COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Richard Gould - the right CEO for the ECB ? | Shock Rushworth move | Yorkshire's key changes | New contracts - Wood, Barker, Hain | Surrey, Worcs coach appts
Luke Fletcher will have a testimonial year in 2023. I can not think of a county player more deserving.
The 6ft 6ins Nottinghamshire bowler is one of those players often described as a ‘cult-hero’ or ‘fans favourite’. Certainly, his backstory of starring in local cricket for Papplewick and Linby CC, working as a chef in Hooters while struggling to make it and enjoying pre-match meals of KFC and McMuffins makes his 438 first-class wickets seem all the more enjoyable. He’s a stereotypical local lad made good. The type of player who displays the indefatigable spirit and personality we all like to think we would have had if we’d been good enough to play county cricket. And his burly physique makes us believe we, too, just might have had half a chance if the chips had fallen our way.
In a county game increasingly dominated by players feather-bedded through the public school system, it is easy to see why a player who worked as a steward at Trent Bridge while plugging away for a contract is so embraced.
Reaching Nottinghamshire’s first-team was Fletcher’s dream and, after a roundabout route fashioned both by his own determination and imperfections, he has relished his success.
Let’s keep that in mind as we consider another couple of stories this week.
Firstly, there’s this report in the Sydney Morning Herald on a move that has been predicted for some time but this is the first suggestion of any action. Namely that IPL teams have approached Australian stars to become full-time, year-round franchise players. This would secure their availability for the Indian outfits’ teams in T20 competitions all around the world at the expense of club and maybe even international commitments. There are legal and regulatory hurdles but, as the LIV Golf event has shown, sport can jump these if a large sack of cash is involved. The report says 5m Australian dollars, roughly double the pay of the country’s top-earner Pat Cummins, has been floated. There is no interest yet but that may change in the next two years.
Whatever you think of the eventual output, Andrew Strauss was right to be mindful of this threat when conducting his High-Performance Review. While that piece of work was being compiled, Mike Atherton wrote about a deeper level of onboarding talent that saw a 19-year-old South African batter snatched from his cricketing cradle by IPL interests. His name was Dewald Brevis and, this week, he hit the headlines by bashing 162 off 57 balls in the CSA Challenge.
But this is all just modern sport, right? There is a direct link between Man City’s globalised franchise model and what the IPL teams are doing. English football clubs have poached youth talent for decades and is this much different to the stories of Jofra Archer or Jacob Bethell? Big, modern sports organisations use their deep pockets to invest intelligently in top talent for the present and infrastructure that will support the future. And, these days, it does not even seem to matter where the money comes from. LIV Golf argues it is disrupting the game, Saudi-backed Newcastle United are set for a Champions League place and who’s looking forward to the World Cup in Qatar?
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For now, traditional cricket is still protected by emotion. The top Australians and, even young Brevis, want to play the international game and Tests are still “the pinnacle”. But surely that will change for the coming generations reared on the IPL as a rich, loud, sold-out circus while, apart from in England and Australia, the longest format is a poorer, semi-silent sideshow played out in often half-empty stadiums.
Of course, county cricket is painted in even paler colours but it has clearly been a joy to Fletcher. From the one-day finals and the rollockings after staying out till 3am the night before a game to recovering from a brutal blow to his head from Sam Hain’s drive, the big man from Bulwell seems to have enjoyed it all. His autobiography is on my Christmas list. Fletcher has read it twice, it is the only book he has ever completed.
The Dewald Brevis story is coming to a screen near you too. He has had a camera crew following his journey from South Africa to the Mumbai Indians. To be honest, I’ll give that a miss. Like that Man City documentary, there is not enough struggle to make the story of success have much meaning. Even with all the resources at your disposal victory is far from guaranteed and many well-money ventures have failed. But what we are increasingly seeing is the cold, analytical application of a sporting strategy, aka high-performance, via bagfuls of cash. It is logical and certainly increases the probability of success. But unless there is a human story behind it, do not expect me to care that much.
I grant you that those KFCs and McMuffins fit within no-one’s definition of high performance, but Fletcher’s story and character explain why he is loved and respected by county fans throughout the country. He fought for a cricketing career, proved himself beyond all expectations and played the game with a smile on his face.
Who cares, wins.
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Signings, contracts and coaches
It’s marvellous to see Rahane join Leicestershire and Pujara back at Hove. A pair of high-quality, experienced Indian batters starring for the bottom two sides in the second division. Whatever next?
