mad
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Yorkshire have the signatures for their EGM. It is slightly different from the SGM Warwickshire members have been signing - see below;
> Act to protect the County Championship - Yorkshire CCC members in call to club
YORKSHIRE’s members are threatening to call an extraordinary general meeting demanding that chairman Lord Kamlesh Patel vote against controversial proposals to cut the number of County Championship games.
A group led by Simon Parsons, a long-standing member and a former representative on the club’s members’ committee, has obtained the necessary 400 signatures to force an EGM in response to plans in the England and Wales Cricket Board’s High Performance Review.
The review, led by Sir Andrew Strauss, the former England captain, recommends cutting the number of Championship fixtures from 14 per county to 10 from 2024 onwards.
Yorkshire are holding a members’ forum to discuss the Strauss review at 9.30am on Wednesday in the Headingley Long Room and they will be sending out an email survey to members in the coming weeks.
Parsons is warning that the membership is ready to rise up if necessary, mirroring disquiet felt across the country.
He told The Yorkshire Post: “From what I’ve seen, there isn’t any appetite for the Strauss report among the Yorkshire members; there isn’t any appetite to reduce the amount of County Championship cricket played. The club has got to give a guarantee that the members will have a say. They have to give a clear indication that each member will have a vote on this matter.
"My findings are that at least 95 per cent of the members do not endorse what is in the Strauss report concerning the reduction of Championship fixtures.”
In a document seen by The Yorkshire Post, the motions that would be tabled at an EGM are as follows:
Sir Andrew Strauss, who led the England and Wales Cricket Board's High Performance Review. Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images.
> “A. The club’s chairman will oppose any reduction in the number of first-class County Championship fixtures for future seasons, without the prior consent of the membership.
> “B. Any specific proposals for reform of the schedule/structure received by the club from the ECB for a vote of the county chairs will also be put to a vote of members (having given members at least 7 days’ written notice of the proposals prior to the EGM).
> "The club’s chair will respect the wishes of the member votes when casting the club’s vote in any decision-making forum.”
Under club rules, Yorkshire would have to convene an EGM within 42 days. The recommendations in the Strauss review need the support of 12 of the 18 first-class counties.
Parsons continued: “The ideal solution for me is the status quo of 14 Championship games. I don’t think 12 games - a compromise that might be foisted on members - is palatable either.
“Clearly, a lot of the problems are caused by The Hundred, which I think is the ruination of cricket. The scheduling is a farce. The idea of a separate competition running alongside The Hundred doesn’t work either; there is no point in having this so-called Festival of Cricket.
“Personally speaking, I would like the Championship to continue alongside The Hundred rather than to cut the number of Championship games. People still came to watch the Royal London Cup alongside The Hundred, after all; look at the crowds at York and Scarborough.”
200 overs is a long way off to be settling for a draw. Irrespective of the league situation Hants really have very little to play for other than the chance to record another win at Edgbaston like they did last year. Restricting a side to 270 on first innings in what is now effectively a three-day game and at a ground like Edgbaston is an ideal situation for any side going into bat second. With pressure off there is no doubt a powerful batting side like Hants could score 400 in a day steadily picking up the run rate as Will Rhodes tries to rotate his seamers into their 3rd and 4th spells given all the overs available tomorrow and with that short Pershore Road square boundary especially if Warwickshire don't get the rub of the green early on.
It'll be like proper red ball cricket probably up to tea time but if Hants are still batting they will go 50-over mode themselves after tea, try to enjoy themselves. The remainder of the game will be played like 50 over cricket on day 4 with run rates up and wickets tossed away with abandon. Can't wait personally I just hope the rain keeps off. I'd given the season up but can you just imagine???
Of course this pitch could have some surprises in store for us and if Hants are desperate to just get the season over with and get off on their holidays you never know the mentality side of it could get to them. Just have to hope our three seamers have a great day and Rhodes, Briggs or one of the youngsters can chip in. Warks will set a target if they are able to. It might even end up being almost tokenistic 135 to win off 40 overs or something like that
Hampshire interest is likely to be in setting up their own chance of effecting an innings victory. They'll look to bat big put 450 on the board and bowl us out after lunch on day 4.
