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[Cricket] (Dickheads in) club cricket.



Mo Gosfield

Well-known member
Aug 11, 2010
6,276
My observations on club cricket are.....
1) Sunday has become a non-cricket day for many senior clubs. They field 5 or 6 teams on a Saturday. League cricket has become everything. Lovely grounds, with good facilities and nothing going on every Sunday. Village cricket is now the bastion of Sunday cricket.
2) Club players, many only playing league cricket, play about 20 games a season. ( I and my peer group played at least 50 games a season )
3) Players miss a lot of games for a variety of reasons. Not just weddings and holidays but all manner of other social arrangements. I see club line-ups showing 4-5 changes every week. I know of at least two good players from my local area, who have given up because they were starting a family. In their 20's and finished with cricket. I can understand the need to spend time at home but surely a balance can be struck.
4) On field behaviour. Much more noisy and aggressive. Clapping every ball as if its a jaffa ( its usually 2-3 feet wide of the off stump) Appealing everything. More dissent.
5) Rate of scoring. Much quicker than 30-40 years ago. All teams want to score at 4-5 runs per over from the outset. Lots of wide stuff chased from the start. Much less discretion. I regularly see 75-1 off 12 overs. I also regularly see 45-4 off 12 overs.
6) Club players get paid. At many clubs. Just like football. The more money you pay, the better player you acquire. If clubs don't pay directly, they do it through ' sponsorship '
7) Some leagues start at 11.30 am, with a lunch and tea and play about 110 overs. Some of these games are hardly local and teams are setting off at 8.30-9.00 in the morning and getting home between 9.00pm and 10.00pm. No wonder Sunday cricket is dying at these clubs!! When I played in the Sussex League, I'm sure it used to start at 2.00pm.
8 ) My local club charges £150 playing membership for the season and £13 match fees. Is this normal?
9) Club captains copy Test Matches and don't have a Third Man. It drives me mad to see every edge go for four. Make them work for their runs.
10 ) Warming up before the game. Proper routines. Cones etc. Far cry from my era. Couple of stretches. quick throw to the keeper, fags stubbed out, into battle. For the batsmen, couple of balls thrown at you and away you went. On away trips, even a couple of pints weren't ruled out sometimes and I am talking 1st eleven level!!!
 


dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Mar 27, 2013
52,020
Burgess Hill
My observations on club cricket are.....
1) Sunday has become a non-cricket day for many senior clubs. They field 5 or 6 teams on a Saturday. League cricket has become everything. Lovely grounds, with good facilities and nothing going on every Sunday. Village cricket is now the bastion of Sunday cricket.
2) Club players, many only playing league cricket, play about 20 games a season. ( I and my peer group played at least 50 games a season )
3) Players miss a lot of games for a variety of reasons. Not just weddings and holidays but all manner of other social arrangements. I see club line-ups showing 4-5 changes every week. I know of at least two good players from my local area, who have given up because they were starting a family. In their 20's and finished with cricket. I can understand the need to spend time at home but surely a balance can be struck.
4) On field behaviour. Much more noisy and aggressive. Clapping every ball as if its a jaffa ( its usually 2-3 feet wide of the off stump) Appealing everything. More dissent.
5) Rate of scoring. Much quicker than 30-40 years ago. All teams want to score at 4-5 runs per over from the outset. Lots of wide stuff chased from the start. Much less discretion. I regularly see 75-1 off 12 overs. I also regularly see 45-4 off 12 overs.
6) Club players get paid. At many clubs. Just like football. The more money you pay, the better player you acquire. If clubs don't pay directly, they do it through ' sponsorship '
7) Some leagues start at 11.30 am, with a lunch and tea and play about 110 overs. Some of these games are hardly local and teams are setting off at 8.30-9.00 in the morning and getting home between 9.00pm and 10.00pm. No wonder Sunday cricket is dying at these clubs!! When I played in the Sussex League, I'm sure it used to start at 2.00pm.
8 ) My local club charges £150 playing membership for the season and £13 match fees. Is this normal?
9) Club captains copy Test Matches and don't have a Third Man. It drives me mad to see every edge go for four. Make them work for their runs.
10 ) Warming up before the game. Proper routines. Cones etc. Far cry from my era. Couple of stretches. quick throw to the keeper, fags stubbed out, into battle. For the batsmen, couple of balls thrown at you and away you went. On away trips, even a couple of pints weren't ruled out sometimes and I am talking 1st eleven level!!!

Broadly what I've seen............

