County Cricket in Chaos

The recently published Morgan report on the future of First Class cricket from 2014 has created considerable concern within the cricket community. At the moment we have 18 counties playing 4 day cricket in two divisions of nine. At the end of the season two teams get promoted to two get relegated. Alongside the are two limited over competitions. We have a 40 over championship sponsors by Clydesdale Bank. Scotland, the Netherlands and the Unicorns are added to the 18 first class counties; the 21 teams are then placed in three groups of 7. The three group winners and the best 2nd placed team play in the semi-finals. We also have Twenty20 competition; in this competition the 18  first class counties are placed in regional leagues of 6. The top two sides in each league along with the two best 3rd placed teams progress to the quarter-finals.

From 2014 the Morgan report has suggested that the following structure be imposed on the counties. The two division county championship will be maintained, however, the number of matches will be reduced from 16 to 14. Furthermore, the divisions then consist of 8 teams in division one and 10 teams in division two. In division two 6 teams will play each other twice with the other four teams only playing each other once.    

Mr Morgan then goes to say that the very successful 40 over competition, will from 2014, become a 50 over game. Instead of going straight ot semi-finals there will now be quarter-finals in this competition; the twenty20 conpetition will remain as it is now.

It would appear that the report has been badly received by most of the counties. It is presumed that to form two divisons of 8 and 10 teams will mean that three teams get relegated at the end of the 2013 seasosn. Having the second division of 10 teams in the proposed format will produce a distorted table and will, possibly, add to the lack of competitiveness in the second division, which is already prevalent.

It is also very likely that the members of the clubs in the new division one will be highly peeved at losing two more first class games. 

The biggest concern is the change in the 40 over game. The rationalisation of the Morgan report is that the change from 40 to 50 overs is needed because International one-day matches are 50 over games. The problem with imposing this on our domestic game is that the public clearly prefers the 40 over game mostly because there appears to be middle periods in these matches where not much happens.

The counties prefer 40 over games because they can all be started in the afternoon or the evening. Day-time 50 over games have to start in the morning. It is believed that Sky, a very consideration in all this, prefer the 40 over format.

Given all the opposition from most of the interested parties you would think it likely that the ECB would reconsider. It seems that any change in the main proposals is very unlikely.

31st January 2012.

Tweet