That could play into Bears hands although we'll have to have their first innings wrapped up not long after tea. Even if Hants reach parity Bears could potentially bat quickly for 30 overs on Day 4 and set something like 180/190 to win in 2 sessions
Dream scenario will be knock em over for not much more than 230 then rack up 150 before close, add 50 more on Day 4 then declare setting Hants 240 ish to win in about 70 overs
Bonus tonight would've been. Remains a tall order. Pressure will be on to get round quickly between overs so can keep Norwell or Henry on for longer spells if they get on some sort of streak. Spin could come into it but by time they're on Hants would likely be near saving the follow on. Target will be to roll them for 200 in two sessions then like Somerset game Day 3 last season score quickly in the final session so we can pull out early-ish on day 4
Sticking Hants in now would be bold but with our attack this game maybe the right call
Recall 2011 it was Hampshire's flat dead pitch and no decent spinner (Metters?) which cost us the title. Irony of ironies if our own flat pitch ended up snookering us tomorrow/Thursday
Whichever way they go it's a massively tall order. I just think you want to have a look and see how up for it Hampshire are early tomorrow at the latest. Ploughing on to 400 to make a game safe in the old tried and trusted way might not be the best option in this circumstance. Set up some kind of game situation that Hants might fancy having a look at setting up themselves for could be a better option. The risk of course on Edgbaston's notoriously flat wickets on days 3-4 is Hants go way past our score and then bowl us out cheaply for an innings win
I guess this latest delay means we bat the rest of today and stick them in at 10.30 tomorrow see what happens?
The bowling points are assumed given as they'd be accrued if we were in any sense about to force a win. Hants won't be declaring 5 down that's for sure
Unless it's suddenly all over at Headingley and we're down anyway. Wednesday after tea and Thursday could become a beer match then
I don't know the exact maths? Is 5 bonus points plus 16 for the win 21 enough to overhaul Yorkshire should they lose collecting 3 points?
I'd probably still go on give our bowlers two sets of 70 overs (15 maybe tonight then bowl em out before tea tomorrow) to try and bowl Hants out twice that could mean setting 325/330 then praying we bowl them out in 70 overs then bat for a session then stick them in again.
We won't get stung for over rates will we cos we're gonna be aiming to get as many overs in as possible so Maybe 21 points is already enough but ideally want to get 50 more runs before declaring???
There will be further rain which''ll bring about tea or close of play
Amazing improv from Dan Mouseley here
14 overs to the new ball. Declare once the old ones been used up? Get these two or three down over night and it could be a decent day tomorrow at least until the result from Headingley comes through
Gloucestershire briefly rebuilding their innings after being 0-1 will have given them a brief filip
If the maths??? now says Warks need 3 batting points plus 3 bowling points and force the win then it's 300+ then declare before close tonight rather than dash for 400 as there's little point in extra batting points - time becomes more the issue so they'll certainly be getting through their overs speedily tomorrow so there's at least a chance of 104 overs + 96 on Thursday
Still two days to go. No need to go mad. 325 declare then bowl these out for 170 tomorrow then add 100 then bowl them out again on Thursday
The stated goal is for England’s men to be the best in the world – for ever. Can we take a moment to reflect on the stunning bleakness of this objective? Maybe the players and the sponsors and the people who sell tickets want this. I don’t want this. I want England to provide me with indelible memories and a team that proudly represents the best of us as a society. I want them to play in full stadiums with reasonably priced tickets. I want them to win. But I don’t need them to win all the time.
Oborne and Heller on Cricket
Alan Higham dissects the ECB review
The ECB proposals cannot simply be waved through they require the support of 12 of the county chairs. 15 of the counties are member owned so they are compelled to be steered by their members wishes
What the ECB have suggested would create a season heavily chunked up as follows;
April May RLODC + 5 Championship matches
June July 10 Blast matches + 2 Championship matches
August Hundred
September 3 Championship matches
The sidelining and bookending of championship cricket which we don't want. Most of summer with no red ball cricket to watch and fewer blast nights which smaller counties depend on.
