Westbars Spireite, on 25 September 2024 - 11:33 AM, said:
I'd rather go back to one division and play more 3 day cricket like the old days. Plus bring back the Sunday League and a proper knock out competition with the minor counties. It might just be that the last time we were any good, when I was kid, that was how it was!
Agreed - but, it isn't going back.
Whatever the format of Hundred is - this is not the issue. It is the acceptance of new teams which eventually eschews in the franchise model and I can see it all formats going that way.
You could almost create it now: South West (Glos, Somerset), Wales, West Mids (Warks, Worcs), East Mids (Derbys, Leics, Notts), Middlesex, Surrey, South (Hants, Sussex, Kent), East (Essex), Yorkshire, Lancashire. Throw in maybe a North East team, invite Scotland to round it up. Not sure what to do with Northants but, not going to lose sleep on that one.
Oh and give them all a zippy name - East Midland Bandits or something.