Saturday 18 February 2023

14 The Magic Number

 

Remember when they said that the T20 Blast lasted too long and that there were too many games and that an audience couldn't sustain its interest for so long?

That's why we were told we needed city franchises or regional franchises or whatever franchises we've had forced upon us in the form of the 16.4 over competition.

I'm talking just group games here having just seen fixtures for the Lucknow franchise in the IPL, posted on social media today. 

They play 14 games (does this sound similar to another competition?), starting 01 April with their 14th game 20 May - that's 50 days.

By comparison in 2023 Notts Outlaws start their 14 match "marathon" on 26 May with the final group match 02 July-that's just 37 days. Notts will have Championship games in the middle of that 37 days too.

Yes we are all moaning that 37 days is too short, and yes in India distances traveled are considerably greater than those in the north group of England, but those calling for a cut in all formats of County cricket, and I'm not just singling out Andrew Strauss as there are those that fly the Trent Rocket flag that will spew the same nonsense, will need to have a rethink. If 14 games is too many in England, then surely 14 games in India is also too many.

They wanted to Hinder'd to emulate the IPL, when in actuality it's the IPL that's trying to emulate the long and boring T20 Blast.

Of course, everyone knows that it's only about the money and it's not about the new audience or the HPR or inclusion in the stands and the women's game on the field. It's just the money!

The H*ndred, a competition founded on lies!


16/02

Outlaws Cut from Rockets

Trent, the parasite, Rockets appear to be letting their local connections slip with only three Outlaws retained (plus Kiwi Munro who is yet to appear as an Outlaw). Welsh Firemen have two Outlaws retained.

Perhaps the Rockets will be looking to fill the void with some high-flying Derbyshire Falcons to go with the couple of Essex Eagles that they did retain?

Franchises were allowed a maximum of 10 players retained from their 2022 armies of players and Rockets did retain their maximum number.

The retained list

There is a draft to follow at the end of this month but ahead of that Notts appear to have halved their haemorrhaging with Steven Mullaney, Tom Moores, Ben Duckett, Luke Fletcher, Calvin Harrison all let go by their Mickey Mouse franchises. It's hardly surprising as Outlaws had a poor Blast competition (by our own standards) in 2022 and of the released players, only Duckett played any significant amount of games in August 2022 (for the winless Firemen). Ben Duckett apart, the released players ought to find themselves with an incentive to perform well in the T20 Blast 2023 to order to pick up a wildcard selection as they shouldn't be certain of being drafted (not on 2022 form). New boy Olly Stone will also be in the draft mix.

Players currently lost to Notts Outlaws for the One Day Cup 2023 are: Alex Hales, Samit Patel, Matt Carter, Joe Clarke and Jake Ball.



If some England ODI players were to be allowed to play in the One Day Cup, ahead of the World Cup, players such as Ben Duckett, wouldn't that be good for England and be a positive move by the ECB?

5 comments:

  1. I'm dreaming of a wet August, at least on the cricket grounds cursed with this Tower of Babel.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So, the DoC’s(this time with his gaudy Rocketmen hat on) policy of cramming your squad full of ‘home’ players would seem to have been abandoned(for now)
      Has he and Ms.P now finally accepted that the overwhelming majority of Notts members are not supporting this competition and a, new, different audience really aren’t bothered(or don’t know or perhaps both) that these lesser known players actually play for the Notts Outlaws anyway ?

      I think a lot would agree with your sentiments above, Rich but then magically somehow arrange for no rain whatsoever wherever the real Notts side are playing in the 50 over competition at the same time. Not asking a lot is it ?

      Delete
  2. We all know if you go to cricket, sooner or later (sooner usually) it rains . See my recent post about the oval bus trip as a example.foxy

    ReplyDelete
  3. Timothy Lumsden.
    Talking of rain, Foxy, only the precipitation can halt England’s latest incredible Test Match victory surely ?
    So what’s that then ? 8 out of the last 9 or now 9 out of the last 10 ? Can’t remember as I’ve lost count. And this astonishing run of performances(both home and away) has all been achieved without the need for Mr. Strauss and his HPR cronies needing to demolish the existing domestic structure as they so badly wanted and recommended so vehemently.
    You don’t seem to hear much from them these days, but no doubt instead, all the hierarchy at the ECB are self congratulating themselves for the internal changes and appointing Brendan McCullum as Head Coach.
    I think we would all agree the hectic, packed, domestic schedule needs a bit of fine tuning and tweaking, but why did they all jump on the bandwagon(Jonathan Agnew included) and insist we needed their, ridiculous, drastic and radical overhaul of our domestic game. Thank goodness we’ve got the 18 County system each having their own vote in any drastic re-think and overhaul and Strauss&Co cannot just suddenly implement what they deem to be necessary.

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  4. 75 NOT OUT
    POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!
    The County Members have proved they cannot be swept aside .
    Their collective views carry weight .
    ECB and STRAUSS are eating humble pie . Steam rollered changes are not the way forward!

    ReplyDelete

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