I have said I completely understand why others aren’t happy with The Hundred.
Why are you choosing to ignore that?
Interesting conversation with my Welsh Bestie (who I introduced to cricket whilst she was my boss when we both worked at Vauxhall & is now a regular at Glamorgan) her Hundred ticket money was refunded before she’d even got the email to say her tickets had been cancelled for the opening fixtures at Sophia Gardens. She believes that the ECB didn’t realise that Wales were under different lockdown restrictions to England & sold a full capacity by mistake.
She added that she wasn’t bitter about it, watched every single game on the beeb & can’t wait until next year when she’s invited me to join her (which I hope I can). She also commented on why she liked it. She was thoroughly entertained, she admitted it could have been the lack of sports with crowds but entertained none the less. And, in her words not mine, it wasn’t ‘five days wasted and still ending up with a draw’ cricket 🤷♀️
Cricket needs supporters…………………all forms, all types.
But it doesn't mean is it good for the game of cricket overall. The Super League would have been entertaining - but not good for the game of football overall. Like the ECB (does the C not stand for Cricket in the Fred West analogy?). Maybe the franchises could have their own players and not disrupt the existing forms
I didn’t say it was good for game or cricket overall.
All I’m pointing out is different supporters of cricket see things differently & shouldn’t just be berated just because it that.
I didn't say you did and no one is bein berated. As pointed out previously, despite Chizz asking the same question over, one (new) form of cricket is having an adverse affect on the existing ones. Now, some people will not a) accept b) care about that, as long as they are entertained by the new format. But others will care. The owners of the clubs involved thought the Super League was a great idea - doesn't make it right for the game though!
In rugby 7's, internationals are unlikely to be an international at the standard XV format (but not impossible, before someone quotes those that have played both recently)
Some are being berated though, maybe not by you but they are.
Theres a huge difference between the constant comparison with the super league & franchise cricket. The supporters. There is zero appetite from most supporters for a super league in football but after being shown how good it is, there is an interest for franchise cricket.
Just because people enjoy watching it, doesn't mean it's right.
If only more people wanted to/could actually watch five day cricket more often.
Sadly they don’t/can’t.
I don’t know the answer. I don’t know how you can keep everyone happy. But those who have enjoyed The Hundred shouldn’t be the ones at the end of those who don’t like it’s cool tongue.
I didn't say you did and no one is bein berated. As pointed out previously, despite Chizz asking the same question over, one (new) form of cricket is having an adverse affect on the existing ones. Now, some people will not a) accept b) care about that, as long as they are entertained by the new format. But others will care. The owners of the clubs involved thought the Super League was a great idea - doesn't make it right for the game though!
In rugby 7's, internationals are unlikely to be an international at the standard XV format (but not impossible, before someone quotes those that have played both recently)
Some are being berated though, maybe not by you but they are.
Theres a huge difference between the constant comparison with the super league & franchise cricket. The supporters. There is zero appetite from most supporters for a super league in football but after being shown how good it is, there is an interest for franchise cricket.
My main reason for the comparison was that the ££££s element and it not being good for the sport as a whole
The ECB now want clubs to play The Hundred instead of T20. It would not surprise me in the least if they feed this down to the County age groups and on Play Cricket (which they own), they make the format balls rather than overs for that reason.
It's good news that the ECB want clubs to play The Hundred (with its inherent advantages in terms of time) as long as it's only at the expense of T20 matches.
From experience of seeing the research on cricket participation, one of the complaints and reasons people stop is about time.
So we’ve got kids inspired to play the sport, and yet all I hear is conspiracy about the money being generated. As for the money, a lot of which will be going into the grassroots, as rightly, Sport England aren’t going to fund cricket participation for mainly white men.
I have said I completely understand why others aren’t happy with The Hundred.
Why are you choosing to ignore that?
Interesting conversation with my Welsh Bestie (who I introduced to cricket whilst she was my boss when we both worked at Vauxhall & is now a regular at Glamorgan) her Hundred ticket money was refunded before she’d even got the email to say her tickets had been cancelled for the opening fixtures at Sophia Gardens. She believes that the ECB didn’t realise that Wales were under different lockdown restrictions to England & sold a full capacity by mistake.
She added that she wasn’t bitter about it, watched every single game on the beeb & can’t wait until next year when she’s invited me to join her (which I hope I can). She also commented on why she liked it. She was thoroughly entertained, she admitted it could have been the lack of sports with crowds but entertained none the less. And, in her words not mine, it wasn’t ‘five days wasted and still ending up with a draw’ cricket 🤷♀️
Cricket needs supporters…………………all forms, all types.
But it doesn't mean is it good for the game of cricket overall. The Super League would have been entertaining - but not good for the game of football overall. Like the ECB (does the C not stand for Cricket in the Fred West analogy?). Maybe the franchises could have their own players and not disrupt the existing forms
I didn’t say it was good for game or cricket overall.
All I’m pointing out is different supporters of cricket see things differently & shouldn’t just be berated just because it that.
I didn't say you did and no one is bein berated. As pointed out previously, despite Chizz asking the same question over, one (new) form of cricket is having an adverse affect on the existing ones. Now, some people will not a) accept b) care about that, as long as they are entertained by the new format. But others will care. The owners of the clubs involved thought the Super League was a great idea - doesn't make it right for the game though!
In rugby 7's, internationals are unlikely to be an international at the standard XV format (but not impossible, before someone quotes those that have played both recently)
Some are being berated though, maybe not by you but they are.
Theres a huge difference between the constant comparison with the super league & franchise cricket. The supporters. There is zero appetite from most supporters for a super league in football but after being shown how good it is, there is an interest for franchise cricket.
Just because people enjoy watching it, doesn't mean it's right.
If only more people wanted to/could actually watch five day cricket more often.
Sadly they don’t/can’t.
I don’t know the answer. I don’t know how you can keep everyone happy. But those who have enjoyed The Hundred shouldn’t be the ones at the end of those who don’t like it’s cool tongue.
Inevitable really when you support something which we see as a threat to something we hold dear and enjoy. How did Wimbledon fans feel towards the first MK fans? All I'm hearing is, 'But I like it. Leave me alone'.
The ECB now want clubs to play The Hundred instead of T20. It would not surprise me in the least if they feed this down to the County age groups and on Play Cricket (which they own), they make the format balls rather than overs for that reason.
It's good news that the ECB want clubs to play The Hundred (with its inherent advantages in terms of time) as long as it's only at the expense of T20 matches.
From experience of seeing the research on cricket participation, one of the complaints and reasons people stop is about time.
So we’ve got kids inspired to play the sport, and yet all I hear is conspiracy about the money being generated. As for the money, a lot of which will be going into the grassroots, as rightly, Sport England aren’t going to fund cricket participation for mainly white men.
It is not a conspiracy and it is detrimental to the overall game.
