Domestic cricket revamp.

[river end]

I think the ACT would have a better chance of working because you could bring in surrounding NSW regions as catchment areas or even some of Northern Victoria.

NT - the vast majority of the population lives at the top end around Darwin so having a team playing their home games nearly half a continent away in Alice Springs is ridiculous really. I don't think this could ever work. I doubt a town of 26,000 population would be able to host first class matches on a regular basis, if at all.

A 2nd X1 competition - I don't agree with this. If we are going to revamp domestic cricket it needs to be to create extra 'spice' and interest in the current domestic competition (Pura Cup/Shield/One-day-domestic).
And I mean Genuine media and public interest - To me all a 2nd X1 comp will do is just act as another boring feeder competition to the Australian team. There is already more than enough support and interest for the national team.
It's not fair on the vast majority of FIRST CLASS cricketers who may never get the chance to play for Australia. They deserve better (than being watched by a handful of people).
Bring in another 2 teams; 1 based in Sydney like Darren Berry suggests OR the ACT and 1 based in Melbourne or Brisbane.

1 NSW
2 Victoria
3 Qld
4 SA
5 WA
6 Tas
7 ACT / Sydney / Northern NSW?
8 Melbourne OR Brisbane / Gold Coast

2 groups of 4 teams each
* each team plays each other team in their group home and away
* each team plays each team in the other pool ONCE
* top 2 teams in each pool playoff to play the playoff winner of other pool
* The 2 groups change every year to ensure even spread of opponents

 

[Poker Boy]

I sent a letter to Martin Sneddon to look into about getting 2 NZ teams into the Austalian set up North and Sth Is. that was back in 1998 I sent that letter.. he explained in his letter that it is something they have consided however it is a complex arrangement from both sides of the tasman with many elements from sponsorship to player payment for both parties to agree on. Its strange now because I really didnt think nearly 10 years later (give or take a year) it hasnt happen yet... while other codes just keep expanding.. netball is the latest.

mind you: 20/20 is said to change that in a year or two.

Funny thing is, if NZ teams play in Aussie domestic cricket it wouldn't be the first time -the NZ national team played in the Australian domestic OD competition until 1975 - winning it three times - so if they managed then they could manage it now if they wanted to....

 

[sideshowtim]

One of Australia's strengths is our small domestic competition which compounds the talent and leads to a far higher level of competition. This prepares cricketers for Test cricket better than any domestic competition in the world. Plus, the constant pressure of losing your spot sorts the wheat from the chaff. You're put under pressure at a very young age, and if you overcome it and score runs under such pressure, you have shown that you are capable of scoring under pressure, which is vital in Test situations.

I don't see the need to expand our competition at the top level, but someone mentioned expanding the Second XI level, and that's something I definitely agree with. Each side only plays 2 matches a year in the CA Cup, and that simply isn't enough....There needs to be more 'formalised' and more 'professional' cricket played at a level lower than Shield.

Not that I think there is much wrong with our set up at the moment. It's easily the best in the world....I don't see any need for radical change.

 

[river end]

One of Australia's strengths is our small domestic competition which compounds the talent and leads to a far higher level of competition. This prepares cricketers for Test cricket better than any domestic competition in the world. Plus, the constant pressure of losing your spot sorts the wheat from the chaff. You're put under pressure at a very young age, and if you overcome it and score runs under such pressure, you have shown that you are capable of scoring under pressure, which is vital in Test situations.

I don't see the need to expand our competition at the top level, but someone mentioned expanding the Second XI level, and that's something I definitely agree with. Each side only plays 2 matches a year in the CA Cup, and that simply isn't enough....There needs to be more 'formalised' and more 'professional' cricket played at a level lower than Shield.
Not that I think there is much wrong with our set up at the moment. It's easily the best in the world....I don't see any need for radical change.

The problem with that is.....the standard of almost all 'Test' cricket now that Australians face is inferior to what they play in the Pura Cup - especially for batsman.
Which is why a guy like Mike Hussey can make his test debut when he is 30 (yes, 30!!) and pretty much straight away become an international superstar and have a Bradmanesque average after nearly 20 tests.

No way is bringing in a couple more teams at Shield level going to be detrimental to Australia's competitiveness at international level - We are so far in front of everyone else it's not funny - and there is no danger of us dropping below very competitive.
Other countries have and are dropping off and losing their enthusiasm for cricket - especially competing at the elite level. And in this changing world there's no way I can see them rising again.