Topic: Too much cricket? (Read 2290 times)

JTtaylor145 · « **on:** October 24, 2022, 11:41:51 AM »

A topic came up at the Two Counties (Essex/Suffolk) AGM a few weeks ago about the volume of cricket being played (number of matches). A number of clubs were complaining about the number of matches played during the season.

Most of the divisions in the two counties are 12 teams so 22 games each season.

Is that really too much cricket (22 Saturday's out of 52 in a year)? Is this a trend reflected elsewhere in the country?

If this trend is reflected elsewhere then cricket is really in a very sorry state. If players can't be bothered to play 22 games in a season then who will be the chair people, grounds people, coaches and volunteers in 5 to 10 years time when my generation become too old?

I can only see the game transitioning to fewer and fewer overs in the future with 1-2 games of 20 overs played on a Saturday and travel really restricted.

Don't want to sound too much like a old git but I'm glad I played the majority of cricket whilst I was younger. No way would I want to travel to Clacton for a 20 over fixture on a Saturday.

Surely 22 games isn't really too much cricket?

Would love to know peoples views/opinions.

JT

TownGrazz · « **Reply #1 on:** October 24, 2022, 12:45:36 PM »

Our league (Liverpool Competition) has same number of teams and hence league games this seems fine and not heard many complaints around in terms of too many league matches.

What perhaps is more of an issue is the number of cup games. Our first team are in 5 cup competitions (3x 40+ over cups and 2 x t20 cups), and I appreciate not every club will be lucky enough to be in this position but if you have a reasonably successful run in a few of these cups then the games and double header weekends soon add up which is usually fine for younger players with few commitments but can be a bit tough on the body for older players or a struggle for those with young families. This also impacts the rest of the club as there are often squad players for the 1st team (but usually play 2nd team league cricket) who may end up playing in all the 1st team cup games (due to mentioned older players or players with families missing) and then also play in all 2nd team cup games as well, likewise for 3rd teamers having to fill in for 2nd teamers in cup games etc.

I appreciate it will sound a strange thing for people to complain about that the team are doing well in cups but you can understand why players sometimes feel fatigued with number of games on top of potential outside pressure from family or work commitments.

Jimbo · « **Reply #2 on:** October 24, 2022, 01:10:03 PM »

Our season is 18 games and I can't remember complaints about an excess of weekend cricket. We don't play a huge number of cup/midweek games though and we very rarely have weekend double headers, I can see how it would start to become a bit of a grind if you're playing potentially 50/60 games over the summer.

skyblueglu · « **Reply #3 on:** October 24, 2022, 01:28:54 PM »

The majority of the major leagues in the South are 10 sides per league, so 18 games. Starting 1st or 2nd weekend in May and finishing in the first week of September.

Sunday Cups or Mid Week T20s are additional, depending on how far you get; you do notice that some players minds shift from Saturday cricket to Sunday cricket, but these competitions do allow squad players an opportunity.

The more teams you have in a league, then you are then playing league games in mid-April and mid-September, when the weather is just more unpredictable or not "cricket weather". But do fully appreciate that people grow up on their surroundings and to some people they will quite happily play at these times of year.

Personally 18 is enough for me, with a few T20s midweek throughout the season.

SD · « **Reply #4 on:** October 24, 2022, 05:02:06 PM »

I have heard of any complaints about the length of the season (we also play in 12-team divisions for 22 weeks) but reduced game length and win loss cricket are definitely becoming more popular options.

The big issue is the amount of time the game takes to play. I would like to see more effort put into speeding the game up. One easy win would be to avoid the whole fielding side changing ends every 6 balls. I don't know the history of that rule but it wastes so much time. Switching the bowling end half way though the innings would save q lot of time every game

Kulli · « **Reply #5 on:** October 24, 2022, 05:36:25 PM »

I imagine it�s not much cricket as too much time. Anyone with a family is always likely to be swimming against the gods a bit and the longer the season is the harder it is to play all the games. A shorter league season helps them, and anyone who wants more can join a Sunday/midweek side in addition if their Saturday club doesn�t offer those options 🤷

Vulcan Cricket · « **Reply #6 on:** October 24, 2022, 05:40:38 PM »

Quote from: JTtaylor145 on October 24, 2022, 11:41:51 AM

A topic came up at the Two Counties (Essex/Suffolk) AGM a few weeks ago about the volume of cricket being played (number of matches). A number of clubs were complaining about the number of matches played during the season.