What members want (not to mention the England test team wouldn't half benefit from) is some more Championship cricket in June July and August so something like;
April May 5 Championship matches + 4 Blast matches
June July 10 Blast matches + 4 Championship matches
August RLODC + 2 Championship matches
September 3 Championship matches
From the forum that took place 2 weeks ago it appears that Edgbaston seem to think 12 Championship games would be a compromise of sorts but it has already compromised 5 years ago from when we had 16.
Edgbaston will continue to push this in the face of strong opposition from members of Warwickshire. _They seem to think that on October 26th there will be a different cohort of members show up to the forum who will be in favour of drastic cuts to championship cricket matches. _
How would you even reach 12 games? For a start you'd have to have 7 counties in the top division which would necessitate 14 rounds of matches anyway so they may as well stick at 14 matches for each county and an 8 team top division.
True they can re-jig the middle order for whatever reason they dispensed with Lamb. Mouseley Bethell Benjamin Yadav etc... lots of options in there
Top order batting would either have to be a young kid from the 2nds Hamza Sheikh or Will Rhodes of the options available and neither of those options was really viable so Sibley, Davies, Yates are the go to guys for opening bat
Just checked the BBC cricket webpage and you'd be forgiven for thinking at 10.10am there were no matches on today
County cricket is being stitched up
Mind you it is bonkers the final game is starting this late into September
But if the aim of the Strauss report really is to maximise elite talent as much as possible, then that is best achieved by 18 centres of excellence, every one of them under pressure to be less reliant on the pathways provided by the private school system and more committed to discovering the most talented from all areas of society. Reference to diversity in leadership groups without considering the failure to build a diverse playing staff, by providing opportunities for all, is a glaring omission.
One of many excellent observations from this stunning article below. If anyone still hasn't watched the Warwickshire members forum from 2 weeks ago I'd say it is a must as it was similarly full of impressively astute observations.
I'm left questioning whether so far the club has actually listened to any of it or acted on any of the feedback they received. Let's find out.
And if anyone doubts the need for this to be fought just have a read of what former Derbyshire and Northants player Adrian Rollins has said on twitter as he cuts through all the crap and gets to the heart of what this is all about. And I quote;
The aim is to 'keep the game exclusive' by keeping the source of "High Performance Cricket" from private schools and reducing the effort of counties to develop routes from grassroots to full club honours by taking monies away!
It's Arrogant and poor!
Strauss is very much promoting reduction whilst fooling people that the ECB is inclusive through putting on a tournament that is purely about money, which had less attendance than last year so, as a result, punish county cricket and disregard grassroots even more!
Radio coverage from Newcastle
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0cxqffh?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile
Go to 1 hour 35 mins
Members are guaranteed the same levels of County Championship cricket in 2023 as they’ve enjoyed in 2022.
This as far as I am aware is THE one sole aspect that the members committee and the wider membership agree on.
As for 2024 and beyond it appears the members committee and the wider membership are currently on a completely different page
The wider membership is simply not supportive of any further reduction to the number of county championship matches from the already low figure of 7 home games
Nor is the membership supportive of the creation of tiny division of 6
The committee may feel six is okay but that view is not shared by the wider membership
The wider membership feels compromise was already achieved just five years ago when the number of home matches was reduced from eight to seven
There has been far too much tinkering since leading to much dissatisfaction amongst Warwickshire members and spectators in spite of
unexpected success in the county championship immediately following COVID
Any further suggestion of reductions in matches will - and has already been - met with utter dismay from Warwickshire members and county cricket supporters - many of whom donated their subscriptions to the club in liew of no cricket to watch in 2020
Warwickshire benefitted from the creation of the 2 division structure in 1999 only being relegated twice since and only spending 4 season's outside the top division (2 of those were at the very start). Our positions record added together has us either 1st or 2nd overall in that period. Under these new proposals statistically it would be highly unlikely for Warwickshire to spend much time in the top division at all. We'd instead be in one of the feeder divisions for years at a time. Even if we had 2 or 3 winning season's in a row we could fall at the final hurdle and even on the odd occasion we were lucky enough to get promoted again we'd have a reasonable expectation of being relegated straight away.
I can't fathom why Warwickshire would vote to replace a structure that has benefited them greatly with an entirely new structure that could cause them a decade or more's worth of frustration.
Not to mention two divisions benefitted England test team aswell