Grumpy Mole

So, I admit I’ve moaned and groaned a lot.  I’ve been anti the Hundred for a long time because I really felt it wasn’t the best way forward.  Because it’s my opinion that events have been mishandled by the ECB since 2005 and the loss of cricket to pay channels.  The failure to trademark T20, the failure to get at least some cricket on free to air…and then the decision that the only way forward was to invent a whole new game and add it to an already crowded schedule, with seeming disregard for lifelong cricket fans and at the same time taking a massive gamble.

Anyways, I’ve kinda covered this ground already.  The Hundred has started and though I have missed most of the games, I’ve watched some and quite enjoyed the experience (minus the graphics, which the kids seem to love).  I’ve bought tickets to the game next Wednesday at Edgbaston.  I’m particularly happy that the Women’s game seems to really be benefiting from the extra exposure and it’s great to see new fans getting involved, particularly families with kids.

Many people had reservations to begin with, mostly for perfectly legitimate reasons already covered in this blog.  However, Twittersville is getting a little nasty of late, with a rift between 2 sides with very opposing views.  I’ve witnessed trolls, private messages from people unhappy with my Tweets, petty arguments between commentators and counties and many more examples to suggest that all is not right in the cricketing world.  Now I’m not for a minute suggesting it’s a war zone out there but it certainly feels as though if the ECB had plotted a different course things could have been a little less…narky?

 The whole of cricket and the general public could have been swept along in a wave of excitement this summer, without feelings of disenchantment, without accusations of cricket fans being ‘resistant to change’ or of other fans being ‘reckless in their forward thinking’.  At the end of the day, in the situation we are in it’s probably time to meet somewhere in the middle, to try and support cricket as a whole, regardless of format.  To mend the rifts a little, as it’s surely not great for cricket as a whole?  Obviously not everyone will do this and not everyone likes every form of the game but every little helps and a touch of civility goes a long way!  I will continue to moan less and support more.  Whether The Hundred is a success or a failure it’s best to try and do the right thing for crickets sake!

Trolled!

And so it’s almost upon us.  The Hundred begins soon and the advertising campaigns ramp it up to the max.   Bright, garish, flashing colours with young, big name stars taking centre stage and the release of a baffling list of laws that I wouldn’t even want to attempt to get to grips with, despite the ECB claiming how easy the game will be to understand.  White cards, removal of the idea of “overs” even though “over-rates” were mentioned in the advertising bumf, the toss taking place near the DJ, time outs etc etc.

 

Despite my annoyance at all of the above, I’m writing this particular blog post because today I encountered my first troll on social media, relating to my opinions on the Hundred.  Now, I understand that I have very strong opinions and these are likely to rub some people up the wrong way.  However, my views and opinions are based on knowledge of cricket from reading countless articles (and living cricket as much as possible), my love of cricket from a young age and my belief that, frankly, cricket needs very little fixing.  I’m not going to let one troll who simply hurled a little abuse in my direction get to me.  It’s easy enough to block people on Twittersville, but it’s important to add a little to my previous post on the Hundred just to explain my current feelings.  I tried to do this on Twitter but after compiling a lengthy thread I managed to delete whole darn thing.

 

Cricket has 3 excellent formats.  Test Match cricket (the pinnacle for me) is very much reliant on the success of County Cricket – a nursery for young English potential.  ODI International cricket is in rude health, with England World Cup holders and capable of beating Pakistan with a 2^nd strength 11.  50 over county cricket isn’t doing great but is an excellent format for cricket fans who have a day off and fancy a full day at the cricket and is important for players to gain experience.  The T20 Blast is a superb tournament that was becoming more and more popular, particularly with younger generations.  It would possibly benefit from a bit of a re-brand and a relatively small amount of advertising money, compared to the money being thrown at the Hundred.  Stick a few of these games on free to air and it’ll have a much bigger following in no time.  We soon go into a T20 World Cup as one of the favourites for the title.

 

They didn’t need to do this.  It’s pure greed on the part of a few very rich men.  The franchise idea has kind of worked in India with the IPL, despite past corruption, but why make this change when so much cricket in England is so well attended.  Why change all the laws, why throw so much money at something to the potential detriment of the game when a few minor changes could have done the business. 

 

There’s a lot of talk about players getting more money…they have the potential to earn in the IPL, in the PSL, the Big Bash and various other comps throughout the year.  Many more chances than ever before.  Don’t get me wrong; I really want cricketers to be successful and well paid.  It’s beneficial to the game and as a result beneficial to my enjoyment.

 

There’s also much discussion about the potential improvements to the women’s game.  Having followed the England team avidly for the last 4-5 years, the multi-format idea is a great one.  The England games are all well attended and the quality of our professional outfit is great to see.  The Super League, though not well attended has been a success and would benefit greatly from more money and advertising.  It’s a slow process but the game is improving year on year.  I’ve conceded previously that the women’s game may benefit more than anything from the Hundred, though it needs careful management with Women taking equal billing

 

Another common argument is that this is not meant for you, it’s meant for the kids and to get non-cricket fans interested in the game, which will eventually filter through to other formats.  What I would say to that is that the laws are a lot different – how will these differences make this transition easy? – and what does the Hundred offer that the T20 Blast doesn’t?

