Save The County Championship - Counties to Vote...

 

Counties to vote on radical shake-up to cut matches from domestic cricket

• Latest attempt to trim fixture list expected to go ahead

• Both Championship and Twenty20 Blast would change

• 
  

Matt Hughes 22/06

The 18 first-class counties will this week finalise plans to cut the County Championship and Twenty20 Blast to 12 matches in each competition next season in a significant restructure of the domestic game.

The most recent attempt by the England and Wales Cricket Board to cut the fixture list was thwarted three years ago, when a review led by Sir Andrew Strauss calling for a 10-match Championship season was rejected by the counties, but after three months of talks there is now widespread agreement on reducing the volume of cricket despite complaints from county members.

County cricket: Kent punish Anderson’s Lancs, Bethell and Archer made to wait

Read more

The counties are understood to have agreed to cut the T20 Blast from 14 group-stage fixtures to 12, allowing finals day to be brought forward to the end of July before the start of the Hundred, with this week’s meetings to focus on a restructure of the County Championship. A consultation process led by the ECB’s professional game committee (PGC) gave the counties five different options for next season, with two to be put forward after the meetings of the counties before a final decision in July.

It is understood that both proposed options to be taken forward will involve cutting the Championship fixture list to 12 matches. The most radical proposal involves creating a 12-team Division One, split across two pools of six, with a six-team Division Two underneath.

Each team in the two Division One pools would play 10 games against each other home and away, plus two additional fixtures against sides from the other pool. The winners of both pools after 12 matches would then play off in September for the County Championship title, with the bottom county in each pool being relegated.

The six Division Two teams would also play 12 matches, with some playing each other three times in a lopsided fixture list, and the winners of the league being promoted automatically. The second- and third‑placed teams would also play off at the end of the season for the right to be promoted.

The alternative option to be put forward would maintain the existing 10-team Division One and eight‑team Division Two format, but with a cut to 12 games. There would be no playoff title decider, but the second- and third-placed teams in Division Two would face each other for the second promotion place.

Other options proposed by the PGC, including three conferences of six followed by playoffs, a midseason split similar to that used by the Scottish Premier League and keeping the current 14-game, two-division structure, are set to be rejected. Sources involved in the discussions said that the 12/6 split is regarded as the favoured format to be adopted, with the final decision to be made next month.

A two-thirds majority of counties is required if the matter is put to a vote, although if a consensus emerges that may not be necessary. Removing two rounds of Championship fixtures would also enable the One-Day Cup to be split, with five rounds taking place in April and another five in August during the Hundred, giving more players the opportunity to play 50-over cricket.

The County Championship schedule was last cut from 16 to 14 matches before the 2017 season, but with the volume of global franchise cricket having increased significantly since, and the Hundred now taking up all of August, there is a growing acceptance that a further reduction is required. The players are strongly in favour of less cricket, with 83% of respondents to a Professional Cricketers’ Association survey published in May citing physical concerns over their workload, and 67% believing the schedule is detrimental to their mental health.

21/06

As we are to soon enter a point of switching formats, it appears this is one area that those pulling the strings believe can be used to highlight a need to reduce the volume of cricket - see below

Our CEO and the chair must have had similar meetings with committees etc, so why have they not shared these A - E Options (below) and the [some might see flawed] arguments for change/cuts?

They will do very well to present all these in a clear, fair, unbiased and effective manner in the 30 minutes a lunch break generally permits and that's before there's any discussion or feedback on Sunday.

"When does the consultation start?", I hear a call from the back asking.

20/06

Dear member

As promised in last week’s newsletter, I want to update you on the ongoing discussions around the future shape of the domestic cricket season. Over the weekend, the game-wide Steering Group shared a set of proposals, which we reviewed during an in-depth Members' Committee meeting on Monday evening.

The session lasted nearly four hours and highlighted the importance - and complexity - of the issues at hand. Ahead of the wider Member consultation during the Members Forum planned for the lunch interval on Monday, I’ve tried to summarise the options and discussions. In the pursuit of brevity, I’ve had to leave out some detail but I will fill in the gaps when we meet. However, this hopefully gives you a feel for the options and how the Members' Committee viewed them.

The Case For Change
The structure of the domestic cricket season has been a long-standing topic of debate. However, the sense now is that it’s time for decisive action - to create sustainable formats and a workable schedule that can serve the game well into the future. Key challenges include:

- Player Welfare:
The current calendar - running from early April to late September with frequent format changes and back-to-back fixtures - is impacting performance, player development and wellbeing. Fewer matches are likely to reduce injury rates.

