Essex Outfielder : The Unofficial Essex CCC Forum
Off-Topic => 100 Ball Franchise => Topic started by: Perov on August 03, 2021, 02:29:38 PM
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I would still rather watch Essex in a weakened competition than Gun's For Hire v Motley Crew Eleven, in the Hundred.
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When he joined it was suggested Snater had some batting ability. In reality we are only missing two players to the 100, Cook and Neesham with Porter injured. In a strong competition we would be mediocre but we're playing pumped up second teams. I imagine we will get into the knock out phase. If we get to play on a turning pitch who knows what we could do. Our seam bowling looks weak.
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I used to lurk in the old days and your style reminds me of a poster called diatribe who I believe got banned for being a troll.
Negative after negative, criticizing the club constantly, getting players names wrong, ridiculous over emotive language; abject, depths etc.
We are the most successful county of the last 3 years, we cannot win everything and have punched massively above our weight. The pitch at Gloucs was a sticky dog. We are top of the table and doing well in this comp a lot down to not being as weakened by the hundred as others, but we still have to win the games.
Please some credit when its due.
But i think the raison detre of this forum is overreaction, so as you were!!
Very harsh - this poster does not always post negative views.
I agree it's harsh in terms of Reddevil who does post with care and thought
But not too sure it's unfair on the forum as a whole. It does give off a negative vibe (apart from one or two) - during games there are overreactions to the state of play and players (that's very reminiscent of the football forum I am on) - to me that's just like being at the game with the highs and lows - but they do happen on occasions when time for objective thought could be taken
I think, though, it's the continuing carping about the players/possible targets that really grates. Considered criticism is fine but not little digs without foundation. Must be me but all the forums I am on these days seem to be full of grumpy old people. I am, actually, quite enjoying the Hundred myself...
Nobody wants a happy clappy forum (as ytsejam points out) but one where as soon as something goes wrong everyone lets off is equally unattractive. I am sure we all agree that this season has been relatively disappointing - especially given how well we have done recently. Some decisions were (particularly in hindsight) wrong but we are entering a transitional period and I think it's going to be a rocky ride for a while as new players (be they through the ranks or from outside) settle in. But - as kingstonj1 says - we are doing okay in the 50 overs so we still have something to be interested in
I'd pretty much decided not to post on here again but did want to let kingstonj1 know that they aren't alone in their general thoughts - even if we disagree about Reddevil
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Neil, Neil. "I quite like the hundred". Oh dear. There's a posse (and I said 'posse') being set up as I write this...
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Neil, Neil. "I quite like the hundred". Oh dear. There's a posse (and I said 'posse') being set up as I write this...
Yeah well
Some of us are stuck at home a lot and see all of our cricket on TV
;D ;D
I have no problem with T20 and if The Hundred brings some much needed youth into cricket that's all good with me. I do understand, though, that the impact it has had on other forms of the game is an issue
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Neil, Neil. "I quite like the hundred". Oh dear. There's a posse (and I said 'posse') being set up as I write this...
Yeah well
Some of us are stuck at home a lot and see all of our cricket on TV
;D ;D
I have no problem with T20 and if The Hundred brings some much needed youth into cricket that's all good with me. I do understand, though, that the impact it has had on other forms of the game is an issue
T20 is different because it stays reasonably close to the establied limited overs format, without the unnecessary complexification (countdowns, little white cards etc.). Furthermore the T20 at least retains the counties, albeit with stupid nicknames, rather than a cynical exercise to destroy the county system.
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Neil, Neil. "I quite like the hundred". Oh dear. There's a posse (and I said 'posse') being set up as I write this...
Yeah well
Some of us are stuck at home a lot and see all of our cricket on TV
;D ;D
I have no problem with T20 and if The Hundred brings some much needed youth into cricket that's all good with me. I do understand, though, that the impact it has had on other forms of the game is an issue
T20 is different because it stays reasonably close to the establied limited overs format, without the unnecessary complexification (countdowns, little white cards etc.). Furthermore the T20 at least retains the counties, albeit with stupid nicknames, rather than a cynical exercise to destroy the county system.
