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
We have a critical few weeks ahead but not quite as critical as they first appeared because, finally, the ECB might have found a credible leader.
On Wednesday, David Hopps’ report on Nottinghamshire’s win over Leicestershire revealed the upcoming timetable like this : “Strauss will officially unveil his [High Performance Review] proposals to the ECB Board next Wednesday, with Richard Thompson taking the chair for the first time. The Board will then decide what exactly to propose to the counties, and when.”
Hopps added that a September deadline might not be met and the counties might “stare down” all threats of a “talent drain”. They may be swayed that way if members are belligerent enough about the changes when they are finally put in front of them. But many of the boards are dancing around the issue of whether they will be fully bound to the members’ wishes.
Why was all this in Hopps’ match report earlier this week? Because Nottinghamshire’s win meant they are nailed-on to win the Division Two title yet they still did not know if it would mean anything. It took the “New ECB’s” incoming chair Richard Thompson to finally confirm that upcoming changes will not be enacted before 2024 but we did not know for sure at this point. Nottinghamshire have all but won Division Two without knowing if it would put them in Division One, Conference Two or wherever next year. Leaving teams playing blind all season does not scream “trust us, we know what we are doing” when it comes to the Championship.
Strauss has been doing the media rounds this week, see below. It has only served to stir up the feeling against his proposals among legacy fans. The “one man and a dog” comment about county cricket is not just a loose tongue, it is falling into a stereotype and he should know better.
And, anyway, let’s explore this issue. The average attendance at a Women’s Super League game last season was 1,600 despite a sizeable marketing push and significant free-to-air coverage. That is less than the crowd at many Championship games I have been in at Chelmsford this season and the gate revenue will be much lower. But that sport is seen as vibrant and growing. This is not knocking women’s sport. The success of the female version of the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named in comparison to the men (see below) screams of greater parity in pay. From the perspective of cold, hard cash, the “old ECB’s” favourite metric, they are worth much more than a quarter of the male version, as their contracts would suggest right now.
Strauss’ comments suggest there is still no real concern at the top of the game about the membership fanbase. To use a phrase thrown so often employed the other way around, he is “out of touch”.
Of course, money is the root of all this. At Somerset’s meeting on the possible changes last week, the CEO revealed membership accounted for just 11 per cent of income. The ECB’s contribution was four times that and commercial income made up the rest. Ironically, Taunton is one of the best-attended grounds on the circuit and, arguably, Somerset are the biggest sports team in the south-west. And anyway you cannot subtract people from the commercial revenue and media rights. They own the wallets and open the eyeballs which support this income. But, above all that, the point of a sporting entity is to create pride, meaning and purpose among its ‘tribe’.
Strauss has been flinging out quotes that, if articulated in Trade Union leader Mick Lynch’s more guttural English, would be mediated as threats. Compare that with Thompson, who in his first interviews has opened the door to everything, including aspects I do not like such as the future of the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named and the outside investment in their franchises. However, he is an adult clearing up cricket after the juveniles left an unholy mess playing with their expensive, unnecessary toys so let’s give him some leeway for now.
He demonstrated that at the end of this week by delaying the meaningful vote by the counties on the Strauss review. Lack of consultation and transparency was “the old ECB” he said. Yep, the one who railroaded the counties into the-tournament-that-shall-not-be-named.
In his various interviews this week, the diplomatic Thompson has been as critical as you can expect of the old regime, a body that damaged county cricket in so many areas. Perhaps the worst hit was the trust between those who run the game and those who have supported it for so long.
You can not rebuild that with threats, spin, marketing or loose words. Along with diplomacy and effective change management, transparency, clarity and consistency are key.
But along with all that, it will take thousands of words and gestures to create cracks in those stubborn defences we have built around ourselves to prevent further damage.
Change is required from everyone.
