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The future of the County Championship
Part XXXXV…the votes are (starting to come) in: Surrey and Somerset have announced that they want 14 Championship games, with a return to eight teams in Division One and 10 in Division Two; Middlesex also want 14, but with ten teams in the top tier, while Durham and Lancashire support the 12/6 conference idea.
The PCA, meanwhile, have put their weight behind the conference plan and a reduction in the number of games to 12, alongside a reduced Blast schedule.
“A change in format of the County Championship to 12 league games is the only reasonable option” said Olly Hannon-Dalby, PCA chair, breathing “new life” into the competition.
Gary Naylor’s excellent round-up of the Blast, as it goes into hibernation.
Fixtures
DIVISION ONE
Southampton: Hampshire v Nottinghamshire
Taunton: Somerset v Durham
Hove: Sussex v Essex
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Worcestershire
Scarborough: Yorkshire v Surrey
DIVISION TWO
Derby: Derbyshire v Leicestershire
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Kent
Cheltenham: Gloucestershire v Lancashire
Merchant Taylors’ School: Middlesex v Northamptonshire
Good morning! Torrential rain in Manchester (good luck for the Test …) has turned into thoughtful clouds above Cheltenham, at the start of this two-week late-July dip in the Championship waters. Fortified with porridge from the cafe opposite the station, I will follow the rucksacks to Cheltenham college. Play starts at 11am – do join us to rummage around cricket, the universe and everything.