Exactly and succinctly put if I may add.
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Reaction to claims of negativity in my recent posts, demonstrate what a wonderfully broad, well informed, balanced forum we have, offering very diverse views, to which each and every one who bothers to post is entitled.
I agree very much with ytsejam1’s assessment that we have become spoiled and even complacent in our expectations that the good times will continue ad infinitum.
There is always a happy medium to strike between opposing views, and on reflection, maybe I was having a not so positive day and have taken it out too harshly on the club, I have loved, cherished and supported since 1960.
Every contracted player on the staff are trying their hardest, I am very sure of that.
Perhaps I shall be more sanguine over the difference between loss and win. It is sport, and anything can happen, and does, regularly. Ask Virat Kohli after his golden duck yesterday.
So thank you Kingstonj1, for prompting me to consider that in future I shall try to view the glass half full and not half empty.
We all support this great club, may be in different ways, but we all want Essex to prosper.
Thank you Neil for your comments. I will donate £10 to the Ruth Strauss foundation when I attend Lords for all five days next week. Lucky me.
Case closed. No more comments please.
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Neil, Neil. "I quite like the hundred". Oh dear. There's a posse (and I said 'posse') being set up as I write this...
Yeah well
Some of us are stuck at home a lot and see all of our cricket on TV
;D ;D
I have no problem with T20 and if The Hundred brings some much needed youth into cricket that's all good with me. I do understand, though, that the impact it has had on other forms of the game is an issue
T20 is different because it stays reasonably close to the establied limited overs format, without the unnecessary complexification (countdowns, little white cards etc.). Furthermore the T20 at least retains the counties, albeit with stupid nicknames, rather than a cynical exercise to destroy the county system.
And we retain the current system(s) and they wither on the vine
I was bought up watching county cricket from the edge of the boundary at Ilford. I've always supported Essex - and always will - but I don't have any issues with attempted innovations to attract a different kind of support - especially in the short firms of the game.
Look at this forum - the majority of us are not exactly in the first flush of youth....
;D ;D
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Neil, Neil. "I quite like the hundred". Oh dear. There's a posse (and I said 'posse') being set up as I write this...
Yeah well
Some of us are stuck at home a lot and see all of our cricket on TV
;D ;D
I have no problem with T20 and if The Hundred brings some much needed youth into cricket that's all good with me. I do understand, though, that the impact it has had on other forms of the game is an issue
T20 is different because it stays reasonably close to the establied limited overs format, without the unnecessary complexification (countdowns, little white cards etc.). Furthermore the T20 at least retains the counties, albeit with stupid nicknames, rather than a cynical exercise to destroy the county system.
And we retain the current system(s) and they wither on the vine
I was bought up watching county cricket from the edge of the boundary at Ilford. I've always supported Essex - and always will - but I don't have any issues with attempted innovations to attract a different kind of support - especially in the short firms of the game.
Look at this forum - the majority of us are not exactly in the first flush of youth....
;D ;D
With coloured clothing, music, replays on video the T20 format is able to reach out to the youth. The only reason for this turkey is that Collier stupidly sold off the rights to S*Y.
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Neil, Neil. "I quite like the hundred". Oh dear. There's a posse (and I said 'posse') being set up as I write this...
Yeah well
Some of us are stuck at home a lot and see all of our cricket on TV
;D ;D
I have no problem with T20 and if The Hundred brings some much needed youth into cricket that's all good with me. I do understand, though, that the impact it has had on other forms of the game is an issue
T20 is different because it stays reasonably close to the establied limited overs format, without the unnecessary complexification (countdowns, little white cards etc.). Furthermore the T20 at least retains the counties, albeit with stupid nicknames, rather than a cynical exercise to destroy the county system.
