No 30, Sept 16 - The Grumbler's County Cricket Newsletter
Championship finale | Back to two divisions next season? | Blast Finals Day previews | Trouble at Essex | Trouble at Cricinfo too? | Holding and ten doeschate retire | My letter to a Cabinet minister
By this time next week, the Vitality Blast trophy will have been won and, more importantly, the County Championship will be well on the way to its final destination. As you will read below, I hope the reports are true and we will be returning to two divisions next season. However, I must confess the conference system is always likely to create the exciting denouement we’ll see this week with three or four clubs having a chance of lifting the trophy.
I was at The Oval on Monday to see Sir Alastair Cook caress another glorious 150. It would later emerge that he could “be forced” to retire after the next round of games. My spidey-sense is already tingling over this winter. I can see major changes in personnel, formats and other areas as we start to think about a post-pandemic world, consider its financial impact and digest the lessons of the seismic shift created by the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named.
Final Championship fixtures
Lancashire v Hampshire
Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire
Warwickshire v Somerset
Essex v Northamptonshire
Gloucestershire v Durham
Surrey v Glamorgan
Kent v Middlesex
Sussex v Derbyshire
Worcestershire v Leicestershire
T20 Blast Finals Day news
T20 Blast Finals Day: All you need to know (The Cricketer)
Crawley: “It would be massive to win it” (Kent CCC)
Inside the Mascot Race, an annual bout of glorious silliness (The Cricketer)
The first 10,000 men's T20s in numbers (The Cricketer)
Moves
Ryan ten Doeschate to retire from professional cricket at end of 2021 (Cricinfo)
Personally speaking, this is the most poignant story ever to appear in this newsletter. I have known Ryan since he joined Essex 19 years ago. He thought he had missed the chance of a professional career but was spotted while playing against Essex by Graham Gooch. He did not really want to feature in the game and was feeling the effects of a hangover. Ryan is a self-made cricketer in so many ways, the type of dashing batsmen we would all like to be. I have been fortunate to know many famous sportspeople who are excellent in their discipline. However my respect for them was reserved for their achievements on the pitch. With Ryan, it grows as you know him off it.
As current Essex captain Tom Westley said: “He epitomises what it means to play for this great club, and his name deserves to be alongside the likes of Fletcher, Gooch, Bailey and Insole.”
OUT - Levi (Northamptonshire), Barber, Compton (Notts)
STAYING - Smith (Glamorgan), Green (Somerset)
SIGNING - Pollock (Worcestershire)
News, Views and Interviews
County Championship reported to be returning to familiar format (Guerrilla Cricket, via Times)
Looks like we’re going back to the future here. Two divisions with promotion and relegation. It will be decided next month and, possibly, the fixtures will be out by December.
The big question - if Notts win the 2020 title would they put them back in Division Two, which is where they were when the Conference system started?
Bring back two divisions in the County Championship (The Cricketer)
Either I have missed it or the reasons for introducing the Conference have never been properly outlined. Yes, there was a need for localisation due to Covid and when they were planning the 2020 season we were still locked up at home. But, for me, two divisions was always the right balance between the needs of the England team and those of the counties. Whether the distribution is nine and nine or eight and 10 (I edge towards the latter), I would suggest one guaranteed promotion and relegation place with the second bottom in Division One and second top in Division Two playing a one-off game which also wins the Bob Willis Trophy.
One point I'd make about the piece. Yes, the public currently loves Test cricket but the value of media rights for the long-form game have started to wain. Reportedly, it was this which prompted the development of the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named. I suppose the concern is the same as that surrounding County Championship cricket, there is an audience now but it will dwindle quickly when this generation dies off.
Dear Mr Dowden, first-class counties are 'art treasures' too (Cricket Paper)
My letter to then Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden asking him to treat first-class counties similar to the way he wants to treat football clubs - like art treasures that should be preserved.
Troubling tales at Chelmsford.
Why is it that we watch sport? (The Cricketer)
If you support a team in Group 2 or 3 this September then you have probably been asking yourself this question.
Azeem Rafiq reiterates 'institutional problem' claim after Yorkshire publish report (York Press)
The media release of this report was timed for the start of the Test on Friday. The smokescreen under which they wanted to operate would become much more opaque with the cancellation of the Test however it still smacks of an evasion to answer important accusations. For me, this works against Yorkshire as I assume the fact that only seven of the 43 allegations were upheld, often through insufficient evidence, as a result of the county's failures to embrace the investigation NOT the fact they might be invalid.
Even as the report came out Azeem's lawyer said: "We must highlight the atrocious way this process continues to be handled. Azeem was not given any notice of this morning's statement - he received a copy only a couple of minutes before the media.
"Azeem and his team are not in a position to properly understand the club's conclusions and how they reached them, because Yorkshire has not provided a copy of the report. This is clearly unacceptable and an abuse of process."
A nice tale about how Trent Bridge came to be.
Lancashire 2011: Stephen Moore and Paul Horton (BBC Lancs)
Interviews commemorating 10 years since Lancashire won the Championship title.
We interrupt this newsletter for a game of county cricket
Here is Somerset’s victory in a shortened T20 Cup final in 2005. This form of cricket has changed so much since then.
Tweet of the Week 1
The tone of this is truly concerning. George Dobell has spoken truth to cricketing power in recent years. If he is leaving ESPN Cricinfo on a point of principle then we should be worried.
Links I like…
Join the Cricket Supporters Association, it’s free
County Cricket Matters - Buy the magazine direct or on Kindle
Tweet of the Week 2
Finally…
Michael Holding was a hell of a bowler, generating searing pace thanks to one of the most graceful, fluid run-ups the game has ever seen. Even his nickname was scary. As a commentator, his voice was evocative and his words were always well-chosen. Even though it brought tears to his eyes, this was his finest hour at the microphone. He retired this week.
Finally, finally…
Yes, I am still plugging my book on county cricket and midlife.
Buy through Amazon or through me for an autographed copy
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