county cricket championship format

[FBU]

quote "I love county cricket. But as a means of preparing England’s Test teams for flatter pitches abroad, county cricket isn’t up to the job".

quote "One solution would be regarded as too radical, but what the heck : 3 divisions of 6, with each team playing the other five in their division home and away; one up, one down.
That’s 10 games per team, in which every game counts.
Fast bowlers get a breather between matches, and can practise charging in at 90mph, not 82.
The members get to see a higher quality of cricket. Everyone is a winner".

10 games a season? Hardly any one would get 1000 runs or 50 wickets. As it is 1000 runs before May doesn't apply any more. No one has got 1000 and it is August. If I was a bowler I would want to be bowling every opportunity, not getting out of form because the matches are so far apart.

 

[CasMcG24]

Change it to 5-6 teams so only the best players are playing First-class cricket and the standard will increase dramatically

Well six works with a three division split.

 

[CasMcG24]

If they cut the championship fixtures further (we've already seen a reduction from 16 matches to 14) a lot of county members will simply not renew their memberships.

Yes but the rise of T20 cricket for the masses puts bums on seats... A sad side of reality.

 

[CasMcG24]

10 games a season? Hardly any one would get 1000 runs or 50 wickets. As it is 1000 runs before May doesn't apply any more. No one has got 1000 and it is August. If I was a bowler I would want to be bowling every opportunity, not getting out of form because the matches are so far apart.

Sheffield Shield... ? Seems we beat the Poms everytime... If memory serves... ?

 

[S.Kennedy]

Yes but the rise of T20 cricket for the masses puts bums on seats... A sad side of reality.

County memberships bring in £10 million per year. Most County members prefer the championship.

 

[CasMcG24]

County memberships bring in £10 million per year. Most County members prefer the championship.

Ah yes, purest form of the game nothing like it... I like the notion of T20 but it's just pure drivel smack the ball as hard as you like and that's the game... First class carries so much drama one day can change many times and hold such excitment and then you get four days... If it's not going well bring a book and then wait to see if something happens. And always bring a hamper!

 

[S.Kennedy]

Looking at the huge crowds at places like Arundel and Cheltenham I'm beginning to wonder if out-ground cricket is the key. County fans fundamentally don't like places like Edgbaston, Headingley, The Oval, etc. They like the beautiful traditional outgrounds, and purposely plan their itinerary to include these grounds.