And we retain the current system(s) and they wither on the vine
I was bought up watching county cricket from the edge of the boundary at Ilford. I've always supported Essex - and always will - but I don't have any issues with attempted innovations to attract a different kind of support - especially in the short firms of the game.
Look at this forum - the majority of us are not exactly in the first flush of youth....
;D ;D
"And we retain the current systems and they wither on the vine"
Neil, are you sure?
From the last part of the nineteenth century up to 1963, the game, bar a little tinkering with bonus points, barely changed in structure.
Since then, and more particularly since the start of this century, the changes have been on an monumental scale, too many to list here but I will do if you wish.
These new competitions or restructuring of leagues have largely been for the better (despite initial scepticism), but the very essence of what cricket is fundamentally about has been left untampered.
Until now that is, with garish colours dominating the tv screen, 5 ball overs (or not overs?), match hero caps, players affiliated to eight forgettable franchises by money and nothing else; hit and giggle knockabouts that you have forgotten about the following day (at the latest), and most sickeningly, several commentators who I highly respected beforehand, now sucking up to this American style hype.
Not one of these mercenaries has been able to explain to me how the reduction of 20 balls from the T20 competition magically produces a competition which the BBC in particular go into collective orgasms over.
With the advent of the throwaway society however, let's hope this is one competition which will "wither on the vine" before the 2022 fixtures come out.
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I agree with your sentiments stewyw but I believe we are saddled with this competition for at least three years. The ECB will only make money out of it if they can persuade someone else to pay for the format which seems highly unlikely the way 20/20 is entrenched around the world. When the IPL switches to the hundred the ECB will make a fortune. However if that does not happen ......
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All excellent points - clearly thought through and neither hysterically revolutionary nor knee jerk reactionary. As Stewyw rightly says the post 1963 (or perhaps post 1969) era has seen a heck of a lot of change.
Perhaps the T20 came along at the right time as the multiple longer 2 day formats were becoming stale, but if a new format is due, why not t10 or a double innings of 2*10 overs? The achilles heel of white ball cricket is there's no chance of compensating for a poor batting display.
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T10 is already established around the world and would have met the broadcasters needs perfectly I am sure if offered. However those with vast egos decided otherwise.
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There's also the 90/90 format which is launching next year in the UAE. I can see other tournaments using some of the ideas from the Hundred such as having to move fielders back inside the circle when overs aren't bowled by a certain time, but not the whole concept.
I wish the tournament had been T20 and particularly a revamped Blast, but then the only way to do that would be to have 2 divisions and concentrate the TV coverage on the top one. Inevitably everything would gravitate to the test hosting counties, much as is happening with the franchises. I honestly don't see where we go now. 4 competitions aren't sustainable, the schedule is a mess- and does no favours to the test team- and yet can the small counties survive without the Blast?
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What is the 90/90 format? I have not heard of it before.
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https://www.khaleejtimes.com/sport/cricket/uae-to-host-ninety-90-bash-cricket-league-next-year
Officially the Ninety-90. It's just T15.
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There's also the 90/90 format which is launching next year in the UAE. I can see other tournaments using some of the ideas from the Hundred such as having to move fielders back inside the circle when overs aren't bowled by a certain time, but not the whole concept.
I wish the tournament had been T20 and particularly a revamped Blast, but then the only way to do that would be to have 2 divisions and concentrate the TV coverage on the top one. Inevitably everything would gravitate to the test hosting counties, much as is happening with the franchises. I honestly don't see where we go now. 4 competitions aren't sustainable, the schedule is a mess- and does no favours to the test team- and yet can the small counties survive without the Blast?
There is also the problem that the Hundred is supposed to introduce a new wave of cricket fans. Unfortunatly the Hundred falls at the end of the vast majority of clubs stopping their colts programs. there will be nowhere for all the new fans to take up cricket until next april. Will they remember cricket by then?
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Neil, Neil. "I quite like the hundred". Oh dear. There's a posse (and I said 'posse') being set up as I write this...
