The Changing World
By Grockle et al
October 28 2018
We have one season before the cricket world in the UK alters. Next year we will have an Ashes tour AND the World Cup in the British Isles and the mayhem to come related to that and THEN we have the new world of the 'Hundred' in 2020 which no one seems able to give concrete information on. Meanwhile the country is looking to leave the European Union in March of 2019 with no real infomration about how that affects 'kolpak' rulings (I doubt the government has much time to discuss cricket aspects) or the roles of 'Commonwealth' players. So the whole thing is in a state of flux.......
My first frontpage article for a time and from a different 'offshore' base is a look ahead to a world that will alter the nature of the game we have followed, the county that we support and the way we access the games. Some of this is exciting and some of it is of pretty high concern. Very little of it has any real answers and loads needs to be decided yet if it is to work properly or at all.
2018 was a decent season for Somerset. An issue in Australian cricket caused some upheaval, but the county came out of it pretty well with the replacement of Cameron Bancroft with Matt Renshaw. Many of us hope that last season started a long term relationship with the Aussie batsman and the majority might like to see him again early in the season at Taunton given the late start of the summer Ashes.
Our skipper became our skipper in 2018 after a tumultuous 2017. Tom Abell now leads the county by right and is the man in charge without doubt. Lewis Gregory will lead the white ball onslaught, again by right even after weeks of speculation about his future. As the most improved short form player he has cemented his place in charge of those teams and may have earned himself an international follow up as well.
Marcus is on for another year - the jury may be out on the benefits of that to some. James is 'Mr Consistent' these days even if England don't seem to understand that. The Test gap he could fill is taken and vacated by others on a regular basis while he just scores the runs in his day job. Oh dear, how sad for a Somerset supporter. Jack is back in England colours for the winter in Sri Lanka and it will be interesting to see how he goes if given the chance. Dom probably still needs a season or so but Jack's inclusion gives the young man CC1 sides to aim for in the early 2019s and hopefully allays the fears of some locals that he may be enticed away by more first team cricket at another county.
Pete's short form contract gives us at least another year of Trego magic with luck and the return of Tim Groenewald will give us the bowling experience we were missing at the end of the season. One has to be pleased at how the Overton's and Josh Davey in particular took to the task set however. With Jack Brooks arriving as well our pace bowling will be in pretty good hands we all hope. Consistency is still the main issue however across the bowling but much more importantly the batting of the first team.
The floodlights are going up at Taunton - not sure why to be honest, day/night Tests seem to be on hold after the UK ball debacle (and we are not a candidate for any of this except in the ECB's time of need until we deal with our attendance shortfall - something that was not mentioned by the outgoing management when lauding the achievement of international status at Taunton late in 2017).
We play white ball games at the time when the light is OK in Somerset. Floodlight games have a novelty value but in one years time we are going to be a one day 'second string' county for a while during the period of the 'Hundred' running its course to bankruptcy or a worldwide welcome (I'll let you decide which is more likely). Are the World Cup matches going to be late in the day? If not I'd love to see the forecast of how long it is going to take to get our part of the investment for the lights back. Maybe there are autumnal plans for their use?
The last year of Blast! relevance for a while comes in 2019. It is pleasing to see that we have not lost younger players to the urban counties in order to set themselves up for this new 'thing' the ECB has put its reputation (such as it still has) on. I expect this will be the last year we field the strongest side possible from our full squad because I doubt major players in 2020 will be able to afford to stay out of the 'Draft'. As the nearest ground where the new 'thing' will be played is in Hampshire or a different country I doubt many of us will be travelling to watch much of the 90 minute spectacular. Live TV coverage will be available and that may marginalise whatever games Somerset take part in during the Blast! of 2020 or the 50 over tournament - whichever one is played alongside this other 'thing'. Who will stay and who will go? No idea, but the money will be held out to get players there and you can't blame professionals for going to where the coverage and the wages are. How that relates to our wage bill and whether we get compensation beyond the 1.3 million quid 'bung' is all up in the air at the moment I assume.
Grockles will be covering all this from its new beach house in the middle of the North Atlantic until the end of June at least and maybe until the summer of 2021. Thanks to the work of Ben at the ground, Anthony on the radio, Mike on the boundary with his camera and Farmer in the stand with his notebook and laptop this is not that much of a problem because we can all see the home games live online now - will this be free in the next season? The commentary is synched in and later we get live photos of the action in the threads and reports much bigger and with far more empathy than I could produce from a man watching. One has to hope that other grounds will link in a little more elaborately for away games. As a watcher from afar I hope so - the Somerset experience in 2018 was so much more satisfyinig than that at other games. The 'InCider' provides interviews and features we have never done in that amount of detail and all seems pretty right with the web world for the county. I seem to be acting more as a forum web moderator and organiser than I used to but I am very grateful from those who have moved in and filled the gaps so well as if they were waiting for the changes. We are stronger for their contributions and I hope that as I step back the content actually improves. We have been very lucky to be honest in relation to support from the county and those who have the same passion for the game in our part of the world.
