Interesting that Somerset are not supporting the proposed reduction in Blast games and are supporting the only option on the table that retains 14 County Championship games.

As a bowler and as an overseas player, a worthy successor to Jeetan Patel. Let’s hope he can come back.

Yes, straight from the BBC report!

According to the BBC, the 328 balls Rocchiccioli sent down was the most in an innings by a Warwickshire bowler since Ashley Giles bowled 68.3 overs against Yorkshire at Headingley in 1996.

Your question implies that common sense should be used when these decisions are made. It’s a novel idea but might just be worth a try.

South-Coast-exile wrote:

Long weak tail so it came as no surprise to me. We are what we are, I will be happy to end up mid table at best, don't think we will go down, but we are not good enough to challenge at the sharp end. However, Warwickshire are my county and have been since I first watched them live at Nuneaton 65 years ago, so I continue to back them, perhaps more in hope than anticipation.

I echo those sentiments.

Andy wrote:

Think Sussex hung on in there really well, especially as it looked like Hain and Barnard were getting on top. It's a fairly flat pitch but it has some pace and bounce in it. Crocombe and Sandhu looked sharp and Robinson's probably a bit quicker than our guys too. Carson gets good dip and is a genuine threat to left handers but looked like a pie bowler at right handers. Bizarre.

Would have been interested to see how Simmons got on here with a pitch that might have aided his pace and hostility as opposed to pudding pitch he gets at Edgbaston. Short ball at the body seemed to work today at times.

Yates looked good, particularly through the offside (catch to dismiss him was a stunner) and the skipper looked in good touch too. Latham's innings was painful, he's not really looked in nick at all to be fair but he finds a way to hang around. Zen got a good one but I'm surprised Mousley didn't play off the back of his Lions performances. Hain and Barnard showed that you really can cash in against the old Kookaburra ball as it goes soft.

Rapid outfield with fairly short boundaries.

Lovely day at Hove today with a large, enthusiastic and knowledgeable crowd in which created a nice atmosphere. My first visit to this ground. Exciting.

Also saw Jofra Archer on a scooter.

Agree with this.
If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I might have thought that the comment about Jofra Archer on a scooter might have come after one too many pints of Sussex ale.

Congratulations to ex-Bear Adam Hose on his double century today: 266 v Hampshire.
Also Dom Sibley: 169 v Durham and still batting.

Sussex's preview, including free admission tomorrow:
https://sussexcricket.co.uk/news/sussex-vs-warwickshire

I'm not sure exactly what is happening; but I think that Brigg Ford, who replaced the excellent Tom Rawlings, is also moving on.

Thanks, Reabank. I've sent you a message.
Regarding the players, I can't think of any group of employees who wouldn't vote for less work for the same pay if they had the chance. So I don't blame them, even though they have half the year in which to recover from their efforts.

A bit of an aside - but the fact that I will be going to Hove this week reminds me of my last visit which was way back in 1981. It was 21 July, which was a memorable day for English cricket (check it out!). I was reminded of the visit by the fact that the Test teams this week wore black arm bands in memory of Dilip Doshi. He played for Warwickshire in that match and the Bears' last wicket stand between him and Willie Hogg (another name from the past) ended when the two batters and a runner were all stranded at the same end. Never seen that before or since!

I wonder if (assuming Bethell is left out of the England team) Warwickshire have been told they can play him for the last two days at Hove or that they will/must play him.
Regarding Archer, there are lots of conflicting reports as to whether he will play in this Test or be held back until the next.

Middlesex have held the Special General Meeting to vote on the proposals and the result is - no idea, you have to be a Middlesex member to read the report of the meeting!
https://www.middlesexccc.com/news/2025/06/report-on-members-forum-and-sgm-held-at-lords-last-night

I really don’t like the idea of players coming in to play part games.

Reabank wrote:

Thanks Terry

So in summary, drop 2 T20 matches (no strong views on this). Plus drop the 2 four day games that currently take place in July. (which seems wrong to me). As members we should get to vote on all this. Anything about how much Warwickshire intend to cut the cost of membership to reflect the reduced number of games?

No mention of any cut in membership fees! Or any reduction in player rewards for less work.
As for a vote, this would depend on enough members asking for a Special General Meeting.
Regarding the attendance reductions, I recall that when the Hundred was launched, it was expected that the new fans brought into cricket via the Hundred would (some of them, at least) migrate to watching other forms, having caught the cricket bug. This clearly hasn't happened.

LeicesterExile wrote:

In the Blast a pool of 6 teams would result 10 games not 12.

To make the County Championship meaningful with a better chance of resulting in improved Test side the matches should be played in every month of the season.

In the Blast, it would be 10 matches against other teams in the group plus two matches against teams in other groups.

Regarding the Q&A session, there were no punch-ups or shouting matches, all very civilised!
What I have written below is an attempt to summarise the main points but is not comprehensive. Also, just before the end I gave up and went for my lunch!
Question - why is this up for debate now when the Strauss High Performance Review that made similar proposals was rejected just a couple of years ago?
Answer - that was being imposed by the ECB whereas this is coming from the counties and the players. The counties are seeing lower attendances and the players say the schedule imposes unsustainable pressures.
Question - with few players playing all formats, is the schedule really unsustainable? Players seem to find the energy to go off and play franchise cricket.
Answer - only about 20% of players go off to play franchise cricket. As well as the volume of cricket, it's the switching between formats that is a problem.
Question - couldn't there be a clearer move to specialist squads - red ball and white ball - to ease the pressures?
Answer - there would be a danger that four or five counties would choose not to have a red ball squad so the 18 county model would disappear.
Question (or more a statement) - the preferred 4 day option is horrendous. We should stick to the current system with maybe a loss of a game or two if necessary. The Hundred can and should subsidise this.
Answer - the money received from the Hundred sale won't last forever. Once you have sold the family silver, you can't sell it again(!)
Question - how many attended the Bears v Pears Blast match? Wasn't this a worrying drop?
Answer - yes, about 10,000. This is partly due to the scheduling - too many matches in too short a time; plus the Blast has been under-promoted.
Question - in the favoured option, how will promotion and relegation be organised?
Answer - not yet decided.

The members' forum - what Stuart Cain said:
Any changes to the CC and Blast will last to 2031.
The Blast - proposal is three pools of six, keeping local derbies so 12 games then top two in each group go to quarter finals. Played May to July, with Finals Day in July. Two CC games also in June. Minimum 24 hours between games.
County Championship - preferred option is Top 12 teams split into two 'top tier' groups of 6, while bottom 6 in a 'lower tier'. Each team plays 10 group games and then the groups split: top 3 in each of the top tiers merge and play 3 games in a September 'finals series' to decide on the County Championship winner. Bottom 3 and those in lower tier involved in relegation/promotion play-offs.
One Day Cup - leave pretty well unchanged but look again in three years to see what has happened to 50 over cricket at international level.
The Members' Committee added a request that the ECB needs to invest in the Blast - effectively to re-launch it.
Mr Cain mentioned the decline in attendances as a factor in the need to make changes to add interest and create "jeopardy" so that matches mattered.
It was stressed that two-thirds of counties will need to vote for any proposals so Warwickshire's preferred options may not be agreed.
There was then a Q&A session - I will do another post to summarise what was said.

Alex Loudon who went out with Pippa Middleton but dumped her because his family said that she "isn't wife material".