Essex Outfielder : The Unofficial Essex CCC Forum

Cricket => Essex Eagles T20 => Topic started by: Valentines Park on May 22, 2014, 11:33:01 AM

Title: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: Valentines Park on May 22, 2014, 11:33:01 AM
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/27517116
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: squarelegumpire on May 22, 2014, 04:12:06 PM
At the members forum earlier in the year Hilliard stated that there was no reasonable chance of us playing at the Olympic stadium. Cost, practicality, undesirability of drop-in pitches etc etc.

Do he and Bowden ever talk to each other?

Or does he say the first thing that comes into his head?
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: Valentines Park on May 22, 2014, 04:20:12 PM

Or does he say the first thing that comes into his head?

I thought he just said whatever Giles Clarke tells him to.
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: DT on May 23, 2014, 07:58:52 AM
So it won't be any t20 county matches just a specially created festival - why??
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: squarelegumpire on May 23, 2014, 10:15:25 AM
So it won't be any t20 county matches just a specially created festival - why??

Because it's really, really popular, cricket needs excitement and there's not enough t20 at the moment?

http://www.essexoutfielder.co.uk/Smileys/default/wink.gif
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: Valentines Park on May 23, 2014, 11:02:32 AM
Because it's really, really popular, cricket needs excitement and there's not enough t20 at the moment?


Remember that floodlit tournament where Derbyshire played the stooges to our Harlem Globetrotters?

Perhaps this jamboree at the Olympic Stadium will be the other way round?
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: quincy on May 23, 2014, 01:07:40 PM
So it won't be any t20 county matches just a specially created festival - why??

Why not!! Sounds brilliant
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: Valentines Park on May 23, 2014, 01:19:14 PM

Why not!! Sounds brilliant

I always wondered who were the mugs who attended the aforesaid floodlit tournament.
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: stickyboy on May 23, 2014, 01:32:31 PM
Surely T20 will be the only entertainment in the Olympic Stadium
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: nat on May 23, 2014, 02:07:50 PM
Surely T20 will be the only entertainment in the Olympic Stadium

Hey steady. Big Sam likes entertainment.
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: Valentines Park on May 23, 2014, 02:52:32 PM
Big Sam likes entertainment.

Well West Ham are certainly entertaining.

Even if it is for all the wrong reasons.

You have to admire his broad shoulders though.

Paul Grayson is positively worshipped in comparison.
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: Andy on May 23, 2014, 04:29:49 PM

Why not!! Sounds brilliant

I always wondered who were the mugs who attended the aforesaid floodlit tournament.

Does it matter if they're 'mugs' if they pay?  Let's face it, cricket's irrelevant to the next majority of the next generation and support is melting away from ECCC. With IPL and the regional aid thrown at clubs like Durham we have to drum up interest somehow. We can't wait for the reincarnation of Gooch, Lever, Fletcher et al...
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: Valentines Park on May 23, 2014, 06:55:52 PM


Does it matter if they're 'mugs' if they pay? 

A fool & his money are soon parted I guess.

But will there really be loads of takers peering through binoculars at an unofficial tournament?
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: Slogger on May 24, 2014, 07:46:31 AM
Or maybe the 3 counties mentioned will play home T20 games there rather than a one off tournament? Middlesex are using the Oval for a home game this year and Kent have dabbled with that in the past too.....
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: nat on May 24, 2014, 08:21:35 AM
Or maybe the 3 counties mentioned will play home T20 games there rather than a one off tournament? Middlesex are using the Oval for a home game this year and Kent have dabbled with that in the past too.....

I think that's nearer the mark.
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: Valentines Park on May 24, 2014, 11:09:16 AM
Middlesex are using the Oval for a home game this year and Kent have dabbled with that in the past too.....

I think the Middx game is purely for scheduling reasons whereas Kent was a harebrained money making scheme that saw them make less money than if they'd stayed at Canterbury.
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: Mog on May 24, 2014, 04:58:24 PM
It does suggest that, if this ever comes to fruition, the much vaunted, endlessly hyped but seriously lacking in imagery and actual information, ground redevelopment at Chelmsford will be rather downscaled from the original. Hardly any surprise, of course knowing the modus operandi of the Club involved!
ECCC's motivation to increase the capacity of the County Ground is solely to cater to T20 - so, if this competition is relocated to a secondary venue, then what use is an 8,000/ 7,500 (pluck a figure out of thin air and hope no-one questions it!) size cricket ground to the Club?

