BBC - Kevin Howells' blog

Time for three divisions?

2011-11-15T11:30:00Z

I have been persuaded that a radical shake-up of county cricket is needed.

After talking to several people involved at ECB and county level, I have decided to write down what I think should happen to the County Championship.

To accept this idea you do have to either agree that there are too many matches played at present or you are at least as fed up as I am about the number of times changes are discussed.

I don't like the idea that the Championship should be reduced to create space in the schedule, but I do concede that whilst protecting the first-class game one cannot ignore the money which the shorter formats - most notably T20 - brings in.

What is wrong with two divisions? Not a lot in my opinion and the most recent seasons have created some terrific stories.

However, those of us who like to think of the Championship as being more than just a set of trial matches need to lead the debate and not follow it.

So here goes with my solution.

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Glen Chapple's Lancashire would have had to play off for the County Championship title under Kevin Howells's plan to revamp the domestic first-class game (Getty Images).

Have three divisions of six teams (not conferences and not regional). Each team would play a minimum of 11 matches and a maximum of 12.

Matches 1-10 would be played home and away for league points.

Matches 11 and 12 would be play-offs and drawn matches, when the teams have the same points, would be decided by super overs.

In terms of the play-offs, firstly, the teams finishing second and third in each division would play one another. The winner would go on to play the side finishing top for the right to be crowned Champions.

In Divisions Two and Three the sides involved in match 12 would both be promoted.

At the other end of the table, those in fifth and sixth would play one another, the winner of which would then play the team in fourth. The winner of match 12 would stay up and the two losing sides from matches 11 and 12 would be relegated.

Those bottom three clubs in Division Three would be different. The bottom club would play twice, against the teams in fifth and fourth, needing to win both to avoid the wooden spoon.

Overcomplicated it may be but other sports work with even more complicated systems and they make them a success.

Are play-offs fair and good for the integrity of the competition? No. But most other professional sports have taken them on and the majority of supporters have bought into the entertainment and interest which they bring.

Of course the weather is a factor which most other sports don't have to contend with but this promotes entertainment and skills.

It may be tough on what might amount to the same teams in Division Three, but already in the current format promotion from the Second Division is seemingly unattainable for them.

However, this suggestion creates a new sense of challenge which should act as a good incentive.

As I wrote at the outset, if you don't see the need for change and you don't think the lobby for fewer matches will ever win their case, fair enough.

But also be certain that the lobby to remove two county teams from the 18 will not prevail. Fewer matches, in my mind, is the lesser evil.

If you do see the game losing its place even further at the table in the national media and in sporting awareness then at least give the idea some thought.

During the writing of this piece I spoke to someone on the phone on an unrelated matter.

I explained what I was doing and I could hear their despair, and he is someone who has followed and given a lot to the game for many years.

We will not fall out over it because he and I know that we both want what is best for county cricket.

I hope you have read it and think about it in the same spirit.

Changes will take place, I am sure, so let's grasp the issue now.

My County XI of the season

2011-09-20T10:55:00Z

This job I hate. Whoever I pick in a County XI will upset somebody and I'm sure they will let me know.

It is a difficult job when you factor in how many games each player played, on what surfaces and what sort of form their respective sides were in.

I have little opportunity to watch Division Two cricket, so that had to be taken into account. This was the XI I first drew up. Can I stick with it?

1) Marcus Trescothick (Somerset): He's about the only one I think I can get away with without anyone coming back at me. More than 1,600 runs with six hundreds. Moving along now...

2) Michael Carberry (Hampshire): Played in only nine games because of his well-doumented health scare, but look at his three hundreds and the team's turn-around in form after his return, which roughly coincides with that amazing late run they embarked on. I acknowledge it was more the Hampshire middle order and bowling, rather than the top order which didn't fire early in the season. Carberry also has a presence in the field and I don't think there is a better opener, aside from Trescothick, turning out in the county game.

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Jonathan Bairstow topped Yorkshire's County Championship averages, scoring 1,015 runs at 46.13 (Getty Images)

3) Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire): Averaged 51 with three hundreds, and has been elevated to open with Nottinghamshire. Exciting talent and he's in at three for me.

4) Dale Benkenstein (Durham): Gets the No.4 position based on averages and reliability. Four centuries and an average of 61 will do me. A terrific performer and bloke. I love watching him go about his cricket. James Taylor ran him close. The Leicestershire batsman struck only one hundred and averaged 38 in Division Two, but he's a good character with a bit of spirit to him. I think he is the best No.4 playing in county cricket and I would have selected him for his performances for the England Lions more than Leicestershire, so he just misses out. Samit Patel, of Notts, also has a case. His stats are good - a couple of hundreds and an average of 42. His bowling can be useful too.

5) Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire): Won the Cricket Writers’ Club Young Cricketer of the Year award for 2011 with an average of 46 and 1,000 runs. He's not blameless for Yorkshire's relegation this year but he is a powerful and entertaining player. His only possible danger is getting ahead of himself but futher good guidance will stop that. With that, there will be years of fun cricket to come from him.

6) Ben Stokes (Durham): He's in because those who know him best say we won't see too much more of him in county cricket. So much of his season was lost to injury but the way he started the campaign was exceptional, including the episode of five sixes in one over at Southampton. His inclusion in the England one-day team was poor timing. His confidence was still returning after a serious finger injury and he should have stayed where he was, with Durham. Jos Buttler, of Somerset, didn't fire throughout the whole season so he misses out and he's in need of a full year of consistent performances.

7) Phil Mustard (Durham, wkt): Scored good runs and a very good keeper. He and Chris Read are the best in the country but Mustard gets the nod because of his runs - the Durham man averaged 51 this season, compared to 37 for the Notts captain. Maybe Read's record would be the same at Chester-le-Street but I don't know. Lancashire's Gareth Cross and Ben Scott at Worcestershire are good players but I stick with the Colonel.

8) Chris Woakes (Warwickshire): Reported to have an extra yard of pace this season and capable of match-winning bowling and both match-saving and match-winning batting. He has some impressive figures to show off, taking 56 wickets and averaging 48 with the bat. He couldn't help finish it all off for Warwickshire this season but I know they're concerned about how much work he has had to get through over the last 12 months. Let's hope he gets a break. Watch pigs fly at a cinema near you. Can I find a place for Gloucestershire's Will Gidman for his 1,000 runs and 50 wickets? He had an outstanding season but I can't be certain he is better than those chosen. However, he is a name that is generating a great deal of interest.

9) Glen Chapple (Lancashire, capt): Led Lancashire to their first outright County Championship title since 1934, taking 55 wickets and scoring vital runs late on with the bat. One of the game's most naturally gifted match-changers. Nobody works harder on a cricket field. The other candidate was Nottinghamshire's Andre Adams after another year of wicket taking - 67 for the season and seven five-wicket hauls. Another very close call.

