Alan Higham.
The Guardian.
Tuesday, 14 May 2024.
PTG 4510-21821.
BBC Sport.
Wednesday, 3 April 2024.
PTG 4477-21697.
SALE OF THE HUNDRED
Member forums at MCC, Surrey, Lancashire and Essex have explained some of the discussions the counties are having with the ECB about selling stakes in the Hundred teams. The Hundred competition is not for sale though offers have reportedly been made.
There aren’t yet firm proposals for the counties to vote on. To make changes 14 of the 18 counties need to agree.
Background
The Hundred is owned and run by the ECB on behalf of the sport. The first class counties and MCC through their ownership of the ECB have 1/19th each of 90% of the competition with the recreational game including the National Counties having 10%.
London teams are thought to be worth much more than the others. For this reason, a third London team is being considered if two more teams are created in five years.
Reports suggest the eight Hundred teams could be worth £400m in total, if so then each county’s share is worth £19m.
The teams are worth what someone is willing to pay, which in turn will depend on how much control new owners gain over crucial cricketing and commercial decisions.
Proposals
The proposals shared at member forums suggest something along the lines of:
ECB sells 30% stake in all teams, keeping 20%
Give 50% of the team to its host county/MCC .
Distribute some of the proceeds to the 18 counties, MCC and recreational game.
Spend some centrally to improve making cricket a game for everyone.
Host counties/MCC are free to decide whether to sell some of their 50% stake. ECB and Hundred host to collaborate on the choice of new owners.
What does this mean in practice?
Assume Manchester Originals is worth £50m and Oval Invincibles is worth £100m, then:
Lancashire CCC’s share of the Hundred becomes worth £35m from £19m.
Surrey’s share becomes worth around £60m from £19m.
Non-hosting 11 counties go from having a £19m share to £9m. They might get c. £5m of this in cash in the near future leaving them with just a small interest.
LCCC presented this to its members as a windfall to be grabbed. It is actually an asset strip of c.£10m from each of the 11 of the non-Hundred hosting counties. Challenged on the adverse impact for the wider game, LCCC said it is committed to an 18 county system but CEO Daniel Gidney compared some of the smaller counties to “heroin addicts” for their wasteful spending priorities neglecting their pathways.
One imagines that the non-Hundred hosting counties have noticed the £10m loss along with the superior attitude of certain major counties. It only needs 5 of the 11 to say ‘No’ and the whole thing is dead in the water.
Surrey confirmed that it will retain full operational & financial control of their team. LCCC avoided mentioning any specific goals but hinted at offsetting its risk by possibly selling some of its stake. If it sold 20% of MO for say £10m then that could pay off its most expensive debt.
Consequences for the wider game & county brands
The Hundred hosting counties are expected to take over running costs from the ECB and help turn the loss-making competition into a profitable one for the benefit of the wider game.
LCCC feel they can run MO more effectively but the main hope is that external investment will fund higher player salaries, which in turn improves the quality of the competition leading to higher broadcast revenues. Sporting TV rights are on a downward trend but if the IPL invested then that potentially opens up a lucrative new audience.
LCCC want any deal with new private owners to give it a significant say in how MO is run on the cricket side. Mark Chilton hopes he can attract and retain key players for LCCC by offering MO and LCCC contracts combined.
That might work, it might not. New owners could actually insist that players only played for the counties when it suits them just like the ECB with central contracts. More star names might be on the books but appear rarely on the field for the county.
Surrey plan to re-name the Oval Invincibles to Surrey should they get control which went down well with members in the room. LCCC rejected any idea that it might change MO name to “Lancashire Originals”. The Manchester brand is staying: regardless of how many Lancastrians this alienates. Recently LCCC officials have started using “Red Rose” rather than “Lancashire” in meetings/interviews and marketing blurb. The entrance to the ground features Manchester Originals logos more prominently than Lancashire Cricket not just for the 4 home games in August but 365 days a year. Concerns that the Lancashire board were more interested in growing Manchester Originals than promoting LCCC were dismissed as a conspiracy theory.
Impact on schedule & first class cricket
No-one has been able to say what level of control on key decisions will be given to new owners. It is a vital detail that is more complex than simply having 51% ownership. Private owners could have just 30% ownership yet negotiate control over crucial commercial and cricket decisions.
Surrey and Lancashire both insist that the Hundred will be kept to a 3.5 week window. Media reports suggest an extension to 6 weeks is being discussed.
