2014 Talking Point

If, as they would have you believe, the proposed structure of the first-class game from 2014 is the result of the online surveys that 25,000 people completed during August, I can only make one assumption.

That the vast majority were completed by those in secure facilities as a break from making baskets and sewing mailbags.

There's no other logical explanation. Does anyone of sound mind vote for weekends with next to no cricket? As things stand, there is a better chance of seeing the Abominable Snowman and Bigfoot playing as our overseas imports in the T20 than of seeing championship cricket at the weekend. By any standards, that is a cock-up of monumental proportions, as there is still nothing that compares to the ebb and flow of a county match.

Of course, there are quiet periods, when nothing overly exciting is happening, but then comes a flashing stroke, a brilliant catch or a superb delivery and your wandering concentration is brought straight back into focus. Given that midweek championship games are the preserve of the retired or those taking holidays (and few can take all of their holidays to watch cricket), what is the membership expectation of the ECB in such a suggestion? I cannot think that a membership for four 50-over home matches, whenever they will be scheduled, plus an estimated seven T20 home matches, primarily on a Friday night, will be an easy thing to sell.

Weekends were made for cricket. Finish a championship game on a Saturday, play a 40-over game on a Sunday afternoon, give the players a break midweek. Heck, play a 20-over game on a Sunday afternoon if it makes it work, but surely players would prefer to play in front of a crowd? No matter how good a four-day side Derbyshire may become (and I think they will be quite formidable in two or three years time), one assumes that they would appreciate a decent turnout to give them a boost, like the players of other counties.

I was lucky enough to see Derbyshire's first and last championship games this summer. We all know about the latter, but the opening game against Northamptonshire, albeit in weather where polar bears were enquiring about bar access to warm up, saw a crowd so sparse that meeting someone on a walk round the boundary edge brought scenes reminiscent of Stanley meeting Livingstone at Ujiji. Fast forward a few months and the crowds for the first two days against Hampshire, for all the laudable marketing efforts, were not overly impressive. They keep telling us that the four-day game is dying, but the ECB are doing their damnedest to nail the coffin shut with cockeyed ideas that are ostensibly reinforced by "research".

While in rant mode, nor can I see the appeal in 50-over cricket. I don't buy into the "vast difference between that and the 40-over game". It's ten more overs work for the players per innings and needs a full day to watch. Given that around ten overs in the middle is normally a case of nudging it around, I don't see the logic myself.

Take Joe Normal, cricket fan, married with a youngster. There's a big difference for him in telling his wife that he's off to the cricket on Sunday, probably leaving at 1pm for a 2pm start, than leaving at 10am. One of the great appeals when my Dad took me to matches when I was young was that we could have our Sunday dinner before heading to the game. Then we'd be back home for seven, having had a lovely afternoon (even when we lost...which was often...) You'd still see your family too.

Not any more, but if this nonsense goes through they'll schedule the fifty-over games for the odd spare midweek day.

That will leave Saturdays and Sundays free for going to Ikea.

And filling in more stupid questionnaires...