No 147, Mar 15: The Grumbler's County Cricket Newsletter
🔴 All the overseas players signings 🔵 Leics appoint two new capts 🟡 Madsen's second spell as Derby skip 🟢 Smeed to play Champ 🟣 So about those franchise sales 🟠 'Grieving' for the county game
In the last newsletter, I pulled my punches. I decided to let the dust settle before commenting on the franchise sales in the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named. But the time has come. Here goes…
Sparks were not the most successful band of the 1970s but they were uniquely strange and memorably quirky.
Theatrical songs with soaring vocals and constant changes of key and time signature were part of their aura. Yet the true source of their uneasy strangeness emanated from the stage performances of keyboard player Ron Mael. While his brother Russell acted like many a singer in the sequined-sewn rock of the UK charts in the early 70s, it was the poised, semi-malevolent sibling sitting next to him that drew your attention
A sinister presence with stylings borrowed from British Home Stores and the Third Reich in equal measure, Ron stared directly into the camera lens with the menacing intensity of a man who not only knew where the bodies were buried but might well have dug the graves himself.
The Top of the Pops producers played on the magnetic pull of this silent assassin with regular close-ups of his face. His steely gaze, pursed lips and ‘insurance salesman’ chic was a dramatic counterpoint to his brother, all hair, flares and flamboyance, bouncing alongside.
Why the trip down a dimly-lit alley off Memory Lane, where this long-forgotten 70s polyester was left piled up beside the bins?
Because when I think of the money brought by franchise sales into the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named it hits me like the sobering ‘crash zoom’ into Ron Mael’s stare.
Right now, history is being re-written by the winners. Or, more accurately, those happy to write the winners’ take for them (see BlueSky post below).
Of course, the money is a lifeline and an opportunity but it cannot solve cricket’s existential problems without a coherent, disciplined and clever plan driven by the best intentions for the sport as a whole. Just look at Man United, they have surfed wave after wave of Premier League cash for 30 years but this season have axed almost half their staff and cut the lunch rations on those who remain because, supposedly, they were in danger of going out of business.
As you know, I believe the extra revenue is a temporary stay of execution for the poorer end of the county game. Short to medium-term gain, short, sharp pain, then a long goodbye. In the intervening time, the victors can toast their genius, milk their success and move on before the chickens come home to roost.
The new owners are a mixture of IPL groups, tech moguls and Todd Boehly. The valuations achieved make no sense. Just like the predictions made in the pitch document. But the ECB ‘sold the sizzle’ effectively, enticing multiple bidders across the franchises to drive up prices. The Lord’s and Glamorgan franchises went for higher fees than I expected. Largely, it was the two extremes that created the positive headlines regarding revenue. The middle was only OK and the Oval team’s fee was disappointing. Maybe because Surrey actually have the will and money to keep some control.
But… [crash zoom to Ron Mael’s moustache]… it has brought a ton of money to county cricket.
Everyone benefits for now, especially the recreational game. This is a good thing. But the equitable part of the distribution ends with the 49 per cent sales. A couple of the hosts, Yorkshire and Lancashire, sold some or all of their 51 per cent. They needed quick cash to pay down debts. The vast majority of the revenue from that extra equity went straight to those counties, not across the game. And hosts get more money each year for, well, hosting.
For the non-hosts, the deal is a golden handshake, a ‘best of luck, off you go’ to the old order. The previous chains of control are gone. The concept of ‘membership’ is now laughable. It has no effective control of counties while counties have no effective control of the ECB, though technically the latter ran their organisations on behalf of the former. The suits at Lord’s are now talking publicly about how their genius brought this plan together, something they did not deign to do when it was being hatched. They will say their vision always drove the strategy. But some of us remember when annual payments to counties of £1.3m were the answer to the counties’ financial problems and selling their unique, attractive new format overseas was a huge revenue driver. God knows how they will spin the story when it turns into a T20. Not that they have been held to account for u-turns thus far.
And, of course…
[Crash zoom to Ron Mael’s moustache]… it has brought a ton of money to county cricket.
Right now, everything is sunshine and roses. I have marvelled at quotes from the new owners talking up their love for cricket. The traditional version that is. The one that is likely to wither and die as the competition expands and the owners seek a return.
The goalposts have moved throughout this process and that was without the traditional team owners’ blend of money, power and ego pulling it in different directions. Sport is an untameable beast these days, crossing national boundaries, monetising every second in the Attention Economy and controlled by overseas ownership groups via Zoom call. Tradition, history and common goals used to maintain some sort of imperfect cohesion. Taking away those unspoken safety nets creates new revenue opportunities, but, as many sports are finding, the spoils are skewed horribly to the top end.