Surrey said to help the smaller counties, the Blast will be prioritised for weekends in the rest of the summer. The net result is likely to be hardly any first class county cricket in June, July or August. There is a 7 week summer break this season in July and August.
When pressed about the plans to preserve a vibrant first class system that generates players for Test cricket (which provides most of the money in the game), it turns out that the counties and ECB aren’t talking about it. The sole focus seems to be the cash from selling the Hundred teams. Discussions have just commenced on what will be played alongside the Hundred in future.
Surrey’s chairman promised in his election manifesto to protect the County Championship and play it throughout the summer.
Further discussions before decisions
Surrey expected things to move to a decision by the start of the new season but word from other counties suggest sufficient agreement isn’t that close. They would be guided on any decisions by its General Committee made up entirely of Surrey members elected by its members without any Nominations Committee barring members from standing.
LCCC promised more member forums as discussions advanced and more explanation of the financial analysis the Board has done but does not plan to give members any form of a vote. They begged members not to call a SGM because of the money they would then spend on trying to persuade members to vote in favour of their proposals.
Summary
The changes may benefit the big counties and the MCC financially but they seem to come at a cost to the wider county game especially first class cricket. Smaller counties dependent on ECB distributions via the County Partnership Agreement are in a difficult position.
No wonder the changes have been labelled as “Strauss by Stealth”!
The CCMG strongly feels that member-controlled counties should have full, open discussions to allow members’ views to be respected. Far from being Luddites, Fleas or Heroin Addicts, county members are not blind to the challenges facing the sport and are open to considering proposals for change. If the ideas are good enough, then the bosses shouldn’t shy away from scrutiny and accountability.
The hard-line stance taken by LCCC means a petition to hold a SGM at Lancashire already has well over the minimum number of signatories. The CCMG continues to lobby the LCCC board to agree to hold a members’ meeting with a vote.
‘Luddite members will kill county cricket unless they allow change’ – Durham chief executive
London Daily Telegraph.
Tuesday, 26 March 2024.
PTG 4471-21675.
Notts County Cricket Members Group
At the recent AGM, the Notts top table felt the discussions with the ECB were at too early a stage to be sure what the implications were but there is a commitment to keep members informed once firmer proposals emerge.
It was clear from details disclosed at member events at Surrey and Lancashire that the plans to sell the Hundred pose a medium term threat to county cricket. The idea is that the Hundred is kept within its 3.5 week window in August and the Blast is given more priority going forward. With 7 host counties being offered 50.1% of the Hundred team this is a major giveaway from the smaller counties to the bigger counties. The domination of 5 ball and 6 ball T20 cricket is going to have implications for the schedule. It is likely that very little first class cricket will be played in June, July and August. There is a 7 week break this year in July and August.
We want to be able to keep all members up to date with developments as they emerge as it is fair to say there are no firm proposals at the moment.
To manage the work involved, Nick Evans will be running the e mail updates for Notts members. I am doing the same at Lancashire and coordinating efforts nationally. We welcome any volunteers to help out when the time comes to spread the messages.
Nick Hoult.
London Daily Telegraph.
Saturday, 17 February 2024.
PTG 4434-21532.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has turned down a proposal for the Hundred from Lalit Modi, the founder of the Indian Premier League (IPL), who values the competition at $US1 billion ($A1.53bn, £UK793.6m). Modi’s representatives met recently with Vikram Banerjee, the ECB’s director of operations, who is de facto head of the Hundred, and chief executive Richard Gould, to lay out a 10-year proposal to buy the Hundred and fund it through private investment.
However, it is understood the ECB will not be pursuing talks with Modi with a formal offer and figure yet to be put on the table. It is not interested in selling the competition as a whole because it fears losing control of the peak months of the season and worry dealing with Modi would jeopardise its relationship with the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Modi was banned for life by the BCCI in 2013 for “serious misconduct and indiscipline” related to bids for two new franchises in 2010 (PTG 1198-5767, 30 September 2013).
Modi said he has lined up investors willing to pump money into a 10-team tournament but told the ECB the Hundred format does not work and should be converted into a Twenty20 competition instead. He says his competition would include a team purse of up to $US10m ($A15.3m, £UK7.9m) every season, putting wages on a similar level to the IPL. He put the value of the Hundred at $US100m ($A153.1m, £UK79.4m) a year over 10 years and says the franchises should be English-owned and English-run with minimal input from India. In his view, the ECB should sell no more than two franchises to IPL teams in order for it to keep its English identity and not turn into another version of the IPL.
