All in CricketPaper
The Hundred is an ill-considered gamble created by marketers with pounds signs where their hearts should be and promoted with all the clarity and sincerity of Boris Johnson on the floor of the Commons. As far as I can see, there has never been a coherent long-term plan, no consistent explanation of how it supports the overall structure of the game and, before this week, nothing about how its success will be measured.
Dan Weston began a degree in finance and accountancy the year Billy Beane took over at the Oakland As. But, on graduation, he used his numerical skills in a different way, playing poker, slot-machines and betting for a living. However, in the past few years, he has pivoted, being appointed Leicestershire’s player recruitment and strategy analyst in July 2020 while taking up a similar role at the Birmingham Phoenix franchise in The Hundred. Here’s his story
Like many English cricket fans, I fear for the future of the county game. Unlike most, I am spending a few hours each week trying to do something about it.
Cricket participation in the UK has been falling for decades. The number of people turning out regularly has halved since the Millennium and only a third of state schools even play it these days. The ECB has recognised the problem by making “supporting and connecting communities and improving lives” a pillar of its Inspiring Generations plan running from 2020 to 2024. It could be the motto for the new Alfrick CC.
As a youngster, Derek Randall was by far my favourite non-Essex player. OK, he was one of the best fielders in the world but there were far more consistent players with the bat. However, it was his sheer joy in playing the game that shone through.
If the mainstream will not satisfy the demands of the county cricket-supporting public then, these days, the fans will clearly look to entertain themselves.
My piece for The Cricket Paper on the growth, popularity and threats to Robelinda2, the sport's best YouTube channel
“If you want to find a video of Nasser Hussain bowling in Test cricket, Devon Malcolm’s 12 not out against Australia in 1997 or the “shittest players of spin ever” then you are in the right place.”
Before we had ever heard of Covid-19, it was clear that county cricket had a peculiar ability to soothe a troubled mind. Now fans are coming out of lockdown and getting back into grounds, its meaning is even more important.
Right now, life is perfect for traditional county cricket fans but, by the end of the season, they might be outnumbered and outgunned. The Hundred is on the horizon and they must finally face the future head-on.
