The Hundred 2025

[Voice of fair play]

Yeh,the short form is undoubtedly monopolizing at the cost of the quality of the product diminishing. Already delicate shots which are wholly dependant upon touch, timing and footwork such as the late cut or leg glance are now almost obsolete replaced by a thick edge to third man or leg side heave over a ridiculously short boundary scoring a maximum.
Appealing and amusing to youngsters clearly but how long before such a limited format will lose its appeal?
Very sad that such a wonderful game is in terminal decline.
The decline began in the late 1950s. The real surprise is that it's still going.

What about all the extremely talented shots that have been developed in the short format game.

Batsman have more shots in their locker than they ever have and can score 360 degrees around the wicket.

Right handed batsman playing switch hits or reverse sweeps left handed or scooping a bowler behind the wicket when he coming down at over 80mph.

Would not have been dreamed about before.

It’s absolute nonsense not to appreciate the immense talent developed to play the shots I have just mentioned.

 

[Parkside]

What about all the extremely talented shots that have been developed in the short format game.

Batsman have more shots in their locker than they ever have and can score 360 degrees around the wicket.

Right handed batsman playing switch hits or reverse sweeps left handed or scooping a bowler behind the wicket when he coming down at over 80mph.

Would not have been dreamed about before.

It’s absolute nonsense not to appreciate the immense talent developed to play the shots I have just mentioned.

Personal opinions are in the eyes of the beholder.I saw Clayton Lambert playing reverse sweeps years ago,Ronan Kanhai playing the scoop in the '50s. They were comparatively rare because they were high risk shots in red ball cricket.Always could score all around the wicket; any coaching manual from years ago will illustrate them. Some though have disappeared as I mentioned to be replaced with less skilfull forcing shots which are effective because of short boundaries and fielding restrictions.Likewise with bowling - swing,reverse swing,slower ball,back of the hand; all been in a bowlers' skillset.
I'm certain I wasn't dreaming.

 

[Voice of fair play]

Personally I think it’s sad to say that seeing a sport develop and evolve to have batsman having more shots than ever before, bowlers more variations than ever before and fielding to a whole new level as decline.

I completely see the opposite in terms of talent evolving and developing.

There is absolute no doubt whatsoever them balls you mention above used by bowlers have been developed and delivered more frequently and better standard since the start of T20.

 

[Parkside]

Not talking nonsense.

Personally I think it’s sad to say that seeing a sport develop and evolve to have batsman having more shots than ever before, bowlers more variations than ever before and fielding to a whole new level as decline.

I completely see the opposite in terms of talent evolving and developing

I 've related what I've seen. Of course they're seen more frequently. It's a shorter format hence a wicket is less valued,white ball is less effective, boundaries are shorter,field places are restrictive. The format is therefore more batter friendly. Hence it is more appealing to kids,not surprisingly. Nothing wrong with that.
Can't compare to the nuances that the longer format can produce imo.

 

[Voice of fair play]

The shots I mentioned earlier are not as high risk in red ball as they once were as players are much better at playing them due to the skills they have developed in shorter formats.

Hence the longer format is more entertaining and a better watch now imo due to the enhancement of all skills, batting, bowling and fielding.

And some of them have been fine tuned by playing shorter format cricket.

 

[Parkside]

The shots are not as high risk in red ball as they once were as players are much better at playing them due to the skills they have developed in shorter formats.

Agree.My argument is that they're not new and some skills have been neglected. Smith and Bethell,for example,for found wanting in that last test when bowling conditions were more testing.

I simply have a preference for a more even contest between bat and ball.

My camp are in a minority under present opinion.

 

[Hetty]

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[Parkside]

Agree.My argument is that they're not new and some skills have been neglected. Smith and Bethell,for example,for found wanting in that last test when bowling conditions were more testing.

My camp are in a minority under present opinion.

The concern about Franchise cricket is that we're piggy backing on Indian cricket and becoming dependant upon them

 

[Voice of fair play]

Agree.My argument is that they're not new and some skills have been neglected. Smith and Bethell,for example,for found wanting in that last test when bowling conditions were more testing.

Well yeah of course that fair, it’s also not fair a really good spinner beats a batsman in the flight yet batsman still gets sixes on occasions rather than caught because of short boundaries and bats better than ever before.

So I take your point up to a point, however saying that, I am still very much of the point of view the skills developed in the short form game have enhanced the long format game for the better.

The long format game as a whole is in general imo a miles better watch than when I started watching it in late 70s/80s.

 

[Parkside]

Well yeah of course that fair, it’s also not fair a really good spinner beats a batsman in the flight yet batsman still gets sixes on occasions rather than caught because of short boundaries and bats better than ever before.

So I take your point up to a point, however saying that, I am still very much of the point of view the skills developed in the short form game have enhanced the long format game for the better.

The long format game as a whole is in general imo a miles better watch than when I started watching it in late 70s/80s.

