The title of this entry may refer to a song by Supertramp (known today in the form of a cheap cover by lesser beings) but breakfast is exactly what the Black Caps and Sri Lankan cricket teams enjoyed this week as they became the first teams to play an international fixture in the 'final frontier' of cricket. Two 2020 games in the good state of Florida (or God's waiting room if you like) and I can happily say that New Zealand claimed a hard fought victory in the the first of these
The concept is an interesting proposition: Cricket in America: could, will or how could it succeed. Ian Chappell believes that the best (only?) way would be the franchise system with 2020 cricket. The problem isn’t attracting fans to the ground for games because there are enough expats from the subcontinent countries to support the games (if only for their old teams), but to establish a base of support among Americans in general would require the franchises.
I agree with this for several of reasons
- first, because 2020 cricket is short enough and filled with enough entertainment to excite people who are new to the concept of cricket, Coming from my own entry to the sport, it just helps to have a bit of boundary hitting and aggression (as I witnessed in ODI cricket long before I enjoyed Test cricket)
- second this allows international players/stars to play and enhance the entertainment. At first the matches will be advertisements and will require the best on show (as opposed to having touring A-teams for the sake of even-contest with American players).
- A third reason would be that a franchise will be a substitute for ‘the local team’ element which has never been a problem with cricket nations before (due to them all being colonies of Britain) but would be a HUGE barrier to getting Americans interested. Teams based in Florida, Los Angeles and New York could have a mix of local players and international pros and suddenly you have a format that could attract new fans.
New Zealand is already trying hard to get in on this potential with the NZC deal with USC whereby New Zealand experience (players, advisers and equipment) will be provided to facilities constructed by the USC. This relationship will be very beneficial if cricket can get off the ground AND even if it doesn’t it still would provide a place for the New Zealand team to play during the winter months
Although, as I write this, New Zealand have slipped to 15-5 on a pitch that was slow yesterday and now adds prodigious swing to its armoury against batsmen. One can't help but feel that the whole exercise will be made redundant by such pitches. I don't mean to say that slow pitches like this are bad, Scott Styris would disagree and to be honest the batsmen have shown a stupidity in the place of the wisdom to change their game to suit it, but a fast track where the ball hits their head rather than dies at their toes may be better in attracting new fans
The last point I want to make is that games in the US would fall perfectly into the international viewing times (afternoon in Britain, evening in Dubai/subcontinent and morning here) thus games featuring international strengthened teams could be broadcast to large audiences
NEWS
The ICC is now officially investigating PAK’s tour of AUS over the summer as concerns that poor performance may have been due to financial incentives not just infighting.
The ICC has also announced concerns over a lack of infrastructure to prevent match-fixing in IPL seasons 1 and 2 (although no evidence has suggested there was any). The recent 3rd season was given a pass
The ICC has announced its intention to have the umpire review system implemented in ALL test matches a.s.a.p. and in next year’s World Cup in the subcontinent
RECENT RESULTS
SA win 2-0 in their 2020 series in WI and then the first ODI (comfortably)
NZ beat SL in the first of their two 2020 matches held in Florida (very low and slow pitch)
ARTICLE OF INTEREST
http://www.cricinfo.com/page2/content/story/452997.html
This I found to be an amusing piece, written a few months ago, about the free-to-air question in the UK
LOOKING BACK
May 23rd is a birthday for two of England’s great batsmen: Denis Compton and Graeme Hick. The first was a colossus of run-scoring in the late 1940s (although his average did drop from 50 to 42 against Australia) and holds the record for most runs (3816) and centuries (18) in a first class season (1947). Hick’s record is more suspect, probably the biggest English disappointment at the international level with an average of just 31. Given that he has become the highest aggregate scorer in cricket history (first class + List-A + domestic 2020) with 64000+ runs, although John Bracewell did once describe him as a flat-track bully
Well that's it from here and I hope you join me again
It's good bye for now
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