So no cricket until the end of May, which surely guarantees that April and May are two of the best months of weather we have seen in years...
I hope that I am wrong, but I can see our wait for the greatest of games going on for longer than that. Perhaps we will get some cricket in between July and September, but what that delay does for the game at all levels is a moot point.
I know my old club side started to struggle when an ageing drainage system that we could not afford to replace cost them a lot of matches, even when the sun shone brightly. Players started to find other things to occupy their time and when we managed to get back onto the field, availability was increasingly a struggle.
It may take some time, but I hope that people support their local and county clubs, during and after this crisis. I have no idea what form the county game will take for the remainder of this summer, but I hope that there is some four-day cricket, even friendlies, because otherwise the game doesn't work for me. Six hours each way for a Vitality Blast game doesn't work, twelve hours of travelling for three hours of cricket. I am not alone in that, so just hope that whatever cricket is manufactured for a potential start date doesn't ignore the traditionalists, of which there are many.
As I said the other day, I will try and produce new material to keep the blog interesting and fresh, even though there will be no live cricket to write about for the next eight weeks at least.
Whether the cricket we have coming up will feature our current overseas players is another question. It will all depend on the dates, the competitive element and the speed at which a semblance of normality can be restored.
England's land may still be green and pleasant, but it is an odd one, right now.
Stay safe everyone. Keep in touch and see you on the other side.
Although championship or some form of red ball cricket would be my preference I think it's probably unrealistic.
ReplyDeleteThis season is now about survival for a lot of counties. I'd imagine four day cricket is run at a loss and although important to cricket lovers it won't help pay the bills this year.
As much as I dislike the hundred if that's what it takes for counties to gain some income this summer then so be it.
I'd be surprised if any professional sport takes place before September anyway.
I think you might find that playing 4 day cricket is what comes back first, partly because the Coronovirus is not going to suddenly disappear and the crowds for 4 day matches might be such that people can still watch and self isolate at the same time. Something that is not possible in a 20-20 match with packed stands.
ReplyDeleteMartin H
Not sure what the players contracts say for the hundred etc , are they paid per match or is it a guaranteed sum for the whole season.
I read last week that players are paid 20% of their salaries in advance of the competition but only 5% has actually been paid up front. If the competition is cancelled by government edict (qualifying as force majeure which invalidates contracts) the ECB doesn't have to pay anything more than it already has. If this is correct, loss of the 100 wouldn't be the financial catastrophe that it might otherwise be - though not great for players who may already have made commitments in anticipation of a bonanza.
Delete2020 the first time in 150 years a summer without first class cricket apart from the two world wars?
ReplyDeleteReading Alec Stewart's comments his view was a July start but even that feels unrealistic given where we are today. I think he's right though - the focus has to be on T20 to give the counties some income - maybe played in August/September. Really sad for Derbyshire after so much optimism over the winter.
ReplyDeleteI was reading in the i paper today that, according to Durham's Chief Executive, that T** H****** may be postponed for a year if the season doesn't start any later than July. Apparently International cricket comes first, followed by the Blast as that generates the revenue. No mention of the Championship or 50-over competition.
ReplyDeleteOf course, if anyone wants a quick cricket fix - and doesn't want to watch old footage on Youtube or the same set of programmes on Sky Sports Cricket - it could be time to find a pad of paper, pencil or pen and find some dice or buy a set of Owzthat from Ebay and play some games of dice cricket - good for the maths and taking one's mind off this most difficult of times. It could be the only cricket we see for some time!! Stay safe everyone
Jeff , have you tried the pc game -International cricket captain. I have the 2013 version . it can be downloaded for 4 .99 AND is very realistic .definitely worth a try . !
ReplyDelete