Maybe next year with overseas players being able to travel, there won't be such a drain on the county teams,
What kids inspired to play, is there any evidence? Even If there are kids that get involved, if they have only shown an interest now, that they aren't going to be interested in the other forms of the game. .Just the razamataz. And where are they going to play anyway? Why would a governing body create a new competition to the detriment of an existing one and the continuous detriment of others? £££s. The T20 was a radically new format when it started, whereas the Hundred is only 20/ or 1/6th less deliveries
Why comment about 'mainly white men'? Have you seen the makeup of the England teams?
I have said I completely understand why others aren’t happy with The Hundred.
Why are you choosing to ignore that?
Interesting conversation with my Welsh Bestie (who I introduced to cricket whilst she was my boss when we both worked at Vauxhall & is now a regular at Glamorgan) her Hundred ticket money was refunded before she’d even got the email to say her tickets had been cancelled for the opening fixtures at Sophia Gardens. She believes that the ECB didn’t realise that Wales were under different lockdown restrictions to England & sold a full capacity by mistake.
She added that she wasn’t bitter about it, watched every single game on the beeb & can’t wait until next year when she’s invited me to join her (which I hope I can). She also commented on why she liked it. She was thoroughly entertained, she admitted it could have been the lack of sports with crowds but entertained none the less. And, in her words not mine, it wasn’t ‘five days wasted and still ending up with a draw’ cricket 🤷♀️
Cricket needs supporters…………………all forms, all types.
But it doesn't mean is it good for the game of cricket overall. The Super League would have been entertaining - but not good for the game of football overall. Like the ECB (does the C not stand for Cricket in the Fred West analogy?). Maybe the franchises could have their own players and not disrupt the existing forms
I didn’t say it was good for game or cricket overall.
All I’m pointing out is different supporters of cricket see things differently & shouldn’t just be berated just because it that.
I didn't say you did and no one is bein berated. As pointed out previously, despite Chizz asking the same question over, one (new) form of cricket is having an adverse affect on the existing ones. Now, some people will not a) accept b) care about that, as long as they are entertained by the new format. But others will care. The owners of the clubs involved thought the Super League was a great idea - doesn't make it right for the game though!
In rugby 7's, internationals are unlikely to be an international at the standard XV format (but not impossible, before someone quotes those that have played both recently)
Some are being berated though, maybe not by you but they are.
Theres a huge difference between the constant comparison with the super league & franchise cricket. The supporters. There is zero appetite from most supporters for a super league in football but after being shown how good it is, there is an interest for franchise cricket.
Just because people enjoy watching it, doesn't mean it's right.
If only more people wanted to/could actually watch five day cricket more often.
Sadly they don’t/can’t.
I don’t know the answer. I don’t know how you can keep everyone happy. But those who have enjoyed The Hundred shouldn’t be the ones at the end of those who don’t like it’s cool tongue.
Inevitable really when you support something which we see as a threat to something we hold dear and enjoy. How did Wimbledon fans feel towards the first MK fans? All I'm hearing is, 'But I like it. Leave me alone'.
I remember asking a Wimbledon fan how she felt when it happened. I was more outraged than she was. Wimbledon were in a state & someone took advantage. Most football fans hated it.
Completely different set of circumstances as I explained earlier.
I’m not asking for you to be happy about what’s going on. I’m asking for you to not vent your frustration at those who enjoyed the entertainment that was offered to them. They are not the ones responsible for the current situation.
Inevitable really when you support something which we see as a threat to something we hold dear and enjoy. How did Wimbledon fans feel towards the first MK fans? All I'm hearing is, 'But I like it. Leave me alone'.
I remember asking a Wimbledon fan how she felt when it happened. I was more outraged than she was. Wimbledon were in a state & someone took advantage. Most football fans hated it.
Completely different set of circumstances as I explained earlier.
I’m not asking for you to be happy about what’s going on. I’m asking for you to not vent your frustration at those who enjoyed the entertainment that was offered to them. They are not the ones responsible for the current situation.
I see the main discussion on this thread is whether it is a good development or not for the game, not whether it is ok to enjoy it. As per my posts, just because some people enjoy it, I don't think it is a good development and is detrimental to the game
Inevitable really when you support something which we see as a threat to something we hold dear and enjoy. How did Wimbledon fans feel towards the first MK fans? All I'm hearing is, 'But I like it. Leave me alone'.
I remember asking a Wimbledon fan how she felt when it happened. I was more outraged than she was. Wimbledon were in a state & someone took advantage. Most football fans hated it.
Completely different set of circumstances as I explained earlier.
I’m not asking for you to be happy about what’s going on. I’m asking for you to not vent your frustration at those who enjoyed the entertainment that was offered to them. They are not the ones responsible for the current situation.
I see the main discussion on this thread is whether it is a good development or not for the game, not whether it is ok to enjoy it. As per my posts, just because some people enjoy it, I don't think it is a good development and is detrimental to the game
Then, like life, you see it differently.
There needs to be balance. It needs to be both good for the game & enjoyable.
Arguing amongst ourselves isn’t going to solve that.
Inevitable really when you support something which we see as a threat to something we hold dear and enjoy. How did Wimbledon fans feel towards the first MK fans? All I'm hearing is, 'But I like it. Leave me alone'.
I remember asking a Wimbledon fan how she felt when it happened. I was more outraged than she was. Wimbledon were in a state & someone took advantage. Most football fans hated it.
Completely different set of circumstances as I explained earlier.
I’m not asking for you to be happy about what’s going on. I’m asking for you to not vent your frustration at those who enjoyed the entertainment that was offered to them. They are not the ones responsible for the current situation.
I see the main discussion on this thread is whether it is a good development or not for the game, not whether it is ok to enjoy it. As per my posts, just because some people enjoy it, I don't think it is a good development and is detrimental to the game
Then, like life, you see it differently.
There needs to be balance. It needs to be both good for the game & enjoyable.
Arguing amongst ourselves isn’t going to solve that.
True about the arguing amongst ourselves!
The issue many of us have (and we are not totally disagreeing that it has been enjoyable to others) is that the ECB have damaged existing cricket. Why would they do that? Not for the enjoyment of the new spectators and it's hardly likely to have any significant improvement on existing format or cricketers or new players. It is for ££££s and not only that but they have sold their souls to the detriment of the game (yes I know, providing some entertainment whilst lining their pockets - whilst not identical, there IS direct comparison to the Super League)
This is my final word on the subject & I apologise if I've been guilty of berating anyone thus far.
I believe that I am one of the least confrontational posters on this forum but occasionally there is subject matter that I feel very strongly about...and this is one of them.
Balance would be an ideal outcome but as some with far more insight into the modus operandi of the ECB tell us, this appears to be extremely unlikely &, as a result, this is the last thing on their mind.
Arguing won't solve that, of course, but it's important that the facts of the issue are made abundantly clear, especially to those who don't follow cricket per se & hence have NO emotional ties to the game & its heritage.
