***Official*** English Domestic Season 2009

[Woodster]

Fair enough, but you must admit that the move to a full 4-day schedule was an exciting time with high hopes and the results have been disappointing?

I dont expect you to change your opinion on the topic, but Im interested on how you view the success of the 4-day calander with regards to the expected benefits.

Yes I appreciate that perhaps the results have not exactly panned out exactly as was anticipated. But again I'm not sure the format is solely to be blame, but the mindset of counties in how they approach the competition.

One benefit I can think of that 3 day cricket would give us is a little more time for players to rest, travel, and work on their techniques where as currently faults continue till a suitable break in the schedule, which isn't right.

However, the administrators would see it as an opportunity for yet another Twenty20 competition!

 

[four_or_six]

Yes I appreciate that perhaps the results have not exactly panned out exactly as was anticipated. But again I'm not sure the format is solely to be blame, but the mindset of counties in how they approach the competition.

One benefit I can think of that 3 day cricket would give us is a little more time for players to rest, travel, and work on their techniques where as currently faults continue till a suitable break in the schedule, which isn't right.

However, the administrators would see it as an opportunity for yet another Twenty20 competition!

Like the one announced today, you mean?

 

[Woodster]

Like the one announced today, you mean?

Yes, inevitable overload on the horizon. The ECB are too busy chasing the cash, they are actually forgetting about improving the general standard of county cricket.

 

[Pothas]

Don't really see how a move to three day cricket would make any difference to the standard of play, wouldn't make it any worse but as results are more likely over 4 days I think we should leave it as it is. I know there are massive problems with county cricket but on a personal level would hate to see regional teams. My hope when the divison's came in that the first division would become that better standard that everyone hoped for. Not confident of that happening but can still hope.

 

[wpdavid]

I'm trying to remember when the CC became a 4day competition - late 1980's maybe? imo 3day games means a return to uncovered pitches unless we want a plethora of raindraws and contrived finishes. At the time the change was made, if I'm right that it was the late 80's, it had become obvious to most of us that the CC wasn't producing test cricketers worthy of the name. After the change to 4-day games, along with the reduction to one overseas player a side, things improved to some extent. The batch of players produced in the 1990's was significantly better than those produced in the 1980's.

I'm not convinced that returning to 3-day games would achieve anything, unless someone can explain why England's needs should be met differently than every other serious test playing country. Progress will only be made when young English players are properly coached and brought into a system where the cream actually can rise to the top. That means kicking into touch some of the attitudes we saw in the 'franchise' thread, so presumably it will never happen.

 

[Pothas]

The attitude is understandable though. I admit it might be short sighted but I care about Hampshire doing well pretty much as I much as I care about England doing well (and in some cases more). Not saying in time I couldn't get behind a franchise in time but it would be a long while.

 

[wpdavid]

The attitude is understandable though. I admit it might be short sighted but I care about Hampshire doing well pretty much as I much as I care about England doing well (and in some cases more). Not saying in time I couldn't get behind a franchise in time but it would be a long while.

It's probably easier for me to feel differently given how ****e my county are nowadays.

Yes, we'd lose something, and I don't throw away 150 years (or whatever it is) of history lightly, but if the national side goes down the pan the counties won't survive anyway.
Not that I'm saying they should go. use them as a basis for the oneday comps, but amalgamate for the 4-day game imo.

 

[Pothas]

would not be quite so doom laden as that, don't think England are in permanent decline, we have not been great for an awful long time but at the same time I don't think the current side is nearly as baD as people are suggesting. Win a few and they will of course be overated again. I don't really disagree with you but I am still never going to be able to bring myself to support it.

 

[wpdavid]

Cripes, I've only just realised that Ali Brown is playing for Notts this year.

 

[Woodster]

Cripes, I've only just realised that Ali Brown is playing for Notts this year.

Yes, took 3 very good catches in slips today, he's third to remove Hogg was an outstanding diving effort!Oh and he's not bad at hitting a ball exceptionally hard either is he?

 

[Goughy]

I'm trying to remember when the CC became a 4day competition - late 1980's maybe?

1993 saw all CC games as 4-day. Late 80s saw a mixed schedule of 3 and 4 day games.

 

[Furball]

It's probably easier for me to feel differently given how ****e my county are nowadays.

Yes, we'd lose something, and I don't throw away 150 years (or whatever it is) of history lightly, but if the national side goes down the pan the counties won't survive anyway.
Not that I'm saying they should go. use them as a basis for the oneday comps, but amalgamate for the 4-day game imo.

IMO the ECB should follow the South African model.

Keep the County Championship as the equivelant competition to Australian First Grade cricket, and have a new 6 team competition above the County Championship.

Keep the Counties onside by retaining the Twenty20 Cup, as it's their main money maker, and have your First Class and List A competition competed by the 6 new franchises.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Weather being annoying in the Somerset v Durham game.

In other news Panesar actually took a wicket, of course it was a tailender but still...

 

[wpdavid]

IMO the ECB should follow the South African model.

Keep the County Championship as the equivelant competition to Australian First Grade cricket, and have a new 6 team competition above the County Championship.

Keep the Counties onside by retaining the Twenty20 Cup, as it's their main money maker, and have your First Class and List A competition competed by the 6 new franchises.

fwiw I'd have the List A competition competed by the counties, but other than that I'm with you. However, you'd need to think carefully about the structure of the CC. If there's still two divisions, sides could be relegated or miss out of promotion because they've been too successful in producing players for the regional sides. We'd probably have to revert to one division of 18 sides playing each other once.

 

[Uppercut]

fwiw I'd have the List A competition competed by the counties, but other than that I'm with you. However, you'd need to think carefully about the structure of the CC. If there's still two divisions, sides could be relegated or miss out of promotion because they've been too successful in producing players for the regional sides. We'd probably have to revert to one division of 18 sides playing each other once.

Just like currently sides could be relegated or miss out on promotion due to being too successful in producing players for England?

 

[wpdavid]

Just like currently sides could be relegated or miss out on promotion due to being too successful in producing players for England?

Yes, that's always been one of the arguments against the current system. But I think matters would be even less fair if they were losing 4 or 5 players to a regional side insteand of 1 or 2 to the national one.

 

[Uppercut]

Yes, that's always been one of the arguments against the current system. But I think matters would be even less fair if they were losing 4 or 5 players to a regional side insteand of 1 or 2 to the national one.

Yeah, it's always a case of trying to keep the system as competitive as possible while still keeping sight of the fact that its main goal is to provide players for England (and while I'd sympathise with avid county fans who don't feel this is the case, the financial aspect means that's largely how it has to be).

 

[TT Boy]

Good debut so far for Parnell. Following up his 4 wickets in the first innings with a maiden first class 50, has comfortably the highest score of the innings and could conceivably help Kent avoid the follow-on. Just listening to the BBC commentary and he has been particularly brutal on Kaneria. Don’t think he will be batting at 8 again…

 

[Spitfires_Fan]

Can't believe how average the Kent side is at the moment, it's fairly depressing. I mean, why on earth is Hockley back? Do we think that after several years out of FC cricket he's going to come back and be anything other than the distinctly mediocre player he was before?

Robbie Joseph is still bowling far too many no balls, Tredwell is not good enough to open the batting (or be our main spin bowling option for that matter), Kemp needs to pull his finger out this season. Need Stevo to find some form and for Denly and Key to start marmalising Div 2 attacks like batsmen of their calibre ought to be doing.

But Parnell is a definite plus so far.

Edit: Letting Masters go was evidently a big mistake. Got to be one of the most underrated bowlers in England I think.

 

[Kweek]

aahw Hoggard removes Kervezee