mad
Member
Derbyshire have it right;
https://derbyshireccc.com/2025/09/club-statement-domestic-structure-review/
The Board strongly believes that the fine balance between player welfare, the commercial impact of the domestic structure, as well as the needs of spectators, can be addressed by making adjustments to the schedule, as opposed to reducing the number of days of cricket.
It oughtn't be beyond the wit of man to produce a schedule better than that offered up the last 15 - 20 years we've moaned and moaned about it as spectators. Not enough weekend play was the common theme a few years back now it's not enough summer cricket full stop
Essentially the season needs to be unblocked
You can't have these blocks and also have 3 lots of finals (blast, odc, hundred) and 3 lots of semi finals/quarter finals eating up weekend's or with days going by with everybody else sitting idle. Warks had 2 weeks off recently and it was still fucking August FFS!!! That shit needs to stop. We need a schedule with counties still playing some form of limited overs league around the same time the finals are all on so that they can all be kept busy and there's something for everyone else to watch. This will then free up more time in the actual summer months of June July and August for some proper cricket to actually take place too
Vote was apparently a 9-9 split
PCA: "Structure not fit for purpose"
The PCA have issued a statement following the first-class counties decision to retain the 14-match Championship. The PCA’s player’s committee, chair Olly Hannon-Dalby and Chief Exec Daryl Mitchell, worked alongside the county chairs during the consultation period.PCA Chair, Olly Hannon-Dalby, said:
“The players voice on the schedule has been steadfast for a number of years and provided a clear directive for the game to join together to improve standards for all.
Over the past two years, we have seen increasing levels of genuine concern for player health and wellbeing and as an Association we represented this in the strongest possible way. Ultimately the required minimum number of 12 county Chairs did not see player welfare as a priority.
“The players voice must be heard and while we recognise scheduling concerns go well beyond county cricket with a cluttered international calendar and similar issues in other sports, we cannot relent in our ambition to create minimum standards to allow for a safer schedule.”
PCA Chief Executive Officer, Daryl Mitchell, said:
“Throughout the process players have been agile and willing to compromise, initially supporting a 12-game season and then a 13-game option so it is incredibly disappointing the game could not come together to improve county cricket, despite the best intentions of the players.
“Unfortunately, the decision-makers have failed to ensure our premiere red-ball competition remains a standout in world cricket by evolving, not just to meet the needs of modern professionals, but to provide a product that captures the imagination for all.
“Players appreciate the small tweak to the Vitality Blast schedule, however, we are yet to see a fixture list. At the very least, we expect to see a significant reduction in back-to-back fixtures.
“With the continuation of a 14-game Championship season, an indicative schedule for 2026 we have seen suggests there will be two games in nine days following The Hundred, this cannot be acceptable. We now need to ensure the best possible schedule can be created in a structure that remains not fit for purpose.”
Flexibility is missing. There used to be Sunday league games scheduled the same weekend as the Nat West final surely they can do something similar alongside the Hundred final and alongside the one day cup final just start games over the same weekend and move the 2 or 4 fixtures impacted back a couple of days
Also why is nobody speaking up for those players who want more red ball cricket to play especially in August?
Good email from Stuart Cain. No gnashing of teeth like I imagine some county chiefs are displaying right now. The way e.g. Lancs have carried on this last fortnight begging their members to vote a certain way was unbecoming of them
I hope this distraction can be put to bed now until 2031.
Instead of cutting how about they try to be more creative over the next few seasons try a few different scenarios out that do not involve reducing county championship fixtures.
Ideas which wouldn't get so many people's backs up include;
Try playing a couple of rounds of CC cricket during the latter stages of the Hundred
Bring back 2 divisions of 9 so there are 16 matches but have the middle 8 of them 3-day fixtures played Tuesday to Thursday in June and July in-between the weekend Blast fixtures
This would actually reduce number of playing days by 2 so might go some way to appeasing Olly Hannon-Scargill and his PCA bods but also ensure there are more day 1s 2s and 3s for members and the public to potentially look forward to
June July longer lighter days I'd say it's worth a try and we can have some proper cricket in summer again
Breaking news.
I understand that following on from the votes from all of the first class counties re the possible restructuring of the County Championship having to be cast today by 17.00, that insufficient support was gained for any change to the current divisional structure and the commensurate reduction in the amount of County Championship matches from 14.
So it is as you were for next season and unless another move to restructure is made in the intervening years, right up until 2031.
Have that!!
Hampshire are probably due a relegation. They peaked around COVID but obvs Essex, then us and since then Surrey stopped them winning the title and they've been in a bit of decline last couple of years.
I'm pleased for Westwood as we probably have overachieved first season but in terms of where the club is it's a bit of a treading water season. Flat pitches for Westy's first season I hope we can be bolder next season and take games to the opposition more. An opening bat to properly challenge Yates now I think I've been a big fan of Yates but he needs to start churning out big scores and we need to find another Hain. Not sure Mousely is there and juries out on Hamza I hope he can do it next season
How many since the Hampshire game in mid May which only lasted 2 and a half days?
It's been a really nice year through to August too with the square root of bugger all proper Warwickshire cricket to watch.
Utterly infuriating and they're set to make things worse
From what was said at the Derbyshire members' Forum yesterday, apparently the claim that 87% of players want to play less cricket needs to be 'revisited'.
