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BLAST CUT PROPOSAL - A TROJAN HORSE?
The ECB High Performance proposals as they currently stand will probably never go to a vote.
Thompson speaks of compromise and the likely compromise will be on the Blast from the ECB. That'll get those smaller counties that rely on the money generated from Blast nights on their side, perhaps against the wishes of their membership who are more in support of preserving the County Championship from further erosion, but County chairs will argue their case about being able to financially survive blah, blah. On Sports Desk Sean Jarvis, CEO of Leicestershire and Director of Trent Rockets, says he's in favour of an expansion of the Blast, not a reduction; at the expense of one championship home game, perhaps.
On the other side of the coin, I've heard talk that larger counties would be in favour of just 5 Blast home fixtures, if those games were guaranteed on lucrative Friday nights. Worcestershire and their lack of floodlights, then become an issue for scheduling. If the administrators were wanting to widen the appeal of the Blast to families however, as they say that they are with the Hundred, then there would be more weekend, daytime Blast matches with double headers thrown-in.
Evidently the likes of Notts and Warwick are more focused on the turnover from alcohol sales; you only have to wander around the grounds and count the number of outlets. Fundimentally, Thompson did say that the Blast would be marketed better in 2023, than the invisible approach of 2021.
So, is cutting the number of Blast games proposal (as part of the whole Strauss package) just a Trojan Horse, a compromise ready to be played by design by its ECB architects? It does seem to be the easiest way to divide the counties.
Many counties have been silent, voicing no concerns raised from the Stauss proposals so far.
So, are many County Chairs willing participants in this charade, so long as they get their continued Sky bribe pay-offs? It is now the cricket's off season and many members won't be going anywhere near a county ground for six months, but crucially this is the time when deals will be done. It has been made loud and clear that members up and down the country do not want to be ignored again! So how are decisions going to be made? Democracy is a slow process if it's to be done fairly and correctly. We as members have been told very little really about the decision making that is ongoing at Trent Bridge.
Jeff Moore and Lisa Pursehouse have been very quiet in the past week but at least Lisa had good grace and kept out the limelight at the pitch side divisional championship celebrations on Thursday. However, Moore and Pursehouse did promise to keep members informed and to consult with members on structural proposals. Are we going to get a vote on any decision about the structure of the game, once there is something concrete to vote on? Has anyone been consulted yet?
So, is cutting the number of Blast games proposal (as part of the whole Strauss package) just a Trojan Horse, a compromise ready to be played by design by its ECB architects? It does seem to be the easiest way to divide the counties.
Many counties have been silent, voicing no concerns raised from the Stauss proposals so far.
So, are many County Chairs willing participants in this charade, so long as they get their continued Sky bribe pay-offs? It is now the cricket's off season and many members won't be going anywhere near a county ground for six months, but crucially this is the time when deals will be done. It has been made loud and clear that members up and down the country do not want to be ignored again! So how are decisions going to be made? Democracy is a slow process if it's to be done fairly and correctly. We as members have been told very little really about the decision making that is ongoing at Trent Bridge.
Jeff Moore and Lisa Pursehouse have been very quiet in the past week but at least Lisa had good grace and kept out the limelight at the pitch side divisional championship celebrations on Thursday. However, Moore and Pursehouse did promise to keep members informed and to consult with members on structural proposals. Are we going to get a vote on any decision about the structure of the game, once there is something concrete to vote on? Has anyone been consulted yet?
You can perhaps forgive Lisa's reticence in voicing opinions: 1/ she doesn't want to alienate members any further 2/ she doesn't want to rock the boat with her lords and masters, the ECB, for which she relies on for Internationals allocations to balance her budget - not that that has served her very well in 2023.