Yeah well
Some of us are stuck at home a lot and see all of our cricket on TV
;D ;D
I have no problem with T20 and if The Hundred brings some much needed youth into cricket that's all good with me. I do understand, though, that the impact it has had on other forms of the game is an issue
T20 is different because it stays reasonably close to the establied limited overs format, without the unnecessary complexification (countdowns, little white cards etc.). Furthermore the T20 at least retains the counties, albeit with stupid nicknames, rather than a cynical exercise to destroy the county system.
And we retain the current system(s) and they wither on the vine
I was bought up watching county cricket from the edge of the boundary at Ilford. I've always supported Essex - and always will - but I don't have any issues with attempted innovations to attract a different kind of support - especially in the short firms of the game.
Look at this forum - the majority of us are not exactly in the first flush of youth....
;D ;D
"And we retain the current systems and they wither on the vine"
Neil, are you sure?
From the last part of the nineteenth century up to 1963, the game, bar a little tinkering with bonus points, barely changed in structure.
Since then, and more particularly since the start of this century, the changes have been on an monumental scale, too many to list here but I will do if you wish.
These new competitions or restructuring of leagues have largely been for the better (despite initial scepticism), but the very essence of what cricket is fundamentally about has been left untampered.
Until now that is, with garish colours dominating the tv screen, 5 ball overs (or not overs?), match hero caps, players affiliated to eight forgettable franchises by money and nothing else; hit and giggle knockabouts that you have forgotten about the following day (at the latest), and most sickeningly, several commentators who I highly respected beforehand, now sucking up to this American style hype.
Not one of these mercenaries has been able to explain to me how the reduction of 20 balls from the T20 competition magically produces a competition which the BBC in particular go into collective orgasms over.
With the advent of the throwaway society however, let's hope this is one competition which will "wither on the vine" before the 2022 fixtures come out.
No
I am not sure
Equally I am sure that you are not sure that that won't happen...
:D :D
I guess that one of the ideas behind the "Hundred" was to change from the basic 20/20 format to something identifiably different. And that's not easy. Garish clothes dominating the TV screen was one of the earlier criticisms of the 20/20. Sadly (being an old git) I recall some of the initial qualms about the Gillette Cup - and, as you say, there have been massive changes - often opposed by the traditionalists - but, generally, ending up by becoming part of the furniture. Would cricket have survived if all we had was the old County Championship?
And all that you say I get and accept. But, personally, as I have said I am enjoying 'The Hundred". I don't forget it the next day and, yes, quite a bit of the razzamatazz is forgettable - but there were fun bits too - liked seeing Darren Sammy DJing for example. I'd definitely do away with Kevin Pietersen though!
In the end it's horses for courses. You guys can (and do) I am sure choose not to watch. Others (and I hope this includes youngsters) can do the opposite. Hopefully, at the end of all this we come out with a balance that suits as many people as possible - and keeps as many forms of cricket going as possible. For sure I want to see Essex CCC as an entity playing lots of competitive cricket - if that's combined with 'The Hundred" or whatever that produces finance for the game as a whole and attracts a younger audience then that's ideal
Sure that may not happen - equally it might do so. If we don't try we won't know.
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Neil, Neil. "I quite like the hundred". Oh dear. There's a posse (and I said 'posse') being set up as I write this...
Yeah well
Some of us are stuck at home a lot and see all of our cricket on TV
;D ;D
I have no problem with T20 and if The Hundred brings some much needed youth into cricket that's all good with me. I do understand, though, that the impact it has had on other forms of the game is an issue
T20 is different because it stays reasonably close to the establied limited overs format, without the unnecessary complexification (countdowns, little white cards etc.). Furthermore the T20 at least retains the counties, albeit with stupid nicknames, rather than a cynical exercise to destroy the county system.
And we retain the current system(s) and they wither on the vine
I was bought up watching county cricket from the edge of the boundary at Ilford. I've always supported Essex - and always will - but I don't have any issues with attempted innovations to attract a different kind of support - especially in the short firms of the game.
