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County Championship Reduction For 2026?

Aidan11

Aidan11

Striker
Yep. Here we go again. Not content with the fact that Strauss' High Performance Review failed to push this through, there is now a new review looking to reduce the season from 14 games to 12. (Strauss wanted 10).

The ECB are using the money the counties will get from the sale of the 16.4 as the carrot, as they will now be on a firmer financial footing. What happens though when the money runs out?

I don't buy the player burnout excuse. The players don't seem to complain about playing in the various global T20 tournaments. Constant travelling must be more wearing than playing a few gentle red ball games. Or are they playing with hernias due to having to carry those big fat wallets around the world?

Now that the counties are.getting more money, increase players salaries foe playing red ball cricket.

It still needs the county 2/3 majority vote but I've got a feeling they'll vote for it this time. We all know which way Bostock will vote. It's an insult to county cricket watchers. If this gets through everyone should refuse to renew their memberships.

Death by a thousand cuts.

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Aidan11 said:
Yep. Here we go again. Not content with the fact that Strauss' High Performance Review failed to push this through, there is now a new review looking to reduce the season from 14 games to 12. (Strauss wanted 10).

The ECB are using the money the counties will get from the sale of the 16.4 as the carrot, as they will now be on a firmer financial footing. What happens though when the money runs out?

I don't buy the player burnout excuse. The players don't seem to complain about playing in the various global T20 tournaments. Constant travelling must be more wearing than playing a few gentle red ball games. Or are they playing with hernias due to having to carry those big fat wallets around the world?

Now that the counties are.getting more money, increase players salaries foe playing red ball cricket.

It still needs the county 2/3 majority vote but I've got a feeling they'll vote for it this time. We all know which way Bostock will vote. It's an insult to county cricket watchers. If this gets through everyone should refuse to renew their memberships.

Death by a thousand cuts.

You must be logged on to see external links
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You won't like it but the counties are pushing for it. Also they want to start the season with the 50 over competition.
 
Parkside said:
Well presumably it means the majority of CC games will take place in the summer. The matches that are lost will be those that took place in early April - no real loss.
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Yeah that appears to be the reason they are giving. Also with the southern hemisphere seasons extending because of their own t20 comps the counties are unable to get their overseas players here in time and it's costing them money to bring in very short term locums.
 
Parkside said:
Well presumably it means the majority of CC games will take place in the summer. The matches that are lost will be those that took place in early April - no real loss.
Click to expand...
That might turn out to be the case. But the EPSN article mainly suggests that it is to find a slot for the ODC to give that competition more credibility. And they won’t want to put that in early April.
 
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Fleagle said:
That might turn out to be the case. But the EPSN article mainly suggests that it is to find a slot for the ODC to give that competition more credibility. And they won’t want to put that in early April.
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It's exactly that-it's apparently Bostock's brainchild that's been adopted. The ODC in 2 stages -first half in first few weeks of season when most players should be available with the 2nd part reverting to a development competition taking place during the Hundred period. When and what format the final stages are I don't know.
 
Don't mind the 50 overs at the start of the season. That's how it used to be. However does this mean that the only cricket in August is going to be the 16.4?. It would be a dumb move if that was the case.
 
I’d be absolutely gutted

The only thing I’d say is nobody csn argue that you just can’t pick quick bowlers consistently with this schedule it’s impossible

That’s why people like cook and Raine are the best as they can just play every game

Someone like Carse or a young Carse can’t

But as a Durham fan I just wanna watch them play

And the fact we don’t even have a 100 team means less for us
 
Don't think I'd mind a 3 division CC with each county playing 10 games each. But not playing each other twice lessens the integrity of any comp
 
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leecoo said:
Don't think I'd mind a 3 division CC with each county playing 10 games each. But not playing each other twice lessens the integrity of any comp
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One of the problems of fewer games is the weather. Our first game of the 2024 season didn't see a single ball bowled due to the weather so that would mean a 9 game season already, and that doesn't include other days and/or periods lost to rain and bad light.

I wonder if membership fees will be reduced with rhe reduced number if matches.

Personally I'm of the opinion we don't play enough red ball cricket. 16 games minimum per season for me and maybe going back to 2 divisions of 9 to accommodate it.
 
leecoo said:
Don't think I'd mind a 3 division CC with each county playing 10 games each. But not playing each other twice lessens the integrity of any comp
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There’s no tradition in the county championship of playing all the other sides twice. There’s probably too many other variables for it to matter that much. Prior to the introduction of multiple divisions they never even tried to. In the earlier years they didn’t even all play the same number of games. In my youth, they played 24 games, which means they played exactly half the other teams twice and half once. By the 90s with four day cricket and Durham’s introduction they did have a spell where they played everyone just once but even that only lasted a few years.
 
Said before the end is nigh for me with my membership. Any further reduction simply wouldn't be worth my time. I think the player burnout thing is over used but that's just my opinion, they'll happily chase the money which is fair enough. See what the future brings but I'm not very hopeful about the county level game.
 
Aidan11 said:
Yep. Here we go again. Not content with the fact that Strauss' High Performance Review failed to push this through, there is now a new review looking to reduce the season from 14 games to 12. (Strauss wanted 10).

The ECB are using the money the counties will get from the sale of the 16.4 as the carrot, as they will now be on a firmer financial footing. What happens though when the money runs out?

I don't buy the player burnout excuse. The players don't seem to complain about playing in the various global T20 tournaments. Constant travelling must be more wearing than playing a few gentle red ball games. Or are they playing with hernias due to having to carry those big fat wallets around the world?

Now that the counties are.getting more money, increase players salaries foe playing red ball cricket.

It still needs the county 2/3 majority vote but I've got a feeling they'll vote for it this time. We all know which way Bostock will vote. It's an insult to county cricket watchers. If this gets through everyone should refuse to renew their memberships.

Death by a thousand cuts.

You must be logged on to see external links
Click to expand...
Which players that play in global T20 play in the county championship?

None exactly that's why there is no burnout.

Player X play for Durham 14 games a year for 30 grand a year???

Play in 2 global t20s for half a million.

No brainer you forget the players choose to do this nowadays.

It's the way forward

Worcester offered free entrance for the Warwickshire game the total amount of spectators taking this up was 48....

They had 5000 for the T20.

There end of argument.

Never run a money making business.
 
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