This is getting boring

So far this season, we have played 16 games and are still unbeaten. We are top of the Championship and thr T/20. As a result, i am getting rather bored, normally a win would be greeted with joy, but now it is a case of yawn, we win yet again. Hpopefully we can mess things up Tonight and restore reality to this season.

A win is much more joyous if it is interspersed with the odd defeat. (what is our record number of games unbeaten?)

See your point. The problem is there are too many games in the T20 so it all gets rather pedestrian by now. To be frank who remembers one game from another after a day of two? The whole concept of T20 is based on how many 6s you belt into the crowd - five years ago I was bored by the sameness of the whole thing and rarely watch a game now.

Be careful what you wish for.

The ECB seems to think county cricket competitions should be run as handicap events, which in Surrey's case means gradually taking more and more of our best performers away until we lose matches we would otherwise win. I confidently predict we will see the first evidence of that this evening, against a competent Somerset team who would not beat us otherwise.

In T20 especially, it isn't cheap for pay-as-you-go punters to go to these matches. While it's true that members get a good deal financially - only about an extra £60 to see all the home games - we've heard numerous accounts that we are now getting a far from comfortable "match-day experience". The least any of us - member or not - should be entitled to is to see our county's best T20 performers turn out. I can just about understand Ollie Pope and Jamie Overton being away to prepare for the test match (though this doesn't start until Thursday) but Roy, Curran and Topley being whisked off to take part in this low-grade nonsense in the Netherlands is inexcusable.

After watching us continually be, for want of a better word, shit, after winning the Championship in 2018, I'm delighted the way things are going. We've got the captain back, some good young talent on the books and an interim coach and staff that seem commited to grafting

Give me that culture over Solanki's any day of the week

I agree with what Jackers and Alex have said. Surely the point of these competitions is to win as many games as possible, esp in the CC, which will then hopefully bring some silverware

I do, however, see both sides of the story. whilst I would love us to go through the whole T20 campaign unbeaten, as AFAIK its not been done in any major T20 tournament, I do worry that we will go unbeaten in the group stages and then come unstuck in the knockout phase. at that stage it only takes 1 bad performance and you are out, whilst a bad performance at this stage of the league wont make much of a difference. However, if we are going to lose, I do hope its not tonight as 1) its Somerset and 2) they are our nearest rivals in the league . However, I am also aware that winning tonight wont be easy, as we have half the 1st XI missing

Didn’t we go unbeaten when winning the first ever T20 tournament?

Yes, though a far shorter competition (only 5 group games, no quarter-final) so we won 7/7 in the inaugural season of T20. The following season we won 4/4 completed group games, there was a quarter-final which we won along with the semi-final before losing the final. So our longest unbeaten run in the competition is 13 games. I wonder if any other county has beaten that?

We have already won 8 out of 8 this season (not counting the wash-out at Cardiff), and I think we may have won as many as 9 on the trot on our way to the final two years ago, recovering from a slow start.

They’re world cup qualifiers so hardly “low-grade” stuff. Arguably the India and South Africa ODIs are lower grade.

Seriously can’t fathom why you would be complaining that we’re winning too much. Bore off and enjoy it whilst it lasts!

I maybe wrong but I assumed there was some irony in the original post.

England v San Marino at football (10-0) last November was a world cup qualifier. It was distinctly low-grade.  I would not expect half the Liverpool team to miss an important club match just so they could play it. The one-sided 50-overs debacle in Holland falls into that bracket. I mean, seriously....three games(!) Ditto "England Lions" matches that are coming up in July, while we have an important championship game v Yorkshire.

 We have to start giving county cricket competitions (all formats) the respect and priority they deserve in our crowded cricket season

I am delighted to see us winning, not bored in the slightest.  It is not as if we have been beating San Marino 10-0, the games have not been walkovers.  It is so pleasing that despite many absences (thankyou ECB)  the team has kept performing, players like Atkinson coming in and pulling their weight, this has not happened since 2018.

