The Hundred could be scrapped

[swede]

Thanks for info. I have never liked the idea of a play off or final in the first class game - it does not work well with the format.

To be fair, an earlier conclusion to the Blast and a slight reduction in fixtures are not bad ideas.

A four-match september championship series could be great in my opinion. It should get the full test package with production standards, drs etc. It could seriously raise the profile of the championship and non-test players would love to play in it.

It would get some structure to the season and lots of red-ball cricket with the championship regular season concluding just before the major test series of the summer followed by the hundred and then the championship series.

 

[Third_Man]

I quite like it. The championship having spring all to itself in the IPL window works great in my opinion but there is no need to go down to just eight games. I would have division one of 12 teams - 11 games. This can get done by early june. Division two of six teams - 10 games.

More teams in the top divison is good as there is more to play for at both top and bottom. It also increases the chance of local rivals being in the same division

My main objection is the pointless imbalance. Playoffs would always be at risk of the weather. But they do need something in September.

Counties will object to too much continous cricket in April / May. They won't agree to playing 6 games in six weeks, let alone 8 in 8.

 

[Third_Man]

Only very limited options put forward by Lancashire Cricket to its members, making it impossible for members not to vote for a reduced number of championship matches:

Have Your Say: Vote on the Men’s Domestic Schedule

cricket.lancashirecricket.co.uk

"Previous to today (13 July), the Club held two Members’ Forums on the domestic playing programme, which concluded the following:

• A recognition that pinch points in the schedule are the major issue, particularly with bunching back-to-back County Championship matches and with late night, long travel and back-to-back Vitality Blast matches.
• A recognition that to retain 14 County Championship matches would need two matches played during The Hundred.
• A desire to grow audiences for both Vitality Blast and County Championship and recognising that the schedule - particularly with fixture bunching - has meant that we are nowhere near capacity for all matches, excluding the Roses T20 match.

It is worth noting that following the overall engagement process, we understand there to be only five counties that favour retaining the status quo and not taking the opportunity to refresh and invest in our competitions."

Have their conclusions have been drawn by listening to their own arguments? I am not sure this represents members views in total rather a method to ensure that it is impossible to vote against what the Board, themselves, want.

Not exactly what the Membership thought they had been offered in terms of the promise of a "meaningful vote".