Mens high performance review report

OUR RATIONALE PROPOSALS SEPTEMBER 2022 One Day Cup The competition to be played in April in a single block. Comprising of six rounds, with a significant knock-out element. We are investigating the appetite to involve the National Counties to create an FA Cup style competition. Counties knocked out during the group stage would have the opportunity to play red-ball warm-up fixtures ahead of the County Championship beginning in May County Championship The County Championship schedule to begin in May and run through until September. The competition will consist of a 6-team first division and a 12-team second division split into two conferences. The winners of the two conferences play each other in a play-off game to determine who is promoted. Each county will play a minimum of 10 Championship matches with the possibility of one play-off match and up to three additional first- class matches (through the festivals of red ball cricket, described below). For England to be winning 50 over World cups, it needs to provide its highest-potential players opportunities to play the format. This is not possible in today’s schedule. Moving to April guarantees more of the best players being available to play , including England players not involved in the IPL, strengthening the quality and intensity of the competition. All matches would have a higher jeopardy placed upon them because of a shortened format, giving domestic players a chance to experience some of the challenges of the pressure faced regularly by international players in tournaments and major series. The proposed structure ensures first-class cricket in every month from May to September. There will be the same volume of County Championship cricket played between these months. Red-ball cricket also avoids the fringes of the season. Counties will have the opportunity to play additional first-class cricket in August, meaning they could play up to 14 first-class games in a season. No change from today. A six-county Division 1 will concentrate talent and provide consistently higher quality of matches that are a closer quality to Test cricket. Each county will play a minimum of 10 Championship matches with the possibility of one play-off match and up to three additional first- class matches (through the First-Class Cricket Festivals, described below) HIGH-PERFORMANCE REVIEW OF MEN’S CRICKET IN ENGLAND AND WALES 26