this season. “As much as we remain hopeful that we can deliver some cricket this summer, we are in the midst of a worldwide crisis and our priority – over and above the playing of professional sport – will be to protect the vulnerable, key workers and society as a whole over. Our biggest challenge, along with other sports, is how we could seek to implement a bio-secure solution that offers optimum safety and security for all concerned. That’s why, simply put, there will be no cricket unless it’s safe to play. Our schedule will only go ahead if government guidance permits. Our biggest challenge, along with other sports, is how we could seek to implement a bio-secure solution that offers optimum safety and security for all concerned. The guidance we receive from Westminster will help us shape how we deliver this.  I want to thank everyone involved in this complex and sensitive work. There have clearly never been times like this and my colleagues at the ECB and across the game have been exemplary in this period. It has been refreshing, but not surprising, to see how cricket has come together.”

With the time left ditch 100 ball and 50 over competitions. Play T20 and have a ten game regional county championship with three divisions of six teams with home and away matches. With Essex, Hampshire, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey and Sussex in the South division.

I was assuming 1st July - 30th September although with only 57 days out of a possible 92 I have probably been a bit cautious. The advantage of a regional championship is that it significantly reduces travelling time and accommodation costs as they can drive up each day. The championship is needed as the test players need match practice. Without the championship counties will have to refund membership. The 50 overs was only going to be 2XI competition anyway with the best players playing in the hundred. There is no world cup this year so is it needed? If we were to have a 50 over competition I would suggest a knock out competition. However, it would be in addition to T20 and Championship and not instead of.

I hear where you are coming from. Does the T20 need amending? If it isn't broke there is no need to fix it. I would abandon the hundred. It would be a massive u-turn by the ECB and require them to eat a massive slice of humble pie and admit they were wrong to reverse their decision regarding the 50 over competition (I cannot see anyone at the ECB having the balls to admit this). We need something other than just one-day cricket. We need some proper cricket! Test cricket funds the counties. County championship is needed to produce test cricketers. A knock out 50 over competition would be good.

Quote: Therefore, Championship v RLC 50 Over?

Which do you think would bring in more money? Surely TV is key here? Both are covered by the members' subs, for what that's worth.

I think that's right. From a cricketing POV we need to keep red ball cricket going, if there's enough time.

Is anyone prepared to stick their neck out and say that the championship would make more money (assuming behind closed doors) than 50 overs? To what extent are these opinions influenced by what we'd personally prefer to watch?!