mad
Member
Complete Control is what they want and then they'll be wanting more after being handed this too.
I find it astonishing that the county chiefs and the ECB would string the game along like this. Promises to Somerset and Durham and presumably Kent, Leicestershire and Worcestershire too of the distant prospect of relevance and "purpose"
The ECB hopes the model it has drawn up connects the counties and the Hundred, and keeps purpose among counties that do not currently host a team to strive to have one in future.
FFS!!!
What the counties want is first-class county championship, first team 50-overs and T20 Blast cricket to host for their members, supporters and community throughout the peak summer months
A brilliant and utterly comprehensive dismantling of The Hundred and all the fallacies that surround and sustain it
Well worth a read
https://beingoutsidecricket.com/2024/02/20/is-the-hundred-a-success/
the greatest success The Hundred has had is in persuading people to say that it’s successful.
In fairness it's perhaps best they hold off until they are absolutely sure on this. You are right though and it does smack of the hierarchy considering the fixtures all rather secondary in consideration as compared with whatever else is going on that particular month. An indictment of the domestic game at present especially the 50 over format
I do wonder if they revert to Edgbaston for these games once they factor in all the imponderables and weigh up the costs. They may leave it longer to decide depending on the spring weather conditions - it hasn't been particularly dry so far and we've only had a few short cold snaps so the subsoil under ground won't have compacted like it can sometimes do over the winter
Look at the situation over at New Road they are almost certainly not going to have their ground ready for April 18th their opening county fixture versus Durham especially with rain to come this next fortnight. They'd normally switch to Kidderminster but mid-April is quite early for use of a club outground so I wonder if conversations are happening regarding a switch to Chester le Street or failing that Edgbaston? New Road was listed as a venue for a Warwickshire county game a few years ago and I think Edgbaston has staged several Worcester home games in the past
Cheers I have a vague memory of him being parachuted into a game a year earlier perhaps just for one day of a 3-day SEC or friendly game as is allowed in that format. I might have the wrong kid though or he may have just sub-fielded that day
What a day and tournament for him
14 wickets and the best figures at this level by an England bowler today
Was it 2018 or 2019 when he turned out for the Seconds team at age 13/14?
Some counties released theirs a fortnight or so ago and they began appearing on play cricket site. One (Kent I think) published theirs before Xmas.
Here goes in terms of local seconds (and under 18's in the school hols) from what I've gathered from multiple sites (all tbc officially)
March 30-Apr 1 Worcs v SACA (Kidderminster)
April 8-11 Warks v Derbyshire (Portland Rd)
April 15-18 Warks v Essex (Portland Rd)
April 21 Notts u18 v Warks u18 (50 ovs friendly tbc) (Lady Bay)
April 29-May 2 Warks v Sussex (Portland Rd)
May 6-9 Warks v Glamorgan (Portland Rd)
May 14-17 Notts v Warks (Lady Bay)
May 21 Bears v Somerset (Portland Rd)
May 22 Bears v Worcs (Portland Rd)
May 29 Bears v Glamorgan (Portland Rd)
June 5 Bears v SACA (Portland Rd)
June 11 Bears v Gloucs (Portland Rd)
June 18 Worcs v Bears (Bromsgrove School)
June 24-27 Warks v Worcs (Portland Rd)
July 4 Warks u18 v Lancs u18 (50 ovs friendly tbc) (Barnt Green)
July 11 Bears v SACA (Portland Rd)
July 18 Warks v SACA (50 ovs) (Portland Rd)
July 23-25 Warks u18 v Gloucs u18 (Portland Rd)
July 30 Worcs v Zimbabwe A (tbc)
August 6-8 Warks u18 v Somerset u18 (Portland Rd)
August 13-15 Warks u18 v Wales NC u18 (Portland Rd)
August 27-29 Worcs u18 v Warks u18 (tbc)
September 9-12 Worcs v Derbyshire (Barnt Green)
September 16-19 Warks v Surrey (Portland Rd)
At least one of Bears T20 fixtures is a double header with 2 matches on the day but I can't recall which.
Also don't forget England Lions v Sri Lanka 4-day match at New Road August 14-17 ahead of their test series against England
Slightly further afield but also highly likely to feature one or two of the current crop of Warks young players, Cheltenham College will host England Under-19s v India Under-19s in a Test Match July 16-19
Enjoyed the coverage of the first test by the way. Sky's is obviously very good but it is refreshing to see different voices perhaps Kevin Pietersen apart. Matt Floyd back in blighty did a really good job I thought conveying the state of play in between the live coverage. For tests 2, 3, 4 and 5 TNT are upping the budget and are sending Alaistair Cook and a small team to Stockholm to provide discussion between the live coverage using the studio's they have booked for their Champions League coverage. Pity there are no highlights packages on free to air at tea time each day
Agree in part but also we do need to give our youngsters more time to develop or even flourish in the county championship. Unless there's a player available April thru May and/or August thru September who will improve on what we have there's no real point signing for the sake of bulking up the championship squad anymore, the loan system is reasonably generous these days and will suffice if there's a problem for the sporadic foray into first class cricket mid-summer (June) for instance.
