No 21, July 15 - The Grumbler's County Cricket Newsletter
The ECB are not fit to govern the county game | The ECB are not fit to govern the county game | The ECB are not fit to govern the county game | The ECB are not fit to govern the county game
Honestly, I don’t know how to feel right now. This intro was supposed to be about an historic week ahead. The tournament-that-shall-not-be-named starts on Wednesday. I have been dreading it ever since it was first bulldozered into being a couple of years ago. My anger was distilled into one furious, fulsome chapter of my book. It prompted one reviewer to remark that, after reading it, he needed a long lie down in a dark room. He did not know that it had been toned down on advice from a friend. But the news that this horrific, greedy invention might rob fans of the Royal London Cup has tipped me over the edge once more. (Full story see below and here’s the latest from David Hopps). If it is pulled then, as an Essex fan, my competitive season has concluded before the mid-point of July. We won’t qualify for the latter stages of the Blast and September will be spent amusing ourselves for no real reason in Division Two of the Conference system. This all stinks to high heaven and, as I concluded that angry chapter, “it should never have come to this”.
News, views and interviews…
There is so much to unpack here. Firstly, it destroys the myth that the competition-that-shall-not-be-named is there to support the entire game. This is because the very members whose donations helped keep the lights on last season are now losing out. Why on earth would they keep faith and renew again after being treated in this disgraceful, unprecedented manner? Yes, ECB money from the TV deal was also crucial but rights of the new event comprises only 16 per cent of the overall figure. International fixtures were the vast majority. Don’t let them tell you it brought all the money in. It did not.
As I have said numerous times, no other sport has started an entirely new tournament with new teams in this pandemic. The only comparison is the XFL, an new American football competition in the US. Players and staffs had been appointed yet it was axed immediately by its ownership group, WWE. You can mock it all you want but the founder Vince McMahon knows what he is talking about in growing modern sports and entertainment. In fact, you can argue they are the best in the world. In the last 30 years, Monday Night Raw has become the most-watched weekly sports programme around the globe. In the same period, the ECB has presided over the drastic decline of English domestic cricket. They are now mired in a sunk-cost fallacy and so desperate to save face they are giving away tickets across the board and pilfering players from other teams to keep it going. In my opinion, they are not fit for purpose and cannot be trusted because they clearly do not care about the whole game.
Mark Robinson: Warwickshire coach says ECB must ensure One-Day Cup is protected (BBC)
As everything changes over the next month, don't forget the Royal London Cup (The Cricketer)
Before this story bubbled up, Paul Edwards wanted you to watch the Royal London Cup this season. For what it is worth, I concur.
County Championship: Yorkshire v Lancashire abandoned due to unsafe ground (BBC)
I have not seen Yorkshire’s new-ish ground development but it looks excellent. However the pitch is different. A couple of years ago, the game against Essex was washed out for the entire four days. Now there’s this. Clearly there is work to be done. On both occasions, there were social media grumblings that the ground staff were not working on the pitch and even that it was to Yorkshire's advantage not to play. The first should be clarified, especially as this game was switched from Scarborough at late notice.
Cricket is having its Moneyball moment (Wired)
Firstly, it is very nice to get cricket into Wired magazine. Secondly, this is really the tale of Cricviz, one of the leaders in analytics. 'Moneyball' has rolled through football too but it is still a long way away from full acceptance.
My piece with Leicestershire's Dan Weston in the The Cricket Paper at the weekend proved that.
Cricket, data and Foxes (The Cricket Paper)
The Success Mantra of New Zealand Cricket: Data & Analytics Platform (LinkedIN)
Short boundaries aid Durham's long shot as bonus points reach boiling point (ESPN Cricinfo)
I don't like this. But bringing in the boundary ropes to 60 metres each side is perfectly legal.
“Durham unveiled what were thought to be the shortest boundaries ever seen for a Championship match at Emirates Riverside, in a desperate gambit to gain as many batting bonus points as possible to maximise their chances of a top-two finish in the first phase of the competition."
New County Championship needs ‘tweaking’, says Yorkshire captain Steve Patterson (Yorkshire Post)
Undoubtedly the Conference system needs some work. Here's some thoughts from Steve Patterson. However, all the mutterings suggest the two division system could well return next season.
Tweet of the Week 1…
While this tweet did the rounds, I actually think this catch has been underrated. He dived full-length and pouched it in mid-air.
Let’s interrupt this newsletter for a game of county cricket
Here’s Alex Hales’ 187 from the Royal London Cup final of 2017.
Podcasts I like…
Nice array of deep, long-form interviews with the Cricket Badger podcast.
Links I like…
Join the Cricket Supporters Association, it’s free
County Cricket Matters - Buy the magazine direct or on Kindle
Tweets of the Week 2
Finally…
This is a fascinating pre-cursor of one-day cricket as we know it today. The International Cavaliers played televised friendlies in the mid-60s with the idea of encouraging local cricket. This side includes Compton, Sobers, Cowdrey, Benaud, Simpson, and Parks. It is cricket with a smile on its face.
Finally, finally…
Yes, I am still plugging my book on county cricket and midlife.
Buy through Amazon or through me for an autographed copy
🏴☠️ Buy from Independent bookshop | 🇺🇸 Buy in USA | 🇦🇺 Buy in Australia
