Proposed new English franchise tournament

I have a (free) password and log-in, so here you go. Sounds like fabulous news with more than £40 million per annum on offer in tv rights. Stuff one million of that  in the mouths of each of the 'little' counties every year, and  the opposition of Sussex and Kent to being excluded will vanish like a puff of smoke!

"The England and Wales Cricket Board has begun discussions with broadcasters about an eight-team city franchise Twenty20 tournament that could raise more than £40 million a year in television rights.

Many counties have been reluctant to accept a tournament in which their team would not appear, but the ECB is expected to use the promise of a bumper TV deal to persuade cash-strapped clubs that they cannot afford to reject the move. Under the plan, newly formed city teams, such as Birmingham, would compete in the competition instead of counties.

Officials from the ECB have begun initial discussions with the main potential broadcasters to find out how much the rights could be sold for. The Times understands that Sky and BT Sport would be prepared to pay record sums for a city-based tournament played in the height of summer.

The information about potential revenues from different types of competition will be presented to county chairmen in September amid rising concerns about the growth of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and increased investment from Indian Premier League franchise owners that could threaten the success of any future showcase T20 in England.

Irrespective of whether it is decided to have a city-based tournament or one that contains all 18 counties but in two divisions, the ECB will want it to be played in a block in the school holidays at the same time as the CPL, which is more lucrative at present. At least 12 overseas players have finished short stints with counties to go and play in the CPL including Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle and Dale Steyn.

ECB officials have been privately expressing concerns that some IPL franchise owners might be looking to get a foothold in England and the threat of a breakaway tournament is one they are taking seriously. Colin Graves, the ECB chairman, and chief executive Tom Harrison have been meeting the counties throughout the summer to discuss the options for a future tournament. Although Graves insists that there are “no agendas” adding “we just want the best T20 competition in England to compete with the IPL and Big Bash League”, it has become clear from the counties that their preferred option is to have a city-based tournament with eight teams that would run for three weeks in the height of summer with a separate T20 tournament running throughout the summer for all 18 first-class counties."

Dispense with would be the appropriate term for the 50 over folly.

Yes. I also fail to see the point in scheduling this tournament at the same time as the CPL. To get the top players you will be competing with their franchise teams and in all seriousness this means that the richer counties will be the only ones who can even think about them.

That is a point though. If we do have a franchise tournament will they be sold off to completely new franchise holders or will they be backed by existing clubs? A two tier competition with the counties woulb be fine if:
1. The divisions are based on placings of the previous year
2. They schedule it at a time when no other tournaments are on!

Chester le Street, Bristol and Taunton will miss out. You've got the other eight. If the ECB raises  £40m  per annum in domestic tv fees and the ten county grounds that are excluded are bunged a million each on an annual basis, they will all support it. It's amazing what people will vote for when there mouths are stuffed with money. And £40m is only the UK tv rights, of course. There will be another substantial sum from the international rights and the ECB might well bung the counties another half million apiece from that...just imagine the debate in the Sussex committee room when the club is offered £1.5 million per annum for  sfa ...

As for the CPL, come on - that's not a serious obstacle. The long-awaited EPL will be a far bigger deal than the CPL. The EPL will be done and dusted in "three weeks in high summer". The CPL will have to work around those three weeks (just as Aus and NZ work around each other's tournaments) and it will be very simple to fit in both over a three month period between June and August.

Some people are  clutching at straws  and creating their own 'project fear' in their desperation to say it won't work.

Borderman is right that if counties are thrown enough money they will agree to it. As a racecourse there wouldn't be any point Plumpton racing if it wasn't for Picture and Media Rights.

I don't see why not. After all, many players and teams now make the transit from 20 overs directly to Tests and back again without problem and with enhancement to both disciplines. I would suggest you looked at it another way: how long do you think the 50 over international has left in it as a major entertainment vehicle? What does it offer, with its boring middle overs and desperate quest for innovations to keep the interest going, that is not fulfilled much more excitingly by T20? Are crowds who have come to the game because of the speed and glitter of the T20, an evening's worth of satisfaction, going to transfer their loyalties to 7 hours of stage management?