Down by the Riverside 2023

[captaincolly]

I briefly wondered if they have to play up here this season, but it seems the M6 with a flat, soft ball in the late winter was our only CC match up this season

I still don't know how the fixtures are decided. Seems random but maybe there's some logic to it!

[Durhamfootman]

of course it's random, they deliberately chose to make it random when they went to 14 games a season. Doesn't work; it's never worked. Which is why Surrey and Essex ended up playing only one game between them to decide the title last year.

[captaincolly]

of course it's random, they deliberately chose to make it random when they went to 14 games a season. Doesn't work; it's never worked. Which is why Surrey and Essex ended up playing only one game between them to decide the title last year.

Seems another farcical thing.

[captaincolly]

I don't understand the whole Hundred franchise sell off is supposed to work , but there's an article in The Sunday Times claiming Durham are in line to be given the 9th franchise and the Saudi owners of Newcastle Utd are lined up to buy a stake in it.
Seems as if the ECB control 51% of the franchise and the host club can sell some or all of the other 49%. Article suggests the franchise could be awarded soon but won't play until 2027 or possibly 2026.

[Durhamfootman]

I don't understand it either

as far as I understand, investors only see a 49% stake as being worth 25% of the cost of 100% ownership, so if the ECB think the sale of 49% of each franchise will raise X amount of money, the reality seems to be that it will only raise half that

and it's largely dependant on teams attracting 'world class' players, rather than the players who haven't been poached by the CPL or the Canadian global T20 or the Major League cricket franchises. They would not want England players playing for England while the Hundred was on and they think players pay should be 3 times higher than the current £125k

The ECB want investors to put up their entire stake in advance, but given that the average profit for a Hundred team is £500k a year, it might take 20, 30, 50 years for their investment to become profitable. It's all pie in the sky and once again the ECB have failed to think things through on almost every level, but they are prepared to ruin the rest of county cricket as part of the ill conceived process

I want nothing to do with it, but of course, I don't get a say.... there are plenty of Bostock's who are much better placed to make these sorts of decisions on my behalf.

My name is on the Durham Defender board. I haven't noticed Bostock's name on that board

[captaincolly]

Yes, it all seems very complicated. Have a feeling The Sunday Times story will be broadly accurate because it seems to have quite a bit of detail.

[captaincolly]

Have read that article again and it's still confusing. It says the Saudi bidders would " want nearer to total control than 49%, but this is thought unlikely to be a problem."
Seems to be something about the ECB wanting to limit IPL owners to no more than 4 Hundred clubs so they don't have a majority voice.
The only thing I know for sure is if we get a franchise I won't be attending the games unless they're free!

[Durhamfootman]

I've always thought that one of the silliest notions put out by the ECB is this idea that they want to attract the very best players in the world for a competition that they say is aimed at people who know nothing about cricket at all

[Durhamfootman]

and everybody who is looking for some reason to justify its existence always point to the women's game

well here's an idea.... make it a women's competition!

[Durhamfootman]

seemingly Jason Roy was shunned by the franchises because he wanted £100k to play in some of the matches before he buggered off to the American T20. Presumably the Leeds Rhinos must have stumped up when Carse got banned, although how that is a Carse replacement is beyond me

Shaheen Afridi pulled out to prioritse the Canadian T20 and No ball Amir has already played the only match he could fit in before doing the same thing

[captaincolly]

and everybody who is looking for some reason to justify its existence always point to the women's game

well here's an idea.... make it a women's competition!

Yes! That's a very good idea.

[captaincolly]

seemingly Jason Roy was shunned by the franchises because he wanted £100k to play in some of the matches before he buggered off to the American T20. Presumably the Leeds Rhinos must have stumped up when Carse got banned, although how that is a Carse replacement is beyond me

Shaheen Afridi pulled out to prioritse the Canadian T20 and No ball Amir has already played the only match he could fit in before doing the same thing

The whole thing seems like a fiasco/comedy of errors.

[Durhamfootman]

and everybody who is looking for some reason to justify its existence always point to the women's game

well here's an idea.... make it a women's competition!

Yes! That's a very good idea.

except that nobody would buy a women's only franchise, except perhaps for Amanda Staveley and she wouldn't pay very much

[captaincolly]

https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/emil ... am-1445649

Another good signing ( assuming it happens. )

[Durhamfootman]

yes, but are we turning into Notts?

another top order bat and another nail in the coffin for Borthwick. I can't see him getting a contract extension.... not now

Maybe the rationale is that Lees might get another England call up at some point in the next couple of years and we need the cover.