Look at this forum - the majority of us are not exactly in the first flush of youth....
;D ;D
"And we retain the current systems and they wither on the vine"
Neil, are you sure?
From the last part of the nineteenth century up to 1963, the game, bar a little tinkering with bonus points, barely changed in structure.
Since then, and more particularly since the start of this century, the changes have been on an monumental scale, too many to list here but I will do if you wish.
These new competitions or restructuring of leagues have largely been for the better (despite initial scepticism), but the very essence of what cricket is fundamentally about has been left untampered.
Until now that is, with garish colours dominating the tv screen, 5 ball overs (or not overs?), match hero caps, players affiliated to eight forgettable franchises by money and nothing else; hit and giggle knockabouts that you have forgotten about the following day (at the latest), and most sickeningly, several commentators who I highly respected beforehand, now sucking up to this American style hype.
Not one of these mercenaries has been able to explain to me how the reduction of 20 balls from the T20 competition magically produces a competition which the BBC in particular go into collective orgasms over.
With the advent of the throwaway society however, let's hope this is one competition which will "wither on the vine" before the 2022 fixtures come out.
No
I am not sure
Equally I am sure that you are not sure that that won't happen...
:D :D
I guess that one of the ideas behind the "Hundred" was to change from the basic 20/20 format to something identifiably different. And that's not easy. Garish clothes dominating the TV screen was one of the earlier criticisms of the 20/20. Sadly (being an old git) I recall some of the initial qualms about the Gillette Cup - and, as you say, there have been massive changes - often opposed by the traditionalists - but, generally, ending up by becoming part of the furniture. Would cricket have survived if all we had was the old County Championship?
And all that you say I get and accept. But, personally, as I have said I am enjoying 'The Hundred". I don't forget it the next day and, yes, quite a bit of the razzamatazz is forgettable - but there were fun bits too - liked seeing Darren Sammy DJing for example. I'd definitely do away with Kevin Pietersen though!
In the end it's horses for courses. You guys can (and do) I am sure choose not to watch. Others (and I hope this includes youngsters) can do the opposite. Hopefully, at the end of all this we come out with a balance that suits as many people as possible - and keeps as many forms of cricket going as possible. For sure I want to see Essex CCC as an entity playing lots of competitive cricket - if that's combined with 'The Hundred" or whatever that produces finance for the game as a whole and attracts a younger audience then that's ideal
Sure that may not happen - equally it might do so. If we don't try we won't know.
You might as well go and post somewhere else because you can't be an Essex fan if you support the Hundred. Forget the gimmicks, the coverage, the format and look at the bigger picture. This competition is the first step towards the removal of Essex County Cricket Club as a full time sporting club that competes at the top level of English domestic cricket. Why would any Essex 'fan" support a competition designed to aide the cull of Essex Cricket?
Anyone supporting the Hundred from Essex might as well go and buy a Surrey membership as they'll be the closest based full time cricket club to the county of by the end of the decade.
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Can we please restrict multiple quoting as it's hard to read.
Thanks, all :)
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Yep you must be very naive to not see that The H*****d is designed to destroy professional county cricket.
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Have to agree with Alex. There is nothing good about the Hundred.
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Can we please restrict multiple quoting as it's hard to read.
Thanks, all :)
Very true, Mr Moderator.
Could you possibly start another section on the 100 and shunt the related posts her into it? as T20 and the One Day Cup have their own sections, this would be logical.
Thanks!
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I'm not sure Neil has looked at this logically.
There are only so many summer months - and we are already playing championship cricket in spring and autumn - to fit in four domestic competitions plus internationals.
There are only so many county cricketers so, if you play two domestic competitions concurrently, some will be unavailable for one of the competitions, which will therefore be devalued.
