Topic: Fatty;s Blueprint for the Future (Read 3101 times)

FattusCattus · « **on:** March 13, 2018, 07:31:39 PM »

Right - here are some thoughts for the future of English cricket - these are my ideas. I appreciate there may be many holes in this, but I am trying to give a positive perspective on moving English cricket forward, so any CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is gratefully received:

COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP)

3 tier championship, 3 divisions of 6. 2 up and 2 down, stating positions determined by average finish for the last 10 years. 10 x 4 day games per season, home and away. Games run Weds - Sat, all school kids and proven junior club members allowed in for �2 per session, with a 'meet the p[layer' session thrown in.

Counties are salary-capped, but are allowed to offer incentive payments for 5wkt hauls / centuries or overall runs / wickets per season. Each squad must contain at least one Unicorn or one England U19, on a draft system.

50 OVER CUP)

4 x regions, 20 x teams, all counties plus Ireland and Scotland. 8 games home and away on a Sunday, plus semi-finals then finals. Games played on a Sunday

T20 CUP) Only one competition, sandwiched into the school holidays in the middle of the summer, on Weds - Sat. 4 regions again, but quarter finals a 1 x nirth venue and 1 x south venue, followed by semi-finals / final at Edgbaston.

Either the T20 or the 50 over comp, team can have a limit of up to 3 Kolpak / Club / Overseas players combined. When a club player plays, the County mustgive his club 30 x VIP tickets to attend the game.

At the end of the first class season, the top 5 wicket takers and run scorers receive bonus payments from the league sponsors.

Channel 4 / 5 / BBC buy the rights to the 50 over stuff, and offer a decent prize fund for the winner / runner up, plus a prize for the winner of each game.

edge · « **Reply #1 on:** March 13, 2018, 07:54:11 PM »

Hmm... good thread! Not sure I like the 3 division idea Fattus, although can see some advantages. I'd run the games mostly Thurs-Sun to get two weekend days in, and I'd make all tickets as cheap as reasonably possible on the grounds that noone who isn't a member is turning up anyway. Sundays should be promoted as a family day, free entry to anyone with kids and get food stalls in and a bit of activities on the side. Like the salary cap thought, rather than force counties to take uncontracted younguns I'd restrict the loan system to u23s only - older players have to be signed permanently.

50 overs... take a lead for the rest of the world to follow and just bin it. Hey presto, you've created plenty of room in the schedule to both have a good t20 comp in the school holidays and play the county champs at sensible times of year.

T20 - played as a league with two divisions of 9, player registrations being separate from the 4 day stuff. Teams encouraged to call themselves whatever they want, and home/away kit introduced so there's no kit clashes. Play it in the school holidays in a block, with games loaded around the weekends as much as possible. Top division on free to air tv, league followed by semis/finals as with most t20 leagues. 3 overseas players permitted.

Buzz · « **Reply #2 on:** March 13, 2018, 08:16:42 PM »

Normally in this situation the done thing is a few personal insults and to say this is b o llocks

Except I agree with every word.

Well done Brucie

FattusCattus · « **Reply #3 on:** March 13, 2018, 08:26:37 PM »

Thank you @Buzz - now, we all know you were Strauss's fag at school, so get him on the blower and get me into the ECB!!!!!

FattusCattus · « **Reply #4 on:** March 14, 2018, 09:41:31 AM »

I wrote this when I was drunk, and it's still genius! Does anyone have Colin Graves email?

Mpt7 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 14, 2018, 03:30:52 PM »

This is a really positive post and a debate that is surely needed.

the other addition i would include is as follows:

Restructure of the premier league system so that teams can go through the division to compete against the best teams in the north and south and subsequently get in tot he County championship. I am not sure how to you build the north and south league (winners from all premier divisions the previous year, is my initial guess....)

why is this important?

The 2XI system is an odd environment and the county leagues are a closed shop.
There is little opportunity for "John" from his local area to take his boyhood club, after he earned a little money, to take on the might of Surrey etc. this would allow that opportunity
This improves facilities as people invest to go through levels and play against better players, better players would still have a route back to the top through performance/promotion with other sides

What do people think? would it be exciting to see your local team go through the levels?? is it even reasonable/feasible?

SD · « **Reply #6 on:** March 14, 2018, 05:25:47 PM »

I would have the England Lions playing in the county championship. Splitting the championship into two divisions certainly makes sense but promotion and relegation doesn't encourage counties to throw in young guys with lots of potential but lacking experience.

Buzz · « **Reply #7 on:** March 14, 2018, 05:38:29 PM »

My only tweek to this would be that there should be a div 1 and two conferences leagues that and a playoff for promotion between the two runners up.

edge · « **Reply #8 on:** March 14, 2018, 06:51:58 PM »

Quote from: Buzz on March 14, 2018, 05:38:29 PM

My only tweek to this would be that there should be a div 1 and two conferences leagues that and a playoff for promotion between the two runners up.

I like that a lot actually @Buzz , good solution to the problem. Would considerably shorten the season outside of div 1 but you could take a lot of advantages from that with scheduling and pitches etc.

Calzehbhoy · « **Reply #9 on:** March 14, 2018, 06:52:04 PM »

I�ve always found it strange that a club can�t earn the right to play at the top of the game in Cricket. There should either be a Cricket equivalent of the FA Cup or open up county Cricket as @Mpt7 has said and allow ECB prem sides the chance to play county cricket if they win the leagues below it.

Batbuddy99 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 14, 2018, 08:58:50 PM »

In terms of scheduling, not sure how players would react to having to play red ball thurs-saturday and then white ball sunday

In terms of club cricket, how about make the 50-over championship a football divisional system with clubs only? Counties don't play 50-over cricket, pros go to whichever club they want to play for/pays them the most, and implement a premier league, championship etc, so that Bloggsville CC could theoretically go from div 9 in TVL all the way to the "premier league" for example?

Author Topic: Fatty;s Blueprint for the Future (Read 3101 times)

FattusCattus

Fatty;s Blueprint for the Future

edge

Re: Fatty;s Blueprint for the Future

Buzz

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FattusCattus

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FattusCattus

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Mpt7

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SD

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Buzz

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edge

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Calzehbhoy

Re: Fatty;s Blueprint for the Future

Batbuddy99

Re: Fatty;s Blueprint for the Future