What would you do with the county system?

[D/L]

Championship: 3 groups of 6. Bottom team to get relegated with top team promoted while 2nd bottom and 2nd top from league below have a play off...

A four day play off match, in which there must be a result and subject to the vagaries of the weather? Bit of a non-starter, really.

Leave it as it is. There's nowt wrong with it.

[Hampshire]

I always like the idea of a step up between county and international level. I suppose that time allocation got swallowed up by T20, and the need by the England Lions. Ordinary county season three divisions to create space.

Six teams, five games each.

South coast: Sussex, Kent, Hampshire
London: Essex, Middlesex, Surrey.
West Country: Glamorgan, Gloucester, Somerset.
North: Durham, Lancashire, Yorkshire.
North Midlands: Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire.
South Midland: Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Northamptonshire.

That sounds quite interesting , could sort of mix that in with the franchise system a bit maybe , every group there has a test ground just to make it even better .

I'd leave the divisions as they are. Despite the obvious advantages of having 3 divisions (and I've argued for that myself, in the past), the members just wouldn't tolerate 5 home games a year for their money.

I've said this before, and it just confused the hell out of everybody, but........

I'd link the entire county season to the 2 divisions of the CC. and have week long tours between teams that involved 1 CC match, 1 40 over match (I'd keep 40 overs), and 1 T20 match, and there might even be the opportunity to include reserve days to allow for poor weather. By having the same teams in 2 groups for every competition, there'd be no pointless travelling up and down the country for the teams. In a normal 20 week season that would mean 16 weeks playing time (so 4 weeks off for R and R) There would still be a small element of cross over between the divisions, courtesy of having knockout stages for the 40 over and 20 over competitions. At the end of the season, promotion and relegation in the county championship would change the teams for the following year across all formats, and I'd be reasonably content if promotion and relegation was increased to 3 teams.

As an aside...... I'd also include an additional 2 or 3 week long, 20 over competition played at the olympic stadium for franchise teams, completely separate to the county season (although doubtless some county players would end up being unavailable for their counties while this was on) with all England contracted players available to play and as many overseas players as you like. Kind of a showpiece, TV fest, with all singing, all dancing IPL type stuff for the people who like that sort of thing. Maybe 6 franchises but, I repeat, kept separate from the county season.

I like the idea , but do you think players would get sick/tired of playing too many games in too short a space? 6 Games a week for 4 weeks in a row with a one week rest in between is maybe a bit too much to ask?

Edit : Wait , maybe slight bit of confusion from me here then. Would you base the 40 over and T20 leagues on the county championship divisions then so when teams travel to a county they can play all their games?

[Durhamfootman]

I like the idea , but do you think players would get sick/tired of playing too many games in too short a space? 6 Games a week for 4 weeks in a row with a one week rest in between is maybe a bit too much to ask?

Edit : Wait , maybe slight bit of confusion from me here then. Would you base the 40 over and T20 leagues on the county championship divisions then so when teams travel to a county they can play all their games?

exactly!

I don't think there is too much cricket being played in a season, but I do think that there is far too much travelling

as for players playing too much in a week, that's what squads are for. Counties would adapt. Surrey would adapt by buying more players


To answer D/Ls franchise point...... I agree. Which is why the franchise tournament would have nothing to do with the counties, other than by providing a handful of players (they do that for lions matches anyway) for a couple of weeks. It wouldn't even be played at any of the county grounds. I like this idea because it might help the ECB have their IPL bollox that they keep trying to boost/milk, without it impacting much on the county season.

Part of the problem with stupid scheduling in the county season is to fit in with Sky's programming. A franchise T20 would give them shed loads of cricket to air and might help them to minimise the disruption that they create in the fixture lists.

[Hampshire]

Ok , here we go , me proving I have well too much time on my hands! I have scheduled an overpacked fixture list for Hampshire using some ideas that have come out in this thread , including a T20 franchise , that has unforuntately came out probably a bit too packed for the players (ok , maybe hugely packed?)! Here it is , and as I said , yes I do have too much time .

