Championship Changes Could Be Delayed Or Shelved

Any revamp of nan County Championship whitethorn not return spot until 2027 – if changes are implemented astatine all.

The 18 first-class counties person been examining nan home building passim this season, pinch nan volition of introducing alterations successful 2026.

While a simplification to nan T20 Blast was agreed successful August, statement connected nan early of nan Championship has been harder to find.

Various proposals to trim from nan existent 14 matches to a 12-game programme were supported by nan Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA), but opposed by a number of counties.

As such, a 12-game schedule is disconnected nan table.

Now nan prime is betwixt 14 matches and 13 matches, options that were discussed by nan region chairs connected Tuesday.

The imaginable of delaying immoderate imaginable changes until 2027 has besides been raised.

That is down to nan desire to guarantee nan champion imaginable determination is made, and besides because nan extremity of nan existent play is drafting near. The last 3 rounds of matches commence adjacent week.

A 13-game play would impact splitting nan 18 counties into a 12-team apical tier, pinch six successful nan bottommost division.

The 12 teams successful Division One would beryllium divided into 2 groups, pinch each squad playing nan others successful their group twice. The groups would past beryllium divided into apical and bottommost halves, leaving each squad to play nan 3 counties successful nan corresponding half from nan different group. The champions would beryllium nan region that ends connected astir points.

In nan six-team 2nd tier, counties would play 2 teams doubly and 3 others 3 times, giving a full of 13 games. The apical 2 teams would beryllium promoted, replacing nan 2 teams that decorativeness bottommost of nan groups successful nan apical tier.

Supporters of nan alteration constituent to nan one-match reduction, which is favoured by players. A 12-team apical formation gives much counties nan opportunity to triumph nan Championship, while a six-team 2nd tier gives much chance for promotion to those counties that often find themselves languishing.

However, location is besides a emotion that nan proposals are excessively convoluted and a 12-team apical tier does not supply capable 'best v best'.

Any alteration to nan building would require 12 of nan 18 counties to ballot successful favour.

That is looking progressively unlikely, fixed nan number of counties that person publically stated their penchant for retaining a 14-game season.

That would mean a continuation of nan existent system: 10 teams successful nan first division, 8 successful nan 2nd and each teams playing 14 matches.

Discussions betwixt region chairs are owed to proceed and a ballot could return spot successful nan coming days.

The PCA is owed to update its members connected nan business later connected Wednesday. In July, nan players' assemblage said a trim to 12 matches was nan "only reasonable option".

With that now not being considered, nan PCA is successful favour of nan simplification to 13 matches.

Retaining nan existent 14-game exemplary would consequence successful vexation among players. While nan thought of strikes aliases boycotts are not apt to beryllium considered, players could look astatine different ways of protesting against nan schedule.