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Post by karma on May 9, 2024 14:20:44 GMT
I wouldn't pretend to be able to read a game as well as you do Dave (and others too) but I'm a bit fed up of the uneven battle between bat and ball.
Everything seems geared up to favour the batsman, slow, pudding, pitches and if Rob Key gets his way, the Kookaburra ball.
Some of the best games I've seen have resulted in draws but until pretty late in the battle either side could win. But not at the moment. If there's a plan to reduce the enjoyment in CC and reduce those attending then I think it's working.
Of course I'll keep coming back while I am able but I think the (economic) Law of Decreasing Returns is being played out on the County grounds each week. 😴 💤
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Post by newby on May 9, 2024 16:16:43 GMT
In certain circumstances for as long as I can remember, you didn't actually mind watching a session or two as your team hung on desperately to avoid defeat. It's a bit different when the other team is doing it to you though, but I remember it being no less tense.
In a lot of the games these days, perhaps post Covid, or post the Strauss report, or during Key nightmare, the balance has changed and most of the tension has been taken away as teams now have a bit of a net session on the final day and bore the pants of everyone.
Docile pitches at the behest of the ECB, use of the heavy roller under the control of the batting captain, 8 points for a draw, not enough incentive for teams to risk a defeat in order to push for a win.
Something needs to change, the answer is in there somewhere.
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Post by tykemania on May 9, 2024 17:09:50 GMT
I can just about understand the ECB wanting to try and prepare players for success abroad in the Test game - we may all be Yorkshire first England second but we are all reasonable enough to recognise we are the outliers, and that the finances of the game just don't work that way. Sometimes that is a difficult balance, especially when you are forced to play a lot of the season in April and September, its going to go wrong the odd time.
Where it has gone too far is the points now awarded for a draw. 8 is twice as many as necessary, and gives weaker teams ample incentive to play negative cricket.
We have, reasonably enough, lamented the difficulty we have had in taking second innings wickets with our "worthy" bowling attack. But we've done fine in the first innings. This brings to mind the comments made after the Derbyshire game ("we offered them 400 in 80 overs and they didn't even come back with a counter proposal") which were mirrored several times last year, and also highlight the lack of ambition shown by other opponents this year. We are deemed to be a big/strong county so teams are subconsciously happy to take 12 or so points from the game and move on - ironic really since the one team who set out trying to beat us did so quite handsomely!
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