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County Premier League proposal

Think its the beginning of the end of the county game. What is the reason for having a county championship? Is it to provide a decent standard of entertainment to the cricket loving public, or is its sole aim to recruit players for test cricket?
I very much fear its the latter, we will see the number of 1st class counties gradually whittled down, ending up with a premier league of the six richest counties.
Lesser counties will either go to the wall, or end up part time.
 

Why do they need to look for another league structure ?

The season lasts for around 24 weeks these days. Ample time for 17 four day games and a couple of windows for the Mickey Mouse stuff.

It’s not that difficult, but they MUST be seen to tinker about
 
I remember when there were too many competitions in our domestic season. County championship, Nat West Trophy and the B&H Cup.

Now we've got four and one of those has crazy rules. Players are probably too confused mixing white and red ball cricket.
 
Aidan11 said:
I remember when there were too many competitions in our domestic season. County championship, Nat West Trophy and the B&H Cup.

Now we've got four and one of those has crazy rules. Players are probably too confused mixing white and red ball cricket.
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Don't forget The John Player League on BBC2 every Sunday afternoon.:D
 
The Red Telephone said:
Don't forget The John Player League on BBC2 every Sunday afternoon.:D
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Of course how did I forget that. Always remember the crazy way the season was scheduled which meant a 3 day CC game began on Friday, day 2 on Saturday. Then on the Sunday played the same team in the JPL and then on the Monday resumed the CC game for the final day.

Madness.
 
The B&H Cup was a good, competitive set of pre-season matches at the group stage. It never really impeded on the season itself.

The Sunday League was a fun, 40 over knockabout, which was killed off as soon as county matches were extended to 4 days.

Now the county championship has to make way for a couple of hit and run competitions in pyjamas, and FTECB wonder why England are so poor at test level.

Let's just do away with the FTECB. They've done more damage to English and Welsh cricket than anything else.
 
The ECB view Durham as a strategically important county given our geographic location and the England players we have produced. I honestly reckon we’d be in.
 
As much as people don't want to hear it, there are too many counties. The talent in this country is so diluted because of this.

I don't have the answers, but I don't disagree that there needs to be a real "Premier League and Championship" divide like there is in football to ensure the best are playing the best. In order for this to happen, I do think there needs to be more of a transfer system to ensure the best players are playing for "PL" counties.

I think 3 divisions of 6 could work - the Sheffield Shield really brings together the best talent in Australia with only 6 teams and if we had the best 66 cricketers in the country playing across the 6 "PL" counties, it would make for excellent competition. Again, in order for the competition to remain strong, the ECB need to allow England players to play for counties when they can, and counties need to bring in a real strong overseas international player to keep up standards.

Or we can always just carry on watching pretty average cricket with the odd headline act in each team, as groundsmen up and down the country produce green seamers so some dibbly dobbler can get 50+ wickets a season, leaving homegrown batters to look like absolute idiots when they face 90mph bowling in Australia.

Ultimately, competition needs to improve. This can only be done by the best cricketers playing regularly against the best.
 
BatEleven said:
As much as people don't want to hear it, there are too many counties. The talent in this country is so diluted because of this.

I don't have the answers, but I don't disagree that there needs to be a real "Premier League and Championship" divide like there is in football to ensure the best are playing the best. In order for this to happen, I do think there needs to be more of a transfer system to ensure the best players are playing for "PL" counties.

I think 3 divisions of 6 could work - the Sheffield Shield really brings together the best talent in Australia with only 6 teams and if we had the best 66 cricketers in the country playing across the 6 "PL" counties, it would make for excellent competition. Again, in order for the competition to remain strong, the ECB need to allow England players to play for counties when they can, and counties need to bring in a real strong overseas international player to keep up standards.

Or we can always just carry on watching pretty average cricket with the odd headline act in each team, as groundsmen up and down the country produce green seamers so some dibbly dobbler can get 50+ wickets a season, leaving homegrown batters to look like absolute idiots when they face 90mph bowling in Australia.

Ultimately, competition needs to improve. This can only be done by the best cricketers playing regularly against the best.
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How can the best play the best when there are central contracts and ‘the best’ are rested and rarely play a championship game ?
 
Steak Pie said:
:lol::lol::lol::lol:
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I genuinely believe Durham would make it. Too many counties in the midlands and south west in my opinion.