10) Ryan Sidebottom (Yorkshire): Finished with 62 wickets for a relegated side. He is still one of the country's most skillful bowlers and would enhance any of the teams that were succesful this year. My attack is short of a big bruiser but, on the sort of pitches we've seen this year, does that matter? Warwickshire all-rounder Rikki Clarke is a story of vast improvement, while Nottinghamshire's Luke Fletcher has a big winter ahead of him. Whatever shape we find him in next April will tell us if he has what it takes to be a top performer. James Anyon of Sussex couldn't sufficiently build on a fantastic performance in front the TV cameras early in the season against Notts. Kyle Hogg had an excellent season for Lancashire and I would love to have found a place for Durham's Graham Onions. Worcestershire's Alan Richardson and David Masters of Essex deserve mentions. With so many wickets between them, how can I leave them out? It's very difficult because both of them are match-winners but I can't pick either ahead of the ones I've chosen. I stick with Sidebottom.

11) Gary Keedy (Lancashire): How difficult is this one? Sussex's Monty Panesar took eight more wickets but having bowled many more overs. As batsmen and fielders they each have their moments of worth to a team, even if it's a supporting role. There are plenty of exciting spinners around, of which Lancashire's Simon Kerrigan is right up there. He took 24 wickets in just four matches, including two match-winning performances and one at Liverpool in the penultimate round which kept alive their title hopes. There is Durham's Scott Borthwick and Hampshire's Danny Briggs but I stick with Keedy for services already given and for being part of the Championship-winning side. He just, and I mean just, edges it for me.

So, that XI includes three players from teams relegated and only two from the county champions. Durham finished third, so picking three of their lads is fine, as is selecting Woakes from second-placed Warwickshire. I know Lancashire won the prized title but do any of their top six stand out above the men named above? I couldn't be certain that one does right now.

Please post your own teams and I look forward to reading the arguments for and against. I'm especially keen on hearing your Division Two reviews.

Why Lancashire are worthy champions

2011-09-16T10:10:00Z

Congratulations Lancashire. Writing the morning after they won the Championship, I'm thinking back to what took place at the end of their victory in Taunton.

Malcolm Lorimer, the club chaplain and historian, was bursting with pride and happiness. As he and I were standing on the Somerset ground surrounded by supporters, players and coaches celebrating he said: "Those 77 years are tangible". He was right.

As the Blackpool and Bolton lads Steven Croft and Karl Brown saw them home, the players did all the expected things - singing, jumping and hugging one another.

It was done with smiling faces but the eyes told a different story. One of shock.

Some were tearful, such as director of cricket Mike Watkinson and Gary Keedy. Several of them had tasted defeat and misery too often before and came across as dignified winners from whom the millstone was lifted.

Glen Chapple is a greatly talented all-round cricketer. He is also one of the hardest working. His performance in that final match with such a serious hamstring injury is beyond the understanding of an sidelines observer like myself.

Much is rightly made of the young nature of the side but that collective who have come through the ranks of the second XI together needed the experience of the skipper, along with Keedy, Saj Mahmood, Mark Chilton and, on occasions, James Anderson.

Sri Lankan Farveez Maharoof made himself a popular signing. Kyle Hogg showed us what we've missed through injury and was able to perform on surfaces and grounds which better suited him.

Stephen Moore is one very talented batsman who scored vital runs, none more so than in the last two weeks of the campaign.

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Glen Chapple led Lancashire to their first outright County Championship win since 1934

This Championship-winning success owes something to playing away from Manchester but I only have to think back to the Roses match in Leeds and the sheer nerve and application they produced there to be convinced that the story does not belong to the outgrounds.

It belongs to a squad of players with good guidance who can progress from here and do it again.

I can't feel too sorry for Warwickshire. Twelve months ago they were all but relegated. To enter the final day this year as the favourites to become champions deserves a trophy in itself.

They need another batsman and another spinner, but even accounting for the likely loss of Chris Woakes more often next season, to speak now of a developing squad of players is not paying lip service to their chances of being in the mix again next September.

Durham were too inconsistent in the later stages to be too miffed about their third position. Short of another good seam bowler and maybe some stronger batting long term, they are moving in the right direction and Mark Stoneman was encouraging this time.

If the pre-season pundits by and large failed to spot the eventual top two, then the predictions of Durham imploding in the north east were way off the mark.

It's pleasing to see a descending number wins from top to bottom as well. For the champions, 10 victories in 16 matches is good going.

Worcestershire can be excused if they fancy picking up a couple more draws next season, or they can continue to keep us all on our toes. They took the idea of crazy cricket to new extremes at times.

I wonder if they might look at Lancashire and believe they might turn their group of local lads into something similar. Some additions would be required but they were as competitive as most for all bar two or three hours in nearly every game they played.

It was a difficult year for Sussex, who like Worcestershire, can feel very satisfied with staying up.

Somerset missed Zander de Bruyn and this time they couldn't recover as well from a poor start as they they did in 2010. Supporters in the south west are concerned that unless a couple of experienced players, ideally all-rounders, are brought in next year it might be a struggle.

Outgoing champions Nottinghamshire need runs. Michael Lumb is signed and Alex Hales should be around for another season at least before he gets heavily involved with England.

If bowler Luke Fletcher gets his head down as, for example, Ben Stokes did last winter, 2012 could be the year for him to really move on.

Yorkshire's demise is something else. Their chairman Colin Graves, who having become the life support machine of the club, has every right to say what he wants and where he wants about it, and indeed he has.

I don't doubt the players have let them down but I wrote before the season began that international disruptions could be key and a good start was essential.

They didn't get it, and I agree with Ryan Sidebottom when he mentioned the early defeat by Nottinghamshire as being key.

As then champions Notts were tough opponents, but Yorkshire got into position to win that game in Leeds and the panic button was pressed.

They needed more 'know how' out on the park and they were short of a steady 'been there, done that' character when things started to fold. To underestimate the challenge to come back up will be an even bigger mistake.

Hampshire's end-of-season run in losing one match in eight must be a real sickner at The Rose Bowl.

I'm starting to see that the end of one season can have a big impact on the start of the next no matter the six months in between and they will come straight back up. Jimmy Adams looks a good captain in the making.

Lack of time means I get to see vey little second division cricket but I would imagine both Middlesex and Surrey will provide new tough opposition to the top flight, which in turn could mean an even closer, more unpredictable season. No, no, and please again, no. I can't take much more of this.

Just who will win the County Championship?

2011-09-06T16:25:00Z

It was more than just a joke from a colleague last week to drily quip that with fewer than two weeks to go before the end of the season it was far too early to be thinking about who can win the County Championship.

You save that sort of punditry until the last day of the competition.

It could be Durham and, for no other reason than a gut feeling, I think it will be.

They're certainly missing something when it comes to the big one-day knock-out games, and with some key players suffering from injury and a lack of form, added to losing players to England, they fell away at an important time over the last month.

But a victory over Sussex last week, and with Worcestershire to play at home in the final week, they are still right there with a chance.

What pleases me most about their performances is the fact that they have rallied since last season. A third title in four years would be something special.

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Will Smith led Durham to a second successive County Championship title in 2009 (Getty Images)

Warwickshire were supposed to be a side who would be more concerned about the bottom rather the top of the table this time around.

Chris Woakes is clearly a gifted performer and the emergence of Boyd Rankin, along with the vastly improved bowling of Rikki Clarke, has meant that they can dismiss sides twice and in quick time on occasions. But like all of their rivals, their batting can be far too brittle.

