No 14, May 26 - The Grumbler's County Cricket Newsletter
Wakeley retires | McCague controversy recalled | Gould goes from Surrey | What is the point of 2nd XIs? | Previews from the last 'unadulterated' week of the Championship | Hadlee's Notts farewell
One of the articles listed below argues this is the final week of unadulterated County Championship cricket this season. So far, the campaign has been all about the domestic, red-ball game. Next week, England start playing, after that the Blast begins. And after that, the circus rolls into town. It all makes me slightly sad. Still, let’s just enjoy this round. Teams are starting to be cut adrift at the bottom of their Conferences. The business end of the first phase is upon us. Here are this week’s games.
(By the way, you can find links to all my cricket content here.)
Match Previews
Each team name links to a different preview.
Durham v Essex
Warwickshire v Nottinghamshire
Worcestershire v Derbyshire
Lancashire v Yorkshire
Sussex v Northamptonshire
Surrey v Gloucestershire
Leicestershire v Middlesex
Gloucestershire bring in wicketkeeper Tattersall on loan (Gloucestershire CCC)
Contracts for Thompson (Yorks) and Berg (Northants) | De Grandhomme (Hants) signs for Blast (BBC)
News, views and interviews
Alex Wakely, Northants' two-time T20-winning captain, retires from professional cricket (Cricinfo)
The lament of the newly-retired player is often the same - it should have been more, it could have been a lot less but I loved it.
"I simply have nothing left to give and it's time to move on,” tweeted Wakely. “Although I will always feel I could have achieved more, I am very proud of my achievements and the memories of lifting those two trophies at Edgbaston will live with me forever. That's what I always played the game for."
Ian Bell: 'When I look in the mirror, I know I tried everything I had' (Cricinfo)
THE SECRET CRICKETER: County 2nd XI cricket is a waste of resource and is in desperate need of reform (The Cricketer)
The ‘secret sportsperson’ idea is pretty tired already if you ask me. But it does allow an insider to tell some home truths and outlines some strong opinions without fear of censure. This piece certainly puts a cricketing cat among the pigeons.
The Essex village cricket club going in to bat against climate crisis (The Guardian)
To be honest, Eight Ash Green CC are newsworthy for this as much as anything else -"in a village of around 1,000 people, it [is] running three senior men’s teams, a women’s team and eight youth teams".
The counties most affected by England’s packed international summer (Wisden)
The key to success at county level is to produce pretty good players. But not too good or they get a central contract and you barely see them until they retire from international cricket.
Good stories and players abound as county cricket seizes rare spotlight (The Guardian)
"Best enjoy this last week. And hope, too, that the ECB has learned a little from these past few weeks of championship cricket, which have felt like a taste of what the competition can be, when it’s handled with a little love and care and attention."
Absolutely. The County Championship is tinkered with a lot, rarely major changes like last year's conference system but tweaks that seem are only suffered in the short-term. So it is altered again the following year. It could all make you lose the thread of this fine old competition. But, year after year, kitchen-sink county dramas emerge. And the best thing - we can ALL celebrate the likes of Darren Stevens, James Bracey, Chris Rushworth and Habeeb Hameed, whatever our county. Whether it is about talent, tenacity or timelessness, the major stories of the season defy the partisanship of other sports. Long may it continue.
Tearaway turned 'traitor': The trials of Martin McCague (Cricket Australia)
I’d forgotten about this little storm in a teacup all those years ago.
MATCH REPORT | Middlesex Disability XI V Sussex Disability XI (Middlesex CCC)
Nice to see Middlesex run reports on their Disability team. Even nicer to see Angus Fraser turn up to watch.
Morgan Motor Company gives away Vitality Blast Shirt sponsorship (Evesham Journal)
Another heartening tale. Morgan Motor Co sponsor Worcestershire in the Blast but have handed over one of their games to allow their own charity, St Richard's Hospice, to be on the shirts instead. I firmly believe that cricket, like lower league football, will have to work much harder in the community in the years to come. The pandemic has opened up the conversation about professional sports clubs being community assets. It makes sense to work together as it may be the only way to survive. In sports business circles, there is talk of cashless sponsorships, where no money is exchanged but the club work together with companies or use their services to grow revenue in harmony. This sponsorship is out of the same bracket. Morgan Motor Co have given away an asset they purchased. However it has brought them an article and picture in the local paper that they might not otherwise have received. And, of course, I have mentioned them twice by name here.
Yorkshire Cricket to Kickstart job opportunities for young people (Yorkshire CCC)
In a similar vein, Yorkshire CCC are using the Government's Kickstart scheme to offer a whole range of jobs. For those of a certain age, this is broadly similar to the YTS or YOPs roles back in the 1980s and 90s. To be eligible to apply you must be aged 16–24 years old and currently on universal credit.
This is the saddest news of the week. As you may know, I sometimes tease ‘$urrey’ on my Twitter account. But they have made giant strides off-the-pitch under CEO Richard Gould and, most importantly, often acted for the benefit of the entire game rather than self-interest. They are one of the main beneficiaries of the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named but Gould has been an eloquent and thoughtful opponent. In short, the Manchester United of cricket has not acted like the Manchester United of football. His arguments against the competition have been dismissed as "sour grapes" given he missed out to Tom Harrison as CEO at the ECB. But just look at the warmth of feeling surrounding his departure to Bristol City and compare that to attitude towards Harrison and, previously, Colin Graves. Change does not have to be so bitter and divisive.
We're back: A fan's eye view of county cricket supporters' long-awaited return (The Cricketer)
Fanning the flames for REAL supporter representation (The Cricket Paper)
Finally, here’s my piece from The Cricket Paper about the work of the Cricket Supporters Association and the key questions they are asking this year.
Tweets of the Week
Links I like…
Join the Cricket Supporters Association, it’s free
County Cricket Matters - Buy the magazine direct or on Kindle
Videos I like…
Richard Hadlee was a special player, as this game, his last at Lord’s, proves. Alas the NatWest Trophy final of 1987 was finished on the Monday in front of very few fans.
Finally…
Yes, I am still plugging my book on county cricket and midlife.
Buy through Amazon or through me for an autographed copy
Finally, finally, let’s end on a high…
Colin Dredge was a Sunday League hero in the 1980s and, famously, his unusual action was described as a “pall-bearer fighting off a wasp”. You just don’t see cricketers like him any more.