First, a huge thank you for all your contributions and support during the Ashes. We really appreciate the time and effort you’ve spared to take part in our discussions, and air your views. The last two months – which have encompassed such emotion and mutual sleep deprivation – have certainly been a bonding experience for us all. We hope you’ve found The Full Toss a useful place to vent some steam and express your hopes and fears.
Which leads us on to the second point. This site is all about the perspective of an English cricket follower – be it the national side, the county game, or club and village cricket. So as we leave the Ashes behind and head towards the 2011calendar proper, we’d like to hear what’s on your mind.
So we invite you to respond to the questionnaire below – eleven questions about the cricketing year ahead, and beyond. You can either enter your answers below (don’t feel you need answer them all), or email Maxie@thefulltoss.com And if there’s anything significant we’ve missed out – feel free to add it in.
Thanks in advance for taking part.
1. International priorities What’s more important – winning the World Cup, or beating Sri Lanka and India in this summer’s test series?
2. The World Cup Can we win it – and if so, how? What are the tactics and who are the right players?
3. Test team selection Is Eoin Morgan an automatic choice to replace Colly, or would you prefer another? Which of Broad, Finn, Bresnan and Onions would you leave out of the bowling attack? And whatever happened to Adil Rashid?
4. Number one We may have annihilated Australia, but are still not quite the complete test side. In which one area would you like to see England raise their game this year?
5. Spectator experience Last summer showed that, outside Ashes years, supporters’ goodwill can’t be taken for granted. How can the experience of watching England in the flesh be improved? Ticket prices, cheaper beer, better scheduling, or more atmosphere?
6. The next generation Name the young player you tip to make a mark during 2011. Who’s the one to watch?
7. County cricket What lies in store for your side in this season’s championship? Could this finally be Somerset’s year? Can Essex bounce back? And will the misery ever end for Derbyshire?
8. Bums on seats How many T20 matches will you bother watching this summer: is the golden goose on her deathbed? Will you go and see any championship cricket at all? Either way – reasons?
9. Our lords and masters Let’s hope the ECB don’t get all complacent now the Ashes have been so spectacularly retained. Which single thing should cricket’s bosses do to improve the game in this country?
10. On the village green Which fads do you expect in club cricket this year? Mock ‘decision review’ arm signals? Mass sprinkler dancing? Or Shane Watson-style run-outs?
11. Grass roots What kind of support would you welcome for your club? Better, cheaper, hirable pitches? Better links to schools? A few quid from the ECB to buy kit?
Thanks again for taking part – and looking forward to reading your answers!
1. International priorities What’s more important – winning the World Cup, or beating Sri Lanka and India in this summer’s test series?
The latter; one day cricket a bit of fun, test cricket is the real deal. How long will one day cricket even exist?
2. The World Cup Can we win it – and if so, how? What are the tactics and who are the right players?
No, we haven’t had the right preparation – and it’s in the sub continent. Last 4 or last 8.
3. Test team selection Is Eoin Morgan an automatic choice to replace Colly, or would you prefer another? Which of Broad, Finn, Bresnan and Onions would you leave out of the bowling attack? And whatever happened to Adil Rashid?
In ODI I hope we don’t have to replace Colly. Decent runs average, handy bowling, great fielder – bags of experience. In tests Eoin Morgan is far from proven but he should be given a decent try. Onions to miss out. Yes, what did happen to Rashid?
4. Number one We may have annihilated Australia, but are still not quite the complete test side. In which one area would you like to see England raise their game this year?
Another Trott (a stubborn accumulator) now that Colly has retired from test cricket. I fear a return of the collapse habit otherwise.
5. Spectator experience Last summer showed that, outside Ashes years, supporters’ goodwill can’t be taken for granted. How can the experience of watching England in the flesh be improved? Ticket prices, cheaper beer, better scheduling, or more atmosphere?
I feel that when a lot of cricket is rained off, spectators get a bad deal. Real ale everywhere please. I can live with the prices but would certainly go more frequently if it was cheaper.
6. The next generation Name the young player you tip to make a mark during 2011. Who’s the one to watch?
England will bring on an all rounder – Chris Woakes, Shane Watson (becomes a British citizen) or that nice Mr Bresnan.
7. County cricket What lies in store for your side in this season’s championship? Could this finally be Somerset’s year? Can Essex bounce back? And will the misery ever end for Derbyshire?
Surrey will get the cheque book out again and fall flat on their face.
8. Bums on seats How many T20 matches will you bother watching this summer: is the golden goose on her deathbed? Will you go and see any championship cricket at all? Either way – reasons?
What cricket I go and see is usually determined by what I can fit in. T20s are usually at more convenient times. I usually only get to see a couple of days of championship cricket.
9. Our lords and masters Let’s hope the ECB don’t get all complacent now the Ashes
have been so spectacularly retained. Which single thing should cricket’s bosses do to improve the game in this country?
Introduce regional cricket and reduce the gap between the top domestic level of cricket and the national side; county cricket to continue at a semi professional level. It won’t happen, of course. I fear the near death of test cricket so improving the quality of domestic first class cricket seems essential.
Also – introduce a limited over cup competition and put it on free-to-air TV.
10. On the village green Which fads do you expect in club cricket this year? Mock ‘decision review’ arm signals? Mass sprinkler dancing? Or Shane Watson-style run-outs?
The return of streakers jumping the bails; getting their leg over.
11. Grass roots What kind of support would you welcome for your club? Better, cheaper, hirable pitches? Better links to schools? A few quid from the ECB to buy kit?
No – it’s perfect. Better weather, perhaps – more supporters.
1.I don’t think there is much interest in the UK as to who wins the World Cup. After the first week of crap fixtures I generally lose interest until the Final. Next time the World Cup will be replaced by a Twenty Twenty Competition because that is what the TV Companies and Advertisers want.
2. We won’t get far as we always pick a team based on what happened last time.
3. We seem fixated with the idea that the wicket keeper must open. However if Tate or Lee are bowling you need openers opening the batting.
4. How can you find five day Test Players if the County Games are played in April and September and the Counties play Mickey Mouse Cricket in the main part of the season?
5. In the Age of Austerity people won’t be able to afford Test Matches or millions of T20 Games so we will get more and more games played in empty grounds for the benefit of Sky.
6. Taylor of Lecics
7. Lancashire or Durham to win CC
8. I went to Guildford last year to see Surrey which was great value. I can watch T20 on Sky without having to park and queue at the RoseBowl at great cost.
9. Encourage Sky to provide live coverage of the County Championship and tempt people to attend.
10. Sadly more sledging and crap behaviour copied from the TV by morons
11.In Grass Roots cricket. Many clubs play on Council Pitches which are going to be fatally damaged by Gideon’s Appalling Little Chopper and Fatboy Pickles Council Cuts.