Now we have football competitions fighting in the courts to expand their global reach and play in different countries. F1 are taking Grand Prix to new, rich countries at the expense of poor, traditional ones. Just this week, we saw a dramatic shift in the tectonic plates of boxing which might see long-standing governing bodies such as the WBC, WBA, and IBF along with promoters like Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn frozen out for good by the very sporting rulers who they have been working to support (and be well remunerated by) in recent years. Meanwhile, Manchester United (yes, they of the brutal efficiency drive) and Newcastle are reportedly looking at enlarging and rebuilding their stadiums, presumably because they are realising media rights will not be growing any time soon and so matchday revenue and sponsorship will have to recoup the difference.
(By the way, Uefa’s big annual benchmarking report revealed media rights revenue showed an uplift of a mere 3 per cent from 2019 to 2024 after rising by stunning 124 per cent from 2009 to 2019. And this is elite football. Remember the ECB predicted overseas media rights for the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named will grow from £2.1m per year to £34m by 2032 while Sky’s fees would rise from £37.8m in 2024 to £54.3m in 2025. And, according to George Dobell in the video below, there will be a specific deal for you-know-what next time and the new entities get 80 per cent of that money).
The performance of the England side at the ICC Champions Trophy was little short of a disgrace but then our best players do not play 50-over cricket largely due to the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named. It feels like the one-day format is starting to fade. The domestic version will not be covered by BBC commentary teams this season. Quite what Metro Bank feel about that, I do not know. I fear the corporation’s entire coverage of the county game may be on borrowed time. The connection between ‘my cricket’ and the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named is non-existent. The competition is not a gateway drug to the county game. Instead, it is positioned as some sort of antidote to the slow poison of the traditional version.
But… [crash zoom to Ron Mael’s moustache]… it has brought a ton of money to county cricket.
In my meeting with the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Committee, he argued that the focus should be to just move on and concentrate on protecting the red-ball game and county system. But it is far too late for that. An ethical line must be drawn. Through “bullying, threats, secrecy and plain lying” these changes have been pushed through and the leading actors are on a victory lap in the media. They are emboldened, empowered, enriched and confident, do you really think they are going to start playing by the rules and look after everyone now?
(Then again, the ECB have clearly done their groundwork. As it happens, they had spoken to the chair a few hours before I did. I have not followed up with him. He was not supportive of my presentation and I am on my own here. So I did not see the point. There is a possibility that, after our emails, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s State of Play inquiry may focus on the ECB and H*ndred but it is a waste of time as, in the end, they will just point to this…)
[crash zoom to Ron Mael’s moustache]… it has brought a ton of money to county cricket.
Kicking the can down the road creates time and space. No-one is going to start worrying about the gripes of non-host counties after their cash injection. Do not listen to the bedside manner of The Richards, it is they who have ended up administering a dose which, after short-term euphoria, will leave half of the counties in danger of a life on disability support at best.
Do not judge their legacy in the next five years but the next 15 or 20.
The traditional game has little influence after the funds from the 49 per cent sales are banked. Now the revenue driver is you-know-what and, when there is conflict, the owners are likely to give the ECB a dose of their own pushy medicine to get what they want. Then the goalposts will move again, previous promises will be forgotten, u-turns and being “less than honest” will be post-rationalised or laughed off. Meanwhile, if they do not get the freedom they desire, players will quit, go freelance and move to Dubai.
As I have said, that cash is hugely welcome and brings opportunity to the county game. It could yet work if the ECB were an organisation you could rely upon and whose word you could trust. Paying down debt and reducing interest payments alone will make a number of county CFOs sleep much better. There is a welcome, sensible focus on rebuilding facilities and diversifying business models. But it is something that counties have never been able to do before and I have major doubts most will be able to pull it off. What then?
But… [crash zoom to Ron Mael’s moustache]… it has brought a ton of money to county cricket.
I have applied for jobs at counties in the past. I got an interview at one then backed out when I found out the paltry salary. I do not bother any more, even Surrey struggle to get near the pay in football. Simply put, the pay for the strategic and administrative staff in county cricket will not attract the best talent and they are the ones delivering the change. Then there is the stature of cricket these days.
I have been teaching Masters students in sports business for five years. They are investing around £13,000 in a year of executive education in the hope of turning their passion into their career. Only one of these early twentysomethings was remotely interested in cricket and he hated the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named more than I. (Yes, it is possible). Football, men’s or women’s, and F1 are the destinations of choice.
County club boards are more highly-skilled but they are volunteers, often with a temporary tenure. And, in my experience, they are closed shops. Certainly I got the impression I was “the wrong sort” during my interview at Essex.
Rightly, the ECB are monitoring the spending of the new revenue and, along with the above, emphasise building reserves. As George Dobell pointed out in a recent podcast, this is rich. The governing body had reserves in abundance before this process began and he asserts that counties have been deliberately kept ‘weak and malleable then bribed with their own money’. This rings true given that at the Essex AGM, members were told we are in the middle of a decade of higher inflation and rising cricket costs, yet central payments to counties have been kept flat. And they are expected to go down in 2029. But, we were also told that the club are in financial peril and, of course,…
… [crash zoom to Ron Mael’s moustache]… it has brought a ton of money to county cricket.
