County cricket season 2017

[mark]

This is part of the problem too- http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/39577820

Broad has bowled 21 overs and now is required to rest for the next match. What a ridiculous situation, we don't have a Test match for 3 months but a bloke can't bowl at most 40 overs in a match in mid-April?

Good that the ECB are restricting fans seeing international players but at least they'll all play in the franchise cup in a few years time.

Will they?

From what I've read, there will only be 3 international stars per game (like the IPL), so as an aside, the question is who on earth will make up the bulk of each squad / match day line-up?

Also, the tournament will be run at the same time as the tests so the contracted England players will NOT play in the City Circus.

City Circus.

Sounds like a white van man logistics company about to go bust any day now.

[Zambo]

I can see the Bears going down this season. Just not strong enough in bowling, and the likes of Trott and Bell are far too inconsistent.

[JW90]

This is part of the problem too- http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/39577820

Broad has bowled 21 overs and now is required to rest for the next match. What a ridiculous situation, we don't have a Test match for 3 months but a bloke can't bowl at most 40 overs in a match in mid-April?

Good that the ECB are restricting fans seeing international players but at least they'll all play in the franchise cup in a few years time.

Will they?

From what I've read, there will only be 3 international stars per game (like the IPL), so as an aside, the question is who on earth will make up the bulk of each squad / match day line-up?

Also, the tournament will be run at the same time as the tests so the contracted England players will NOT play in the City Circus.

Oh right, I thought this would avoid the Tests, clearly not. The bulk of the squads will be made up of county players, thus depriving the counties their players for Championship and one-day games. Brilliant stuff, I'm sure you'll agree.

[Lou Grant]

Fantastic win for Essex. When Cook is available, we have a great chance to pick up points. Once the tests resume at the back end of the season, we may struggle. But our bowling attack looks fresh and hungry. So far so good for our return to top flight cricket.

[Lou Grant]

Middlesex are buffoons for not enforcing the follow on yesterday, but we thank them for it. 3 games in and still undefeated in top flight cricket.

[Lou Grant]

Now of course there is a month before the next county game - who really wants three weeks of bloody 50 over cricket just as the season has found its feet?

[Darkyboy]

It is the usual mix and match approach to cricket fixtures. I imagine Somerset and Warwickshire are quite happy to take a break, but it is piss-poor scheduling.

[Lou Grant]

I'm old enough to remember when group stages of the Benson & Hedges would blight the early season, but even they didn't stop proper cricket for a whole month.

[Darkyboy]

I'm old enough to remember when group stages of the Benson & Hedges would blight the early season, but even they didn't stop proper cricket for a whole month.

This is the problem Lou. If you are of an age to remember cricket in the 70s and 80s, cricket these days is a different sport. As you say the B & H games were at the beginning of the season and were almost like pre-season games. The Nat West (and Sunday League) were played alongside the championship games. The championship is now slotted in around the one day games, leaving large gaps between the fixtures.

Personally I preferred things as they were, but then again, my county were competitive in all formats. Now they win the 20/20 tournament but nothing else.

[Lou Grant]

The decade I spent as a cricket nerd, membership at Essex and going to virtually every home championship game, coincided with the only period in their long history when Essex were the best county team in the country. Ronnie Irani joined soon after I left for the west country and it's been downhill ever since.

They should pay me to come back and support them.

[Darkyboy]

The decade I spent as a cricket nerd, membership at Essex and going to virtually every home championship game, coincided with the only period in their long history when Essex were the best county team in the country. Ronnie Irani joined soon after I left for the west country and it's been downhill ever since.

They should pay me to come back and support them.

I guess that you can count your blessings that they were at their best at the right time. They always seemed to have an English bowler(s) who could be relied on to take a hatful of wickets in that period.

[Lou Grant]

Was more a fan of the spinners - Childs and Such made a good pairing. We were blessed with some wonderful overseas players. Mark Waugh was a joy to watch. As was Salim Malik (before his downfall).

John Lever and Neil Foster were the only genuine class bowlers, I'd say our other seamers weren't top draw but did a good job as county pros. And with Gooch opening, pretty much any target we were set to chase was achievable.

[mark]

I'm old enough to remember when group stages of the Benson & Hedges would blight the early season, but even they didn't stop proper cricket for a whole month.

This is the problem Lou. If you are of an age to remember cricket in the 70s and 80s, cricket these days is a different sport. As you say the B & H games were at the beginning of the season and were almost like pre-season games. The Nat West (and Sunday League) were played alongside the championship games. The championship is now slotted in around the one day games, leaving large gaps between the fixtures.

Personally I preferred things as they were, but then again, my county were competitive in all formats. Now they win the 20/20 tournament but nothing else.

The 1970's



And every Sunday, with the 6 hit competition running through the season.



And the season finale, the David Hughes cup. And the Mother of All Crowd Invasions

[subsub]

Was more a fan of the spinners - Childs and Such made a good pairing. We were blessed with some wonderful overseas players. Mark Waugh was a joy to watch. As was Salim Malik (before his downfall).

John Lever and Neil Foster were the only genuine class bowlers, I'd say our other seamers weren't top draw but did a good job as county pros. And with Gooch opening, pretty much any target we were set to chase was achievable.

I used to go and watch Essex loads in the 1980s, too.
I think Allan Border was even better than Waugh and Malik. Class. And made fielding look ridiculously easy.

I used to sit in the Tom Pearce stand, Lou - how about you?

[Holden Mcgroyne]

Used to love watching the John Player league on sunday afternoons on BBC2 with John Arlott commentating after clearly having enjoyed a long lunch.They once did an impromptu piece live to fill during a rain break and Arlott was staggering around but still captivating

Different days, one bowler once had figures of 8 overs 8 maidens in a 40 over game.