Porky pies from the PCA?
They already have 3 days between CC games the truth twisting chunts
Selfishly the rotten Pears would quite like to finish bottom and still not be relegated
And they should get the extra fixture in August in any case - preferably a CC fixture but 50 overs will do for now. No actual need to trim the CC for that
Yours,
King of Spain
"Who do you think you are kidding Mr Moody if you think old Warwick's done?"
The ejits over the M5 are one of the county sets of bods in favour of reducing county cricket selling off New Road and taking all that dosh into the sunset of course
Disgraceful from the pears hierarchy
2019 Trent bridge away was lovely and a smashing game Notts were sent down. Sibley tons in both innings including a double ton. The following week there wasn't a ball bowled I don't think for the final game against Lancs. September's can be okay and one season I think it was the other way around where the final game was played in nicer weather than the games preceding it. Issue mainly is the light though so given we are safe from the drop I hope they just get on with it and get through the overs quickly this week and next.
Good celebration of Leics here;
Following on podcast discussion of what GD wrote during the week
ajones1328 wrote:
Surrey chairman on future of county cricket
https://youtu.be/2m-kgGtRshg?si=d8AwghGU1a1SwZRx
Key takeaway
At a vote, all Surrey players want a 14 game County championship 31-0.
Surrey CC are clearly proud of the CC and its their main priority and the membership and attendance shows that.
Baffles me that Warwickshire's playing staff wouldn't be on exactly the same page as the Surrey playing staff and not want any reduction to the county championship. Ditto most of the other sets of players across the counties.
So either were being misled by the PCA and the Warwickshire hierarchy or else we and other clubs have a playing squad that just doesn't like playing cricket????!??
Which in a way would chime with the overall poor results over the past ten seasons for Warwickshire just one slightly fortuitous county championship title in that time and continual failure in the Blast and ODC. A sign of a very badly run club at least from a playing aspect.
The hierarchy at Warwickshire should be nowhere near deciding they can instruct a successfully run county like Surrey or Somerset that they have to reduce fixtures IMHO
And down the line the Warwickshire members shouldn't put up with this regime for much longer either
George Dobell just tweeted this update from Chelmsford.
Essex - who had a forum tonight - seem to have committed to the 14 game Championship option. Which is interesting because I think those pushing for 13 had them among those open to persuasion.
Good news
Genuinely don't have an issue with any of the commentary teams. The Somerset bunch are fine IMHO one thing that grates me a bit with this Surrey lot is how much they strive to make it sound like the players have a really hard time playing county cricket. They're generally incisive and do show enthusiasm for good play from both sides but it's a bit too dour/downbeat for me compared to our own fellas. Maybe that's a result of sitting through 3 seasons where they've absolutely hammered everyone especially at home
However which way they choose to describe the proposed format it keeps on sounding utterly bonkers.
Even getting away from the appalling drop in fixtures available to watch who the fuck came up with this ridiculous format for deciding the county fucking championship?
They've got a bloody nerve even calling it the county championship if this shit goes through
Anyone sees their PCA rep make sure you have a stern word with them if they back this horseshit.
Bristol update
Dear Members,
You may have read in the press about a meeting this week to discuss the future County Championship and One Day Cup schedule. Contrary to some reports in the press, this is not a meeting at which a final vote will be taken, but an opportunity for debate. On the table are two proposals:
A change in structure to a model of 12/6 with two ‘conferences’ in ‘Championship One’ of six teams each, and one conference in ‘Championship Two’ of six teams.
A County Championship of thirteen games.
As discussed at Members meetings at both Bristol at Cheltenham, Gloucestershire are not supportive of the 12/6 model and will be voting against this, unless the facts change.
In terms of the number of matches, we have a responsibility to consider the views of players (strongly in favour of a reduction in red ball cricket), Members (strongly in favour of no reduction in red ball cricket), the Executive Team (charged with running the business at a profit) and the Board (charged with representing the views of all involved in Gloucestershire Cricket). Having listened to these views, we believe that the current thirteen-game proposal does not satisfy anybody, and again, subject to change in facts, we are not supportive of the proposal as it currently stands.
We will be calling a Members’ meeting to discuss this and other topics, in the week commencing Monday 15 September, and will confirm details as soon as possible.
In the meantime, if you have any views to share, please contact either me or Neil Priscott, Chief Executive Officer.
Kind regards,
Peter Matthews
GCCC Chair
If that's the case well done all who have opposed the wreckers. Hopefully they'll stick on this until 2031 (maybe just adjust it in 2027 so that there are 8 in top division which seems to appeal to Surrey and ECB in particular but might leave too many counties stranded outside the top division) and just arrange the fixtures a bit better than of late. I see they're hailing it as been a good year for 100 crowds up a bit (hasn;t looked that way at Edgbaston from the little attention I have paid to it) but clearly it is all weather related we've had an absolute belter of a 2025 with 4 separate heatwaves so crowds are bound to have had somwhat of an uptick. What a shame county championship cricket hasn't been able to take similar advantage of what has been a lovely summer. Fingers crossed this extends into late September
Hopefully the players take their advice and walk the fuck out in fucking November. I find it utterly ridiculous that the players do all this 'training' for months on end in the cold depths of winter and then can't get through more than 3 championship matches in a fucking month without breaking down.
Hopefully he goes on strike 😱