Defeat here, means England have won none (and arguably lost all) of their most recent five series. It also means they have won just one of their 17 most recent Tests. It leaves them rooted to the bottom of the World Test Championship table despite possessing riches and resources of which nearly all their rivals can but dream. It is a fitting legacy for Tom Harrison, the ECB chief executive. For it has been on his watch that the first-class game has been compromised and devalued.
And they'll keep being beaten. They'll be beaten by New Zealand in June. They'll be beaten by India in July. They may well be beaten by South Africa in August and September, too. And does anyone, anywhere, expect them to win in Pakistan in December?
The worry here is that those running English cricket – and many of them are the architects of this calamity – will exploit the situation to bring in the changes they've always wanted: a cut to the number of first-class counties; a reduction in the County Championship schedule; an increasing emphasis on white-ball cricket played on pitches and with balls that don't deviate.
Arthur Crabtree wrote:Twelve overs since the last wicket. It's on.
Return to Live Cricket Matches
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 25 guests