Most of the divisions in the two counties are 12 teams so 22 games each season.

Is that really too much cricket (22 Saturday's out of 52 in a year)? Is this a trend reflected elsewhere in the country?

If this trend is reflected elsewhere then cricket is really in a very sorry state. If players can't be bothered to play 22 games in a season then who will be the chair people, grounds people, coaches and volunteers in 5 to 10 years time when my generation become too old?

I can only see the game transitioning to fewer and fewer overs in the future with 1-2 games of 20 overs played on a Saturday and travel really restricted.

Don't want to sound too much like a old git but I'm glad I played the majority of cricket whilst I was younger. No way would I want to travel to Clacton for a 20 over fixture on a Saturday.

Surely 22 games isn't really too much cricket?

Would love to know peoples views/opinions.

JT

spend longer driving than playing ...iam with you there if play next season we have a fair bit of travel if it was for 20 over game I wouldn't bother 20 leagues should be for Sunday cricket and be no more than 30 mins drive

Jimbo · « **Reply #7 on:** October 24, 2022, 05:45:19 PM »

Quote from: SD on October 24, 2022, 05:02:06 PM

One easy win would be to avoid the whole fielding side changing ends every 6 balls. I don't know the history of that rule but it wastes so much time. Switching the bowling end half way though the innings would save q lot of time every game

We bowled whole games from one end for a season when there was flood prevention work going on at the ground and we absolutely rattled through overs, it's astonishing how much it quickens the game up. 40 overs a side done in 5 and a bit hours sometimes.

Rez · « **Reply #8 on:** October 24, 2022, 05:54:16 PM »

It's a tough one and I do feel that times have changed a great deal. When I was a youngster, I couldn't get enough cricket and played every opportunity that I could. Now, as a more mature player trying to drag an aging body through a tough league season it does feel long.

The other thing that amazes me now is that very few of the youngsters are interested in committing to a full league season as they seem to have far more distractions outside of cricket than we had in my day. Getting youngsters motivated early in the season seems a particular challenge.

six and out · « **Reply #9 on:** October 24, 2022, 07:34:07 PM »

Quote from: JTtaylor145 on October 24, 2022, 11:41:51 AM

A topic came up at the Two Counties (Essex/Suffolk) AGM a few weeks ago about the volume of cricket being played (number of matches). A number of clubs were complaining about the number of matches played during the season.

Most of the divisions in the two counties are 12 teams so 22 games each season.

Is that really too much cricket (22 Saturday's out of 52 in a year)? Is this a trend reflected elsewhere in the country?

If this trend is reflected elsewhere then cricket is really in a very sorry state. If players can't be bothered to play 22 games in a season then who will be the chair people, grounds people, coaches and volunteers in 5 to 10 years time when my generation become too old?

I can only see the game transitioning to fewer and fewer overs in the future with 1-2 games of 20 overs played on a Saturday and travel really restricted.

Don't want to sound too much like a old git but I'm glad I played the majority of cricket whilst I was younger. No way would I want to travel to Clacton for a 20 over fixture on a Saturday.

Surely 22 games isn't really too much cricket?

Would love to know peoples views/opinions.

JT

Hi JT,

Interesting I haven't heard anyone in the league say about there being too many games.

Do you know which clubs raised it?

I have also played in leagues with 10 per division and I actually think having the extra 4 games is worthwhile, yes it means you start earlier in April and end later in September but you always lose random games to the weather which can mean you only play 15 if you start with 18 games, add in a couple of others like weddings or family stuff and you could find yourself only playing 12 games if your unlucky. So to start with 22 makes a difference.

