FOUR-DAY CRICKET IS SUDDENLY SEXY AGAIN

Interest in the dear old County Championship has been rekindled this summer as decent weather, a new format and star players have cashed in on the IPL suspension

THE suspension of the IPL has helped spark the English cricket summer into life – with County Championship matches live on TV and online and fans due back in grounds next week.

The season is well on the way to being the bumper year the game missed out on in 2020, with visits of New Zealand, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan along with the arrival of The Hundred.

But it is the re-emergence into the spotlight of the oldest and dearest part of the game that has got things off to the perfect start.

Until last year the County Championship had only ever been halted since its introduction in 1890 by two world wars. Now it has resumed it is flourishing more than for generations thanks to a perfect storm of good weather, a conference format, star players being available, improved streaming services, a run of eight weeks without interruption and the attention of fans and broadcasters in the absence of the IPL.

And after putting Middlesex’s stream on their main cricket channel last week, Sky Sports will again bolster coverage with Billy Root’s Glamorgan against Joe Root’s Yorkshire today, before spectators return for the first time next week.

“The County Championship has been able to own the start of the season and create a real buzz around it,” said ECB managing director of county cricket Neil Snowball.

“The feedback so far has been good and we could continue with this format next year.

“The quality of the cricket has been great and having the likes of Stuart Broad and James Anderson playing has elevated it.

“County Championship cricket has to be relevant. It is still the domestic trophy players and coaches want to win.

But it has to have good, competitive, compelling cricket and coverage and exposure.”

Anderson dismissing Aussie batting star Marnus Labuschagne (above left) in an Ashes year was a moment to savour, as was career-best bowling figures of 7-126 for young legspinner Matt Parkinson (second left) and the twin hundreds of Haseeb Hameed (above. third left), just three of many great stories.

Improved streaming has allowed about 700,000 fans a round to tune into a feed online and helped Sky Cricket plug the gap caused by the IPL being put on hold by showing four rounds of matches.

“The suspension of the IPL meant we had to adapt and we decided to take advantage of the fantastic service the counties are putting on,” said head of Sky cricket Bryan Henderson.

“Last week it was a Middlesex production and we simply added commentators and an extra camera.

“The County Championship is incredibly important as the highest level below international cricket and it develops high-class cricketers.”

England’s Jofra Archer will step up his return from finger surgery by returning to the Sussex squad for today’s county clash against Kent.