Signings: Rahane (Leicestershire), Watt (Derbyshire), Pujara (Sussex), Finch (Sussex to Kent), Seales (Sussex)
Extensions: Guest (Derbyshire - 3yr), Hollman (Middlesex), Hain (Warwickshire - 2yr), Miles (Warwickshire - 2yr), Hameed (Nottinghamshire - 2yr), Wright (Leicestershire - 1yr), Green (Somerset - 1yr), Wood (Durham - 2yr), Barker (Hampshire - 2yr)
All county in and outs (Cricinfo)
Chris Rushworth eyes Championship title after shock Warwickshire move (Cricinfo)
Zain ul Hassan agrees Glamorgan deal to become latest SACA graduate (Cricketer)
Glamorgan seek specialist white-ball coach as Matthew Maynard focuses on Championship (Cricinfo)
Is this the future? Different coaches for red-ball and white-ball cricket at county level.
Michael Yardy appointed as England men’s U-19 head coach (Sportstar)
Worcestershire confirm Alan Richardson as new head coach (Cricketer)
New CEO at the ECB
Richard Gould, critic of the Hundred, named new ECB chief executive (Guardian)
Richard Gould announced as new ECB chief executive officer (Sky Sports)
Richard Gould out to 'reset' English cricket after taking top ECB job (Telegraph)
ECB’s new chief could be a sharp change for the domestic game (Times)
Exclusive: Outspoken critic of Hundred lands ECB chief executive job (Telegraph)
Look at actions, not words. Always.
Richard Thompson’s every utterance has been scrutinised since he was appointed chair of the ECB. He was billed as the saviour of the county game and, after his vocal opposition while at Surrey, the knight in shining armour who might just slay the dragon that is the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named. But we have seen no glint of steel just yet and some of his words have been bordering on the supine with regard to you-know-what.
However, let’s look at what has been done.
The decision on whether to act on the recommendations of the Strauss High-Performance Review has been delayed and any implementation put back for a year. This has allowed counties to fully consult their memberships, resulting in almost universal and highly-expected opposition. In fact, according to reports, the competition that might be curtailed is the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named, which was the only thing not up for discussion by the man nicknamed Lord Brocket during his time at Middlesex. Then there is the reported u-turn on keeping August Test-free and sacrosanct for you-know-what.
And if Thompson was not predisposed to putting the counties at the centre of domestic cricket once more then he would not have appointed Richard Gould as ECB CEO. When he had the same role at Surrey, the latter was even more critical of you-know-what than his chair. Thompson’s other option was Durham CEO Tim Bostock, who also has an excellent reputation. However, by appointing Gould, both Richards will be accused of outright hypocrisy if they do not seek to build the domestic game around the 18 teams.
That does not mean the demise of you-know-what is inevitable. But if an upcoming financial report by the Worcestershire chair uncovers hidden costs and television figures continue to fall next summer then the hastily-negotiated deal with Sky would be the only thing stopping serious questions starting to be asked about the men’s version. The egos and reputations of those involved from the start may be erroneously important in preventing it being scrapped. Just like the egos and reputations of those now gone were erroneously important in its inception.
So while the appointment of Thompson and Gould should be supported and the actions considered much more than their diplomatic words, there will have to be some important departures before you-know-what is ever hoiked into the long grass.
But we can live in hope.
News, Views and Interviews
Andrew Strauss’s proposals dead in the water after county revolt (Times)
Strauss HP Review responses: Yorkshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire
Worcestershire's response was especially strong.
“A reduction in County Championship and Vitality Blast fixtures would harm the holistic health of cricket in our county and beyond.
“Our preference would be to truncate [tournament-that-shall-not-be-named] (if possible) to reduce strain on the overall schedule. There is very limited appetite amongst our members to play first-class Festival cricket during this period.”
The High Performance Review – Why It’s Bad For (Almost) Everyone Involved (Being Outside Cricket)
Middlesex looking for new chairman (Middlesex CCC)
The ever-presents: What's it like to play every game of the county summer? (Cricketer) ($)
Just six players – James Bracey, Ed Barnard, Max Holden, Tom Westley, Brooke Guest and Steven Croft – managed it in 2022.
A letter to Members from Club Chair - Professor Lord Patel of Bradford OBE (Yorkshire CCC)
“For some of our critics, the events of 2021 might feel like ancient history as they seek to diminish the claims of racial discrimination which led to front and back page news for all the wrong reasons. But it is no exaggeration to say that we lived through a genuine existential threat to the future of one of the most iconic and beloved institutions in this county.
