The Cricket Thread

[Spurslove]

I got my Surrey CCC Members handbook in the post today, packed full of information including our fixtures for the coming season, our playing squad(s) and the special features and benefits we can all enjoy at The Oval in the 2020 season. Great, except none of it actually means anything because according to the latest offficial statement yesterday from the ECB, all domestic cricket has been suspended until at least 1st July.

Still, I got a bunch of free passes for my guests in case we ever do see any cricket this year, which at the moment, is questionable.

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[midoshairband]

anyone listen/watch the Edgbaston ‘05 replay. blimey, that was great cricket.

should have played our first game on the weekend just gone. missing it already, cricket has been a summer staple for me for the best part of 25 years.

missing the banter, missing my team mates. missing getting a solid 10 hours away from my family ?.

plus at my age I can’t afford to lose a summer - next year my bowling will be even slower!

 

[Arnoldtoo]

anyone listen/watch the Edgbaston ‘05 replay. blimey, that was great cricket.

should have played our first game on the weekend just gone. missing it already, cricket has been a summer staple for me for the best part of 25 years.

missing the banter, missing my team mates. missing getting a solid 10 hours away from my family ?.

plus at my age I can’t afford to lose a summer - next year my bowling will be even slower!

Don't know if this is over-optimistic, but fingers crossed.

They might not pick you for the team, though.

England players set to make return to training as hope grows for Tests

England’s cricketers are poised to make a return to training, either in pairs or with a designated coach, amid growing optimism that international matches can be staged behind closed doors this summer

www.theguardian.com

 

[Spurslove]

I'm missing my cricket so much. Every time The Oval appears in a bit of TV footage I get really melancholy. I just love the place, my second home.

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[Arnoldtoo]

FYI, though don't expect any cricket too soon!

Players that have been asked to return to training: Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Tom Banton (Somerset), Dom Bess (Somerset), Sam Billings (Kent), James Bracey (Gloucestershire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Henry Brookes (Warwickshire), Pat Brown (Worcestershire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Mason Crane (Hampshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Sam Curran (Surrey), Tom Curran (Surrey), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Joe Denly (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Laurie Evans (Sussex), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Richard Gleeson (Lancashire), Lewis Gregory (Somerset), Sam Hain (Warwickshire), Tom Helm (Middlesex), Will Jacks (Surrey), Keaton Jennings (Lancashire), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Yorkshire), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Craig Overton (Somerset), Jamie Overton (Somerset), Matt Parkinson (Lancashire), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Phil Salt (Sussex), Dom Sibley (Warwickshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Olly Stone (Warwickshire), Reece Topley (Surrey), James Vince (Hampshire), Amar Virdi (Surrey), David Willey (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham)

 

[Spurslove]

FYI, though don't expect any cricket too soon!

Players that have been asked to return to training: Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Tom Banton (Somerset), Dom Bess (Somerset), Sam Billings (Kent), James Bracey (Gloucestershire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Henry Brookes (Warwickshire), Pat Brown (Worcestershire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Mason Crane (Hampshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Sam Curran (Surrey), Tom Curran (Surrey), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), Joe Denly (Kent), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Laurie Evans (Sussex), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Richard Gleeson (Lancashire), Lewis Gregory (Somerset), Sam Hain (Warwickshire), Tom Helm (Middlesex), Will Jacks (Surrey), Keaton Jennings (Lancashire), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Yorkshire), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Craig Overton (Somerset), Jamie Overton (Somerset), Matt Parkinson (Lancashire), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Phil Salt (Sussex), Dom Sibley (Warwickshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Olly Stone (Warwickshire), Reece Topley (Surrey), James Vince (Hampshire), Amar Virdi (Surrey), David Willey (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham)

The ECB have come out and said there would be no domestic county cricket until (at least) 1st August and to be honest, I just can't understand why it's being delayed. It's a non-contact sport, unlike football which is returning on the 17th June, and players are being advised (apparently) that they are no longer permitted to use their saliva or sweat to change the action of the ball, so what is holding up the return of county cricket? By the time it does return, 10 games will have already been lost to the season, which is completely unacceptable. It would make more sense if they cancelled the entire domestic season, that way all those of us who paid for their season tickets and memberships months ago could at least claim a full refund or arrange a deferral to the following season.