Modi has been working on his plan for English cricket for the past 18 months and believes its scale would make the competition second only to the IPL in terms of financial clout, and the windfall would guarantee the future of the counties for a generation. The ECB’s plan to sell equity, by its own estimate, will bring in a tenth of what Modi is confident he can deliver. However, the ECB wants to retain control of the competition and the high summer window.
Modi’s plan would be for the competition to run from July 1 to Aug 15. He said: “I would give them a guarantee of a billion dollars. A lot of people have been in touch with me interested in backing it and I made a proposal to the ECB but it had a lot of conditions. The Hundred format does not work and there should only be two franchises sold to Indian buyers. It will only work if it is an English competition and not Indo-centric”.
Modi set up the IPL in 2008 and latest estimates put its brand value at $US10.7bn ($A16.4bn, £UK8.5bn), a growth of more than 400 per cent since it started. Its media rights were sold in 2022 for more than $US6bn ($A9.2bn, £UK4.8bn). The ECB believes it can raise £UK100m ($A192.8m) from selling equity in the teams and consultation is ongoing with the counties to change the constitution to allow private ownership of the eight Hundred clubs (PTG 4429-21509, 11 February 2024).
Matt Roller.
Cricinfo.
Tuesday, 13 February 2024.
PTG 4432-21522.
ECB plans to auction off Hundred teams to raise £UK100m.
Elizabeth Ammon.
London Times.
Saturday, 10 February 2024.
PTG 4429-21509.
The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) hopes to raise £UK100 million ($A193.6m) by holding an auction to sell off a stake in each of the eight Hundred franchises. The money generated from private investment will be given back to the 18 first-class counties and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in a one-off windfall payment, which could be as much as £UK5m ($A9.7m) each, while a further sum of up to £UK10m ($A19.4m) will be directed to the grassroots game.
Consultations about changes to the Hundred are continuing with the counties and MCC, but it is hoped an agreement will be reached by the end of next month. Key to the competition’s future is changing the ownership model of the eight existing teams, with 51 per cent of the ownership to be transferred to the host venue and the remaining 49 per cent to stay under ECB control. The intention would be to sell some or all of the ECB stake to private investors via an auction, which could take place as early as September this year.
A portion of the income generated from the auction, possibly 10 per cent, will be distributed to the recreational game and the remainder split between the 18 first-class counties and MCC. A suggested £UK5m ($A9.7m) windfall is almost as much as the total annual turnover of some of the smaller counties and could prove to be too enticing for them to reject, even if it restricts their opportunity to be part of the Hundred in the future.
It is unlikely that there will be any expansion beyond the eight teams until 2029 — after the broadcast deal runs out in 2028 — with the focus in the interim period being on getting external investment into the game, which in turn would allow for a large increase in the value of player contracts from 2025 onwards. Each of the eight host venues — Edgbaston, Old Trafford, Headingley, Lord’s, Sophia Gardens, the Rose Bowl (Hampshire), the Oval and Trent Bridge — will then be free to sell off some of their 51 per cent stake in the team to other private investors, although some have already stated they would not want to do that, preferring to retain complete control of their branding, name and marketing.
Under this proposed model, the host venues would take over responsibility for tickets, merchandise, marketing and branding, which is done by the ECB at present. However, it is not expected that it will result in a significant increase in the amount of annual revenue they get from the competition until a new broadcasting deal is secured, which, if the value of player contracts rises significantly and therefore the best global players are attracted, could rise.
As well as the £UK5m ($A9.7m) one-off cash injection from the autumn auction, the counties will continue to receive an annual dividend from the tournament, which is currently £UK1.3m ($A2.5m), although that will be dependent on the value of the next broadcast deal. After 2028, it is likely that the tournament will expand in size to ten teams, although it is still not out of the question that all 18 counties could be involved in a two-tier competition with some element of promotion and relegation. Such discussions can, though, be put on hold if the ECB get broad agreement next month to stick with the existing eight teams and sell off the equity stakes, letting that system bed in before any expansion takes place.
The injection of private capital into the competition will allow for a rise in the value of player contracts. This is deemed vital to the future success of the Hundred, which is in competition with other franchise tournaments that offer better pay, allowing it to attract the best international players and make further progress towards gender pay parity.
