Reading in one sitting Duncan Hamilton's new book 'The Kings of Summer', a beautiful description of the Middlesex v Yorkshire match last September (hugely recommended for anyone who was or wasn't there), I was struck yet again by how little is being done and said to prevent the glory that is the county championship being slowly and deliberately destroyed by the ECB. Hamilton isn't alone in appreciating the magnificent ending to last year's competition but his evocative day-by-day story of the hugely exciting game watched by 20,000 is a reminder that unless Harrison and Strauss and co are not challenged they will simply bury the four day game without a whimper within a few years.

So my question is - why isn't there more anger? Have those who care given up and concluded that there is nothing that can be done to prevent the tide of T20 overwhelming the longer form? At the very least, why isn't the ECB being forced to justify its actions more often and explain where they see the four day game heading?

That game last season is being romanticized a bit. It was a good match in itself, but the fact that an official connected with one team was allowed to exclude a player from the other reflected a competition whose integrity had already been holed below the waterline. For what it's worth, I thought Yorkshire played a strong hand quite badly at Lord's, but I don't think they were beaten "fair and square" as was the case at Scarborough in 2013 when Durham showed themselves to be worthy winners of the CC.

Everyone I've heard speaking about the future of the CC at Edgbaston over the last couple of days has sounded angry or despairing. The commonest themes are that the new competition doesn't fit with our traditions of loyalty to county, won't actually make any money, that the counties have been outflanked by what I heard described yesterday as a "Graves-Harrison powergrab", and that nothing can be done to stop it because the test-match counties are intimidated by the financial arguments. If county members had their say, I'm sure it would be scuppered, but they're not the target audience. As one person said yesterday at the City End of the ground - "Would CC relegation affect our take from T20? Not at all, because the people who come don't even know what division we're in."

Reading in one sitting Duncan Hamilton's new book 'The Kings of Summer', a beautiful description of the Middlesex v Yorkshire match last September (hugely recommended for anyone who was or wasn't there), I was struck yet again by how little is being done and said to prevent the glory that is the county championship being slowly and deliberately destroyed by the ECB. Hamilton isn't alone in appreciating the magnificent ending to last year's competition but his evocative day-by-day story of the hugely exciting game watched by 20,000 is a reminder that unless Harrison and Strauss and co are not challenged they will simply bury the four day game without a whimper within a few years.

So my question is - why isn't there more anger? Have those who care given up and concluded that there is nothing that can be done to prevent the tide of T20 overwhelming the longer form? At the very least, why isn't the ECB being forced to justify its actions more often and explain where they see the four day game heading?

There is still a lot of anger and resentment by County members and supporters, but also a feeling of a "lost battle" and there is nothing we can do about the juggernaut leading to county crickets eventual demise. The ECB do not listen to us, they will have their say and get the competitions they want whether it is good for the overall game or not.

Reading in one sitting Duncan Hamilton's new book 'The Kings of Summer', a beautiful description of the Middlesex v Yorkshire match last September (hugely recommended for anyone who was or wasn't there), I was struck yet again by how little is being done and said to prevent the glory that is the county championship being slowly and deliberately destroyed by the ECB. Hamilton isn't alone in appreciating the magnificent ending to last year's competition but his evocative day-by-day story of the hugely exciting game watched by 20,000 is a reminder that unless Harrison and Strauss and co are not challenged they will simply bury the four day game without a whimper within a few years.

So my question is - why isn't there more anger? Have those who care given up and concluded that there is nothing that can be done to prevent the tide of T20 overwhelming the longer form? At the very least, why isn't the ECB being forced to justify its actions more often and explain where they see the four day game heading?

A snapshot of some cricket exposure this weekend.

I bought the Daily Telegraph yesterday with its 24 page sports supplement. The first 12 pages were devoted to football with 2 pages being an interview with Hulls manager. Then came several pages of rugby, motor racing, cycling, golf before cricket got a mention on pages 20 and 21 but didn't even stretch to both pages. The bulk was the scoreboards, a huge report on Essex as Cook was playing and a write ip from Durham about their members protest banners about their punishment.

