Milltown1882 wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:23 pm

The audience peaked at 2million last night, wonder what the average viewing figures are for the Blast?

I'd be very surprised if over 1 million people watched England's test games, while certain people may like test cricket the numbers speak for themselves and that's what matters the most ultimately.

Milltown1882 wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:23 pm

The audience peaked at 2million last night, wonder what the average viewing figures are for the Blast?

On BBC2 I presume ?

You can only compare this when a game is solely on sky against a T20 game on sky. Something free to air will never have a smaller audience than a pay channel.

Milltown1882 wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:23 pm

The audience peaked at 2million last night, wonder what the average viewing figures are for the Blast?

Is that down to format, or fee to air do you reckon?

dandeclaret wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:47 pm

Is that down to format, or fee to air do you reckon?

That’s almost irrelevant, if it’s getting the audience it’ll take off.

martin_p wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:48 pm

That’s almost irrelevant, if it’s getting the audience it’ll take off.

Then if tonights game which is only on Sky gets and audience of 100k is it fair to say 95% turned off overnight ?

I raised the point earlier, they've sacrificed counties in the long run, and the pyramid of support for ODI's and Test matches by marginalising them, for a free to air gimmicky sport. They should have just sorted the blast in the same free to air rights deal as they manipulated for the 100, and most of the problems would have gone away.

Instead, some counties feel left out, plenty of the core support feel put out, and the support networks have all been thrown into the air. Brilliant.

claretonthecoast1882 wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:51 pm

Then if tonights game which is only on Sky gets and audience of 100k is it fair to say 95% turned off overnight ?

is Sky One not considered free to air?

They’ve butchered county cricket to such an extent ,yet another splintering won’t change much. The blast is indeed a low budget disjointed mess and even the 50 over comp is scattered so wildly and the ever rotating of the squads leaves me very lukewarm . At least back in the days of the John Player Sunday league games had a meaningful league status and continuity and of course the prestige of the Nat West etc gave clarity . These days it’s almost impossible to keep up with the competions and the haphazard scheduling

dandeclaret wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 12:26 pm

Broadly 20 balls fewer, but rather than bowled in 6 ball overs, they're bowled in 5 ball or 10 ball spells.

Do they still do that messing about of switching ends each spell or have they sped that up?

Milltown1882 wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 1:23 pm

The audience peaked at 2million last night, wonder what the average viewing figures are for the Blast?

No idea but the blast isn't broadcast on BBC is it, obviously any cricket shown on mainstream telly will generate higher viewing figures than if it's hidden away on pay tv, just as PL footy shown on BBC gained higher viewing figures, even the less attractive games on paper were getting about 4-5m from memory.

And this new competition is a novelty right now, so people will be curious, and tune in just to see what's it like, however the key will be how many of those will continue to watch in the coming months and years, that will be the true test if this tournament really has legs or not.

aggi wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 3:53 pm

Do they still do that messing about of switching ends each spell or have they sped that up?

Dunno - not watched it, suspect that there's still that change of ends, to make sure there's not huge foot holes, and also, more importantly to play some adverts and music. Cos that's what it's all about.

Reasonable crowd at Edgbaston, Livingstone is lapping up the attention from the Hollies on the boundary

dandeclaret wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 5:03 pm

Dunno - not watched it, suspect that there's still that change of ends, to make sure there's not huge foot holes, and also, more importantly to play some adverts and music. Cos that's what it's all about.

They switch ends at the end of each 10 ball over which can be bowled by one player or two having 5 deliveries each.

Milltown1882 wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 6:32 pm

Reasonable crowd at Edgbaston, Livingstone is lapping up the attention from the Hollies on the boundary

Purely the very fact that Allen & Livingstone are playing for Birmingham shows how much of a farce this competition actually is.

tiger76 wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 8:52 pm

Purely the very fact that Allen & Livingstone are playing for Birmingham shows how much of a farce this competition actually is.

Why? None of the cities involved are in Lancashire.

tiger76 wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 8:52 pm

Purely the very fact that Allen & Livingstone are playing for Birmingham shows how much of a farce this competition actually is.

