Changes to 2010 rules and regulations

Couldnt agree more about earlier starts and finishes for one day games.
Although I live near Sheffield too I do have a car and I like to get back in time to go out for the evening when I am in the UK. This would be easier for me with an early start. Games start earlier in late season so why not early and mid season too?
Work as cabin crew so a bit restricted. Would always be happy to provide a lift to another Yorkshire supporter if buses a prob.
Kerry

An enquiry about the new 20/20 league.
I know that a county can now play two overseas players in the competition,but is this also the maximum number they are able to register?

Looking forward to next years changes to the one-day game. Should make for an exciting season! Glad to see the ECB hasn't changed the format of the county championship, we need the longer form of the game to build test match players. Saying that, I agree with Ken Kennington's comment about trying to play championship games over the weekend. I can't usually go to championship games due to them being played midweek, when I'm at work.

Please consider starting the 40 over games earlier. Finishing at 7.30 (especially) on a Sunday makes it difficult getting home by public transport. I live in Sheffield, and when leaving Headingley at 7.30 on a Sunday, I know it will be about 11pm by the time I'm home given what the trains are like at that time of the week. Can the games not be played, say, 12:15 to 18:00? This makes getting home so much easier (especially on Sundays).

Surely I'm not the only cricket fan in the country that finds public transport a real pain at 7.30pm on Sunday?

I think 3 for win and 1 for a draw is good idea. I also think number of championship games should be reduced, I would favor a slight variation to your suggestion, by having a two-division competition, division 1 of six (10 matches) with a final played between the top two teams to decide champions (mirroring Australia's Sheffield Shield), and division 2 of twelve teams (11 matches), with 2 promoted and relegated each season, as I think there would be too big a gap between divisions 1 and 3 of a 3 division system, and it will be hard for selectors to pick players playing in division 3 as will be hard to judge the standard of the cricket.

I think another advantage of playing 10-11 championship matches is that all matches could be played Friday to Monday, which should make them better attended and therefore more profitable (and make counties less dependent on Sky money), and this should still leave enough weekends left for around 14 one day matches to be played at the weekends, as well as plenty of midweek floodlight games.

I would have three divisions of six, this would mean that with fewer matches, they could be contested over 5 days. This would increase the interest of the coutny championship and help young players prepare for test cricket.
I would remove current bonus points system and have 1 point for a draw/tie and 3 for a win to encourage risky declarations and make for exciting finishes

When will the 2010 Domestic Fixture List be published ?

Neil Kerrison 11/11/09

ECB No fixed announcement date; going to be mid/late November

Regarding the County Championship points system, I'm pleased to hear that the ECB are reviewing this, I suggest two ideas to improve the county championship.

1. To help counter the threat of rain/bad light affecting the results of matches, for every hour lost during the match, each team would forfeit one second innings wicket (up to the amount of second innings wickets left by the first team to second.) This should make the match then fit into the amount of time remaining left to play the match, and hence reduce chances of a draw.

2. The bonus points system should be revised and reduced relative to total number of points available. It seems the current system encourages drawn matches by favoring the batsmen (5 bonus points) to the bowler (3), it awards points for practically just turning up for the match (i.e you get 1 point for managing just 200 runs or 3 wkts in 120 overs- which almost every team manages to achieve), and it encourages batsmen to bat for too long a period of the match in their first innings (i.e. up to 240 overs for first innings to get maximum points, leaving only 144 overs to complete both second innings, assuming no lost overs.)

I propose- 1 point for 300 runs/ 5 wkts, 2 points for 350 runs/ 7 wkts, 3 points for 400 runs/ 9 wkts in first 100 overs respectively. With 14 points for win, 4 for draw, 7 for tie, as present.
Any thoughts on these ideas?