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
The 20th edition of the UK's domestic T20 competition is about to get underway. Can you remember your first game?
One of mine was T20’s debut at Lord's in 2005. I arrived a little late and had to climb right up to the ‘nosebleeds’ in the Grand Stand to get a seat as 27,509 had turned up to see Surrey beat Middlesex despite Lance Klusener’s agricultural efforts at the end. The event had been seen as a frivolous oddity in year one but, as this report suggests, to say that county fans at that time failed to support the new competition is simply wrong. Twenty years on, these same supporters are now being portrayed as dinosaurs because of their opposition to the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named. But, as exemplified this week, it ain’t the format that’s the problem.
You would think the 20th anniversary of such a game-changer would merit headlines. But what we've seen are reports saying that ticket sales for the Blast have been cannabalised by you-know-what. That event is in year two and fans with a casual interest now fully understand what it is. You can’t blame the uninitiated for not appreciating that everything about it is artificial, especially the ticket prices. This is one of the many factors that have eaten up the ECB’s reserves and, despite everything, cost remains the casual fan’s primary driver of purchase. The Blast has a better roster of players this year but we know what will receive the greater hype. That is why the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named will continue to make a loss in itself, and when you add the inevitable erosion of the existing game, this represents a destructive double whammy.
'Blast off' is Act Two of the season. Act One, the first six rounds of the Championship, has been welcome but, as discussed below, left something lacking. Hopefully, that will work itself out. Over the past half-century, English cricket’s survival has been based on three traits - rebalancing the play, re-inventing the formats and, despite everything, the capacity to muddle through.
This time, the situation seems much more serious and the questions existential. However, a good Blast will certainly help.
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The Blast begins
Vitality Blast 2022: All you need to know as the T20 tournament returns for 20th season (Sky Sports)
T20 Blast 2022: All you need to know (Cricketer)
Joe Root: England batter to play Yorkshire's first three T20 Blast games (BBC Sport)
Overseas players for the 2022 Vitality Blast (ECB)
T20 Blast fixtures 2022: Full schedule, dates (Cricketer)
Inside Sussex's white-ball juggernaut (Cricketer)
The Championship
County game has much to consider as early-season Championship dishes up thin gruel (Cricinfo)
This is spot on from the ever-excellent David Hopps. Perhaps our collective enthusiasm for the preservation of the Championship has blinded us to this season’s problems. A glut of runs has made for too many boring games. Whether it is the weather, the pitches, the balls or eight points for a draw, too many final days have been played out merely waiting for a handshake. As I have said many times, the Championship and probably the counties are sunk if they ONLY exist to serve the international teams. A situation created to encourage batters to preserve their wickets in tough conditions has ended up with opposing captains employing spinners or part-time bowlers as the quicks will be pointlessly ground down. Of course, cricket is an equilibrium. A tilt towards the bat can be addressed by rule adaptations, ball tweaks and, most importantly, the development of skills. But, right now, as an attraction, the Championship is losing the head of steam built up over the past few years.
If we only had 10 franchises then this batter would have been out of the game by now. This is the point being made here (County structure allows space for players to grow that franchises could not accommodate (Cricketer). After being let go by Hampshire and Nottinghamshire, Ben Compton came into this season batting in the last-chance saloon. He deserves his spot in the County Select team to play New Zealand on Friday.
County Championship team of the week (Cricketer)
Englandwatch: Lawrence tons up and Stokes impresses with ball (wisden)
Wisden’s County Championship team of the tournament so far (Wisden)
County cricket talking points: two sides pull away in each division (Guardian)
Player moves, contract and injuries
Player signings/contracts: Robinson (Durham - loan), Kelly (Northamptonshire - contract), Rutherford (Leicestershire - T20), Pollard (Surrey - T20), Malan (Middlesex - Champ, RL50), Kerr (Derbyshire), Madsen (Derbyshire - contract)
Speaking of Madsen, here’s the Stumps, Umps and Beer Pumps podcast with the ‘Derbyshire Don’
Handscomb leaves Middlesex (Middlesex CCC)
Injury news - Stone, Norwell (Warwickshire), Lakmal (Derbyshire)
Hassan Ali: ‘Wasim Akram told me to play county cricket. Finally I’m here ’ (Guardian)
News, views and interviews
Counties blame The Hundred for 'very slow' ticket sales for Vitality Blast (Telegraph) ($)
T20 Blast ticket sales struggle as ECB ‘puts the Hundred first’ (Times) ($)
No runs, no wickets and little hope - do Leicestershire deserve to survive? (Telegraph) ($)
Every parent knows that saying “I told you so” never helps. But sometimes you do it anyway.
