[Cricket] The Hundred

[Eeyore]

Fingers crossed. I can understand why the Hundred was invented (they want a big stadium atmosphere) but it's been implemented badly as it has simply alienated fans of cricket who aren't near test match venues. Like Sussex fans.

Here would be my blueprint for changing cricket:

* Add more first class counties - 30 in total.
* Restructure long form county cricket. Have three divisions of ten, and each team only plays others once - four day games with a reserve day, two promoted/relegated.
* Fit T20 around that and play it at every county ground on April to September evenings, not unlike MLB baseball. With results every evening and grounds regularly full, TV Companies will love it, and it will pay for stadium improvements and the long term future of cricket.
* Bin off 50 over and Hundred cricket. Hundred is a not popular but also 50 overs has had its day. Yes there are still World Cups in that format but something has to give. You can't keep inventing new formats of the game and fitting them all in the schedule.

* Add more first class counties - 30 in total.

The 18 team model has been under fire as unsustainable. Counties rely on ECB handouts. Bringing in minor counties that don't have the facilities is not an option. No county has been granted first class status since Durham in 1992. Their financial issues, like counties such as Yorkshire, are well documented.

* Restructure long form county cricket. Have three divisions of ten, and each team only plays others once - four day games with a reserve day, two promoted/relegated.

You, I and folk on here love the longer game. But the fact remains that it is not well attended and doesn't bring in the cash. That's why the ECB has began to marginalise it.

* Fit T20 around that and play it at every county ground on April to September evenings, not unlike MLB baseball. With results every evening and grounds regularly full, TV Companies will love it, and it will pay for stadium improvements and the long term future of cricket.

20 over cricket on an April evening ? The 20 over game generally needs to be held at peak times, the focus being to get the kids in where possible. Late July/August is the best time for that. I can't think why we don't have it in August at the moment. Must be a reason....

* Bin off 50 over and Hundred cricket. Hundred is a not popular but also 50 overs has had its day. Yes there are still World Cups in that format but something has to give. You can't keep inventing new formats of the game and fitting them all in the schedule.

Bin off The Hundred indeed ! Although the good it has done for women's cricket must be noted and built on. You could be right about 50 over cricket. And I say that with a very heavy heart.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

I’m going to the oval next Wednesday but only because my eldest really wants to go there. I don’t even know whose playing. I was speaking to someone close to Surrey CCC on Sunday and he said that this tournament can’t last, only it’s third year and already they’re no longer selling out the games.

It never did "sell out", the attendees were getting free tickets from all sources. Groupon gone mad.

 

[amexer]

* Add more first class counties - 30 in total.

The 18 team model has been under fire as unsustainable. Counties rely on ECB handouts. Bringing in minor counties that don't have the facilities is not an option. No county has been granted first class status since Durham in 1992. Their financial issues, like counties such as Yorkshire, are well documented.

* Restructure long form county cricket. Have three divisions of ten, and each team only plays others once - four day games with a reserve day, two promoted/relegated.

You, I and folk on here love the longer game. But the fact remains that it is not well attended and doesn't bring in the cash. That's why the ECB has began to marginalise it.

* Fit T20 around that and play it at every county ground on April to September evenings, not unlike MLB baseball. With results every evening and grounds regularly full, TV Companies will love it, and it will pay for stadium improvements and the long term future of cricket.

20 over cricket on an April evening ? The 20 over game generally needs to be held at peak times, the focus being to get the kids in where possible. Late July/August is the best time for that. I can't think why we don't have it in August at the moment. Must be a reason....

* Bin off 50 over and Hundred cricket. Hundred is a not popular but also 50 overs has had its day. Yes there are still World Cups in that format but something has to give. You can't keep inventing new formats of the game and fitting them all in the schedule.

Bin off The Hundred indeed ! Although the good it has done for women's cricket must be noted and built on. You could be right about 50 over cricket. And I say that with a very heavy heart.

I still say main reason longer form does not attract attendances is because it is mainly played in April.May and September and absolutely no marketing. So much so many don't even know when they are playing. Brighton and Hove has a pop of 600k plus and refuse to believe with ECB and County pushing it with with even 10% of Hundred marketing budget would not be hard to attract 3k plus to at least each of first 2 days of a county game at home . Appreciate not so easy when Sussex get rid of so many experienced players and spend big sums on players for 20/20

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

* Add more first class counties - 30 in total.

The 18 team model has been under fire as unsustainable. Counties rely on ECB handouts. Bringing in minor counties that don't have the facilities is not an option. No county has been granted first class status since Durham in 1992. Their financial issues, like counties such as Yorkshire, are well documented.

* Restructure long form county cricket. Have three divisions of ten, and each team only plays others once - four day games with a reserve day, two promoted/relegated.

You, I and folk on here love the longer game. But the fact remains that it is not well attended and doesn't bring in the cash. That's why the ECB has began to marginalise it.

* Fit T20 around that and play it at every county ground on April to September evenings, not unlike MLB baseball. With results every evening and grounds regularly full, TV Companies will love it, and it will pay for stadium improvements and the long term future of cricket.

