A NEW GENERATION of fans and a ‘massive’ cash injection for the county game will be the main benefits of the ECB’s controversial new 100 Ball competition, according to Worcestershire chief executive Matt Rawnsley.
The New Road chief gave the thumbs-up to the new eight-team, city-based tournament, due to start in 2020. It was revealed at Lord’s last week but provoked a mixed reaction among cricket lovers with one national cricket writer labelling the proposals ‘a gimmick’.
The 100-ball games – with 15 traditional six-ball overs and one 10-ball over – will be played in a five-week block predominantly during the summer school holidays in a bid to attract a new audience in the same way as the Big Bash in Australia which has a massive family following.
Despite the lukewarm reaction in some sections, Rawnsley said the format could attract people who could then support local cricket clubs or attend games at New Road.
“It’s not about bringing the money in for this competition – it’s about bringing money in for the health of the game in general, across the whole region, across different formats, for women’s cricket, kids cricket in schools, clubs and local communities and disability cricket,” he said.
“I’ve got a lad who is eight and a daughter who is seven and I’ve played cricket in the Birmingham League for many years and they’ve followed me around for the last half dozen years.
“Even though they know their dad once played cricket for a living, and has since played cricket on a Saturday, my lad will still ask me during the course of the day ‘who’s winning’.”
Rawnsley was aware of the criticisms of the new format but pointed out regular cricket watchers were not the target of the new venture.
“With the greatest of respect, purists who like the longer form of the game, like me, are not the target for this new innovation. We will still have two formats of the game already played on the world stage – first class and 50-over cricket that cascade down to domestic level that everyone can support.
“We’ve also got T20 cricket that those same people said would never work in the late 90s, calling it a farce, a joke – and look what that has become. Who knows what this might become?
“It might not work but let’s give it a chance. I think it is a really brave move. It’s a risk but that is what innovation is.”