As you know well by now, I am weary from the battle and resigned to, at best, the marginalisation of the cricket I enjoy and value. Dobell rightly calls it “grieving’ and, after my 2024, I have had my fill of that.
I cannot be bothered running through the same old arguments here or on social media. We live in a world where money talks. But in sports business, it shouts down a loudhailer. And, in this instance, it has spoken clear and distinctly.
There is nowhere to go. Just sit at the back of the stand and enjoy what you can, while you can. I do not agree with the notion of ‘moving on’ because then you shift the Overton Window of what is acceptable conduct and strategy from a governing body in charge of UK cricket.
And if you tolerate this, then your definition of meaningful sport will be next.
But, certainly, the franchise sales have brought a ton of money to county cricket.
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The tournament-that-shall-not-be-named…
H*ndred expansion a ‘no-brainer’ if investment succeeds, predicts ECB chief | The Guardian
Northern Superchargers sale clears Yorkshire debts - Colin Graves | BBC Sport
Much of which was to Mr Graves’ Trust, of course.
Investors who missed out on H*ndred sale keen to buy stakes in other counties | Times
There have been a spate of forward-looking speculative stories after the franchise sales. Let us see if any turn out to be true. Because, as this example demonstrates, sometimes it is all just paper talk.
Players moves, contracts, news
Yuzvendra Chahal returns to Northamptonshire for 2025 season | ESPNcricinfo
Queensland seamer Guthrie signs three-year Northamptonshire contract | ESPNcricinfo
Liam Guthrie: Australian paceman joins Northants on three-year deal | BBC Sport
Yorkshire sign South Australia bowler Jordan Buckingham | Bradford Telegraph and Argus
Yorkshire CCC Sign Ben Sears | Yorkshire CCC
Sussex sign George Thomas and Nantes Oosthuizen | Sussex Cricket
Somerset all-rounder Ben Green joins Leicestershire | Somerset County Gazette
Zak Foulkes: Durham sign New Zealand international seamer for T20 Blast | BBC Sport
Middlesex sign South African seamer Paterson | West London Sport
Australian All-Rounder Jack Edwards Signs For Hampshire | Hampshire CCC
Hain signs Warwickshire contract extension | Warwickshire CCC
Rishi Patel: Leicestershire batter signs new two-year deal | BBC Sport
Ben Raine extends Durham deal | Durham Cricket
Dan Mousley: Warwickshire's England all-rounder signs new contract | BBC Sport
Will Smeed: Somerset batter to play all formats in 2025 | BBC Sport
Roelof van der Merwe released from Somerset contract one year early | ESPNcricinfo
Broad Extends Contract With Northamptonshire | Northamptonshire CCC
Adam Lyth Signs New Contract Extension | Yorkshire County Cricket Club
Matthew Mott: Ex-England coach Matthew Mott to rejoin Glamorgan - BBC Sport
Matthew Walker joins Bears as Batting Coach | Warwickshire CCC
Wayne Madsen: Derbyshire reappoint batter as captain - BBC Sport
Derbyshire allrounder Lloyd stands down as captain | ESPNcricinfo
Peter Handscomb: Leicestershire appoint Australian as County Championship captain | BBC Sport
Sam Curran: Surrey appoint England all-rounder captain for T20 Blast - BBC Sport
Louis Kimber: Leicestershire name batter as captain of T20 Blast side - BBC Sport
News, Views and Interviews
‘I never wanted to work indoors’: Andy Ward on 40 years as a cricket groundsman | The Guardian
Nice piece on the effect the crammed calendar has on groundsmen.
Darren Lehmann interview: Bazball is a fantastic brand but it just does not win | Telegraph
Adam Hollioake: New Kent head coach made to feel very welcome - BBC Sport
Derbyshire Cricket - Peakfan's blog: Mickey Arthur - the reason why
Lehmann, Arthur and Hollioake all coaching in county cricket this season. Fantastic
Glamorgan: Welsh county report reduced annual loss and debt in 2024 | BBC Sport
Dan Ashworth: Former Man Utd sporting director working with Warwickshire | BBC Sport
Manchester City director of performance services James Thomas to join Warwickshire | ESPNcricinfo
Meet Martyn Ford: The county cricketer turned Hollywood hardman
The ICC Champions Trophy was a forgettable tournament. Not only for England, whose hubris has made them pretty unlikeable, but the success of the Indian side was tainted by the on-pitch advantages they enjoyed. Playing in one place gives them a huge edge over other teams, particularly at the end of a long competition. And an inability to accept this fact suggests there will be further problems in future years.
Festival of Red Ball Cricket returns for 2025 - Surrey CCC
Lord's tenant Middlesex County Cricket Club eyes end to mutual ownership | Sky News
Paul Pridgeon honoured as Worcestershire vice-president | Worcestershire CCC
This is not before time. The Cricket Regulator has been incredibly disappointing and far too cosy with the ECB, just like the governing body’s response to the rest of the ICEC Report.
But, hey, they have been busy with far more important things. See intro
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