20 over cricket on an April evening ? The 20 over game generally needs to be held at peak times, the focus being to get the kids in where possible. Late July/August is the best time for that. I can't think why we don't have it in August at the moment. Must be a reason....

* Bin off 50 over and Hundred cricket. Hundred is a not popular but also 50 overs has had its day. Yes there are still World Cups in that format but something has to give. You can't keep inventing new formats of the game and fitting them all in the schedule.

Bin off The Hundred indeed ! Although the good it has done for women's cricket must be noted and built on. You could be right about 50 over cricket. And I say that with a very heavy heart.

My view

Kill off the 100 NOW

Play the T20 over Friday and Saturday's perhaps even double headers on the Saturday.

Bring back a Sunday T40 comp. With the way cricket has evolved it would be a great event. drawing regular large crowds. Make it regionalised then play offs with a final played over legs. With a 10 over smash if it's 1-1

4 day games, make it a limited overs comp of 80 overs per innings with some day/night games, played Monday to Thursday. The good thing is there will be results to the games, apart from Old Trafford of course. Playing 80 overs still allows players to become attuned to playing the longer form of the game.

Test matches again make it a limited over event 110 overs per innings.

Obviously the cricket calendar would allow for periods of downtime for the players.

 

[crodonilson]

5 minutes to go....

Our Southern Brave line up for the opener, put into bat first: Danni Wyatt, Smriti Mandhana, Maia Bouchier, Georgia Adams, Freya Kemp, Chloe Tryon, Maitlan Brown, Kalea Moore, Anya Shrubsole (c), Mary Taylor, Rhianna Southby (wk).

Expecting big things from a whole hearted captain in her last season after an incredible career, how sweet would it be lifting the coveted trophy at the end of the month.

 

[Eeyore]

5 minutes to go....

Our Southern Brave line up for the opener, put into bat first: Danni Wyatt, Smriti Mandhana, Maia Bouchier, Georgia Adams, Freya Kemp, Chloe Tryon, Maitlan Brown, Kalea Moore, Anya Shrubsole (c), Mary Taylor, Rhianna Southby (wk).

Expecting big things from a whole hearted captain in her last season after an incredible career, how sweet would it be lifting the coveted trophy at the end of the month.

You should set up another account Crodo, you might meet a fellow fan in here.

I know you do these posts for a wind up, and you are funny sometimes, just not here.

 

[Husty]

Any serious reorganisation of cricket in this country is going to have to begin with taking the number of 1st class counties - 18 and reducing that figure by at least 6.

If you look at the list, its easy to see where the cuts can be made - don't need Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire for example - keep 1. Don't need Gloucestershire and Somerset - keep 1. Don't need Northampton, don't need Essex, don't need Durham. Don't need Warwickshire and Worcestershire - keep 1. You do this and you lop off a load of bloat without affecting the geographical distribution of the game or the large grounds available. The hundred has the right idea but goes a little too far cutting it down to 8.

Chin off 50 over cricket as mentioned above, maybe host a one-off tournament in world cup years?

Make it simple - just two formats - less teams.

Play T20s over the whole summer - assuming about 12 counties left that would give 22 matches to be played - play them on friday or saturday evenings, maybe some sunday afternoon too. Play a few midweeks as needed. Do double headers with the womens sides.

ECB and counties need to face the fact that T20 is the future of cricket. Its shorter, its more exciting, its where all the players want to play. Reorganise now to take advantage of the gravy train or risk becoming a second-tier destination for cricketers over the IPL etc.

 

[Eeyore]

Any serious reorganisation of cricket in this country is going to have to begin with taking the number of 1st class counties - 18 and reducing that figure by at least 6.

If you look at the list, its easy to see where the cuts can be made - don't need Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire for example - keep 1. Don't need Gloucestershire and Somerset - keep 1. Don't need Northampton, don't need Essex, don't need Durham. Don't need Warwickshire and Worcestershire - keep 1. You do this and you lop off a load of bloat without affecting the geographical distribution of the game or the large grounds available. The hundred has the right idea but goes a little too far cutting it down to 8.

Chin off 50 over cricket as mentioned above, maybe host a one-off tournament in world cup years?

Make it simple - just two formats - less teams.

Play T20s over the whole summer - assuming about 12 counties left that would give 22 matches to be played - play them on friday or saturday evenings, maybe some sunday afternoon too. Play a few midweeks as needed. Do double headers with the womens sides.

ECB and counties need to face the fact that T20 is the future of cricket. Its shorter, its more exciting, its where all the players want to play. Reorganise now to take advantage of the gravy train or risk becoming a second-tier destination for cricketers over the IPL etc.

We don't need Essex- county champions twice in the last 5 seasons. Or Somerset- well supported team with a 20 over trophy this year ?

If the number of counties were trimmed then one of the first names to go would be Sussex. And in crude economical terms it would be justified. But thankfully the English tradition holds strong and we don't do the franchise thing. Well, we try.