- Member and Fan Engagement:
Audiences are declining. Rothesay County Championship struggles to attract new supporters, with concerns about a lack of jeopardy and elite-level quality. Vitality Blast attendances have also dropped sharply over the past two years, with scheduling and format cited as key issues.

- Logistical Pressures:
International fixtures, the growth of the women’s game, and the fixed window for The Hundred mean that it’s impossible to schedule the current volume of games in a way that addresses issues. This means that the wickets are being exhausted and Ground Staff are under unsustainable pressure to maintain pitch quality.

Members' Committee unanimously agreed that the status quo is not sustainable.

Guiding Principles
Members' Committee heard that the game-wide Steering Group evaluated proposals against three criteria:

- Player welfare and performance:  
Promoting 'best v best' to elevate quality and support England player development.

- Audience growth (attendances and broadcast):  
Through more competitive, engaging fixtures with stronger narratives and 'best v best' cricket.

- Stakeholder alignment: 
Ensuring Members’ interests and your passion for the Rothesay County Championship is central to any changes.

Once agreed, changes to the Rothesay County Championship and Vitality Blast will remain in place until at least 2031 to provide long-term clarity. Due to a number of counties wanting to review what cricket is played under The Hundred, and also the long-term future of 50-over cricket, the Metro Bank One Day Cup will stay unchanged for three years and be reviewed thereafter.

Vitality Blast: Rebuilding Momentum
The proposed reforms aim to restore the competition’s relevance and appeal:

- A continuous tournament from mid-May to July - finishing before The Hundred starts.
- Three groups of six, preserving local derbies (e.g. Bears v Pears).
- 12 matches per team: 10 within the group, 2 against teams from other groups with rotation of groups up for discussion.
- Even distribution of fixtures, focused on weekends for better attendance.
- Greater attention to travel and player recovery - aiming for 24 hour gaps between games.
- Quarter Finals and Finals Day held in July, ensuring maximum player availability.

Members' Committee broadly supported these proposals but stressed the need for serious marketing investment to reverse declining interest.

Rothesay County Championship: Five Structural Options
The Steering Group proposals reflected a majority (but not unanimous) view from the game that player welfare is an issue that needs to be addressed by a slight reduction in games, but there were different ways of doing this – and a 14 game option was included for comparison:

- Option A: 8/10 Divisions (14 Games)
Division 1 teams play each other (home and away) but it was felt that this is really 'status quo' and doesn’t address fixture congestion, player welfare or audience engagement. 

- Option B: 10/8 Divisions (12 Games)
The reduction improves player welfare, but two games felt a bridge too far and did little to enhance competitiveness or narrative. Again, tinkering and more of the same really.

- Option C: Two-Tier Conference + Finals Series (13 Games)
Top 12 teams split into two 'top tier' groups of 6, while bottom 6 in a 'lower tier'. Each team plays 10 group games and then the groups split: top 3 in each of the top tiers merge and play 3 games in a September 'finals series' to decide on the County Championship winner. Bottom 3 and those in lower tier involved in relegation/promotion play-offs. Creates 'high jeopardy' games throughout, especially in September. This was positively received - a strong balance of competition, welfare, and tradition. However, scheduling challenges around the final rounds in September would need to be resolved.

- Option D: Two-Tier Conference + One-Off Final (12 Games plus '13th game' Final)
Similar to Option C, but replaces the finals series with a one-match final. Each team plays ten games in their group and two from the other conference. The top teams in the top two groups then play each other in a 'winner takes all' Final. This emulates models from other sports and global red-ball leagues. However, the weather/impact of the toss and the jeopardy of a 'winner takes all' game after a long season were concerns. It also means that the majority of counties will only play 12 games.

- Option E: 3 Groups of 6 + Playoffs (12 Games)
All teams can win the Championship but lacks promotion/relegation and could lead to more 'dead rubbers.' There was a concern that quality players would be spread too thinly, weakening overall standards. It also removed the jeopardy of promotion/relegation and teams' desire to strive for higher standards.

Members' Committee felt that there’s no perfect solution, but consensus leaned toward Option C. It strikes a balance between innovation and tradition, encourages competitive cricket, and reduces player load modestly. If logistics prove unworkable, Option D was the preferred fallback.

