Who here regularly goes to domestic games?

[aussie]

yea i got to at lot of games at Old trafford, due to the fact that i only live 15 mins away & i am a club member so i dont have to pay to go in & stuff..

 

[Pothas]

i watch Hamphire about 7 or 8 times a year and my dad is a member

 

[Barney Rubble]

People watch 20/20 because the product meets the demand.

Even I, a hardened cricket geek, find Championship cricket dull. The one CC game I've been to only sustained my interest via a) Clarkewatch and b) taking the michael out of Jimmy Ormond.

I genuinely would rather watch U11s than it - to get full value from a game you have to see, or follow closely, the whole thing, and four days of a CC game just doesn't hold peoples attention like a T20 does. You wouldn't pay to read a quarter of a book...

I always find watching kids' games quite interesting. Even if the game's not great it can hold my interest, on the off chance some of the kids might show some real talent. Kids always have more enthusiasm, too - or at least they show more.

 

[Kiwi]

while in somerset I didnt go to any which is really poor since some games were just across the road from where I live. In New Zealand I do go to a few more. Helps that I know alot of the players though so have an interest. To be totally honest. I love playing cicket but dont have much interest in watching at all

 

[swede]

Defeatist attitude? I know the only reason I ever get along to game is because it's my job. People DO have less time to get out to lower-grade matches. What's the point of shortening the first-class matches when it's theoretically the breeding ground for future test players?

I do not suggest shortening first class games. This summers ashes should be the ideal for how to develop cricket. It was almost a throwback to when cricket was last a great game some 70 years ago before pitches destroyed a great game and made it into wars of attrition. It can become great again but never within a limited overs format.


Games need to be played positively and will then not last too long but plenty of overs need to be available.

I am suggesting experimenting with the over rate and hours in the day etc in order to make it possible for people to get to watch it. play days of 3 hours with a very high over rate and no breaks from say 5 - 8 making it possible for people to go after work. Will they? who knows.

Alternatively, play extremly long hours on saturday and sunday, perhaps with a session late on friday to start it off and another one on monday if the game goes the distance.

Another possibility is reducing the games to one innings. I dont actually see any problem in this. Its essentially first class cricket as long as there are enough overs available, say 120 overs on saturday and another 120 on sunday. on the right pitches thats plenty.

 

[marc71178]

All of those ideas seem a bit wierd to me to be fair, especially the 1 innings one.

 

[open365]

whatever you do to FC cricket,people are not going to watch it.

 

[steds]

I go to a couple of games a year, mostly One Day games, when I can be arsed walking to St Helens Junction (which is a fair treck) and jumping on the train to Manchester, Saints aren't playing (I missed a game because of the OT test this year because of the millions and zillions of people trying to get on the metrolink with me and my granddad can't walk quickly. I was gutted!) and when I have enough money to pay for the train.
I would go to First Class games more often if they started at a conveniently late enough time for me to sleep as long as I usually do and if I could stand a whole day of being closer to Yorkshire than KR.

 

[swede]

All of those ideas seem a bit wierd to me to be fair, especially the 1 innings one.

But why are 2 innings needed? the game is believed to be played over 2 innings only because the matches shouldnt finish to quickly in the days of rough pitches.

 

[swede]

whatever you do to FC cricket,people are not going to watch it.

why? I simply dont get this attitude.
interests in test have never been higher.

 

[steds]

In test matches you're seeing the best players in the world and there's a level of national pride attached.

 

[swede]

In test matches you're seeing the best players in the world and there's a level of national pride attached.

as was the case historically when people still followed county matches. The game seems to stand before another golden age. batters are attacking the ball like never before and in the real version of the game where the ball has to attack as well.

the county game should be developed in the same direction tests have, then there is surely all sorts of possibilities.

Do cricket followers have to be pessimists