To get the domestic fixtures in place for the 2023 season, a structure for 2024 has to be agreed, this is not an occasion when cricket's administrators can sneak changes through, like they did with the Hundred and the extension of the Hundred. The clock is ticking. DDG
I thought this might happen when I read the Strauss proposals. Divide the Counties! Offer more Blast 20 games providing the Counties accept less four day games - namely a reduction from 14 to 10 . Many Counties can survive ik with 4 day cricket but they might not survive with the lucrative Blast matches. As was pointed out , TB is overflowing with outlets flogging beer and lager to the great unwashed . Beer sales and food concessions are number one priorities at TB on Blast Friday nights . Sad but true.
ReplyDeleteSo the new ECB APPROACH WILL BE DIVIDE AND RULE !
The problem as arisen because of the stupid 💯 get rid ,all cc games to include weekends and more t20 blast games Friday nights ! Simples
ReplyDeleteIs a classic negotiating ploy. Demand far more than you actually want, then compromise on
ReplyDeletewhat you are not bothered about. The other side think they have won a "victory", while you pocket what you want, in this case 10 County Championship matches
We are entering a period of phoney war . Divide and rule as you and any other dirty tricks will be the order of the day.
ReplyDeleteI don’t feel sorry for Mrs. Pursehouse at all, but the points you made are what she will attempt to do.
I think she’ll bide her time until a few more dominoes drop and the try curry favour with the members whilst keeping the ecb onside. Something along the lines of “ whilst there are many forward thinking things in the Strauss review that have much merit, we need to take account of our large membership’s point of view “blah blah blah
She’s kept a very low profile on match day around the ground for a number of years now I believe.in short she needs to go.foxy
If only Outlaw Chris…..Anyone recall Princess Lisa telling us at a Members’ Forumn a few years back, that they don’t actually make that much profit on alcohol sales, when a Member said he was fed up with some people being drunk and nauseating at T20 games and asked if she would close the bars for a certain time during the games ? Then i spoke to a retired steward, who had worked in the hospitality/brewery industry, who told me the club was buying ‘3rd wave’ produce, basically what the Pubs/Hotels etc don’t want as its the poorer quality stuff and/or its the produce nearing its ‘sell-by’ date, which costs the club around 0.50pence a pint. I’ve no problem with this(assuming its true) but who is more likely to be telling the stone cold facts and who is spouting ‘Alice in Wonderland’ i wonder ?
ReplyDeleteThe Blast conundrum is interesting. It’s certainly the friday night ‘stonckers’ all clubs seem to want and especially when its against your local rivalry. I.e. Notts v Derby/Leicester , Yorks v Lancs, Surrey v Middx. Etc.
One of my mates has always said to cut down on the travelling aspect, why don’t you play the same team in the Blast that you’re already playing in the County Championship fixture as they are already based here. Dunno how much this would cut down on travelling away supporters and affect attendances though ?
I just don’t know why losing to Australia 4 zip, in their own back yard, means the Authorities have to panic so much. England are still producing decent players in both formats, with the exception of red ball spin bowlers. But is cutting the County Championship down so drastically really going to bring a lot more through. We won the Ashes with Ashley Giles and bowlers like ‘Swanny’ who suddenly take to Test Cricket like a duck to water, only come through every generation anyway. You can’t base it on what the players think. They’re bound to want less games for the same money - who wouldn’t in any walk of life but some of them bleating today should go back and play in the 1980s when it was not uncommon for a top class fast bowler to bowl 600-700 overs in a season and nobody seemed to be whining and whingeing about it back in the day.
The beer sales model you describe is the one ( I was told ) that Wetherspoon also use.which is why they are able to sell it cheaper than most other pubs.foxy
ReplyDelete75 NOTOUT
ReplyDeleteInteresting stuff from ORAC there. Beer / lager at TB was £5.50 a pint the season just finished. If it's bought in as "second rate" stuff for the Friday night mug punters then the profits would be enormous? If not , then why concentrate on so many alcohol outlets. Drunk and disorderly is the name of the game at Blast games on Friday nights. Agree?