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County Championship set to bring back promotion and relegation in 2022.
Elizabeth Ammon.
The Times.
Thursday, 16 September 2021.
PTG 3650-18018.
The County Championship is set to return to two divisions with promotion and relegation next season as most counties prepare to reject a continuation of the conference system that was in place in this campaign.
The 2021 system was based on three groups of six counties playing ten group matches, with the top two teams moving into a six-team Division One for the final five matches to decide the champions. The other 12 teams were placed into Divisions Two and Three for the final rounds of matches, playing for little more than prize money. The system, which removed promotion and relegation, was announced as a one-year-only “emergency Covid” measure that would be reassessed at the end of the season.
The Professional Game Group (PGG), which includes representatives of several counties and the England and Wales Cricket Board (EWCB), will now put forward proposals to the 18 first-class counties that will try to answer two key questions about the future structure of domestic cricket. First, should the championship revert to two divisions? Second, should championship cricket be played in the July and August window that is set aside for the Hundred? A vote by chairmen will be taken early next month with the intention that the structure is decided and fixtures published by December.
A minimum of 12 counties need to be in favour of any changes and it is understood that although some are still open to persuasion, there are 12 that will vote in favour of a two-division structure. It will mean a move next season to ten teams in Division One and eight in Division Two (changing from eight in Division One and ten in Division Two in 2020). Based on the 2019 standings, Nottinghamshire would be relegated and three teams — Lancashire, Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire — would be promoted to Division One. There is room in the schedule for 14 matches, so not every top-tier team would play against every other one both home and away.
Initially most counties were enthusiastic about the conference system, believing that, in theory, all 18 teams started the season with a shot at winning the title. However, there is a feeling that it leads to too many meaningless dead games in September. Under the two-division system there were, inevitably, several dead games at the bottom of the second tier. However, further up there were three battles going on at the climax of the season: the tussle for the championship title, the scrap to avoid relegation and the push for promotion.
The PGG will also consult the England management team about the domestic structure. Ashley Giles, managing director of England men’s cricket, is thought to be in favour of a system that does not have promotion and relegation because he believes that it forces counties to make short-term decisions and play on pitches that do not help produce Test-quality players. Joe Root, the Test captain, is also understood to want the championship to incentivise playing on good pitches, which is not always a priority when promotion and relegation are on the line.
However, it is the counties who will ultimately decide on the format — and the majority now believe that it is time to ditch the conference experiment.
Based on how Notts have performed this season, Even if the counties do accept a two division championship you would like to think any stay in division two would be short.
ReplyDeleteAs for playing the championship during July and August, Would that be really fair to clubs that supply the majority of their players to the "100"?
Its easy to see a scenario where for example Notts with a full compliment of players had done well early season, To then find come the business end of the season that they would have to complete their fixtures with largely second eleven players.
The counties do have big decisions to make, Lets hope for Notts sake they can find more suitable dates for the conclusion of the CC that don't succeed in making a mockery of good early season form...
I still think that the conference system, adopted this season is better for all 18 counties. I don't accept the idea that there are "dead rubbers". Just look at Leicestershire's reaction to a win in Division 3 earlier this week, which on the face of it had little impact on a County Championship as a whole but a win meant a lot to them. Winning a Championship game should be difficult,and there lies the current problem; games are too easily won at the moment with result wickets being served-up game after game with the winner decided virtually at the toss. This is not good for English Test cricket, how can it be?
ReplyDeleteYes games have to be entertaining to interest and attract spectators but good cricket should do that not just the prospect of a win inside 3 days with 10 or more wickets falling every day. If we are to have competitive games, all 18 counties need to retain their best players and not have the cream gravitate to Trent Bridge, The Oval or Edgbaston, etc...
Every county having a chance of winning the championship every April, must be a good thing - surely better that 8 counties with zero chance - IMHO
I do agree that some counties have in the past gone to extreme ends to produce results with wickets not conducive to a fair contest - those should be punished by match referees with point deductions being imposed that same week.
Somerset used to be guilty of "result" wickets, But then again in the days of Hadlee and Rice so did Notts, Its probably fair to say though that they are far from the only guilty parties.
ReplyDeleteTake this week, Hampshire must have been praying they won the toss knowing batting last might prove difficult, And so it proved!.
Not that you can blame them, Most teams in their position would have done the same, You can be pretty certain if Essex had been in the running for the CC, That an Harmer friendly wicket would have been produced.
Its certainly time that the match referees need to show their teeth and punished the offenders,We should not be relying on the toss of a coin to decide the destination of the championship.
I don’t accept there are too many dead rubbers either. The are some but it’s a false premise. Watching on you tube I saw Northamptonshire last pair hang on for an honourable draw at Wantage Road v Durham.Then I noticed there had been a clatter of wickets at grace road and switched over where Leicestershire were cock a hoop when they beat Sussex with 16 balls to spare . It’s a bit of a pity the conference system wasn’t persevered with for at least one more season.
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