Too Much Cricket?

Is there really too much county cricket?

Reducing the county schedule has become a familiar demand of cricketing pundits, players and administrators. In the last Professional Cricketer’s Association survey, one player said it was “actually unsafe” and another “felt like a zombie” either travelling or playing. However, as a Nottinghamshire fan it sometimes seems that you are more likely to find a zombie than a cricketer on the field at Trent Bridge. Apart from two matches at an out ground, there were no domestic matches at Trent Bridge between the 10th July and 17th August.

I conducted some research by comparing the “unsafe” schedule of 2015 to 1987 — the season of my first visit to Trent Bridge. The results are startling.

In 2015, Nottinghamshire were scheduled to play 86 days of cricket across three competitions, with a further two knockout games added. In 1987, there were a minimum 93 days scheduled across four formats with seven more knockout matches and reserve days added. In July and August 2015, the Nottinghamshire team had 30 days of cricket scheduled compared to an amazing 56 in 1987 (including an additional tour match). As cricket fans we know that play is often lost due to bad weather. We also need to remember that the days and formats were much longer in 1987 compared to today’s era. A T20 game barely covers an evening, and a four day game will often end early, while a three day will usually not. But what do we see when the players’ workloads are compared?

Current seamers Jake Ball and Harry Gurney bowled 420 and 403.2 overs respectively across all formats. However, in 1987, Andy Pick and Kevin Saxelby bowled over 500 each. Spinner Eddie Hemmings sent down an astonishing 969.5 overs, dwarfing the role of the leading current spinner Samit Patel, who bowled 395.1 last season.

Also transformed is the role of overseas players. Captain Clive Rice appeared in 43 games, bowling 444.5 overs, while Richard Hadlee bowled 715.5 overs in 39 games. Last season, five overseas bowlers delivered just 398.5 overs between them — signifying a short-term ‘gun-for-hire’ approach.

Central contracts have minimised the domestic workload of England Test Match players. Chris Broad, Tim Robinson and Bruce French still played half schedules despite their England commitments, while Stuart Broad was released for just four Nottinghamshire matches last season.

Travel was also analysed. Last season involved an estimated 4,000 miles of travel to matches from Trent Bridge, a big reduction from approximately 5,250 in 1987 — reduced by playing some Sunday league games in the middle of three-day matches.

One current Notts player complained on Twitter about switching of formats and little time to train, but this study shows that the modern player has a relatively soft schedule with only nine players playing over 60 scheduled days. Practice is important but so is actually playing the game. Bowlers Luke Fletcher and Andy Carter spent time on loan at other counties in 2015 in search of playing time. Also, if competitions are reduced further, they could be decided by the British weather as much as skill.

As a fan, I do not want even more cuts to the domestic schedule — especially to incorporate tacky franchises. Any changes to county cricket must be evidence-based. Cricket fans are the lifeblood of the sport and need to be heard as much as international players and television.

Paul Severn

https://medium.com/@paulsevern7/is-there-really-too-much-county-cricket-ece021feecc#.nksy72b8d