Premier League:
1. Yorkshire
2. Lancashire
3. Nottinghamshire
4. Warwickshire
5. Kent
6. Surrey
7. Middlesex
8. Somerset
9. Durham
10. Gloucestershire
11. Hampshire
12. Essex

Championship:
1. Glamorgan
2. Worcestershire
3. Northamptonshire
4. Leicestershire
5. Derbyshire
6. Sussex

I suppose an argument could be made for Glamorgan to be in the top flight as it’s the only Welsh county.
 
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BatEleven said:
As much as people don't want to hear it, there are too many counties. The talent in this country is so diluted because of this.

I don't have the answers, but I don't disagree that there needs to be a real "Premier League and Championship" divide like there is in football to ensure the best are playing the best. In order for this to happen, I do think there needs to be more of a transfer system to ensure the best players are playing for "PL" counties.

I think 3 divisions of 6 could work - the Sheffield Shield really brings together the best talent in Australia with only 6 teams and if we had the best 66 cricketers in the country playing across the 6 "PL" counties, it would make for excellent competition. Again, in order for the competition to remain strong, the ECB need to allow England players to play for counties when they can, and counties need to bring in a real strong overseas international player to keep up standards.

Or we can always just carry on watching pretty average cricket with the odd headline act in each team, as groundsmen up and down the country produce green seamers so some dibbly dobbler can get 50+ wickets a season, leaving homegrown batters to look like absolute idiots when they face 90mph bowling in Australia.

Ultimately, competition needs to improve. This can only be done by the best cricketers playing regularly against the best.
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So, just to be clear.... In the 2000s/early 2010s when we won home and away Ashes, won in India and reached number 1 in the world, that was nothing to do with the CC. But now we're struggling, it's because of the CC.

Is that it?

The only thing that's change is we've seen the domestic season concentrate everything on short format. Not even 50 overs, just short form slap and tickle. How do you expect players to learn how to play hard test cricket when we've limited them to 3 or 4 games of red ball cricket in the summer, with the rest shunted out to the spring and the autumn?

It's laughable that no-one from the ECB will admit to what they've done. It's laughable that they have the Sky and BBC onside, bought and paid for by the 16.4, so we never hear a dissenting voice.

Remember when I said on here that the 16.4 was a power grab by the ECB and the counties would be killed off, and some people called me paranoid? Well shucks!
Inside Forward said:
I genuinely believe Durham would make it. Too many counties in the midlands and south west in my opinion.

Premier League:
1. Yorkshire
2. Lancashire
3. Nottinghamshire
4. Warwickshire
5. Kent
6. Surrey
7. Middlesex
8. Somerset
9. Durham
10. Gloucestershire
11. Hampshire
12. Essex

Championship:
1. Glamorgan
2. Worcestershire
3. Northamptonshire
4. Leicestershire
5. Derbyshire
6. Sussex

I suppose an argument could be made for Glamorgan to be in the top flight as it’s the only Welsh county.
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Sorry mate, but if you honestly think that Durham are 'strategically important' to the ECB, after the way they've treated us, then you're watching a different sport to me.

Glamorgan are a test venue and Sussex are one of the inner circle. It would come down to straight choice between Kent and Durham, and we can't have Surrey losing their derby game.
 
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Parkside said:
It's conveniently overlooked that the county championship has existed for 150+ years with 17+ teams with England producing competitive sides for the majority of that time.
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Yep, that was my point.

Why is there a need for a major restructure when a few, well thought through tweaks, will do the job ?
Steak Pie said:
So, just to be clear.... In the 2000s/early 2010s when we won home and away Ashes, won in India and reached number 1 in the world, that was nothing to do with the CC. But now we're struggling, it's because of the CC.

Is that it?

The only thing that's change is we've seen the domestic season concentrate everything on short format. Not even 50 overs, just short form slap and tickle. How do you expect players to learn how to play hard test cricket when we've limited them to 3 or 4 games of red ball cricket in the summer, with the rest shunted out to the spring and the autumn?

It's laughable that no-one from the ECB will admit to what they've done. It's laughable that they have the Sky and BBC onside, bought and paid for by the 16.4, so we never hear a dissenting voice.

Remember when I said on here that the 16.4 was a power grab by the ECB and the counties would be killed off, and some people called me paranoid? Well shucks!

Sorry mate, but if you honestly think that Durham are 'strategically important' to the ECB, after the way they've treated us, then you're watching a different sport to me.

Glamorgan are a test venue and Sussex are one of the inner circle. It would come down to straight choice between Kent and Durham, and we can't have Surrey losing their derby game.
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We didn’t need the T20 Blast AND The Hundred, but they won’t admit they got it wrong.

Real leadership is admitting a mistake and correcting it, rather than continue down the wrong path
 
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