Cow Corner Blog

The Cowprint

Thu May 29 01:25PM

Cowers doesn't know anyone who has been stopped in the street by someone conducting a Family Fortunes survey.

Considering the show has run for 25 years and they ask 100 people at least four different questions per episode, we are surprised.

So we will also be surprised if anyone who reads the blog will be consulted in the latest batch of market research being undertaken by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

The ECB's top brass will be tucking into a hearty feast and also discussing proposals for changes to the domestic season's structure today.

Whatever they do decide will not come into force until 2010 at the earliest so don't get too excited about an English Premier League as early as next May.

Cowers was once stopped outside The Oval and was asked if we could spare a few minutes for cancer research. We said, "All right, but we won't get much done." So just in case any young girl, carrying a clipboard, does wish to consult our opinion on domestic cricket, here's our blueprint:

- Don't play Championship matches at the same time as Tests, no-one takes any interest. You wouldn't go and see Talon if the Eagles were playing 40 miles down the road would you.

- Therefore less games so how about an eight team League with everyone playing each other once. Be honest no-one would miss Derbyshire, Leicestershire or Northamptonshire would they. Worcester and Gloucester can merge so could Kent, Hampshire and Sussex into some form of Stockbroker belt super power: the "Southern Hedge Funds".

- Abandon the 40-over competition completely, it's like playing football on a full size pitch with five-a-side goals. Even if limited overs cricket survives the 20-20 explosion, it's 50 overs not 40.

- If the international 50-over games continues then it needs a domestic feeder but make it interesting not the long-winded group format of the Friends Provident. How about straight knock-out but make it a best-of-three or even best-of-five series. Three rounds, three weeks.

- Don't overkill 20-20 with everyone playing each other 61 times. Give the games some meaning.

- - -

It was great to see two games in the FP Trophy yesterday being played at schools.

Suffice to say Oakham and Whitgift are not your run of the mill comprehensive where there would be a good chance that the clubhouse would be set alight between innings by some year 10 pupil going through his Marilyn Manson phase.

But you don't see Arsenal saying: 'Screw the Emirates, we'll play Bolton at Harrow School'.

Of course outgrounds are a great English cricketing institution and sadly in decline. Only in this country, would a team forgo the most famous ground in the world to play on a park in Southgate.

Although Cowers has no time for the out-of-county outground and plans to start a campaign to have all records on these grounds expunged from the records.

We don't care what it says under the Local Government Act 1972, Bedfordshire is not a real county and we refuse to recognise any games ever played in Luton and don't get us started about Stockton!

- - -

TALKING POINT: How would you change English cricket and how do you come to terms with not living in one of England's proper 18 counties.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "My biggest mistake was to abstain from the selection of the team. Though I watch a lot of cricket I am no expert. I had a separate list of players that I wanted, but I left it to Rahul Dravid's judgement. After seeing the list, my friends told me it looked like a Test team." Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya seemingly oblivious that the Royal Challengers captain, known as The Wall, did not gain his nickname not from his prowess with a trowel.

LIVE TODAY: Nothing, not a jot. They are not even letting kids play games with tennis balls in parks on the mainland. But over in Jersey, it's day seven of the World Cricket League Division 5 and Singapore could pip Afghanistan for a place in the semis with a win over Japan. We couldn't make that up.

Comments1 - 14 of 14

To change English cricket ??? lift the restrictions on the number of overseas players - only when our players compete with the best will they know what it means to compete and play cricket... one more rule that needs changing - only if the ball crosses the line will it be called a 4 or 6 - no more silly replays to see if any part of the player's body or clothing touched the ropes...
From arviemail on Thu May 29 01:57PM
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Know it from me - Vijay Mallya is a philanderer with an eye for beautiful women with low morals - all he knows is about money - if his investment doesnt pay off, he will be the first person to cry off and lay the blame on every to, @#$% and harry that he can see - even if that t,d & h were employed by him in the first place
From arviemail on Thu May 29 02:00PM
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County cricket is too far away from test cricket. I love test cricket and am an ardent England fan, but care not a jot for the county game. How do we make it more competitive? If we went on averages or stats for example we'd see another level of cricket populated by folk like Ramprakash, Hick, Butcher and Gough alongside the foreigners. What a mess?!
From stevehandford on Thu May 29 02:02PM
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I also doubt that either of your readers will be asked to complete the survey...
From c_e_davison on Thu May 29 02:13PM
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Ensure there's cricket played every Saturday & Sunday & all bank holidays.....some of us have to work in the week
From andynpeters on Thu May 29 02:22PM
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I moved from surrey to suffolk a few years back. Minor counties excitement all the way. The rules are that if you arent related to at least 6 of the opposition you have to bat whist drunk on cheap cider. However, I might have misread the rules
From gremlin_the_cat on Thu May 29 02:27PM
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I cannot bare England Team cricket but love the county game so
From annejsuk on Thu May 29 02:27PM
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It's absolutely correct as one of your readers suggested there should be no restrictions on the number of overseas players in county cricket .
Also as another reader suggested the county games should be played 3-days over the weekend...friday , sat. and sunday..
I am sure you will see the county grounds will be packed to the rafters...
Of course the key is in keeping a LOW ENTRANCE FEE and encouraging the local market and eateries to market the local product
From seenu1936 on Thu May 29 03:44PM
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The bowlers Holding, the batsmans Willey
Hehe.
From the_kop2003 on Thu May 29 05:17PM
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I'm amused that in the same article where you try to remove Leicestershire from the cricket world, you praise people for playing at Oakham which is in Leicestershire (and Rutland). BTW, I think 20/20 cricket might miss Leicestershire.
From claudiadennis77 on Thu May 29 05:33PM
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No need to ask, for Pete's sake! Just look at Australia. Between county and test cricket they have the 6 states palying against each other. Simple as that! Create six teams from the 18 counties and give them a competiton. It really can't be all that hard.
From eliotot on Fri May 30 03:44AM
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Gosh eliotot you get up earlier than me. I fully agree with you but are the Brits as enthusiastic as Aussie about cricket - seems to me football is THE game
From patandbarbara on Fri May 30 06:54AM
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well changing english cricket at the momment would be silly, i am happy with all the rules at the momment and the competitions are stunningly good to watch. English cricket is fine as it is with the number of overseas players playing for counties
From moyej16 on Fri May 30 09:24AM
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I do agree there should be a couple of changes to the county game but I certainly don't think the "English Premier League" will ever happen. Simple fact is and i much as I hate it, cricket isn't as popular over here as it is in India! Those lot would lap up all 472 matches of the paint dryingly interesting Friends Provident Trophy, over here its difficult to sell out a test match.
Though I do think the high ticket prices have a lot to do with low attendace. I live a stone's throw away from Old Trafford and had to watch the whole of the test from my couch as it would have cost me £120 to watch it down the road, when you add on the £4 a pint for warm rat's piss it's completely unaffordable.
From sir_skillalot on Fri May 30 10:47AM
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