HUW TURBERVILL: Draft schedule for 2020 sees 11 out of 14 matches played at pointless times
When Eoin Morgan said “over the next few years, one of the formats will miss out – we can’t play with four formats”, he was probably right. He was just wrong to infer it would be the Blast.
That is the only conclusion to be drawn from the draft schedule for 2020, seen by The Cricketer.
With 11 matches out of 14 set to be played at the bookends of the season, it is the County Championship that is imperilled.
It will no longer be – to use a phrase favoured by former Home Secretary John Reid – fit for purpose.
Frankly, what will be the point of it?
Yes, yes, I know several hundred to a thousand or two fans attend the matches. And thousands more like me follow the scores online through the day. But one of its fundamental purposes – to identify and prepare players for Test duty – will effectively be nullified.
The schedule – sent to county CEOs – sees three Championship matches in April and four in May. Then the Vitality Blast enjoys a run (May 28-June 7). A Championship match pops up in mid-June. Then more Blast matches (June 19-26). Then two four-day windows (starting June 28 and July 5).
The Hundred is poised to start on July 17, the ‘development’ 50-over tournament commencing a day later. The Blast quarter-finals are from August 18-21, then it is two Championship windows (August 23 and 29).
Blast Finals Day could be on September 5 (with a reserve day). Then two Championship windows (September 8 and 14). The 50-over final to be on September 19 (with a reserve day). And finally two Championship matches (September 21 and September 27 – going into the last day of the month)... later than ever before.
Rumour reaches us that this is the precursor to an announcement that two Championship matches will be culled come 2021, to 12 per side. Which presumably means teams in both Divisions One and Two will not play each other home and away (this is already the case in the top flight next summer). How much longer will it be before the magic number of 10 is reached – in line with the Sheffield Shield?
The English domestic season in 2020 is set to finish on the final day of September
Of course all these matches in the spring and late summer/autumn will not be conducive to producing Test cricketers – unless Faf du Plessis is right that the World Test Championship is likely to result in more result pitches.
Success in the County Championship will still signify character and combativeness – somebody like Dominic Sibley last summer, who can rise above the elements – but conditions will bear no resemblance to those of a Test match – in England, with three Tests pencilled in for June and three for August – and especially at venues like Brisbane, Colombo and New Delhi.
How has this occurred?
There was a clue at the House of Commons, when the ECB delegation were questioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. “Next year, from 2020 onwards, the schedule has been put together by the stakeholders, the counties,” ECB chairman Colin Graves told MPs. “They got together between them; we didn’t impose anything on them.”
So there you go... it looks as if the counties chose to have their Blast matches, not Championship, in mid-summer. And you can see why: T20 makes big money, the four-day game does not.
The ECB have to tread carefully with the counties. There was a cold war about The Hundred. Now it’s détente. But really shouldn’t the ECB be telling the counties to schedule the Championship better? After all, the Test game is still important to them. It still makes them big money. I am guessing Test cricket makes up about £700m of the £1.1bn television deal from 2020-24.
Maybe this is where the new Professional Game Board comes in – to make decisions for the good of English cricket, not the bank balance.
The 2019 season saw Lancashire play one game of their County Championship campaign at Sedbergh
A new legend seems to fear for Test cricket’s future on a weekly basis. Greg Chappell believes there may only be four or five major countries playing it soon. “It's another reason why I think 50-over cricket needs to be supported and given a rethink,” he says, “because 50-over cricket could well become the Test cricket of the future for a lot of cricket-playing countries.”
Ashley Giles, the managing director of England men’s cricket, suggests a solution: play some Championship matches rather than 50-over alongside The Hundred.
Yes, 96 domestic players will be away in the ECB’s new competition, but that still leaves a lot of cricketers to enjoy good conditions, at outgrounds which are so popular with traditional fans and many of our readers.
This gives the 50-over format its own slot, and would placate critics who say we are not taking the defence of our world title in 2023 seriously enough. Sky would also be pleased. As it currently stands, the only county 50-over match shown will be the final (understandably, because of course they will be broadcasting every match of The Hundred, even the ones the BBC have the rights to).