Didn’t Saqib play against Manchester last night? It’s not a county competition.

ClaretTony wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 23, 2021 9:21 pm

Didn’t Saqib play against Manchester last night? It’s not a county competition.

Yes he did forget about him, I could understand if this was in place of T20, but I fail to see how essentially 2 competitions which are the same in all but name, and a slightly different format can happily co-exist, but then I'm not the target audience.

Just out of interest what happens if a player gets injured well competing in The Hundred, and they're then unavailable for their county, is there a form of compensation to the county in question, and if so who funds that money?

Brilliant game at Headingly today. Drove through this aft and the place was looking lively but the atmosphere on the ground looked brilliant.

Shame the Northern Superchargers couldnt quite get over the line but this new format gets the thumbs up from me.

Saw it on a flick through the channels.... Headingley was half empty wasn't it? I thought this was supposed to fill the grounds.

Really enjoyed the game at headingly today after the Lions game.

Just watching the Superchargers innings was quite good for a bite size fix of cricket.

Breaking news this morning,,,,, Dane Vilas is off to join one of thes plastic clubs as a replacement player. That’s 10 first team players from Lancs (excluding Anderson) gone.

Shambles.

Wasn’t he the first player selected for Manchester at the very start of this new competition?
What happened with that?

Bordeauxclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 25, 2021 9:58 am

Wasn’t he the first player selected for Manchester at the very start of this new competition?
What happened with that?

Released when Brexit changed his player status from Kolpak to overseas apparently.

Saw this whilst flicking through the channels on Friday. Only intended to watch a few minutes but my girlfriend, who had even less interest in cricket then I do, was engrossed and we ended up watching a full game.

Was good in that you could actually watch a match through to the result without it being a huge time commitment.

aggi wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 25, 2021 10:27 am

Saw this whilst flicking through the channels on Friday. Only intended to watch a few minutes but my girlfriend, who had even less interest in cricket then I do, was engrossed and we ended up watching a full game.

Was good in that you could actually watch a match through to the result without it being a huge time commitment.

It’s on average about 20 minutes less than the existing t20 competition.

dandeclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 25, 2021 10:33 am

It’s on average about 20 minutes less than the existing t20 competition.

But it's on a channel where most of us get it 'free to air'. So we get to see a live match where the laws are designed to make it as entertaining as possible.
I don't get to see live cricket often. I am really enjoying these matches. Especially the close ones.

I wouldn't argue against the free to air piece - that is vital.

As for "Simplifying the rules" - what rules have been simplified?

An umpire holds up a white card to indicate 5 balls have been bowled rather than saying over when 6 balls have been bowled? Is there anything else? LBW is still in the game, hit wicket is still in the game, and it has an amended DLS algorithm. Nothing says simplicity like an amended DLS algorithm. You still score 4 and 6 for no logical reason, the fielding positions sill remain the same don't they?

I just don't get this "Simplicity" argument. Small crowds in the ground, not really sure who to support by the highlights I saw on Sky Sports News yesterday, with anecdoatal evidence that the make up of the crowds haven't changed dramatically, other than some UK Political esque whitewashing (EG there was a record crowd for a women's game of 8,000 at Surrey..... noting that the crowd at the start was 1,000 rising to 1,887 during the first innings and filling up massively before the mens game started straight after)... still 8.000 for a Surrey derby is around 1/3 of what they normally get for a mens T20 game.

So the problem wasn't the format....... it was the platform........ and in order to resolve that, they've sacrificed most other formats, with 4 days games squashed into inopportune parts of the year, the T20 removed from the peak times that allowed fans to attend, and the ODI game reduced to a 2nd xi / Under 23 competition in the name of "Development"...... breaking news, players don't develop if they don't play against better players.

Well I like the idea and think it will just get bigger and better over the next 5 years. Lots of old fuddy-duddy's moaned relentlessly about 20-20 when it first came in so I appreciate it won't be everyone's cup of tea but hopefully its here to stay and just maybe it will in time change their minds.

aggi wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 25, 2021 10:27 am

Was good in that you could actually watch a match through to the result without it being a huge time commitment.

