It just isn't cricket

[Satchmo Distel]

Presumably it will speed up when players have adjusted to the format?

[ursus arctos]

Mebbe

Mebbe not

It seems rather ambitious to expect players to adopt a significantly different pace of play for a format they play a relative handful of times a year. And a significantly different pace is absolutely required given all of the extraneous faff.

[Greenlander]

Yes, and what is the forfeit for not making your time. At, I think, 2107 the game on Thursday had the cut off time at 2113 with something like 10 balls to go. Whatever the actual figures even the quickest bowler through their overs, sorry deliveries isn't going to manage that.

[Levin]

You have to have more players inside the ring for any overs not started after the cut off time. One player per over missing. It's what the blast uses now as well, up until recently they used penalty runs. The cut off time is constantly floating anyway. Umpires add time to it for things like wickets and drinks and batters getting equipment.

The IPL has no over rate mechanisms and games there are taking up to four hours to complete.

[Levin]

https://twitter.com/izzywestbury/status/1419353165464494090

[Sunderporinostesta]

Commentator on Rad5 this afternoon was trying to introduce the term “a carnet” for the ten balls at an end. French metro tube tickets are sold in tens as Carnets being his reasoning I think. Radio reception in my 16 yr old car not being the best now that the aerial snapped.

Why both sides don’t wear white trousers with different coloured shirts in these new dangled games is beyond me. I’m sure the players would prefer it and I can’t imagine there being many pyjama trousers sold to fans.

[longeared]

Harmanpreet Kaur played a fine example of a match-losing innings for Manchester this afternoon, she turned too many possible twos into strolled singles and left too big a chase for the tail.

[S. aureus]

Why are they playing this at the same time as the real counties are playing? Is anyone else finding the net result is a decrease in interest in either competition?

[ursus arctos]

More "all" than either. The One Day Cup is an afterthought and the overlap with the T20 Blast is confusing, especially if one supports a county that has a Hundred franchise.

The calendar is simply too tightly packed.

[ad hoc]

I don't even really know if counties do have 100 franchises in any meaningful sense. The other day the team that plays in Leeds featured Ben Stokes playing against the team that plays in Cardiff which featured Jonny Bairstow.

[Etienne]

Not a single player in the Welsh Fire side had any link with Glamorgan that I could tell.

[ursus arctos]

The franchises are owned by the ECB, though the idea is to open them to private investment. They have leases with their "home" grounds, but overlap in playing staffs is largely incidental.

[ursus arctos]

Can Ray or another apparel tragic explain why

1) Oval Invicibles play in royal blue caps when a) royal blue is not one of there colours and b) it is the colour of their "local rivals" London Spirit?

b) What is the background behind their badge/crest/logo? I know the name is supposed to be a nod to Invicta (as the franchise is also supposed to represent Kent), but haven't found anything on this

[Levin]

I'm going to make an exception for Rashid Khan. Other than when he's playing I'm happy to ignore it.

Ursus, I'm sure there were loads of articles about the branding but Google isn't turning anything up.

[ursus arctos]

I've read several of them, and they all seem to avoid those two questions.

See also Birmingham having taken their "red and yellow" from the city flag when they play in red and orange and Trent Rockets play in red and yellow.

[The_Purple_Cow]

A few random thoughts.

1. I'm not sure how long these new-to-cricket fans are going to keep paying up to watch teams struggle on these tired, dead, over-used tracks.
2. One of the main drivers of The hundred was supposedly to use the FTA television coverage to drive kids to sign up to All Stars and Dynamos courses at their local clubs. Just a shame that the kids' cricket season ended last Friday.
3. Given 2. above, why are all the teams sponsored by pub bar snacks?
4. I think the guy who did the graphic design for the Haçienda must be responsible for these on-screen graphics.

[ad hoc]

I think arguing that crisps are "pub bar snacks" is akin to arguing that spoons are heroin cooking utensils.

[Satchmo Distel]

Can Ray or another apparel tragic explain why

1) Oval Invicibles play in royal blue caps when a) royal blue is not one of there colours and b) it is the colour of their "local rivals" London Spirit?

The collars and trousers are also royal blue so I infer that the cap goes with those rather than the shirt:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...hundred-opener

They do have a green alternative stretch snap cap:

https://www.westfrench.com/products/...p-cap-12556365

[ursus arctos]

They were in some of the initial promotional shots, but that isn't what they are wearing on the pitch

[Satchmo Distel]

The sponsor's name KP is on a blue background so the helmet, trousers and pads match that.

[ursus arctos]

But not the caps . . .

[The_Purple_Cow]

I think arguing that crisps are "pub bar snacks" is akin to arguing that spoons are heroin cooking utensils.

Kind of misses the point of my question, but I get your point.

[ursus arctos]

Is there any evidence of meaningful numbers of "new" fans attending?

The crowds I've seen on highlights look very much like those for the Blast (I.e., consumers of pub snacks), while I understand that many of the kids are on free or reduced rate tickets (and brought by parents already involved in the game).

[Levin]

Team Skips are doing well against the posh crisps. All the women's games being on during work hours really isn't helping my follow it.

[Levin]

https://twitter.com/SkyCricket/status/1420825408577097738

No doubt very cool, but...