County Championship 2022

(11-05-2022 12:34 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  Round 5 Review
Surrey & Hampshire were the sole victors in Div 1, as the overcame weaker opposition in Northamptonshire & Gloucestershire, to make it 3 wins from 5, & emerge as early season contenders. I would add Lancashire, who lie behind these 2 in 3rd spot, having played a gam less, & visit Yorkshire this week, are lacking firepower in their bowling, with 4 key bowlers unavailable.
In Div 2 Glamorgan were too strong for Leicestershire, & Middlesex record their 3rd win in 3, to top the Division.

One point that I've failed to mention, which may well go some way to explaining the dominance of bat over ball, it that they are using a Dukes ball with a less pronounced seam this year.
Although the dry start to the season has played it's part, I thought it was somewhat ironic, that all the talk was about easy wickets on offer with medium-pace dominating, yet we have seen an avalanche of runs.

I watched Hussain interview Key, & he was quite positive about the Championship, & that it has always provided Test Match players, despite it's failings. His view seemed to be that a few tweaks were required, rather than a massive overhaul.
It has often been the case that our 4 day comp has been praised, when England have had success, but very quickly pulled apart the minute defeats start to mount up.
It is, some but not all of the problem.

Quite positive is ambivalence in my language!! What exactly are its' failings?? Maybe one of them is the fact that a lack of overseas talent now (for England sake it was said) is actually harming (England). Fewer opportunities to test potential candidates for the test arena against the very best! A few tweaks is it?? Not to the money grabber that apparently is the T20 and Hundred taking a large chunk of the calendar, but to the Championship itself?? Interesting!!

It has always been the case that the County Championship received praise (reluctant) when England won (except when they reached world #1 nothing to do with the counties then), and then, after all that, despite the system being the same one that brought such success, facing all the criticism when England fall on their ass (most particularly after an ashes defeat) when those that barely watch any cricket - if at all - jump up and down with faux dismay and manufactured anger - blaming the CC for everything. Lets call it wanting your cake and eat it too!

(11-05-2022 14:04 )hornball Wrote:  

(11-05-2022 12:34 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  I watched Hussain interview Key, & he was quite positive about the Championship, & that it has always provided Test Match players, despite it's failings. His view seemed to be that a few tweaks were required, rather than a massive overhaul.
It has often been the case that our 4 day comp has been praised, when England have had success, but very quickly pulled apart the minute defeats start to mount up.
It is, some but not all of the problem.

Quite positive is ambivalence in my language!! What exactly are its' failings?? Maybe one of them is the fact that a lack of overseas talent now (for England sake it was said) is actually harming (England). Fewer opportunities to test potential candidates for the test arena against the very best! A few tweaks is it?? Not to the money grabber that apparently is the T20 and Hundred taking a large chunk of the calendar, but to the Championship itself?? Interesting!!

It has always been the case that the County Championship received praise (reluctant) when England won (except when they reached world #1 nothing to do with the counties then), and then, after all that, despite the system being the same one that brought such success, facing all the criticism when England fall on their ass (most particularly after an ashes defeat) when those that barely watch any cricket - if at all - jump up and down with faux dismay and manufactured anger - blaming the CC for everything. Lets call it wanting your cake and eat it too!

Sorry if I misled, the words "despite it's failings" were not a direct quote by Key, just my on view.

(11-05-2022 15:56 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  

(11-05-2022 14:04 )hornball Wrote:  

(11-05-2022 12:34 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  I watched Hussain interview Key, & he was quite positive about the Championship, & that it has always provided Test Match players, despite it's failings. His view seemed to be that a few tweaks were required, rather than a massive overhaul.
It has often been the case that our 4 day comp has been praised, when England have had success, but very quickly pulled apart the minute defeats start to mount up.
It is, some but not all of the problem.

Quite positive is ambivalence in my language!! What exactly are its' failings?? Maybe one of them is the fact that a lack of overseas talent now (for England sake it was said) is actually harming (England). Fewer opportunities to test potential candidates for the test arena against the very best! A few tweaks is it?? Not to the money grabber that apparently is the T20 and Hundred taking a large chunk of the calendar, but to the Championship itself?? Interesting!!

It has always been the case that the County Championship received praise (reluctant) when England won (except when they reached world #1 nothing to do with the counties then), and then, after all that, despite the system being the same one that brought such success, facing all the criticism when England fall on their ass (most particularly after an ashes defeat) when those that barely watch any cricket - if at all - jump up and down with faux dismay and manufactured anger - blaming the CC for everything. Lets call it wanting your cake and eat it too!

Sorry if I misled, the words "despite it's failings" were not a direct quote by Key, just my on view.

Oh ok Booms. Well we are each entitled to our own views. I must say that now I am confined to barracks with a long term health issue, I have had a lot of time to watch the county streams and I have to say that the cricket on view and the skills and intensity on show, portray a quality of domestic cricket with real meaning that other countries would love to have, and watch on with envy at! I have even heard Aussies remark how the County Championship has overtaken the revered State game down under. Many have gone so far as to say that they don't see why so many have such a negative view of the structure.

