Essex eh? You either love them or loathe them. There was a time when the Essex mafia dominated English cricket. Names like Gooch, Foster and Pringle were synonymous with the England team. Latterly of course, it’s all been about Andy Flower and Alastair Cook. Just don’t mention the name James Foster, or all those ‘he only plays for England because he plays for Essex’ assumptions completely fall apart. I for one am quite happy that Essex have won the championship. I...
A Load Of Pink Balls? Day-Night Championship Cricket
Hector has been to the Rose Bowl to watch some day-night first class cricket. Here are his observations … I’ll admit I was intrigued upon first hearing about the concept. Cricket under lights is hardly a new idea but the county championship under lights stoked an inner sense of curiosity. Admittedly, floodlit county championship cricket is not wholly new – Kent hosted Glamorgan at Canterbury during the 2011 season – but when a wholesale round of fixtures was announced during...
Outground cricket. Bloomin Marvellous.
As we lick our wounds after the CT semi final, here’s Media Penguin to cheer us up. There ain’t nowt like watching county championship at traditional outgrounds … Lancashire v Middlesex Trafalgar Road, Southport. Lancs won by 8 wickets It had it all – a sun blazing on my baldy pate, a washed out day fit for gumboots or goloshes and two other days that at times required a jumper and an overcoat. The cricket weren’t bad either and even though just three days of play were...
Back To The Future? A Plan For Domestic 50 Over Cricket
In the ECB’s brave new world there is very little to please the poor, beleaguered, run of the mill cricket supporter. The county championship is being ever more marginalised, the calendar is re-shuffled almost every year, and the ECB is intent on wooing a completely new audience. Current supporters are just expected to shut up and continue paying their money. How very football. Instead of treating them with distain, maybe the ECB could placate its existing loyal fan base? The fifty over...
City T20 – The Name Calling Has Started
I don’t know what is happening in other counties but in Lancashire the in-fighting has erupted. Not about the fact that the club politbureau took a decision to join the T20 circus without consulting members – but what the new team will be called. The consensus outside Manchester appears to be that many will not follow a team bearing that monicker. Supporters have quickly divided along city, town and football tribal lines. Opinions on the Facebook fans page include: “I’m...
Ballance Makes History But Is Liam Livingstone The Future? Championship Roundup
Hold on to your panama hats folks. It’s time for our weekly championship roundup. Sod the IPL. We all know this is the stuff that really matters. Who cares about Ben Stokes’ match turning performance for the Rising Prune Superlaxatives when Darren Stevens has taken another five-fer at Canterbury? Ahem. We start our exciting journey at Old Trafford, the theatre of creams, where Liam Livingstone continues to dazzle. Lancs were skittled for just 109 on the first day (Livingstone made 69 of these)...
