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[uknsaunders]

Has anybody had an email from the ECB yet? Went to this survey:-

http://www.cricketsurveys.com/s/ecbcricketconversation/?id=5486107&gen=y&cat=35_44

part of getthegameon campaign?

[uknsaunders]

I nearly lost it at several points:-

What stops you playing cricket in March/April? - have you ever tried to play cricket in the english winter! Pitches are underwater and it's about 4 degrees and hammering down (lets ignore this week as a one off).

Why don't you watch international cricket - england are rubbish and the ticket prices/food is a rip off/if you build stadiums too small then people can't see cricket (thinking internationals)

Did ask some interesting questions about getting games of cricket played, shame most leagues are too busy covering themselves in red tape to care. Most obvious thing a league won't do is to let teams play until an agreed cutoff time ie. when it gets dark. To often you end up playing a one sided reduced overs game or you scrub the game because you can't fit in 70 overs by 7.30, even though there is another 90 minutes of perfectly good daylight! I'm not sure the ECB encouraging teams to think on their feet would go down very well with the old men on the league committee!

[jwebber86]

I find with all their surveys it's almost like they have an answer they want and shape the questions to suit what they want to hear

I have filled it out

[ProCricketer1982]

I find with all their surveys it's almost like they have an answer they want and shape the questions to suit what they want to hear

I have filled it out

all surveys shape you where they want you, thats the skill in making them. hence why survey results cant be trusted

[uknsaunders]

I find with all their surveys it's almost like they have an answer they want and shape the questions to suit what they want to hear

I have filled it out

This survey:-

1. Wants you to say playing t20 in March and April is a great idea
2. There is one single reason why you don't watch first class cricket- the truth is always more complicated!
3. It's nothing to do with England being rubbish or not playing their first team
4. The ECB have a solution to playing more cricket that all the leagues they ignored for years haven't thought of, it's got something to do with start times or playing in bad weather but they don't know what
5. Nothing to do with under investment in village cricket or the ECB funding Prem clubs instead, or selling the TV rights to Sky, no sir

[ProCricketer1982]

5. Nothing to do with under investment in village cricket or the ECB funding Prem clubs instead, or selling the TV rights to Sky, no sir

the one thing that would make the most difference. support smaller clubs with up to two adult sat sides as anyone with moreis big enough to sort themselves out.. left field suggestion that might save clubs folding... limit clubs to two sat league sides? that way, the rest would play for others and so have a more diverse club life

[RF]

2 teams in our league got fined and gas pointd deducted for playing a 20 / 20 game on a rain affected day!  Crazy.

Captains and teams should be encouraged to be flexible and inventive to find a way to get a result.

The rain rules in our league are so heavily weighted to the side batting first any delay of more than an hour completely destroys the game and it becomes a waste of time

[ProCricketer1982]

2 teams in our league got fined and gas pointd deducted for playing a 20 / 20 game on a rain affected day!  Crazy.

Captains and teams should be encouraged to be flexible and inventive to find a way to get a result.

The rain rules in our league are so heavily weighted to the side batting first any delay of more than an hour completely destroys the game and it becomes a waste of time

 however, just changing a game to a 2020, 3030 might not be what people want to play??  certainly not on sats

[jwebber86]

Why would anybody want to play cricket in March and early April. It's generally cold and wet.
2. Most of the time watching first class cricket means missing work or time with the missus or not actually playing.

3. For me going to watch England is a special treat I can afford (time and money) only one a year
5. Our club had the most members and interest after the 2005 ashes. Having no cricket on terrestrial TV is a massive issue.

I was looking at the list of cricket games in Australia that have to be on free to air TV. It's brilliant it basically any game with Australia or any relevant world wide game of cricket it's no surprise it's well supported over there

[ProCricketer1982]

I'd play in March or April.. if there were games to play in. Good luck finding the number of clubs to make games viable though as quite a few share grounds with Football and as we know, football thinks it's god... you can't run any meaningful games if over half the clubs in the league don't have a home ground. It is cold but that's what jumpers etc are for. As for wickets, I'm sure if things were covered properly etc it would be viable. Leagues should defo run all sept and into Oct.. the weather then is perfectly good.. more so than march and april!

totally agree about tv, I think everyone sensible does agree that paywall sports is bad for the game but good for the corporates. I'm very surprised retailers like the ones here and manufacturers like Kook etc aren't pushing against the pay wall etc.. dropping participation levels will hit them hardest after all!! less people buying kit. bat maker x now might be going 'yey, we are growing'.. but they are growing in a shrinking market place.

[smilley792]

This eekend gone was gorgeous.  I wish I was playing cricket innit instead of sat at home. Knowing in a few weeks I'll get rained off instead.
No harm in trying to organise something for march April.  Even if it's just short formats or 6 a side tournaments etc.


As for rained off games. Last year. The champs were playing the arch enemies.
Both captains said ground was fit enough. The umpires disagreed and went home.
So they played it anyway. And apparently was a pretty good game (all 92overs played). Still went down on the website as a rained off draw.

Crackers.

[RF]

I didn't mean play 20/20 instead of proper league cricket on a Saturday, just when there's no way to get 90 or 100 overs in because of the weather. A shorter game is better than no game.

[ProCricketer1982]

This eekend gone was gorgeous.  I wish I was playing cricket innit instead of sat at home. Knowing in a few weeks I'll get rained off instead.
No harm in trying to organise something for march April.  Even if it's just short formats or 6 a side tournaments etc.


As for rained off games. Last year. The champs were playing the arch enemies.
Both captains said ground was fit enough. The umpires disagreed and went home.
So they played it anyway. And apparently was a pretty good game (all 92overs played). Still went down on the website as a rained off draw.

Crackers.

probably a better game because they didn't have board umpires!!

[jwebber86]

i would love to be playing cricket earlier could even stretch to late september/ october on the weekends. it would beat the agonizing wait for teh season to begin.

i just think there would be lost of issues with grounds and players availability but still worth a go

[uknsaunders]

In the middle of my survey rant I suggested the ECB fund astroturf outfields if they wanted March/April cricket! Also questioned which country they were talking about these games being played in.

Seriously, I'm surprised nobody has devised some form of autumn/spring cricket involving astroturf football pitches and wind balls.