I was taken by my parents, by train, from Dartford to Canterbury, Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells from the age of 10 to watch one day's play of a Kent match every summer. This was all we could afford & was made possible by virtue of Dad's free rail tickets as he worked " for the railway" following demob. Flasks of tea, home made sandwiches & a packet of biscuits sustained the 3 of us throughout the day's play until, as dusk approached we made our way on foot back to the station, tired but enlivened by a day in the fresh air watching OUR county. Nothing like it in those halcyon days in the 50s. And I write this whilst listening to the Leics v Kent commentary via Radio Kent....
When I met Mr F in the late 60s, he was no fan of the sport but, probably more importantly, he was a life long Addick.
But I love a challenge.....
As a result, for several years we attended as many limited over matches on Sundays as we could afford, enjoying the successful, entertaining years of Luckhurst, Underwood, Asif, Knott and many others, too numerous to mention. When the children arrived, our attendance was on an occasional basis although there were days when both sets of grandparents joined us & enjoyed a cricket day out together....plus the family dog as Kent grounds allow their admission. Great memories of families enjoying their walks around the perimeter between innings, having their picnics on the grass, playing their own mini versions of the game etc etc - something unique that those used to watching from the tiered seating at Lords, the Oval, Edgbaston & their like will not appreciate....
Now in our 70s, we juggle the overlap of the football season with that of our cricketing summer & enjoy our journeys to The Spitfire Ground via the pretty Kent & Sussex villages such as Sissinghurst & Goudhurst ...and home again, happily chatting about the match we've seen or in silence if the result has gone against us...Charlton fans will recognise this scenario, no doubt ! Pre covid we'd travel to Bristol, Hove & Taunton to watch away matches each summer, funds & weather permitting , with a night or two accommodation to boot, often meeting other Spitfire aficionados in the process with most being Addicks too ! These days out have happily filled the vacuum that the close season invariably brings & with live streams now available too, the Fanackapans are happy bunnies.
One day Cup/50 over matches are also on our summer agenda but were effectively all but ruined this year by the sparsity of Kent players available due to the You Know What which I've mentioned ( briefly ?) previously. Our 3 trips to Beckenham were less than enjoyable ones apart from meeting up with Don & Ian to share the experience.
Now, with the future of T20 cricket at county level seemingly in doubt, and invariably the loss of players to "the one we don't mention " if the 50 over games continue, there will be little remaining for the likes of us wrinklies to enjoy in the summer months with years of watching live limited over cricket at county level, a mere memory.
And SHOULD The Hundred be expanded as someone has mooted, you can bet your bottom dollar that the pretty, county grounds in Kent will not be deemed suitable to accommodate those thousands of families eager to experience the, well, experience....How could OUR county & ones in the same "bracket" survive this money grabbing betrayal ?
This is my final word on the subject & I apologise if I've been guilty of berating anyone thus far.
I believe that I am one of the least confrontational posters on this forum but occasionally there is subject matter that I feel very strongly about...and this is one of them.
Balance would be an ideal outcome but as some with far more insight into the modus operandi of the ECB tell us, this appears to be extremely unlikely &, as a result, this is the last thing on their mind.
Arguing won't solve that, of course, but it's important that the facts of the issue are made abundantly clear, especially to those who don't follow cricket per se & hence have NO emotional ties to the game & its heritage.
I was taken by my parents, by train, from Dartford to Canterbury, Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells from the age of 10 to watch one day's play of a Kent match every summer. This was all we could afford & was made possible by virtue of Dad's free rail tickets as he worked " for the railway" following demob. Flasks of tea, home made sandwiches & a packet of biscuits sustained the 3 of us throughout the day's play until, as dusk approached we made our way on foot back to the station, tired but enlivened by a day in the fresh air watching OUR county. Nothing like it in those halcyon days in the 50s. And I write this whilst listening to the Leics v Kent commentary via Radio Kent....
When I met Mr F in the late 60s, he was no fan of the sport but, probably more importantly, he was a life long Addick.
But I love a challenge.....
As a result, for several years we attended as many limited over matches on Sundays as we could afford, enjoying the successful, entertaining years of Luckhurst, Underwood, Asif, Knott and many others, too numerous to mention. When the children arrived, our attendance was on an occasional basis although there were days when both sets of grandparents joined us & enjoyed a cricket day out together....plus the family dog as Kent grounds allow their admission. Great memories of families enjoying their walks around the perimeter between innings, having their picnics on the grass, playing their own mini versions of the game etc etc - something unique that those used to watching from the tiered seating at Lords, the Oval, Edgbaston & their like will not appreciate....
Now in our 70s, we juggle the overlap of the football season with that of our cricketing summer & enjoy our journeys to The Spitfire Ground via the pretty Kent & Sussex villages such as Sissinghurst & Goudhurst ...and home again, happily chatting about the match we've seen or in silence if the result has gone against us...Charlton fans will recognise this scenario, no doubt ! Pre covid we'd travel to Bristol, Hove & Taunton to watch away matches each summer, funds & weather permitting , with a night or two accommodation to boot, often meeting other Spitfire aficionados in the process with most being Addicks too ! These days out have happily filled the vacuum that the close season invariably brings & with live streams now available too, the Fanackapans are happy bunnies.
One day Cup/50 over matches are also on our summer agenda but were effectively all but ruined this year by the sparsity of Kent players available due to the You Know What which I've mentioned ( briefly ?) previously. Our 3 trips to Beckenham were less than enjoyable ones apart from meeting up with Don & Ian to share the experience.
Now, with the future of T20 cricket at county level seemingly in doubt, and invariably the loss of players to "the one we don't mention " if the 50 over games continue, there will be little remaining for the likes of us wrinklies to enjoy in the summer months with years of watching live limited over cricket at county level, a mere memory.
And SHOULD The Hundred be expanded as someone has mooted, you can bet your bottom dollar that the pretty, county grounds in Kent will not be deemed suitable to accommodate those thousands of families eager to experience the, well, experience....How could OUR county & ones in the same "bracket" survive this money grabbing betrayal ?
Inevitable really when you support something which we see as a threat to something we hold dear and enjoy. How did Wimbledon fans feel towards the first MK fans? All I'm hearing is, 'But I like it. Leave me alone'.
I remember asking a Wimbledon fan how she felt when it happened. I was more outraged than she was. Wimbledon were in a state & someone took advantage. Most football fans hated it.
Completely different set of circumstances as I explained earlier.
I’m not asking for you to be happy about what’s going on. I’m asking for you to not vent your frustration at those who enjoyed the entertainment that was offered to them. They are not the ones responsible for the current situation.
I see the main discussion on this thread is whether it is a good development or not for the game, not whether it is ok to enjoy it. As per my posts, just because some people enjoy it, I don't think it is a good development and is detrimental to the game
Then, like life, you see it differently.