Jackers, I agree totally with you that the county competitions should be given more respect by the ECB.  It is likely to get worse, however, as it sounds as if the ECB is likely to go with 10 match championship seasons, a disgrace.  The ECB will try to dress it up by saying how much each game will matter and how the players need more rest.   Then they will expand the hundred to fill the gap.   The ECB know the price of everything and the value of nothing.   Not sure what can be done about it although a vote of members would I am sure be strongly against the proposal, maybe one for the forum?

Will counties reduce their membership fees when this happens?

Shame about that win, eh, cricketman?

I fundamentally disagree on the point about “low-grade”. With the introduction of WTC and WCSL matches. The 55 points gathered last summer were absolutely invaluable in that regard, otherwise there may have been a danger of not qualifying prior to this Netherlands series.

Even if I’m a Football Manager, I would want my strongest available team for San Marino and not necessarily a friendly against Germany.

At least we are now nearly losing. And the injury list is growing by the game so maybe, just matbe....... .

Well they are going to want a clean slate now with all wins in the remaining games regardless of their importance. Like T20 or not the side is on a winning run and needs to keep it going through the CC and the forthcoming RLOC.
As for the Netherlands well I care less about that  than T20 which says a lot. No more than a friendly.

Absolutely spot on. What nonsense introducing a bloated international league tournament with matches bang in the middle of our season, taking our best 50-over performers away to play against a team of this calibre. I guess the football equivalent is the "UEFA Nations League", but in fairness (a) that is played outside the regular season, and (b) there is some attempt to seed teams, so that England play the likes of Germany and Italy.

Is anyone seriously telling me these guys would not get much better preparation for the World Cup playing as part of full-strength county sides in the Royal London Cup, instead of relegating it to a "development tournament" for young players whistled up from the seconds and the likes of Cameron Steel?!

Our club's proud unbeaten run makes me wonder whether we should be calling ourselves the "Oval Invincibles" for as long as it lasts. It has a certain ring to it, though discerning cricket supporters should beware all imitations.

those people who do not like seeing Surrey win game after game. Would have hated being a Surrey member from 1951 to 1957 then.

optimistnot wrote:those people who do not like seeing Surrey win game after game. Would have hated being a Surrey member from 1951 to 1957 then.

I hadn't made it to primary school by then but did Surrey members really take delight in what I presume was a series of processions? The whole point about this season's unbeaten run is surely that it was unexpected, thus a source of delight (for you, not for me). A near certainty, like Bayern Munich in Germany, is not good for the game and probably not in the end very good watching, even for committed Surrey members. Real competition is the essence if sport, surely.

Someone will probably tell me that every season went to the last game but I can't be bothered to check.

Curiously much the same point came up on a Yorkshire forum about their glory years. Wasn't it great? Well, yes and no, came the response...

This thread reminds me of an old joke about two blokes walking down the street. One of them finds a wage packet with £500 cash lying on the ground. The other one remarks on the good fortune. The finder replies "yes, but look at the tax he's paid".

People moan if we loose and moan if we win. Ok we'd all like really great competitive games every match, but that never happens. I don't mind losing in a good tight game, but I'd take a win any time, even in T20 (not that it means much).

Jackers wrote:England v San Marino at football (10-0) last November was a world cup qualifier. It was distinctly low-grade.  I would not expect half the Liverpool team to miss an important club match just so they could play it. The one-sided 50-overs debacle in Holland falls into that bracket. I mean, seriously....three games(!) Ditto "England Lions" matches that are coming up in July, while we have an important championship game v Yorkshire.

 We have to start giving county cricket competitions (all formats) the respect and priority they deserve in our crowded cricket season

The difference is that Premier League clubs aren't expected to play matches with half-strength squads on the same dates as international fixtures, regardless of whether the opposition is Germany or San Marino, and there are scheduled weeks when all international fixtures take place simultaneously. (If, like me, you support a non-league club you might find a key player missing a couple of matches to play for Grenada or Uganda.) You can imagine the commotion from Klopp if he had to field half a reserve team in a Premier League match away to a full-strength Brentford or Brighton.

I hadn't noticed the Lions matches in July. The ECB could at least avoid picking players for those from counties already missing several players in the senior squad.

