Big bash comparison

[sufcessex]

Exile - I am of the same opinion as you but we are both assuming that T20 franchises would be watched by traditional cricket supporters.

Say the teams were packed with the top players from the Asian countries; would a Leeds team still struggle to Headingley for 7 games?

Unfortunately this i agree with.  if you get the right players and sell/advertise the games properly people will fill the stadiums to watch them.  Didn't one of the BBL games have a crowd of 52k.

[Mog]

Exile - I am of the same opinion as you but we are both assuming that T20 franchises would be watched by traditional cricket supporters.

Say the teams were packed with the top players from the Asian countries; would a Leeds team still struggle to Headingley for 7 games?

Unfortunately this i agree with.  if you get the right players and sell/advertise the games properly people will fill the stadiums to watch them.  Didn't one of the BBL games have a crowd of 52k.

More is less. Clearly, Cricket Australia are past masters at innovative and attractive marketing campaigns. They pioneered floodlit day/night cricket, coloured clothing, stump mics and cams, cameras at either end of the ground all key and now common practice around the world. However, Kerry Packer's and his go-getting 9 network played a pivotal part in introducing and establishing that - it caught the public imagination!
Secondly, the Big Bash is scheduled in Australian school holidays - well, the major part of the competition is.

Thirdly, the established international cricket stadia are incomparable; SCG 48,000. MCG; 98,000. The now completed, redeveloped Adelaide Oval; 52,000. Gabba; 36,000, even the time limited and uncertain future of the WACA; 25,000. What comparative stadia do the ECB counties possess?

The growing influence of wannabe test match venues, such as the Rosebowl, Swalec stadium, et al and their need to gain revenue to offset the crippling cost of those redevelopments, with fierce competition and significant risk of not being awarded a test match will drive the franchise plans onwards. Backed by Murdoch, it will inevitably become city based franchises.
Exactly where this leaves No Change Essex, whose abject failure to even deliver a redevelopment project to increase its capacity by a mere 1,500-2,000, is anyone's guess. Although Andy seems to have a pretty good idea!

[Stringbok]

One factor that is always lost in the franchise argument is the impact on the youngsters who sit around the boundaries at the likes of Chelmsford, Hove and Canterbury, many of whom arrive unaccompanied having travelled under their own steam. Will they want or be able to trog up to London? Could they afford the fare or the tickets?

There is as much chance of any EPL being on free to air TV as RTD turning down an IPL contract. So with Sky having the rest of cricket sewn up where will these youngsters be able to see the players who will inspire them to be the stars of tommorrow?

Cricket is a provincial game not a metropolitan one. I've been to many Essex away games at Slurry and the proportion of youngsters in the crowd is a fraction of that at the ECG even on a Friday. A game watched entirely by City suits and lager louts will not secure the long term future of cricket.

If there is to be new Franchise based T20 competiton IT will need to be as well as,not instead of, the exiting county competition.

[JasonP]

Exile - I am of the same opinion as you but we are both assuming that T20 franchises would be watched by traditional cricket supporters.

Say the teams were packed with the top players from the Asian countries; would a Leeds team still struggle to Headingley for 7 games?

Unfortunately this i agree with.  if you get the right players and sell/advertise the games properly people will fill the stadiums to watch them.  Didn't one of the BBL games have a crowd of 52k.

More is less. Clearly, Cricket Australia are past masters at innovative and attractive marketing campaigns. They pioneered floodlit day/night cricket, coloured clothing, stump mics and cams, cameras at either end of the ground all key and now common practice around the world. However, Kerry Packer's and his go-getting 9 network played a pivotal part in introducing and establishing that - it caught the public imagination!
Secondly, the Big Bash is scheduled in Australian school holidays - well, the major part of the competition is.

Thirdly, the established international cricket stadia are incomparable; SCG 48,000. MCG; 98,000. The now completed, redeveloped Adelaide Oval; 52,000. Gabba; 36,000, even the time limited and uncertain future of the WACA; 25,000. What comparative stadia do the ECB counties possess?

The growing influence of wannabe test match venues, such as the Rosebowl, Swalec stadium, et al and their need to gain revenue to offset the crippling cost of those redevelopments, with fierce competition and significant risk of not being awarded a test match will drive the franchise plans onwards. Backed by Murdoch, it will inevitably become city based franchises.
Exactly where this leaves No Change Essex, whose abject failure to even deliver a redevelopment project to increase its capacity by a mere 1,500-2,000, is anyone's guess. Although Andy seems to have a pretty good idea!

It leaves them without huge debts.  As you said there are too many wannabe Test match venues as it is.  Yorkshire are struggling badly financially.  Gloucestershire have spent a lot of money on redevelopment to get International cricket and it has meant financial losses and a big loss of their playing staff.

[afinetickletoleg]

One factor that is always lost in the franchise argument is the impact on the youngsters who sit around the boundaries at the likes of Chelmsford, Hove and Canterbury, many of whom arrive unaccompanied having travelled under their own steam. Will they want or be able to trog up to London? Could they afford the fare or the tickets?

There is as much chance of any EPL being on free to air TV as RTD turning down an IPL contract. So with Sky having the rest of cricket sewn up where will these youngsters be able to see the players who will inspire them to be the stars of tommorrow?

Cricket is a provincial game not a metropolitan one. I've been to many Essex away games at Slurry and the proportion of youngsters in the crowd is a fraction of that at the ECG even on a Friday. A game watched entirely by City suits and lager louts will not secure the long term future of cricket.

If there is to be new Franchise based T20 competiton IT will need to be as well as,not instead of, the exiting county competition.

I agree which is why I suggested the franchises be based, for want of a better description, around the travelling circus.
For example Chennai could become Adelaide, London and Trinidad as they move around the countries. Eight teams playing each other once over a group stage with the top 4 going to the semi finals, over a 4 week period beginning the last week of July.

That would keep those demanding that type of thing happy while the domestic T20 continues as a Friday night competition.

[Andy]

One of the down sides to the rise of JPSL on Sunday afternoons was the end of the Cavalier's matches. A travelling circus of an all-star team playing counties a la the Harlem Globetrotters could work. Providing KP gets to play - he'll have to shave his head and call himself Curly. Could even make a cartoon about them...

[Valentines Park]

Just have to replace "Sweet Georgia Brown" with "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".