"God answers my prayers everywhere except on the golf-course."
Batting for Time
Return to the book list for this category.
Ben Bloom, Chichester, Pitch, 2024. ISBN 9781801509008
County cricket faces a battle for survival and Ben Bloom’s book looks at the causes and challenges. It is book based on interviews with people at all levels in the game. It looks at how the traditional model of 17 or 18 countries leading into the England Test team has been stood on its head with the traditional game under treat from the franchise cricket. He cites the example of Sunil Narine, a West Indian player, who has played in franchise cricket in India, Australia, England, South Africa, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Canada, UAE, and United States.
In one sense, as the Professional Cricketers Association Chair, James Harrison, says there has “never been a better time to be a professional cricketer from an opportunity side, from a money making side, experience, travel the world, play with the best players it's never been better”. However the traditionalist would not agree. Franchise cricket has changed the world and with 15 of the 18 county clubs still run as members’ clubs, where there are a lot of traditionalists. Or as someone has put it “Franchise cricket spreads opportunity and disruption in equal measure”.
CEOs quoted comment that the average member just does not understand the challenge and complexity of running a county club in the modern era.
While every England player is attached to a county, the book reports that in 2023 Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes and Mark Wood did not play a single game for their counties. This would not be tolerated in any other sport I can think of.
Perhaps the most interesting chapter is “The 100 abomination or saviour?” which sums up the dilemma of the 100, a great success in terms of crowds and drawing in new spectators. At the same time counties lose their best players from county games to play in the 100, county fixtures have to be fitted around the 100 and counties which host a 100 team do much better than those who do not.
A really interesting book which provides more questions than answers.