County Championship 2022

After 2 years with 2 different formats, it back to the 2019 format, other than as agreed pre-pandemic to a 10 team Div 1 & an 8 team Div 2, with 2 up 2 down.

The first 7 rounds will run from Thursday - Sunday starting 7th April, leading up to the New Zealand Test series.

An increase from 3 to 5 rounds in June & July, to aid preparation for the South Africa Test series.

Final 2 rounds to be played in September.

2 overseas players permitted in a match.

With minimal time, there is a potential for more change in the coming years, but the spotlight will be on this competition more than in recent times, & questions & arguments, for & against are ongoing, as to the quality, of what should be our premier competition.

Great to have the Championship back again Booms. Summer is here! A relief too, to see it back to it's original format. I must confess that I am one of those that questions whether it needs to be moved in the calender, to provide more mid summer matches. Nevertheless, much needed relief from the IPL etc.

Interesting to see some of those among the front line players that will represent England this summer (particularly given England's performances over the winter) anywhere but preparing for early season for their counties. You can't - on the one hand - have such wailing and gnashing of teeth at the winter results, and then - at the same time - approve of absence - early doors - of some of the same faces from their counties Championship matches. On the one hand inconsistent and hypocritical, and on the other, demeaning the very structure we keep hearing exists for no other reason, than to furnish Team England with a player pool.

You are right about the questions being asked about the championships quality!! unfortunately, the usual suspects are not/and never will be happy! Isn't it (covid changes apart) the same championship that took England to #1 A fact forgotten by those that had such an 'impassioned' post ashes inquest. Paul Farbrace unfortunately didn't make this point strongly enough when interrogated by that woman (name escapes) on Sky Footie news

I wish the CC (county clubs) had the means to become independent, and secure their own tv rights. Freeview would be perfect. I thought it may have happened before now actually!

Look forward to many hours viewing online!! It will be interesting to see how recent events have impacted upon Yorkshire CC in particular.

^^ Lol regarding your last point, it would be a very long post if I was to detail the comings & going of Yorkshire CCC in recent months. I've been quiet here on the subject, but have strong views & have chewed the fat with friends & members alike. I've been disappointed, with how my club has handled it, but it a wider sense, how the ECB have gone after Yorkshire when they have been at fault themselves. IT's worth pointing out that in the wake of the Rafiq allegations, others were invited to come forward with their own experiences, at one point over 2000 across the counties, by simple maths, Yorkshire are not the worse, yet the ECB have driven the club to the point of bankruptcy, last week EGM saved us, for now. The name is tarnished, perhaps forever, much rebuilding is required in order to attract lost sponsorship.
The first step is the announcement of the main sponsor, & the ironic new name for the Leeds ground, Clean Slate Headingley. This is not a late April fools joke. The whole affair has left me deeply saddened, but now is the time to move on & learn, from all our mistakes, with a new season, & a clean slate.

(06-04-2022 18:24 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  ^^ Lol regarding your last point, it would be a very long post if I was to detail the comings & going of Yorkshire CCC in recent months. I've been quiet here on the subject, but have strong views & have chewed the fat with friends & members alike. I've been disappointed, with how my club has handled it, but it a wider sense, how the ECB have gone after Yorkshire when they have been at fault themselves. IT's worth pointing out that in the wake of the Rafiq allegations, others were invited to come forward with their own experiences, at one point over 2000 across the counties, by simple maths, Yorkshire are not the worse, yet the ECB have driven the club to the point of bankruptcy, last week EGM saved us, for now. The name is tarnished, perhaps forever, much rebuilding is required in order to attract lost sponsorship.
The first step is the announcement of the main sponsor, & the ironic new name for the Leeds ground, Clean Slate Headingley. This is not a late April fools joke. The whole affair has left me deeply saddened, but now is the time to move on & learn, from all our mistakes, with a new season, & a clean slate.

I suspect the issue around the ECB and how they have handled things, it is a case of making a scapegoat out of the most visible (in terms of public consciousness) example of wrongdoing, in order to deflect some of the heat coming their own way!!