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Players and coaches - signings, contracts and departures
Moves and contracts: Williams (Northamptonshire - end of season), Khan (Somerset - end of season), Hayes (Nottinghamshire - 2yr), Hammond (Gloucestershire - 2yr), Gill (Glamorgan - end of the season)
Head coach James Franklin to leave Durham at end of season (Cricketer)
Marnus Labuschagne commits to Glamorgan until end of 2024 season (Cricinfo)
This is great news. A two-year deal for one of the best batters in the world in recent years.
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Looking back on the-tournament-that-shall-not-be-named
Now, you know where I stand on all this. Recent history has led me to have little faith in the official figures and, anyway, there are plenty of question-marks over this event after the conclusion of year two. Sky might be ‘deliriously happy’ with the result but, as at the ECB, careers have been staked on its success and they would be saying the same thing if it was tanking so who knows? We do have some figures below - broadly the crowds have slightly dipped (thanks to the men’s event) but the television audience is markedly down. And it is still making a thumping loss.
The sad thing is that all the background history and the built-in destruction means I can’t celebrate its successes. Getting well-attended stadiums with families and youngsters involved in cricket of any form is great. But not at this cost.
While my bias will be at play, it seems to have been created as a zero-sum game. There is no mutual benefit. If you win, I lose and vice versa.
It is just so sad.
This was an unexpectedly negative take from the Wisden Cricket Weekly chaps on you-know-what.
Fire and Loathing: the Hundred and its pyrotechnics will strangle cricket (Guardian)
When you only have eight franchises, all backed with marketing money never seen before in domestic cricket, having a runt in the litter is really rather embarrassing.
The Guardian view on the Hundred: a short format is playing a long game (Guardian)
"Bashing the Hundred has become a little tiresome and predictable. Yes, it is a horribly simplified version of a wonderfully complex game; yes, the commentators, with their endless bigging up of some very ordinary cricket are annoying; yes, the rise of short-form franchise cricket across the world threatens the traditional game. But at least it has got the sport back on to terrestrial TV, and at the same time given a boost to the women’s game."
This is such limited thinking from the Guardian, and in an editorial too. Like so many, they take the view that the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named was the only solution available. As we discussed last week, highly-successful ex-Surrey CEO Richard Gould proposed a different one in his interview to become ECB CEO and the BBC were already at the table when it was first pitched as a T20. Surrey already had concrete metrics that they were reaching new audiences at a fraction of the marketing spend, risk and rancour, see below.
And anyway, the ‘fix’ is still playing out. The ECB cemented its future with the Sky deal just a couple of months ago without any clear reason and have made the entire cricket season, even next season’s Ashes, dance to its tune. It has been left out of the Strauss' review and this season's Blast figures suggest it is already hit the county game where it hurts.
While I understand all the anger is tiresome, the whole sorry saga has not stopped being short-sighted and destructive. Also, given the lack of credibility and integrity of the leadership, pressure must be maintained or they will do it again. Or much worse. Thompson may be in situ but he has not yet swept the decks.
I did not see any editorials in the liberal left’s favourite broadsheet saying "yeah, that Boris Johnson. We know he is a bit of a lying charlatan but, he's there in No 10 now and quite entertaining so we may as well all support him. All this disagreement is pretty dull”.
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The most frustrating part of all this is that the ECB's tactics have been so clear, even if major issues like strategy, communications and how it all fits together have been opaque. They know by the time the Sky deal runs out you-know-what will be part of the furniture, the objectors will have grown weary and the counties will be neutered or have new leadership less bitter about the introduction of you-know-what.
It will be painted as “change management” but, in fact, it is just creating your position by fair means or foul, defending it through your greater power and resources or by obfuscation and then simply outlasting people.
While the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named aims to solve a valid and highly-important question, that does not justify such a destructive answer delivered via the most underhand means.
Look at these figures above and below. Remember in 2019, Surrey revealed Blast sales were:
15% up year-on-year
50% of ticket buyers were new fans
10k tickets for U16s (50k sold in the previous 5 years)
Family Zone sold out for all fixtures
1 in 5 tickets bought by women
Sources: Both from August 2019, see below
Surrey chief executive Richard Gould hails The Oval's Blast crowds (Cricketer)
Surrey CCC set new record ticket sales for T20 fixtures (London News Online)
Why county cricket needs to thrive in order to help Test Match performances (Metro)
"What irks so many about The Hundred is the artifice, not so much of the spectacle, which is T20-lite, but in the franchises created. Cricket has a long and proud tradition but you won’t find players kissing an Oval Invincibles’ badge or that of the Northern Superchargers."
