Sky coverage

[Blocky]

What happens to the outsider counties if Cityt20 happens may be open to debate but one thing is certain, that they will be even more dependent on ECB funding than ever. And it is not just changing one competition, it is introducing a new competition with a detrimental effect on existing competitions.

To be honest none of us know if that is the case do we? I admit to punting on this a bit but I don't really see T20 affecting the CC or the other non T20 competitions.

I just don't think standing still is an option. As I have said on a number of occasions I reckon there are too many T20 games. I like the two division option, as it happens, but can also see a short, sharp fewer teams competition being attractive

As a TV viewer I very much enjoyed the IPL and the Big Bash. They may not be comparable but the fact that they are over a discreet period enhanced them IMHO. It focussed attention for a start.

Neil, I'm never frightened of change, but I'm afraid on this occasion T20 City cricket is one change too far.  The Big Bash...great eh...done wonders for Aussie Cricket hasn't it, just look how good they are at the moment...oh hang on....

The ECB is after full control of the game.  Graves, aided by Bramsgrove is after killing off the non test ground counties.

they must be stopped.  every opportunity we have to take the fight to them, we should and I'm not joking.

[neil]

What happens to the outsider counties if Cityt20 happens may be open to debate but one thing is certain, that they will be even more dependent on ECB funding than ever. And it is not just changing one competition, it is introducing a new competition with a detrimental effect on existing competitions.

To be honest none of us know if that is the case do we? I admit to punting on this a bit but I don't really see T20 affecting the CC or the other non T20 competitions.

I just don't think standing still is an option. As I have said on a number of occasions I reckon there are too many T20 games. I like the two division option, as it happens, but can also see a short, sharp fewer teams competition being attractive

As a TV viewer I very much enjoyed the IPL and the Big Bash. They may not be comparable but the fact that they are over a discreet period enhanced them IMHO. It focussed attention for a start.

Neil, I'm never frightened of change, but I'm afraid on this occasion T20 City cricket is one change too far.  The Big Bash...great eh...done wonders for Aussie Cricket hasn't it, just look how good they are at the moment...oh hang on....

The ECB is after full control of the game.  Graves, aided by Bramsgrove is after killing off the non test ground counties.

they must be stopped.  every opportunity we have to take the fight to them, we should and I'm not joking.

Sure

As I've said a couple of times I am playing devils advocate to an extent - although by doing it I am beginning to see of the attractions of a city based smaller T20.

My serious concern is the lack of younger participants/spectators because that impacts on the future of the game. I guess that you can't really see the real effect of, say, the Big Bash until you find out if the crowd and playing demographic has changed in the future.

The majority of the posters here, appears that way anyway, are in the "old git" group like me and, perhaps, the long term isn't so important to us. Which is fair enough

I'd be genuinely interested in suggestions as to how to make the game more attractive to youngsters - apart from "with a bit of luck the tide will turn" for all the negative comments about the city tournament I haven't really seen anything concrete on here

[afinetickletoleg]

I'd be genuinely interested in suggestions as to how to make the game more attractive to youngsters -

That's easy. Tell them that they can play with a game controller and HD TV screen.

[Blocky]

What happens to the outsider counties if Cityt20 happens may be open to debate but one thing is certain, that they will be even more dependent on ECB funding than ever. And it is not just changing one competition, it is introducing a new competition with a detrimental effect on existing competitions.

To be honest none of us know if that is the case do we? I admit to punting on this a bit but I don't really see T20 affecting the CC or the other non T20 competitions.

I just don't think standing still is an option. As I have said on a number of occasions I reckon there are too many T20 games. I like the two division option, as it happens, but can also see a short, sharp fewer teams competition being attractive

As a TV viewer I very much enjoyed the IPL and the Big Bash. They may not be comparable but the fact that they are over a discreet period enhanced them IMHO. It focussed attention for a start.

Neil, I'm never frightened of change, but I'm afraid on this occasion T20 City cricket is one change too far.  The Big Bash...great eh...done wonders for Aussie Cricket hasn't it, just look how good they are at the moment...oh hang on....

The ECB is after full control of the game.  Graves, aided by Bramsgrove is after killing off the non test ground counties.

they must be stopped.  every opportunity we have to take the fight to them, we should and I'm not joking.

Sure

As I've said a couple of times I am playing devils advocate to an extent - although by doing it I am beginning to see of the attractions of a city based smaller T20.

My serious concern is the lack of younger participants/spectators because that impacts on the future of the game. I guess that you can't really see the real effect of, say, the Big Bash until you find out if the crowd and playing demographic has changed in the future.

The majority of the posters here, appears that way anyway, are in the "old git" group like me and, perhaps, the long term isn't so important to us. Which is fair enough

I'd be genuinely interested in suggestions as to how to make the game more attractive to youngsters - apart from "with a bit of luck the tide will turn" for all the negative comments about the city tournament I haven't really seen anything concrete on here

I'm still working, have plenty of time to watch T20 cricket, but I will never support anyone, or go and watch anyone, other than Essex, or England.
I especially wouldn't pay to watch anything that benfitted the ponced up public school w***ers that are Middlesex CCC

As above, it's all about them controlling us....