We have had that for years now though with t20

dandeclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 25, 2021 10:33 am

It’s on average about 20 minutes less than the existing t20 competition.

Yes, it seems clear that T20 has missed a trick in its promotion compared to the hundred.

I'd say halving the number of times they change ends keeps a bit more momentum going and a quick Google suggests that the scores in the hundred are higher but there doesn't seem to be a huge difference between them.

I'm unsurprised they're higher. From the highlights on SSN, the ropes are in another 10-20 yards. These lads can hit it out of the ground, if you give them another 20 yards of safety, they're going to try it, and get away with it, more often.

Whatever your views on the format it’s clear Matt Parkinson has improved massively over the past 12 months.

Bordeauxclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 25, 2021 7:30 pm

Whatever your views on the format it’s clear Matt Parkinson has improved massively over the past 12 months.

Outstanding bowling from him tonight and I’m sure Livi won’t hear the end of him getting him out.

Really can't get into it. On BBC 2 but it lacks the excitement of T20.

I’m watching it but it’s beyond me why they needed to change the format from t20.

And who would have thought they would have to shut the bars early at Lords due to the raucous atmosphere

It’s product dilution at its maddest and can only lead to a reduction in quality in terms of test cricket because as Dan says they are potentially destroying the pyramid and support network. T20 had just come of age and was proving more popular and then this.

Bring back 40 overs on Sunday afternoons for some exciting cricket, do that and I may start watching cricket again.

I’m still far from convinced by it.

It’s my least favourite format of the game at present and I can’t see that changing anytime soon.

I haven’t watched it and haven’t a bloody clue what you’re all on about.

beddie wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 01, 2021 10:04 pm

I haven’t watched it and haven’t a bloody clue what you’re all on about.

Its like T20 but more exciting

Took my 8 year old to Edgbaston today to watch Birmingham Phoenix. Great family afternoon. She loved it.

clansman wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 01, 2021 9:30 pm

It’s product dilution at its maddest and can only lead to a reduction in quality in terms of test cricket because as Dan says they are potentially destroying the pyramid and support network. T20 had just come of age and was proving more popular and then this.

Just the latest in a series of developments over the last 50 years that were going to lead to a reduction in quality in test cricket.

It is all about opinions but I really enjoy this new format but of course I also enjoy Test Cricket over 5 days most of all.
I Just like all forms of cricket.
The women’s version is interesting to myself as in Lincoln Lindum CC is my local team as would be Burnley or Lowerhouse would be to many posters on here
Today one girl played at lords in the side captained by Heather Knight and came in last hit a four first ball and scored 5 which was third top score and bowled 15 of the 100 deliveries.
So she was blessed to play at Lords score a boundary and bowl on the World’s No 1 Test Venue in front of a crowd 15,000
I think that is amazing

Peter Loo wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 01, 2021 9:43 pm

Bring back 40 overs on Sunday afternoons for some exciting cricket, do that and I may start watching cricket again.

Free John Player cigarettes for the crowd as well!

Just turned on today’s game and I know Charlie Dagnell is a claret but he looks like he’s going through a midlife crisis.

He’s gone full Tyrone Dobbs

The thing I hate the most is the ugly numbers layout on the screen, it takes up half of the TV screen

Turned over following only connect. Colin Ingram just out but as a mercenary he is playing against Wales rather than for them. That is just wrong. Its like having an f a cup in mid season and suddenly finding that we've drawn the bastards, but nick pope and Ben mee are playing in blue and white. But we get Bamford and grealish.

Wow another brilliant days cricket at Edgbaston with Moheen Ali on absolute fire. Northern Superchargers still in the mix for making the play off game but need some good results

Family night at the cricket last night at Edgbaston to see Birmingham Phoenix hammer Welsh Fire. Brilliant entertainment and a superb atmosphere. Ali hitting a hatrick of 6s and Phoenix finishing on a hatrick of wickets. My kids loved it. On the way back to the car afterwards my 8 year old daughter was reenacting the cover drive and my son his spin bowling.