How long can Somerset survive in the brave new world? Well it depends on the support from the centre for the Championship and our ability to stay in it. We CANNOT contemplate a scenario where we are the county to be relegated next season when many come up and only one goes down.
The side that relegation happens to next year will never be back at the top level I fear. I think many in the capital would be very happy if we were the 'provincial' side that went into Division 2. We have to ensure that we are still a thorn in their side into the 20's if something is to remain of what we know pre 'Hundred'.
We must accept that Somerset has been marginalised by the centre. Cricket in the whole South West has been sidelined after 2019. The talent coming up from Cornwall and Devon may look to the Welsh and Hampshire organisations as a way into the mainstream rather than naturally being attracted to Taunton. How will the county pay for the ground? Will the punters still come to see the events they presently do? There is little else nearby but the premier nature of the product will obviously be affected by the drain of the 'Uber20' thing. TV will be an alternative and will the cricket be as good. Also will the county realise that they cannot 'fleece' punters for something of less intrinsic value and rethink their pricing policy? People with less loyalty to the sport may like the Friday night fun but they are not stupid and we may NEED them to come back time and time again.
How long will the 50 over competition be supported? If the 'Hundred' is poorly supported then the funds will go that way to try and fill the hole and if it is taken to the hearts of women and kids in the cities then will the ECB want the 50 over game to still exist as a competitor? Without that can the county survive on less CC1 revenue and a second tier !Blast that may have variable local support? I have no answer.
Enjoy next year. Take special notice of everything you experience. You may never see its like again. The 20s may be better but I am personally not in the camp of being excited about it presently and I do not expect that excitement to be heightened by events/actions in 2019 from the London part of the cricket structure.
I hope to see us fight for the Championship next year - it may well be the last chance we get to win a Championship worth winning. More sides in 2020 but the same or less games? How the hell is that going to work out? After September 2019 it's an unpredictable 'Shadowland' and no one is sure what the future holds.
Roll on April. Bring the wife and kids.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018:11:17:15:20:27 by Grockle.
another suggesting Graves was either too angry or too nervous about the reception he may receive from county supporters to appear at the event. [www.espncricinfo.com]
Good news week.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2018:10:03:22:42:36 by Grockle.
How sad.
Never mind.
Too little - too late?
What a surprise.
Does Mr Graves ever show his face at a County Championship game these days ?
Can’t imagine he’d receive a very rapturous reception.
Grizzzly
@Aggerscricket
Message to @ECB_cricket. There’s nothing wrong with any of the cricket we play. But the timing of it, and the priority (!) given to championship cricket is potentially disastrous. We don’t need gimmicks. We don’t need more. Just an intelligent approach to what we have. Thanks.
1:33 PM - 27 Sep 2018
Well said Aggers.
Grizzzly
Anybody from Yorkshire should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves for ever inflicting Graves on us all. Perhaps there is still time to abandon the so-called 100 ball game and bring in a version of the Wombles at lunchtime in every county and test match in future to entertain the mums and kids - the kids will probably still prefer to play their own game behind the cricket stands!
Old Boy!!
Never did hear the outcome of the George Dobell and Graves dispute many months ago.
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018:09:28:11:01:50 by Loyal of Lhasa.
There are a number of people with genuine Somerset connections who should have found favour in preference to a man of Yorkshire.
Nothing has been heard since, so the matter may have been dropped. On the other hand, libel action can well take up to two or three years to reach the courts.
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
So, as some of us have predicted right from the start, the £1.3 million bonus, used in an attempt to bribe each county into acceptance, is just pie in the sky.
And all this is completely divorced from the reality that we shall be one year out of the EU by then. Even the most ardent of Brexiteers is now admitting their will be a major fall in disposable income at least for the first few years.
I have little doubt it will be a sea anchor around the neck of domestic cricket because I see no chance of the governing body admitting it was a mistake and stopping it before it starts or closing it down once it starts to show it was a white elephant in the first place.
ECB chairman Colin Graves under increasing pressure over 'The Hundred' plans
[www.independent.co.uk]
[twitter.com]
I wonder why predicted profits are down: the dawning recognition nobody is going to watch this unwanted abomination?
Absolutely farcical!
But you are right when you question where the rest is.... if the setup for the Hundred is going to cost 40m then you can probably send another 15m that way this year in prep etc.
It's going to be over £70m in the end. Or let's round it up to £100m; a number we can all understand far more easily.
There is no way they will want to 'lose face'.