 

[Husty]

We don't need Essex- county champions twice in the last 5 seasons. Or Somerset- well supported team with a 20 over trophy this year ?

If the number of counties were trimmed then one of the first names to go would be Sussex. And in crude economical terms it would be justified. But thankfully the English tradition holds strong and we don't do the franchise thing. Well, we try.

I said you don't need Somerset and Gloucestershire - you can imagine one team splitting its time between Bristol & Taunton and in doing so covering the south west.

As for Essex, recent success in the county championship means nothing in the grand scheme of things. The re-organisation I am proposing is centred centre around how many 20000+ seater cricket stadia can be regularly filled - Essex would play no part in that as anyone in that area can easily travel to the oval &/or lords.

Besides, the fact you're quibbling around the edges of my point suggests you agree with the thrust of it. Pissing money up the wall having 3x first class counties in Leicester, Derby & Nottingham is not the right way to be doing things.

I don't disagree with you 'tradition' and intra-county politics will stop these changes happening but that isn't going to be a good thing for the sport in this country in the long-run.

 

[Eeyore]

I said you don't need Somerset and Gloucestershire - you can imagine one team splitting its time between Bristol & Taunton and in doing so covering the south west.

As for Essex, recent success in the county championship means nothing in the grand scheme of things. The re-organisation I am proposing is centred centre around how many 20000+ seater cricket stadia can be regularly filled - Essex would play no part in that as anyone in that area can easily travel to the oval &/or lords.

Besides, the fact you're quibbling around the edges of my point suggests you agree with the thrust of it. Pissing money up the wall having 3x first class counties in Leicester, Derby & Nottingham is not the right way to be doing things.

I don't disagree with you 'tradition' and intra-county politics will stop these changes happening but that isn't going to be a good thing for the sport in this country in the long-run.

The reduction of counties has been spoken about for much of the 40 odd years I've followed the game. It hasn't happened and is unlikely to happen.

As I mentioned, with that reason there is no need to keep Sussex, given that Hampshire is next door and Surrey to the north with their Test grounds. How would you feel about that ? (You omitted to mention them)

If we are talking about filling stadia, folk wouldn't travel from here to Hampshire (that's how it would end up) for matches. How many Sussex fans travel to watch the Southern Skips ? The County Ground couldn't function as an out ground on a part time basis.

Sussex are okay financially (having got a lot of undeserved grief) and English cricket, (the holder of both white ball trophies at present) is not in a mess as much as it was when these discussions first reared their head.

 

[Husty]

The reduction of counties has been spoken about for much of the 40 odd years I've followed the game. It hasn't happened and is unlikely to happen.

As I mentioned, with that reason there is no need to keep Sussex, given that Hampshire is next door and Surrey to the north with their Test grounds. How would you feel about that ? (You omitted to mention them)

If we are talking about filling stadia, folk wouldn't travel from here to Hampshire (that's how it would end up) for matches. How many Sussex fans travel to watch the Southern Skips ? The County Ground couldn't function as an out ground on a part time basis.

Sussex are okay financially (having got a lot of undeserved grief) and English cricket, (the holder of both white ball trophies at present) is not in a mess as much as it was when these discussions first reared their head.

There hasn't for the last 40 years been a situation in cricket as disruptive as the one you have today with the IPL though has there. Crowds have also continued to steadily decline through this time.

Just because something used to make sense doesn't mean it does any longer.

 

[crodonilson]

Trent Bridge is absolutely rocking, their theme song 'Don't Wanna Miss a Thing' being roared out by some 15,000 plus Rockets fans is something to behold, this is going to be a tough night for us, nobody wants to lose their first game, immediately puts you on the back foot.

 

[A1X]

Good start for Sussex’s George Garton

 

[Is it PotG?]

Start the car, this will be over in no time.

 

[amexer]

Trent Bridge is absolutely rocking, their theme song 'Don't Wanna Miss a Thing' being roared out by some 15,000 plus Rockets fans is something to behold, this is going to be a tough night for us, nobody wants to lose their first game, immediately puts you on the back foot.

Looks no more than two thirds full

 

[Is it PotG?]

Chris Jordan went to school with Rihanna.

Never knew that one.

 

[vegster]

As a Sussex supporter, who am I meant to be supporting ? Rockets,Braves and whatever means nothing to me ?

 

[crodonilson]

As a Sussex supporter, who am I meant to be supporting ? Rockets,Braves and whatever means nothing to me ?

You're a Southern Brave man, they represent the South coast.

Feel like we've let this one get away from us a bit, looked like we were going to restrict them to under 120. Still a very gettable total but we will need to bat well.

 

[GT49er]

The hundred? Huh! Same as last year, I'll be giving it the HWT treatment. IMHO, it would be improved if batters were only allowed to use one hand, and caught on one bounce counted as out.





At least that would get it all over quicker!

 

[crodonilson]

Simon Doull or 'Doully' as he is affectionately known is absolutely loving this.

Come on the Brave.