The way the schedule is now (which as folks will be well aware I have a major issue with in general terms) means there's no need to have a settled squad raring to go for 5 months from mid April anymore
Barney Ronay
What a game Test cricket is. Cut to the bone but still a different level to every other format. Its death is a paradigm of dumb consumerism. Money and margins tell you to make a worse product. At the end of which you have money, for a while, and a worse product for ever
Some reports in the Times this morning sorry haven't got the link.
What do people think?
My gut is this would be the straw that breaks the camel's back I don't think I could stomach putting any further money into a sport/sporting organisation that took money from despots with vile human rights records.
Here's an.article from.last year though;
Saudi sportswashing. Their one failure so far was sponsoring this year’s Women’s World Cup, an attempt abandoned after players and federations pushed back. This isn’t just shameless, like Aramco producing 13.6 billion barrels of oil last year while installing recycling stations for drink bottles at cricket grounds in the name of sustainability. There is something perversely aggressive about targeting events where all the competitors are women and so many are gay, as a country where their gender makes them second-class humans and their sexuality is a crime.
Best wishes to him. Be interesting to see if the sides character will change much. Will we be a bit chirpier in the field? Don't recall hearing him shout much. Will games drift more? First season for him could be quite tough but hopefully he'll be able to throw the ball to trusty OHD and Rushy and will he lead from the front or step down the order?
Excellent analysis and also agree with Bristol Bear about need to avoid wishing away other counties. Makes some Warwickshire fans seem entitled especially with Warks poor record overall in regard to producing test players.
The impact of two divisions will not have helped those counties marooned in Div 2 like Derbyshire who had we retained one overall 18 team division would almost certainly have produced more test players by now.
Also bear in mind the TCCB selection process that denied treble champion winning Bears ANY representation on the winter tour of 1994-1995 brings into question the reliability of the selection system
Also the class system in the UK. Warks will have historically drawn from a pool of Midlands based players in competition with Worcestershire and Derbyshire whilst Surrey have historically been advantaged by their first access to the constant stream of privately educated and trained players from schools down south. Lancs and Yorkshire each draw from an entire region and don't have their own Worcester or Derbyshire to compete for their players at least not until Durham gained first class status without which Ben Stokes would likely have never found his way in. The next Ben Stokes might well be at Derby now
Wonder if we're in for Josh Cobb?
Private Investment in Domestic Cricket in England and Wales - We know what is coming over the horizon. The impact on the County game needs proper consideration
Is there any indication as to where Warwickshire's members committee sits on this serious matter? Ownership of the ECB's shiny new toy, as explained below, is likely to impact future schedules more widely so where are the updates from Warwickshire CCC to its owners - the members?
What The County Cricket members Group are asking in December 2023:
CONCERNS ABOUT PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN THE HUNDRED
The ECB have clearly stated their ambition to bring private investment into domestic cricket. Likely buyers are said to be IPL franchise owners, oil-states and hyper wealthy people looking to own their own franchise cricket team. How it is done is being discussed in private with county bosses with many different options.
At the moment the ECB is answerable to the 18 first class counties, MCC and the national counties. Changes impacting the domestic cricket structure or schedule needs 12 out of 18 counties to agree. Changes to the Hundred are thought to require 14 out of the 18 counties to agree (though some reports say that might only be 12). 15 of the 18 counties are controlled by their members as they have the power to appoint and remove the board.
Why seek private investment?
Funding more women’s cricket with better pay until such time it grows to be commercially viable on its own terms.
Improving access at grassroots to reach more disadvantaged communities
Paying higher wages to compete with global franchise leagues
Paying down debt
It is easy to forget that the ECB had £335m of revenues plus the revenues of the 18 counties and the MCC. There is a lot of money in our game. Just 5 years ago the ECB made only £125m so the money has increased a lot.
Is it about control?
Whatever the motive, the consequence is that control of cricket will pass over to the new owners alongside the ECB. It may take time and several steps but those putting huge sums in will want effective control of key aspects such as
When and for how long the Hundred is played
Who plays in it
Who runs it, decisions on TV rights etc
Is it cynical to think the main motive is actually to transfer control of cricket away from the counties and their members to the ECB and private owners?
He who pays the Piper Calls The Tune!
This summer, there’s no championship cricket from 4 July to 22 August. Last summer there was not a single first class cricket match in the whole of August.
It is easy to see that players contracted to the 100 on new higher pay will be restricted from playing for other teams. Instead of England releasing its players, permission will be needed to play for England. Will there be Test cricket in peak summer?
