English game dumps 50-over cricket

Hidden amidst the ECB's obvious fiddling is the germ of a very important sea change that could save the longer 1-day format while strengthening Test cricket's popularity. Giles Clarke's earlier mention of "two innings a side" is the key bit. It is not scheduled to happen in England in 2010, but it would do the ECB and ICC a world of good to try it anyway. A 40-over affair with 2x20-over innings has the potential to add at least some of the feel and substance of Tests to the shorter form. That, plus the idea of day/night Tests with limited overs stretched over 4 or 5 days, might just put the Great Game back on track for the 21st century. It may take a grand Cricket Convention to sort it all out. Haverford College in Philadelphia USA (a genuine historical haven for cricket) could host the making of a new constitution for cricket.

I haven't heard a more absurd and ill-thought out proposal since the previous ECB announcement on the future of the county game about three minutes ago. What about the recommendations of the Schofield Report? What about the bizarre second Twenty20 tournament that never got off the ground?

The ECB agreed to abolish the 40 over domestic competion in July of last year. What exactly has happened to change the situation so radically since then? The ECB give the impression of coming up with these plans after a night in the Lord's Tavern with one too many lager shandies.

If I examine this logically I do not think I can complain. I enjoy the 40 over comp as it is, I like the idea of a Sunday limited overs game like it was,though I might ditch the divisions and have everybody play everybody for a year or so if only just for fun. I think also a September Cup Final is a far better and more fitting occasion than on a weekend in July. However I do also like being bombed with 40 over games by Sky.What's the solution? Ditch 20/20 and have 2 40 over competitiions one for relaxing Sundays and one for midweek evenings. Anyway at least they have something a bit right so well done ECB.

I think there is some logic to this decision....financial logic for county chairmen. On the subject of the 40 over competition:How does 3 groups of 7 produce 4 semi finalists? Is the final to be played at Lords? By my reckoning there are about 22 Sundays in a season,so two groups of 10 would have been more sensible,enabling 18 games and then quarter finals,semis and final over the last 3 weeks. From an international point of view,it makes no sense at all,as the television contracts are tied into 50 over games till at least 2015.The use of the South African structure to justify this stance would have more credence had South Africa won an ICC 50 over event. This is less of a dog's breakfast than originally mooted,but a dog's breakfast all the same.

I am confused, does this replace the current Pro40 (and if so, what is the difference)? Good plan playing them on Sundays but FP should have remained for both 50 over experience and a "Cup final" at Lord's which still seemed to be popular.

"The ECB have pointed towards the South African system, where they play a 45-over competition and are still dominant on the international scene"... Er, can anyone recall the last time SA won a major 50 overs competition?

Had 50 over cricket been retained the best solution would have been a shorter group stage in April and May (3 groups of 7, sides playing each other once) with knock-out stages to follow and a 22 match single league 20/20 competition played in June, July and August with sides 3-6 qualifying for play-offs to join the top two on Final's Day. Given that that was such a simple solution I'm surprised they haven't gone with it until a decision was taken about the international 50 over game. At least the daft two innings idea appears to have been shelved.

The moral of this story must be that if you're not succeeding at something then simply give up trying altogether. It's little wonder that England have enjoyed such minimal success in the 50 over game when this is the type of attitude shown by the ECB and around the county circuit. I wonder if anyone at the ECB noticed the common denominator when they were pointing towards South Africa as another example of a country who don't play domestic 50 over cricket. Maybe someone should have pointed out to them how many World Cups South Africa have won.

Y-E-E-S! That happened at last!! Good decision!!! Along with OD 50-over game, 40-over leagues should be scrapped altogether, as they have evolved into Twenty20, which originally introduced by the ECB, in 2003. In cricket two format is enough. Test format gives the ultimate proficiency of the cricket, and Twenty20 gives revenue, dynamism and globalism of the cricket. The "time-killing" ODI 40 / 50-over format cricket gives nothing at all - nothing materially, spiritually, or proficiently. I also hope ICC will review the future of ODIs after the 2011 World Cup and cross out...

Further proof that the ECB are unfit for purpose. If other countries have suddenly become our exemplar, why hasn't the County Championship evolved to become as competitive as, say, the Sheffield Shield? Of course, we know why: Clarke's weasel words simply obscure the fact that the counties' selfish short-termism determines everything. The ICC are "reviewing" 50-over cricket, and the ECB scraps it. A five-year-old could highlight the complete absence of logic in this change. This egregious man runs the most incompetent governing body in world sport.