The County Championship has already been ushered towards the margins of the cricketing summer and its opening offerings of the 2018 season were a nail in the coffin of First Class cricket in England.
Kent were dismissed for 64, Northamptonshire for 71 and Gloucestershire won a match in which the top score was the lowest of any result match in eons. Nottinghamshire also lost four wickets when chasing… ten! Cue excitement around the country at the prospects of those bowlers that claimed a sackful of wickets receiving national call-ups. I’m completely opposed to this idea of the first few weeks of the season being perceived as the national side shop window. England shouldn’t be selecting players based on the first couple of weeks of the season.
As soon as 2020, the structure of domestic cricket in England is set to change even further, when rather appropriately, the city based T20 competition arrives. The current format of the County Championship is set to be done away with but I do like the idea of a knockout competition that involves the minor counties… very retro isn’t it?
I’m sure that there was some skilful bowling on show in the opening round of County Championship matches this term but so many low scores can’t help but devalue the competition. Some may argue that results are better than draws but if it’s batsmen that England are seeking then they’re going to struggle to find them at this rate!
Interesting: I was surprised at how many games, early games, were called off, delayed, cancelled, spoiled by cold, damp weather … what odds a thousand runs in April????
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