Dog, lamppost, sofas, county cricket - ooo me back.
Hampshire's decision to happily hire out Dimitri Mascarenhas to the Indian Premier League in May was another kick in the ribs for county cricket. "A great honour for the player and the county," said chairman Rod Bransgrove. Eh? Surely Dimmy's just getting his snout in the trough. Another case of a county delighted, indeed grateful, to play lamppost to the dog of TV-fuelled greed.
By the way, it's high time somebody clamped down on sofa adverts. All those people languishing around on sofas without any socks on. Sometimes in the middle of the afternoon! It's depraved.
Frinton-on-Sea is actually much nicer than it was portrayed in that disgraceful BBC2 programme last night but, if I was a Warwickshire supporter, I would not be entirely comfortable with the apparent obsession from some at Edgbaston with international cricket. We all know the financial realities these days but last season the eye was taken right off the ball county-cricket wise with wretched consequences.
Some counties seem happy to let the county game wither on the vine. I hope the Bears fight for it all the way.
One other thing - me back's gone again. Ever since Blackpool, 2006, and an ill-advisedly long and over-active night out with Section 19, it's been dodgy and it went again this morning just as I was asking Walsall manager Richard Money a probing question.
As I type this, I am flat on my back, covered from head to toe in bandages, with all four limbs suspended in splints. Dangerous business, this sports journalism.
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Brian Halford - Brian Halfordâs look at Edgbaston.
9 regions - with Edgbaston being the centre for Midlands West is where we will be sooner or latter...... :-o
2 ODI's and a T20 finals - 3 virtually packed days. Indeed the T20 finals day probably equated to two days.... and we still lost loads of money. Are we paying to much to host these games ? Eye off the ball or incompetance ?
But a lot of blame lies with the ECB too.
The ECB is trying to spread this test match thing too far. Increasing risks to the county game without the top three of four venues significantly increasing capapcities and facilities.
London, Birmingham and Manchester metropolitan areas deserve test status .......... perhaps Yorks, and Notts or Durham too. These venues need to have the confidence given to them to get the right stadiums in place.
The other areas can pick up the other 3 tests on a rotational basis. There are also plenty of ODI's to spread round. Those peripheral grounds can the budget accordingly. Expectations need to be set - or debts will run out of control - all 18 counties thinking they can hold an ashes test :-o
Perhaps the Bears should send a team out to play in India and let the second XI play our domestic fixtures in April...... loads of ££££££££££
A lot of good sense there, Warley. My biggest fear, never mind international cricket skewering itself on its own greed, is for county cricket. The county game remains a wonderful institution despite having already been stripped of some of its charm by the loss of so many outgrounds and some of its kudos by the removal from it of many top players.
It would be desperately sad if county cricket, as we know it, is dismantled and we end up with a competition as sterile, predictable and cynical as Football's Premiership with a handful of mega-rich organisations of minimal interest to the rest.
Please, sporting gods, the county game has a long and happy future - but I fear that we should cherish it while we still can.
True Brian
With local reference, Itâs a bit like Lord of the Rings âŠâŠ.. is the shire of hobitland aware of the rising doom from Mordor ?
I fear it will slip away, unless the powers that be have a grand financial plan that means that all 18 counties donât think that holding a test match is some sort of financial Shangri-La.
Big test venues are a primary cost that counties need maximum usage from. Can the game really support a dozen plus such venues ?
Think I read somewhre that ECB are looking at making the twenty20 regional from 2009. I won't be paying money to watch a regional team that has no history or identity and that i have no affinity for. Just another cash cow.
I don't see how making the T20 regional would increase revenue. Edgbaston took over £ 200K in ticket sales in 2007 and other counties also did well where the weather permitted. So by playing the T20 as regions you could end up decreasing people sitting on seats - even if they were capacity games.
I can sadly see it happening to the four day game.... despite the screams of the memberships around the country.
But when it comes to the powers that be - nothing would suprise me.
The powers that be should be ashamed. After 2005 they had a great chance to strengthen english cricket for years to come. Instead they just lost it, chased after more and more money, and turned their back on the bedrock - the counties. I just wish all the cricket supporters in the land could hold a vote of no confidence in the ecb en bloc.
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Betty
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