There lies the problem for all the pundits. How can you predict outcomes when, encouraged by some dodgy pitches, batsmen decide their time could be better spent in the field?

What can you write about Lancashire? I think they have the best bowling attack in the country.

Playing on surfaces which suit them away from Old Trafford, they still have the ideal opportunity to end that 77-year wait to be outright champions. For their batting see above.

Then there is Somerset. A bitty season appeared to be kick-started by a three-match winning streak, which was ended by a rain-ruined game at home to Nottinghamshire, although for what play there was the visitors to Taunton were well on top.

Since then they have suffered another defeat at home to the 'jokers' in the pack, Hampshire.

The Rose Bowl outfit are having the biggest laugh of them all. Their cricket secretary had every right three weeks ago to be booking some early hotel deals for next season in Division Two.

Since then the brochures have arrived and sit on the desk unopened whilst the team decides how much longer they can keep up the great escape.

They have beaten three of the top four in the last month and finish the season against Lancashire and Warwickshire.

Michael Carberry is a quality batsman and his comeback from a genuine health scare is a reminder to us all what is really important.

But his return has coincided with some quality performances from the team.

Maybe next year they can start their season at the same time as everybody else. But in which division?

Yorkshire's plight looks hopeless. Director of cricket Martyn Moxon has been honest enough to say the team have not been able to perform well enough for long enough in a game.

I'd add that they are a young side with a young captain in Andrew Gale who probably could have done with a bit more experience out there with him at times.

Worcestershire's season has been similar to Yorkshire's in the sense that they can play some good cricket and probably maintain a good position in a game for even longer, but their bad sessions have been really bad.

They now face a crucial game against the team they came up with last year, Sussex, whose current form is a worry as they are without a win in five games.

For the neutral, there would be something reassuring about the health of the competition if we could avoid yet another season when the two teams relegated are the same as those promoted the previous year, although right now Hampshire and Yorkshire would clearly disagree.

Talking of promotion, Surrey put the Division Two promotion race into a spin last week in Northampton.

Worcestershire enjoyed a similar winning run late in 2010 and the same could be happening to Rory Hamilton-Brown's men.

I hope a few of the established Division One clubs are in currently informing their finance departments that a bit more money may be needed to help pay for hotels in London in Olympic year.

Twitter feeds at the ready and don't forget check out the BBC coverage online and on the radio over the next 10 days. Details here on the website.

It's that time of year when plans are being put in place for the winter. One thing I'm looking forward to is an idea to chart the more recent history of county cricket.

Stories of crowds queuing up at the gates for certain games are not so common these days.

There is the odd frightening sight at Scarborough on Sundays when Yorkshire play there when there is a mad rush down the bank to get the best seats in front of the pavilion.

But what of the days when we were led to believe this was a common occurrence? It would be great to hear from you, whatever age, if you have stories and memories of county cricket matches and players from down the years.

If you have time, contact me either here on the comments section or if you prefer via kevin.howells@bbc.co.uk

Is money - and England - spoiling the county game?

2011-08-31T14:50:00Z

There is a financial theme running through my ramblings this week.

Should the size of prize money, including the Champions League, mean we spectators should all take T20 more seriously?

So seriously that we take a view that last weekend's Edgbaston finals day was unacceptable and nothing more than a farce.

I for one, and the vast majority of Twitter followers, thought it was a great day.

Congratulations to Sally Brooks of the ECB and her team who appeared to do a very good job.

A running order was turned on its head and they got through, providing one of the best days of drama and sporting theatre you can find.

General sports programmes normally packed to the brim with football on Saturday felt compelled to cross over to Edgbaston.

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Ben Stokes's explosive form for Durham this summer has been rewarded with an England call-up for the one-day and Twenty20 matches against India (Getty Images)

But a question remains. Were the players and clubs short-changed by truncated games and one-over eliminators?

One former international player, who in my opinion never writes or speaks an unreasonable word, told me it was unfair on players who had worked so hard to reach finals day for it all to end that way.

Clubs also invest quite heavily in players with the prospect of Champions League gold to come at the end of the season.

All of that I understand, but back in 2003, when the format first took off, this was about the watching spectators. It was about bringing new people into the game.

The fact there is now more money involved makes not a jot of difference to the paying spectator and therefore is perhaps not good enough reason to change.

I received very little support to my recent tweet, frustrated by England taking a second-string squad of players out of the Championship season in its final month to play a one-day game in Ireland. In fact I took a bit of abuse.

However, persuading people to take the County Championship seriously as a competition is not easy at the best of times and the scheduling of that match and the squad chosen makes it even more difficult.

Perhaps it is time to treat the domestic first-class game as a trial system for England and nothing else. It's something which would conveniently suit too many people including, so I'm told, some county chief executives.

One idea which came my way was that county clubs could receive points as well as financial compensation for every day of Championship cricket that they lost any player, other than those centrally contracted, to an England call-up.

Durham supporters, for example, who have lost Ben Stokes for the one-day series against India, would at least feel the time they give supporting their team is better appreciated.

The aim of a club should be two-fold; to provide both England players and try and win things. But it's becoming increasingly difficult to believe in the Championship as a competition such is the extreme disruption which has become worse this year.

We can't do anything about the weather, which can seriously effect the destiny of the title, but we can do something about rewarding clubs who are both the best in the country and providing England players.

Again that reward needs to go beyond money, something of which the paying spectator cares little for when watching and supporting their team.

Instead, if they were awarded points, these points would be earned - unlike the calls for points to be given to clubs who play on away pitches deemed 'unfit' or 'poor'.

What will be disapointing is if in the future the Championship-winning side proves to be the one which produces the fewest number of players for England.

What should Hampshire do about Somerset's Pollard?

2011-08-24T16:52:10Z

Kieron Pollard is a brute. On the field that is, I'm sure the Trinidadian is a very pleasant sort of chap off it.

Nottinghamshire are the latest team to have found the West Indian dishing it out while playing Twenty20 cricket. It was for a second time in just under 12 months.

In this year's Friends Life t20 quarter-final he and Jos Buttler set about the Trent Bridge bowling attack with no mercy and everyone was taking for cover including us in the commentary box at the Radcliffe Road end.

More than 60 runs were needed off the last five overs and afterwards the defeated Outlaws were in tatters. Credit to them for still doing their PR bit in signing autographs for the youngsters but Samit Patel doing the interviews following the game was as low sounding as I have ever heard a player after a loss.

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Pollard was in devastating form in the semi-final against Nottinghamshire. PHOTO: GETTY

Ahead of this weekend I have spoken to Mick Newell, the Nottinghamshire director of cricket. He pointed out that Somerset are not a one-man show - If you're going to talk about Pollard you also have to mention the even younger Buttler. That quarter-final afternoon Pollard finished with an unbeaten 47 from 25 balls and Buttler 34 not out from 14 balls in a stand of 66 in 26 balls.

How do you stop them? Well after losing in a semi-final last year and the last eight this season Newell is as good a man to ask as anyone.