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9/12
DO WE NEED TO WAKE UP?
Is Dave Gunn, now a committee member, on the case?
Where does the new Nottinghamshire General Committee Chair sit on this serious matter? Mr Hunt hasn't given the membership any assurances or consulted members in any open, democratic or public manner, yet he gets to vote on our behalf. Have the promises to the membership by former chair, Mr Moore, been conveniently forgotten. Ownership, as explained below, will impact future schedules so where are the updates from Nottinghamshire CCC to its owners / the members?
What The County Cricket members Group ask:
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 members 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.
The cuckoo, in the county nest, grows bigger and bigger taking more and more space.
ReplyDeleteGuess who then gets smaller and smaller, and gets less space.
The process continues ...............
80 NOT OUT
ReplyDeleteLets hope we dont get “ sold down the River”
The game of cricket has to evolve to meet changing conditions but ordinary fans have to be properly consulted . Bean counters and greedy Club Executives have to be accountable for big decisions that are being made ( apparently) .
The economics of the game have changed - we all know that the 4 dayers lose money overall. But there has to be a balance between the traditional cricket fans and some “ new fans” of the game who only want to see massive sixes being struck twice an over .
Many of the T20 brigade think a well bowled maiden over is boring !
Please Essex members try to get to the AGM on Tuesday at 7pm. Three Board vacancies are up for grabs. Essex could be crucial in any vote to expand the 100. The members own the Club. Apathy is not an option
ReplyDeleteEnglish county cricket is going to end or more likely at best be 2nd class and played around the counties on smaller grounds. Iv sadly lost all interest and devote my watching time to the Notts prem League. Good honest cricket without the greed and dishonesty.
ReplyDeleteNobody on here is happy 😃 with the direction our game seems to be heading in that’s for sure
DeleteI’ve watched NPL down the years, more so when the Notts Academy were playing in it
The standard is fairly decent, a bit behind second eleven I would say and it’s got a good loyal following of cricket 🏏 supporters behind it
I’ve accepted greed and(sometimes) dishonesty is now in sport in general and try to just ignore it and just try to enjoy the game I’m watching but I do take your point
Good new article
ReplyDeleteBut don't agree blame does not lie with players
It lies squarely with them, they took, and continue to take, the dirty money that has destroyed pro cricket. Excuse it as you wish, it is the truth
Very true Rich - but would any of us turn it down in their position given the chance ? But, I’m certainly not happy one iota with the direction cricket 🏏 is going in that’s for sure
DeleteI see this as a complete failure of cricket governance and nothing to do with greed and "dirty money"
DeleteAre cricketers any greedier than tennis players, football players or golfers?? I don't think so. World tennis has organised itself into a schedule of tournaments with major events, WTA and ATP tours, and the more minor events. There are lots of competing interests at work, as in cricket, but they organise a calendar and the tennis tour programme works.
Why can't cricket get organised? Put some serious thought into windows for major events (i.e. Test series) and then schedule sensibly. Why not? Because the ICC can't get a grip on the game and national governing bodies like the ECB have no clue how to schedule even their domestic tournaments.
It is a failure of the cricket authorities. The players are going where the good money and the good games for them are. It isn't their fault.
A flawed comparison is some respects Crickety: how many professional sports are split into different, competing with eachother world governing bodies now? Those sports are largely individual and not even team sports: boxing, darts and golf for example. Money holds the power and all the money in cricket is in India. Without some strong worldwide leadership we will be lumbered with IPL franchises controlling competitions around the world not just India, South Africa, and UAE. Players will be contracted to a franchise and then represent that franchise around all of the global PL competitions (that would stop the switching and swapping by individuals though) - the nightmare scenario (for many, myself included) of a couple of years ago and it is nearer now than it was then. Would you support Trent or even Nottingham Superkings/Giants/Knightriders..?
Delete80 NOT OUT
ReplyDeletePoints on the latest posts are noted and have some merit .
But surely it cannot be right that many Franchise players can now get extra rewards through “ failure!”
Human nature ( greed perhaps in one or two cases?) may come into play in some tournaments? It seems a virtual free for all at the moment and the Franchise owners are calling the shots . It’s going to be difficult for many sides to build up a loyal fan base when the viewing punter is confronted each match by different players on a regular basis .