Round 1 April 7-10
Div 1
Essex v Kent - Chelmsford
Kent elected to field

Hampshire v Somerset - Southampton
Somerset elected to bat

Northamptonshire v Gloucestershire - Northampton
Northampnshire elected to field

Warwickshire v Surrey - Birmingham
Surrey elected to bat

Div 2
Glamorgan v Durham - Cardiff
Durham elected to field

Leicestershire v Worcestershire - Leicester
Durham elected to field

Middlesex v Derbyshire - Lords
Derbyshire elected to field

Sussex v Nottinghamshire - Hove
Notts elected to field

(07-04-2022 11:26 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  Round 1 April 7-10
Div 1
Essex v Kent - Chelmsford
Kent elected to field

Hampshire v Somerset - Southampton
Somerset elected to bat

Northamptonshire v Gloucestershire - Northampton
Northampnshire elected to field

Warwickshire v Surrey - Birmingham
Surrey elected to bat

Div 2
Glamorgan v Durham - Cardiff
Durham elected to field

Leicestershire v Worcestershire - Leicester
Durham elected to field

Middlesex v Derbyshire - Lords
Derbyshire elected to field

Sussex v Nottinghamshire - Hove
Notts elected to field

Currently watching this online. It is Christmas once again!! The first 8 overs (as I type) are typical of early April, with the ball swinging and seaming if the bowlers get their skills right!! Anything wrong with that?? - I think not (it is a sport not an exhibition, - in addition, a better watch). Someone needs to explain to me how shifting the championship to june/july when apparently conditions will be more batsmen friendly, is expected to equip any batsman for conditions that we are witnessing today, or the unique pitch characteristics abroad?? Sub Continent??....so like English/UK summers as we know!!

(07-04-2022 11:47 )hornball Wrote:  The first 8 overs (as I type) are typical of early April, with the ball swinging and seaming if the bowlers get their skills right!! Anything wrong with that?? - I think not (it is a sport not an exhibition, - in addition, a better watch). Someone needs to explain to me how shifting the championship to june/july when apparently conditions will be more batsmen friendly, is expected to equip any batsman for conditions that we are witnessing today, or the unique pitch characteristics abroad?? Sub Continent??....so like English/UK summers as we know!!

the idea of playing in the summer is to get players ready for the sort of batting and blowing conditions they we find in hot countries if they get called up for England,
on a green swinging seamer of a pitch blowers dont have to learn the tricks to get a batsman out they need and batsmen learn to play for all this movement then when playing for england abroad they dont find and get them selfs out, also if they get a 50 and bat for a couple of hours its seen as good this time of year so batsmen never learn how to bat all day making a huge score, someing else thats really letting england down
so to answer your question playing in june/july is not to equip any batsman for conditions that we are witnessing today but is infact to equip batsmen who get called up for england and go overseas a better chance for doing well,

(07-04-2022 12:34 )winsaw Wrote:  

(07-04-2022 11:47 )hornball Wrote:  The first 8 overs (as I type) are typical of early April, with the ball swinging and seaming if the bowlers get their skills right!! Anything wrong with that?? - I think not (it is a sport not an exhibition, - in addition, a better watch). Someone needs to explain to me how shifting the championship to june/july when apparently conditions will be more batsmen friendly, is expected to equip any batsman for conditions that we are witnessing today, or the unique pitch characteristics abroad?? Sub Continent??....so like English/UK summers as we know!!

the idea of playing in the summer is to get players ready for the sort of batting and blowing conditions they we find in hot countries if they get called up for England,
on a green swinging seamer of a pitch blowers dont have to learn the tricks to get a batsman out they need and batsmen learn to play for all this movement then when playing for england abroad they dont find and get them selfs out, also if they get a 50 and bat for a couple of hours its seen as good this time of year so batsmen never learn how to bat all day making a huge score, someing else thats really letting england down
so to answer your question playing in june/july is not to equip any batsman for conditions that we are witnessing today but is infact to equip batsmen who get called up for england and go overseas a better chance for doing well,

I get that!! My point was that on many overseas tours, the pitches wont be like England in mid - summer (assuming we have a summer) I am not convinced that spinners will even profit nearly as much as people think!!

I'll put the cat among the pigeons & say that August would be a good month to play championship cricket, to develop both the playing & bowling of spin. But the Hundred takes over during that period.
The balance is still not right, as has been said, nothing wrong with playing early April/May but, it constitutes half the Championship season, 4 matches would be more than enough.
On green pitches county coaches will often pick medium pace bowlers & leave the pace bowlers on the sidelines. Our pitches & the time of year that we play proper cricket, dictates the style of bowlers that we produce, who in the main are less suited to Test Match Cricket. Flat pitches will promote faster & more skillful bowlers.
If we have the weather on our side we have the ability to produce enough Test Match bowlers & batsmen, capable of playing on a variety of surfaces.

I will just add that player skills improve more when conditions are against them, so a balance between early and mid summer is what is needed surely?? The argument seems to be - however - make life easier (relative) for batsmen at the expense of bowlers. That balance would be better found , if there wasn't a need to play T20 and the Hundred guff in the 'benign' conditions of mid - summer - where is the room to be found in the calendar??. Who is prepared to advocate less of these to facilitate more CC. Well me for one!!!!