There needs to be balance. It needs to be both good for the game & enjoyable.
Arguing amongst ourselves isn’t going to solve that.
True about the arguing amongst ourselves!
The issue many of us have (and we are not totally disagreeing that it has been enjoyable to others) is that the ECB have damaged existing cricket. Why would they do that? Not for the enjoyment of the new spectators and it's hardly likely to have any significant improvement on existing format or cricketers or new players. It is for ££££s and not only that but they have sold their souls to the detriment of the game (yes I know, providing some entertainment whilst lining their pockets - whilst not identical, there IS direct comparison to the Super League)
In a year where Covid has also had a serious impact on the schedule it is far too early to say it has damaged existing cricket. Yes the RLODC took a bigger backseat than usual this year but with more overseas players coming over the Hundred next year, I imagine counties squads won't be affected the same going forward. We aren't losing anything in terms of taking RLODC games away from TV as there were only very few anyway so those that want to go and see it in the flesh still can - and hopefully with more of their counties regular players next year. Don't get wrong, I think the schedule needs sorting, and the issue with the RLODC does as well, but it's too early to say it's damaged it long term.
On your point about it not improving existing cricketers - again it's far too early to tell, but I imagine you are completely incorrect. Take the example of Will Smeed of Somerset. A late call up to The Hundred, and I would be shocked if any Somerset fans were not delighted that one of their own young stars become one of the players of the tournament. How can you say the experience, the confidence and the challenging yourself against some of the best players in the world can't improve existing players like that? Same goes for Brad Wheal of Hampshire. Same for Blake Cullen of Middlesex. And again with Harry Brook of Yorkshire. There's plenty of other examples.
I know those players weren't performing for their counties, but you can't tell me the experience and confidence they have gained won't benefit their counties as well as themselves. Blake Cullen and Brad Wheal would not have got experience bowling at the death against Carlos Braithwaite in front of 20,000 fans in the Blast or the RLODC. That can only be a good thing for young talent.
Inevitable really when you support something which we see as a threat to something we hold dear and enjoy. How did Wimbledon fans feel towards the first MK fans? All I'm hearing is, 'But I like it. Leave me alone'.
I remember asking a Wimbledon fan how she felt when it happened. I was more outraged than she was. Wimbledon were in a state & someone took advantage. Most football fans hated it.
Completely different set of circumstances as I explained earlier.
I’m not asking for you to be happy about what’s going on. I’m asking for you to not vent your frustration at those who enjoyed the entertainment that was offered to them. They are not the ones responsible for the current situation.
I see the main discussion on this thread is whether it is a good development or not for the game, not whether it is ok to enjoy it. As per my posts, just because some people enjoy it, I don't think it is a good development and is detrimental to the game
Then, like life, you see it differently.
There needs to be balance. It needs to be both good for the game & enjoyable.
Arguing amongst ourselves isn’t going to solve that.
True about the arguing amongst ourselves!
The issue many of us have (and we are not totally disagreeing that it has been enjoyable to others) is that the ECB have damaged existing cricket. Why would they do that? Not for the enjoyment of the new spectators and it's hardly likely to have any significant improvement on existing format or cricketers or new players. It is for ££££s and not only that but they have sold their souls to the detriment of the game (yes I know, providing some entertainment whilst lining their pockets - whilst not identical, there IS direct comparison to the Super League)
In a year where Covid has also had a serious impact on the schedule it is far too early to say it has damaged existing cricket. Yes the RLODC took a bigger backseat than usual this year but with more overseas players coming over the Hundred next year, I imagine counties squads won't be affected the same going forward. We aren't losing anything in terms of taking RLODC games away from TV as there were only very few anyway so those that want to go and see it in the flesh still can - and hopefully with more of their counties regular players next year. Don't get wrong, I think the schedule needs sorting, and the issue with the RLODC does as well, but it's too early to say it's damaged it long term.
On your point about it not improving existing cricketers - again it's far too early to tell, but I imagine you are completely incorrect. Take the example of Will Smeed of Somerset. A late call up to The Hundred, and I would be shocked if any Somerset fans were not delighted that one of their own young stars become one of the players of the tournament. How can you say the experience, the confidence and the challenging yourself against some of the best players in the world can't improve existing players like that? Same goes for Brad Wheal of Hampshire. Same for Blake Cullen of Middlesex. And again with Harry Brook of Yorkshire. There's plenty of other examples.
Don't get me wrong, those players weren't performing for their counties, but you can't tell me the experience and confidence they have gained won't benefit their counties as well as themselves. Blake Cullen and Brad Wheal would not have got experience bowling at the death against Carlos Braithwaite in front of 20,000 fans in the Blast or the RLODC. That can only be a good thing for young talent.
Let's not forget that any number of those mentioned at getting their chance would not have done so had the huge number of overseas (and home) cricketers not had to pull out because of Covid. Next year and the year won't be the same and neither will the year after if the ECB make this a worldwide flagship success. Those players will be back playing 2s cricket in the Royal London
Inevitable really when you support something which we see as a threat to something we hold dear and enjoy. How did Wimbledon fans feel towards the first MK fans? All I'm hearing is, 'But I like it. Leave me alone'.
I remember asking a Wimbledon fan how she felt when it happened. I was more outraged than she was. Wimbledon were in a state & someone took advantage. Most football fans hated it.
Completely different set of circumstances as I explained earlier.
I’m not asking for you to be happy about what’s going on. I’m asking for you to not vent your frustration at those who enjoyed the entertainment that was offered to them. They are not the ones responsible for the current situation.
I see the main discussion on this thread is whether it is a good development or not for the game, not whether it is ok to enjoy it. As per my posts, just because some people enjoy it, I don't think it is a good development and is detrimental to the game
Then, like life, you see it differently.
There needs to be balance. It needs to be both good for the game & enjoyable.
Arguing amongst ourselves isn’t going to solve that.
True about the arguing amongst ourselves!
The issue many of us have (and we are not totally disagreeing that it has been enjoyable to others) is that the ECB have damaged existing cricket. Why would they do that? Not for the enjoyment of the new spectators and it's hardly likely to have any significant improvement on existing format or cricketers or new players. It is for ££££s and not only that but they have sold their souls to the detriment of the game (yes I know, providing some entertainment whilst lining their pockets - whilst not identical, there IS direct comparison to the Super League)
In a year where Covid has also had a serious impact on the schedule it is far too early to say it has damaged existing cricket. Yes the RLODC took a bigger backseat than usual this year but with more overseas players coming over the Hundred next year, I imagine counties squads won't be affected the same going forward. We aren't losing anything in terms of taking RLODC games away from TV as there were only very few anyway so those that want to go and see it in the flesh still can - and hopefully with more of their counties regular players next year. Don't get wrong, I think the schedule needs sorting, and the issue with the RLODC does as well, but it's too early to say it's damaged it long term.
