Durham awarded Ashes Test (four years too late)

[Burgey]

Why would you worry so much about spreading the Test match love all over the place in England, as some are suggesting should be done? Wouldn't you be better off with 6-8 Test quality grounds and investing in their infrastructure to ensure they're always top quality and have large capacities etc?
I realise the structure over there encourages competitiveness between counties, but isn't it a bit of a waste of limited resources to have them all pile loads of cash into heaps of grounds in the hope of a test match, rather than improving a set number of venues?

Also, without sounding too prattish, it's hardly a long drive to a lot of the venues from other parts of the country is it? I haven't travelled too extensively in the UK, but **** me if you can't drive from Durham to Leeds (for example) to watch a test there's something wrong with you? What is it, 70-100 miles?
People travel from Newcastle and Wollongong to Sydney to watch a test (as an example) and they can generally get tickets because the ground has a big enough capacity to hold those who want to go (for the most part, there's the odd sell out in advance, like the last Ashes series). Why wouldn't the ECB put their resources into having a smaller number of really top quality, large venues?

I realise a number of these matters were addressed in another thread when I raised them, and thanks to those who responded. But wanted to put these thoughts here anyway.

Build it and they will come, etc.

[GIMH]

Originally Posted by Burgey

Why would you worry so much about spreading the Test match love all over the place in England, as some are suggesting should be done? Wouldn't you be better off with 6-8 Test quality grounds and investing in their infrastructure to ensure they're always top quality and have large capacities etc?
I realise the structure over there encourages competitiveness between counties, but isn't it a bit of a waste of limited resources to have them all pile loads of cash into heaps of grounds in the hope of a test match, rather than improving a set number of venues?

Also, without sounding too prattish, it's hardly a long drive to a lot of the venues from other parts of the country is it? I haven't travelled too extensively in the UK, but **** me if you can't drive from Durham to Leeds (for example) to watch a test there's something wrong with you? What is it, 70-100 miles?
People travel from Newcastle and Wollongong to Sydney to watch a test (as an example) and they can generally get tickets because the ground has a big enough capacity to hold those who want to go (for the most part, there's the odd sell out in advance, like the last Ashes series). Why wouldn't the ECB put their resources into having a smaller number of really top quality, large venues?

I realise a number of these matters were addressed in another thread when I raised them, and thanks to those who responded. But wanted to put these thoughts here anyway.

Build it and they will come, etc.

Yeah, the distance thing is definitely a fair point. I've travelled to every corner of England watching footy and made it back in the same day or at the very latest the early hours of the next day, so it's hardly a problem to do the same thing for cricket. In fact the only thing that stops me from doing Lord's for a Test here or there is the price of the tickets on top of the travel, but we're thinking of getting tickets for when the bangas are here as it might be cheaper...

That being said, I'm not sure how much the ECD spends on developing the grounds, and how much the counties spend, but it is by and large the counties as far as I know. They may get funding and what not from the ECB, but largely their grounds are their own.

For years we basically had the same venues hosting Tests, it's only a recent phenomenon all this multiple grounds malarky. In fact, Cardiff was as far as I know only the 8th ground to ever host an Ashes Test, and one of the other 7 doesn't even host cricket, Brammall Lane in Sheffield.