No 110, Dec 1: The Grumbler's County Cricket Newsletter

🔴 Tournament-that-shall-not-be-named to be expanded 🟤 Blast may be scrapped 🟣 Who will draw the line? 🟠 Lyon confirms move to Lancs 🟢 Fixtures published 🔵 Middlesex to play Blast games at Essex

Dec 01, 2023

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Honestly, I think we are done.

If, after everything that has gone before, the ECB are doubling down on the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named then county cricket as we know it has no future.

First, there was news in the Telegraph, you-know-what's favourite paper, that you-know-what will be expanded. With players already complaining about the new schedule, the prospect of extra franchises had to mean a contraction somewhere in the future. We found out a few days later in the Times, it is the Blast that could go.

T20 is the counties' cash-point. The revolutionary format invented then squandered by the ECB has been one of the central revenue streams helping first-class outfits stay afloat over the past 20 years. Yet the intention seems to be to swipe away a competition that grew ticket sales 15 per cent year-on-year in 2019, for a competition that, after staggering investment, was hailed a huge success this season... after growing ticket sales 15 per cent year-on-year*.

What has changed since theses stories? Or what TV contract was brought to bear

Then, in a staggeringly convenient press push, ECB CEO Richard Gould talked of its popularity with women and children.

Just as he had talked about the Blast's popularity with families and across socio-economic groups back in 2019.

Listen to the first five minutes of this podcast. It is from Prof G, a marketing academic who has become something of a digital media darling. Here’s a quote from a piece asking “where’s the line?”

“Nothing drives innovation and value creation like the profit-motive but it can’t be trusted to do anything but make money. That is why we need stronger government regulation and greater enforcement.”

“Opinions are easy to hold and cheap to change but their value is commensurate. Principles, on the other hand, are things for which you are willing to sacrifice.

“Willing to draw a line.”

It is no surprise that this latest news has come before the independent regulator suggested by the ICEC report and agreed to by Thompson is introduced. That’s even if it turns out to have teeth.

Alas, The Richards appear not to be the saviours or custodians of the county game we had hoped. (See this interview as Gould left Surrey). In fact, it seems these previously honourable captains will have their hands on the tiller as the old ship finally goes down. And Thompson's successor as Surrey president has sent away one of the last lifeboats, support from the biggest county.

That, in particular, feels like the ultimate bait-and-switch.

Counties and franchises are separate, we were told. Except, it seems, when they make enough money not to be.
This will save county cricket, we were told. Except those clubs that will be permanently left in the lower tiers and, soon enough, will not be sustainable

Of course, domestic red-ball cricket will still exist in the future, but then so does speedway, a popular sport from decades ago that maintains a barely perceptible pulse on crumbling industrial estates these days.

As the path of the Premier League has shown, the inequality between cricket’s divisions will become much more stark. In an expanded you-know-what, a county/franchise might not be allowed to go up unless their ground is big enough and they may have a salary cap. How will they grow if talent is quickly poached by the top sides? Then, like the Premier League, there will be a divide between haves and have-nots in the top division. Foreign, multi-club ownership will dominate, only in cricket the English sides will be subordinate.

All because, for modern sportsmakers, there is never ‘a line’.

Along with Teflon Tom Harrison, Colin Graves and the ECB board who enfranchised them, Sky and their decision-makers should take a large slice of the blame. Only this week, they canned an important interview because it did not fit their business agenda.

Make no mistake, they are not batting for cricket.

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If all this works out as I have outlined above, I'll go and do something else.

I have to draw my own line somewhere.

Essex have sent me the membership pack for next year. I have been too cheesed off to open it.

I know I will renew next season but I fear this latest move means the die is cast.

For me, it is like the US voting in Donald Trump next year. You have seen what happened last time you made that decision (all the lies, the division, the incompetence and the greed) but you are doubling down.

And you STILL expect us to believe your motives are not selfish.

This is simply not the reality I see in front of my face. It crosses my line.

In the US, they call this notion 'moving to Canada'. Lots of liberals threatened it last time when Trump was elected but did not follow through. If he gets a second term, more will take it as a sign that something is seriously wrong, the rot is too deep-seated to change and they will go north.

Of course, it is richly ironic that this move has cropped up now because, in the build-up to Christmas, the stand-out advertisements put old people in the spotlight.

There are the ladies sledging down the hill for Amazon, one of the richest companies in the world but one of the most criticised employers.

And the old chap who takes flowers to the grave of his dearly departed wife then trudges for a lonely pint at the pub. Only to be delighted when a young good-looking couple on the other side of the bar perceive his pain and sit down for a chat**.

How lovely. How nice. Do you get that warm, fuzzy feeling?

In the next few weeks, there will be other heart-tuggers about the importance of fighting loneliness and mental health issues among older generations.

But, as I found out this summer when I posted a picture of a large but grey-haired Championship crowd at Chelmsford, that is soon forgotten - ‘too many old people’, ‘no future there’.

I get the economics but, if you are not going to draw a hard line based on sport’s societal benefits and caring about people, then please spare me all the smulchy bollocks in December.

If Sky want to make more money and the players demand the freedom to play more franchise cricket gigs because they want more money, then let’s just say they want more money.

We all want that in our lives but, in reality, we also draw lines too.

