‘People are adamant that there is far too much cricket being played’

WITH England’s dismal performances in the recent World Cup, question marks are already been sent in the direction of skipper Jos Buttler and coach Matthew Mott and, although I have always had reservations about Mott, the same surely can't be said of Buttler.

It’s going to be interesting to see how things pan out in the future with the white ball game at international level for England, but surely the successful partnership of Jos Buttler and Eion Morgan will have to come into play sooner rather than later.

So many people that I have spoken to in Nottingham last week and Taunton this week are adamant that there is far too much cricket being played, with each of the three main tournaments, the county championship, the T20 Blast and the Royal London Cup spread out over too wide a period. Notably the county championship, which now starts in early April and ends in the final days of September.

It’s that time of year when we are moving into Autumn.

At present Somerset are in a good position to retain their T20 Blast title. Although as we all know any side is capable of putting in one bad performance.

Over those two county games it has been noticeable to me that with the players and supporters alike adjusting to white ball cricket and then red ball cricket, how difficult it is for some of these top class players to re-adapt overnight.

At Nottingham and Taunton, for instance, Tom Abell, Tom Lammonby and Tom Banton do have it in their make up to still lead with their front foot and head over the ball playing their shots and adapting to the situation in both competitions.

Abell being the best and although Banton does shuffle slightly forward before the ball is delivered, he is the master of the short ball and his six at Taunton off the back foot over cover, was out of this world.

I recently had a chat with Paul Reeves from Taunton and he said: “I believe we are a very good side in both competitions, all the players play well together, but I do find it hard to differentiate between the two games in the middle of the summer.

“In the county championship we have been there or thereabouts for several years, but we are not getting over the line.

“A lot depends on injuries, but you get the impression that white ball cricket is more important than the red ball game and I believe members are being short changed.”

Along with former Millfield coach Gerry Wilson, we both feel that the number of dismissals in the red ball game has escalated, with catches taken behind the wicket in modern times, so yes slip fielders have become better and on such good batting tracks which they are at present, or certainly so at Trent Bridge and Taunton, surely prepared wickets are becoming the norm, yet only in recent times, Somerset being one, they were fined for preparing wickets that suited the home sides bowlers.

Is this a fair observation that should be looked at by the England and Wales Cricket Board.