GerryShedd
Super Moderator
It looks like the decisions are being delayed so that next year's schedule will be the same as this year, with any changes coming in later:
https://www.thecricketer.com/Topics/countycricket/vote_domestic_schedule_delayed_current_structure_2023_season.html
Stephen Chalke, in his history of the County Championship, records 28 different scoring systems used to decide the positions in the table. That was published in 2015 so we must be up to over 30 now. Maybe they will get it right one day.
The unsung heroes of Warwickshire's season are the groundstaff under Gary Barwell so it's good to see them getting some credit here:
https://edgbaston.com/news/gary-barwell-talks-longest-and-hardest-season-for-grounds-team/
"Highlights" of the interview with the new ECB Chairman in the Telegraph, with my thoughts in brackets:
He voted against The Hundred but he is now backing it, arguing that he was simply representing his members’ interests in his former role. [Not good news!]
He will conduct an immediate cost review of the ECB – “the question is, can the ECB afford to be a big organisation,” he said – and wants to bring more cricket knowledge to the board, with two first-class chairs shortly to join as observers. [Good - but why only as observers?]
"Careers are defined by what they do with a red ball but I think the issue of how many matches has to be debated as part of the whole schedule." {coded way of saying fewer matches?]
“Accommodating four competitions is very hard, but we have to work hard to make sure all four can flourish, not with one at the expense of the other.” [You can't get a pint into a quart pot but he's a miracle worker, so no problem!]
Overall, he feels the board needs to communicate better.[No sh**, ,Sherlock!]
"You have to take the members with you.” [Ay, there's the rub, as Warwickshire's oldest member once said]
It's also good to see Gloucestershire doing well against Somerset because Glos. are almost doomed whereas Somerset could well claw their way above us. Having seen the Taunton weather forecast for tomorrow, I think it will be a draw with Gloucestershire well on top.
Spreading the Blast over a longer time makes it less likely that counties will be able to sign overseas stars but I agree that a regular slot has an appeal, as does supporters not having to cram in and pay for too many games in a short time.
For me, everything comes back to the fact that we are all tiptoeing round the giant elephant in the room known as The Hundred, which is supposedly untouchable.
LeicesterExile wrote:
There might be 19000 at the 16.4 game but how many tickets were actually sold?
As for a stadium with a roof - how high would the roof need to be or would it be if it hit the roof then to be out the fielder would have to catch the ball one handed!!!
Regarding a Stadium with a roof, I did see two ODIs between Australia and South Africa at the Dockland Stadium in Melbourne with the roof closed about 20 years ago. It's where the Melbourne Renegades play in the Big Bash. I can't remember what the local rule is about hitting the roof. I have long thought that all the money spent making grounds like Cardiff and Durham fit for international cricket could have been spent creating one or more indoor stadia. They used drop-in pitches at the Docklands Stadium. I know they had problems getting the outfield grass to grow well but I assume that the technology has improved in the last 20 years.
Anyway, I can't see MCC selling Lord's and building a new ground any time soon (or ever).
Another interesting perspective on the English cricketing calendar:
https://wisdenblog.wordpress.com/2022/03/02/the-thick-end-of-the-wedge/
That's great news for Chris. I see that Olly Stone is also in the squad - ironic that the two of them are going to be fit just as the Bears' season ends. But good luck to them!
Interesting that Kent have made the decision that they will select for the RLODC Final from the same squad of players that got them to the final - in other words, not selecting any players who were in the Hundred or otherwise not available. That means that Daniel Bell-Drummond, Zak Crawley, Fred Klaassen, Matt Milnes, Jack Leaning, Sam Billings and Jordan Cox will all miss out.
Will Lancashire do the same?
The Club's report seems to take the approach of the less said, the better:
https://edgbaston.com/fixtures/second-xi/northamptonshire-second-xi-vs-warwickshire-second-xi-29-august-2022/#match-match-reports
It also glosses over the fact that, in addition to Norwell, Garrett, Ethan Brookes and Johal played, all of whom are bowlers with first team experience.
The lack of progress amongst the young bowlers must be staring the senior coaching staff in the face.
My concern is that any decisions about T20, The Hundred and 50 over cricket that may be decided this September could well restrict the options for red ball cricket.
A defeat by an innings and 277 runs is more than a little bit shocking and not to be explained by the fact that Northants put out a reasonably strong side·
Having just watched the last hour of the Hants v Kent semi-final, the craziest decision of the year is for Kent not to be offering Darren Stevens a new contract - 84 off 65 balls to see Kent home by three wickets with an over left.
Maybe they will do what they did last time and change their minds - and possibly they do it just to get him psyched up to perform these miracles.
Northants are giving Warwickshire an absolute hammering.
I agree that the tone of this statement is much better than past offerings.
I hope that the ECB and some of the counties have had a bit of a wake-up call because of the response from supporters and members across the country. The ECB offered lots of money to counties to vote for The Hundred and may have thought that (with the exception of Surrey, who voted against) they could count on them to roll over again when asked. And some of them would have done but for the outcry from members and supporters.
I do note that there is reference to a vote in September so although the County Championship is being left at 14 matches for 2023, the vote in September could well propose changes for 2024 onwards so there is not too long to make views known.
Some of the problems with the review are that it accepts that The Hundred is set in place until 2028 and describes it as "a clear best vs. best competition", ignoring the fact that no other country in the world plays the 100 format and, regardless of whether or not you have the best players playing, if the format is rubbish, you will get rubbish cricket.
Despite the guarantee of no reduction in County Championship games for 2023, there is a clear assumption that less cricket needs to be played. If the 100 is ring-fenced from this reduction, it has to be the Championship, the 50 over competition and/or the Blast that get reduced.
Anyway, there is clearly going to be a lively and (hopefully) largely public debate.
Andrew Strauss's blog confirms:
"It will be important the First-Class Counties have the appropriate time to consider the final recommendations and to properly engage with their stakeholders. The First-Class County Chairs Representative Board has therefore proposed the 2023 LV= Insurance County Championship remains at 14 matches for each county."