"Bowl anything other than a perfect ball and you are in trouble. For Pollard the only thing that seem to cause him problems are bouncers. Last year Dominic Cork got him with one in the final and I think we tried a couple for us."

In fact the Cork bouncer floored Pollard and he took a serious blow, not that Cork intended injury of course. A dot ball or wicket would have been sufficient.

As for Butter: "He has more variation to his shots and that's why the yorker ball which doesn't quite hit the spot allows him to create something from it."

So more or less bowl short pitched to Pollard and york Buttler, it's that simple!

Newell thinks the favourites for this year's trophy have to come from the pair in the second semi-final, Hampshire and Somerset. His side have faced three of the four teams this season.

"Lancashire have nothing explosive but in Junaid Khan they hold a terrific 'death' bowler and Leicestershire have a game-plan and play their games with a confidence they don't yet find so easy in the other forms."

I have attended all finals days and as with Hampshire last year know how often to the least favoured sides do well. The day is long but fun and I am always encouraged by the number of people who stay on after their side has been eliminated. More often than not they are rewarded with a cracking final to enjoy. In case you are wondering there is a mascot race, with a secret twist apparently.

It isn't a sell out and I would hope that in years to come it could become so. To be frank there is no excuse because the domestic game is as entertaining as any and I know Steve Elworthy, the England & Wales Cricket Board director of marketing and communications will be number crunching over the next few weeks to work out how to encourage more people to attend.

Early signs are this summer those attending have been roughly the same number as last year which was around 632,000. Several clubs I've spoken to suggest a few more this year but we will have to wait to get the exact number.

Tickets for finals day flew out of Taunton whilst Lancashire and Leicestershire did send some back without being sure how many of their supporters had gone directly to Edgbaston. But again the goal must be that all tickets are bought up in future years.

I'll been keen to know from the ECB how successful those matches played at outgrounds were and also is there any noticeable difference between appetite for the game in the south compared with the north.

All of this I'm sure will also figure in the current consultation over county cricket which will hopefully finally get to grips with too many games staring and played on too many different days of the week.

Next year it's very important that the original plan of playing T20 games Thursday to Sunday will come to be. Television can have their matches on Monday to Wednesday which would require each county giving up one of their home fixtures to their requirements.

Less is more and the game is moving in the right direction but some tough talking amongst the clubs and the broadcasters need to take place to clear up the schedule.

Secrets behind Lancashire's Championship challenge

2011-06-30T21:10:00Z

For those who can't or don't want to believe it, Lancashire could end up being crowned county champions this season. It's been a long, long wait for a title - 1934 and all that.

But the table tells us this could be the year. Most pundits didn't even notice them pre-season, and the casual observer has either never heard of some of their players, or worse written them off too early. They could be in for a bit of a shock.

The pundit's first line of defence is usually to say that if the unfancied teams are doing well, it doesn't say much for the rest.

Well, maybe they are over-achieving, but they employ players who are chasing Durham for a reason. That reason is a talent which suggests that should they finish the season strongly, regardless of the title, they could blossom into a very good squad.

Whether it's the pitches, the stupid schedule or lack of skill I don't know, but a look at the batting points won this season isn't great reading apart from Durham and I'm sure coaches are aware of it.

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Lancashire display the team spirit that has helped them to second in the County Championship after Simon Kerrigan takes a wicket against Warwickshire

Lancashire coach Peter Moores spared a few minutes with me after the defeat by Durham at Liverpool where the question of standards in the Championship had been raised after 18 wickets had fallen before tea on the first day, despite the pitch inspector Peter Walker declaring the surface amongst the best he'd seen.

Moores is firm in saying to those who snipe from the sides "provide the evidence that standards are slipping".

He points at Jonathan Trott, Tim Bresnan and Matt Prior as three of the more recent players who have made such a strong impact for England because of what they've achieved in their grounding in the county game.

Talking of his own players as a group, Moores can't be certain how far some will go in their careers but he has no doubt that they are of a level which can only be written off by people who don't watch his team often enough.

I, for one, think opener Paul Horton plays the sort of innings we need more of. He is patient and protective of his wicket.

His fellow opener Stephen Moore is right up there in the frustration stakes as was shown again last week at Liverpool.

Playing himself in on the back of an excellent century at Nottingham, and even accounting for good bowling conditions, he does not give his wicket away. The knock at Trent Bridge had all the look of the same man picked for the England Lions.

That said, if there is an aspect of their team game which at present is over-acheiving it's the batting, not the bowling.

To watch Saj Mahmood in his last couple of matches has been a real joy. Moores is right when he says Mahmood probably bowled better against Durham than the previous week when he took 10 wickets.

Moores told me that Mahmood had been away in the winter in Australia, where it had been tough but he has come back better for it. It's said he's more relaxed about his game this year and Moore believes that has helped him because sometimes when you are "fighting the game, it can fight you back".

Another one being kept a close eye on by England is Kyle Hogg. Throw in exciting younger spinners Simon Kerrigan and Stephen Parry, and the experienced men like Glen Chapple, Gary Keedy and Mark Chilton, not to mention Jimmy Anderson who always seems to put in the effort when playing for the Red Rose, and perhaps their league position isn't such a surprise.

There is, of course, a lot of talk that playing away from Old Trafford is serving them well. Three seasons on the bounce they have drawn five of their home Championship games, but Moores says it's not only about the pitches but also the weather.

I would add that if the second part of the summer goes well, the results should mean very little argument when back in Manchester as to the way forward. Liverpool certainly seems to suit their type of bowling.

Twice now Lancashire have lost to Durham and for me the north east side show the better signs of mounting a consistent run of results, but Lancashire's next game will be a cracker. Yorkshire away.

Whether or not it's being said publicly, relations between the two teams don't appear to be at their best and with so much riding on the game for different reasons the match in Leeds is expected to be lively.

I don’t fancy picking my game that week. You have the Roses match, Durham down at Taunton and Sussex back up in Birmingham for the return against Warwickshire.

Both teams are in with a shout for the title, which neither expected to be at the start of the season.

My interest would centre around openers Chris Nash, of Sussex, and Varun Chopra, of the Bears. England don’t throw surprises any more but I expect both of them to be featuring in Lions selection meetings over the next few weeks.

There are also two bowlers catching the eye in Boyd Rankin and former Warwickshire man James Anyon. The latter is improving greatly and Rankin has the best jumping about in the crease, including most recently Marcus Trescothick.

I hope the season isn't dismissed because the challenging teams aren't the fashionable ones most people tipped.

There are areas of standards and schedule to be addressed but out of those probems still come entertainment and skill, as shown in the absorbing finish at Liverpool between the top two.

England begin new one-day era

2011-06-21T20:05:34Z

It's interesting that several commentators have expressed some disappointment that England didn't make even more changes to their one-day squads after a disappointing showing in the World Cup, but I think by England standards this is almost seismic. They don't shock us these days.

Under a new captain, national selector Geoff Miller told me the meetings to chose this squad were a bit longer than normal and Alastair Cook played his part in selection.

But as for introducing even more youth into the team, Miller says you have to be careful at looking too far into the future. He said: "It's the development of a side with seniority to make sure you keep winning. A lot of youngsters are knocking at the door but you can't put them all in at the same time".