England play all three of the international formats (Test Matches, One Day and T20): if The 16.4 is played concurrently with either domestic One Day or T20 cricket, every year there will be players who get no practice in these formats while they're playing The 16.4. If we wish to compete at the highest level in One Day and T20 cricket, this is not acceptable and, at some point, the ECB will acknowledge this.
The alternative is to play The 16.4 concurrently with championship cricket, which would mean moving matches to summer - unlikely. Or we could play a lot less championship cricket and T20 to provide room for The 16.4. The loss of T20 income would be a severe blow to many counties and the ECB know this. That leaves championship cricket: at best, the 18 counties would play far fewer games, still in the spring and autumn; at worst, the number of counties would be cut to allow a full schedule of championship matches between fewer teams.
Lynda
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I'm not sure Neil has looked at this logically.
There are only so many summer months - and we are already playing championship cricket in spring and autumn - to fit in four domestic competitions plus internationals.
There are only so many county cricketers so, if you play two domestic competitions concurrently, some will be unavailable for one of the competitions, which will therefore be devalued.
England play all three of the international formats (Test Matches, One Day and T20): if The 16.4 is played concurrently with either domestic One Day or T20 cricket, every year there will be players who get no practice in these formats while they're playing The 16.4. If we wish to compete at the highest level in One Day and T20 cricket, this is not acceptable and, at some point, the ECB will acknowledge this.
The alternative is to play The 16.4 concurrently with championship cricket, which would mean moving matches to summer - unlikely. Or we could play a lot less championship cricket and T20 to provide room for The 16.4. The loss of T20 income would be a severe blow to many counties and the ECB know this. That leaves championship cricket: at best, the 18 counties would play far fewer games, still in the spring and autumn; at worst, the number of counties would be cut to allow a full schedule of championship matches between fewer teams.
Lynda
Spot on and accurate post. The "naivety" (and that's being generous) of those who cannot see where this "toy town" hundred farce is going to lead to in regards to the future of CC, is staggering or sad (take your pick!!).
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The franchise teams will be fine for as long as the counties continue. However, once the counties have gone part time, where will the players comefrom. The counties will not be able to afford to provide players as at the moment without matches and income.
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Surely by allowing three major competitions to run concurrently, the ECB must shoulder much of the blame, and in terms of naive myopia they are in effect cutting their own throats, because as other very knowledgable and savvy posters predict, once County red ball cricket collapses or shrinks, platforms to build long innings, essential for Test cricket, disappear, nothing for the purist remains.
I can’t quite agree with Nat’s view that The Hundred was “designed”to destroy professional county cricket, but in effect he is so correct that this is what will happen.
Is it not horrifically ironic, that the concept of introducing younger more widespread audiences, abetted by the hugely influential participation of the BBC, and irresponsible fixture control, has led to what must now be considered as the greatest crisis to confront cricket for many years.
We would all agree that fresh young blood is always needed to sustain any sport, and that County cricket, has been seduced by new technology forever quickening pace of life and providing more distractions to place our beloved game in the back waters of modern life.
Four day cricket now is a dinosaur.
Widening and rejuvenating audiences essentially is to be applauded.
The consequence of introducing The Hundred and combining it idirectly in competition to the Royal London Cup is obviously not what was envisaged, but was simply not thought through.
The authorities should answer many difficult questions.
Where do we go from here?
The level of knowledgeable debate on this forum is second to none.
Authorities at every level would learn a lot.
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Can we please restrict multiple quoting as it's hard to read.
Thanks, all :)
Very true, Mr Moderator.
Could you possibly start another section on the 100 and shunt the related posts her into it? as T20 and the One Day Cup have their own sections, this would be logical.
Thanks!
And could you shunt the ECB into a siding whilst you’re at it (apologies for the in text citations).
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The franchise teams will be fine for as long as the counties continue. However, once the counties have gone part time, where will the players comefrom. The counties will not be able to afford to provide players as at the moment without matches and income.
