Regionalisation a problem

A big problem for the one day game in the country is the fact that the regionalisation of groups means your county plays the same teams all the time.

We're coming to the end of the FP Trophy group, where we've played Durham, Yorkshire and Lancashire home and away, and we're now looking at the 20/20 where we do the same thing all over again. It might be me, but this is pretty boring. While we get the novelty of playing Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, by the end of June we will have played the three northern sides four times each.

To some extent that is why I see the proposal for a 21 team 20/20 league as quite exciting. While I am not a huge fan of the format, as regular readers will know, at least we would then be playing different sides. Whether we like it or not, the Roses counties and Durham are strong sides and we will always face a difficult task in progressing from a group with them in it. Add Notts and Leicester, both with good 20/20 records and there's a similar uphill task to progress.

The problem is that to travel to, say, Sussex for a 20 over match is far from ideal. Countless similar journies would be required and it is a judgement call on whether it would be worthwhile. Another suggestion is that we introduce two innings 20/20. That would make more sense if teams are travelling a distance, but it would make the ebb and flow of a longer innings one day game a thing of the past.

If a side scores 180 in the first innings, then their opponents collapse to be 94 all out, a lead of 86 would be massive in the context. A score of 130-plus in the second knock would leave a highly impractical 200-plus target and a "dead" fourth innings.

For a two innings 20/20 to work, there would need to be a follow on introduced. Maybe 50/75 could be the notional figure. At least then there is less risk of a tame ending and we might - praise be - even see some conventional batting in the fourth knock with a total of 80 needed in 20 overs to win.

Who knows, maybe some of the new generation of cricket watchers might even like to see a defensive shot every now and again....