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[Arnoldtoo]

The ECB have come out and said there would be no domestic county cricket until (at least) 1st August and to be honest, I just can't understand why it's being delayed. It's a non-contact sport, unlike football which is returning on the 17th June, and players are being advised (apparently) that they are no longer permitted to use their saliva or sweat to change the action of the ball, so what is holding up the return of county cricket? By the time it does return, 10 games will have already been lost to the season, which is completely unacceptable. It would make more sense if they cancelled the entire domestic season, that way all those of us who paid for their season tickets and memberships months ago could at least claim a full refund or arrange a deferral to the following season.

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Agreed. When I went to watch Surrey last year it looked like the 'crowd' was social distancing before anyone had heard of it.

 

[Trotter]

The ECB have come out and said there would be no domestic county cricket until (at least) 1st August and to be honest, I just can't understand why it's being delayed. It's a non-contact sport, unlike football which is returning on the 17th June, and players are being advised (apparently) that they are no longer permitted to use their saliva or sweat to change the action of the ball, so what is holding up the return of county cricket? By the time it does return, 10 games will have already been lost to the season, which is completely unacceptable. It would make more sense if they cancelled the entire domestic season, that way all those of us who paid for their season tickets and memberships months ago could at least claim a full refund or arrange a deferral to the following season.

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Because there is no money in Domestic County Cricket. Without ECB payments no county would be a viable business. Even with it many run at a loss.

It makes zero financial sense for them to take the players out of furlough, without crowds, without TV revenue (for vast majority of the games), and have increased costs to pay for tests for the players, as well as the salaries of players and staff.
They could socially distance easily in cricket if that was the only issue, but it isn't, they would lose a lot more money by playing than not playing. Think of it like League 2 clubs in Football, they survive because of the Premier League's TV contract (in Cricket's case it is International cricket).

The only reason they will take players off furlough will be to fulfil the TV contracts, so I expect they will run a very condensed T20, and possibly a knock-out 50 over tourney, that is the only viable option they have.

There will be no county championship.

 

[Spurslove]

Agreed. When I went to watch Surrey last year it looked like the 'crowd' was social distancing before anyone had heard of it.

Hardcore fans mate, none of those 'fair weather prawn sandwiches' who only turn up for a few hours and then bugger off because a cloud appears on the horizon...

In all honesty, for me, that's the sheer beauty of being a county cricket fan at The Oval. No crowds. No hassle. Sit wherever you like. Move seats whenever you like. No problem leaving your bag if you need to go and pee, 'cos nobody will touch it. If you sit near someone you can always strike up a conversation or exchange views. Lovely atmosphere in the long room. Lovely bit of grub (bit pricey though). Take your alcoholic drink to your seat and relax. Nobody bothers you. All the staff are friendly and polite. It's like my second home and I just love it.

Mind you, last season, on far too many occasions I wish I hadn't bothered at all. As a club member, I get a number of freebie 'Guest Passes', I took a friend of mine who's a Kent fan along to watch our match. Not only did we get our backsides handed to us because we were terrible, but she had the fucking cheek to take the piss out of us at the end of the day.

Guess who won't be invited again!

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[Spurslove]

Because there is no money in Domestic County Cricket. Without ECB payments no county would be a viable business. Even with it many run at a loss.

It makes zero financial sense for them to take the players out of furlough, without crowds, without TV revenue (for vast majority of the games), and have increased costs to pay for tests for the players, as well as the salaries of players and staff.
They could socially distance easily in cricket if that was the only issue, but it isn't, they would lose a lot more money by playing than not playing. Think of it like League 2 clubs in Football, they survive because of the Premier League's TV contract (in Cricket's case it is International cricket).