“There was a clear and urgent need to make a break from the prevailing culture and build trust. The decisions that have been made to achieve this haven’t always been easy or popular, but we are unapologetic in being driven by a deep-rooted desire to affect real and lasting change – making Yorkshire a place for everyone, from all backgrounds.”
ECB give green light for Yorkshire racism hearing to be held in public (Telegraph)($)
Former Wasps chief Stephen Vaughan appointed as new CEO at Yorkshire (Cricinfo)
Darren Gough: Yorkshire confirm ex-fast bowler as managing director of cricket (BBC Sport)
Progress at Yorkshire as they appoint a new CEO and Gough is confirmed as MD of cricket. For me, it is also good to see the county’s racism hearing will held in public. As I wrote last time, this will be painful for all and damaging for many but the transparency will help rebuild trust and hopefully allow this sorry saga to ‘bottom out’. Yorkshire are expected to plead guilty and, therefore, should be punished. But, after this, the county game should want their trajectory to be upward while, of course, heeding the lessons of this highly regrettable chapter.
The pub team who play “in front of thousands” on a park wicket (Sports Gazette)
Paul Farbrace makes exciting prediction as he leaves Warwickshire (Birmingham Live)
Scotland want to play County Cricket (Telegraph)
This makes sense. But why would they want to play in the-tournament-that-shall-not-be-named when no-one else plays it and T20 success will be the most important measure of progress and source of revenue?
ECB announce 80 full-time domestic contracts as part of £3.5m boost to women’s game (Standard)
ECB announce £3.5 million funding hike for women's regional cricket (Cricinfo)
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August 2023
- Aug 8, 2023 Because cricketers are worth it. Greed, ego and contract negotiations Aug 8, 2023
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May 2023
- May 20, 2023 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Blast preview | Foxes put meaning over money | Should Essex house Tigers? | Lancs v Somerset declaration row | Roach goes home | Lancs try to change rules at AGM May 20, 2023
- May 12, 2023 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Marketing trends in County Cricket | Week 6 Previews | Chaos at Derby | Cricket Paper back this weekend | Why invest in Yorkshire? | Tom Harrison paid £1.13m in final four months May 12, 2023
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April 2023
- Apr 29, 2023 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Week 3 reviews | 12-month IPL contracts offered to England players | Own your mistakes! | Sort out 'reciprocal' rights for county members | Tom Price heroics Apr 29, 2023
- Apr 21, 2023 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Championship Week 3 previews | Ballance retires | The dangerous ageism of labelling older fans 'a problem' | Saudi Arabia T20 threat | Oh Mickey (Arthur), you're so fine Apr 21, 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- December 2022
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November 2022
- Nov 18, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: ECB change board | Back to an eight-team top division? | Smeed's move the first of many? | Hogan unretires | Major deals at Notts | Yorks racism hearing ramps up Nov 18, 2022
- Nov 3, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Richard Gould - the right CEO for the ECB ? | Shock Rushworth move | Yorkshire's key changes | New contracts - Wood, Barker, Hain | Surrey, Worcs coach appts Nov 3, 2022
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October 2022
- Oct 21, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Will a county 'go under' like Wasps? | Key says support you-know-what | Buttler & Croft contracts at Lancs | Yorks racism hearing in public? | Benefit Years no more? Oct 21, 2022
- Oct 8, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Angry reaction to Yorks' relegation | County Awards | Teams of the season | Will counties vote against Strauss Review? | Should we split cricket into two codes? Oct 8, 2022
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September 2022
- Sep 30, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Fantastic finale to the Champ season | Success at Surrey, Notts & Middx | Warks send Yorks down | Strauss Review reaction - and it's not good | Hildreth and Hogan farewells Sep 30, 2022
- Sep 16, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Should high performance mean high priority? | Royal London Cup previews | You-know-what 'least enjoyable' competition | $10m fine shows ECB the way on fighting racism Sep 16, 2022
- Sep 12, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Thompson delays county vote on Strauss review | Media blitz - Fri night Blast games, transfer window, player exodus | "One man and a dog" - still!!! | You-know-what Yr 2 figures Sep 12, 2022
