I think that the adoption of the Birmingham name was largely motivated by the large sum of money owed to Birmingham City Council. For the same reason, the City end of the ground suddenly acquired the Birmingham name.
I also recall that when I went to the launch night for the Birmingham name, the Club Chairman told me that attendances would go up because of the use of Birmingham in the team title.

The less said the better about the first Test.

Maybe constant lobbying and complaining does pay off.

Yes, a sad story.

The fact that Jacob Bethell is playing for the Lions and Pope for England suggests that Jacob may have another quiet winter.

And Gary Barwell wins the top award this year:
https://edgbaston.com/news/edgbastons-barwell-earns-top-grounds-manager-award/

An article in The Cricketer suggests that outgrounds may be making a comeback, partly because of the pressure of fixture congestion and partly as a marketing tool:
"Outgrounds are nowadays not just aesthetically pleasing, but a necessary marketing tool too. Twenty-one were used by men's and women's teams last season, allowing counties to engage a different part of the community. From Scarborough to Blackpool, Cheltenham to Queen's Park, they became a defining feature of the One Day Cup competitions."

The ECB had better get the 2026 fixture list sorted or there are going to be a lot of disappointed people in the Geoff Cook suite at the Riverside on 27 November:
https://www.durhamcricket.co.uk/news-and-media/members-fixtures-breakfast-confirmed-for-27th-november/
PS - the reference to the Blast fixtures coming out on 25 October should obviously read November, unless I've missed something.
PPS - a nice idea for Durham - could Warwickshire do something similar?

Bearing in mind the short duration of the Hundred and the fact that, for the rest of the year, the players are playing for a variety of teams all over the world, I'm not sure what a Hundred team coach does for most of the time. So JT not being available until March might not have been too much of a problem.

Just shows how little we know:
https://edgbaston.com/news/shane-bond-appointed-birmingham-phoenix-mens-head-coach/?_gl=1*aokgk7*_up*MQ..*_ga*OTQ4OTU1OC4xNzYyMzU2NjI3*_ga_ZHXWMN2QK2*czE3NjIzNTY2MjYkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjIzNTY2MjYkajYwJGwwJGgw

The_Lickey_Banker wrote:

I've heard from a journalist friend, that Jonathan Trott is in discussions to take over from Vettori as Phoenix Head Coach.

I would think that this is quite likely. He is leaving the Afghanistan post having never been to the country; and he still lives in Birmingham.

Here's a name from the past:
https://www.thepost.uk.com/sport/cricket/callington-captain-wagg-leaves-moores-park-848001
A couple of decades on from being sacked by the Bears for cocaine use, he's still playing.

Maybe we are only a short step away from Bearsfans being available on prescription. As per the article:
"Talking about your sports fan blues with a friend will help you process the disappointment that you’re feeling. Commiserate with other fans who are having some of the same feelings. It can help just to know that people care and to be reminded that you’re not alone. Pretty soon, you’ll be talking less about the loss, and more about what your team’s going to do next year."

I've read a post elsewhere today that repeats the claim that, in 1932, Indian batsman C. K. Nayudu hit a six that went over the River Rea at Edgbaston and therefore travelled from Warwickshire into Worcestershire:
"His most famous knock came against Warwickshire, where he smashed 162. One of his sixes famously cleared the River Rea, the natural boundary between Warwickshire and Worcestershire. So literally, he hit a six that travelled from one county to another!"
Although the actual hit seems well documented, I am not at all sure that the River Rea was ever the boundary between the two counties.
I recall that in 1964, well before he played for Warwickshire, the great Rohan Kanhai hit a six over the river. He was playing in an end of season game for a West Indies XI against an England XI. I'm not aware of anyone else achieving the feat.

I didn't realise that his funeral was being held at Edgbaston:
https://edgbaston.com/news/remembering-bears-great-john-jameson/
The poem by his daughter may not be great poetry but obviously came from the heart;
The umpires confer, the night starts to fall,
The light meter’s out and Stumps is the call.
The teams gather around you, and you all walk together,
Over the boundary, not out forever.

Now on the website:
https://edgbaston.com/news/taz-ali-signs-new-bears-contract/?_gl=1*b1mz35*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTMyNjY2MDYzMi4xNzYxODM4NjEz*_ga_ZHXWMN2QK2*czE3NjE4Mzg2MTIkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjE4Mzg2MTIkajYwJGwwJGgw

Back in August:
"We’ve recruited an experienced sports Head of Media. He’s from Warwickshire, has good sporting instinct, journalistic knowledge, and a passion for red and white ball cricket with great ideas about how we produce timely, informative news for Members on cricket at every level of the Club. I’m excited about the fresh focus he will bring when he joins in October."
Where is he? Either he didn't actually join or, as the Good Book says, he is hiding his light under a bushel.

Yes, as reported by the BBC - nothing so far on the Club website as far as I can see.

Northwalesbear wrote:

Yates, Mousley, Bethell, Webster, Barnard, Woakes, Barker, Thompson, Booth , Bamber.

not far off an all rounder XI

Alex Davies says "Can I have a game, please?"

"Woakes, 36, has signed a new two-year deal to play across all three formats in both red and white ball — a commitment that will take him beyond 20 years of playing cricket for Warwickshire."