Long-awaited County Championship Restructure At Risk Of Year’s Delay

The long-awaited restructure of nan County Championship could beryllium delayed by different 12 months aft a important gathering of nine chairs collapsed up connected Wednesday without resolution.

With nary statement emerging pursuing nan acme astatine Lord’s, a planned ballot connected a connection to trim nan Championship to 13 matches adjacent play has been put connected hold, leaving nan full restructure successful doubt.

The counties agreed to trim nan Twenty20 Blast from 14 matches to 12 earlier this play pursuing recommendations of nan players union, nan Professional Cricketers’ Association, but their telephone to trim nan Championship has proved much difficult to execute.

Four projected caller structures from nan existent 10/8 divisional divided had already been rejected earlier nan meeting, erstwhile a convoluted discuss that would impact astir counties playing 13 Championship games from adjacent play besides grounded to triumph capable support. In nan exemplary discussed connected Wednesday, a 12-team County Championship Division One would beryllium divided into 2 pools of six, pinch nan remaining six clubs successful Division Two.

At slightest 12 retired of 18 counties must ballot successful favour to change nan building of nan Championship, which has led to a standoff. Surrey, Yorkshire, Middlesex, Essex and Somerset person publically stated they will reason immoderate simplification to nan 14-game season, while Derbyshire, Sussex and Kent are besides yet to beryllium convinced by nan various alternatives offered to nan position quo.

The 10-strong advocates of a restructure are arsenic reluctant to backmost down, however, which led to much informal discussions betwixt nan counties connected Wednesday complete whether immoderate of nan antecedently rejected models tin beryllium revived. Those see 3 conferences of six, a azygous 18-team convention pinch a Champions League-style Swiss-model fixture list, a midseason divided akin to that of nan Scottish Premier League, arsenic good arsenic respective different variants of nan existent 10/8 divisional makeup.

With 83% of players successful a study past twelvemonth expressing interest complete their beingness wellbeing because of nan measurement of home cricket played, nan PCA will proceed to lobby difficult for a cut. The anticipation of a players’ onslaught has been mooted by immoderate of nan unhappy region executives, though that melodramatic people of action has yet to beryllium discussed successful immoderate detail.

With conscionable 3 rounds of nan County Championship this play remaining, opening adjacent week, nan astir apt result is simply a further hold pinch nan ballot taking spot during nan wintertime if an statement cannot beryllium reached earlier then. The PCA has not fixed up of persuading capable counties to alteration their position successful clip to for a affirmative ballot this month, however.