A Future in Safe Hands?

It was a real pleasure to attend the cricket twice last week with international matches between England and Sri Lanka taking place in the North. September does feel slightly late in the year for this summer sport. Fortunately the weather played ball too with bright sunny conditions on both occasions.

The dominance of football means that all sports including cricket play second fiddle when it comes to popularity, money, publicity, sponsorship and attendances. Staging the one day games on a Tuesday and Thursday when children have returned to school and most people are at work strikes me as an odd decision. The empty seats in the stadiums at Headingley and Chester-le-Street proved very telling.

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The introduction of The Hundred cricket format which is played through July and August has been responsible for this extension of the cricket season. An attempt to generate more interest and higher attendances at matches which is understandable. However, with less teams in the competition, and in particular, no side in the North East, it isn't a structure that works for everyone.

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I don't have an answer to this dilemma, but I hope some further changes can be made to somehow increase the popularity of cricket and ensure that it has a fruitful and secure future.

@TheNorthernEcho @ECB_cricket @OfficialSLC @DurhamCricket @YorkshireCCC