blandy Posted August 2 Moderator Share Posted August 2 With the Hundred, when it's got the high quality cricketers playing in it, the games are excellent - top sportspeople will always create quality games. It's also pretty much, along with Test cricket the thing that keeps a lot of counties afloat. They lose money playing championship cricket in front of tiny crowds. Shared test match and Hundred revenue keeps clubs alive. But there's to much cricket and the Hundred is detrimental tax both to that and to the flow of the season - taking the peak month of the season and pretty much stopping all other cricket during that time is terrible - the 50 over cup is now played by second string line ups, no tests in August. Championship cricket played in early and late season when the prices and conditions are sub optimal for developing international standard bowlers and batters. I think they probably need to reduce the number of first class counties and have maybe half as many - 9 or 10, max 13 only and the others can concentrate on T20 and One day stuff, which would mean a single division of 4 day cricket and fewer games, of higher standard. Change the hundred into T20 format, with maybe a couple of extra teams - Durham based and Somerset based, perhaps, but keep some of the innovations like 2 overs from the same end, and keep it a short tourney, so overseas stars can come and play in it and add to the quality of games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milfner Posted August 2 Author Share Posted August 2 1 hour ago, blandy said: But there's to much cricket and the Hundred is detrimental tax both to that and to the flow of the season - taking the peak month of the season and pretty much stopping all other cricket during that time is terrible - the 50 over cup is now played by second string line ups, no tests in August. Championship cricket played in early and late season when the prices and conditions are sub optimal for developing international standard bowlers and batters. This is the crux of it for me. Bending over backwards to accommodate a format that isn't even recognised. There's just no need for it at all, all it is doing is lining the pockets of whoever whilst damaging the county game. & it's shit. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imavillan Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 Agree with most of what has been said on here about the 100. It's an unnecessary competition imo. The ECB should be doing what every other cricket nation in the world does and focus on the T20 Blast. To my knowledge, every country that plays T20 play it from start to finish without a stupid gap to accommodate another format of the game. Which notably, no other country has taken it on. It's ridiculous to have a competition that gets to the 1/4 final stage and then stops until over a month later in September. Form goes out the window as teams have to reset and start again. Personally, I can only hope it gets sacked off one day and the ECB focus on T20 Blast and make that a competition to similar levels to the IPL and the Big Bash. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 The Hundred can **** right off (in the mens game) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avfc96 Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 5 hours ago, blandy said: With the Hundred, when it's got the high quality cricketers playing in it, the games are excellent - top sportspeople will always create quality games. It's also pretty much, along with Test cricket the thing that keeps a lot of counties afloat. They lose money playing championship cricket in front of tiny crowds. Shared test match and Hundred revenue keeps clubs alive. But there's to much cricket and the Hundred is detrimental tax both to that and to the flow of the season - taking the peak month of the season and pretty much stopping all other cricket during that time is terrible - the 50 over cup is now played by second string line ups, no tests in August. Championship cricket played in early and late season when the prices and conditions are sub optimal for developing international standard bowlers and batters. I think they probably need to reduce the number of first class counties and have maybe half as many - 9 or 10, max 13 only and the others can concentrate on T20 and One day stuff, which would mean a single division of 4 day cricket and fewer games, of higher standard. Change the hundred into T20 format, with maybe a couple of extra teams - Durham based and Somerset based, perhaps, but keep some of the innovations like 2 overs from the same end, and keep it a short tourney, so overseas stars can come and play in it and add to the quality of games. The Hundred doesn't keep counties afloat, the ECB have lost fortunes on it. Why do you think the ECB are trying to sell off the teams? International cricket keeps the counties afloat, as it has done for many many many years. Also, what top quality cricketers are playing in the Hundred this year? Sky put a graphic up during the first Hundred game this season and listed all of these supposed world beaters that were playing. I think it was a list of 8 and I recognised one. They certainly do not need to reduce the number of counties for a number of reasons. The current respective captains of the England teams made their way through the academies and made their names at teams who do not hold a 'hundred franchise' at their grounds. In more bad news, it appears that Hampshire are to be bought by the owner of the Delhi Capitals, one of the IPL franchises. