English Domestic Cricket

[wasteyouryouth]

Interesting..

The Bob Willis Trophy will have first-class status, although there are a number of changes to playing regulations, including:

• There will be a reduction to a minimum of 90 overs in a day’s play
• Each county’s first innings of a match can last no longer than 120 overs
• The follow-on will increase from 150 to 200 runs
• The new ball will be available after 90 overs rather than 80 overs

 

[Neptune]

The last point is interesting. New ball after 90 overs when it's possible for a day to have only 90 overs of play?

 

[wasteyouryouth]

The last point is interesting. New ball after 90 overs when it's possible for a day to have only 90 overs of play?

Yeah it's an odd one. Maybe it's to balance out the 120 over innings limit.

 

[Neptune]

The more I think of it, the more reasonable it becomes. It will also encourage the fielding team to increase their over rate so that they get as many overs with the new ball as possible

 

[wasteyouryouth]

The Bob Willis Trophy has started.

It's only taken a pandemic for the ECB to happen on the best format for the modern day first class county tournament.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Kent did ok.

 

[Yash.]

They could have batted better IMO

Kent did ok.

View attachment 236308

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Yorkshire doing well considering it's only day 1.

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Really interesting and, sadly, unsurprising article this.

'Others did less but got more': England's lost generation of black cricketers | Sport | The Guardian

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Guess he would be considered as a standby for the test team and in case of restrictions, if he's already in England, it makes sense for India to have someone in the country and not carrying drinks.

 

[JazbaJunoon]

This thread makes me wanna play Cricket Captain again lol.

 

[Aislabie]

Ah yes, the place to have a little rant about the County Championship restructure.

Now, I'll be the first to admit the Coounty Championship has had problems for pretty much as long as it's existed, but the new changes don't fix anything. Historically, county cricketers play too much cricket and usually do so at times the playing conditions ill-suit the development of new talent.

If I were in charge, I'd be looking at two divisions of nine, two-up two-down, with each team playing eight County Championship game. That'd be one red-ball game per fortnight (with one bye round), allowing for teams to more or less prepare for each game like a Test match. And spreading the league phase over 18 weeks means it can run from May to August and get the best of the conditions.

To give teams from both division something to play for, I'd also be for a six-team knockout at tbe end of the season with the top two from Div 2 and the top four from Div 1. Naturally one of those competitions crowns the County Championship and one crowns the Bob Willis Trophy winner.

There are a few things that need to occur, which I think my proposal allows for:
1. Play less cricket; no other country makes its players grind through more than a 10 (+ final) game season. This should reduce the fast bowler killing workload
2. Play more cricket in the height of summer; more specifically when pitches spin.
3. Allow every county a shot at silverware; see end of season players.
4. Make sure the fans can follow it; no redrawing groups mid-season, just a nine-team league.
5. Better replicate the intensity and preparation of a Test match - a two-week buildup for a competition where every game is vital. Maybe allow for more overseas talent after covid

 

[wasteyouryouth]

Ah yes, the place to have a little rant about the County Championship restructure.

Now, I'll be the first to admit the Coounty Championship has had problems for pretty much as long as it's existed, but the new changes don't fix anything. Historically, county cricketers play too much cricket and usually do so at times the playing conditions ill-suit the development of new talent.

If I were in charge, I'd be looking at two divisions of nine, two-up two-down, with each team playing eight County Championship game. That'd be one red-ball game per fortnight (with one bye round), allowing for teams to more or less prepare for each game like a Test match. And spreading the league phase over 18 weeks means it can run from May to August and get the best of the conditions.

To give teams from both division something to play for, I'd also be for a six-team knockout at tbe end of the season with the top two from Div 2 and the top four from Div 1. Naturally one of those competitions crowns the County Championship and one crowns the Bob Willis Trophy winner.

There are a few things that need to occur, which I think my proposal allows for:
1. Play less cricket; no other country makes its players grind through more than a 10 (+ final) game season. This should reduce the fast bowler killing workload
2. Play more cricket in the height of summer; more specifically when pitches spin.
3. Allow every county a shot at silverware; see end of season players.
4. Make sure the fans can follow it; no redrawing groups mid-season, just a nine-team league.
5. Better replicate the intensity and preparation of a Test match - a two-week buildup for a competition where every game is vital. Maybe allow for more overseas talent after covid

Three groups of six is what I've wanted to see for as long as they'd had two divisions. Shame it took a global pandemic for it to happen. The midseason split is stupid but when it comes to cricket I'm never surprised when cricket administrators take something simple and complicate it. Just have two home and away matches. Group winners and the best finishing second place team into a semi and final.

 

[Aislabie]

Three groups of six is what I've wanted to see for as long as they'd had two divisions. Shame it took a global pandemic for it to happen. The midseason split is stupid but when it comes to cricket I'm never surprised when cricket administrators take something simple and complicate it. Just have two home and away matches. Group winners and the best finishing second place team into a semi and final.

I could roll with that, although I'd probably say six teams to the playoffs, with the two best group winners getting directly into the semis. Just because there's always the possibility of the two best teams being in the same division, and if they take points off each other then one of them will probably miss the semis.

I'd also have the groups divided geographically, because local rivalries are fun

 

[wasteyouryouth]

I could roll with that, although I'd probably say six teams to the playoffs, with the two best group winners getting directly into the semis. Just because there's always the possibility of the two best teams being in the same division, and if they take points off each other then one of them will probably miss the semis.

I'd also have the groups divided geographically, because local rivalries are fun

Play-offs I don't really mind, I do like the eliminator style that gives an advantage to group winners. I agree, geographically is the best way to do it.