Anyone here looking forward to the Hundred? Sky are pushing it hard at the minute, but I didn't see the point when it was first announced, even less so when they did the Yankee-doodle draft and an extra year of waiting hasn't made me care at all. It must be for someone though, I guess
An absolute abominarion and unnecessary creation by the ECB in order to get on the IPL T20 bandwagon which has been copied already in every cricket playing nation in the world.
The 2 major effects are
1) after 5 yrs of focusing on 50 over ODI cricket in order to win the WCup the format has now been abandoned as the domestic 50 over competion , Royal London Cup, becomes a virtual 2nd team game as The 100 will be played at the same time and counties will have many players playing for Northern Superchargers,Trafford Red Sox or Midlands Mercanaries and the so well protected , centrally contracted England squad, who, as Yorks know to their cost are rarely available even if they are not playing for weeks on end, will be turning out for eg Joe Root, Nottingham Numpties, Jonny B, Wales Wankers
2) A total disreagard for the prime competition, the one that produces players for the longer format of the game, the County Championship, has been reduced to fewer games and at the margins of the season- played primarily in April,May, September to accomodate the short forms of the game incuding The Abominatiion.Then the ECB complains when the Test team is not so successful despite severing the very artery that is the lifeblood of Test cricket.
Will ANYONE have any allegiance to any of the teams? Will they f***.
I sincerely hope it crashes and burns and the ashes it leaves won't be worth a light.