 

One of my biggest concerns is that the fixture schedule is being stretched by this.  T20 Blast has taken a back seat (with less coverage on Sky), County games have been squeezed in around other cricket as an afterthought.  As for 50 over County cricket, i’ve heard next to nothing about this year’s competition.

 

The cricket season is too long, multiformat players have little or no rest between games.  Players are being further stretched by COVID outbreaks and county cricket is already decimated before players bubble for The Hundred.  This has the potential to ruin this cricket season and could have ramifications for the future of the game.

 

As for other positives and negatives (mainly negatives), see my previous post .

 

In conclusion, don’t just hurl abuse at me.  My heart is in the right place (firmly on the side of cricket).  If it’s a success, I’ll hold my hands up and say I was wrong.  But I’m not fond with rich people playing a lottery with my favourite sport.

Kiwi Collapso

As summer truly kicks in, following on from a shocking May, we finally have the Test Match season underway. Late, due to the fixture schedule and the need for squishing the Test Matches in between the various franchise competitions and white ball slog fests that simultaneously seem to enhance and ruin the game, it felt great to sit down and watch what I could of the 1^st Test at the stunningly beautiful Lords.

2 weeks on and we’re licking our wounds after a series defeat that shouldn’t have been so painful, had it not been for a missed opportunity and a familiar batting collapse that eclipsed even our greatest efforts.

 

Now, before we go any further, it’s important to note that New Zealand are an excellent side.  Their conditions at home aren’t unlike ours and they’ve won an awful lot in New Zealand of late.  This is why they’re in the Test Championship Final and why they’re currently consistently great in all formats.  They’re such a good side that (like all Test Series), there is absolutely no way it should’ve been a 2 match series.  3/5 Test Match series should be the norm, regardless of the quality of the opposition.  It felt wrong when we were struggling on day 4 of the 1^st test that we were already fighting for survival in the series as a whole.

 

There was a lot of talk about us chasing New Zealand’s total on the final day of the 1^st Test.  For me I can see both sides of the argument.  We didn’t really have the players to get a quick score, missing the likes of Buttler, Bairstow, Stokes etc, so I was unsurprised by our tentative approach, thus preventing a collapse and ensuring the draw.  At the same time, why couldn’t we have given it a real go for 20-30 mins and if that failed, shut up shop?  You sometimes need to read the room and I’m sure the Lords fans would’ve delighted in that kind of an effort, however the outcome.  It became a little farcical towards the end when both teams decided to play right until the very end of day 5.

 

Despite the rights/wrongs of the decision making in the 1^st Test, few will argue that the decision making of the England batsman in their capitulation is shocking and needs to be discussed and acted upon.

 

Firstly, let’s start with the selection process.  Many have torn the England selectors (now Silverwood/Root) to shreds over it.  For me personally, I don’t think the decision making was totally muddled.  For the most part they selected the best players available to them.  Some people question our lack of a spin option.  We never really got to see whether or not this was a bad decision, due to our batting performance.  I personally think that we should have chosen Ali.  I also feel that Buttler should have played...which brings me on to my biggest issue with selection; why did we rest IPL players?  Ali, Buttler, Woakes etc had over a month since the premature end of the tournament to spend with family and relax.  I’ve understood since COVID that being in a bubble isn’t ideal for the players, so resting has made sense to me, despite opposition from others…but now it’s time to change.

 

As for the performance of our batsmen, there’s a lot to concern:

 

Burns played well in the 1^st innings but played an uncharacteristic loose shot in the 2^nd.  

Sibley’s technique appears to be causing issues for him.  He usually has some stickability but may need to change things to deserve a place in the England team.

Crawley has an average around 10 since his excellent 267.  He plays some beautiful shots but then gets out cheaply.

Root is having another worrying dip in form.  His superb 200+ scores against Sri Lanka seem like a distant memory.  He’s the best we have and will turn his fortunes around soon enough. 

Lawrence played decently, without setting the world alight.  He’ll likely be replaced by Stokes for the 1^st India Test.

Pope, for me, is worth sticking with.  He’s young and is a class above most of our batsman already.  He’s got out reasonably cheaply of late, but looked good doing it.  He reminds me of Ian Bell/Joe Root and I feel he should be un-droppable

Bracey should never have been given the WK job.  He has the potential to be in the team solely as a batsman, but 2 low scores will have dented his confidence.  He will undoubtedly be replaced by Buttler for the 1^st India Test

 

My next blog will go into more detail of who I would pick for that 1^st Test against India.  The important thing for me is that we don’t make rash decisions about the current England setup.  I think that Silverwood/Root are the best options at present.  We have rested players due to come back from the IPL wilderness and have players with niggly injuries.  The current setup should only be discussed after the completion of the Ashes next year.  Maybe then it’ll be new blood?…or time to celebrate an India/Australia double?  Who am I kidding!

 

Finally, this isn’t a new feeling.  We have a track record of batting collapses and the likes of Stokes, Root and Cook have protected us from humiliation on a number of occasions.  Hopefully we can return to the sort of sturdy batting line-up Strauss, Cook, Trott, Bell, Pietersen offered, one day…just probably not today…and Lyth, Carberry, Ballance, Robson, Compton, Jennings and co. are proof enough that it’s a tricky business!