On your point about it not improving existing cricketers - again it's far too early to tell, but I imagine you are completely incorrect. Take the example of Will Smeed of Somerset. A late call up to The Hundred, and I would be shocked if any Somerset fans were not delighted that one of their own young stars become one of the players of the tournament. How can you say the experience, the confidence and the challenging yourself against some of the best players in the world can't improve existing players like that? Same goes for Brad Wheal of Hampshire. Same for Blake Cullen of Middlesex. And again with Harry Brook of Yorkshire. There's plenty of other examples.
Don't get me wrong, those players weren't performing for their counties, but you can't tell me the experience and confidence they have gained won't benefit their counties as well as themselves. Blake Cullen and Brad Wheal would not have got experience bowling at the death against Carlos Braithwaite in front of 20,000 fans in the Blast or the RLODC. That can only be a good thing for young talent.
Let's not forget that any number of those mentioned at getting their chance would not have done so had the huge number of overseas (and home) cricketers not had to pull out because of Covid. Next year and the year won't be the same and neither will the year after if the ECB make this a worldwide flagship success. Those players will be back playing 2s cricket in the Royal London
There will still be rules in place for homegrown/overseas players, so yes whilst there may be more overseas players next year, there is still going to be every chance for talented youngsters to gain experience and the opportunity to prove themselves on one of the biggest stages.
Just want to add that it was posted from the heart of a loyal Kentish Maid even though we now live just across the border in E Sussex.
And finally ( really!) I can appreciate that younger cricket fans won't appreciate the sentiments I expressed but maybe one day they'll find themselves reflecting on the good old days when Charlton played on a Saturday with 90% of the time, a 3pm kick off....
Might not still be happening if a certain female CEO had her way.
It is a beautiful post Fanny and I’m delighted you shared it.
The times they are a changing. I never thought I’d see a day when the Valley would be full to the rafters of non CAFC fans (well there may have been a few I grant you) watch two teams who honed their craft virtually 😳 but then I’ve never understood the reasoning behind playing games inside on a computer when you can go outside and play them with real friends for nothing 🤷♀️
I guess deep down it will always come down to money these days.
It is a beautiful post Fanny and I’m delighted you shared it.
The times they are a changing. I never thought I’d see a day when the Valley would be full to the rafters of non CAFC fans (well there may have been a few I grant you) watch two teams who honed their craft virtually 😳 but then I’ve never understood the reasoning behind playing games inside on a computer when you can go outside and play them with real friends for nothing 🤷♀️
I guess deep down it will always come down to money these days.
Not just money, but as you say young people these days enjoy things that I can barely comprehend. Unfortunately for us old school cricket fans (and yes, as someone that does think the Hundred will be successful, I do still class myself as a proper fan and give me red ball cricket all day long), young people today are, on the whole, just not interested in watching and consuming sport as we once knew it. The ECB are trying something different to engage that audience, and let's be honest, if we want cricket to live on forever, it is that audience that needs engaging. If they can bring people into the sport through The Hundred, who then go on and become test match fans, branch out and pick a red ball county team to support etc, than that can't be a bad thing.
It is a beautiful post Fanny and I’m delighted you shared it.
The times they are a changing. I never thought I’d see a day when the Valley would be full to the rafters of non CAFC fans (well there may have been a few I grant you) watch two teams who honed their craft virtually 😳 but then I’ve never understood the reasoning behind playing games inside on a computer when you can go outside and play them with real friends for nothing 🤷♀️
I guess deep down it will always come down to money these days.
Thanks SO much, dear friend.
That means a lot to me as I felt a tad emotional posting it.
I honestly don't believe that I live in the past, with 5 grandkids to keep me "hip" (?) but I do think that some things are changed without being thought through properly with all the implications considered.
I agree that it inevitably does come down to money but values & legacy should never be diluted in the process.
Outstanding post Mrs Fanackapan. As a one time resident of Bexleyheath, Bromley, Canterbury and Tunbridge Wells it resonates with me at every level.
I suspect if you travel the wilds of Sussex, Somerset and so many of the shires and delivered the same message in the cricketing hostelries of the county towns you would be applauded to the rafters.
The challenge dear lady is they are our memories not those operating within bastions of the ECB.
I could add a weight of additional comment to the debate but that detract from the perfect message you have delivered. Thank you
Twenty20 Blast final is set to be held in midsummer next year with organisers looking to play the entire competition before the Hundred starts... with plans to hold finals day in the final week of June or early July.
Not sure if it will still knock the counties for 6 over the one day cup though.
Think they want the Hundred in the school holidays
'Blast finals are usually a sell-out and officials feel it can survive a shift in dates' = don't want another pesky tournament affecting £s revenue for the Hundred!
two things, lovely post by FF, I will add that I do really care about cricket, my first memories are a mix of going to Canterbury and seeing Worcester playing at New Road in the Botham/Hick era when my grandparent ran a hotel near Ross on Wye, but I also don't see the Hundred as bad for the sport.
The other thing, if the blast gets done in a couple of months and isn't then delayed for a month then that's good, the best Blast players then go off to the Hundred to play in which makes sense.
Cricket has moved on in the last few years. And there is no point in the history of cricket when that hasn't been the case. It's a constantly-evolving sport, reacting to and reflecting the aspirations of the participants, both players and spectators. There was never a time when everything about cricket was 'just right' and there needs to be an honest acceptance of that. Diligent work needs to be done to ensure all changes to the sport add as much benefit as possible, remove as many of its problems as possible and do as little harm as possible. It's not possible to do all of these things with a single change.
When I started watching cricket, it was brilliant. I think back to the first Test match my Dad took me to. Uncomfortable, wooden, un-numbered, uncovered seats. Terrible catering. Poor views. Awful communication with the fans. Impenetrable scoreboards, giving irrelevant information (did I really care about which team had got first innings points, in a Test match?). And play constantly threatened by bad light. I can honestly say I loved it. I was totally hooked, thenceforth. With all its faults, I was thoroughly enthused by witnessing the best players in the world demonstrating their skills in front of me.
In those days, of course, I didn't have back-to-back live coverage of every professional sport in the country - and from across the world - relayed live into my house. There weren't the many, many hundreds of distractions competing for my attention. Cricket was my sport. And I waited, impatiently, for my sport to come to my city and to nag my parents to take me either to the Oval or Lord's. I got to see the world's best players, playing the world's best sport. Test cricket. And every year, professional cricketers up and down the country have accommodated changes to the sport.
One day games were introduced, as a fad. They would never catch on. No-one would take them seriously. It would never work. It would spell the end of cricket in this country. It didn't, of course.
Floodlights, coloured clothing, overseas professionals playing part of the season, sponsorship, inflated prize money, adverts on sightscreens, adverts on the playing field, the 60 over game, the 55 over game, the 50 over game, the 40 over game, the 20 over game. All of these things were introduced in a blaze of blazered complaints. Spectators from previous generations complaining that the latest change would spell the very end of the game, in exactly the way that the previous changes to the game hadn't.
