http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpres … BJYtELa3jw
Meanwhile, the world's biggest trifle-eater and 'Honest John', carefully avoids mentioning cricket or 'The Ashes' at Aintree today! 
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpres … BJYtELa3jw
Meanwhile, the world's biggest trifle-eater and 'Honest John', carefully avoids mentioning cricket or 'The Ashes' at Aintree today!
Also I notice it is just a tenner a day to watch the four day game. That has got to be good value, even if they are renovating the ground
]]>Does being in the first division put any more bums on the seats than being in the second division?
]]>Money is killing off our game and it is going the same way as soccer. The players etc want Test cricket but none of them wants 4 dayers . If you kill off 4 day cricket ( and what a wonderful job the ECB are doing on that score)then Test cricket will go the same way .
]]>Surrey's turnover was £25.5m last year and Sussex's was £5.8m. Given that Sussex won 2 trophies and reached the final of another, whereas Surrey achieved "zilch" and languish in the bowels of LV2. A disgrace given their financial clout. A roar? More like a meowing whimper! 
daveshark,
"As to twenty20 killing off cricket"
It's about finding the balance between T20 and the other cricket formats. That's what the ECB are grappling with. T20 has brought much needed extra revenues into the county game but it mustn't dominate.
Unfortunately, decreasing the number of championship games is almost inevitable and creating 3 divisions of 6 counties in each is probably the easiest way. This would mean 10 LV matches per county a season.
If the ECB don't embrace T20, then the danger is the top English players may simply break away and become mercenaries for those Asian and other world clubs which do. It's about balance. Never an easy thing.
Simon Hughes sums up my present view.
]]>Yep its a dangerous time.
Looks as if three divisions are likely so the domestic calendar will be dominated by and pandering to the one day/T20 game.
In a UK cricket economy dependent on revenues from the longer test game, I think that's a dangerous way to go.
I like Bruce Talbots idea. Cc as it is and pro 40 replaced by a one day knock out (40 or 50 overs I dont mind).
It's not going to provide many quality one day cricketers for England if some teams get knocked out in the first round is it? 16 first class games is too many, 12 would be a better amount and they can be evenly spread throughout the summer, even if they give a large chunk of July to 20:20. They can even start at regular times of the week so the average punter doesn't have to take a guess as to when the next match starts, with fresher players on show and thus better quality cricket.
As to twenty20 killing off cricket, I don't hear the Australians or South Africans making too many noises. The reason? They were more responsive to the IPL rather than chasing Stanford's 'money'. As it is, that went tits up and so individual counties are having to join up individually with the IPL teams, creating a bigger gap between the haves and have-nots.
]]>kim,
I agree with you, the present two divisions are now the financial 'haves' and 'have nots'; for the agents of talented, up-an-coming cricketers are more likely to seek out the best financial deals which the Division 2 teams can't afford. Only Middlesex, with Finn and Morgan, have notably come to the ECB plate. While, Surrey financially tower over every other which only makes their Div 2 status even more of a disgrace.
A disgrace ?? I presume you mean from their perspective. A good laugh for everyone else.
]]>Looks as if three divisions are likely so the domestic calendar will be dominated by and pandering to the one day/T20 game.
In a UK cricket economy dependent on revenues from the longer test game, I think that's a dangerous way to go.
I like Bruce Talbots idea. Cc as it is and pro 40 replaced by a one day knock out (40 or 50 overs I dont mind).
]]>I believe county cricket is on the precipice, staring into oblivion, unless dramatic changes occur within the next five years. Do I want this to happen? Of course not, I enjoy watching the 4 day game and am already bored of the T20 blight that has diseased world cricket.
I agree with you, the present two divisions are now the financial 'haves' and 'have nots'; for the agents of talented, up-an-coming cricketers are more likely to seek out the best financial deals which the Division 2 teams can't afford. Only Middlesex, with Finn and Morgan, have notably come to the ECB plate. While, Surrey financially tower over every other which only makes their Div 2 status even more of a disgrace.
The worst scenario:
If the Ashes go terrestrial and the double-dip recession bites, I can see at least 4 county clubs going into administration. Ironically, a healthy culling, as there are too many at present. In my view, 12 counties are sufficient creating two divisions of 6. Perhaps, there will be amalgamations, ground sharing... who knows.
Meanwhile, the ECB/MCC have a stark decision. Do they join in with the T20 Asian whirlwind or hope it blows itself out? Recently, they turned down a franchise opportunity. For me, Lalit Modi is causing cricket to self-destruct via a crippling power struggle that makes Kerry Packer seem like an ice-cream salesman.
I have no idea where it will all end; but I don't like what I see.
]]>To be an English cricketer is always to be in the selectors' hearts and minds. In 20 international matches since the end of last summer (six Tests, 10 one-dayers and four Twenty20s) England have used 27 players, 10 of whom have appeared in all three formats. But that barely scratches the supposed depth. Apart from this elite, another 38 players have been included in various performance programme squads. The A category of five is for those on the verge of international recognition. The B list of 11 is for those up to three years away, although since it was named last November, Steve Finn, Craig Kieswetter and Ajmal Shahzad have shown that the selectors were too conservative in estimating their progress. Finally, there is the C list of 22 players, none of whom has been fast-tracked. Or actually not finally, because there is a fast-bowling programme for five more players. The cricketers come from 17 of 18 counties. Only Derbyshire have not provided a single player. Glamorgan, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Worcestershire have provided one each (though the latter may claim Stephen Moore, who has transferred to Lancashire). All five are in Division Two of the County Championship. Perhaps this is a way to start culling counties.
]]>Controversy and uncertainty surrounds this year's Champions league T20. My understanding is nothing will be decided until after the present IPL tournament.
Chairman Lalit Modi first gave dates of September 10th-26th. This upset the ECB because the period clashes with the climax of the English LV championship. Modi dismissed their complaints stating they either had to reschedule the matches or the England T20 finalists would not be included. Meanwhile, South Africa claimed they would be holding the tournament only for Modi to retort nothing had been decided.
A case of wait and see.
The big surprise is, last year's club winners, New South Wales, haven't qualified for the 2010 competition.
]]>