I haven't been on here for a while so I will add my congratulations to Yorkshire on their championship win. If only Notts had given Ryan Sidebottom a decent contract we may have been up there.
They really have to sort out the priorities for the 50 over format. Notts lost Gurney and Hales in the latter stages of the competition, basically their two best players. I hope some way can be found for England players to play in the latter stages of this competition
Tymal Mills the left-arm fast bowler seen as one of the most exciting young talents in England, has left Essex to join Sussex on a two-year contract.
Mills, perhaps the quickest bowler in the country, becomes the latest in a significant list of Essex academy products to leave the club to forward their career. He turned down the offer of a new contract at Chelsmford.
I was hearing that a suggestion from Michael Vaughan is to have an FC cup style knockout T20 competition.
Like all great ideas, it looks an obvious winner, and maybe even useful for Minor County talent spotting.
And I bet ITV 4 would bid for any 2015 one.
Some problems off the top of my head...
At least 5 more matches for counties if they progress who want less cricket. Counties could only get 1 match in this so I doubt if they would want to lose matches from the normal t20.
Yorkshire v Pudsey, it rains all day and Pudsey get through to big quarter final match by bowling at stumps.
Vaughan on about franchises again for t20. Most counties could not survive now without the t20 crowds so who would play in the Championship?
One of the best days of the old calendar was the first round of the Gillette Cup when all the minor counties were up against the first-class ones. Sure most games ended 85 all out v 86 - 1, but there was the occasional surprise (eg Lancashire winning) and we got to visit lovely out-of-the-way grounds.
Nowadays it's as if there isn't a knock-out trophy of any kind. There is, but last season it was tucked away at the end of the season. only shown on pay-TV and the flinal was far from a full house.
As for today, as well as the 18 counties I would invite the best minor county + Scotland, Ireland and Holland to make two leagues of 11 (ten games each county, 5 at home) and have at least one game from each group live on FTA TV, and show one of the QF's on FTA + the final (Sky and FTA) and get some of the lost audience watching again.
Read a recent report in the Telegraph that cricketers are deserting club sides and games are getting cancelled as there aren't enough players. Why? Other things to do? Working longer hours? lack of exposure on FTA TV? Expense? Spending all of one day away from the family when time is scarse? Some of these - all of these??
Well, the top one day sides could enter very late, and/or you could even run 2 rounds in one day.
We should do the same for the 50 overs game.
If the club sides/minor counties are whittled down to 14 then you could add the 18 counties for a last 32. That is 5 matches if you progress. How could matches take place on the same day - you need to wait for the draw.
I am all in favour of the return of a knock-out cup but I can't see this idea working.
The main reason the FA Cup works in football is that when a big club faces a small club, the gulf between the two is lessened by things like the small club's ground and pitch, their support, their players playing above themselves etc.
Would similar levelling factors exist in a similar kind of cricket competition?
The NatWest trophy was mentioned above and when that was played, you got the odd Minor County upset every year or two but in the vast majority of the matches, the First Class County would thrash them - and on that basis, surely the main thing such a competition would produce would be a raft of victories by 150+ runs or 9/10 wickets.
At least 5 more matches for counties if they progress who want less cricket. Counties could only get 1 match in this so I doubt if they would want to lose matches from the normal t20.
Yorkshire v Pudsey, it rains all day and Pudsey get through to big quarter final match by bowling at stumps.
Vaughan on about franchises again for t20. Most counties could not survive now without the t20 crowds so who would play in the Championship?
BIB . Isn't that the whole point of cricket . Bowling at stumps.
BIB . Isn't that the whole point of cricket . Bowling at stumps.
It is part of cricket, I don't think deciding a knockout game like this would be great. Perhaps others think it would be fine, I'm just suggesting a few issues I have with the concept. A bowl out between 2 counties doesn't seem so bad if it is necessary but Pudsey knocking Yorkshire out like this would seem a bit barmy.
It is part of cricket, I don't think deciding a knockout game like this would be great. Perhaps others think it would be fine, I'm just suggesting a few issues I have with the concept. A bowl out between 2 counties doesn't seem so bad if it is necessary but Pudsey knocking Yorkshire out like this would seem a bit barmy.
Craig Kieswetter's cricketing career has been thrown into doubt by the revelation that he is still suffering vision problems after being struck in the eye last summer and that he expects to withdraw from all professional cricket for the next year.
Comments
They really have to sort out the priorities for the 50 over format. Notts lost Gurney and Hales in the latter stages of the competition, basically their two best players. I hope some way can be found for England players to play in the latter stages of this competition
Mills, perhaps the quickest bowler in the country, becomes the latest in a significant list of Essex academy products to leave the club to forward their career. He turned down the offer of a new contract at Chelsmford.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/county-cricket-2015/content/current/story/794789.html
Like all great ideas, it looks an obvious winner, and maybe even useful for Minor County talent spotting.
And I bet ITV 4 would bid for any 2015 one.
Some problems off the top of my head...
At least 5 more matches for counties if they progress who want less cricket. Counties could only get 1 match in this so I doubt if they would want to lose matches from the normal t20.
Yorkshire v Pudsey, it rains all day and Pudsey get through to big quarter final match by bowling at stumps.
Vaughan on about franchises again for t20. Most counties could not survive now without the t20 crowds so who would play in the Championship?
We should do the same for the 50 overs game.
Nowadays it's as if there isn't a knock-out trophy of any kind. There is, but last season it was tucked away at the end of the season. only shown on pay-TV and the flinal was far from a full house.
As for today, as well as the 18 counties I would invite the best minor county + Scotland, Ireland and Holland to make two leagues of 11 (ten games each county, 5 at home) and have at least one game from each group live on FTA TV, and show one of the QF's on FTA + the final (Sky and FTA) and get some of the lost audience watching again.
Read a recent report in the Telegraph that cricketers are deserting club sides and games are getting cancelled as there aren't enough players. Why? Other things to do? Working longer hours? lack of exposure on FTA TV? Expense? Spending all of one day away from the family when time is scarse? Some of these - all of these??
If the club sides/minor counties are whittled down to 14 then you could add the 18 counties for a last 32. That is 5 matches if you progress. How could matches take place on the same day - you need to wait for the draw.
I am all in favour of the return of a knock-out cup but I can't see this idea working.
So the winners of the first two games end up playing the winners in the final/next round.
And you could skip all breaks in the first two matches by having the two matches taking a break whilst the 2nd match bats out its first half.
That is only an idea that might just depend on TV money support, though I imagine they might also like staggered evening games
Would similar levelling factors exist in a similar kind of cricket competition?
The NatWest trophy was mentioned above and when that was played, you got the odd Minor County upset every year or two but in the vast majority of the matches, the First Class County would thrash them - and on that basis, surely the main thing such a competition would produce would be a raft of victories by 150+ runs or 9/10 wickets.
BIB . Isn't that the whole point of cricket . Bowling at stumps.
It is part of cricket, I don't think deciding a knockout game like this would be great. Perhaps others think it would be fine, I'm just suggesting a few issues I have with the concept. A bowl out between 2 counties doesn't seem so bad if it is necessary but Pudsey knocking Yorkshire out like this would seem a bit barmy.
But hilarious from this side of the Pennines
http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/809201.html
in all honesty, I'd totally forgotten about his injury
Hope he can recover