]]> the penny has taken along time to drop, although it's not pennies but pounds which have been shed to show England he is ready for another chance after being left out on fitness grounds. According to Miller, the all-rounder has "wasted time over the last two years".

Even now, talking to both Patel's county coach Mick Newell as well as the international management, the jury is still out on whether or not Samit has it in him to maintain his improved application.

I don't take the issue lightly and although I'm no psychologist, I think this has been really hard for him to sort out. I noticed the mental side of his game will be closely monitored againt international opposition and he will face further examinations especially when things don't go so well.

With that in mind, I hope England can stick with him. He's still prone to have a rush of blood to the head and give away his wicket. His talent can't be in question otherwise England would have said 'goodbye and good night' a long time ago.

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Notts coach Mick Newell feels the penny has dropped for Samit Patel

As Miller put it, Patel has to make his place count in the dressing room. He said: "There are no half measures, you abide with the rules and regs Andy [Flower] places on each member of the team."

I don't know if ever we will see Paul Collingwood back in an England shirt. It is unlikely but he's told the England selectors that he's determined to force his way back after being left out. A century in Durham's current Championship game is an example of some drive left in the body and mind.

In truth he will need a lot of runs and although this is not unsual in selection, one or two other players are going to have fail over the next few months for the Durham man to be picked again.

A new captain and some young players in the squad means his age may count in his favour, at least in the short term. Miller talks of him being "inspirational over the last four or five years". Even so, it's a stiff challenge for him to force his way back.

Matt Prior will feel he had more to show and will be miffed, as will Steve Davies who might have missed the boat for the time being.

According to England, he needs to show more consistency but another issue for Davies is that not only has Craig Kieswetter been recalled with an improved technique and maturity, but should he get injured or fail to step up to a higher level there is Jonny Bairstow in the wings.

The Yorkshire keeper has work to do with the gloves but there is not a cleaner hitter of the ball in an exciting group of young players who know how to clear the boundary. But the Somerset man rightly get his chance first.

Miller says he has been working hard to correct his faults which led to him missing out over the winter and now is the time to give him a go opening with Cook.

Ben Stokes was the man I was most looking forward to watching for England in this one-day series, and I feel certain he would have been included but for that nasty injury. He really has come of age at the start of the season.

Tim Bresnan is another who, if not for injury, would have been included, although there are others who would have merited a good long chat.

Ajmal Shahzad is a frustrating case - his bowling has gone backwards this summer. One theory is too busy a head trying to do too many things with his bowling. So clear the mind, get back to doing what he did best and he should return.

Steven Finn and Jade Dernbach have given an opportunity to show their limited-overs talent along with Chris Woakes, and there are areas which could be tweaked as the summer progresses.

Overall, I like the squad. Four years until the next World Cup is a long way off if England fail to win matches here and now.

Rock and roll - the new face of t20

2011-05-30T15:12:32Z

X Factor comes to domestic Twenty20 in its ninth season this summer as the various marketing departments crank up a gear or two and tempt more people into their venues. If the weather is good, and I mean really good, the tournament will be a big success. If it rains it's a different story at most if not all grounds.

The star name this season is Sri Lankan spin king Muttiah Muralitharan, who has been signed up by Gloucestershire Gladiators. Yes that's right, Gloucestershire. They've failed to get past the group stage in the last three years but Murali is not just about success on the field but also off it. Commercial director Andrew Davies says advance ticket sales are good. So far, 5,000 have been sold for each of the first few home games, which is up on last year. The fact Murali signed a two-season deal with a club like Gloucestershire surprised many but Davies believes it shouldn't have done. It was down to John Bracewell, a respected international coach, and the team is a young one, which will appeal to Murali who will enjoy working with and encouraging them.

Steve Elworthy, the ECB director of marketing and communications, is hopeful for a good year. He says advance ticket sales around the country are looking "great". About last year he said: "There were 200,000 new spectators that came along to domestic t20 cricket." Signings such as Murali are encouraged but Elworthy says other so-called big names in the past have had a "mixed reaction" when it comes to impact on ticket sales. "Probably only the iconic ones such as Murali would make a real difference," he added.

]]> The earlier X Factor reference is over the invitation to fans to 'create your own band' with inflatable guitars which will made available for groups of people to sing and dance. Not everyone's idea of a good time but it's been given a lot of thought and I like the theory behind it.

They've studied the culture of what makes the Indian Premier League tick. "Bollywood has been integral along with the love of cinema in that part of the world," Elworthy adds. "In South Africa (his home country) it's the grass banks and barbeques or braai as they're known there."

What have they come up with for England and Wales? It's not kebabs or curry houses. "Music festivals, the country loves it's music", says Elworthy. The hope must be that cricket can identify itself more with pop star cricket fans such as Razorlight, Muse and not forgetting Lily Allen. Before you ask I am aware of their work, well at least some of it.

Trescothick was left haunted by their twenty20 final defeat at the hands of Hampshire last September

Whatever hard work is done by the marketing department Elworthy is determined the game should not become solely a gimmick and the integrity of the competition must be maintained.

The size of boundaries have been tinkered with this year, increasing the minimum size, although one shorter sided boundary will still be allowed. It's again to try and protect the skills employed by all players, notably the spinners. They need to be careful.

My own eyes have seen crowds deflated and dispirited by watching too much pushing for singles and batsman very nearly blocking the ball in damage limitation when slow, tight bowling is effective. The t20 crowd appears as much interested in sixes being smashed around the park as they are their own team winning. Good bowling wins you matches but, when it comes to this format, in my opinion the batting marvels remain longest in people's memory. A good example of this for me was Graham Napier's 152 not out for Essex in their 128-run victory over Sussex at Chelmsford in June 2008, a performance which included a record 16 sixes.

This format of cricket should be all about dramatic tales of the unexpected. Professional cricketers brought up to put winning ahead of everthing else will always do whatever it takes to win even if that means negative and less flash playing and that here misses the point.

Each of last year's finalists can put a case for returning. Dominic Cork will hope he can lead his Hampshire side to a succesful defence of the title while Nottinghamshire Outlaws can never be ignored.

Marcus Trescothick led his Somerset team to the runners-up spot in all three competitions last year but he told me that the defeat by Hampshire in the T20 final at the Rosebowl was the most painful and could keep him awake at nights. Cork's so called 'Dad's Army' won with the scores tied but having lost fewer wickets, just the one. They scrambled to parity on the very last ball with a leg bye. The nightmare moment for Trescothick was in the heat of the moment and you couldn't hear yourself think as he and his side failed to realise that if they'd whipped the ball to the keeper they would run out Dan Christian. He was also losing the plot. He left his crease to hobble to the non-striker's end when he was employing a runner due to injury. Stranded at the wrong end the umpires left it as long as they could before calling game over but still Tresco failed to pick up on it. As crazy as it was and understandable as it is now for Somerset to be cursing, those commentating also didn't spot it. It was the finish to beat them all.

Director of cricket at Taunton, Brian Rose admits: "The manner of defeat last year has given us added reason to win it this season." His side have one of the stongest line-ups, especially of players who can hit the ball cleanly. Rose adds: "It's imperitive that your top six to eight are ball strikers with perhaps one somewhere to nurdle it around."