Crucially, the Committee felt that this is a pivotal moment. Bold but considered changes now could secure a healthier future for the domestic game, delivering better cricket for Members and safeguarding the development of elite players.

Next Steps
I’ll walk through these proposals in greater detail at the Members Forum during the Somerset game on Monday 23 June, and have some graphics to help explain each format. It’s difficult to get everything across easily in the confines of a newsletter. I will then ask those present for their views and thoughts.

Following that, we’ll take the feedback from the forum and Members' Committee session to the Club Board. This will form the basis of our response to the ECB ahead of their July decision.

Take care.


Stuart Cain
Chief Executive

14/06

Hi Everyone,

 

See below for an example of a club communicating about building projects (when did we last hear anything at all about the pavilion?), consultations and the Franchise agreements (when was the last update from Notts about this?).

 

Best wishes,

 

Nick Evans

24 Enfield St

Beeston

Nottingham

NG9 1DN

Well Nick, we were told the roof would be coming off, carefully, at the last members' forum and that the Franchise partners would be finalising the partnership with ??? very soon, at the same meeting.

Since then, everyone can see the roof has almost all gone now and that building work can start upwards. They need to crack -on!

Hi ,

Apologies, it’s been a while since my last note, but the season is now well underway and as ever, there is lots going on.

2026 Domestic Schedule Review:
Speculation is rife about what might, or might not, be happening from 2026, but the genuine answer is that we haven’t received final proposals yet from the ECB steering group set up to discuss the matter.  We should get these by the weekend and have set up a Member’s Committee meeting to discuss on Monday 16 June. From there, we would like to have a wider Member’s discussion during lunch at the Somerset County Championship game on Monday 23 June. We’ve chosen that date/time as we know that the County Championship is probably the most contentious part of the discussions and Members have fed back before that they prefer to speak during a game. Regardless, I will try to keep you informed as things develop.

A reasonable start to the men's cricket:
It’s still early days, but we’ve had a better start to the County Championship this year with new recruits Ethan Bamber, Tom Latham and Beau Webster really making their mark, supported well by a host of players with bat and ball – it was particularly pleasing to see Chris Woakes and Chris Rushworth in action at Worcestershire. Whilst we were beaten by the weather at New Road, you could argue it got us out of jail against Nottinghamshire so perhaps things do even themselves out over the season. Ian Westwood has settled well, brilliantly supported by Matt Walker. It’s a great combination – Westy dreams about the Bears in his sleep and knows what it takes to win, and Matt has the ‘battle scars’ to support him having been Head Coach at Kent. The new Performance Director, James Thomas, started in early June and has hit the ground running with 2026 recruitment his key short-term focus and conversations are well underway with targets that will improve the squad. On the flipside, it was disappointing to see Isaac Ali move to New Road. We spoke to his representatives and said we would sign him on a Rookie contract at the end of the season if he continued to progress as expected, but Worcestershire offered him the kind of speculative deal rarely seen in county cricket – so, we wish him well.

And the same with the Bears Women:
After some good work from Ali Maiden, Head Coach, pre-season, It’s great to see the women’s professional team take shape, with strong performances in the County Cup and early Vitality Blast games. Whilst the whole team has done well, there have been stand-out games from a range of players including Laura Harris, Nat Wraith, Davina Perrin, Charis Pavely and Sterre Kalis. The One Day Cup was tougher, but it really helped give some of the team’s younger members much needed experience that means they will be able to go in to 2026 much better equipped to compete. As with the men, we’re looking at recruitment but options are more limited in the women’s game as the pool of players is smaller and many of those who moved professional last year signed two year deals, but we do hope to bring some fresh faces in for 2026. It was also good to see Emily Arlott in an England shirt for the first time, and Issy Wong get a well-deserved recall.

Be kind:
One thing we’ve noticed this season is an increase in aggressive behavior towards staff from small pockets of the Membership, whether it be in the Tom Dollery or the Premium Member areas. At this stage, it’s not a big deal, but please just remember that we’re all part of the Bear’s family and should be pulling together. Nobody comes to work trying to upset Members, and I’m really proud of how hard everyone works to try and give you a great day out. If we get it wrong, we have to accept that, but what we shouldn’t have to accept is abuse or derogatory behavior. Hopefully this will sort itself out, but if it doesn’t we will take action that may include exclusion for really poor behaviour.

