HUW TURBERVILL: The club plan will argue for two fewer County Championship matches, a reduction in T20 Blast group games, a full-strength 50-over comepietion held earlier in the season, and a spot in the second tier of The Hundred
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Posted by Martin S on 31/03/2025 at 21:47
50 over cricket in April makes no sense to me. The idea that it would be a full strength competition is nonsense, as plenty of the best white ball players would be away at the IPL (or PSL this year). Far better to play it in August in good weather in front of healthy crowds at least. Does slogging it out for 100 overs on a cold/wet April day really prepare players for a World Cup in utterly different conditions? Shortening the Blast a little makes sense given the Hundred money as compensation for loss of home games, but otherwise the current schedule is about as good as it can be given all the competing demands.
Posted by Steve Harris on 31/03/2025 at 21:42
Given that the 100 is going to exist, in one form or another, until it fails financially, this plan is probably as good as it gets. In the medium term the possibility of the unwanted counties creating substantial endowments because investors over paid for 100 franchises may become a problem for the ECB and it certainly buys the counties time. Counties able to invest the entire sum could draw down about £1.5m in perpetuity or about double that for 15 years, if my maths are roughly right and Trump doesn't trash the global economy completely. This isn't what the ECB planned at all.
Posted by Andy Miles on 31/03/2025 at 12:15
Long return trips followed immediately by a match should not happen and if such has been scheduled that is the fault of the ECB person responsible seemingly not having a grasp of geography and journey times. Having decimated 50 over cricket at county level to such an extent that internationally England are now inept are Sussex seriously proposing that we should do the same with the County Championship ? With sensible scheduling - and possibly a shorter window for that ball-count thing - we should have 2 divisions of 9 counties each playing each other home and away - 16 games - with 2 up / 2 down.
Posted by Matthew on 30/03/2025 at 18:53
Wouldnt it be great if they used the summer school Holidays at Hove to give kids a taste of just how good longer form cricket can be…
Posted by David Baxter on 26/03/2025 at 08:39
Now that the franchises have been sold, any attempts by counties to join in the Hundred are, unfortunately, fanciful. Investors who have spent a lot of money gaining a stake in hundred teams, especially those with over 50% in teams will not want their investment compromised by other divisions.
Posted by Anthony on 25/03/2025 at 18:17
Sussex Plan would end up with April - one day cricket May - 4 day cricket June - T20 July and August - The Hundred September - 4 day cricket We will end up with a bigger and bigger slog fest. Fewer and fewer County cricket fixtures is not the way to go
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