I do completely agree, there is no rhyme or reason to it. It is like a footballer deciding to play for one team in the premier league, another in the champions league, another in the UEFA league and another in the German league, and so on and so on.... Someone needs to bring this to order and surely it is the ICC who should be laying down the rules.
DeleteOne thing for sure, franchise garbage gets no blame for England Test woes. England are 8th in World Test Championship, having lost 5 of their last 9 Tests, and 3 series without winning a series. Yet the new approach of coach and captain is still worshipped by the media.
ReplyDelete80 NOT OUT
ReplyDeleteIt’s blindingly obvious that the 4 day game as we know it is doomed in its present format .
Enjoy it -while you can !?
Very true, thanks for update Alan and Nottsview.
ReplyDeleteA bit disturbing 7 "Hundread" counties offered this perk, when there are 8 of us. Who misses out and why ?
ReplyDeleteThe MCC owns Lord's so Middlesex lose out.
DeleteLooking wider a field for a mo. What would have caused ructions a few years ago in Australia, now raises hardly a murmur
ReplyDeleteCameron Green and Mitch to miss Sheffield Shield Final, to avoid missing their opening IPL matches.
Mitch Marsh
ReplyDeleteWe got to hope England 🏴 Australia 🇦🇺 and India 🇮🇳 remain committed to Test cricket 🏏 as if these lose interest, particularly India then I think we’re all kiboshed
ReplyDeleteSome of the other Countries seem to have lost some interest already - a situation that’s occurred with their respective players wanting to maximise their earning potential - I’m not criticising, just stating a fact as Rafa Benitez may have said
80 NOT OUT .
ReplyDeleteA cricket season without Test cricket ?
It’s like the end of the world .
Hope it never happens in my lifetime!
But then again I am over 80 !
Suspect it will happen in the next 50(?) years - no one knows let’s face it
DeleteGood times for the white ball sloggers with limited technique for the red ball game that will be making their pro careers in the future
Hard to believe now there were only 2 options when I was getting into the game as a child 👦- have a good lifestyle if you were good enough to be an England 🏴 player, or if not, become a decent County cricketer all your career with the realisation it was still a damn sight better than working for a living
Sadly then, no white ball franchise leagues around the globe 🌎 for brilliant one-day players like our very own Paul Johnson to cash 💵 in on.
Notts Pravda champion Hales again.Was left out of the final.How many match winning innings did he produce in the PSL.None as far as I can see ?
ReplyDeleteYer never fail if yer don't play, so yer always possess maximum potential.
Delete80 NOT OUT
ReplyDeleteVery interesting Luddite article . Its obvious massive change will affect the whole structure of cricket in the UK. It will be unstoppable because of financial demands bringing some Counties right to the brink of viability. Rising costs are threatening all sorts of events and organizations . Just to illustrate the point its been announced this month that two out of the top three Steam/ Traction Engine rallies ( Lincoln Showground and the massive Dorset) have been permanently cancelled . These events have been running for 40 years or more and attended by tens of thousands every year. But they have made losses due to huge rises in the cost of staging them .
We all see on a daily basis how everything is increasing in price . Cricket Clubs will be hit hard by rising wages , transport costs , insurance , maintenance , rates , fees etc etc . Something will have to give . The four day game simply has to be shortened in length . Fourteen 4 days a season will shortly become unviable . It probably already is for most Counties . Big change will come to domestic cricket . Deep down I think most forward thinking cricket fans know it . Its perhaps not what we want but its all down to pure economics in the end . Sad but true.
It is very difficult to see how we can sustain so many first class counties playing this number of four day cricket matches. And I say that as someone who only ever watches four day cricket at the domestic level.
DeleteIf all counties would operate within their budgets, lowering their expectations, then perhaps all 18 counties would be sustainable. If a "smaller county" doesn't have the budget for overseas and domestic stars, then perhaps they should develop their own younger players instead. It wouldn't take long before that "smaller county" attracted the country's best young prospects , because they were going to get more opportunities to play (the ECB would then give that county access to the best coaching to develop those young prospects to their full potential), and so reaped the benefits (of success) that way. Sadly, not all counties are going to be able to challenge for County ChampionshipTrophy every year anymore (with two divisions we've already lost that), but as far as the ECB is concerned, the primary objective of County cricket is to produce the best players for the national side. 18 counties gives a better chance and more opportunities to develop emerging players, in my opinion.
