The leagues are changing formats, some quicker than others it seems. In Middlesex we move to half 45 over games win or lose for the first time (in Middlesex championship) , the remaining games you can have a draw(100 overs)
It's a challenge for older players myself included to adapt when the cricket we were shown to play at a young age was defending your wicket(time cricket)
In fact in my team most of the younger guys look to hit the ball like they see on the TV, and defence is nowhere to be seen
As I am learning from them they come to me for defensive advice which suits me fine. It's up to me to slight change and adapt to a shorter game.
The question of how you develop a young bowler or batsman as the games get shorter has no answer I can see. As you move up in standard the bowlers get better, there simply cannot be hit for runs all the time.
So.....there is a balance to be had, no one facing decent bowlers in Div 1 where I play will survive and do well without a defence.
I think myself games will get shorter, maybe down to 35 overs a side in a couple of years.
The ECB have to do something as younger guys flood away from cricket, if this is the answer so be it.
No one wants the game to die, and in the event doing something is better than nothing, this is it and we are going to need to get used to it.
Our club started a 20/20 league in 2017 with 6 other club after work midweek and it was very popular.This at the same time Sunday cricket we could barely get a team out. We have 4 league 11's, no one wanted to play Sunday's.
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Topic: Hampshire League in trouble... (Read 15804 times)