The way the games are structured now, the art of batting for a draw is also disappearing - points for winning, wickets and runs and barely any reward for toughing it out, which I always thought was a great part of a batter's education.

Membership cost looks a bit on the high side - think ours is about £50 plus £10 match fee, but we rent the ground/changing rooms (conversely the 'bar' doesn't make much money though). Games are 1pm start and usually finish about 7 - I think the 110 over games are those in the County League ?
 


Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,324
Uffern
Agree - such a simple thing to do. I also think most clubs have kind of given up on bespoke websites, as they use the ECB play-cricket portal (for the leagues, they have to for stats/results etc) so details are usually on there - it's not great though as there isn't usually enough info, and not well-maintained by many clubs

http://www.play-cricket.com/

We use Play Cricket - it does allow you to set contact details.

Just experienced the same problem with Portslade's site. How hard can it be to put contact details up?
 


Giraffe

VERY part time moderator
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patreon
Aug 8, 2005
26,456
We've discussed this before - I've described how I turned my back on League cricket years ago, due to the proliferation of dinlows taking themselves too seriously.

Spotted this on the BBC, from over the weekend.

Opposition batsman on 98 - two runs short of his first ever ton, with two runs needed to win the game. So the opposition bowler chucks a deliberate no-ball to the boundary to finish the game. What an utter, utter prick.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/45075013

That is truly stunning. I just can't believe anyone would do this. Total lack of respect for the game and pride for himself.
 


brightonrock

Dodgy Hamstrings
Jan 1, 2008
2,482
My favourite - after our temperamental opening bowler sent down four balls in a row that beat the flailing outside edge, to his...err...consternation...second slip chirps "keep going buddy, try one with a bell in it."

Sent from my VTR-L09 using Tapatalk
 




coagulantwolf

New member
Jun 21, 2012
716
The way the games are structured now, the art of batting for a draw is also disappearing - points for winning, wickets and runs and barely any reward for toughing it out, which I always thought was a great part of a batter's education.

Maybe it's an age thing but I disagree. I love Test cricket and the importance of not giving your wicket away. But a one day game at both county and international cricket is only win/lose with no draw - so why do we play our one day club level cricket with draws? The notion that you bat first, rack up 300-5 declared off 40 overs and then watch the oppo have no interest in chasing and finish on 100-5 off 50 overs is just a complete waste of a game...

I'm all for win/lose only cricket at club level.
 


dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Mar 27, 2013
52,020
Burgess Hill
Maybe it's an age thing but I disagree. I love Test cricket and the importance of not giving your wicket away. But a one day game at both county and international cricket is only win/lose with no draw - so why do we play our one day club level cricket with draws? The notion that you bat first, rack up 300-5 declared off 40 overs and then watch the oppo have no interest in chasing and finish on 100-5 off 50 overs is just a complete waste of a game...

I'm all for win/lose only cricket at club level.

Must be an age thing :) ......for a developing cricketer, being told to go out and bat for even, say, 10 overs to avoid defeat is great training - technique, patience etc. What happens now is 40 over games are often done in 20 overs for the side batting second in a blaze of slogging once the second team batting know they have no chance of winning. I guess it shortens the day and gets people to the pub earlier.
 


Aveacarlin'

New member
Jul 5, 2011
1,177
We've discussed this before - I've described how I turned my back on League cricket years ago, due to the proliferation of dinlows taking themselves too seriously.

Spotted this on the BBC, from over the weekend.

Opposition batsman on 98 - two runs short of his first ever ton, with two runs needed to win the game. So the opposition bowler chucks a deliberate no-ball to the boundary to finish the game. What an utter, utter prick.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/45075013
There may be some previous between them. In which case, I could see the temptation [emoji3]

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 








Diablo

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Sep 22, 2014
4,173
lewes
But were you still allowed to play?

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Yes..see below....

On the Course

Recognised golf attire is required at all times. Tailored shorts may be worn and we ask that men’s shirts be tucked in at all times. Our policy is to encourage white socks when wearing shorts..
 




Aveacarlin'

New member
Jul 5, 2011
1,177
Yes..see below....

On the Course

Recognised golf attire is required at all times. Tailored shorts may be worn and we ask that men’s shirts be tucked in at all times. Our policy is to encourage white socks when wearing shorts..
Some clubs insist on socks being visible too, no trainer/ankle socks. Fair enough.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
 


LlcoolJ

Mama said knock you out.
Oct 14, 2009
12,982
Sheffield
Some clubs insist on socks being visible too, no trainer/ankle socks. Fair enough.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
So they're encouraging people to dress like a dick?