The only reason they will take players off furlough will be to fulfil the TV contracts, so I expect they will run a very condensed T20, and possibly a knock-out 50 over tourney, that is the only viable option they have.

There will be no county championship.

There might be, but with a few changes...

Plans to reduce Oval capacity to 6,000

Surrey hope to stage cricket in front of a reduced-capacity crowd at The Oval at some stage this summer, chief executive Richard Gould says.

www.bbc.co.uk

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[Trotter]

There might be, but with a few changes...

Plans to reduce Oval capacity to 6,000

Surrey hope to stage cricket in front of a reduced-capacity crowd at The Oval at some stage this summer, chief executive Richard Gould says.

www.bbc.co.uk

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I hope they can return at quarter capacity, (although still doesn't change the fact they would only play one-dayer's and T20s this season to fulfil the TV contracts) as that would mean Football might be able to do the same next season (one seat either side vacant, every other row empty)

 

[Spurslove]

I hope they can return at quarter capacity, (although still doesn't change the fact they would only play one-dayer's and T20s this season to fulfil the TV contracts) as that would mean Football might be able to do the same next season (one seat either side vacant, every other row empty)

Yes, I'll take a series of 'One Dayers' and T20's as opposed to nothing at all right now.

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[Spurslove]

Here's the latest update...

How can county cricket return this summer?

Northamptonshire club doctor Professor Bill Ribbans tells BBC Look East what cricket must do in order to return this summer.

www.bbc.co.uk

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[Arnoldtoo]

Woohoo!

England confirm Windies schedule

England will play three Tests in the space of 21 days when the international summer gets under way in July.

www.bbc.co.uk

That should signal an end to the current dry weather!

 

[sherbornespurs]

First time in seven years I'll be missing out on a weekend in Birmingham with my eldest lad, just me and 'im, for an Edgbaston Test.

Oh, well - fingers crossed for 2021 (India).

 

[Arnoldtoo]

3 of the Windies squad pull out over virus fears. Can't altogether blame them.

Three WI players opt out of England tour

Three West Indies players choose not to travel to England for next month's Test series because of coronavirus fears.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[midoshairband]

rumours around our local cricket league were that the clubs were all for attempting to return to play league games on Aug 1st, but the umpires panel have said all of the umpires are refusing to stand this season - so it will be self umpiring, or no play at all.

the big rumour now is that the local Cricket Board will not run leagues or cups, but clubs can arrange their own friendly games so the board won't have any responsibility over anything that happens.

 

[Arnoldtoo]

The 'training group' from which the Test squad will be picked. Moeen's back; me's pleased.

England training group: Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Dom Bess (Somerset), James Bracey (Gloucestershire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Sam Curran (Surrey), Joe Denly (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Lewis Gregory (Somerset), Keaton Jennings (Lancashire), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Craig Overton (Somerset), Jamie Overton (Somerset), Matthew Parkinson (Lancashire), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Dom Sibley (Warwickshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Olly Stone (Warwickshire), Amar Virdi (Surrey), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham).

 

[Arnoldtoo]

Understandable, but a shame; it weakens the team where it already isn't it strongest. It'll be interesting to see how Stokes gets on, though.

Captain Root set to miss first Test

England captain Joe Root is set to miss the first Test against West Indies next week to attend the birth of his second child.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Trotter]

Understandable, but a shame; it weakens the team where it already isn't it strongest. It'll be interesting to see how Stokes gets on, though.

Captain Root set to miss first Test

England captain Joe Root is set to miss the first Test against West Indies next week to attend the birth of his second child.

www.bbc.co.uk

Might give us chance to play Burns, Sibley and Crawley as Top 3 to give good idea which 2 of them should open when Root returns