Not all changes stayed. Not all the things we think have remained, continued unchanged. The best bits of every change were kept; the worst bits were ditched. All of this took place over lengthy periods of time.
Should we carry on with the World Cup? Or was that a failure? For those that don't remember, the first World Cup in 1975, comprised seven national teams (plus a made-up one), playing 60 over cricket, in white kit, with a red ball, and with a law-change introduced eight days prior to the tournament by the ICC. The World Cup was a success and continues. But it no longer includes 'East Africa', it's no longer 60 overs, it's no longer played in white kit, it's no longer played with a red ball and the ICC-introduced 'wide if it's over head height' law has changed. But the World Cup is a magnificent, compelling, exciting addition to the cricket calendar. I think that very few people would say that, over-all, the World Cup is not a good thing.
The more we think things haven't changed, the more we realise that everything has changed. Ask yourself when was the last time you sat through a whole day's play of a three-day County Championship game. I bet you can't remember. Or, ask yourself for how many consecutive seasons have captains tossed a coin to determine which team bats first.
Cricket changes to accommodate crises. And one of the biggest crises at the moment is how much money the eighteen counties are losing. The Hundred, for many counties, fills that cash gap.
If you don't like The Hundred, there's three things that you need to keep in mind. The first is that it is only a concatenation of benevolent changes that will continue to benefit the game. Specifically, there are things that have been introduced by The Hundred which will become accepted - and, eventually, welcomed - into legacy formats of the game. One example is the cut-off time, beyond which, teams which have taken too long to bowl overs are hit with an immediate, commensurate and avoidable punishment, ie the reduction in number of fielders allowed outside the 30m circle. That will be adopted in other formats and, yes, because everything changes, all the time, it may be introduced with other criteria or with different levels of 'punishment'.
The second is that The Hundred is only intended to fix some problems; and it's not the only fix.
The third is that The Hundred, for many people, is the first chance to see live cricket. And no-one, but the most ice-hearted should want to prevent wide-eyed, enthusiastic young cricket fans starting out on a path of enduring love of the sport.
Everything wrong with cricket in England isn't because of The Hundred; and The Hundred isn't the only tool that can be used to fix cricket's issues. Cricket isn't that simple. And that's one thing about cricket that really has never changed.
This is my final word on the subject & I apologise if I've been guilty of berating anyone thus far.
I believe that I am one of the least confrontational posters on this forum but occasionally there is subject matter that I feel very strongly about...and this is one of them.
Balance would be an ideal outcome but as some with far more insight into the modus operandi of the ECB tell us, this appears to be extremely unlikely &, as a result, this is the last thing on their mind.
Arguing won't solve that, of course, but it's important that the facts of the issue are made abundantly clear, especially to those who don't follow cricket per se & hence have NO emotional ties to the game & its heritage.
I was taken by my parents, by train, from Dartford to Canterbury, Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells from the age of 10 to watch one day's play of a Kent match every summer. This was all we could afford & was made possible by virtue of Dad's free rail tickets as he worked " for the railway" following demob. Flasks of tea, home made sandwiches & a packet of biscuits sustained the 3 of us throughout the day's play until, as dusk approached we made our way on foot back to the station, tired but enlivened by a day in the fresh air watching OUR county. Nothing like it in those halcyon days in the 50s. And I write this whilst listening to the Leics v Kent commentary via Radio Kent....
When I met Mr F in the late 60s, he was no fan of the sport but, probably more importantly, he was a life long Addick.
But I love a challenge.....
As a result, for several years we attended as many limited over matches on Sundays as we could afford, enjoying the successful, entertaining years of Luckhurst, Underwood, Asif, Knott and many others, too numerous to mention. When the children arrived, our attendance was on an occasional basis although there were days when both sets of grandparents joined us & enjoyed a cricket day out together....plus the family dog as Kent grounds allow their admission. Great memories of families enjoying their walks around the perimeter between innings, having their picnics on the grass, playing their own mini versions of the game etc etc - something unique that those used to watching from the tiered seating at Lords, the Oval, Edgbaston & their like will not appreciate....
Now in our 70s, we juggle the overlap of the football season with that of our cricketing summer & enjoy our journeys to The Spitfire Ground via the pretty Kent & Sussex villages such as Sissinghurst & Goudhurst ...and home again, happily chatting about the match we've seen or in silence if the result has gone against us...Charlton fans will recognise this scenario, no doubt ! Pre covid we'd travel to Bristol, Hove & Taunton to watch away matches each summer, funds & weather permitting , with a night or two accommodation to boot, often meeting other Spitfire aficionados in the process with most being Addicks too ! These days out have happily filled the vacuum that the close season invariably brings & with live streams now available too, the Fanackapans are happy bunnies.
One day Cup/50 over matches are also on our summer agenda but were effectively all but ruined this year by the sparsity of Kent players available due to the You Know What which I've mentioned ( briefly ?) previously. Our 3 trips to Beckenham were less than enjoyable ones apart from meeting up with Don & Ian to share the experience.
Now, with the future of T20 cricket at county level seemingly in doubt, and invariably the loss of players to "the one we don't mention " if the 50 over games continue, there will be little remaining for the likes of us wrinklies to enjoy in the summer months with years of watching live limited over cricket at county level, a mere memory.
And SHOULD The Hundred be expanded as someone has mooted, you can bet your bottom dollar that the pretty, county grounds in Kent will not be deemed suitable to accommodate those thousands of families eager to experience the, well, experience....How could OUR county & ones in the same "bracket" survive this money grabbing betrayal ?
How can that be allowed to happen ?
i have faith that true cricket lovers like you will win out when the novelty of this awful competition wears off & the next big shiny thing comes along to capture what is left of the general publics' attention. Don't give up - there is enough opposition to this franchise rubbish to win in the end.
The ECB may have hailed the first season of the Hundred as a great success but it has left some of those close to England's Test captain underwhelmed.
Certainly Don Root, the paternal grandfather of England's Test captain, Joe, is unimpressed. In a letter to The Cricketer magazine, which is published today, Root senior describes the new tournament in unflattering terms.
Suggesting it is "as welcome" as Covid-19, he claims it has already had a negative impact on England's Test team and warns about what he feels is an imbalance between red- and white-ball cricket at present.
"The Hundred is among us," Don wrote. "So is Covid and it's just about as welcome.
"We are constantly being lectured about the necessity to attract more funding to spread the gospel and nourish the grassroots of cricket. Apparently this can only be done by an increase in some form of the white-ball version of the game.
"At what cost to the red-ball version? Onwards and downwards would appear to be the new ECB mantra. The results of this policy can be seen in the Test series.
