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England have won their second world crown in the current tournament cycle and latter win confirms that the concept of best vs best is the way forward to raise standards and skills. The Hundred is a beacon shining the way forward, a fine example of where the very best come together, unrestrained by petty county contracts, to compete against each other in rippling stadia with pressure cooker intensities. England must be the envy of the cricketing world.
If those flat-earthers (county members) would open their eyes and envisage the possibilities, England could also be world champions of Test cricket as well. All that is required is a few minor adjustments to the county championship and the culling a little dead wood, those insignificant counties. We would then have a premier competition with around 50-60 elite English cricketers competing against each other in every game. Standards would rise quickly; it only took two years for the Hundred to weave its magic,although it's not magic really, it's pure logic. Strauss and his experts have spelt it out for the ECB, and given a clear pathway to success.
There are benefits for the wider game too. So called recreational cricket would prosper as those subsidies to defunct, non-contributing counties would stop, giving a better share of the pot to grassroots cricket and the next generation - it's a win win.
Give Sir Andrew Strauss another Knighthood, or a bonus.
Dixon Gates OBE
Pursehouse has got to take enormous credit too . Lol
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The current England white ball team are a pleasure to watch . Some very athletic fielders , some shrewd quality bowlers and a side that bats down to Number 11.
Good management and coaches plus an apparent great team spirit with everyone pulling together. The team have given the Country a little boost at a pretty difficult time .
Whether us 4 day cricket fans like it or not the short game is here to stay . It brings in wealthy sponsors and generates interest and a lot of income. The players like playing it - who can blame them ? It brings enormous rewards and many players are set up for life after only a few years . It's obvious that playing white ball only is going to prolong the average cricket career . Far easier to bowl a four/ five/ ten over spell than twenty/ twenty five/ thirty plus in a four day innings . Far less risk of a break down and easier to play games back to back . Majority of players seem to want a reduction in the number of 4 day games played in a season . White ball only contracts will be increasingly popular.
So what's to be done?
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ReplyDeleteJUST READ THE ARTICLE ABOUT WILL SMEED.
Will others follow suit ?
Is a white ball only player a proper cricketer in the sense most of us understand ?
Who ?
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