Strauss refuses to answer the question re the optimum number of County Championship games. He should become a politician. Atherton stinging in his criticism of the ECB and the way they have promoted the Hundred to the extent that they have alienated traditional cricket fans. He wants June/July for the CC but where would you fit the Blast in given that the Hundred is taking up August?
Strauss then asks the question "what skills do counties need to work on in order for them to become Test cricketers?". This from the man who instructed counties some years ago to concentrate on producing white ball cricketers and as a result counties stopped looking at technically sound batsmen who couldn't hit the ball 360 degrees.
Strauss refuses to answer the question re the optimum number of County Championship games. He should become a politician. Atherton stinging in his criticism of the ECB and the way they have promoted the Hundred to the extent that they have alienated traditional cricket fans. He wants June/July for the CC but where would you fit the Blast in given that the Hundred is taking up August?
Strauss then asks the question "what skills do counties need to work on in order for them to become Test cricketers?". This from the man who instructed counties some years ago to concentrate on producing white ball cricketers and as a result counties stopped looking at technically sound batsmen who couldn't hit the ball 360 degrees.
What the ECB need to do is find a game that encourages "proper" batting and bowling, whilst also allowing for range hitting and death bowling, that are so highly valued in the t20 world. Some sort of compromise between the two.
I would suggest about 50 overs a side would be about right?
Strauss refuses to answer the question re the optimum number of County Championship games. He should become a politician. Atherton stinging in his criticism of the ECB and the way they have promoted the Hundred to the extent that they have alienated traditional cricket fans. He wants June/July for the CC but where would you fit the Blast in given that the Hundred is taking up August?
Strauss then asks the question "what skills do counties need to work on in order for them to become Test cricketers?". This from the man who instructed counties some years ago to concentrate on producing white ball cricketers and as a result counties stopped looking at technically sound batsmen who couldn't hit the ball 360 degrees.
What the ECB need to do is find a game that encourages "proper" batting and bowling, whilst also allowing for range hitting and death bowling, that are so highly valued in the t20 world. Some sort of compromise between the two.
I would suggest about 50 overs a side would be about right?
You could even have a cup competition.
Exactly. If it ain't broke don't try and fix it springs to mind.
Strauss refuses to answer the question re the optimum number of County Championship games. He should become a politician. Atherton stinging in his criticism of the ECB and the way they have promoted the Hundred to the extent that they have alienated traditional cricket fans. He wants June/July for the CC but where would you fit the Blast in given that the Hundred is taking up August?
Strauss then asks the question "what skills do counties need to work on in order for them to become Test cricketers?". This from the man who instructed counties some years ago to concentrate on producing white ball cricketers and as a result counties stopped looking at technically sound batsmen who couldn't hit the ball 360 degrees.
Play the blast on the Sunday during the CC games . Ie play Surrey Thursday - Monday and have the Blast vs Surrey Sunday. Cuts down on travelling costs as well . Where’s my job at the ECB?
Strauss refuses to answer the question re the optimum number of County Championship games. He should become a politician. Atherton stinging in his criticism of the ECB and the way they have promoted the Hundred to the extent that they have alienated traditional cricket fans. He wants June/July for the CC but where would you fit the Blast in given that the Hundred is taking up August?
Strauss then asks the question "what skills do counties need to work on in order for them to become Test cricketers?". This from the man who instructed counties some years ago to concentrate on producing white ball cricketers and as a result counties stopped looking at technically sound batsmen who couldn't hit the ball 360 degrees.
Play the blast on the Sunday during the CC games . Ie play Surrey Thursday - Monday and have the Blast vs Surrey Sunday. Cuts down on travelling costs as well . Where’s my job at the ECB?
The only issue with that is that teams in the CC are in two divisions. Unless you do the same with the Blast, it doesn't work. It would also mean that a team that is in Div 2 of the CC has a potentially easier group in the Blast.
I don't disagree with doing something similar with the CC/Blast though. Perhaps Sunday-Wednesday the CC and then the Blast on Friday evenings.
Strauss refuses to answer the question re the optimum number of County Championship games. He should become a politician. Atherton stinging in his criticism of the ECB and the way they have promoted the Hundred to the extent that they have alienated traditional cricket fans. He wants June/July for the CC but where would you fit the Blast in given that the Hundred is taking up August?
Strauss then asks the question "what skills do counties need to work on in order for them to become Test cricketers?". This from the man who instructed counties some years ago to concentrate on producing white ball cricketers and as a result counties stopped looking at technically sound batsmen who couldn't hit the ball 360 degrees.
Play the blast on the Sunday during the CC games . Ie play Surrey Thursday - Monday and have the Blast vs Surrey Sunday. Cuts down on travelling costs as well . Where’s my job at the ECB?
The only issue with that is that teams in the CC are in two divisions. Unless you do the same with the Blast, it doesn't work. It would also mean that a team that is in Div 2 of the CC has a potentially easier group in the Blast.
I don't disagree with doing something similar with the CC/Blast though. Perhaps Sunday-Wednesday the CC and then the Blast on Friday evenings.
I still find it staggering that Stewart and Anderson played in the same side, but then Stewart was the last England player to play when over 40 before Jimmy!
I still find it staggering that Stewart and Anderson played in the same side, but then Stewart was the last England player to play when over 40 before Jimmy!
To be fair, when you have 73 in the book and the next top is 20, you are King by a very long way in the Land of the Blind. These conditions are as difficult as they can be especially given that South Africa's seam attack is top drawer.
To be fair, when you have 73 in the book and the next top is 20, you are King by a very long way in the Land of the Blind. These conditions are as difficult as they can be especially given that South Africa's seam attack is top drawer.
i agree, but a century at lords in difficult conditions vs bowlers like rabada and nortje would tell everyone that he clearly is good enough. Something that dogged another player with beautiful technique in ian bell was that he only played well when the team played well.
England have been bowled out for less than 180 in their first innings of a Lord's Test - and gone on to win - six times. Once in the nineteenth century; twice in the twentieth century; and already three times this century. You only have to go back as far as June this year for the last time it happened.
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Strauss then asks the question "what skills do counties need to work on in order for them to become Test cricketers?". This from the man who instructed counties some years ago to concentrate on producing white ball cricketers and as a result counties stopped looking at technically sound batsmen who couldn't hit the ball 360 degrees.
I would suggest about 50 overs a side would be about right?
You could even have a cup competition.
If it ain't broke don't try and fix it springs to mind.
I don't disagree with doing something similar with the CC/Blast though. Perhaps Sunday-Wednesday the CC and then the Blast on Friday evenings.