Their signing of West Indian Kieron Pollard is inspired. "Spectacular" is Rose's view of the player but he's honest enough to admit his qualities as a bowler and fielder, with the latter especially outstanding, were not entirely known about when they first brought him to Taunton. After another successful spell in the IPL, Pollard joins them for their last eight group games. Before then South African Roelof van der Merwe will attempt some swashbuckling in the West Country.

Essex chief executive David East describes t20 games at Chelmsford as their "Test matches". Advance sales were reported to be up 15% on the same time last year. They do a good job of making life uncomfortable for visiting sides at their proud fortress on a Friday or Saturday night. Three times the club have reached finals day but they have never got past the last four. Each time they've been selected to play the first match on the big day and lost them all.

Eagles head coach Paul Grayson admits they have little to no time to get themselves ready but he's confident he has some of the best players available. From New Zealand he has Scott Styris and Tim Southee and whilst frustrated to be without Ryan ten Doeschate at the start of the season, who was away playing in the Indian Premier League, his arrival could be the key to their breaking the duck this season. "He's an outstanding player an all-round cricketer," says Grayson. "He makes an impact on games and hits the ball a country mile. He is more than useful with the ball and a superb fielder. He'll run through a brick wall for you, an unbelievable character. He's been with us for seven or eight years now and he's the first to say he's learn't nearly all his cricket at Essex."

The Dutchman suffered a calf injury last year and although he played at the Rosebowl he wasn't fully fit. Injuries had been a problem for Essex which led to the high profile, controversial and dramatic signing of West Indian Dwayne Bravo just for finals day. Grayson has no regrets over that move: "At the time we signed Dwayne we were struggling. Four of five players out and Styris wasn't available so we needed someone else to come in. It didn't work out and contrary to what people said it was quite a cheap option really. There were quotes it cost us £12,000 to £15,000 for that weekend but if we'd won the competition it might have cost us somewhere in the region of £8,000 to £10,000 and that would have been money well spent. We felt we owed it to our supporters that we needed to bring someone else in and try and help us win that game. When you sign an international player you're hoping he's going to have a good day but unfortunately it didn't work out."

Sun or at least warmish weather under the floodlights, crowds and excitement are needed, if any of those are missing it could be a struggle. Put them together and it will be brilliant.

In defence of the groundstaff

2011-05-19T15:00:59Z

As the fall-out from the Edgbaston pitch saga rumbles on I want to write some words of support for the various groundstaff who are always the first to arrive and the last to leave every day of the season.

I wasn't in Birmingham so I will keep out of that, but if the groundsman I know best is anything to go by the amount of work that goes into trying to get things right would never deserve a points penalty.

One thing that stands out over the last couple of years is how interesting the games have become following the directive not to use the heavy roller once a match is underway.

It does, of course, mean that if there are any problems with a surface on the opening day there is little to nothing that can be done. Groundstaff have had an important tool taken from them.

There must be some kind of policing standards as suggestions that certain directions are given to groundsmen to under-prepare pitches is not acceptable.

This week we also heard a player end a first day's play saying that particular surface had been "sticky". That can't be right.

Again, stressing that I know nothing about last week, it has struck me that if the opposition aren't bothered then there is every chance a club won't face a penalty and the findings can be too subjective.

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Warwickshire groundsman Steve Rouse prepares the controversial Edgbaston pitch before the final day of last week's County Championship clash with Worcestershire (photo: PA)

There was a case last season when a batsman turned up one morning mid-match 90-odd not out and found sand thrown at either end of the pitch to bring in a spinner.

As he drew people's attention to it there were a few wry smiles and everyone got on with it. He completed the century, even if the team lost heavily.

Andy Fogerty has been at Leeds for more years than he cares to remember and quite how he's never won groundsman of the year is beyond me.

He's received runners-up awards for his one-day pitches. It's not unusual for those staying at the Headingley lodge to look out of their window at two or three in the morning to see Andy checking the covers if overnight rain had been forecast.

Andy admits to feeling nervous down the years when preparing a pitch and watching the first day unfold. He has grown to cope with it, although there are pressures.

For Andy to be happy, he wants his pitches to play well because, if they don't, it reflects on him and his team no matter what nature has thrown at them in the preceeding days.

Relations with your captain and director of cricket have to be right, and that includes respect for the professionalism of the groundstaff.

Whilst home advantage will always count for something, push that too far and the relationship would break down.

As Andy and his fellow grounsdmen might say if ordered about to much - get yourself a gardener!

On another note, thank goodness Gordon Hollins is far more interesting and engaging a man than his job title would suggest - ECB managing director - events and county business.

He took on the role at the turn of the year and he's been a busy man, spending the last couple of months going around all the first-class counties "having a chat".

I spoke with him this week to find out how the meetings had gone and was getting on fine until I mentioned the words 'financial crisis'.

He won't have it. Sure, he acknowledged that financial results from clubs are not as good as they have been.

"'Challenges' lie ahead," he said. But he couldn't be firmer when adding: "It's far too early to suggest it's a trend."

Basically, his point is wherever you look people aren't spending the same amount they once did and any form of leisure industry will struggle at times like this.

He also strongly denies it's a certainty that one or two county clubs will go under during the next few years.

That won't please those who are hoping some form of ruin will befall someone which will ease the fixture congestion.

It's a long time since we've heard the 'Grey Pound' being talked about in economic terms and I wonder if it might make a return when the older end of the market is still viable.

To generalise, I have long asked administrators why they don't do more to appeal to those people with some more time. Attracting that type of person appeared somehow embarrassing.

I was told for over a decade that the more 'mature members' of the public aren't going to make you money because, when in a ground, they don't spend on drink, burgers and replica shirts etc.

Gordon, it seems, would disagree. He says more work needs to be done with those spectators.

Each format needs to be aimed at its relevant market and if, at times, that means over-50s then so be it.

He knows his stuff from working as commercial manager at Durham for six years and if his role is to give focus to the county game and the way clubs are run I'm encouraged.

He certainly doesn't believe you will never make money out of domestic cricket, as many unfortunately do.

I think he and I may never see eye-to-eye over the issue of the international staging agreement, even if its motive was right, its aim to improve facilities and raise standards.

There's not enough international cricket to go around. To serve each ground adequately is to further over-burden the schedule.

Alterations are being made to the 'major match award' policy which, I'm told, are guaranteed to provide venues more certainty.

It's a shame making venues so large, though, as it makes creating an acceptable atmosphere for domestic cricket even more of a challenge.

It may also surprise you to hear Gordon say that making a profit is not what cricket is all about. It's about reinvesting, such that over 650 recreational clubs get financial support from the ECB.

Time alone will tell if that 'not for profit' idea is all political hokum, but I would not only love it to be true but also see county cricket sustainable for years to come.

In the meantime, crisis or not, the losses need to be addressed. So one step at a time.

The rising star of umpiring

2011-05-10T11:30:28Z

Ian Gould is one of our rising stars. England wicketkeeper in the 1983 World Cup and close on 300 first-class games as a player, he's now taking on the world as an umpire.