The Yorkshire game was covered in one paragraph in the round up of other games, of which there were six as all 18 counties were playing so Coads bowling display failed to get a mention.

I then turned on TV and the sky boys seemed to be showing three IPL games back to back. With half the England squad playing or commentating it seemed.

The quality broadsheets don't care, the tv companies don't care and The ECB don't care for the county championship.

Thank god for cricinfo for informative, quality journalism and support of the proper county game and people like Hopps and Dobell who keep banging the county drum. Otherwise the performances of Coad, Jordan Clark, Tom Lawrence, and even Luke Fletcher would pass everyone by obliviously. Well until they started playing for England.....

Reading in one sitting Duncan Hamilton's new book 'The Kings of Summer', a beautiful description of the Middlesex v Yorkshire match last September (hugely recommended for anyone who was or wasn't there), I was struck yet again by how little is being done and said to prevent the glory that is the county championship being slowly and deliberately destroyed by the ECB. Hamilton isn't alone in appreciating the magnificent ending to last year's competition but his evocative day-by-day story of the hugely exciting game watched by 20,000 is a reminder that unless Harrison and Strauss and co are not challenged they will simply bury the four day game without a whimper within a few years.

So my question is - why isn't there more anger? Have those who care given up and concluded that there is nothing that can be done to prevent the tide of T20 overwhelming the longer form? At the very least, why isn't the ECB being forced to justify its actions more often and explain where they see the four day game heading?

(Hi Chris - i looked for you on Friday but obviously our paths didn't cross...)

I don't share the apocalyptic vision i'm afraid.
Cricket has always changed and evolved and i'm sure it will survive this period in some form or other and we'll still have a four day game even if it might become partly amateur in some way..
I was getting misty-eyed about the possibility of second division cricket next year - i'd quite fancy going to watch us play at Bristol or Northampton again to be honest.
As i get older i enjoy the daily contest more than the overall league position to be honest

Reading in one sitting Duncan Hamilton's new book 'The Kings of Summer', a beautiful description of the Middlesex v Yorkshire match last September (hugely recommended for anyone who was or wasn't there), I was struck yet again by how little is being done and said to prevent the glory that is the county championship being slowly and deliberately destroyed by the ECB. Hamilton isn't alone in appreciating the magnificent ending to last year's competition but his evocative day-by-day story of the hugely exciting game watched by 20,000 is a reminder that unless Harrison and Strauss and co are not challenged they will simply bury the four day game without a whimper within a few years.

So my question is - why isn't there more anger? Have those who care given up and concluded that there is nothing that can be done to prevent the tide of T20 overwhelming the longer form? At the very least, why isn't the ECB being forced to justify its actions more often and explain where they see the four day game heading?

The problem is simple. The ECB hold the money & he would pays the piper calls the tune. Sadly IMO it will mean the end of the Championship as a spectator sport. Wel'll have 10 matches a year with more players being interested in T20. County members will become a thing of the past.

I really hope that I'm wrong.

Reading in one sitting Duncan Hamilton's new book 'The Kings of Summer', a beautiful description of the Middlesex v Yorkshire match last September (hugely recommended for anyone who was or wasn't there), I was struck yet again by how little is being done and said to prevent the glory that is the county championship being slowly and deliberately destroyed by the ECB. Hamilton isn't alone in appreciating the magnificent ending to last year's competition but his evocative day-by-day story of the hugely exciting game watched by 20,000 is a reminder that unless Harrison and Strauss and co are not challenged they will simply bury the four day game without a whimper within a few years.

So my question is - why isn't there more anger? Have those who care given up and concluded that there is nothing that can be done to prevent the tide of T20 overwhelming the longer form? At the very least, why isn't the ECB being forced to justify its actions more often and explain where they see the four day game heading?

Don't think this has been posted here, the first part of George Dobell's Day 1 Report on the Yorkshire v Warwickshire game is about the ECB'S attitude to the County Championship.