"Of course every sport needs sound financial resourcing, but do we have the balance right at the moment between financial needs and performance on the field? As far as red-ball cricket is concerned, I think not."
Going into the postponed fifth and final match of England's Test series against India, Joe Root was a notable exception to his team's overall standards. He had amassed 564 runs at 94.00 for the series with each of England's three hundreds, almost three times as many runs as any of his team-mates. He has also scored six of England's seven hundreds in 2021, for a total of 1455 runs at 66.13 in 12 Tests.
It is currently unclear whether Joe had any knowledge of the letter ahead of publication. But he has often referenced his grandfather's support in his formative years as a key ingredient in his success and the pair remain close. Don was, until the outbreak of Covid, a regular presence at England games.
Comments
Sadly they don’t/can’t.
I don’t know the answer. I don’t know how you can keep everyone happy. But those who have enjoyed The Hundred shouldn’t be the ones at the end of those who don’t like it’s cool tongue.
Maybe next year with overseas players being able to travel, there won't be such a drain on the county teams,
What kids inspired to play, is there any evidence? Even If there are kids that get involved, if they have only shown an interest now, that they aren't going to be interested in the other forms of the game. .Just the razamataz. And where are they going to play anyway? Why would a governing body create a new competition to the detriment of an existing one and the continuous detriment of others? £££s. The T20 was a radically new format when it started, whereas the Hundred is only 20/ or 1/6th less deliveries
Why comment about 'mainly white men'? Have you seen the makeup of the England teams?
I was more outraged than she was.
Wimbledon were in a state & someone took advantage.
Most football fans hated it.
Completely different set of circumstances as I explained earlier.
I’m not asking for you to be happy about what’s going on. I’m asking for you to not vent your frustration at those who enjoyed the entertainment that was offered to them. They are not the ones responsible for the current situation.
There needs to be balance. It needs to be both good for the game & enjoyable.
The issue many of us have (and we are not totally disagreeing that it has been enjoyable to others) is that the ECB have damaged existing cricket. Why would they do that? Not for the enjoyment of the new spectators and it's hardly likely to have any significant improvement on existing format or cricketers or new players. It is for ££££s and not only that but they have sold their souls to the detriment of the game (yes I know, providing some entertainment whilst lining their pockets - whilst not identical, there IS direct comparison to the Super League)
I believe that I am one of the least confrontational posters on this forum but occasionally there is subject matter that I feel very strongly about...and this is one of them.
Balance would be an ideal outcome but as some with far more insight into the modus operandi of the ECB tell us, this appears to be extremely unlikely &, as a result, this is the last thing on their mind.
Arguing won't solve that, of course, but it's important that the facts of the issue are made abundantly clear, especially to those who don't follow cricket per se & hence have NO emotional ties to the game & its heritage.
I was taken by my parents, by train, from Dartford to Canterbury, Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells from the age of 10 to watch one day's play of a Kent match every summer. This was all we could afford & was made possible by virtue of Dad's free rail tickets as he worked " for the railway" following demob. Flasks of tea, home made sandwiches & a packet of biscuits sustained the 3 of us throughout the day's play until, as dusk approached we made our way on foot back to the station, tired but enlivened by a day in the fresh air watching OUR county. Nothing like it in those halcyon days in the 50s. And I write this whilst listening to the Leics v Kent commentary via Radio Kent....
When I met Mr F in the late 60s, he was no fan of the sport but, probably more importantly, he was a life long Addick.
But I love a challenge.....
As a result, for several years we attended as many limited over matches on Sundays as we could afford, enjoying the successful, entertaining years of Luckhurst, Underwood, Asif, Knott and many others, too numerous to mention. When the children arrived, our attendance was on an occasional basis although there were days when both sets of grandparents joined us & enjoyed a cricket day out together....plus the family dog as Kent grounds allow their admission. Great memories of families enjoying their walks around the perimeter between innings, having their picnics on the grass, playing their own mini versions of the game etc etc - something unique that those used to watching from the tiered seating at Lords, the Oval, Edgbaston & their like will not appreciate....
Now in our 70s, we juggle the overlap of the football season with that of our cricketing summer & enjoy our journeys to The Spitfire Ground via the pretty Kent & Sussex villages such as Sissinghurst & Goudhurst ...and home again, happily chatting about the match we've seen or in silence if the result has gone against us...Charlton fans will recognise this scenario, no doubt ! Pre covid we'd travel to Bristol, Hove & Taunton to watch away matches each summer, funds & weather permitting , with a night or two accommodation to boot, often meeting other Spitfire aficionados in the process with most being Addicks too ! These days out have happily filled the vacuum that the close season invariably brings & with live streams now available too, the Fanackapans are happy bunnies.
One day Cup/50 over matches are also on our summer agenda but were effectively all but ruined this year by the sparsity of Kent players available due to the You Know What which I've mentioned ( briefly ?) previously. Our 3 trips to Beckenham were less than enjoyable ones apart from meeting up with Don & Ian to share the experience.
Now, with the future of T20 cricket at county level seemingly in doubt, and invariably the loss of players to "the one we don't mention " if the 50 over games continue, there will be little remaining for the likes of us wrinklies to enjoy in the summer months with years of watching live limited over cricket at county level, a mere memory.
And SHOULD The Hundred be expanded as someone has mooted, you can bet your bottom dollar that the pretty, county grounds in Kent will not be deemed suitable to accommodate those thousands of families eager to experience the, well, experience....How could OUR county & ones in the same "bracket" survive this money grabbing betrayal ?
How can that be allowed to happen ?
On your point about it not improving existing cricketers - again it's far too early to tell, but I imagine you are completely incorrect. Take the example of Will Smeed of Somerset. A late call up to The Hundred, and I would be shocked if any Somerset fans were not delighted that one of their own young stars become one of the players of the tournament. How can you say the experience, the confidence and the challenging yourself against some of the best players in the world can't improve existing players like that? Same goes for Brad Wheal of Hampshire. Same for Blake Cullen of Middlesex. And again with Harry Brook of Yorkshire. There's plenty of other examples.
I know those players weren't performing for their counties, but you can't tell me the experience and confidence they have gained won't benefit their counties as well as themselves. Blake Cullen and Brad Wheal would not have got experience bowling at the death against Carlos Braithwaite in front of 20,000 fans in the Blast or the RLODC. That can only be a good thing for young talent.
Just want to add that it was posted from the heart of a loyal Kentish Maid even though we now live just across the border in E Sussex.
And finally ( really!) I can appreciate that younger cricket fans won't appreciate the sentiments I expressed but maybe one day they'll find themselves reflecting on the good old days when Charlton played on a Saturday with 90% of the time, a 3pm kick off....
Might not still be happening if a certain female CEO had her way.