He enjoyed a wonderful World Cup this year and is about to set off on another tour of the globe during the summer on the ICC Elite panel.

I've always found him one of the most engaging and terrific of men. Always chirping away on the stump microphones - always involved and always seemingly enjoying himself.

The really big one for him at the World Cup was the semi-final between India and Pakistan. He admits to having been quite nervous ahead of the huge day in Mohali.

He took some advice off his Australian colleague Simon Taufel. "Basically he told me to throw every newspaper away, don't watch the television and just get on with it," Gould told me. "The game itself flew past. I had quite a good tournament so I felt pretty confident."

Now, I was talking to Ian the day after the Royal Wedding, some weeks after the game. But it was only then the size of the event in India had sunk in.

He explained: "Somebody told me there were two billion people watching the wedding on TV whilst the semi-final had 2.8 billion watching. That actually made me feel more nervous about it just over a month after the event."

I was interested to hear Ian talk about the five minutes before play begins. Nowadays there is the big build-up on the field with national anthems and the like, and he says that in Mohali it was a tense time.

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Umpire Ian Gould signals a decision reversal after giving India's Sachin Tedulkar out LBW during this year's World Cup semi-final against Pakistan in Mohali

He said: "The most intimidating period was when we were lining up. I had a look around the ground and saw how many people were there and how passionate they are. You're not thinking about cricket then, your mind is on home and family and not wanting to let them down. Once you turn away from the anthems and get into the game, that's it, you're in."

Ian, of course, has done it all in the game. International player, county player at Middlesex and Sussex, a coach and now umpire, not forgetting his football as well.

But how does his current job rate?

"I enjoyed playing and had great fun then as a young man - also coaching to a point. It was something I got drawn into, and enjoyed working with [Andrew] Strauss and [Owais] Shah, but it really wasn't me.

"You were reliant on other people and I like to rely on myself and my family. I'm a big family man and we tend to rely on one another and not worry about what other people are thinking and doing."

As for his 'pro-active' approach as an umpire, it's all part of his way of going about the job.

"I always wanted to umpire as I wanted to be umpired when I was a player. I don't want to be officious or be seen as a school master, but I do have another side to me as one or two people have found out.

"If I can deal with it on the field then you don't have much book work to deal with after the game. To be honest, at the moment I think international cricket is at its highest of behaviour, with outstanding individuals.

"For me to 'book' a player, there has to be something dramatic. If I can't deal with it on the field you will have had to be bang out of order or I've been bang out of order. Experience tells you what's coming next. Decision making is massive but to gain the respect of a player towards you is important, it's player management which is the major thing in umpiring."

As a spectator I've always wondered what umpires talk about with the players all day long at square leg. Could it be coaching and asking for tips? Ian says sometimes 'yes'.

"They ask but I don't try and do too much of it as I was found out, I wasn't particularly a good coach and I don't want to ruin their careers.

"Playing and umpiring is much the same. Either you are in good nick or not. Basically it's about cutting down the chances of making major mistakes. I am trying to concentrate hard enough to make sure I don't make crazy mistakes.

"I have the concentration span of a gnat. When I stand at the bowler's end I have to walk away and think of other things and wait for the bowler to start running in again before I can fully focus because overloading this brain is not a great thing to do."

Yeah, right. Honest maybe, but only to a point. He's better than that.

Around the circuit you hear stories of umpires making mistakes, and then at a later point saying sorry to the player involved. Ian is not a supporter of that kind of confession.

"I would be disappointed if I walked up to a player and said 'sorry, I think I made a mistake'," he said.

"You don't mean to make mistakes but that is human. Players will have their opinions and I'll have mine. To talk about it later and perhaps say sorry is a sign of weakness."

Now, with such a schedule of globe trotting to come why on earth is Ian spending so much time doing county games? Does he not want a break and a bit of time to himself?

His answer is 'no', and it's because he feels he needs to say thank you to those who helped him out at the ECB.

"They gave me everything," he added. "They took me on when I was finished at Middlesex and Mr Collier (David Collier, CEO) and Chris Kelly (the umpire manager) have been outstanding to me. This keeps me fit in mind and body."

To Ian, the idea of taking a couple of months off and going straight into an international game would be lunacy and wouldn't be good preparation. So given a chance he keeps his eye in on the domestic scene and loves it.

Of course, the Umpire Decision Review System doesn't exist in the county game but Ian is a fan.

"I find it's an amazing tool but if we have it, everything needs to be made available to us," he said. "It gives not only the umpire but the player the opportunity to see that decisions taken might be pretty good."

Ian is about to depart for international duties. First up is Ireland v Pakistan at the end of the month and then the West Indies v India. County cricket's loss is the gain of the international game.

Hunting for English talent

2011-05-05T12:49:41Z

Every day at a cricket ground near you a dark foreboding presence descends. How do you know of its arrival? A loud cry goes out: "Keep your hands off our players Miller". In fairness it could also be Whittaker.

I refer to Geoff and James, who prowl looking for the right men to lead England onto great things such as winning the Ashes. The third man is Warwickshire director of cricket Ashley Giles.

Forty thousand miles is the rough estimate of the distance the national selector covers trying to get around the right games to look at the right people. It's a skill.

Over recent years the judgements which have most impressed me include Graeme Swann and Tim Bresnan. Both were very good county players, but put an England shirt on them and they have grown. Stats alone wouldn't have told you that.

Not everyone is a fan of two divisions but one fear that players from the lower league would be at a disadvantage in terms of international recognition has not happened.

The skill of the selector is beyond watching, but also to listen and discover if the individual has character and temperament. Those qualities can be found no matter what division you are in. The present selection panel seem to be making a decent job of it.

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Graeme Swann has become one of the most feared spinners in world cricket after being schooled in the county game

What has stood out for me in recent years is better communication between the national set-up and county coaches. Coaches I've spoken to seem to agree. Geoff Miller talks of attempting a middle ground when it comes, for example, to picking players for the England Lions squads.

Right now they're more than aware that such a game is taking place the same week as a Roses match in Liverpool. If they remove too many of one side and not the other there will be very loud cries of anger. These days I trust them to make the right calls and respect the integrity of the competition.

One notable occasion last year which still angers me was when several players were forbidden from playing for their county teams because they were due to meet the Prime Minister for tea. It made the game a laughing stock and was a shame upon the decision makers. Although that wasn't the selectors of course.

Another example of being inclusive is the work given to some county coaches with national squads. Mick Newell, of Nottinghamshire, spent nine weeks with the England Lions in the Caribbean earlier this year. He found the experience, from the lifestyle change of so much time away from home to learning new coaching tricks, very beneficial.

He told me: "The challenge is do my methods work at that level and is there anything I need to change? They wanted me to try a couple of things where you might sit down at the end of every session and say who won that session and place a tick or a cross. I tried to do it but it wasn't me so, because it wasn't me, I abandoned it after a couple of games. Instead I analyse what has taken place with the captain and work out the way forward from there."

Long team meetings aren't Newell's thing either. Hallelujah say all of us workers to that.