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August 2022
- Aug 18, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: 'Over my dead body' CEO on cutting counties | The schedule is a pretzel or a Rubik's cube | Hildreth retires early | Thompson's in-tray | My Faustian bargain Aug 18, 2022
- Aug 16, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Thompson appointed ECB chair | Special General Meeting forced at Lancashire | Yorks tribunal underway | Flintoff's Field of Dreams considered | Stevens to leave Kent Aug 16, 2022
- Aug 3, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Major moves announced | Yorks change captain | Royal London Cup is not an 'alternative' | What Dr Who tells us about the demise of county cricket | Loads of pessimism, sorry Aug 3, 2022
- Aug 1, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Will counties lose that £1.3m payment? | Why the balls have gone soft | Join Campaign to Save First-Class Cricket | B&H Cup 50 years on | Northeast's 410* Aug 1, 2022
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July 2022
- Jul 20, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Why first-class county cricket will be gone in six years Jul 20, 2022
- Jul 14, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Scarbados and Southport shine | Lancs Action Group rally members | Why do 'outsiders' love the Champ | What change will YOU make to save the game? Jul 14, 2022
- Jul 2, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: What Wimbledon can teach English cricket | Vaughan off-air | Gale's parting shot | Sibley, Barnard moves | 'Bazball' in the county game | Who's out of contract Jul 2, 2022
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June 2022
- Jun 24, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Last four Yorks chairs blast ECB | Champ games to be played in UAE or Sri Lanka? | Introducing the 6ixty | Seriously, how to replace the ECB? | Big Somerset signing Jun 24, 2022
- Jun 17, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Yorkshire and former players charged | Willey returns to Northants | Moeen, Sibley to move? | Chesterfield of dreams | YouTube stream hacks Jun 17, 2022
- Jun 9, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Blast catches fire at last | Sky's schedule, fights and food problems | Why fan engagement is the key | Yorkshire payouts Jun 9, 2022
- Jun 2, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Blast crowds struggling, are you surprised? | Foxes fight back with £10 deal | Key to cut Championship games? | Fans' banners taken down | Jim Parks RIP Jun 2, 2022
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May 2022
- May 26, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: T20 Blast Off | Ticket sales struggling because of you-know-what? | Has Championship been a let-down so far? | Surrey's classy gesture | Big sponsorship deal for Lancs May 26, 2022
- May 19, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: ECB CEO Tom Harrison goes... finally | Have bad balls helped batters? | Bees stop play | Where you get in free after tea | Why should we listen to ex-players? May 19, 2022
- May 14, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Is a different Dukes ball the reason for all the runs? | Finally, an ECB chair we can believe in? | Sparkling new Potts |Best of the blogs May 14, 2022
- May 5, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Should Joe Clarke play for England? | Essex boardroom problems | Six ducks for Kent tail-ender | Yet more ECB nonsense May 5, 2022
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April 2022
- Apr 24, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Strauss Review nonsense | Key appointment doubts | Compton's stunning start | TalkSPORT's quality coverage | Syd Lawrence Apr 24, 2022
- Apr 15, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: All the Championship previews | Mickey Arthur defends county cricket | A list of the ECB's mistakes this week | Player moves Apr 15, 2022
- Apr 7, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: All the County Championship previews | Fantasy League tips | Bumble speaks out | Latest player moves | And 'Teflon Tom' wants to secure 'his legacy' Apr 7, 2022
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March 2022
- Mar 28, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Should we have a fan-led review? | Surprise! Talk of culling some counties | Yorkshire can't get out of their own way | Should the ECB fine themselves? | All the moves Mar 28, 2022
- Mar 7, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Warne remembered by Hampshire | Power struggles at top of the county game | More trouble at Yorkshire | Should Durham be asking questions? | Lots of new signings Mar 7, 2022
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February 2022
