Four Day World Championship (Idea)

I liked the whole Champions League idea in terms of mixing the teams, (varying abilities/cultures/styles). However, the only problem was the actual Cricket itself. This type of league would succeed if they dropped the T20 element.



You'd get 8 of the best domestic teams (in 4 day Cricket) from the 8 Test Nations and put them into a two group format of four. (Group A and Group B).

Then build to a semi-final (Winner of group A v Runner up group B etc), then onto a Final.

Note: There would be some sort of qualifying round for the English County Championship (as there is two divisions). Durham would square off against Kent, in a bid to enter the competition. Let's say for arguments sake that Durham won by 300 runs. They'd immediately be put into the competition, for being the best Domestic Team in England and Wales.

Further Note: Sri Lanka would have to adjust to the four day format, despite only playing 3 day matches (as maximum)

Just randomly selected two groups, to show the current crop of probably the best sides from the 8 Test Nations in the 4 day form of the game.

Group A

Durham
Mumbai
Auckland
Colts Cricket Club


Group B

Victoria
Titans
Jamaica
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited


Just an idea. I'd much rather watch this type of domestic cricket (with a Global flavour) than the current one.

Nice idea but it's going to take a massive time commitment to play that many 4 day games. It will end up impacting on domestic seasons too much

We already have a 4-day world championship . . . Sheffield Shield . . . .

I know. I was thinking about how to compact the games. So basically from Day One, you'd have 4 games playing at the same time. In four grounds.


This would spread things quite far and thin. Unfortunately, as RD pointed out, it would impact on a domestic season, regardless of where it's played.

Unless they played it over the period of a 6 months. It might result in teams getting off season practice to play in a meaningful competition. Durham could complete their season, fly off to Auckland, play four days. No matter what, there will be organisational headaches.

Still, thought it looked alright on paper. Practically, it's quite difficult to play out.

It could work maybe as a home and away thing over the course of 12 months.

The final would be another issue in that case - you couldn't have it at a neutral venue as nobody would go, so how do you choose who gets to host

How do they pick where the Champions League final is held? Man Utd v Chelsea in Moscow....


Could mould something similar for this competition on picking a venue.

totally different kettle of fish, smerky.

True.

DJ_Smerk wrote:How do they pick where the Champions League final is held? Man Utd v Chelsea in Moscow....


Could mould something similar for this competition on picking a venue.

I think they bid for it (like the olympics but on a smaller scale)

Could there be a bid for this?

DJ_"Modi"_Smerk

Who'd-a-thunk it?

I'm not trying to ruin Test Cricket. That's the last thing I want to do.


Just trying to kill T20. (IPL mainly).

How many mobile phones can you talk and listen to simultaneously??

What's a mobile phone?

i support a comp of the best domestic teams in 4 day cricket..may be as if not more interesting than nation v nation tests

I was just thinking of something like this myself Smerky.

We need to embrace First-Class cricket rather than throwing it on the scrap heap.

A round-robin format may be asking too much, but a knockout tournament might be successful. You could determine the winner in drawn games by using the Robinson formula (bowling strike rate divided by batting run rate: lowest score wins).

Perhaps you could even make it a knockout tournament from the get go ie. each country holds its own knockout qualifying competition (ignoring results in the existing domestic championship).

It can only work if you have the best teams available. We can't expect Test players to play a full season of Shield or County Cricket these days. But something like this would only require them to be on active state/county duty for a 3-4 week period at home and a 3-week period on the road.

We need to stop relying on international cricket to fund the game. First Class cricket can be a winning formula if only we give it a chance.

Well said Hass. It's all down to the organising. If its possible to organise this sort of a tournament, then maybe a Test championship would be doable (eventually). As it stands, I'm not sure whether a Test Championship is such a good thing. Need more convincing on that part.


This sort of a tournament would aid well for players in the off-season. It would mean their involved in something with their own squad, rather than flying to a random part of the world to play a couple of FC games with a local side.

I feel that breaking down the groups is necessary. Four groups of two seems a little more viable. Would lower the work load and decrease the time period.

Both side would play home and away, in their respective ground (fitted around county seasons). A warm up game would be optional. The points system would work similar to that in the CC, such as 3 points for 9-10 wickets in the first innings.

Group A

Durham
Auckland

Group B

Mumbai
Colts Cricket Club

Group C

Jamaica
Victoria

Group D

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (played in the UAE)
Titans


Winner of Group A vs Winner of Group C
Winner of Group B vs Winner of Group D

Final (@ Lords?)

The final day predicament would still be an issue.

Have the final at Sophia Gardens and make Wales the centre of the cricketing universe

Uproar.

At least you would be guaranteed that it would be a neutral venue

You'd have to sell it to the people of Wales and Cardiff.


Titans v Durham in a final of a competition which they've never heard of wouldn't sell too much. Believe me, I've been to Glamorgan games. :\

What if they got Tom Jones and Duffy as half-time entertainment?

During the tactical break?


Only if was T20. Fortunately, it ain't.

DJ_Smerk wrote:What's a mobile phone?

Weak attempt at deception there.

I hereby charge you "DJ_Smerk" with being Lalit Modi; committing high crimes and misdemeanors against CRIKIT for the purposes of pecuniary gain and of being a Qunt.

(If those don't stick, then being Welsh should do for you)

G.Wood wrote:At least you would be guaranteed that it would be a neutral venue

On form today I see