Re-development update:
Plans are going well for the re-development of the Raglan and Priory stands, we hope to appoint contractors shortly and begin work in September. The plan is that the existing stands are demolished by Christmas, and the new frame structure is built in time for the 2026 season, but that does mean that there won’t be any seating in that area of the ground next year. The plan is still to have the new stand and hotel open in time for the Ashes in 2027. Further details and a flythrough will be added to the website over coming months.

The Hundred and Birmingham Phoenix:
We are getting closer to sorting out the legals and signing the deal – it’s taken a lot longer than anticipated, but I think that’s beneficial as it means all of the investors have had the time to talk things through with the ECB so we all understand how things will work once the deal is done. Knighthead are proving to be excellent partners, adding value where it matters but leaving us to manage the cricket as part of the wider Bears stable. Due to the delays, the ECB will continue to run the competition, as they have done historically, but we plan to invest additional funds in marketing and commercial so that we can build up a head of steam before taking over properly in 2026.

I will leave it there for now, but with the India Test Match approaching, as well as the World Championship of Legends, alongside the stand re-development, 2026 schedule review and completion of the Hundred deal there is plenty to keep us occupied on and off the field.

As ever, get in touch if there is anything specific you would like to discuss and I hope to see some of you at the Member’s Forum during the Somerset game on Monday 23 June.

Take care.

Stuart Cain
Chief Executive
 

Hi Folks,

 

These are the results from the Middlesex members’ survey. Note how much better it is than the feeble (deliberately) effort at a survey Notts have done. Note Derbyshire have done a similar one as they seem to actually be interested in their members’ views.

 

MEMBERS’ SURVEY | TOPLINE FINDINGS AND RESULTS

 

Our thanks go to the 1,100+ members who took time to provide us with their feedback in our latest Members’ survey, which focussed on the ECB’s current review of the domestic playing schedule for 2026 onwards.

 

A more detailed analysis of the survey will be presented and discussed at the forthcoming Members’ Forum and SGM on 26th June 2025, however, please see below a summarised top-line view on the feedback provided by members.

 

The survey focussed on five main areas, as follows:

 

1. Which, of the three main cricketing formats, do our members prefer?

 

(Members were asked to specify how much they value each format of the game by providing a score between 0 and 10, with 0 being least valued and 10 being most valued)

 

County Championship

 

Vote of 0-5 - 1%

 

Vote of 6 to 8 - 7%

 

Vote of 9 to 10 - 92%

 

T20 Blast

 

Vote of 0-5 - 38%

 

Vote of 6 to 8 - 43%

 

Vote of 9 to 10 - 19%

 

One-Day Cup

 

Vote of 0-5 - 19%

 

Vote of 6 to 8 - 51%

 

Vote of 9 to 10 - 31%

 

Question Two – is the current volume of Cricket (78 days out of the 178 days in the season) too much/little/about right?

 

Far too little cricket being played - 7%

 

Too Little cricket being played - 25%

 

Volume of cricket is about right - 55%

 

Too much cricket being played - 13%

 

Question Three – within the existing 78 playing days – how should that – ideally – be split by format?

 

Nearly all Members want either the same number of Championship games (45%) or 1-2 more games (44%). Almost all the remainder (7%) want even more Championship games than that. To find the extra match days Members were much more likely to sacrifice T20 games than One Day Cup.

 

We also asked respondents to do the same exercise on two hypothetically reduced formats – first with 74 days and then just 70 days cricket across the whole season. In both scenarios, the overwhelming desire for red ball cricket remained, whatever happened.

 

Question Four – what format do Members believe should be played alongside the Hundred?

 

66% of Middlesex Members would favour playing Championship cricket in August compared to 54% favouring the current arrangement of One Day Cup.

 

At 32% the lowest number favoured T20 alongside the Hundred.

 

Looking at the other end of the scale – just a quarter of Members would be against playing red ball at the same time vs 19% against the current arrangement.

 

Question Five – how would changes in the number of Games played by format impact membership renewal?

 

To answer this question, we asked Members how likely they were to renew on a scale of 0 to 10 (0 being “would certainly not renew” and 10 being “would certainly renew”).

 

If schedule remained the same: Average score of 7.5

 

If schedule included more Championship cricket: Average score of 7.7

 

If schedule included less Championship cricket: Average score of 4

 

Best wishes,

 

Nick Evans

24 Enfield St

Beeston

Nottingham

NG9 1DN