Hate to break it to you, but the test match counties certainly won't be going part time, they'll be fronting a new far more condensed domestic system with a bigger share of cash from the ECB every year. It's the counties like Essex that will be cut loose and left in the dust, which is why any Essex fan supporting the Hundred needs a good shake.
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My reckoning is that *all* first counties will disappear and the Test match counties will be subsumed into the associated franchise team. So you will have eight franchises as the professional setups playing all first class cricket as well as the 1 day competitions. There *may* be a second tier of semi-pro counties such as Essex playing who knows what.
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The best that could happen for the 'big' counties is that they hire their grounds to the franchises and then play on out grounds with the other 'small' counties. This would still leave having 24 teams rather than 18. Where would all these players be developed to get 'star' rateing? The franchise teams will not be developing their own players so the 18 will be devoid of their best players, espcially when England take the franchise players and then the vacancies are fill from the counties.
I can see this as the death of professional cricket in this country in the long term.
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My reckoning is that *all* first counties will disappear and the Test match counties will be subsumed into the associated franchise team. So you will have eight franchises as the professional setups playing all first class cricket as well as the 1 day competitions. There *may* be a second tier of semi-pro counties such as Essex playing who knows what.
What's your timescale for your predication, Nat?
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I can see the end of county cricket as we know it by 2025.
It is obvious the ECB want the test match grounds as the main centres and they are happy to see the end of the teams like Essex, Somerset and Kent.
I just hope there is a fight back and that common sense will win against such damaging plans. Not looking good.
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yep 2025 seems about right. I'd stake my reputation on it.
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yep 2025 seems about right. I'd stake my reputation on it.
I'm in a glass half full frame of mind today and it leads me to think that 2025 is a bit pessimistic. I think we might drag out a slow death until 2030.
The only thing that could save New Writtle Street from turning into a housing development of one and two bed flats would be if the ECB decided to use us as ground operator for women's cricket. Small playing area and small capacity being suitable for stand alone women's fixtures.
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We were told that the chap who replaced the odious Graves was far more friendly towards the 18 county system. No evidence to date that is the case.
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yep 2025 seems about right. I'd stake my reputation on it.
I'm in a glass half full frame of mind today and it leads me to think that 2025 is a bit pessimistic. I think we might drag out a slow death until 2030.
The only thing that could save New Writtle Street from turning into a housing development of one and two bed flats would be if the ECB decided to use us as ground operator for women's cricket. Small playing area and small capacity being suitable for stand alone women's fixtures.
I'd go 2030 as well at the absolute latest, although 2025 wouldn't surprise me. As for women's cricket, I guess that's a possibility, although when considering the crowds they've been getting for the 16.4, I suspect the England Women's team will transition to playing regularly at test match grounds, whilst the domestic teams play at the outgrounds of the test match counties e.g Lancashire Women at Liverpool, Chester etc.
The sad thing is that this was so avoidable from an Essex perspective, but we've been let down by the numerous people in charge. We've got the fanbase, we've got the catchment area, but we don't have the ground and despite years and years of talk the County Ground remains an old relic and ultimately our ticket to the wilderness. Worst thing is, the people in charge of Essex will stand by and let it happen. Just like they did with the Hundred, they are too frightened of the ECB.
Just my opinion, but I truly believe the only chance Essex have of survival as a full time county playing top level domestic cricket is for the members to swallow their pride and the club to go down the Hampshire route and sell either a minor or a majority stake in the club to a rich benefactor either in the UK or abroad, who has the money and commitment to either radically redevelop Chelmsford to bring it to international standard (unlikely considering the lack of space), or sell it and build a new ground somewhere else in the county. As I said, we've got both the support, the academy infrastructure, the history of international player production and the catchment area (Essex, East Anglia, East London) to continue being allowed to play top level domestic cricket. We just need a ground with facilities fit enough to be given the green light and that won't happen in our current position as a members club. We'll never find the money without taking out a huge loan that we could never pay back.