The times they are a changing. I never thought I’d see a day when the Valley would be full to the rafters of non CAFC fans (well there may have been a few I grant you) watch two teams who honed their craft virtually 😳 but then I’ve never understood the reasoning behind playing games inside on a computer when you can go outside and play them with real friends for nothing 🤷♀️
Not just money, but as you say young people these days enjoy things that I can barely comprehend. Unfortunately for us old school cricket fans (and yes, as someone that does think the Hundred will be successful, I do still class myself as a proper fan and give me red ball cricket all day long), young people today are, on the whole, just not interested in watching and consuming sport as we once knew it. The ECB are trying something different to engage that audience, and let's be honest, if we want cricket to live on forever, it is that audience that needs engaging. If they can bring people into the sport through The Hundred, who then go on and become test match fans, branch out and pick a red ball county team to support etc, than that can't be a bad thing.
I suspect if you travel the wilds of Sussex, Somerset and so many of the shires and delivered the same message in the cricketing hostelries of the county towns you would be applauded to the rafters.
The challenge dear lady is they are our memories not those operating within bastions of the ECB.
I could add a weight of additional comment to the debate but that detract from the perfect message you have delivered. Thank you
Twenty20 Blast final is set to be held in midsummer next year with organisers looking to play the entire competition before the Hundred starts... with plans to hold finals day in the final week of June or early July.
Not sure if it will still knock the counties for 6 over the one day cup though.Think they want the Hundred in the school holidays
The other thing, if the blast gets done in a couple of months and isn't then delayed for a month then that's good, the best Blast players then go off to the Hundred to play in which makes sense.
Much better chance of decent weather 👍🏼
Hopefully see you soon xx
When I started watching cricket, it was brilliant. I think back to the first Test match my Dad took me to. Uncomfortable, wooden, un-numbered, uncovered seats. Terrible catering. Poor views. Awful communication with the fans. Impenetrable scoreboards, giving irrelevant information (did I really care about which team had got first innings points, in a Test match?). And play constantly threatened by bad light. I can honestly say I loved it. I was totally hooked, thenceforth. With all its faults, I was thoroughly enthused by witnessing the best players in the world demonstrating their skills in front of me.
In those days, of course, I didn't have back-to-back live coverage of every professional sport in the country - and from across the world - relayed live into my house. There weren't the many, many hundreds of distractions competing for my attention. Cricket was my sport. And I waited, impatiently, for my sport to come to my city and to nag my parents to take me either to the Oval or Lord's. I got to see the world's best players, playing the world's best sport. Test cricket. And every year, professional cricketers up and down the country have accommodated changes to the sport.
One day games were introduced, as a fad. They would never catch on. No-one would take them seriously. It would never work. It would spell the end of cricket in this country. It didn't, of course.
Floodlights, coloured clothing, overseas professionals playing part of the season, sponsorship, inflated prize money, adverts on sightscreens, adverts on the playing field, the 60 over game, the 55 over game, the 50 over game, the 40 over game, the 20 over game. All of these things were introduced in a blaze of blazered complaints. Spectators from previous generations complaining that the latest change would spell the very end of the game, in exactly the way that the previous changes to the game hadn't.
Not all changes stayed. Not all the things we think have remained, continued unchanged. The best bits of every change were kept; the worst bits were ditched. All of this took place over lengthy periods of time.
Should we carry on with the World Cup? Or was that a failure? For those that don't remember, the first World Cup in 1975, comprised seven national teams (plus a made-up one), playing 60 over cricket, in white kit, with a red ball, and with a law-change introduced eight days prior to the tournament by the ICC. The World Cup was a success and continues. But it no longer includes 'East Africa', it's no longer 60 overs, it's no longer played in white kit, it's no longer played with a red ball and the ICC-introduced 'wide if it's over head height' law has changed. But the World Cup is a magnificent, compelling, exciting addition to the cricket calendar. I think that very few people would say that, over-all, the World Cup is not a good thing.
The more we think things haven't changed, the more we realise that everything has changed. Ask yourself when was the last time you sat through a whole day's play of a three-day County Championship game. I bet you can't remember. Or, ask yourself for how many consecutive seasons have captains tossed a coin to determine which team bats first.
Cricket changes to accommodate crises. And one of the biggest crises at the moment is how much money the eighteen counties are losing. The Hundred, for many counties, fills that cash gap.
If you don't like The Hundred, there's three things that you need to keep in mind. The first is that it is only a concatenation of benevolent changes that will continue to benefit the game. Specifically, there are things that have been introduced by The Hundred which will become accepted - and, eventually, welcomed - into legacy formats of the game. One example is the cut-off time, beyond which, teams which have taken too long to bowl overs are hit with an immediate, commensurate and avoidable punishment, ie the reduction in number of fielders allowed outside the 30m circle. That will be adopted in other formats and, yes, because everything changes, all the time, it may be introduced with other criteria or with different levels of 'punishment'.
The second is that The Hundred is only intended to fix some problems; and it's not the only fix.
The third is that The Hundred, for many people, is the first chance to see live cricket. And no-one, but the most ice-hearted should want to prevent wide-eyed, enthusiastic young cricket fans starting out on a path of enduring love of the sport.
Everything wrong with cricket in England isn't because of The Hundred; and The Hundred isn't the only tool that can be used to fix cricket's issues. Cricket isn't that simple. And that's one thing about cricket that really has never changed.
( I'm incognito as vowed not to post on this thread again....Temporarily known as Spittingfire Suzy )
The ECB may have hailed the first season of the Hundred as a great success but it has left some of those close to England's Test captain underwhelmed.
Certainly Don Root, the paternal grandfather of England's Test captain, Joe, is unimpressed. In a letter to The Cricketer magazine, which is published today, Root senior describes the new tournament in unflattering terms.
Suggesting it is "as welcome" as Covid-19, he claims it has already had a negative impact on England's Test team and warns about what he feels is an imbalance between red- and white-ball cricket at present.
"The Hundred is among us," Don wrote. "So is Covid and it's just about as welcome.
"We are constantly being lectured about the necessity to attract more funding to spread the gospel and nourish the grassroots of cricket. Apparently this can only be done by an increase in some form of the white-ball version of the game.
"At what cost to the red-ball version? Onwards and downwards would appear to be the new ECB mantra. The results of this policy can be seen in the Test series.
"Of course every sport needs sound financial resourcing, but do we have the balance right at the moment between financial needs and performance on the field? As far as red-ball cricket is concerned, I think not."
Going into the postponed fifth and final match of England's Test series against India, Joe Root was a notable exception to his team's overall standards. He had amassed 564 runs at 94.00 for the series with each of England's three hundreds, almost three times as many runs as any of his team-mates. He has also scored six of England's seven hundreds in 2021, for a total of 1455 runs at 66.13 in 12 Tests.
It is currently unclear whether Joe had any knowledge of the letter ahead of publication. But he has often referenced his grandfather's support in his formative years as a key ingredient in his success and the pair remain close. Don was, until the outbreak of Covid, a regular presence at England games.