Counties hit out at city-based T20

ENGLAND’s cricket counties have voiced their strong opposition to plans for a city-based T20 tournament featuring eight teams that the ECB would like to start in 2017.

The proposals would see the new competition, bankrolled by sky’s extra TV rights funding, staged at the height of summer and attracting the world’s best players. Counties will merge to form the city sides with two in London plus others in Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Durham, Cardiff and Birmingham.

But the shires are fearful the new format — played in addition to the current T20 county competition that has attracted increased crowds this season — will eventually lead to the end of county cricket with its 100-year history.

The chief executives of the 18 first-class counties held a telephone conference call this week to discuss their objections, with Warwicks CEO Colin Povey sending an email afterwards to the ECB in which it was made clear that at least 13 counties had strong reservations.

THE scrutiny on ECB president Giles Clarke since his portrayal in the film Death of a Gentleman, playing such a villainous role in causing the seismic divisions in world cricket, has even included allegations that Clarke (right) put in expenses running into hundreds of thousands of pounds for his unpaid ECB work around the globe. But the ECB insist from the highest level this was not the case. A spokesman said all expenditure was scrutinised with legitimate expenses remunerated. ENGLAND’s cricketers can now spend the night before a Test in whatever way they wish rather than gathering for a team dinner.

And rightly so judging by captain David Gower’s account of the childish dinner before the Edgbaston Ashes Test in 1985. ‘We were at the Plough and Harrow in Birmingham,’ he said. ‘I got up to say, “We’re looking good still, it’s 1-1. What do we need to do differently?” There were bread rolls flying at me from various elements. Probably Lamb. Probably Botham. In fact, almost certainly Lamb and Botham. It might have been slightly disconcerting for the more conservative of our number, but it was enough for me think that everyone was still confident.’

GARETH ROBERTS, who ran Carlsberg’s football sponsorship before becoming commercial director at Edgbaston, is a strong in-house candidate to replace Warwickshire CEO Colin Povey, who retires at the end of the year. The disappointment at Edgbaston over their Test probably lasting just over two days is reduced by insurance against early finishes.