County Cricket 2024 - From April Fools to Super September

[Etienne]

The County fixtures have been released for next year.

Good news, there are going to be 22 double headers with the Blast and Charlotte Edwards Cup. The one day cup has a sponsor (Metrobank) and a weekend final date, that doesn't clash with a T20/Hundred competition, the Hundred remains as a brilliant women's competition

Bad news - the Kookaburra is back, the Hundred remains as a shit men's competition, the T20 World Cup being in June means all domestic international cricket happens late in the summer.

Otherwise there has been huge churn between the counties, and Middlesex are so broke that they are having to play some home games in Chelmsford.

[Levin]

Thanks for starting this.

There was a good article about workload in the Cricketer. What finishing a night game means for you if you're a player and have a game the next day.

Also, hybrid pitches have got the nod as there is too much cricket for traditional pitches to take it.

What's wrong with using the kookaburra?

[Etienne]

Firstly that it doesn't swing as much and I love a bit of swing bowling

Secondly, that bringing it in for 4 matches (2 last season) will have no meaningful impact on skills.

[Etienne]

Snake Plissken, sorry when you get a chance can you amend the title to add "County Cricket 2024"

[Nurse Duckett]

Snake Plissken, sorry when you get a chance can you amend the title to add "County Cricket 2024"

Preferably at the start.

[Etienne]

Essex sign Dean Elgar. If you were aiming for a like for like replacement for Alastair Cook you probably couldn't get any more like for like.

[all new noj]

I'm quite pleased with the fixtures this year. A lot more weekend games, esp for the county championship games. So many of them last year were mid week, very frustrating - should make my membership a lot more useful/worthwhile.

[Levin]

https://twitter.com/lutraline/status/1766459255920447936?t=JAlMak8qxJ18ADfoTsFqYw&s=19

I agree with the comment. It's much more RL.

[George C.]

Why is the Hundred good in any way...

It and T20 are fake cricket Imho and part of the reason, so few TMs last much more than 4 days, due to all the comedy 'batting'...

[Southport Zeb]

In surprise news, given that it is 9th March, Durham have today become the first county side this year to win a domestic title. Even more surprisingly, the title they've won is the Zimbabwe T20 competition.

Having been invited to join Zimbabwe's five domestic teams in the week long competition, Durham won all five group stage games to qualify for today's final. In this they scored a massive 229/6 in their innings, then bowled out Mashonaland Eagles for just 16 (sixteen).

[Etienne]

Everyone ready for some county championship rain watching?

Lots of movement of players between counties over the close season, especially in the Midlands. Summarised here.

[Levin]

How do the overseas players rules work? I'm assuming that they still need work visas on the same sort of basis as in football? So x% of national side appearances in a period unless you have right to work in the UK(which I'm assuming is more common with the South Africans?).

There will be a lot of who you know as well I guess, no one has deep scouting networks.

[Etienne]

Worcestershire talking about having to abandon New Road as playing cricket underwater is not possible. Real shame, given how attractive a ground it is, but flooding in river Severn flood plain is only going to get (much) worse.

[HORN]

Dry robes at the ready. And we're off.

Glamorgan going well at Lords. Worcester going well at Edgbaston. Pretty much everyone else on their phones in their dressing rooms.

[ad hoc]

Dry robes at the ready. And we're off.

Glamorgan going well at Lords. Worcester going well at Edgbaston. Pretty much everyone else on their phones in their dressing rooms.

Except in Derby where they've already been told to go home

[Etienne]

Sam Northeast with the first ton of the season. Plenty of time to make it a quadruple, Sam.

[Eggchaser]

I was at Lord's today on a corporate jolly. Northeast looked bloody good and after the outfield dried out Middlesex were a bit lost. Saw the thick end of 400 runs and had some very affable white wine to accompany it.

I did bite my tongue when the talk turned to AI replacing we solicitors.

[ursus arctos]

Somerset off to a promising start with the ball at Canterbury

Kent are 70 for 3

[Hot Orange]

Sam Northeast with the first ton of the season. Plenty of time to make it a quadruple, Sam.

He's getting close.

[Tony C]

Lancashire coach Dale Benkenstien seems to have diffused the ongoing ‘Lyon v Hartley’ debate by picking both spinners for the opening game against Surrey. A full day lost of course but Lancs now 43/1.

[ursus arctos]

Northeast passes Gooch for the highest innings at Lotd's

[Etienne]

And Glamorgan declare.

[ursus arctos]

Interesting to see Glamorgan with red numbers and the Welsh flag on the collar

[Etienne]

Yorkshire will surely get promoted this season, absent some major off field shenanigans, they have Lyth, Masood and Brook in their top 4 today, but gotta feel happy for Ben Mike who they poached from Leicester and have now sent him back, his 82* has dragged the Foxes from 177-7 to 346-9.

[Etienne]

I think some evidence of another way that the counties with big test grounds advantage will continue to widen, they might not be able to control the weather, but they can control the drainage. Derby has now had 3 days play washed out, 214 overs have been bowled just down the road at Trent Bridge.