No 33, Oct 14 - The Grumbler's County Cricket Newsletter
Back to two divisions - confirmed | Northeast and all the moves | ECB chairman resigns | County awards | Somerset pessimism | Sussex optimism | Why Sherlock Holmes is named after two cricketers
So, finally, we know the format of next season’s County Championship. It’s two divisions, split 10 and eight, reverting to the post-2019 season positions. There was no perfect solution but all the delay has caused unnecessary consternation and the decisive meeting even seemed pivotal in the departure of the ECB chairman, see below. Personally, I prefer two divisions, though there were important plus points to the Conference system, most notably that it seemed likely to produce the sort of finish we all enjoyed last month. However, there could be a substitute if it were one-up, one-down because then the Bob Willis Trophy Final could become a promotion play-off between the second-bottom team in Division One and the second-top in Division Two. Just a thought.
Anyway, here’s all the latest from the county scene in the last fortnight. Remember, the newsletter will be appearing every other week in the close season.
Please send me your comments, feedback, suggestions and stories for upcoming editions.
Back to two divisions
LV= Insurance County Championship returns to two divisions in 2022 (ECB)
Ian Botham: Return to 2019 format is nuts (Times) $
If we were going back to two divisions it seemed pointless to have another campaign with three conferences, even though there is still the lingering possibility of Covid-disruption. With that in mind, I still don’t really understand why an interim decision could not have been made saying ‘you are playing for potential positions next season’ when they started the final group stage in September. Perhaps it could have influenced the final decision when counties voted. Turkeys, Christmas and all that. However Nottinghamshire nearly won the title and they are now back in Division Two.
And as Mike Atherton points out: “The change means that the five top run-scorers in the Championship this year — Tom Haines (Sussex), Jake Libby (Worcestershire), Sam Robson (Middlesex), David Bedingham (Durham), Matt Critchley (Derbyshire) — will all be in Division Two, as will four of the five top wicket-takers — Luke Fletcher (Nottinghamshire), Chris Rushworth (Durham), Tim Murtagh (Middlesex) and Dane Paterson (Nottinghamshire)”
Awards etc
End-of-Season Club Awards: Lancashire, Hampshire, Kent
County cricket 2021 awards: the Spin’s final word on the season (Guardian)
Alex Wakely and Lynn Wilson are inducted into Northamptonshire's Hall of Fame (CricketWorld)
The Grumbler's County Championship team of the season - 2021 (The Cricket Paper)
I should have put Rob Yates in my team. My bad.
Uncapped England Test XI: County cricket's breakthrough stars of 2021 (Telegraph) ($)
But Scyld Berry did put him in his ‘breakthrough’ side.
Moves, contracts and departures
Signing: Sam Northeast signs three-year Glamorgan deal (Cricinfo)
When Sam Northeast is mentioned on county fans' social media someone normally chimes in cryptically about his ‘character’. I have no idea about that but I do believe this could be the domestic signing of the off-season.
Signing: Shaheen Afridi (Middlesex)
Contracts: Paterson (Notts), Browne (Essex), Finch (Worcestershire), Morris (Worcestershire), Phillips, Torvin (Glamorgan), Briggs (Warks)
Coaching: Chilton (Lancashire), Henderson (Leicestershire)
Departures: Kuhn (Kent), Stevenson and Taylor (Hampshire)
Ronnie Irani steps down from Essex board (Cricinfo)
News, views and interviews
Ian Watmore stands down as ECB chairman with immediate effect (Cricinfo)
The 'shambolic' meeting that cost Ian Watmore his job as ECB chairman (Telegraph) ($)
Ian Watmore arrived with a decent reputation as a steady hand and the type of diplomatic figure the ECB needed after a fractious few years. Now we are back to square one. For me, this was almost inevitable. While the counties and their members have a justified reputation for intransigence, the governing body chose to bulldoze through the changes they required and, at times, legally muzzled dissent before going on to suggest to the outside world that everything smelt of roses. It has created a damaging them-and-us atmosphere that reflects horribly on the ECB suits. And if they thought there were going to be no repercussions then they are even more deluded than I thought. Or to put it another way, the fact it was an issue that Watmore went to a Jethro Tull concert rather than go for a drink (as reported in the Telegraph) suggests all was not well before anyone sat down. Not that I was there, of course.