[neil]

What happens to the outsider counties if Cityt20 happens may be open to debate but one thing is certain, that they will be even more dependent on ECB funding than ever. And it is not just changing one competition, it is introducing a new competition with a detrimental effect on existing competitions.

To be honest none of us know if that is the case do we? I admit to punting on this a bit but I don't really see T20 affecting the CC or the other non T20 competitions.

I just don't think standing still is an option. As I have said on a number of occasions I reckon there are too many T20 games. I like the two division option, as it happens, but can also see a short, sharp fewer teams competition being attractive

As a TV viewer I very much enjoyed the IPL and the Big Bash. They may not be comparable but the fact that they are over a discreet period enhanced them IMHO. It focussed attention for a start.

Neil, I'm never frightened of change, but I'm afraid on this occasion T20 City cricket is one change too far.  The Big Bash...great eh...done wonders for Aussie Cricket hasn't it, just look how good they are at the moment...oh hang on....

The ECB is after full control of the game.  Graves, aided by Bramsgrove is after killing off the non test ground counties.

they must be stopped.  every opportunity we have to take the fight to them, we should and I'm not joking.

Sure

As I've said a couple of times I am playing devils advocate to an extent - although by doing it I am beginning to see of the attractions of a city based smaller T20.

My serious concern is the lack of younger participants/spectators because that impacts on the future of the game. I guess that you can't really see the real effect of, say, the Big Bash until you find out if the crowd and playing demographic has changed in the future.

The majority of the posters here, appears that way anyway, are in the "old git" group like me and, perhaps, the long term isn't so important to us. Which is fair enough

I'd be genuinely interested in suggestions as to how to make the game more attractive to youngsters - apart from "with a bit of luck the tide will turn" for all the negative comments about the city tournament I haven't really seen anything concrete on here

I'm still working, have plenty of time to watch T20 cricket, but I will never support anyone, or go and watch anyone, other than Essex, or England.
I especially wouldn't pay to watch anything that benfitted the ponced up public school w***ers that are Middlesex CCC

As above, it's all about them controlling us....

I get all that but, without being rude, you aren't the audience that we are talking about here. As I've said there are other competitions that you, and others, can still go to where you can support Essex (assuming the city competition cones about). For me it's about getting new blood into cricket and this MAY be a way

I've yet to see any other suggestions about how best to change the game to do this

[alji]

Two of the key stated benefits of the proposal are making the games more available to a larger tv audience and  the substantial cash payments to all counties.  The BBC have extended their contract for the world's greatest tennis tournament for as little as £20 million a year, would a free to air tv channel pay anything near that for cricket? This competition will be on pay tv following a bidding war between Sky & BT with a few less attractive games shown on BT showcase or SkySports Mix so they can be seen by people who don't subscribe to the paid sports packages.

I get the"something must be done" argument, but the proposals won't achieve the stated objectives (although they will achieve the underlying objectives of the ECB). Basically this all comes down to whether you trust the ECB.

[Blocky]

Neil.  How about we throw the cash at getting the game into schools, providing pitches to play on and kit to play with.  Buy up some of the remaining playing fields and build free-to-play cricket complex's in short format, like the 5-a-side football places that are everywhere.
find a short format the kids can and like playing. 
Increase the number of RDO positions and get ex-pro's into them to coach the kids in schools
Market the current T20 tournament correctly

there's a few suggestions.

But that is not what we're going to do is it?  No.  Because Graves won't make any money out of that.  the ECB won't make any money out of that.

[neil]

Neil.  How about we throw the cash at getting the game into schools, providing pitches to play on and kit to play with.  Buy up some of the remaining playing fields and build free-to-play cricket complex's in short format, like the 5-a-side football places that are everywhere.
find a short format the kids can and like playing. 
Increase the number of RDO positions and get ex-pro's into them to coach the kids in schools
Market the current T20 tournament correctly

there's a few suggestions.

But that is not what we're going to do is it?  No.  Because Graves won't make any money out of that.  the ECB won't make any money out of that.

Great. Thanks (really) for this. Gives us something to discuss

I am all for doing something in schools like you suggest. As I've said earlier the selling off of playing fields was always an action that I hated. Surprisingly, maybe, my old school still has it's land but no cricket played afaik - still play rugby and soccer, though. Maybe something to do with the upkeep of a square?. Not sure how this would work with Inner city schools where land is at a premium but there is surely a way - indoor cricket?

How would you market the T20 better now? I guess I think it's maybe about heroes/people you can emulate. Do we have to create those? It's one of the reasons I can see for a smaller team/shorter format competition. Pack the teams with the "star" names. One of the issues seems to be at the moment that counties change overseas players because of the sprawl of fixtures. It will be interesting to see how it works this year with the new timetable

I have to say I am still of the view that there are too many games.

[Andy]

Neil, BLocky et al - all great ideas and I suspect that Graves et al would say the ECB does it. Now, whether they really have ENOUGH commitment to developing grass roots cricket, I'm not sure - certainly the Leics Chairman has been very active, but I'm pretty sure Chance to Shine was not an ECB sponsored initiative (which says a lot).