We simply cannot go on like this, we are sleepwalking into oblivion and I say it because I care! I have no interest or intention in following or supporting a part-time cricket club whose job it is to play feeder to the test match counties.
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The best that could happen for the 'big' counties is that they hire their grounds to the franchises and then play on out grounds with the other 'small' counties. This would still leave having 24 teams rather than 18. Where would all these players be developed to get 'star' rateing? The franchise teams will not be developing their own players so the 18 will be devoid of their best players, espcially when England take the franchise players and then the vacancies are fill from the counties.
I can see this as the death of professional cricket in this country in the long term.
That's not what will happen. The test match counties will play the first class and 50 over competition with the franchise attached to that ground playing the Hundred (which by then may have reverted back to T20). The women will play an identical domestic system. This is far easier to execute for the ECB as they can say that they haven't "destroyed county cricket", just "streamlined it" instead. The test match counties will understandably look after themselves, to hell with the rest of us paupers and will be delighted as not only will they continue to receive revenue from international matches and a bigger pot of central cash a year from the ECB, they'll also continue to compete at the top level of domestic cricket with their old rivalries intact (Roses match etc), not to mention cherry picking the best players from counties such as Essex who will find themselves out of full-time work.
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There must be plenty of money amongst the membership, lots of retired city types, stockbrokers, accountants, lawyers with bulging bank accounts. All it needs is for a couple of them to remember the club in their will...the club should do more to tap them up...promise them a new Stand with their name on it if they bequeath some dosh or something similar.
The best option would be to re-develop the ground in situ. Could easily increase the capacity to c. 8000 which would be enough plus some better hospitality facilities.
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For all the doom & gloom the 16.4 isn't a guaranteed success.
Most of the tickets were given away & even then every ground wasn't full.
It could end up being a latter day Stanford series.
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There must be plenty of money amongst the membership, lots of retired city types, stockbrokers, accountants, lawyers with bulging bank accounts. All it needs is for a couple of them to remember the club in their will...the club should do more to tap them up...promise them a new Stand with their name on it if they bequeath some dosh or something similar.
The best option would be to re-develop the ground in situ. Could easily increase the capacity to c. 8000 which would be enough plus some better hospitality facilities.
Think we need more to be honest Nat. 10k minimum with top quality media and pavillion facilities. No doubt in my mind whatsoever that we'd sell 10k tickets for T20 cricket as long as we aren't charging extortionate prices.
There are nine regions in this country (currently six are hosting a 16.4 franchise) and I'm sure the ECB would preferably like to cover all nine in a new ringlocked domestic system, which is why Bristol/Gloucestershire (South West) and Durham (North East) will no doubt each be given a place. That leaves the East of England, currently the fourth most populated region of the nine with over 6 million inhabitants! Essex remain the only first class county in the East of England! All we need is a modern ground/facilities to match and the ECB would likely let us in.
I know I'm coming off as hugely critical to the people in charge at the club, but I honestly don't believe these people realise how lucky a position we are in geography wise. They just look at the two London grounds and think we're a small little neighbour with no prospects of growth when the reality is the opposite!
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Nice to see that The EcB Executives including Harrison and the Hundred MD have awarded themselves £2.1 million in bonuses.
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Nice to see that The EcB Executives including Harrison and the Hundred MD have awarded themselves £2.1 million in bonuses.
quelle surprise.
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I realise that you are being sarcastic Pablo but it is actually quite disgusting. These people have squandered reserves of £75m so that there is only an increasing debt left. They are so in hoc to the tv companies that they have to play meaningless series (Sri Lanka & Pakistan this season) which serve to exhaust and injure their prime assets the players. In any other walk of life there would be an inquiry into gross mismanagement and heads would roll. It seems journalistically only George Dobell is prepared to take them on as the rest have their noses so deep in the trough. The whole saga is destroying our game.
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I quite agree Leeds Exile. My sarcasm comes from despair not irony.
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Seriously, if we do find that betting syndicates are influencing this and other series, that will focus the minds of the ECB!