Here’s a blog from Ed Warner, former Head of UK Athletics, throwing his hat in the ring. There is little detail here but I like his tone and concern for the county game.
Candid cricket ace Chris Wood relives crippling gambling addiction (CountyTimes)
I thought this was overly bleak, especially when it suggested that Somerset "may very well cease to exist at all after 2025 in any form that any of us would like to see". But the comments from followers heartily agreed. Understandably, there is some pessimism surrounding a high-quality side who just can't seem to get over the line in the County Championship and, as one commenter points out, perhaps the chance for this team has been missed over the last few seasons. Especially as the likes of Dom Bess and Jamie Overton have been lured elsewhere.
Rob Andrew says Sussex will sign players to help youngsters (Argus)
Well, they certainly need to after their first wooden spoon in 21 years. Steve Finn and Fynn Hudson-Prentice have arrived but, experience-wise, they barely fill the hole left by Phil Salt and Chris Jordan. The fledgling Martlets will get better year-on-year and I take the point about building for the medium or long-term. But, by then, the 'transfer market' for county players could be very different with the rich clubs feasting on the poor like never before. This is a major repercussion of the ECB enacting changes that exacerbate inherent inequalities between traditional counties.
Here are my two final columns from The Cricket Paper this season:
How to say goodbye to a cricket season, career or life (The Cricket Paper)
Partial refunds available for 2021 Members (Warwickshire)
The champions are offering £20 back to Members for the games missed. Not seen this elsewhere.
[Correction from reader Martin Searle: “Surrey have offered a little over £30 back for games missed because of Covid”]
Hampshire Secure 2021 Second XI Championship Title (Hampshire CCC)
Dan Ashworth, ex-FA boss, to join Warwickshire committee (BBC)
This is different but we should expect to see more of it in the years to come. Just like we hate to see singers try to act or actors trying to sing, we are skeptical of anyone attempting to cross sports. However, in the era of ‘high performance’ there are many core skills and anything ‘different’ can provide an edge.
Dan Weston, Leicestershire’s recruitment analyst (aka Moneyball geek) is a former professional gambler and poker player. I produced a lengthy podcast with him for my day job. Website | Apple Podcast | Spotify
Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock meets Cricket (All About Cricket)
This is not a new piece but, as a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, it caught my eye. I did not know Arthur Conan Doyle played the first-class game and got the name of his iconic detective from two of his cricketing opponents.
We interrupt this newsletter for a game of county cricket
This video starts with Middlesex needing 16 off the last four overs with five wickets left. These days that would be a stroll even for tail-enders but this was the NatWest Trophy final in 1984. Incredibly the game went down to the final ball with Messers Edmonds and Emburey on strike.
Tweet of the Week 1
This is the position Yorkshire have put themselves in by dragging their feet over releasing the report into Azeem Rafiq’s claims of racism. A normally positive tweet becomes a negative story. Unless there are some unknown issues, I can’t fathom their end-game by continuing to delay the full, unredacted report.
Yorkshire mocked after posting ‘ironic’ tweet promoting anti-racism message (Wisden)
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
Turn your audio on to hear the shrieks of fun created by a real-life, wet-morning-in-the-park community scheme. Dads-and-lads sport is common. Mums and girls playing games together is much more rare. Chapeau.
Finally…
I don’t think I have seen an older county cricket video than this one from the St Lawrence Ground in 1913. Incredible scenes of life over 100 years ago and soooo many lovely hats.
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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Coincidentally, Conan Doyle's cricket career got a mention in the Guardian's weekend quiz yesterday, iro his only first-class wicket (WG, no less).