Pink Panther wrote:

Jackers wrote:England v San Marino at football (10-0) last November was a world cup qualifier. It was distinctly low-grade.  I would not expect half the Liverpool team to miss an important club match just so they could play it. The one-sided 50-overs debacle in Holland falls into that bracket. I mean, seriously....three games(!) Ditto "England Lions" matches that are coming up in July, while we have an important championship game v Yorkshire.

 We have to start giving county cricket competitions (all formats) the respect and priority they deserve in our crowded cricket season

The difference is that Premier League clubs aren't expected to play matches with half-strength squads on the same dates as international fixtures, regardless of whether the opposition is Germany or San Marino, and there are scheduled weeks when all international fixtures take place simultaneously. (If, like me, you support a non-league club you might find a key player missing a couple of matches to play for Grenada or Uganda.) You can imagine the commotion from Klopp if he had to field half a reserve team in a Premier League match away to a full-strength Brentford or Brighton.

I hadn't noticed the Lions matches in July. The ECB could at least avoid picking players for those from counties already missing several players in the senior squad.

well said PP, though I suppose thats the probem with cricket only played in this country in a short time window

as an aside, which Non league side do you support?

Coatesy wrote:as an aside, which Non league side do you support?

Dulwich Hamlet. Closest (semi) professional club to The Oval, hence my user name. (Nothing to do with the North London cricketing interlopers!)

Pink Panther wrote:

Jackers wrote:England v San Marino at football (10-0) last November was a world cup qualifier. It was distinctly low-grade.  I would not expect half the Liverpool team to miss an important club match just so they could play it. The one-sided 50-overs debacle in Holland falls into that bracket. I mean, seriously....three games(!) Ditto "England Lions" matches that are coming up in July, while we have an important championship game v Yorkshire.

 We have to start giving county cricket competitions (all formats) the respect and priority they deserve in our crowded cricket season

The difference is that Premier League clubs aren't expected to play matches with half-strength squads on the same dates as international fixtures, regardless of whether the opposition is Germany or San Marino, and there are scheduled weeks when all international fixtures take place simultaneously. (If, like me, you support a non-league club you might find a key player missing a couple of matches to play for Grenada or Uganda.) You can imagine the commotion from Klopp if he had to field half a reserve team in a Premier League match away to a full-strength Brentford or Brighton.

I hadn't noticed the Lions matches in July. The ECB could at least avoid picking players for those from counties already missing several players in the senior squad.

You're right to point out that the situation doesn't arise in football, because the best players aren't expected to miss competitive club matches to play for England against the likes of San Marino. But that just goes to highlight how wrong-headed it is for our best 50-over cricketers to be taking part in three of these mismatches, when they could and should be (a) playing genuinely competitive T20 cricket for their counties; and (b) playing a much higher standard of competitive 50-over cricket in the Royal London Cup (which would involve merging the Hundred with the Blast so that there is just one short-form competition, played by counties, to create the space in the calendar).

Seriously, if you watched today (and I did, because I wanted to be sure I wasn't doing it an injustice) you would be in no doubt that this Holland tour which took these guys away for the best part of two weeks has been a complete farce and should never happen again.

Jackers wrote:Seriously, if you watched today (and I did, because I wanted to be sure I wasn't doing it an injustice) you would be in no doubt that this Holland tour which took these guys away for the best part of two weeks has been a complete farce and should never happen again.

I'm not disputing that but I believe this series was postponed from last year due to the pandemic, so hopefully the situation won't arise again. It also doesn't help that the rogue Test against India is scheduled for the first week of July after they bailed out for the rescheduled IPL last September, otherwise we could have sent an England squad to the Netherlands that week. (Personally I feel that India match should have been awarded to England by default for the purposes of the World Test Championship and the BCCI should have been liable for compensation, but I guess these things are more complex to resolve than that.)

There's far too much international cricket. I've come to the conclusion that T20 should not be played at international level, just stick with Tests and ODIs.

Pink Panther wrote:

Coatesy wrote:as an aside, which Non league side do you support?

Dulwich Hamlet. Closest (semi) professional club to The Oval, hence my user name. (Nothing to do with the North London cricketing interlopers!)

fair enough. Good to see there is another NL supporter on here (Woking for me)