Several counties, including Somerset, Essex and Hampshire, have announced their Blast season tickets have sold out. The hardcore clearly still love the ‘product’ (sorry, but that term is needed here) and, in 2019, the casual fans felt the same way as ticket sales for the group stages were up 15 per cent year-on-year and 47 per cent over the previous five years. Even the opening week of sales for the following year’s event had shifted a record 65,000 tickets. Meanwhile, Surrey chairman Richard Thompson revealed 50 per cent of their T20 buyers were new to the game.
It was a stone-cold success. So what changed?
The ECB introduced a new event that was ‘theirs’ then abused their role as regulator and commercialiser of the sport by giving it every advantage possible to engineer success. In the first year, ticket prices were artificially low, the buying window was earlier than the Blast and the marketing budget vast. Then there was the coverage on BBC television. The event is only played during one month yet it is positioned more prominently than county cricket on the BBC sports website all year round. This year’s draft was held days before the Championship began, guess which got more attention?
Promoting it (and, crucially, covering Covid losses) has hollowed out the ECB’s reserves from a reported £70m to £2.5m, it has crowded an already-packed schedule and divided the game. The cash-strapped counties did not have to vote for it but some of the tactics to get sign-off were dubious. The £1.3m per year sweetener was reported to be half that once the ‘opportunity cost’ was calculated. Now, all too predictably, it is whittling away at the county game’s main revenue stream.
The introduction of the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named is an existential threat to the structure of the game in this country. So now we have a writer like Scyld Berry, who has always appeared to have cricket’s best interest at heart, asking do a county like Leicestershire ‘deserve to survive?’ It is a fair question and it could be applied to another three or four counties at least. But it should have been posed before introducing a new, highly disruptive event. No-one at the ECB possessed the bravery, honesty or leadership qualities to pose it. Nor have they had the guts to let counties go under when they can’t pay the bills over the past couple of decades.
So now we have a fudge where the ECB seem to be hoping a few teams slowly suffocate after being starved of air. And they seem non-plussed when they are accused of having their foot firmly on the county game’s windpipe.
No doubt - the counties have been part of the problem, change is necessary and the ECB have one of the toughest jobs in English sport (much of it their own fault).
But legacy fans are not like the BBC, who are reliant on the government for funding and hounded for any misstep, so they are not showing the tailbacks of lorries on the M20, properly holding the PM to account over his Northern Ireland u-turn and all the other painful results of the shameful spin over Brexit.
Cricket supporters remember what they were told when the tournament-that-shall-be-named was being made up as it went along. They recall the “it’s not for you" statement, the much-discussed separation between franchises and their host venues and, of course, the ‘this will save, not destroy, county cricket’-type quotes. That is when the ECB actually spoke, of course.
It was crap then and it is crap now.
The only thing I’ll say about the oft-remarked comparison between the-tournament-that-shall-not-be-named and Brexit is that people actually voted for the latter. (I am fiercely opposed to both and, in my opinion, the Leave campaign was based on lies but, still, they won the majority). There were no calls for you-know-what before it happened, in fact, the ECB was lauding the success of the Blast. The tournament-that-shall-not-be-named remains a toxic mess forced through by a few executives. It has always appeared that much of its vocal support has come from those who gain most from its existence. It has been notable how David Lloyd switched camps so quickly after leaving Sky, its main broadcaster.
There will be much more pain to come from this event and, who knows, Leicestershire might well go under in a few years. Followed by a handful of other counties. It might even come to pass that the existing system is pulled off life-support and replaced by 10 or 12 franchises.