The campaign to save county cricket
Previewing the review (Wisden)
The Cricket Badger does a think piece in this podcast. It is spot on.
Exclusive: Transfer windows could be introduced to county cricket by 2024 (Telegraph) ($)
Exclusive: Counties push for more T20 Blast games to be played on Friday nights (Telegraph) ($)
Clubs call for ban on overseas players in County Championship (Times) ($)
Sir Andrew Strauss wants ‘feeder leagues’ as counties fight reform plans (Telegraph)
Being Outside Cricket @OutsideCricket
So Strauss' ideal schedule is: April - One Day Cup May-June - T20 Blast June, July, September - Championship What does Sky think about the Blast completely overlapping with the IPL? Surely it would mean they'd televise far fewer matches.
Exclusive: Sir Andrew Strauss tells counties to accept reforms or face player exodus (Telegraph)
Here comes the PR blitz by Andrew Strauss. Then there’s Michael Vaughan leading the charge for self-interest. Yet again, he writes: "The [you-know-what] is here to stay. That is a fact."
It is a “fact” due to the “old ECB’s” conscious and deliberate decision-making based on their agenda and the power they can wield. It is not natural, it has been manufactured.
Surrey's Blast figures (above) show how counties could attract families and kids to their games. And their marketing budget for the WHOLE SEASON was roughly equivalent to ONE GAME in the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named.
If you are looking for best practice then just look at their efficiency.
Strauss is not writing the headlines suggesting ‘if you don’t accept my proposals then X will happen’. But he is making himself available and saying the words.
It is similar to the Project Fear-tactic used by Brexiteers to label concerns about leaving the EU. Dominic Cummings’ only contribution to British life is the tallest tale in our recent history and a couple of devious, yet effective election slogans. Anyone who has seen those tailbacks on the M20 and examined our economy in comparison to others will see we were right to be fearful of Brexit. In English cricket, we must be open to change but wary of those peddling self-interest disguised as ultimatums.
With regard to these proposals, I am undecided as yet. I will examine it further after the Essex meeting next week. However, part of me thinks, let’s just split the game now and build something better from a smaller base. It is no good hanging on to the coattails of others.
My viewpoint was similar with regard to the European Super League last summer. Let them go because they are playing a different game now.
Being Outside Cricket @OutsideCricket
Here are a list of ECB penalties against counties this season: Durham: 16 pts? (Bat too large) Derbyshire: 2 pts (Bat too large) Leicestershire: 2 pts (9 penalties in 2 years) Durham: 2 pts (7 penalties in a year) Essex: £50k fine (Suppressing racism enquiry) Yorkshire: Nothing
News, Views and Interviews
New ECB chief wants England to host IPL matches - and play Tests in August (Telegraph) ($)
New ECB chairman Richard Thompson: We have to win back people’s trust (Times) ($)
ECB admit pay for top players will increase amid threat from global leagues (The Cricketer)
New ECB chair Richard Thompson did a round of media interviews this week. Here are some highlights. My takes are in italics.
Targetting an increase in attendance from 2m to 4m
Increasing diversity
Open to IPL games in the UK
On the Bonuses for the CEO…
“The CEO of the ECB should not be paid on the back of the broadcast deal,” he said. “The CEO should be paid on growth, participation and the success of the England teams.”
Pretty damning on Teflon Tom Harrison and those who enfranchised him.
Reduce the headcount at the ECB
On the new Sky TV deal…
"Thompson says he was consulted on the deal and would not have taken the job had he felt it would tie his hands. “Had we waited, could we have generated more? I doubt it,” he said.
OK but look at what is not said here - would he have done it? Has you-know-what justified this deal? Why is there no BBC involvement? What about the future of the £1.3m ‘dividend’ for the counties? Why not have waited until he was in post?
