No 154, May 15: The Grumbler's County Cricket Newsletter
🟣 Champ previews 🟢 Can Notts stay top? 🟠 Lancashire say sorry and change skipper 🔴 Criticism of ECB's county strategy 🔵 Buy a flat in the Oval gasholder... from an ex-Surrey star 🟡 Kent sign duo
County Champ - previews
Click on each team for a different preview
Division One
Durham vs Nottinghamshire
Ben Duckett: England batter extends contract with Nottinghamshire | BBC Sport
Brydon Carse: England bowler returns from injury for Durham - BBC Sport
Somerset vs Sussex
Surrey vs Yorkshire
Warwickshire vs Hampshire
Warwickshire: Chris Rushworth nears return before Hampshire match - BBC Sport
Worcestershire vs Essex
Division Two
Gloucestershire vs Kent
Loan signings bolster Kent’s squad for two rounds of Championship fixtures | Kent Cricket
Jake Ball: Kent sign seamer from Somerset on loan | BBC Sport
Lancashire vs Derbyshire
Keaton Jennings: Lancashire captain stands down after poor start - BBC Sport
Lancashire Stick By Coach, Captain Resigns After Horror Start To County Championship Season | Wisden
Middlesex vs Leicestershire
Glamorgan vs Northamptonshire
Notts leg-spinner Calvin Harrison extends loan stay with Northants | Northants Telegraph
Northamptonshire sign Lloyd Pope after Ashton Agar withdrawal | The Cricketer ($)
Australian All-Rounder Hayden Kerr Joins Glamorgan | Glamorgan Cricket News
Also…
Josh De Caires to lead County XI as Mark Wood tests coaching credentials | ESPNcricinfo
I am asking because I have had a few messages saying they wanted that big, moany, opening diatribe back. In other words, The Grumbler ain't grumbling no more. That is true. But, as I said at the start of the season, I am disillusioned with the calibre of leadership in English cricket. In thousands of words over the past five years, I have tried to point out how they have cleverly and assiduously rigged the rules of engagement in their favour. Stung by the failure to push through the key features of the Strauss Report, they have neutered opposition and ignored the game's democratic structures so that Rob Andrew's group can push through pretty much the same thing.
This early run of Championship games is the best part of the season. So I am just enjoying it while I can. This period will be smaller and, for me, a little sadder next season.
☕️ When I started this newsletter I made two promises, it will be free forever and your data will never be misused. If you like this newsletter (and you can afford it) please consider buying me a coffee via Ko-Fi or subscribe via Patreon. All coffee buyers are name-checked in the next edition.☕️
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PS 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.
County Champ - Last Round reviews
County cricket talking points: Notts soar higher as Lancashire sink lower | The Guardian
Week 6 Rothesay County Championship Review | Deep Extra Cover
County Championship R6 Team of the Week: Ben Foakes sends England a reminder | Cricket Paper
County Championship 2025 Round 6 | Ashes Tourist
Close, But No Cigar | Rain Stopped Play, inspection at 3
Foakes, Fisher secure safety for Surrey as Edgbaston pitch proves too flat | Cricinfo
Yorkshire somehow fail to finish Essex off at Chelmsford | Bradford Telegraph and Argus
Jake Libby shines in vein as Worcestershire fall ot Sussex | Kidderminster Shuttle
Unlikely batting hero Sanderson believes division two promotion race is ‘wide open’ | Daventry Express
Hampshire coach Adi Birrell on thrashing by Nottinghamshire | Daily Echo
Lyndon James: Nottinghamshire start down to whole team 'putting hands up' | BBC Sport
Ben Kellaway: the ambidextrous spinner taking county cricket by storm | Telegraph
Update from John Abrahams and Mark Chilton | Lancashire CCC
Lancashire are the worst side in England | Telegraph
An old football journalist once told me: “When the crowd sing ‘sack the board’, you can bet the board will sack the manager”.
Harris Misses WTC Final, Eyes New County Challenge | Impressive Times
News Views and Interviews
Subsidence experts ‘hitting sixes’ for county cricket club| National World
Somerset former player Arul Suppiah discusses Anorexia | Somerset County Gazette
Cricket paying the price for being ruled by the big stick, and the big cheque | The Guardian
Really good piece from Barney Ronay. The temporary postponement of the IPL showed a small sliver of the subservience that English cricket now has to Indian interests.
And this is only the start.
Speaking of which…
Bob Cowper: Obituary | Surrey CCC
Dutch CEO Hendrikse: ‘Above all, the KNCB needs peace – and more sponsorship!’ - Emerging Cricket
Alec Stewart announced as ECB honorary life vice-president | Surrey CCC
Fully deserved
No second chances for England outcasts as Bazball shows its ruthless side | Times
This is being developed by a company run by former England bowler Chris Tremlett
Oval Village - The Halo | Pitchbook Property
The Home Office’s next big headache? English cricket | Telegraph
Finally, an important and rather sad interview. To be honest, I had little time for Dermot Reeve when he was playing. He was too unnecessarily abrasive for me. But, undoubtedly, he was innovative, successful and made the most of his ability.
I wish him all the best with his recovery.
The story of this newsletter
This newsletter started in January 2021 because, frankly, no one else was publishing one and the county game lacked promotion. It will always be free and we will never misuse your data.
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