There was criticism on Twitter when the Giles story was published, saying it was downgrading the Championship with under-strength sides, but can it be any worse than having so many matches in April and September?
It’s like watching a beloved pet suffer an agonising death. It’s the last thing I want to see, but maybe a mercy killing would be best before it suffers any further indignity.
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Posted by Rob McGregor on 13/11/2019 at 09:41
Three Division Championship the next step? Six teams in each, hits that '10 game' mark Huw referred to.
Posted by Mark Drukker on 12/11/2019 at 23:51
3 day championship cricket worked when 120 overs were bowled in 6 hours a day, with more spinners, military medium bowlers and no drinks or other breaks. Wickets were not covered. The "city" teams in the 100 are Manchester, Birmingham, London, Oval, Northern, Southern, Welsh and Trent, hardly making them city based. The minor (alias national) counties will have only 4 3-day games next year instead of the 6 in recent years. They used to play 9 2-day games.
Posted by nigelwilliamson on 10/11/2019 at 14:12
Bit of a counsel of despair, eh?
Posted by World of Womad on 10/11/2019 at 14:10
You do know that the first article in The Cricketer saying the county championship was in crisis appeared in 1921? And you do know that global warming has pushed the onset of autumn back by 3-4 weeks over the last 100 years so that September is the new August? There will be fewer f/c counties in ten years time, I'm pretty sure. But the Championship will still be with us and still producing quality Test players. That's not complacency. Just the way it is!
Posted by NIgel Williamson on 10/11/2019 at 14:08
You do know that the first article in The Cricketer saying the county championship was in crisis appeared in 1921? And you do know that global warming has pushed the onset of autumn back by 3-4 weeks over the last 100 years so that September is the new August? There will be fewer f/c counties in ten years time, I'm pretty sure. But the Championship will still be with us and still producing quality Test players. That's not complacency. Just the way it is!
Posted by John Blore on 09/11/2019 at 22:54
Excellent ideas by Robert Henderson. It might also allow for a return to the odd festival week in one of the the out grounds. Also ensure there is cricket played at weekends and bank holidays, and plenty of daytime cricket during half-term and August.
Posted by Edward Cooper on 09/11/2019 at 19:33
Cricket seeking the lowest common denominator in the short form. ECB should be seeking to promote the "Summer Crown" rather than blame County Executives for the poor scheduling.
Posted by Andy on 09/11/2019 at 17:23
Maybe it is time to end the anachronistic competition. Why these 18 counties, why Northants and no Cheshire or Devon? Merge with the minor counties and let's have a competition the whole country can get behind.
Posted by Alan on 09/11/2019 at 14:49
Perhaps Mr Turbervill could tell us who would "identify & prepare players for Test duty". We have played CC in April / September for at least the last 10 years. The conditions in this country never did & never will resemble places like Brisbane / Colombo. So what is different now, well the Hundred nonsense !
Posted by Martyn Rowley on 09/11/2019 at 13:16
Further to some of the other comments, why does County Cricket stick to the archaic idea of having to pay for a whole day? With the modern employment flexibility would not a session charge not enable many more people to pop in, let alone a system using new technology such as a phone app where you could pop in and out depending on the weather and the state of play.
Posted by Martyn Rowley on 09/11/2019 at 13:06
You are so right Huw. I wonder how many of the 'new generation' of cricket followers generated by 'The 100' will still be fascinated by the format 50 years on when the County game is no more. The counties short termism could be signing their own death warrant?
Posted by Marc Evans on 08/11/2019 at 19:19
There is no doubt the championship as we know it has been living on borrowed time for decades. There is no evidence it is drawing more crowds and certainly not appealing to the young, who after all are the future for the game. The problem is where do test players then get the necessary technical and mental schooling. Once the championship is no longer the breeding ground for test cricket there doesn't seem much point to it. With Mr Ed in charge the evidence is he doesn't see it as such, with continued white ball selections plaguing the test match scene. The attempt to convert Roy into a test opener being a laughable excercise. Maybe the future is city based, as the young identify far more strongly with this, largely through footie, than any ancient and rather nondescript county affiliation, Yorkshire accepted of course. Whatever happens cricket has always reflected the times more than any other sport and will continue to do so, despite howlings from the traditionalists, who see white ball as an anathema to the spirit of the game. However, we live in a 'life is loud' World and cricket must reflect this in due course, as it always has done.