Surely anyone with one iota of style would make sure that their socks weren't visible, or were only ankle level, when wearing shorts.

It's bonkers.
 


Aveacarlin'

New member
Jul 5, 2011
1,177
So they're encouraging people to dress like a dick?

Surely anyone with one iota of style would make sure that their socks weren't visible, or were only ankle level, when wearing shorts.

It's bonkers.
It's more about golf etiquette than style and following the clubs dress code. I play a bit myself but tend to avoid places where there is such stringent dress code in place.

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LlcoolJ

Mama said knock you out.
Oct 14, 2009
12,982
Sheffield
It's more about golf etiquette than style and following the clubs dress code. I play a bit myself but tend to avoid places where there is such stringent dress code in place.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk
Yeah I get it mate. Not that it makes any sense. "You must dress like a tit or you're not welcome". Funny.
 


hans kraay fan club

The voice of reason.
Helpful Moderator
Mar 16, 2005
61,094
Chandlers Ford
Maybe it's an age thing but I disagree. I love Test cricket and the importance of not giving your wicket away. But a one day game at both county and international cricket is only win/lose with no draw - so why do we play our one day club level cricket with draws? The notion that you bat first, rack up 300-5 declared off 40 overs and then watch the oppo have no interest in chasing and finish on 100-5 off 50 overs is just a complete waste of a game...

I'm all for win/lose only cricket at club level.

It isn’t a waste of a game though.

If you’re talking league cricket, then there will be bonus points structured so the team batting first in your scenario will not be hard done by. And it is all about declaring at the right time to give the opposition the carrot to chase, and yourselves plenty of overs to get the 10 wickets.

If you are talking about Sunday cricket then IMO you are fundamentally wrong. See the game I describe on page 1 of this thread for a perfect illustration. Opposition insisted on a 40 over win/lose game, against out wishes. We score 334/3 (there’s no way we would have batted past 250 if we had the option to declare). They found themselves 50/5, with 25 overs left, and everyone is out there in the heat, going through the motions. Chasing the target is an impossibility and we don’t need the wickets. That is pointless.

If the draw was on the table, we might still have had a tense finish, even though one side had been outplayed.
 


hans kraay fan club

The voice of reason.
Helpful Moderator
Mar 16, 2005
61,094
Chandlers Ford
There may be some previous between them. In which case, I could see the temptation [emoji3]

Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk

Think someone mentioned earlier that there was.

I’m not sure. I don’t think there was.

Even if there was, its irrelevant. If I was bowling and I guy I couldn’t stand was on 98, I’d relish the chance to try to dismiss him 2 short. Bring it on.
 


Publius Ovidius

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
45,919
at home
Yes..see below....

On the Course

Recognised golf attire is required at all times. Tailored shorts may be worn and we ask that men’s shirts be tucked in at all times. Our policy is to encourage white socks when wearing shorts..

Same at brighton and Hove GC , but to be honest, we haven't a steward roaming the course picking people up on their attire. Jeans are an absolute no no, but I played a match a few weeks ago against a local club and a couple of their players played in trainers. The was a few raised eyebrows, but with the state of the ground, spikes and even spikeless shoes were not required.

The only issue I saw was when they went in the bunkers they struggled to stop slipping whilst playing their shots.
 




dazzer6666

Well-known member
NSC Patreon
Mar 27, 2013
52,020
Burgess Hill
I’m not sure. I don’t think there was.

Even if there was, its irrelevant. If I was bowling and I guy I couldn’t stand was on 98, I’d relish the chance to try to dismiss him 2 short. Bring it on.

100% this.......knocking his middle stump over would be infinitely more satisfying than denying him his 100 by lobbing down a wide.
 


Publius Ovidius

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
45,919
at home
I gave up league cricket a few years ago as I was becoming ( and @Hans will tell you I always was ) an ******** on the field. In my yoof I played a very good standard in the sussex county league for brighton and Hove and that is where my attitude developed as it was like playing hard test match cricket every game. There was precious little enjoyment, and we had the likes of Kepler Wessels playing for us who was such a miserable sod, it radiated through the team.

I played brighton league games and thought I was a far better player than I was and would react to teams like newhaven which was really unpleasant experience. I was a half decent bowler and decent batter, but used to take it far too seriously.

My last 20 years was in the East Sussex league which again was very seriously, but actually enjoyable apart from some teams who were horrible to play against. I ended up helping out the thirds which was old men and little children and ended up not enjoyable and so I gave it up. When a 10 year old sledges you when you miss a full toss, you know it is time to call it a day.
 



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