County cricket‘s state of play
Though it would perhaps be going too far to say that county cricket is in crisis it certainly feels unloved and marginalised.
I am particularly concerned for the county I support Middlesex.
Between 1919 and 1947 Middlesex were the only county of the south to win the Championship.
Lancashire and Yorkshire dominated these years and the latter despised Middlesex as ‘ fancy dans’ in much the same way Leeds despised Chelsea in the 1970s.
Three Middlesex captains – Pelham Warner, Gubby Allen and Walter Robins – became powerful administrators, particularly Gubby Allen who chaired every important MCC Committee going.
Both Allen and Warner had stands at Lords named after them. Walter Robins’ son Charles became Chairman of Middlesex in their last era of success under Mike Gatting.
This triumvirate reflects the once strong link between Lords, the MCC and Middlesex. This no longer exists and one of the significant reasons for the decline of Middlesex is the uneasy arrangement they have as tenants of the MCC at Lords.
This has two significant disadvantages: (1) they enjoy no income from Test matches; and (2) they can draw no profit from developing the ground as Sussex have done at Hove. It is mooted that Middlesex might relocate.
The Hundred, which only adds to the already overloaded burden of the professional cricketer, and franchise cricket – which admittedly offers winter income abroad – have also contributed to the difficulties of county cricket.
It has been suggested by the CEO of Durham Tom Bostock that incorporation not membership is the way forward
I am not that sure.
Supposing a company acquires Sussex for say £30-50 million. If a loan is required then this would be secured on the ground and, if the company hits the buffers or has a ruthless owner, the ground would be in danger as it occupies a prime area of Hove real estate.
Legal actions could also materialise, as scuppered Yorkshire.
I believe what is required, particularly by the non Test-match ground counties, is some imaginative thinking.
Woman’s cricket is on the rise and counties like Sussex, Essex and Kent – who were disappointed to be excluded after contributing 9 players to the England team – would benefit from women cricketing use of their smaller capacity grounds.
Although there is some compensation payable and contracts are more honoured than in football, a transfer fee would protect counties who see their best young talent go to the wealthier counties like Lancashire and Surrey.
Finally, a merger with a national county, once called a minor county, should be considered. Middlesex already play at Radlett – and bizarrely at Chelmsford – so a merger with Hertfordshire might work with a new stadium at Radlett.
The ECB does not seem that interested – and some county chairmen still belong to the era of Warner and Allen – so I am not that confident that a solution will be found.
