County Cricket Live 2012

The biggest complaint about the fixture list is that no-one knows when teams are playing, let alone against whom or in what competition. One can accept the day matches are being moved around to accommodate television and to spread matches about in a region – so Surrey shouldn’t play too close to a Middlesex home match (that almost certainly happens but I digress) – but why on earth are the start times so outrageous. Two of today’s games start at twenty to three! CB40s begin at 1.45pm! What pathetically stupid times. At least Kent have got it right, 3pm start, nice and simple. That should be the norm. We need some normality in the fixture list and start times are something that could be so easily resolved.

While competition from other sports provide a challenge to this season’s domestic T20, Derbyshire have recognised that they it also provide an opportunity too. They have put back their game against Leicestershire on Friday 29th June by half an hour, to 7.30pm, to allow fans to attend the City’s Olympic Torch celebrations before. Derby City Council director of leisure and culture Claire Davenport said, “The new start time is great news for cricket fans that can now enjoy the torch relay and support Derbyshire on the same evening.”

It is only three years since Joe Denly was considered the man to give England impetus at the top of the order in the limited overs formats. His career has stalled thereafter, until being revived by his move to Middlesex this season, when he has averaged around 60 in both first-class and 40-over cricket.

While Warwickshire could be blamed for taking on a televised England football match on Tuesday, the culprits for a second game at Edgbaston within three days are probably the ECB fixture bureau. No wonder no-one wanted to go on Tuesday night when this evening there is no England football and the opposition are far more attractive, and I’m sure even fans of Northants, the initial opponents, would agree.

This is another demonstration of how our fixture calendar is so muddled. This year there are five home matches per county spread across three weeks. Surely it is possible to ensure there are not two matches within three days on the same ground? And there is no Sky Sports to blame because neither Warwickshire’s match on Tuesday nor tonight's are televised.

Scheduling a Twenty20 group match on the same evening as an England match in the European Championship? T20 was designed to get non-cricket fans through the gates with people being asked to give up as little time as possible. Football fans are the obvious target market. With the cricket they can have a few beers and watch live sport at the same time. Christmas!

So why therefore, would anyone try to compete with a pub and a television? Worcestershire tried it in 2010, going head to head with England v Germany, and found half the regular crowd turned up.

After a less-than-rapid start, this season’s FLt20 gains some belated momentum with seven fixtures on Sunday. In a rare example of good marketing, the tournament has been allowed to benefit from Father’s Day without competing with an England international. Even the weather appears in less obstructive mood.

The most impressive display of Thursday night was Derbyshire’s successful chase against Lancashire. Knowing the result was likely to be determined by Duckworth-Lewis, Derybshire approached their innings accordingly. Four players contributed at least 16, maintaining a tempo that meant Derbyshire finished 17 runs ahead of the D/L par when the rain came.

Lancashire needed Glen Chapple’s bowling canniness, but had opted to rest him. While there are harder-looking games than Derbyshire in the North Group, it would have made much more sense to wait until Ajmal Shazhad’s imminent return before resting Chapple.

Despite Surrey’s considerable fast-bowling resources, they again chose to pack their side with spinners against Essex at The Oval. Spin accounted for 14 of Surrey’s overs in their successful defence of 128, mirroring the strategy used in last year’s CB40 success.

While the ever-combative Gareth Batty took 3 for 20, Zafar Ansari’s control stood out, exactly a year after the left-armer made his debut in the equivalent fixture last season.