I don't know if this link works for everybody, I had to log in first. [www.bbc.co.uk]
Andrew Cornish view on the 100 is about 37 minutes into the program.
Make your own minds up about what he said about it.
Try this link if the above doesn't work by typing Andrew Cornish into the iplayer search. [www.bbc.co.uk]
What is the case for him remaining in his post ? Why do we not hear a clear vision as to the future of first class cricket in England ?
Presumably some must see merits in his abilities and vision to turn things around.
Whatever his talents, they appear remarkably well hidden.
Grizzzly
It will never happen. The sports sponsorship money tree is being severely pruned.
One year ago, Rugby`s Six Nations turned down a sponsorship offer of £14 million a year from RBS because Scotland and Wales wanted more.
Now the negotiating figure for this year`s matches has dropped dramatically to around £6 million, despite tournament organisers talking to more than 100 multi-nationals in an attempt to arrive somewhere near RBS`s original £14 million.
And all this at a time when business leaders are tightening every possible belt in order to survive the Brexit financial downturn.
Quote:Grizzzly
The absence of a vote of no confidence in CG’s leadership is what puzzles me.
What is the case for him remaining in his post ? Why do we not hear a clear vision as to the future of first class cricket in England ?
Presumably some must see merits in his abilities and vision to turn things around.
Whatever his talents, they appear remarkably well hidden.
Grizzzly
I'm sure some see merits in his ability to hand out vast sums of money in return for not staging cricket matches. Anyone connected with Glamorgan CCC or Sophia Gardens, for instance, would certainly see a case for Graves remaining in his post.
Quote:Railboy
Surely the whole thing has to be reconsidered. Chairmen were lured into voting for this based on a load of false figures and promises ( sounds very familiar) and now that the whole horrible truth is becoming apparent they must surely realise they have been duped. How do we the fans register our vote of no confidence in the administration of our game?
I really like this coded message that manages not to mention the B word. And the final sentence summarises the frustration that many of us feel about an issue marginally more important than the 100.
If you can see beyond short-term financial gain, and are concerned about the adverse long-term effects of his proposals on what you love, then you'd be looking for ways to leave those commitments asap. Particularly with the financial benefits looking more questionable the more they're examined.
The County championship will feature a 10-team Division One from 2020, with only one team being relegated next year and three going up from Division Two.
The current structure - in place since 2017 - will be reversed, with eight counties to compete in the second tier.
The ECB also confirmed the One-Day Cup will run alongside the new competition - unofficially known as 'The Hundred' - when it launches in July 2020. [www.bbc.co.uk]
So no overseas players for the 50 over cricket, I doubt if there would be any available, they will be in that other rubbish.
Have they defined "overseas player" for the post Brexit age yet?
Can I propose lovers of more traditional formats come with me, watch the up and coming players, support Somerset - and let's see if we can get bigger crowds for the One Day Cup than for the new-fangled idiocy.
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Trick or treat anyone? Scary, spooky, creepy Graves is at your door
The rest of the proposals are likely the best of a bunch of bad options. Really no idea how the ‘seeding’ system will work, nor how an ‘overseas player’ will be defined re the 50 over competition.
Grizzzly
Quote:Grizzzly
Does anyone know anyone who will travel to watch the ‘Hundred’ ?
The rest of the proposals are likely the best of a bunch of bad options. Really no idea how the ‘seeding’ system will work, nor how an ‘overseas player’ will be defined re the 50 over competition.
Grizzzly
I wouldn't be prepared to travel to the County Ground in Taunton to watch what is clearly going to be a load of .?.?.?.?..?..?.. silly games for women and children!
Old Boy!
A few tweets of mine recently:
The tragedy of the 100 is the opportunities we’re going to miss:
1. CC is the best domestic red ball comp in the world.
2. Women’s cricket has huge potential.
3. T20 Blast has >1m fans attending & huge potential
4. 50. We could be World Champions in Men’s AND Women’s game
—————————
With the 100 occupying 6 weeks peak season 2020 there could only be a negative impact for the other 3 competitions.
They’re all degraded & the game awaits to discover what the cost will be in lower attendances, less Members, fewer County sponsors & commercial partners.
———————————
The draft 2020 season schedule confirms many fans’ worst fears:
1. CC mostly in April, May and September (almost into October!)
2. Blast neither a block or ATV. It’s mixed with the CC outside peak season
3. 50 is a mix of 1st & 2nd XI players as a sideshow while 100 is on.
————————
2 questions fans should ask ECB and their Counties:
1. If the ECB is going to degrade the CC, Blast & 50 what benefits is the 100 going to deliver to English cricket to compensate?
2. Has proper Risk Assurance been used to mitigate risk & confirm the benefits are achievable?
I'm not a religeous person, but the phrase 'forgive them for they know not what they do' springs to mind.....