Posted by Leslie Wainwright on 08/11/2019 at 17:38
County cricket has been in decline in England for years.This could be the straw that breaks the camels back.It would be terrible if County cricket dies, but unfortunatly it is looking likely.Id rather watch 3 day cricket than one day but I think I am in the minority.
Posted by Brian Ashworth on 08/11/2019 at 17:18
Ok obviously I cannot watch any cricket at the venue, but how on earth can decent test quality cricketers be produced in the future with an ongoing reduction of county matches and pushing the majority to the extremes of the season. Proving their worth in limited overs games cannot be suitable for the rigours and requirements of test cricket.
Posted by Robert Henderson on 08/11/2019 at 16:52
To rescue the Championship from the mess it is in this needs to be done: 1. Abolish the two divisions and revert to a single division. The two divisions deprive many cricket followers from seeing the full range of counties in a season and the players from experiencing the full range of talent in county cricket. Two divisions is also creating an attitude amongst the selectors that no player in the second division is worth considering - vide the ignoring of Sam Northeast and Joe Denly last year - because of a false belief that there is a massive gulf in quality between the divisions. This is palpable nonsense as the regular promotion and regulation between the two divisions of strong counties shows, with several examples of teams winning the Championship one year and being relegated the next or winning the Championship the first year after a club has been promoted. Finally, it makes the fixture list a nightmare, which is both confusing and disappointing for county followers and can, and normally does, result in teams having to travel much further between matches. 2. Play 17 Championship games a season with 8 at home one year and nine at home the next. Simply reverse the fixtures from year to year. 3. Make T20 a league with counties playing a T20 game on Friday evening before their four day Championship game against the same opponents from Saturday to Tuesday . 4. Make the 50 over competition a straightforward knockout . 5. Start the season on 24 April and end it on 10 September. This will give 20 weeks which is ample time to get all the cricket in including matches against the tourists . 6. Let players with central contracts play as much County Cricket as they can when not on England duty. These proposals would give cricket followers a fixture list that will not confuse the cricket fan, provide enough first class cricket to keep players' skill a tuned up and regularly provide a variety of cricket throughout the season, something the present fixture lists doe snot do. I can also suggest a way to potentially raise Championnship crowds immediately. In 2001 I put forward a plan to improve interest in and attendance at County Championship. matches to the then Chief Executive of the ECB Tim Lamb. The proposal was to allow anyone who purchased a ticket for an England game in England to present that ticket stub at any County Championship match to gain free admission to a day’s play. Tickets for Test matches, ODIs and international T20s would qualify. The beauty of the scheme was that it involved no cost at best or negligible cost at worst to either the ECB or the individual counties. The spectator would simply turn up at their chosen game and hand in the ticket stub. There would be no significant cost to the county because all the most they would have to do would be to count the number of stubs to allow a judgement to be made as to how successful the scheme was. As the stub is produced automatically by the normal ticket design for England matches no extra cost would arise there. Hundreds of thousands watch England play cricket in England every year so there would potentially be a very large number who could use their free entry tickets. Many probably would because entry to Championship games is becoming increasingly expensive and people find it hard to resist something which is free, especially if it is expensive. Many people who would not normally dream of going to a Championship match would probably be brought into grounds. Once there they might like what they see and come back as paying customers. Even regular Championship watchers might be persuaded to go more often as paying customers. But even if attendances only rose when the free entry ticket stubs were used, that would be a benefit for it would increase takings for the caterers and club merchandise. Moreover, larger crowds would also create a better atmosphere and that would make the games more attractive to spectators, broadcasters and sponsors. Sadly, although Tim Lamb showed interest, nothing ultimately came of my attempts to persuade him to put the proposal to the ECB. Arguably the scheme has even more merit now that it did in 2001 because of the ever greater dominance of international cricket over domestic first class cricket which is struggling throughout the world. What I am proposing for England could be used in any Test playing country to revive interest in their domestic first class competitions. It is vital for the long-term health of world cricket that domestic first class cricket is preserved because it is that which is the conveyor belt producing players for international cricket. Would the plan work? Most probably because of the numbers involved and the lure of something free. It is at least worth a trial for a few years for it would cost next to nothing to run the scheme .
