The 100 - the logic of the madhouse?

[smandlej]

There is now a headline on the Cricket section of BBC text saying that the viewing figures for last night's 16.4 match broke records!

If you read the item, the record it broke was the highest viewing audience ever for a women's cricket match shown on the BBC.  I didn't know they'd shown any before this.

Lynda

[Slogger]

The T20 international at Chelmsford v India was shown on the BBC last week. I quite enjoyed it. Given the new county live streams combined with changes in their boxing coverage, which Slogger junior watched I got rid of Sky Sports last month. It didn't seem great value.

[Valentines Park]

Watched it tonight.

Not much to say other than Tymal Mills impressed as commentator.

Extremely personable & good at explaining the game to a new audience.

Vaughan was terrible as usual.

[nat]

Watched it tonight.

Not much to say other than Tymal Mills impressed as commentator.

Extremely personable & good at explaining the game to a new audience.

Vaughan was terrible as usual.

TM has done a lot of commentating on Sky and always impresses. Mark Butcher is another excellent Sky commentator.

[Valentines Park]

TM has done a lot of commentating on Sky and always impresses.

Never heard him on Sky.

The boy has obviously got a bright future in that field.

[Shenfield Eagle]

Lynda if you care to glance at the BBC Cricket webpage it is dominated by the 16.4, celebrating what a success it already is. 

Trying to convince the licence fee payer, they are getting value for money!!!

[smandlej]

We noticed there was no headline on the BBC text Cricket pages about records being broken at the match last night, presumably because there's usually more at a T20 match.

Lynda and Steve

[Suffolk Richard]

Lynda if you care to glance at the BBC Cricket webpage it is dominated by the 16.4, celebrating what a success it already is. 

Trying to convince the licence fee payer, they are getting value for money!!!

Even the most anti 100 cricket fan might amit that around 3 hours of this trash is better value for the licence fee payer, then 3 hours of repeats or Salfordenders!!!

[Slogger]

I wonder how some would feel if there was a franchise team based at Chelmsford.? Listening to the inane prattling of Kevan James yesterday he seemed to be quite a cheer leader for the Southampton franchise. Nick Gledhill read out an e mail pointing out that many people live no where near these venues but he didn't react.

[essexfan548]

I wonder how some would feel if there was a franchise team based at Chelmsford.? Listening to the inane prattling of Kevan James yesterday he seemed to be quite a cheer leader for the Southampton franchise. Nick Gledhill read out an e mail pointing out that many people live no where near these venues but he didn't react.

Slogger the 16.4 is not cricket no matter where it is scheduled and T20 is already doing the job they think [if indeed any thinking has really taken place] this new rubbish will achieve. I even prefer T10 to this - waving white cards to indicate the end of '5s' - how juvenile.

Even the version children start playing like Ken Barrington [4 overs each pair with runs deducted for wickets] is close enough to the real game to be understood.

[smandlej]

Having watched the highlights of the last England T20 international, I remarked that I'm finding the wickets are the most interesting part of the game these days.  Watching people slogging fours and sixes is becoming boring.

Lynda

[nat]

"Following the successful launch of the Hundred competition the ECB want to go further to enhance the appeal of this competition. So we want to do away with bats and wickets which only get in the way of crowd enjoyment. We'll replace the stumps with goalposts. We'll also replace the small, hard to see white ball with a bigger, softer ball. The 'cricket' name is an impediment to attracting new supporters so we are going to change the name of the sport to ...football. Finally, team names are a bit confusing so we will using names that are more familiar with the target audience, like ... Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Aston Villa."

[Slogger]

I wonder how some would feel if there was a franchise team based at Chelmsford.? Listening to the inane prattling of Kevan James yesterday he seemed to be quite a cheer leader for the Southampton franchise. Nick Gledhill read out an e mail pointing out that many people live no where near these venues but he didn't react.

Slogger the 16.4 is not cricket no matter where it is scheduled and T20 is already doing the job they think [if indeed any thinking has really taken place] this new rubbish will achieve. I even prefer T10 to this - waving white cards to indicate the end of '5s' - how juvenile.

Even the version children start playing like Ken Barrington [4 overs each pair with runs deducted for wickets] is close enough to the real game to be understood.

Well I'm no fan of this tournament and I haven't watched a minute of it. My point, not terribly well put  is will supporters at counties hosting these franchises be more supportive?

Counties like Essex, Northants and Kent never will host such a team. Somerset's main issue seems to be no west country team, rather than an objection to the concept. If Cardiff flops I suspect the ECB will move that franchise to Somerset very quickly.


 

[SirChef26]

I wonder how some would feel if there was a franchise team based at Chelmsford.? Listening to the inane prattling of Kevan James yesterday he seemed to be quite a cheer leader for the Southampton franchise. Nick Gledhill read out an e mail pointing out that many people live no where near these venues but he didn't react.

Slogger the 16.4 is not cricket no matter where it is scheduled and T20 is already doing the job they think [if indeed any thinking has really taken place] this new rubbish will achieve. I even prefer T10 to this - waving white cards to indicate the end of '5s' - how juvenile.

Even the version children start playing like Ken Barrington [4 overs each pair with runs deducted for wickets] is close enough to the real game to be understood.

Well I'm no fan of this tournament and I haven't watched a minute of it. My point, not terribly well put  is will supporters at counties hosting these franchises be more supportive?

Counties like Essex, Northants and Kent never will host such a team. Somerset's main issue seems to be no west country team, rather than an objection to the concept. If Cardiff flops I suspect the ECB will move that franchise to Somerset very quickly.

They'll go to Bristol over Somerset and name the franchise Bristol Bulldogs or some rubbish like that. As for the counties support, yes I think the host members will be won over. You can tell that Oval Invincibles have worked hard to draw Surrey fans in with their identical shirt colours and Surrey players. Plus they don't have a city name so it's not like someone from Lancashire who has to support a team called Manchester.

Obviously as you say Essex will never host their own franchise due to Chelmsford being far too small and far too crap, but in a different world if we were for whatever reason awarded a franchise in future, I suspect an Essex franchise wearing Claret and Blue would comfortably sell out Chelmsford and then some.

Another point that infuriates me about this competition is how the host counties get to keep a huge slice of ticket sales/beer money etc, whilst the counties who also own a stake in the sides get nothing. For example, the MCC will be coining it in following their four sell out games at Lord's whilst Essex and Middlesex get zilch. The chief execs of non host counties all need a good slap round the head for signing off on that without negotiating a percentage of the profits for themselves. The rich get richer and the Essex's of this country get poorer.

[Perov]

So they were raving about an 18,000 crowd at the Oval ( with many having free tickets) but failed to mention a T/20 Surrey v Essex often  attracts 27,000 paying customers.