Grizzzly
Hasn't the ship sailed in respect of this? The ink is dry on the TV deal, it is going to happen and there is the square root of f*** all we can do about it.
As I said before, I shall do all I can to attend the 50-over games and support Anything But 100.
Have not members of our Club repeatedly made their views known to the CEO's, committee members and Chairmen already, 57deacon?
It is the members and supporters who have been let down by the County representatives on the ECB, who have kowtowed to the likes of Colin Graves and his cohorts without seemingly expressing the serious concerns which are being suggested now.
Lack of foresight or a vested interest?
A warm hat and scarf for the first half of the season, find something else to do in the summer on days when there is no 50 over cricket, keep September free for the second half of the Championship season.
Fortunately there are plenty of other sporting options for the summer but none really quite match the thrill of watching Somerset.
I look forwards to a substantial reduction in membership and general admission prices.
There is nothing else I can do.
Thanks
The sports sponsorship market is in rapid downfall, and the Hundred sponsors will most certainly have a `get out` clause.
A year ago the Rugby Union turned down a £14 million annual offer from RBS to sponsors the 2019 Six Nations. Now it has just gone to a leading London law firm for well shy of £6 million (trust a leading London law firm to win a race to the bottom).
This is after negotiating with around 100 multi-national, quite a number of whom replied that they were keeping their petty cash in hand for the time being to combat the 2020 Brexit economic downturn.
Quote:57deacon
Some comments to add to the discussion here....................
Grateful thanks to 57deacon for an excellent summary of the horrors to come. If only there were more at ECB level with his grasp of how the real cricket supporters feel. The quote that still sticks in my mind is that "100" is for mothers and kids to enjoy!! Presumably no thought to the rest of the cricket fraternity! 25% of the season in the height of summer given over to entertainment which is best described as - toytown play games - means that our leaders must have a death wish. Can we not sack them before the whole of summer is given over to some real stuff for mother and kids - American football because nobody with any sense is interested in watching "100" rubbish. My original suggestion of little holes all over the pitch with bunnies sticking their heads up at unexpected times has never been taken up!!
Old Boy!
1. CC mostly in April, May and September (almost into October!
2. Blast neither a block or ATV. It’s mixed with the CC outside peak season
3. 50 is a mix of 1st & 2nd XI players as a sideshow while 100 is on.
Alternative 2020 schedule could be;
1. CC to be played entity during April,May,June and most of July.
2. 50 to be played alongside CC against the same opposition in the same week.(to be renamed the JPL league-Just for People who Love Cricket League)
3.Blast in a block last two weeks July and first 3 in August.
4.Play offs in JPL and Blast last week of August first week of September.
5.The rest of September given over to the ECB to do with as they want, using whoever they want
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018:11:11:13:39:02 by nelliec.
The silence on the ECB website about the contract is deafening. I wouldn`t count on the money quite yet, if I were a county treasurer. Just reflect on the Rugby Union`s current £31 million debts, after turning down a £32 million RBS sponsorship offer for the Six Nations sponsorship through sheer greed and eventually having to settle for £6 million.
Quote:
I have lived in the West Country all my life but I still can't remember ever seeing a bigger heap of bulls**t all in one place.
It might not be just overseas stars forsaking a wet Tuesday night in Cardiff for a beach in Barbados - I can imagine a few English players receiving better offers elsewhere too.
Anyone who voted for this is not going to find history judging them well.
Or perhaps 'laughable' would be more appropriate.
Grizzzly
Your first godly adjective seems more appropriate, Grizzzly.
Quote:Following on
ECB confirm the franchise thing will be 100 balls
Are the words of the above sentence in the correct order?
Will people feel an affinity to these new manufactured teams in the way they do to counties? NO.
Predictions:
Few will watch this garbage, fewer will care. If we have to endure it for five years: it will be reform quickly, then aborted.
The hope:
We never hear from the architects and champions of this risible rubbish again. That means players of the current and recent past.
There was an alternative. It was for the BBC to have say, ten, T20 matches, the local derbies with the bigger crowds. Surrey v Middlesex, Lancashire v Hampshire, Glos and Somerset, Hampshire v Sussex, Warwickhsire v Worcestershire, Notts v Derbyshire and so on.
Here was an opportunity to use Brexit to bin the Kolpak numbers and promote home-grown talent.
But it never hurts to keep your options open. And it seemed daft that ECB regs were so far removed from ICC ones.
Just a % sign omitted, Grockle.
Works for me Bobstan
I was thinking of moving the 100 to the end of the sentence and adding a multiplication sign but it gets the same meaning across
I have just posted a link on my website thread to my recollections of a classic Gillette Cup match which lasted 663 balls for 309 runs and held a capacity crowd spellbound including me who stood for the entire match.
Times they are a'changin...