No 122, May 10 - The Grumbler's County Cricket Newsletter
🐘 The elephant in the room 🟢 D-day of sale of franchises 🔴 Why the rush and where is the scrutiny? 🟠 Breakaway, no way 🟣 Champ previews 🟤 Middx's dementia freebie 🔵 What the game has forgotten
Here are the two key stories of the week for me.
A Summer of Cricket | Dementia Adventure
Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar Fundraiser Special Event | MatchWornShirt
The state of county cricket has got me down. I am probably as depressed as I have ever been about the game.
It feels like one of those car chases in the movies.
The runaways ignored the “Road Closed Ahead” signs many miles back and roared on regardless, smashing through a couple of flimsy wooden Stop signs on the way.
I am in the back seat, we are about to go over a cliff but, for some ridiculous reason, the drivers are putting their foot to the floor.
We have been going in this ‘direction of travel’ for years but they have never truly known where they were going. They would not draw mere passengers like me a map so it is no surprise we have lost our way. They have been asking TV execs and consultants for directions but that lot are only looking for a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
So, for the love of all cricket, click on a story about Middlesex - skint, relegated Middlesex - putting 50 pairs of free tickets on the gate for dementia patients and their carers.
When you click on the link, it says this:
Our team of staff and volunteers will be available on the day to talk, answer any questions and support should you need them but our aim is to facilitate a day for you to spend together independently, confident in knowing there is somebody available should you need help.
My 92-year-old mother has been hollowed out by this evil bastard of a disease over the past two years. She is one of those many people whose personality never re-emerged after Covid. I have taken her out for a coffee every Saturday afternoon since then. Not that she really knows who I am anymore. There is a faded black-and-white picture of my late father by her bedside in the care home she hates. He is in whites, leaning on a bat. The cricket club was their social life for decades back then.
Happier days.
The other story is a fundraiser for two bright young students, and cricketers, killed in the street by a madman. It was all over the papers. Tragic. Have a bid for a signed shirt and remember them.
I am now going on to write about the state of English cricket in the rest of this newsletter. It will make me angry and sad in equal measure.
It should not.
It’s only a game and, apparently, I’m a flea trying to hold cricket to ransom. Or a Luddite who is stuck in the mud. I forget which now.
But I do know that after county cricket goes beyond what appears right now to be the point of no return, real life will still go on.
Even if it will not quite seem the same anymore.
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PPS I have set up a County Cricket Chat space on Reddit - r/CountyCricketChat
PPPS If you want to get involved in any groups to change this situation. Then there is the County Cricket Members Group and, of course, the Cricket Supporters Association.
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County Championship - previews
Division One
Hampshire vs Durham
Kent vs Worcestershire
Nottinghamshire vs Lancashire
Surrey vs Warwickshire
Division Two
Glamorgan vs Sussex
Northamptonshire vs Gloucestershire
Last week’s games - round-up
Bell-Drummond guides Kent to rare victory at Lancashire | Cricinfo
Red Rose Reports - Red Rose Reports Blog
County Championship 2025 Round 5 | Ashes Tourist
Players - moves, contracts and news
Spencer Johnson signs for Surrey in Vitality Blast – Surrey CCC
Siddarth Kaul: Northamptonshire sign Indian seamer - BBC Sport
Ben Dwarshuis joins Durham for Vitality Blast campaign | ESPNcricinfo
Northants snap up Notts all-rounder Patterson-White on short-term loan deal | Northampton Chronicle
Brett Hutton: Nottinghamshire bowler suffers Achilles injury - BBC Sport
Anecdotal evidence has been ignored, but the player data speaks volumes – and they must be heard | The Cricketer
PCA warns county cricket schedule could result in ‘disaster’ without cuts | Cricket | The Guardian
This is a real concern. I am happy to call out greed, lack of accountability and one-eyed views among players (and especially ex-players turned commentators) but workloads for pro athletes are increasingly difficult.
As fans, we do not always understand the concept of rest and the need to pre-empt injuries or just a loss of form.
The schedule suits no one right now.
Of course, take out [the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named] and, to a fashion, it works again.
The future of county cricket
I was going to write another trademark snazzy takedown of the sale of franchises. A run-through of the old favourites.
For those of a certain vintage, it would have been the Jive Bunny version of English cricket’s latest and near-greatest error.
But Barney Ronay utterly nailed it with this piece. So just read that instead.
Like him, I am flabbergasted at the lack of scrutiny surrounding this entire sale. The haste makes no sense if the demand is as high as has been touted. Unsurprisingly, government has got involved because this deal is starting to smell. However, like the Independent Regulator in cricket, nothing truly important will happen…
Labour MP urges government to review ECB plans to sell stake in Hundred | The Hundred | The Guardian
ECB should heed ICI lesson as they flog off English cricket | The Cricketer ($)
And, for the millionth time, all this has NOTHING to do with saving county cricket.