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Week Commencing April 1st
Northamtonshire Home
Mon - Thursday : CC
Friday Evening : T20
Saturday Afternoon : 40 Over

Week Commencing April 8th
Lancashire Away
Tuesday Evening : 40 Over
Wenesday - Saturday : CC
Sunday Afternoon : T20

Week Commencing April 15th
Worcestershire Home
Mon - Thursday : CC
Friday Evening : T20
Saturday Afternoon : 40 Over

Week Commencing April 22nd
- Rest

Week Commencing April 29th
Essex Away
Mon - Thursday : CC
Friday Evening : T20
Saturday Afternoon : 40 Over

Week Commencing May 6th
Gloucestershire Home
Tuesday Evening : 40 Over
Wenesday - Saturday : CC
Sunday Afternoon : T20

Week Commencing May 13th
Glamorgan Away
Mon - Thursday : CC
Friday Evening : T20
Saturday Afternoon : 40 Over

Week Commencing May 20th
- Rest
- Franchise squads prepare/train together.

Week Commencing May 27th
- Franchise T20 begins , 9 teams with one at every test ground. Teams are completely seperate from their counties , and are named after their city. Eg : The Rose Bowl - Southampton , Headingly - Leeds. Each team players each other home and away.
- Players not in any Franchise teams get rest periods , with soem friendlies oraganised to keep up fitness.
- Southampton will have played 5/16 of their franchise T20's.

Week Commencing June 3rd
- Southampton will have played 10/16 of their franchise T20's.

Week Commencing June 10th
- Southampton will have played 15/16 of their franchise T20's.

Week Commencing June 17th
- Southampton will have played all of their franchise T20's within the first two days of the week.
- Top four teams go through to the semi finals , both played on the same working day evening that week (probably Thursday to allow tickets to be bought for the final) at the ground of the highest ranking team.
- FInal is played that Saturday afternoon , with the ability for the floodlights to be turned on and the match to be turned into a day nighter, at a preselected ground with Sunday as the reserve day in a worst cast scenario.

Week Commencing June 24th
Leicestershire Home
Tuesday Evening : 40 Over
Wenesday - Saturday : CC
Sunday Afternoon : T20

Week Commencing July 1st
Kent Away
Mon - Thursday : CC
Friday Evening : T20
Saturday Afternoon : 40 Over

Week Commencing July 8th
Northamptonshire Away
Tuesday Evening : 40 Over
Wenesday - Saturday : CC
Sunday Afternoon : T20

Week Commencing July 15th
- Rest

Week Commencing July 22nd
Lancashire Home
Mon - Thursday : CC
Friday Evening : T20
Saturday Afternoon : 40 Over

Week Commencing July 29th
Worcestershire Away
Mon - Thursday : CC
Friday Evening : T20
Saturday Afternoon : 40 Over

Week Commencing August 5th
Essex Home
Tuesday Evening : 40 Over
Wenesday - Saturday : CC
Sunday Afternoon : T20

Week Commencing August 12th
- Rest

Week Commencing August 19th
Gloucestershire Away
Tuesday Evening : 40 Over
Wenesday - Saturday : CC
Sunday Afternoon : T20

Week Commencing August 26th
Glamorgan Home
Mon - Thursday : CC
Friday Evening : T20
Saturday Afternoon : 40 Over

Week Commencing September 2nd
Leicestershire Away
Mon - Thursday : CC
Friday Evening : T20
Saturday Afternoon : 40 Over

Week Commencing September 9th
- Rest

Week Commencing September 16th
Kent Home
Tuesday Evening : 40 Over
Wenesday - Saturday : CC
Sunday Afternoon : T20

Week Commencing September 23rd
- 40 Over finals in afternoon games mid/early week.
- 40 Over final Saturday afternoon , with Sunday as a reserve day.

[dan08]

Playing 16 T20s in 23 days would just kill the players.

[Alviro Patterson]

Format
County Championship: Leave as it is
One Day: 50 over competition, 4 groups of 5 like the Friends Provident Trophy 08/09 format. 12 games (8 games with group teams playing each other home and away and 4 additional cross group fixtures). Top 2 in each group through to the knockout stages, group winners with home quarter final advantage.
Twenty20: Same 3 regional groups of 6 but play 12 games (10 games with group teams playing each other home and away and 2 additional cross group fixtures)

Scheduling
County Championship: April fixtures 10.30am start, last rounds of County Championship matches played Thursday to Sunday. Avoid playing County Championship immediately after a Twenty20 fixture.
Twenty20: Games played on Friday's and Sunday over a 6 week period, Sky can show televised matches on other days, finals day on a Sunday.
50 over matches: Most matches on Sundays.

