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Unpopular opinions..... cricket is a dying, irrelevant sport. Doesn't even know how long it is played for. A few hours? A day? 5 days? The only game it sells out (in England anyway) is the Ashes. County games are watched by a few old men and a dog. Wouldn't recognise any cricket players if I fell over them in the street.
Hand grenade pin removed. Discuss.
You fell right into his trap there, BP.Where do you want me to start
What I will say is that by taking the Sky coin the ECB have done a LOT of damage to the game on a wider appeal basis, we really should have at least one test and a full ODI and T20 series on terrestrial TV to garner interest. The Hundred (for all it's faults and how much I don't like it) does have this element and Trent Bridge has pretty much sold out for all Trent Valley Dambuster games or whatever they are called so it is working on some level as an entry to the sport.
Cricket is arguably the second biggest sport in the UK, certainly vying for that spot with Egg Chasing. Circa 13 million people class themselves as fans of the sport, 11 million watched it on more than one occasion in 2024 and the bbc sport website regularly has their live county championship feed as the most visited web page. This has increased in this decade, so the sport isn't dying.
Many England games sell out, not just the Ashes. All the summer tests against the Windies and Sri Lanka (probably two of the lowest 'draws' in Test Cricket) had several days of sold out test venues and Lords pretty much sells out every year.
As for county cricket, yes attendances aren't great for the four day game but interest is high and lots of the issue with attendance is down to timings of the games. However go to some of the out grounds and you'll have wonderful days where it sells out regularly, such as the Scarborough festival in August as an example.
Surrey, Middlesex and Yorkshire can easily get over 10k attendances for the full four days of a county game, especially at crunch times and lots of the T20 blast games for all counties are sold out or near to sell outs.
You may not recognise an England cricketer if you bumped into one in the street but to be honest, I'd struggle with your average premier league player so that isn't a yardstick for a sport's relevance.
Yes cricket could and should be bigger, but it is far from dead and far from irrelevant. Indeed the bubbling tension building to the crescendo of a close finish in a test match after 5 days of ebb and flow is one of the finest sporting spectacles for those in appreciation.
Long live stickball.
I don't think it meets Webding 's rules of what a sport actually is.Darts isn't a sport, it's a drinking game (imo).
utb
So some England matches sell out on some days. Some games get over 10,000 people. Whoooooo fancy.
You fell right into his trap there, BP.
UTB
Unpopular opinions..... cricket is a dying, irrelevant sport. Doesn't even know how long it is played for. A few hours? A day? 5 days? The only game it sells out (in England anyway) is the Ashes. County games are watched by a few old men and a dog. Wouldn't recognise any cricket players if I fell over them in the street.
Hand grenade pin removed. Discuss.
Feels a bit like you don’t like cricket and are basing your views on that. I don’t like quite a few sports but that doesn’t mean they’re irrelevant or dying it just means it’s not for me.So some England matches sell out on some days. Some games get over 10,000 people. Whoooooo fancy.
Cherry picking one example from a test that was extremely one sided isn’t really proving the point.
I don't think it meets Webding 's rules of what a sport actually is.
Something about shoes and sweat? Can't remember the details but it works as a good working definition.
Mind you, every now and again I do enjoy watching this once more:
Can't spayk!
practically all England matches sell out on most days.
Darts isn't a sport, it's a drinking game (imo).
utb
Where do you want me to start
What I will say is that by taking the Sky coin the ECB have done a LOT of damage to the game on a wider appeal basis, we really should have at least one test and a full ODI and T20 series on terrestrial TV to garner interest. The Hundred (for all it's faults and how much I don't like it) does have this element and Trent Bridge has pretty much sold out for all Trent Valley Dambuster games or whatever they are called so it is working on some level as an entry to the sport.
Cricket is arguably the second biggest sport in the UK, certainly vying for that spot with Egg Chasing. Circa 13 million people class themselves as fans of the sport, 11 million watched it on more than one occasion in 2024 and the bbc sport website regularly has their live county championship feed as the most visited web page. This has increased in this decade, so the sport isn't dying.
Many England games sell out, not just the Ashes. All the summer tests against the Windies and Sri Lanka (probably two of the lowest 'draws' in Test Cricket) had several days of sold out test venues and Lords pretty much sells out every year.
As for county cricket, yes attendances aren't great for the four day game but interest is high and lots of the issue with attendance is down to timings of the games. However go to some of the out grounds and you'll have wonderful days where it sells out regularly, such as the Scarborough festival in August as an example.
Surrey, Middlesex and Yorkshire can easily get over 10k attendances for the full four days of a county game, especially at crunch times and lots of the T20 blast games for all counties are sold out or near to sell outs.
You may not recognise an England cricketer if you bumped into one in the street but to be honest, I'd struggle with your average premier league player so that isn't a yardstick for a sport's relevance.
Yes cricket could and should be bigger, but it is far from dead and far from irrelevant. Indeed the bubbling tension building to the crescendo of a close finish in a test match after 5 days of ebb and flow is one of the finest sporting spectacles for those in appreciation.
Long live stickball.
Darts isn’t a sport though!Errrrrm nah, love Root, but got to be Littler
My vote goes to KeelyErrrrrm nah, love Root, but got to be Littler
My vote goes to Keely
Donovan?My vote goes to Keely
Heathen !!!Unpopular opinions..... cricket is a dying, irrelevant sport. Doesn't even know how long it is played for. A few hours? A day? 5 days? The only game it sells out (in England anyway) is the Ashes. County games are watched by a few old men and a dog. Wouldn't recognise any cricket players if I fell over them in the street.
Hand grenade pin removed. Discuss.
how can a match last 5 days, and still end in a fucking draw?!test match after 5 days of ebb and flow is one of the finest sporting spectacles for those in appreciation.
I mean it isDarts isn’t a sport though!
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