I get frustrated at the constant attacks on the system - particularly by those that benefitted greatly from it. Maybe some of the blame for any 'failings' lie at the door of the very institutions that exist to protect and promote it! They appear to have the most negative view all too often?? It doesn't help when - covid notwithstanding - they see it as the last priority and not the first in terms of structure/scheduling. Providing stability for it through settling on a format and letting it bed in! To do that would mean - and should have meant long before now - that planning is based around it, with the T20/Hundred fitting in, and not the other way round.

I would be far from convinced that the Strauss review will see things any differently, merely reaching conclusions that reflect a view that the CC is a necessary evil, instead of a pinnacle tournament to be protected valued and promoted! A good start would be a TV deal (FREESPORT??) to give it the level of exposure it deserves - this could mean that the financial situation is addressed to a large extent, with the counties being made more self - sufficient, and less 'reliant' on the ECB payment (it should always be rammed home to those that trot out the tired old argument about that payment being a subsidy when the clubs pay in in the first place). In the meantime, I would like to see the Counties being able to charge a nominal 'entrance fee' for those watching online on their websites. It cant be cheap to provide such coverage and production values aside (cant be helped so not a criticism), the opportunity to 'virtually spectate' at a County game is taken up by many watching over the course of a match. If some football matches were to receive the kind of viewer interest that county championship cricket matches get, the BBC would be all over it for a start.

I'm optimistic about this seasons comp. The balls change, dry weather, & better batting wickets. will only highlight our potential Test Match bowlers. We've seen spinners bowl more than ever at this time of year. Matt Parkinson has been one beneficiary of being able to ball with runs on the board, & given long spells at times.
We've so far seen a good quality crop of overseas players, improving the standard, particularly those from Pakistan, especially the pace bowlers.
If I'm critical, in any way about this comp, it's because, I know how good in can be. It's the one I care about, proper cricket, & the one that I have almost exclusively supported, certainly in the last 10 years. More so now, that the once brilliant 50 over comp has been downgraded to what amounts to a 2nd team comp. I try to attend at least one of the 4 days of all Yorkshire's home fixtures, along with the occasional away match.
The issue with the Championship, is the appeal to the younger audience. I remember not long ago, that the average age of a Yorkshire CCC Member was 68. More than ever the attention span of young people, & I don't just mean children, is getting shorter, but you have to hope that some of these fans will be drawn towards, Championship, & Test match Cricket.

(11-05-2022 18:06 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  We've so far seen a good quality crop of overseas players, improving the standard, particularly those from Pakistan, especially the pace bowlers.

It seems that I spoke too soon. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Riwan, Mohammad Amir, & Hasan Ali, are all unavailabe for the latest round of matches.
However, Haris Rauf returns for Yorkshire's Roses match.

(13-05-2022 18:09 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  

(11-05-2022 18:06 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  We've so far seen a good quality crop of overseas players, improving the standard, particularly those from Pakistan, especially the pace bowlers.

It seems that I spoke too soon. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Riwan, Mohammad Amir, & Hasan Ali, are all unavailabe for the latest round of matches.
However, Haris Rauf returns for Yorkshire's Roses match.

Has this been dictated by their international boards Booms do you know, or something else. I saw them in action last round, and I can't imagine they all got injured at once?? It is strange?? The competition unquestionably loses something with these players unavailable, given the performances of many or all of them up to this point

https://www.espn.co.uk/cricket/story/_/i...ampionship

(13-05-2022 18:54 )andyjb Wrote:  https://www.espn.co.uk/cricket/story/_/i...ampionship

All perfectly understandable!!

Heads-up for tomorrows Roses match, with Yorkshire 2 down, replying to Lancashire's first innings 566. When the next wicket falls, there's a potential contest between Root & Anderson, which should be a rare treat.

(13-05-2022 20:58 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  Heads-up for tomorrows Roses match, with Yorkshire 2 down, replying to Lancashire's first innings 566. When the next wicket falls, there's a potential contest between Root & Anderson, which should be a rare treat.

Under normal circumstances I would be deep into the coverage today, but - alas - the NW 200 bike races take priority for me!

If Lancs bowl anything like - appeared to get just enough from the track early innings yesterday -and do what Yorkshire couldn't and actually hold on to a few - there is only one way this match is going. Spending so much time in the field, and knowing that you let the opposition off the hook, can have a detrimental impact on your own innings. The mental toll it takes to look at the deficit you have to chip away at, and the knowledge it was your own mistakes that allowed it to get out of control, is hard to overcome.

NB : Joe Root (have yet to see the highlights) scored a sublime 140 odd by all accounts. Take that from the team total with 10 batsmen having been utilized, and they don't appear to have contributed much at all. High three hundred at the close 8 down would have been near enough a lead, but for the dropped chances and the runs they cost!

Should be a good fianl days play all the same!