It has undoubtedly and I recognise fully that tastes change.
My overall concern however is that Franchise cricket is piggy backing on Indian cricket and become dependant upon them. Can we not market our own product better and remain an independent cricket nation. And retain 3 format cricket profitably.
I don't think it makes economic sense nor is it necessary to shell out obscene salaries to foreign players.
Newcomers have to be attracted to the format of the product -it doesn't need to be best of its genre

 

[Waverley]

There's such a a weird thing going on in this game between Rashid Khan and Hilton Cartwright. Constant dialogue. Every ball.

 

[Ian J]

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Whatever those hieroglyphics are I can't read them and they just appear as a tiny picture plus letters. Are you using something special to post them?

 

[Fleagle]

The concern about Franchise cricket is that we're piggy backing on Indian cricket and becoming dependant upon them

I don’t think that’s avoidable. If you have as one of your secondary sports something that has become the primary sport in the most populous country in the world, you are always going to find it dominated by that other country. Particularly as the ability for professionals to ply their trade has become more genuinely globalised.

In fact, a slightly more interesting, and depending on your point of view maybe even a more worrying, development is the US investors in the Hundred. Unlike the Indians, who are to some extent beholden to the BCCI which at the moment seems to care about test cricket and red ball more generally, even if its dominance can be difficult to take, they must be purely in it to make money.

 

[Hetty]

Tuesday 19th August

Women 3pm
Trent Rockets Women v Manchester Originals Women
Trent Bridge, Nottingham

Men 6.30pm
Trent Rockets Men v Manchester Originals Men
Trent Bridge, Nottingham

Whatever those hieroglyphics are I can't read them and they just appear as a tiny picture plus letters. Are you using something special to post them?

Just the team sheets, i think everyone else can see them. What are you using to view them, maybe try another browser?

 

[Ian J]

Tuesday 19th August

Women 3pm
Trent Rockets Women v Manchester Originals Women
Trent Bridge, Nottingham

Men 6.30pm
Trent Rockets Men v Manchester Originals Men
Trent Bridge, Nottingham

Just the team sheets, i think everyone else can see them. What are you using to view them, maybe try another browser?

Standard Microsoft Edge but with a few ad blockers. I wonder if it's them that are causing the problem but it's not something I have come across on any of the many other websites that I visit

 

[Parkside]

I don’t think that’s avoidable. If you have as one of your secondary sports something that has become the primary sport in the most populous country in the world, you are always going to find it dominated by that other country. Particularly as the ability for professionals to ply their trade has become more genuinely globalised.

In fact, a slightly more interesting, and depending on your point of view maybe even a more worrying, development is the US investors in the Hundred. Unlike the Indians, who are to some extent beholden to the BCCI which at the moment seems to care about test cricket and red ball more generally, even if its dominance can be difficult to take, they must be purely in it to make money.

India is the dominant force in World cricket responsible for 90%of global revenue in cricket it doesn't follow that English cricket has to be beholding to them.ECB has an annual turnover in excess of £300m whilst counties have potential to develop revenue outside cricket through concerts,conferences and social events i.e. weddings etc.
All investors are in for profit but there's nothing extra to fear from the US contingent; all are beholding to the BCCI, unless they agree to Indian players involvement none of the owners will be making a profit.

 

[MustardAndOnions]

Its weird, cricket obsessive here, but not watched 1 ball of this...not even out of some like stubborn idolistic thing, just have no interest in what happens.

I can't be unique in that

India is the dominant force in World cricket responsible for 90%of global revenue in cricket it doesn't follow that English cricket has to be beholding to them.ECB has an annual turnover in excess of £300m whilst counties have potential to develop revenue outside cricket through concerts,conferences and social events i.e. weddings etc.
All investors are in for profit but there's nothing extra to fear from the US contingent; all are beholding to the BCCI, unless they agree to Indian players involvement none of the owners will be making a profit.

Actually a lot of our top players have shunned the IPL recently too, there is enough money in the English game to satisfy some of them.

 

[Parkside]

Its weird, cricket obsessive here, but not watched 1 ball of this...not even out of some like stubborn idolistic thing, just have no interest in what happens.

I can't be unique in that


Actually a lot of our top players have shunned the IPL recently too, there is enough money in the English game to satisfy some of them.

Yes,I think we're as one in appreciating the purer form of the game and the way forward is to involve youngsters in the game is to offer them opportunity to actual play the game rather than them sitting watching on either on TV or at the limited venues. My club,and many others in the area, have organised small a side games for youngsters during the school holidays. Onwards for the more talented to well funded county academies.Surely a far healthier introduction.
We only appear to differ as to whether,or to what extent, Durham have neglected their Academy in recent years.

 

[MustardAndOnions]

Yes,I think we're as one in appreciating the purer form of the game and the way forward is to involve youngsters in the game is to offer them opportunity to actual play the game rather than them sitting watching on either on TV or at the limited venues. My club,and many others in the area, have organised small a side games for youngsters during the school holidays. Onwards for the more talented to well funded county academies.Surely a far healthier introduction.
We only appear to differ as to whether,or to what extent, Durham have neglected their Academy in recent years.

I think we agree really like, I probably got too obsessed with a pedantic point.

 

[Parkside]

I think we agree really like, I probably got too obsessed with a pedantic point.

None more guilty of that than me.