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted August 2 Moderator Share Posted August 2 10 minutes ago, Avfc96 said: The Hundred doesn't keep counties afloat, the ECB have lost fortunes on it. It does. Both things are true. Each county is paid well over a million a year by the ECB as part of the contract they entered into with the ECB. But you’re right to point out that over the length of the contract, which runs to 2028 (I think), the ECB will lose money on it. The ECB will have, however, increased the status and support for Women’s cricket in particular, increased participation and new audiences, got domestic cricket back on FTA tv and also have itself a “brand” competition it can sell off and more than recover all costs spent. I don’t really like it in most regards, but it is what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avfc96 Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 Bears make it 4 out of 4 in the One-Day Cup 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 2 hours ago, Avfc96 said: Bears make it 4 out of 4 in the One-Day Cup I watched it in the live feed even though it was Surrey’s second string Rugby school looked a cracking venue 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avfc96 Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 37 minutes ago, tonyh29 said: I watched it in the live feed even though it was Surrey’s second string Rugby school looked a cracking venue Was meant to go today but couldn't make it. Agreed from the bits on saw it looks like a stunning venue. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lapal_fan Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 Taking my lad (the Worcester one) to the 100 tomorrow for the women's and men's games, then down to Gloucester to watch the bears on Sunday. Hopefully will be a great weekend! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 (edited) 100 delivering again today Oval looked like posting around 110 , Sam Curran comes in and whacks 50 of 19 balls giving them 148 instead London Spirit chasing were ahead on runs , needed 33 game in the balance and Curran comes in and takes a hat trick ( and 4 wickets in 5 balls ) and ends up with 5 for 16 Great entertainment Edited August 4 by tonyh29 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Avfc96 Posted August 4 Popular Post Share Posted August 4 (edited) Meanwhile in the proper cricket world, Warwickshire make it 5 from 5 in the One Day Cup. Barnard with a brilliant 152* and 3-16. Can't wait for us to win the next 3, top the group and then put in a horrendous performance in the semi-final. It is the Warwickshire way. Edited August 4 by Avfc96 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted August 4 Share Posted August 4 3 hours ago, Avfc96 said: Meanwhile in the proper cricket world, Warwickshire make it 5 from 5 in the One Day Cup. Barnard with a brilliant 152* and 3-16. Can't wait for us to win the next 3, top the group and then put in a horrendous performance in the semi-final. It is the Warwickshire way. as a second string tournament I’m sure it’s good experience for the smaller counties But all the top players are in the 100 the metro cup is kinda irrelevant these days 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post one_ian_taylor Posted August 5 VT Supporter Popular Post Share Posted August 5 Sad to hear about Graham Thorpe - one of my favourites when I was growing up, in an era when it seemed half the team were Grahams/Graemes 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 17 minutes ago, one_ian_taylor said: Sad to hear about Graham Thorpe - one of my favourites when I was growing up, in an era when it seemed half the team were Grahams/Graemes My dad died this time a year ago, and Thorpe was his favourite player, so it's a very sad one for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheepyvillian Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 34 minutes ago, one_ian_taylor said: Sad to hear about Graham Thorpe - one of my favourites when I was growing up, in an era when it seemed half the team were Grahams/Graemes Likewise! He was a very imposing, England batsman, who could bloody play a bit. Pakistan in the dark. How sad. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewiek2 Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 1 hour ago, one_ian_taylor said: Sad to hear about Graham Thorpe - one of my favourites when I was growing up, in an era when it seemed half the team were Grahams/Graemes Sad news. A brilliant batsman. I didn't even know he was ill but reading that he pulled out of becoming Afghanistan head coach 2 years ago due to ill health so I guess he has succumb to whatever he had then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avfc96 Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 Really sad news about Thorpe. Never got to see him play live as my first series was the 05 Ashes when he made way for KP. But over the years I've seen the highlights of some of his great innings, like his innings against Pakistan in the dark at Karachi amongst others. What a brilliant player. RIP. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulC Posted August 5 Share Posted August 5 Very sad to hear this..55 no age at all. Great batsman for England. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lapal_fan Posted August 6 Share Posted August 6 On 04/08/2024 at 18:03, Avfc96 said: Meanwhile in the proper cricket world, Warwickshire make it 5 from 5 in the One Day Cup. Barnard with a brilliant 152* and 3-16. Can't wait for us to win the next 3, top the group and then put in a horrendous performance in the semi-final. It is the Warwickshire way. I went down to Gloucester with some friends and my lad to watch it, we played brilliantly, and so did Taylor for them (we were sat near his wife/kids and family weirdly enough, lovely people. Ed Barnard was different gravy, just so calm and assured. We started off at the 100 on Saturday and watched the women do really well to win against a stacked Brave side. Then apart from Ducky we offered absolutely nothing in the mens game. Dan Mousley went from hero on Thursday, to zero on Saturday. 5 ball duck and got slapped for about 30 from his 10 balls. James Vince is such a nice player to watch too, nothing phases him. A good weekend! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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