For any viable scheme to use The Olympic Stadium for cricket it would require the current, bona-fide T20 competition to be staged. Any created tournament, such as the one Essex tried to flog to death a few years ago, until every last drop of interest was lost from any other County, may attract a curiosity value attendance for its initial staging....But that value is rather finite - who on earth would be interested in it subsequently?
The other interested parties Middx; they will always have scheduling issues with Lords and do take their T20 fixtures out and about by necessity if nothing else.
Kent; Likely to feel the relative distance from London to Canterbury on a Friday commute home puts them at a potential disadvantage to Essex with Chelmsford.

To me this is more muddled thinking and contradictory announcements from senior management at the Club, more interested in putting their name in the headlines, but with the all too typical lack of any real substance. It would be somewhat refreshing if they came clean with what their new/old plans are for the County Ground.
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: Slogger on May 25, 2014, 07:45:00 AM
I guess the factor that may make this work for Kent is the high speed rail link from Stratford - a few minutes to Ebbsfleet and 30 minutes to Ashford. Stratford to Canterbury takes an hour.
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: Andy on May 25, 2014, 03:43:09 PM
Why does everyone think KCCC supporters all live in Canterbury? Plenty of them must live the other side of the tunnel/bridge (looking on with great envy).
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: Slogger on May 28, 2014, 12:10:33 PM
Andy - I think that was the point I was making. You can do north Kent to Stratford in 30 minutes. It bothers me that Stratford becomes the festival ground and this could be the beginning of the end for Castle Park. I can't see Colchester making money this year as it's being played in the last week of the state school term and that just builds the case to get rid of it.
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: afinetickletoleg on May 28, 2014, 12:15:02 PM
As someone who lives in metropolitan Essex and has had to travel to Chelmsford since Valentines Park was dropped I think that it is good that some games be played at Stratford.
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: Slogger on May 28, 2014, 12:19:07 PM
I'd be in favour of T20at Stratford too. I'd be more inclined to go there to watch it than Chelmsford. I just wonder if Essex will use it as an excuse to chop Colchester
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: Blocky on May 28, 2014, 12:28:37 PM
I'd be in favour of T20at Stratford too. I'd be more inclined to go there to watch it than Chelmsford. I just wonder if Essex will use it as an excuse to chop Colchester

I doubt that this would be the excuse mate.  different game and no 4-day cricket in the OS.

Stratford for a T20 would be superb.  Dunno what the drunken Poles in the broadway would make of it though.... ;)
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: Andy on May 28, 2014, 12:55:16 PM
Stratford for a T20 would be superb.  Dunno what the drunken Poles in the broadway would make of it though.... ;)

Probably:

Nie lubię krykieta jest to nudne. Muszę naprawić złamane rurę.
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: Diatribe on May 29, 2014, 10:22:57 AM
I'd be in favour of T20at Stratford too. I'd be more inclined to go there to watch it than Chelmsford. I just wonder if Essex will use it as an excuse to chop Colchester

Maybe they'll use it as an excuse to chop Chelmsford, after all, they've all but in name dropped 4 day cricket.
Title: Re: If you can't beat them join them
Post by: eastsax on May 29, 2014, 11:18:36 AM
I'd be in favour of T20at Stratford too. I'd be more inclined to go there to watch it than Chelmsford. I just wonder if Essex will use it as an excuse to chop Colchester

I think the very reason that they're holding a T20 match at the Lower Castle Park is an attempt to make Colchester Festival financially viable. To be fair, no one wants to lose the jewel in the crown.

As for the possible OS adventure, not my cup of tea at all. Reminds me of similar day-nighter at Stamford Bridge,1980. Ironically the Essex vs West Indies match was set up by the posh boys at Surrey, yet it is they who have declined participation in any tournament held at the OS.

Maybe they see being sold a puppy when Essex don't ?