If so, then it is almost certain I’ll never pay to watch another cricket match. If Essex are not playing in the competition, the cricket is a diversion not a passion for me. The IPL, CPL, Big Bash are all fine but, it’s ultimately disposable television. England games are important but the in-stadium experience is too corporate, too busy and just too damn expensive.
NB: While we are talking about Scyld Berry, his proposal for the Championship is similar to mine. Two divisions of 12, with the extra six teams composed of minor counties (I know, I know) even though the lower reaches might be part-time.
Lancashire Cricket and Emirates sign long-term partnership extension (Lancashire CCC)
Forgive the pun, but this has flown under the radar. A seven-year deal with Emirates Airlines says something about the Lancashire brand and, we hope county cricket. It was noticeable that their men and women’s teams spent time in the UAE for pre-season.
This is a company with a long history of sports sponsorship at the highest level - Arsenal, Milan, Real Madrid and the FA Cup are the highlights in football but it extends down and into many other areas.
The length of this deal is heartening as county cricket is not considered ‘premium’ these days. Yes, Surrey have Kia, a major car company, but Essex’s Championship shirt sponsors are a local scaffolding company and last year’s RL50 kit was fronted by Iqoniq, who went into liquidation at the start of 2022.
Like it or not, sponsorship is critical in modern sport. It was only their departure that finally pulled ex-FIFA president Sepp Blatter from his ivory tower and, just last year, Yorkshire’s reputational hit saw brands bolt for the door threatening the county’s very existence.
That is why I always ‘like’ or ‘retweet’ posts about Essex getting a new deal. It’s easy, the brands love the support and it helps the game. I urge you to do the same.
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Social media spats do unfair disservice to county game (Cricketer)
Daryl Mitchell scores 135 for Ombersley in big win over Kidderminster (Worcester News)
Joe Clarke expresses 'embarrassment and shame' over WhatsApp messages (BBC Sport)
Surrey repay £70,000 in furlough money after making £5.4m profit (BBC Sport)
This is genius and quite magnificent. Yes, Surrey are the richest county going but they did not have to do this and there are plenty of similar companies who benefitted much more from the furlough scheme (as well as others who blatantly ripped it off) who have never thought about reimbursement. (Sidenote: why aren’t the huge supermarket chains, who benefitted greatly from the pandemic, helping the small high street shops, who barely survived? And don’t get me started on the energy companies).
This move has the mark of Surrey chairman Richard Thompson all over it. He is quoted in the piece. It came out a day or so after Teflon Tom Harrison announced his departure as ECB CEO after pocketing his share of a £2.1m bonus yet presiding over 62 redundancies during Covid. Thompson is now favourite to become chair of the ECB and, though almost certainly not planned, this move serves as a stark indication of the difference in their moral compasses.
Warwickshire advertise for a gardener (Warwickshire CCC)
Warwickshire need someone 12 hours-a-week to "support the growth of our own ingredients on-site". It is a very nice idea and hopefully more than just lip service. Every gardener has to battle with insects and slugs, this one might have an extra pest to deal with - drunken fans at T20 Blast finals day trampling all over their carrots. Best get the netting down early that day. Thinking about it, ask the groundstaff if you can borrow the rolling covers.
Speaking of jobs, here’s a couple for budding journalists.
Digital Media exec at Gloucestershire and Multi-media exec at Warwickshire
Save Village Cricket - Bayford and Hertford Cricket Club issue 'rallying cry' as it fears for the future of the game ahead of 70th year (Herts Mercury)
This is not county cricket but it is important. Participation is a problem for village clubs everywhere. There are lots of global factors like time, attention spans etc but the loss of cricket on free-to-air television and in primary schools have surely been a multiplier in England. This story led to the creation of this Twitter account.
Anyone who has read Last-Wicket Stand will know I have not picked up a bat since my father died almost 17 years ago. I have a ‘thing’ about it. Now my kids are older and doing their own thing, perhaps I should reconsider.
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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