Lancashire’s CEO Daniel Gidney says surviving at the top of cricket’s County Championship is tougher than ever.
He was speaking ahead of the Red Rose’s final match of the season against Worcestershire, with relegation all but confirmed: “We’d all like to get paid more money to do less work.
“They have a career – I’m not begrudging their ability to earn money – but the balance has tipped”, he continued.
“When the bottom rung of the Hundred is what a rookie would earn in the championship – who among us would turn down earning more money for less work?”
Over the season Lancashire have played squads consisting predominantly of youth products, with nine players making their debut this season alone.
“We will always prioritise our pathways and if players are good enough – they play for England” said Lancashire CEO Daniel Gidney, “the County Championship is where you go to learn core skills as a cricketer “.
Lancashire as a county have produced many of England’s current first team players with captain Jos Buttler and opening batter Phil Salt playing for the county.
This creates an issue for Lancashire as these world class players are likely to choose to play for England or more lucrative franchise leagues than play in the County Championship for a lower wage.
“We would love to see England tell players ‘We want to see you play three rounds of County Championship to qualify for international games’”
“Years ago I could ask a player not to play in another tournament, and now there’s nothing I can do about it.
The team placed ninth in Division One have struggled this year with both bat and ball. In 2023 their batters scored 14 centuries + 34 fifties, finishing fifth.
In 2024 they have eight centuries (with half of those coming from captain Keaton Jennings) + 17 fifties, looking to be finishing ninth.
“Overseas signings will be the key, particularly on the fast bowling front.” Explained Lancashire expert Ken Grime, who continued, “I’m stating the obvious but, better performances with the bat and being more productive with the ball too.”
“If anything it’s the latter that worries me the most – will [Saqib] Mahmood and [Tom] Hartley be more available?”
Mahmood has been injured and played twice, but has now been called up to England and Hartley, who made his England debut this January, has taken just six wickets from five matches.
Lancashire member of over 40 years, who wished to remain anonymous, stated “By the sight of it, we’re a long way off winning a title.”
“The problem we’ve got is that it’s good having a youth policy and it’s good having these very good young players – but if any of them proved to be any good, they wouldn’t be playing for Lancashire.”
For many fans, this format is the pinnacle of the sport. CEO Daniel Gidney echoes these thoughts, “County Cricket is hard as it’s an unbelievable format – without the County Championship you don’t have Test cricket”
“You can’t hide in the County Championship, over a multiple session format, the best team will win”
Without their best players available, Lancashire are incapable of getting into a rhythm with their first XI and leaves coach Dale Benkenstein not knowing who he can rely on week in week out.
Lancashire go to Worcestershire this Thursday needing a huge victory and Nottinghamshire to lose heavily if they are to remain a division one side.
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