" it seems the ECB has lost faith in its own products and is therefore prepared to risk their health in search of something new....You could make a strong case that the ECB represents one of the most serious threats to the future of Test cricket."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/county-cric ... 92208.html

Reading in one sitting Duncan Hamilton's new book 'The Kings of Summer', a beautiful description of the Middlesex v Yorkshire match last September (hugely recommended for anyone who was or wasn't there), I was struck yet again by how little is being done and said to prevent the glory that is the county championship being slowly and deliberately destroyed by the ECB. Hamilton isn't alone in appreciating the magnificent ending to last year's competition but his evocative day-by-day story of the hugely exciting game watched by 20,000 is a reminder that unless Harrison and Strauss and co are not challenged they will simply bury the four day game without a whimper within a few years.

So my question is - why isn't there more anger? Have those who care given up and concluded that there is nothing that can be done to prevent the tide of T20 overwhelming the longer form? At the very least, why isn't the ECB being forced to justify its actions more often and explain where they see the four day game heading?

I guess much will depend on how successful the new competition is in 2020. It certainly promises to be a bizarre spectacle: the ECB, desperate for the City Thrash to succeed, frantically competing against the competitor product, which it also owns.

Presumably, the T20 Blast will come first as well in 2020, in June/early July, leading to the temptation for the ECB to send out the message of 'don't waste your money going to that cr*p, save it for the real deal'. Suffice to say, it is no surprise that GB mentions that nearly all of the ECB advertising budget is going into the new competition.

There has to be a possibility that the outcome in 2020 will be between two stools - the cricket pound is divided between the two competitions. The ECB then would have to double-down and act to end the T20 Blast, causing more divisions with the counties, indeed probably forcing an end-game.

In fact, it is possible that the ECB knows that two tournaments is not viable and that it fully plans on scrapping the T20 Blast before 2020. It will let things settle down a bit after the recent vote, but then make its next move in that direction, possibly next winter.

You would like to think that another factor might be the culture and sport department and the culture and sport select committee (the latter is likely to care more). The new supporters association GB mentions should be encouraging the latter to take interest in how the game is being run (conflicts of interest, confidentiality agreements, excessive closeness to certain media groups, etc.)

Reading in one sitting Duncan Hamilton's new book 'The Kings of Summer', a beautiful description of the Middlesex v Yorkshire match last September (hugely recommended for anyone who was or wasn't there), I was struck yet again by how little is being done and said to prevent the glory that is the county championship being slowly and deliberately destroyed by the ECB. Hamilton isn't alone in appreciating the magnificent ending to last year's competition but his evocative day-by-day story of the hugely exciting game watched by 20,000 is a reminder that unless Harrison and Strauss and co are not challenged they will simply bury the four day game without a whimper within a few years.

So my question is - why isn't there more anger? Have those who care given up and concluded that there is nothing that can be done to prevent the tide of T20 overwhelming the longer form? At the very least, why isn't the ECB being forced to justify its actions more often and explain where they see the four day game heading?

I think there's plenty of anger and frustration with the frustration coming from being impotent.

No matter whaat the paying spectator says or does the ECB wil do what they want.

Reading in one sitting Duncan Hamilton's new book 'The Kings of Summer', a beautiful description of the Middlesex v Yorkshire match last September (hugely recommended for anyone who was or wasn't there), I was struck yet again by how little is being done and said to prevent the glory that is the county championship being slowly and deliberately destroyed by the ECB. Hamilton isn't alone in appreciating the magnificent ending to last year's competition but his evocative day-by-day story of the hugely exciting game watched by 20,000 is a reminder that unless Harrison and Strauss and co are not challenged they will simply bury the four day game without a whimper within a few years.

So my question is - why isn't there more anger? Have those who care given up and concluded that there is nothing that can be done to prevent the tide of T20 overwhelming the longer form? At the very least, why isn't the ECB being forced to justify its actions more often and explain where they see the four day game heading?

I think you're being a bit pessimistic regarding press coverage. The fact is that print sales are way down, so the tendency is to fill the print editions with stuff the most people might want to buy the paper for. Look online and there's quite a bit there - The Guardian live blog is particularly good, i think.

We also have streaming of some games, and full commentary - overall, I've already seen more cricket, heard more cricket, and read about more cricket this season in my kitchen in south London than i did in any year growing up in York.

It's there for the people who want it. It's not necessarily the fault of the messenger if there aren't many people who do.