Then again, Harrison got a lucrative deal for cricket overall and Sky are the game’s biggest partner in the UK. The money is good and, with a deep recession on the way, you can understand Thompson taking this position. He can’t unpick it anyway. But whatever he did or did not say, it cannot be best practice to have this agreed upon without the full input of the chair or CEO who will have to manage it.
On county members…
“The anxiety that county members are feeling is as a result of the way the Hundred played out when they felt they were not consulted. We are feeling that tension now."
100 per cent. There is no trust at all on the members’ side after the ECB pushed through you-know-what via the counties through a £1.3m sweetener and some ambush tactics. Then they added a new TV deal that leaves so many questions unanswered.
It is all this, not the tournament’s achievements, that leaves us in the position of "It's going nowhere. It is here to stay". This is why trust is so low.
I don't know how Thompson can balance all this because, in truth, four competitions is just too many. The television deal will last the length of his tenure and seems immovable. Yes, his tone has changed over you-know-what since Surrey's vehement opposition. But he is still talking about the primacy of Test cricket and the importance of the red-ball game. This is all heartening.
Every new chair has to be diplomatic and conciliatory in their early words. Especially, if your biggest revenue stream, Sky, are enthusiastically behind something that has caused so many problems. I stress I have no specific knowledge but I am going to look at the actions, not the words, just as I did with Teflon Tom Harrison when he talked of supporting red-ball cricket and then did everything possible to marginalise it.
It is no surprise that Clare Connor has decided not apply for the CEO's job despite being the interim. She is “old ECB” and mired in the introduction of you-know-what. Thompson seems as damning as you can expect him to be on the organisation’s bonus structure and the headcount. He is clearly starting to nudge this big ship back in the right direction.
The actions of the senior leadership team at the ECB over the past few years have been a disgrace to the game. If they had continued on this path then, like many “legacy fans”, I could see myself drifting away from cricket in the years to come. I have already parked the idea of life membership for now.
County members moan a hell of a lot. My nickname is a testament to that. But this new chair is the best hope that legacy fans like us have got right now. Thompson has the backing of voices I trust and a wider view than just financial gain.
Don't expect every decision or quote to go "our way", after all the deck has long been stacked against the county game and he has inherited a particularly bad hand.
But look at the actions in the long term and give him a chance.
To add just a smidge of balance, Andy Flower spoke intelligently and mostly positively about the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named in this podcast with the excellent Neil Manthorp. One of the big problems about this entire debate is that all the voices on Sky or the BBC seem to knock back the Kool-Aid before picking up a mic. Trusted voices inside the event are few but Flower is one in my view.
Being Outside Cricket @OutsideCricket
Here are a list of ECB penalties against counties this season: Durham: 16 pts? (Bat too large) Derbyshire: 2 pts (Bat too large) Leicestershire: 2 pts (9 penalties in 2 years) Durham: 2 pts (7 penalties in a year) Essex: £50k fine (Suppressing racism enquiry) Yorkshire: Nothing
This tweet is a little misleading. As the 16-point or two-point penalty is based on the number awarded for a victory in that competition. However, despite the complex legalities involved, it is unacceptable that Yorkshire are yet to receive sanction for serious charge of racism. Especially given the ECB’s failure to act in a timely and appropriate manner when they knew about the issues. And remember, the “old ECB” were happy to rush through the Strauss Review.
Laudably, Thompson has talked about addressing diversity across “race, gender and class”. All three are important but that last one is often overlooked.
Speaking of which…
How Canterbury Academy is taking down the private school powerhouses
BREAKING NEWS: State school does well against public schools at cricket.
Given only seven per cent of the population are privately educated, can you spot the problem here?
County cricket: Hampshire take the weather with them and go top of table (Guardian)
Somerset County Cricket Club raising funds for Pakistan (Somerset Gazette)
Somerset 'could be ruled out' for international cricket matches (BBC Sport)
Love this idea of sporting memories helping the well-being of older generations.
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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