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It seems you can't wish Geoffrey Boycott a happy birthday anymore
Can we wish Geoffrey Boycott a happy birthday without mentioning his conviction? Can a sentence be written about Graham Gooch’s generosity without someone mentioning the Rebel Tour? What about Hanse Cronje, the Australian 'sandpaper' cheats, any of the match-fixing players or even Kevin Pietersen for ‘texting his mates’.
The Championship must find its niche again and Mason Crane must not ruin my Spag Bol again
Like a bear preparing for hibernation, this County Championship cricket season has left me with enough sustenance for my sporting soul to get through winter. But I will wince at every headline between now and April. Not because I fear change but because I fear the motives of those making them. The sport’s administrators are clearly not interested in my kind and their values.
The Grumbler's County Championship team of the season - 2021
The Championship started at a frenetic, free-scoring pace and ended with low-scoring, wicket-winkling drama at Aigburth and Edgbaston. In this team, I have tried to consider the young saplings, the blossoming talents and the hardy perennials. One of the wonderful aspects of four-day county cricket is there is space for anyone of any age to grow if they have the necessary talent and application.
How to say goodbye to a cricket season, career or life
The end of the county cricket season felt like the last sunshine of the year, both real and metaphorical, so it was important to savour the moment. Especially as there was always a chance a hero or two would not be back.
Dear Mr Dowden, first-class counties are 'art treasures' too
Mr Dowden, I am suggesting to you the idea of a fan-led review of cricket, similar to Tracey Couch’s work in football, which explores the idea of supporters having a true voice in the game. A regulatory body such as the one you have proposed in football would be welcome too.
We love seeing the youngsters play but it helps county finances too
The concern for county cricket is precisely the same as that of UK society. Namely that the pandemic will provide a convenient cover to accelerate a process that has been going on for some time.
The concentration of money and resources not to the many but the few.
Why watch when there is nothing to play for?
The scheduling of the entire 2021 season has been annoying and confusing for ‘legacy fans’. The Championship has been exiled to the extremities, the Royal London Cup has been diluted and overshadowed while the Blast has been protracted to the extent of near meaninglessness.
The intended consequence of diminished horizons
A high-quality Royal London Cup final was hampered by negligent, disrespectful organisation that left little chance of a carnival crowd, let alone the sort of atmosphere manufactured in the tournament overshadowing it.
Like the many who will follow him, red-ball Ravi will be missed
As a purist, I feel a certain sadness when a talent like Ravi Bopara calls time on the long-form game.
While his white-ball skills are worthy of the highest regard, I hope he understands the true significance of what he has left behind.
Cricket needs diversity from all sides
Only seven per cent of the UK is educated in the ‘independent’ sector and yet, according to the 2020 Cricketers’ Who’s Who, 45 per cent of the players educated in this country were private pupils. A 2019 study revealed England international cricketers are more likely to be privately educated than peers in the House of Lords
Gimmickry can help county cricket too
Quite understandably, The Hundred has used gimmicks to entice a new audience into its version of cricket. Why not consider using a similar approach to sympathetically shine a light on the version of cricket many fear it could destroy?
50 and out? Why one-day cricket may fall through the cracks
As products, sorry I used that word again, The Hundred is ‘cheap’ and Tests are ‘quality’. In purely marketing terms, these two factors are key in our decision to buy. The 50-over event is neither.
A failure of governance
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.
Cricket, data and Foxes
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
Lessons from six months of creating county cricket content
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.
What happens when you become a cricket 'meme’
Sarim Akhtar’s silent, stony glare had started something. Memes were already flooding onto social media by the time he was interviewed in the stands by television presenter Zainab Abbas an hour after the drop. Crucially, they put his name in the caption. That night, he had to mute his phone as it ‘pinged’ every few seconds as thousands of new friend requests poured in.
How 'Hobbiton' is starting a village cricket team during a pandemic
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.
Where's the fun? Derek Randall and Spinwash show the joyful chaos of yesteryear
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.