Playing conditions
Extend playing time by a maximum of 1hr for matches lost to the weather for County Championship games (30 minutes for Day 4). T20 matches can be extended beyond the current 1hr rule if conditions are fit for play and a result can be reached.
Any abandoned T20 games can be rearranged.
50 over competition to replicate ODI conditions.

[Alviro Patterson]

This franchise T20 proposal is interesting, but how many on here would attend the games?

Personally I would not support a Leeds franchise and the majority of Yorkshire cricket fans would say the same.

[dan08]

I would attend the games. Don't know if i'd support a team but i'd like to watch it.

[Durhamfootman]

This franchise T20 proposal is interesting, but how many on here would attend the games?

Personally I would not support a Leeds franchise and the majority of Yorkshire cricket fans would say the same.

I envisage 6 London based franchises. Doesn't matter who or what they are called really because it would have nothing whatsoever to do with the counties. Purely a cash cow/advertising/TV fest. I reckon if it was based purely in London and at the same venue (the olympic stadium) they'd fill it easily enough, and it wouldn't take that long to complete. In the meantime the counties get on with playing the T20 cup every friday night (or whatever)

6 teams with, using the IPL model, 10 overseas players, and with all the england contracted players available wouldn't require too much involvement from county players. I can't see it causing much more disruption to county team availability than Lions matches and IPL commitments currently cause.

[D/L]

That’d have a few hurdles to overcome, DF. The ECB (supported by the ICC) / Sky hegemony would make it very difficult for any competitor to secure players, grounds, broadcasters, sponsors and advertisers. The ECB cooperating would be like turkeys voting for Xmas and, without the ECB, nothing could happen

There would be apathy from the cricket watching public for a franchise based competition that would probably have few recognisable players.

There are only so many cricket watching dollars to go round. In the unlikely event of such a competition getting off the ground, it would only dilute attendance at short format county matches.

[Durhamfootman]

I didn't say it would be easy, D/L, the thread asks what I would do. Realistically I went to the wrong school to have any say in the matter. My school had 'Riff Raff Welcome' written on the door

I don't see why a 2 or 3 week TV knackers fest would impact on county attendances (perhaps while the franchise tournament is on). If enough people watch it on the telly..... (free to air ) it might even boost county attendances. Stranger things have happened.

[DeltaAlpha]

Are you suggesting that there would be 6 teams (franchises), all based in London and playing all their matches there, DF?

I can't really see anyone getting excited by that, and actually going to watch matches between teams with which they have no association: it's like expecting Chelsea supporters to go and watch Arsenal when Chelsea are playing away.

[Durhamfootman]

Are you suggesting that there would be 6 teams (franchises), all based in London and playing all their matches there, DF?

I can't really see anyone getting excited by that, and actually going to watch matches between teams with which they have no association: it's like expecting Chelsea supporters to go and watch Arsenal when Chelsea are playing away.

I am, DA

and lots of people watch the IPL on ITV, the champions league every tuesday and wednesday, Barca -v- Madrid... and so on. People will watch anything if it's marketed properly. You adopt a team, I suppose.

I'd hate it, but there you go, that's just me........ lots of people would go for it if you had enough fireworks, loud music and half naked dancing girls.


and Ravi *modded* Shastri, of course, calling a thick edge that flies, a brilliant shot, and wets his pants every time Sachin nurdles a single, that helps........ plus a tweet count! Got to have a tweet count

[DeltaAlpha]

Hmm, if you think about it like that (which I hadn't), I suppose it might work, DF.

[Kim]

One change Id make is getting rid of the heavy roller again. The players don't like it, not a single groundsman wants it - and it creates boring cricket. In Div one there have already been more draws than in the whole of 2011 and we are getting more games like current Notts V Sussex one where they are still in the first innings after 3 days.

Last week or maybe the week before the sun came out and every game was drawn. Its not good.