For god’s sake, they have been telling us this garbage forever but their solution is based on allowing the so-called prize assets to be sold to private equity. That’s Private sodding Equity! Not some sporting wing of the Salvation Army!
Contrary to some of my critics on Twitter this week, I have thought about both sides of this. I just do not need to put every nuance in every tweet. I have been knee-deep in this story ever since it started. While we all tend to decide our positions emotionally and then seek to defend them logically, I have tried, at least, to look at it from a sports business perspective. It is my job after all.
The difference is I can never put the money above the sport.
But hey, just one more time…
If it is about preserving county cricket, lock in a percentage of profit and television revenue to be ploughed back into the 18 and limit player and executive wage growth. No getout clauses, no time limits. It can’t be undone.
While you are at it prevent county leaders from profiting from sales, allow members ‘golden share’ rights, instigate binding ‘fit and proper’ person ownership rules, lock in any ‘calendar creep’, and allow supporters a voice in shaping the game.
Yeah, I won’t hold my breath.
Despite everything that has happened over the last 10 years, I still believe the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named is the wrong answer to the right question.
If it is about saving county cricket then why is county cricket so against it?
I would have more respect if they had turned around said ‘yeah, we are just tearing down the existing game and building something fit for the 21st century in its place’.
Of course, this all could be made to work if you had faith in the altruistic nature of those in charge. But the original leadership closed the door on that. Bringing in private equity adds the type of triple deadlock rarely seen outside Fort Knox.
The time for amicable discussion was in front of a whiteboard eight or nine years ago. Since then, the arrogance from on-high has barely dissipated so, no, I am not going to hold hands across the table and play nice now the cards are all stacked against me.
To be honest, I am probably just going to vote with my feet.
Here’s Alan Higham, who takes a more conciliatory view, speaking to Kevin Howells last week. It starts at 2:19.
County cricket is getting a seismic opportunity – it must not blow it | Telegraph
Of course, the Telegraph’s response came quickly and just in time for the vote. We know who they bat for.
And it is not the fans. They have history.
Before that, there had even been a little response from the traditionalist wing of the county game…
'I've been called a moron, cretin and old fart': Life as a county cricket member in 2024 | Telegraph
Reducing domestic cricket matches will not help, says Jon Filby - BBC Sport
And, some things we already knew…
Strauss review never went away with battle for County schedule still raging on | Telegraph
However with franchise leagues already creeping across new boundaries…
CPL CEO Pete Russell asks T20 leagues to collaborate on scheduling | ESPNcricinfo
County cricket in fresh scheduling concern after PSL and IPL dates clash | Telegraph
… I think we are almost done here.
Or perhaps that is just me.
PS. There were stories of a breakaway between the counties …yeah, never going to happen
Tossing good money after bad to create a needless event and agreeing such a poor TV deal that, in desperation, they have to look for short-term cash injections that lock in permanent inequality and marginalise themselves so much that everyone gives up the ghost?
Now THAT is a strategy!
Counties have been in trouble forever and often poorly run but you have to ask why has it all hit the fan now? Remember the Blast had record-breaking ticket sales in 2019 with no free-to-air TV and a fraction of the marketing.
As George Dobell said on this podcast this week, so many of the game’s current problems are solved with the abolition of you-know-what. It is the elephant in the room.
Of course, the counties would still have power and the money would be significantly less. How much we’ll never know. Who trusts Deloitte’s media rights figures when it comes to the ECB. Or the ECB’s come to that (BTW nothing has come of the Worcestershire chair’s report and certainly someone is fibbing). NDAs were put on counties by the governing body when they disputed original figures.
But remember, if the competition raises £1bn and your share is £3.74, you are still poor.
Distribution is key. That is what they are arguing about right now.
News, Views and Interviews
Yorkshire celebrate 50-year Memberships in special presentation - Yorkshire County Cricket Club
ECB facing calls to lobby government on county cricket overseas players visa criteria | ESPNcricinfo
Fears for Champions Cup as TNT Sports stalls over new deal | Times
When you base your entire business model on TV money you dance to their tune
Nathan Lyon: Australia spinner on Ashes, Bazball, Lord's and Lancashire - BBC Sport
Home Thoughts From Abroad – Rain Stopped Play, inspection at 3
Thank heavens you saw sense, Monty.
Worcestershire to honour Josh Baker with touching tribute | Worcester News
Worcestershire to wear 33 on playing shirts in memory of Josh Baker | ESPNcricinfo
Geoff Cook Inducted Into Hall Of Fame - Northamptonshire CCC
Northants snap up Notts all-rounder Patterson-White on short-term loan deal
HM The King to become Patron of Lancashire Cricket | Lancashire Cricket Club
The story of this newsletter
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