Inside the pavilion: We have inconsistent muddled overkill (From Gazette Series)

Cricket column by former Gloucestershire chairman John Light

9:29am Thursday 1st July 2010 in Sport

AT LAST! A home win in the T20, and a win that gave the home crowd real excitement.

The match result being decided on the last ball. It was a typical victory. Bat first - achieve a defendable target - just. Then apply the Bristol squeeze.

On a wicket that was true to type and with tight bowling and fielding confronting them, Middlesex gave way. Gloucestershire have now defeated them three times this season - once in every form of the game.

Richard Dawson, restored to the side after two pastings received by Vikram Banerjee, was the pick of the bowlers, as he had been in the defeat at the Rose Bowl on Friday evening.

The only other redeeming feature there had been the audacious batting of Chris Dent.

Top-scoring against Essex on his debut, Chris continued in the same exciting vein. In partnership with Franklin and Snell, he threatened to win the game. He struck the ball to all areas of the ground - playing shots I knew he had, and many others as well.

With more than half the fixtures played in the T20 competition, some conclusions can now be drawn. These conclusions are all the more valid because last year I heard the ECB hopes for the competition and was able to state Gloucestershire’s wishes.

We asked for: 1) Local derbies - our home match with Somerset last year raised more money than three years of championship cricket at Bristol!; 2) Matches to be played on Friday nights or Sunday afternoons; 3) Overseas players to be centrally signed by the ECB and then drafted to the counties; 4) Central contracts relaxed, allowing the best English players to play.

What happened? The North South division meant lucrative fixtures with Worcester and Warwickshire were denied us, we still have to play on days other than Friday/Sunday as the richer counties have more purchasing power, and there is no prospect of a relaxation in central contracts - overall a good thing, but too rigidly applied.

What have we got? To use a musical analogy, an Elvis Presley of a competition has been turned into one for Matt Munro.

There is inconsistent, muddled overkill. I have been to five different grounds and, in splendid weather, have experienced small crowds and decreasing interest. To quote John Bracewell ‘matches that should be events are just becoming fixtures’.

There is a real danger. Outside the control of the ECB, large counties are again thinking of the franchise system. Eight centres - Test match grounds all playing in an IPL format. A meeting attended by Yorkshire, Lancashire and Surrey was held in India this March. Following that meeting it was suggested to Gloucestershirre that they amalgamate with Somerset and Glamorgan and play at Cardiff. The suggested name for the team was Celtic Counties!

I have just done a 170-mile round trip to Hampshire to watch an out-of-form Gloucestershire. I would not cross Minchinhampton Common to watch Celtic Counties.

I have an answer. The current season is 23 weeks long. Surely this is long enough for the 16 Championship matches to be played midweek and the two one-day competitions played on Sundays only. As spectators we would know what was going on and the players would be spared the demands the current season imposes.

For example: Friday, June 25 - T20 v Hampshire away; Sunday, June 27 T20 at Bristol; Monday, June 28 to Thursday, July 1 - four-day Championship match at Bristol. Friday, Juy 2 - T20 at Bristol. Seven days’ cricket out of eight! Two different competitions! Ridiculous!

Meanwhile, we have a new signing. Aaron Redmond is a New Zealander, an opening bat and a leg break bowler. He was already in England so could step into Ian Butler’s place.

Do you agree with John Light? Have your say below.