No 26, Aug 18 - The Grumbler's County Cricket Newsletter

Royal London Cup final news and previews | Format for 2022 Championship | More scheduling issues | Blast QF tickets flying | Stoneman to Middx | Yorkshire racism report delay

Aug 18, 2021

I am really looking forward to the Royal London Cup final and, naturally, it dominates this edition. As much as I was desperate for Essex to get there, it is pleasing to see counties like Glamorgan and Durham enjoy their day in the sun. It is this emotion that sets cricket fans apart from other sporting supporters. As much as I want my team to win, I want the sport to win too.

Royal London Cup final

Scott Borthwick says Royal London Cup still a prize worth fighting for (Cricinfo)

This really should not be worth saying. It should be the FA Cup final of the county game.

Late starter Michael Hogan will lead Glamorgan attack in Royal London Cup final against Durham (Cricinfo)

At 40, Michael Hogan is the only bowler in this year’s Royal London Cup whose economy rate is less than three-per-over. Some will see this as an indication of low standards within county cricket but I do not. We have often seen batters and spin go on beyond their fourth decade but rarely anyone with any level of pace. However, experience is telling more and more these days. Darren Stevens has become a much more effective bowler in his latter years and Ryan ten doeschate has been in the wickets for Essex in the Royal London Cup this season.

PAUL NEWMAN: Don't forget the 50-over Royal London Cup final even if the ECB want you to... a positive of undermining one of cricket's crown jewels is the chance now given to gifted youngsters (Daily Mail)

Paul Newman nails it. Like the Bob Willis Trophy last season, the Royal London Cup has far exceeded my expectations this term. There have been healthy crowds and, remember, they are paying full prices, not free or subsidised, and there has been very little promotion or marketing. There were only 40 hours between Durham beating Surrey in the second semi and the start of the final yet I suspect many of their fans will make it to Nottingham along with a healthy hoard of Glamorgan supporters. If Essex had got there I would have been travelled up. Had it been staged in London, I’d have bunked off work and gone as a neutral.

Schedulers can say Royal London Cup timetable will change but that does not make it right... the tournament deserves care (The Cricketer)

Wow. What a nugget from Sam Dalling - "The Cricketer understands that Somerset - had they progressed to defend their 2019 title - were seriously considering a home play-off game behind closed doors. Yes, the dates have been in the calendar since the winter, but servicing a crowd of 5,000 requires caterers and appropriate stewarding levels, and right now clubs can ill-afford to promise pay when there is only a slim chance an event will happen."

That would have been so embarrassing for the ECB.

Rebuilding Durham (The Cricketer)

Like many neutrals, I’ll be favouring Durham on Thursday. They deserve some success after a tough few years.

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News, views and interviews

County teams backing conference-style County Championship plot for 2022 with 12 out of 18 clubs understood to be in favour of system (Mail)

I have never really understood the impetus behind the change from two divisions to three conferences in 2020, apart from the need for local opposition in Covid times. Now I am not sure in the delay in announcing next year's plan. I assume it will have to be cleared up before the Championship restarts as this year's final table may determine next season's starting positions.

T20 Blast could take place entirely before The Hundred in 2022 (Cricketer)

Look at the actions of this year, I have no trust in the ECB's competence or good intentions with regard to the scheduling of county cricket. Whatever happens, you know which competition comes first, second and third in their minds.

"The past is never dead. It's not even past" (Cricketer)

No glib comments from me. This piece is by Paul Edwards. It is wistful and a tad sentimental but lovely nonetheless. Just read it

Mark Stoneman joins Middlesex (Middlesex CCC)

Another major player moves counties, initially on loan but it will made permanent at the end of the season. Middlesex need major surgery but I still believe the financial effects of the pandemic is bringing about some of these early moves. Getting Stoneman off the wage bill for a couple of months will benefit even a county as rich as Surrey.

Azhar Ali returns (Somerset CCC)

Somerset made an error when they signed Murali Vijay to support their title push at the end of the 2019 season. Personally, I don't like these short-term end-of-season signings unless, like Azhar Ali, they know the club and the league well.

Will Jacks and Ryan Patel sign new contracts (Surrey CCC)

Dan Ibrahim: Sussex reward teenager with 'multi-year' deal (BBC Sport)

Until the Royal London Cup, I did not realise that Ibrahim was classed as an all-rounder. I just hope these exciting Sussex kids stay at Hove and don't get tempted, like many before them, to move up to south London.

Blast Quarter-Final Sales Power Past 10k (Trent Bridge)

This is good in comparison to the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named. In addition, Somerset sold out their quarter a full fortnight ahead of the first ball. And remember, this is with full-price and no free adverts on the BBC, plus the marketing of the tournament did not use up all the game's financial reserves. If the Blast had the same backing as you-know-what then it would have dominated its slot in the summer. That is why, for me, articles such as these are wrong-headed. Of course the new event is sparking debate. It was designed to do so and is being pushed relentlessly on the BBC. This is critical, just look at the growth of women's football in recent years. Free-to-air television always grows your sport. This fact just compounds the ECB's disastrous error of taking Tests away from free-to-air television in 2005. The 2019 World Cup final was immensely popular despite the Wimbledon final and British Grand Prix being staged on the same day. Around nine million watched coverage on Channel 4 (5.4m alone) and Sky, with 15.4 million catching some part of the game. Almost one third were new to cricket as it was the first live match shown on free-to-air television in 14 years. Of course, this was 50-over cricket and, so we are told, hard to understand. But it gripped the nation.

My point is this - the new event is not gripping the nation now, the game of cricket on free-to-air television is gripping the nation. But just look at 2019 or 2005, other formats have done that and, despite never being shown on terrestrial TV, T20 brought in a new audience in 2004 was still creating ticket sales records in 2019. Good sport, well-covered and easily available on television is loved by the Brits. That is why FA Cup first round tie between lower league teams normally gets a greater audience than most Premier League games on Sky. We are a sports-crazy nation who do crazy things like selling out every day of the Paralympics in 2012. Something that is virtually unheard of. Also, if you are anything like me, you spent many mornings at the start of the month engrossed in BMX racing and Canoe Slalom on the BBC. But these sports are not patting themselves on the back at the ground-breaking disruption (and destruction) they have brought to the market.

Azeem Rafiq furious as Yorkshire stall on publishing racism report: ‘No-one has been held accountable’ (iNew)

Azeem Rafiq calls on ECB, politicians to intervene after Yorkshire delay publication of racism report (Cricinfo)

This is getting out of hand and it is shambolic PR. It is playing out as if certain parties do not want the report disclosed, with even the ECB telling Yorkshire to hurry up. One truism of communications strategy is that the cover up is normally worse than the crime. Many of the key details are in these pieces anyway.

Also, respect for Rafiq for turning down the offer of a six-figure sum from Yorkshire which was conditional on him signing a non-disclosure agreement. He said: “This has never been about money for me and it never will be. I want change. I want the next generation to be to able to play cricket without the abuse I have suffered."

As an aside, the ECB got counties to sign non-disclosure agreements to stop them talking about the tournament-that-shall-not-be named. In my opinion this is one of their most shameful acts around the entire event.

Like the many who will follow him, red-ball Ravi will be missed (The Cricket Paper)

My piece from The Cricket Paper last weekend. Ravi Bopara is unlikely to play red-ball cricket again. He is not the first and many more will follow suit. But still it makes me sad.