And that is still possible in cricket. Heaven knows how Pat Cummins will look after his family after not playing the IPL. Those World Cup and World Test Championship winners’ medals won’t feed anyone. Neither will retaining the Ashes.

It is the ECB’s job to draw the line in English cricket. But they have been managed so spectacularly badly that they have no leverage against their paymasters.

I hate to say I told you so, but I wrote about it in Last-Wicket Stand and have been banging the same boring predictable drum in this blog for three years.

It seems like I have wasted my time.

I dearly hope to be proved wrong.

But expanding the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named crosses my line.

And, unlike most of those involved in running cricket, I have one.

Players and coaches - moves, signings, contracts

Contracts: Mills (Sussex - T20, 3yrs), Browne (Essex - 1yr), Sowter (Durham - 2yrs) , Drissell (Durham - 1yr), Madison (Derbyshire - 2yrs), White (Northamptonshire - 1yr)

Signings: Lyon (Lancashire, overseas), Seales and McAndrew (Sussex, overseas), Currie (Hampshire to Leicestershire, season-long loan)

Nathan Lyon joins Lancashire – a week after calling Bazball ‘shit’ (Times)

Sussex CCC: Ali Orr's move to Hampshire criticised by ex-captain Chris Adams (BBC Sport)

Sussex CCC: Ali Orr's Hampshire move defended amidst resignations (BBC Sport)

Paul Farbrace: Ali Orr wanted more money, so he chose Hampshire (Times)

The transfer that has rocked county cricket: Ali Orr’s move from Sussex to Hampshire (Telegraph)

Ali Orr’s move to Hampshire has caused a real row. You can sell to fans ‘trust us, the stars are going, we are not winning but the kids are coming through’. But the backlash is vicious when the best move to your neighbours. There is a lot more going on there, with ex-players stirring the pot. If you want to be the next Sussex CEO, here’s the ad. I applied, silly me (see intro).

Graham Onions: Durham legend returns as lead bowling coach (BBC Sport)

Joe Leach awarded Testimonial (Worcestershire CCC)

Batter Haseeb Hameed appointed Nottinghamshire club captain (Cricketer)

The 2024 County Schedule

All the County fixtures (ECB)

Four clubs could SHARE the Vitality Blast title next season if extreme weather washes out Edgbaston's finals day... after the ECB ditch bowl-outs to decide domestic cup winners (Mail)

Explained: Why Middlesex Are Playing Two 'Home' 2024 T20 Blast Games In Essex (Wisden)

Middlesex plead poverty over matches in Essex – but close in on signing Henry Brookes (Telegraph)

Statement from Middlesex (Middlesex CCC)

Middlesex have financial problems and they say playing at Essex is cheaper than setting up shop at an outground. Both counties have stadium problems and surely would be second-division sides in a franchise league. Is a merger possible?

Why not some would say, they cannot make enough to expand. But, remember, UK sport runs on debt. The average Championship club is losing £200,000 to 300,000 every seven days, in League One it is £40,000 and in League One £20,000. Stockport lost £90,000 a week just to get promoted from the National League a couple of seasons ago.

Wages are the biggest cost and owners constantly make stupid decisions in pursuit of glory, encouraged by fans.

But you know what?

Supporters keep paying for tickets and satellite subscriptions because they are not customers. Their motivation is about meaning and belonging.

ECB defends 'Super September' as 2024 County fixtures put season climax in spotlight (Cricinfo)

Men's county and women's regional fixtures announced for 2024 summer (Cricketer)

Hybrid pitches to be used for first time in 2024 County Championship season (Yahoo Sports)

I was excited about the fixtures. There was a very long gap in the sunniest part of the summer but more weekend cricket answered the prayers of many. Though not me.

News, Views and Interviews

ECB to look into Middlesex's demands for 'life ruining sums of money' from former chief executive Richard Goatley amidst extraordinary dispute at Lord's (Mail)

Eric Wright begins building Lancashire cricket facility (Place North West)

Sport’s age of excess: tournaments get bigger, but will they get better? (Guardian)

Cricket World Cups ranked: From the dullness of 2007 to the giant-killing of 2023 (Telegraph)

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Essex CCC scolded for promoting 'misleading' crypto advert (FTAdviser)

New Essex CCC Chair appointed (Essex CCC)

ICC’s Soviet-style Cricket World Cup broadcast is no match for Sky (Telegraph)

ECB could end up paying millions to players - even if they are injured - under terms of new central contracts after they guaranteed to honour them in full (Mail)

Fully deserved. Brilliant voice, brilliant broadcaster and asks tough questions

Edgbaston Masterplan moves on with apartment complex launch (Edgbaston)

Ambitious Surrey want a second ground away from the Oval (Telegraph)

Unrelenting 2024 domestic schedule has disregarded player and staff welfare, says PCA (Cricketer)

Why cricket and rugby are missing trick by clamping down on YouTubers (Times)

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Peter Hardy

Dec 1, 2023

It is very simple. Abandon the 100. Back the Blast.

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1 reply by The Grumbler

Andrew Dow

What a shame a decent write up of recent county cricket news has to be spoiled by a sad inability to leave political leanings outside. What has Donald Trump got to do with county cricket ffs, apart from saying more about the writer than might have been otherwise apparent?

5 replies by The Grumbler and others

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The Grumbler's County Cricket Newsletter