The weather in September has been very good lately. April cricket is tough but by the time it comes around everyone just wants to get going, so it's great just to great into it.

billyb · « **Reply #10 on:** October 24, 2022, 08:18:59 PM »

"Is that really too much cricket (22 Saturday's out of 52 in a year)?"

There are only 13 weeks in Summer. 22 weeks is an awful lot of time when people are working harder and longer, earning less, and are never really disconnected from work through technology. Time is so precious now.

SurreySam · « **Reply #11 on:** October 24, 2022, 10:40:07 PM »

Quote from: billyb on October 24, 2022, 08:18:59 PM

There are only 13 weeks in Summer. 22 weeks is an awful lot of time when people are working harder and longer, earning less, and are never really disconnected from work through technology. Time is so precious now.

Is that really too much to ask for players to commit too!!!

Meanwhile there is a silent force of volunteer groundsman, who roughly speaking give in excess of 40 days of their lives for no monetary payment, so that cricket can happen every year.

SOULMAN1012 · « **Reply #12 on:** October 24, 2022, 10:43:02 PM »

I think the issue @JTtaylor145 from a few and it was raised by a few at our club is it means there is no free Saturdays at all (JT and I play in same league structure and had the pleasure to play in same league this year) which means things like weddings for example the league will not allocate a free Saturday for under these requests, actually not sure what requests they do accept from seeing the emails as fixture sec for my club.

This means that you face a choice of trying to reschedule for a bank holiday which is very hard to get commitment for from either side or players just missing the game and then your club concedes.

Personally I don�t mind but like you I�m in the final few years of playing semi regular cricket.

edge · « **Reply #13 on:** October 25, 2022, 06:52:24 AM »

We play 18 league games a season, and find it harder every year to get sides out for friendlies at either end of that. Wouldn't mind a longer league season personally, but that's partly because I wouldn't be playing all of them anyway.

I think the days of blokes committing nearly half their Saturdays a year for most of their lives are fading, and club cricket will have to wake up to it eventually. 40+ overs takes out a whole day and it's too much to do every single week for half a year. Flip side of course is that t20 as a format for amateur cricket has it's own downsides. That said, I play more LMS (100 ball t20) than traditional league cricket these days and love it - good game of cricket and you're done in two hours. Would join a Saturday t20 league in a heartbeat.

six and out · « **Reply #14 on:** October 25, 2022, 07:26:38 AM »

Quote from: SOULMAN1012 on October 24, 2022, 10:43:02 PM

I think the issue @JTtaylor145 from a few and it was raised by a few at our club is it means there is no free Saturdays at all (JT and I play in same league structure and had the pleasure to play in same league this year) which means things like weddings for example the league will not allocate a free Saturday for under these requests, actually not sure what requests they do accept from seeing the emails as fixture sec for my club.

This means that you face a choice of trying to reschedule for a bank holiday which is very hard to get commitment for from either side or players just missing the game and then your club concedes.

Personally I don�t mind but like you I�m in the final few years of playing semi regular cricket.

I think the compromise for the 2 Counties (my league too) could be 11 teams per division, giving everyone a bye week.

That way Clubs can then request what week they have at the end of the previous season and the league try (although can't guarantee) to give them that date.

Author Topic: Too much cricket? (Read 2290 times)

JTtaylor145

Too much cricket?

TownGrazz

Re: Too much cricket?

Jimbo

Re: Too much cricket?

skyblueglu

Re: Too much cricket?

SD

Re: Too much cricket?

Kulli

Re: Too much cricket?

Vulcan Cricket

Re: Too much cricket?

Jimbo

Re: Too much cricket?

Rez

Re: Too much cricket?

six and out

Re: Too much cricket?

billyb

Re: Too much cricket?

SurreySam

Re: Too much cricket?

SOULMAN1012

Re: Too much cricket?

edge

Re: Too much cricket?

six and out

Re: Too much cricket?