- Feb 18, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: 'Civil War' at Yorkshire | Why Tom Harrison is cricket's Chesney Hawkes? | Mickey Arthur flies in | Surrey's 15k members | Davies banned for tweets | All the player moves Feb 18, 2022
- Feb 2, 2022 COUNTY CRICKET BLOG: Angry about the fixtures, the Yorkshire scandal and especially the ECB... here's why Feb 2, 2022
- January 2022
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December 2021
- Dec 24, 2021 BLOG: All the major player moves & contracts | Exploring Cricket & class | A right old 'Codgerfest' | Counties redeveloping grounds | Changes at Yorkshire | Peter O'Toole taught by Imran Khan Dec 24, 2021
- Dec 10, 2021 BLOG: Yorkshire look to rebuild | Lancashire's new ground | Coaching changes at Hants | Northants and Derbyshire overseas signings | All the latest player moves | Delay on 2022 fixture announcements Dec 10, 2021
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November 2021
- Nov 28, 2021 BLOG: Latest on Yorkshire racism scandal, all the county cricket moves, are ECB 'fit for purpose'? Nov 28, 2021
- Nov 10, 2021 Sign up FREE to the only County Cricket newsletter - all the latest in one place Nov 10, 2021
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October 2021
- Oct 28, 2021 It seems you can't wish Geoffrey Boycott a happy birthday anymore Oct 28, 2021
- Oct 1, 2021 The Championship must find its niche again and Mason Crane must not ruin my Spag Bol again Oct 1, 2021
- Oct 1, 2021 The Grumbler's County Championship team of the season - 2021 Oct 1, 2021
- Oct 1, 2021 How to say goodbye to a cricket season, career or life Oct 1, 2021
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September 2021
- Sep 14, 2021 Dear Mr Dowden, first-class counties are 'art treasures' too Sep 14, 2021
- Sep 8, 2021 We love seeing the youngsters play but it helps county finances too Sep 8, 2021
- Sep 1, 2021 Why watch when there is nothing to play for? Sep 1, 2021
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August 2021
- Aug 24, 2021 The intended consequence of diminished horizons Aug 24, 2021
- Aug 18, 2021 Like the many who will follow him, red-ball Ravi will be missed Aug 18, 2021
- Aug 11, 2021 Cricket needs diversity from all sides Aug 11, 2021
- Aug 3, 2021 Gimmickry can help county cricket too Aug 3, 2021
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July 2021
- Jul 29, 2021 50 and out? Why one-day cricket may fall through the cracks Jul 29, 2021
- Jul 20, 2021 A failure of governance Jul 20, 2021
- Jul 13, 2021 Cricket, data and Foxes Jul 13, 2021
- Jul 9, 2021 Lessons from six months of creating county cricket content Jul 9, 2021
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June 2021
- Jun 30, 2021 What happens when you become a cricket 'meme’ Jun 30, 2021
- Jun 21, 2021 How 'Hobbiton' is starting a village cricket team during a pandemic Jun 21, 2021
- Jun 15, 2021 Where's the fun? Derek Randall and Spinwash show the joyful chaos of yesteryear Jun 15, 2021
- Jun 9, 2021 County cricket fans are having their say... and their 'When Saturday Comes' moment Jun 9, 2021
- Jun 2, 2021 Why cricket's best YouTube channel is under threat Jun 2, 2021
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May 2021
- May 26, 2021 Fanning the flames for REAL supporter representation May 26, 2021
- May 18, 2021 Getting back in the ground, it’s going to be pretty damn emotional May 18, 2021
- May 18, 2021 By the end of this season, we’ll know if traditional county cricket has been outgunned May 18, 2021
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October 2020
- Oct 7, 2020 Vitality Blast: Team of the Season 2020 Oct 7, 2020
- Oct 7, 2020 Streaming offers red-ball cricket a lifeline Oct 7, 2020
- Oct 7, 2020 My T20 finals days: Michelangelo, Kiss Cam and the Sugababes Oct 7, 2020
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September 2020
- Sep 30, 2020 The Grumbler's Team of the Bob Willis Trophy 2020 Sep 30, 2020
- Sep 30, 2020 Barmy Army 'batten down hatches' as Covid hits cricket tour business Sep 30, 2020
- Sep 30, 2020 No-one marketed the Bob Willis Trophy final, so I did it myself for a tenner Sep 30, 2020
- Sep 24, 2020 Udal on Parkinson's Disease - 'When you play cricket, you learn to fight' Sep 24, 2020
- Sep 24, 2020 Tom Banton's not Somerset's Messiah, he's a very naughty boy Sep 24, 2020
- Sep 24, 2020 Why cricket fans will mourn this season more than most Sep 24, 2020
- Sep 10, 2020 Cold-blooded Murtagh takes on Donald Trump's spinner Sep 10, 2020
- Sep 10, 2020 By George, he's the proud No11, batting in his mother's memory Sep 10, 2020
- Sep 10, 2020 Bring back the 'FA Cup' of cricket Sep 10, 2020
- Sep 10, 2020 County game grows viewership via stream power Sep 10, 2020
- Sep 9, 2020 Financial nous like ‘Barnacle’ Bailey can guide cricket though the pandemic Sep 9, 2020