Posted by Phil winspear on 08/11/2019 at 16:28
Another nail in the coffin for proper cricket. It's not even been killed by stealth. All that we will be left with is just the when bam thank you man cricket that panders to the pissed up masses who currently attend 20 20 cricket and test matches where they struggle to follow the game and have to have their own alcohol only stands where they can throw beach balls etc and hurl abuse at the opposition.
Posted by Steve Kirk on 08/11/2019 at 14:54
As I have said before in these "pages" the ECB and Counties will probably wonder why if/when County Membership drops of the edge of a cliff this time next year . Mine is certainly hanging by a very frayed thread . Test match tickets at nearly £100 a day aren't much of an incentive either . If your local pub treated its regulars like the ECB treat cricket fans you'd drink somewhere else . Wouldnt you ?
Posted by Ian Randall on 08/11/2019 at 14:52
Huw's piece implies there are 16 "windows" for Championship games but there are only 14 rounds. Do we really need games starting on September 27 in that situation when there are an even number of teams in each division ?
Posted by Michael Booth on 08/11/2019 at 14:49
I totally agree with David Curran. Reverting to 3 day championship cricket but played through the proper summer months must be better than keep moving the current structure to the early and late months with possible/probable reductions in number of games. We used to manage 3 day championship along with the Sunday League one day competition and the old Nat West knockout competition.
Posted by Rod Homer on 08/11/2019 at 14:40
Long form cricket, as in test matches, remains highly popular as evidenced by nearly full grounds. The only meaningful preparation for test matches continues to be the county championship so it is essential that ECB support and promote it. If this means the ECB has to use its profits from one day cricket to subsidise the championship, so be it: I can think of no more important cause than preservation of four, and five, day cricket.
Posted by Hugh Nightingale on 08/11/2019 at 14:37
Two separate formats. Three Conferences so Home and Home local derbies are guaranteed every year. Scheduled to suit the Test series.
Posted by James Robertson on 08/11/2019 at 14:31
A very good article and yes David Curran something needs to change, you are probably right that we go back to one division and three day matches. However it seems to me that whatever the vast majority of cricket fans say the ECB never ever listen - The Hundred is a great example of that. We are World Champions at last in 50 Overs yet its now at the back of the queue, there is no way that India would ever dream of doing something like that. Interesting that there are no Indian players here for the Hundred and even Kohli has shrugged his shoulders about it. The England players have supported it as they have to and they are getting handsomely rewarded for it. The key issue here is the ECB and the people in control there they seem to not care about anything apart from making money.
Posted by TDC on 08/11/2019 at 14:28
What about three divisions of 6? Play each other twice and you have 10 games. With one up one down, smaller divisions should mean more meaningful games as promotion / relation a threat later into the season for most rather than a few?
Posted by David Battersby on 08/11/2019 at 14:18
Re David Curran's Comment - additionally we perhaps could have a Gillette Cup style knock out competition - which would include the Minor Counties sides - replacing the 50 over copmpetition. I know a lot of people who are in favour of this.
Posted by John Nicholls on 08/11/2019 at 13:40
Horrendous! The Counties are in danger of sleep-walking to oblivion.
Posted by David Curran on 08/11/2019 at 10:54
A better solution would be to revert to 3 day matches again in the County Championship. Now I know that might mean the occasional contrived declaration but would make for some exciting cricket. Hopefully it could also attract a fresh raft of interested fans back to this much loved format of the game. Surely that must be preferable to the current hotch potch of a schedule. Another benefit to playing over 3 days, could see all the counties playing each other twice (home and away),the only fair way of producing genuine Champions. You could even consider returning to one division of 18 counties. Plenty to think about but something needs to change.
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