Mick describes his way as relaxed but with very high standards expected of the players, with a very good base of support staff around him. "You trust them to get on with their jobs," he said. From a distance that appears to be the way Andy Flower operates, so in the future perhaps Mick will get more opportunity.

I hope he doesn't mind me adding that I have seen him watching his team play and at times he's anything but relaxed, but I know what he means.

But, in reference to the relationship with the national management, things are going in the right direction.

Whilst writing about selection, why don't we use the post-blog discussion to mention any individual performances you see. You may not want to lose your players to England but it would be a useful exercise and, who knows, the England selectors might take note. The same goes for any unusual or funny moments you come across.

Thank you to the one chief executive who replied to my blog of three weeks ago by sending me a document stating clearly their mission is to be the best cricket club in the world. I look forward to meeting with him soon and telling you more.

Finally, I'm often told I have the best job in the world watching cricket every day all summer long. Well, last week I was begging a CEO to allow me to use a room to work out of which was full of still-to-be-installed urinals. How glamorous it was. Apt for a career going down the pan! I thought I would get that bit in first.

Giles plans Warwickshire's rise

2011-04-21T15:34:30Z

Ashley Giles could one day to be named England coach. If he does he will have earned his stripes the hard way. Sleepless nights and stress-filled days have been part of his fight to restore his beloved Warwickshire to being strong Championship contenders.

Giles enters his fourth year as the man in charge at Edgbaston with the previous three having had their moments of success. To win the CB40 last term was a real triumph but the scrap to avoid relegation must have left him bruised.

Mind you any long-term damage to his outlook on the game does not show. He must have spent the off-season putting something special in the Bears porridge, which stirred them from winter hibernation to produce one of the most relentless batterings by a group of bowlers ever seen on poor old Somerset at Taunton.

Giles says himself the Championship is the one which best judges the team over a whole season and he believes the profile is increasing.

"Division Two sides are desperate to get into the top flight and those in it want to stay. It means alot," he said.

In an ideal world Giles would prefer 14 matches not 16 but accepts with the number of clubs we have now it fits perfectly. He would never want to sacrifice his club and understands why nobody else would either.

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Woakes took 6-85 in Somerset's first innings before taking another three wickets in the follow-on and adding 129 with the bat

Whatever reservations he has over the number of games played, Giles thinks the overall quality and competition of cricket has gone up. But playing 37 days out of the first 49 this season sounds a lot.

"Are you going to perform at your peak levels every day?" he considered. "Probably not. But every other side is in the same boat so it's how you best manage your team to deal with that."

The Ashes-winning former England spinner describes last year as one of transition for Warwickshire.

"We went from having Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell quite a lot the previous year, 2,000 runs worth, to hardly seeing them. That's a massive loss. We didn't replace those players so we lost all those runs.

"We have invested more in our playing staff this year. We've made good signings like Will Porterfield. I think he is an exceptional bloke and I think he will be a very good player. Varun Chopra is also starting to come of age."

One stand-out player is all-rounder Chris Woakes. This year might be a bit early for him to enter the Test arena but he is on his way.

"He will play for England in Test cricket at some point," said Giles. "Watching him in the nets at the start of the season he appears to have added a yard of pace to his bowling which would have been a criticism made of him.

"He has the ability to be a genuine all-rounder and if he can keep proving that it makes your passage into the England team even easier because that's what the side are crying out for."

Back to planning an improved season, Giles says he is hoping for better pitches.

"We did play on some poor wickets and once you get in a rut like that you become rabbits in headlights. I've never seen a batting side be in such poor form as we were last year."

An hour after he said that Somerset knew a little of what he was talking about. They were all out for 50.

Giles refers to Bell and Trott as being "Warwickshire through and through", and clearly he is the same himself. One day he will move on and I for one think it will be to an international post.

I must thank those of you who took part in the post blog discussion of last week. The comments took off in a direction I had not expected but, to be blunt, that is none of my business.

Just to clarify, I respect all the Indian Premier League stands for, at least all that I know it stands for. It is entertaining and makes money. However because it is played over the first two months of our season and the Champions League is held in September, it raises a question over the integrity of the English game and what it stands for.

Some of you clearly think it stands for not a lot . But whilst it is being played it should stand up for itself and make sure it does make a difference.

Just one story which is telling. A woman came up to me at the weekend knowing the job I did. She was full of tales of the IPL. She told me she only knew about it because she came across it on terrestrial television. She has neither a dish or cable and she is converted.

You can follow me at twitter.com/kevinhowellsbbc.

Is it time for cricket to take a stand?

2011-04-15T10:07:29Z

I'm amazed how much optimism is to be found around the circuit at present. Predictions of county clubs playing out the end game financially led me to return from the World Cup expecting long faces.

The brilliant weather was a lucky break and the lucrative TV deal for England's forthcoming series against India is well timed. Even so there is a stance being taken by the sport here which says 'we know what we want and we know how to achieve it'. The question is can they?

It might prove to be a misplaced gamble of confidence and nobody is saying this year is going to be easy. Next season with the Olympics pushing everything to the side will be more challenging still.

I'm now wondering whether this is the time for our game to go a step further and stand up to players and agents who want the Indian Premier League money and still to turn out for England and their county clubs. From now on players should be told if you want to go and play as 'freelance' performers, do so.

I for one don't blame them chasing the money. It's a correct freedom of choice. But if that's the path they take, the clubs and the England and Wales Cricket Board should from next season say 'fine but we'll talk about different contracts and see you in June for our T20 and we'll pick our Test team from those who are fully committed to it'. Will that lead to us losing our best players? Possibly. But a compromise is unsustainable and I don't think it will.

]]> Many stories interest me this season and Durham's fortunes are right up there. They could implode, as has been suggested to me, if they carry on as they did last year. To counter, the currently injured Steve Harmison rightly says 2010 was no train crash but it was clear they had lost their way. Preparation and approach appeared to have slipped. Director of cricket Geoff Cook talks of the 'chemistry' needing to return and making sure the 'emotions' are correct.

I'm backing the players to stop that slide. I think they'll remember what it was that made them the strong Championship-winning outfit, if they listen and most importantly act upon the things the right people tell them. There are some senior players who with the right responsible attitude will make them one of the two most serious challengers to Somerset who have universally been tagged as title favourites.

Sidebottom took 3-71 against Durham on the opening day of his first game back at Headingly

Nottinghamshire are the others but it will be tough for them. New exciting bowlers need to step up and replace their former player Ryan Sidebottom, who is now at Yorkshire. On the evidence against Hampshire they look like doing so, led again by the dangerous Andre Adams. There are concerns over the disruptions Yorkshire will face middle to late May onwards with England and Lions call-ups, however they will again be strong contenders.

I've had plenty of response from followers on Twitter this week to my asking why are the defending Champions not involved in the opening round of matches? I think it's an important issue as it seems many of you do. Notts, I understand, asked not to play that round. That's a shame.

Finally, I hope chief executives still believe on-field success is their main priority. Winning things does little to nothing to keep them alive financially but raising money must be a means to an end and not the end itself. That success should be with England-qualified players. Maybe you can write to your club and ask directly what their number one aim is?

You can follow me at twitter.com/kevinhowellsbbc.