DeleteA big IF Dave! Who's going to admit that they're one of the 2nd best?
Delete80 NOT OUT
ReplyDeleteHighly paid players or not .
They all still have to travel , be fed , be accommodated , be treated when injured, be insured , the costs just keep coming . Imagine taking 14 players and 6 others down to Somerset or up to Durham for a four day game. The cost of finding a budget hotel would be very high over 3 or 4 nights . It just does not add up to viability whichever way you look at it !?
You don't suppose a certain budget hotel(s) near to each county HQ would offer a special deal for 20 rooms for 28 days (4 x 7 counties) over a season, makes good business sense IMHO, a guaranteed income, regardless of weather. To me, counties need to collaborate and reciprocate off the field, and not to try to be flash, out doing each other.
Delete80 NOT OUT
ReplyDeleteDave - so called budget hotels are no longer budget . Many are full to the brim with so called refugees . Try and book one and get a cheap deal ! No chance .
But say you could somehow get Dinner Bed and Breakfast for £125 a night . Multiply that by 20 and it’s well over £2000. So for three or four nights the maths don’t add up when you think of gate receipts for most County matches played mid week .
Daniel Gidney, CEO of Lancashire use of term "heroin addicts" in the debate, stupid, and heatless to people and family friends of people, in that terrible situation.
ReplyDeleteReally he and Mr Bostock taking the debate to a very low level.
Difficult to accuse county members of wrecking the game, when we have been overruled on most decisions, the only exception I can think of being the rejection of taking The Championship down to 12 matches per side.
Losing the summer months to franchise cricket seems inevitable.
ReplyDeleteThere was no Sheffield Shield cricket between 2 Dec 2023 and 3 Feb 2024, for example.
Franchise cricket keeps expanding. IPL now involves 70 matches in the group stage.
The Hundred could be 10 teams playing over 8 weeks in July and August within the next 3 years.
Very good post Crickety, true but sad I think.
ReplyDeleteDo think representative cricket, in whatever format, should not just give up during Franchise periods. At whatever level, and with whatever players, amateur if necessary, carry on playing cricket that means something. The Achilles Heal of franchise stuff, is nobody cares, or even remembers, who wins.
I would be quite happy with a world where first class cricket ran through the whole season oblivious to the franchise nonsense. Of course, that would mean some games away from the big test match grounds, but there are other venues around and available.
DeleteWhat we now see is that there is no loyalty even to the national side, with the England captain picking and choosing when he plays.
Notts ccc board don't care about tradition or the 4 day game and care even less about smaller counties like Derbyshire. Why would anyone want to be a member nowadays?
ReplyDeleteWhich members of the "board" are you talking about?
DeleteWho is concerned about Derbyshire
DeleteIt could be our old chairman who likes to be known as vexatious
Ah dear old Jeff, out manoeuvred by the CEO and her pack of hounds. At least he was on "our side". I fear we will need a rottweiler of a chair in the coming weeks to fight off the pack of the ECB moneymen and the CEO's cronies but what we have is a poodle. I hope Chair Hunt is really on our side and is ready to fight for 18 County First Class Cricket, but I'm not sure that he is as he doesn't appear to need the members' support being a favourite of the Nominations Panel.
DeleteShould have said the powers that be presently "ruling" over the counties first class cricket team.
ReplyDeleteUnclear meaning: is it counties'...... teams or county's ..... team
Deleteapostrophes matter
I suspect "anonymous" is pointing the finger at MN, PM, LP and AH.
DeleteI humbly apologise for error on "county". And yes I believe you named the correct group. You would dislike them even more should you speak to them. Anyway we all have different views just that Notts only follow theirs.
ReplyDeleteWell, I (a member) have heard nothing from Notts about this matter so far...
ReplyDelete80 NOT OUT
ReplyDeleteDuring the forthcoming shortish lunchtime Members forum I wonder if there will be a proposal of “ NO CONFIDENCE “ in relation to the Notts Committee and HINDRED decision makers ( whoever they are!)
There might even be a call for an emergency AGM ? There is so much at stake with cricket evolvement at the moment and Notts members are being kept in the dark . Contrary to previous promises of “ being kept up to date”.
I forecast a “ done deal” and an attitude of like it or lump it to the faithful. Notts CCC have almost become a “ black hole” of information !? . A lot gets sucked in but nothing comes out ! 🌑🌑🌑