Why Risk it Lisa?

Following the apparent lack of appetite for discussion from Notts CCC, what can members and supporters suppose the views of the club’s CEO and that of the club’s hierarchy are with regards to the restructuring of the whole game and the further downgrading of the County Championship?

Colin Graves is probably going to force further progression towards his ultimate goal of a brand new Twenty 20 competition based in eight major population centres soon, later this month.

Graves leverage with counties will be now strengthened by the ECB’s stranglehold over Durham’s fate, bailing them out after they followed ECB instructions in not finding financial support from outside the game. Durham being in this particular mess after being encouraged to chase a dream by the ECB in the first instance, building an International standard stadium and then bidding against rival counties to host International fixtures at it, by the ECB. That same ECB now in turn deem it necessary to impose drastic measures to punish Durham.

One beneficiary of this Durham-based pickle are Hampshire, who see themselves as a likely venue for one of these “City Franchises” and also grab a reprieve from relegation following Durham’s points deductions. Effectively rewarding Hampshire for having inadequate numbers on their playing staff at the start of the 2016 season, you might think. Perhaps Hampshire has started their restructuring early. Hampshire CCC is certainly looking like one of the main supporters of Colin Graves’ plan. Perhaps cutting the County playing staffs is the future. So why do the PCA support the principle of the new competition? Surely it will mean less PCA members?

Of course, no details of any proposals have been made public. The eight venues at the moment have nine candidates, with Durham now dropped but Bristol staking a claim.

The assumption could be that Notts expect Trent Bridge to be one of the venues and so our CEO is keeping her head down, ignoring Members and hoping that there is an appetite for people to pay premium prices to watch a theoretical team, with players possibly having no affiliation to Nottinghamshire / Nottingham / East Midlands, within the wider sporting audience of Nottingham. This new audience, perhaps not having much appreciation for cricket at present, might represent a risk to repeat business if the weather intervenes, as it so often does with cricket.

Nottinghamshire currently have a successful business with regards to the marketing of the Outlaws T20, attendances are approaching capacity with year on year growth. Why risk it Lisa?