IPL ownership might bring higher TV revenues from India, Indian superstar players and other world class players. All this will come at a price. As ICC TV rights have increased in value, the Indian board has insisted that the lion share is retained by India because Indian cricket fans are the ones funding it all.
There is talk about expanding the Hundred so that in time there can be a team for every county (except Middlesex???). But TV rights are more valuable if the league is just 8 teams with all the best players. If there is a second division with promotion and relegation then the elite teams are less valuable to investors.
Do we want important decisions being made mainly for profit reasons?
Key questions to ask about these proposals
What do we need the money for?
Why sell for a lump sum now rather than banking all of the future profits?
Can we make better use of our current income?
What control will we lose as a result?
What is the impact for counties especially those who don’t host a Hundred team?
What happens to the £1.3m annual payments to counties
Can an 18 team Hundred exist alongside counties playing the Blast?
What stops further expansion until it consumes and controls all cricket?
Cricket fans deserve honest answers to all these questions before any decision is taken. Selling stakes in teams that are given all the best conditions to flourish must inevitably condemn the counties to a permanent second tier existence if indeed they continue to exist.
Football fans rejected the ESL because competition, history and integrity mattered more than money.
County governance
If the counties were to be bought instead of the Hundred teams then county members would have to vote 75% in favour with at least 50% of members voting amongst the 15 member owned counties.
Far easier to just move all the best parts into the new teams and lean on county chairs dependent on the national team’s money to vote for it.
County members are cricket’s independent guardians. They appoint the boards & chair who in turn oversee professional managers running the game. Before these fundamental & irreversible changes to who controls and benefits from cricket are made, county members must agree to them and not have them imposed against their will just like when the 100 was created.
The County Cricket Members Group is a voluntary group of concerned members who want our counties to grow, thrive and improve. We recognise the need to change as the world changes. We encourage cricket lovers to join their local county and become involved. We say this to our county chiefs.
Talk to your fellow members and supporters openly and honestly about the pros and cons of these proposals. Listen to your members’ concerns and respect their wishes if they are not persuaded.
DO WRITE TO THE CEO and CHAIR to make your concerns heard - if you have them.
IT IS VITAL THAT MEMBERS SCUTINISE THESE PROPOSALS PROPERLY PRIOR TO THESE CHANGES BEING APPROVED
There may very well be well founded reasons for proceding but it shouldn't be bigger counties demanding an ever larger share of the pie and it also should not be smaller clubs being bought off by bribes for short term staving off of liquidation.
I want Warwickshire CCC to continue their superb record since 1989 - that is competing and winning titles in competition with 17 other county teams once every 7 to 10 years or so rather than finishing top against only 7 other sides once every 3 to 5 years.
A very astute bit of recruitment I would suggest especially given the spin bowling talent coming thought now
The Grumbler is worth subscribing to if anyone hasn't yet. I'm a bit more optimistic than the writer here but I do think members need to be given a voice and a say in what the shape is to come from 2025.
Crucial period over the winter when the powers might well be thinking nobody is taking any notice now the fixtures are out
The PCA need to get real
They can't have it both ways
They've now got a heavily chunked up season with very clear demarcation between when formats are played. Which is what they've been calling for because those poor overworked players for some unfathomable reason can't get their heads around switching between different formats
Yet they still seem to make unreasonable demands like wanting 4 days rest between T20 games of 3 hours duration
The counties are desperate to schedule T20 when they have a chance of selling tickets to the general public quite understandably - outside of the school holidays this will tend to be Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun and not school nights like Mon, Tues, Weds
Followers of the county game ought not be expected to put up with a situation where they only see 3 hours cricket per week for long stretches of the summer for their membership
If the PCA was serious about wanting rest and travel days between stints playing cricket in front of spectators then they'd back a more "appointment to view style schedule" where a T20 or 50 overs match is bolted onto a championship fixture like we had for quite a good length of time in the previous period before the powers that be deemed it appropriate to shunt ever more of the championship to the margins of the season. You could then schedule adequate rest and travel days between playing stints
Interesting that the Glamorgan game is at Edgbaston probably to do with the Edgbaston situation but I wonder if it's also a hint as to which outground location is being considered??? - Stratford perhaps has a festival in the town that Thursday that might clash???
Overall it looks a reasonably kind Championship schedule for Warks. Surrey who we struggled to get to grips with last couple of seasons, Lancs and Durham all dangerous sides we only have to face once. There's a very familiar feel playing the likes of Notts, Somerset, Essex and Hampshire twice and of course the bonus of a double header and potential for decent points haul against newly promoted neighbours Worcestershire. On the flip side we miss out on the potential of maximum batting points at Canterbury however and if we do have a decent early to mid season and find ourselves in contention up at the top - not having the opportunity to deliver a K.O. blow to Surrey/Durham in the final stretch could end up being a drag.
Prospect of three 50 over matches at an outground tbc will be very interesting to see where they opt for. Could set up and remain for the three games to save set up costs