Four years ago I was really excited when the idea of the World Test Championship came out. I mean, it was partially a reason for me to start this blog.
However, with the recent overseas wins of NZ in India, SA in Bangladesh, and Bangladesh in Pakistan—that hope has rekindled.
Therefore, this is a good time for us to revisit the WTC alternative points table algorithm my friend and I had created four years ago to create a more balanced system. For this WTC cycle, I analyzed each of the 51 Test matches and 578 completed sessions one-by-one so you don’t have to.
Before we start, he is a quick refresher on how our alternative points table worked.
Our WTC points table algorithm (1) distributes points on a session-by-session basis rather than an all-or-nothing system for a Test match, (2) includes Home/Away points for both wins & draws, and (3) includes a bonus to reward massive victories (Test match net run rate equivalent).
Points are calculated as follows:
2 points per session won, 1 point per session Tied
There are 15 maximum sessions in a Test (3 sessions per day), so 30 points maximum per Test for the session-by-session category
The details of the algorithm used to decide who won each session is outlined in the original article and is left as an exercise to the reader.
Bonus: 2 * (Number of Sessions Remaining)
Example: If the Test finishes at the end of Day 4, the winning team would get 6 bonus points – (2 * (3 sessions remaining))
Home/Away
Away wins and away draws would be awarded more points.
16 – Home Win, 8 – Home Draw
24 – Away Win, 12 – Away Draw
The maximum points a team could earn per Test is outlined below (Example: 24 – away win points + 30 session points = 54 total if the team won all the sessions).
Points
Win
Draw
Loss
Maximum Points Possible (Per Match)
Home
16
8
0
46
Away
24
12
0
54
Average*
20
10
0
50
Home & Away Points
Finally, since each team plays a different number of matches, we will take a percentage determined by (total points earned)/(maximum points possible*).
The maximum points possible will be determined by (number of matches played * 50), where we choose 50 because it is the average between 46 & 54 and would hence, weight away wins & draws more.
I coded this algorithm in R & Python and double checked the calculations by hand for the session-by-session analysis.
🇦🇺 BEAT 🏴 by 2 wickets, Birmingham 🇦🇺 BEAT 🏴 by 43 runs, Lord’s 🇮🇳 BEAT 🌴 by inn & 141 runs, Roseau 🇵🇰 BEAT 🇱🇰 by 4 wickets, Galle 🇵🇰 BEAT 🇱🇰 by inn & 222 runs, SSC 🇳🇿 BEAT 🇧🇩 by 4 wickets, Mirpur 🇮🇳 BEAT 🇿🇦 by 7 wickets, Cape Town 🌴 BEAT 🇦🇺 by 8 runs, Brisbane 🏴 BEAT 🇮🇳… pic.twitter.com/b55YlIHHzZ
— Broken Cricket Dreams Cricket Blog (@cricket_broken) November 10, 2024
Key Takeaways
45% (23/51) WTC matches in this cycle so far have been won by away teams.
England (79) & India (76) won the most sessions so far, while Australia (47) have tied the most sessions. West Indies (24) & Bangladesh (29) have had the least session wins in this cycle of the WTC so far
We have had a spectacular run of dramatic overseas victories. Each team has had at least one overseas win:
South Africa 1-0 in West Indies & 2-0 in Bangladesh
Australia won 2 Tests each in England & New Zealand
Bangladesh won in Pakistan 2-0
Pakistan won 2-0 in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka won 2-0 in Bangladesh and a Test in England
England won one Test each in India & Pakistan
The India vs South Africa Test at Cape Town was the shortest Test ever, lasting only 5 sessions.
South Africa won all 9 out of 9 sessions in the recent 2nd Test vs Bangladesh and received the maximum possible 54 points for the Test in our points system.
WTC 2023-2025 Alternative Points Table – Results
Here is our alternative WTC 2023-25 points table at a glance.
Team
Total Points
AverageMax Points Possible*
BCD Percentage
Actual WTC Percentage
Australia
379
600
63.17%
62.50%
India
410
700
58.60%
58.33%
South Africa
233
400
58.25%
54.17%
Sri Lanka
239
450
53.11%
55.56%
New Zealand
277
550
50.36%
54.55%
England
411
950
43.26%
40.79%
Pakistan
206
500
41.2%
33.33%
Bangladesh
162
500
32.4%
27.50%
West Indies
122
450
27.11%
18.52%
*Note: We have added the same over-rate deductions as the current WTC table does (19 for England, 10 – Australia, 8 – Pakistan, 3 – Bangladesh 2 – India)
Observations
Our points table heavily rewards South Africa, who have dominated 3 overseas Tests (1 vs WI, 2 vs Bangladesh).
Sri Lanka are close by with 3 overseas Tests wins as well (2 vs Bangladesh, 1 vs England) but they lost points to Pakistan at home. Similarly, NZ had a good show vs Bangladesh & India away, but lost convincingly 0-2 against Australia (home) & Sri Lanka (away)
The interesting point our points table highlights is showcasing how close a Test match or Test series was. For example, the 2-2 Ashes translates into 132-118 in favor of Australia (due to overseas wins and draw).
In addition, no two Test series are alike.
The Pakistan-Bangladesh 2-Test series (where Pakistan batted well initially and even declared) resulted in 84-24 points in favor of Bangladesh. This series was closer than the SA-Ban series (101-7 in favor of SA), where SA completely decimated Bangladesh.
Appendix: WTC 2023-25 Match By Match Break Down
If you want to look at the particular series or team, here is a table of content organized by home team for easier access:
That got me thinking—How expensive is it to watch cricket around the world?
To conduct this analysis, I went through the checkout process and attempted to buy tickets for different types of matches in the first 10 Test playing nations.
If you would like to listen to an engaging conversational AI generated podcast about this article, check this out.
Key Takeaways
England & Australia are the most expensive places to watch cricket (they also have the most opportunities to watch along with India). Ticket prices can range from $185-1400 in a season for England to watch a couple of days of Tests, a few County matches, a few Hundred & Vitality Blast games, and 2-3 limited over internationals.
On the other hand, in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe, a fan can watch matches for as low as $1 USD and can watch several games in a season for about $100 on the higher end.
Watching domestic cricket is completely FREE in India, New Zealand, and South Africa (both List A & 4-day). All you need to do is show up at the stadium (So GO, what are you waiting for?)
Cost of Watching Cricket: Most Expensive Places to Watch Cricket Around the World
We will provide ranges and consider a few different categories (if data is available):
Limited Over Internationals (LOI) – both men’s & women’s
Test Matches
Domestic Competitions
Franchise Leagues
For the sake of the cost comparison, we will be looking at General Admission ticket for Adult guests (in some countries like England, ‘members’ of the club receive discounted prices given that they have paid the annual membership fee). This analysis does not include member prices, bundles, or other discounts (or service/handling fees & taxes).
Note: These are ballpark ranges. Ticket prices may vary based on the match (for example, knockout and Finals matches may be more expensive) and the stadium.
If a spectator in England watched 2 days of a men’s Test, 5 County games, 1 men’s international, 2 Vitality Blast matches, 2 Hundred matches, 1 ODI cup, one women’s international, and 1 Women’s Hundred match in a season, they would spend (on tickets alone) between $260-$504 depending on the stadium and up to $1393.3 if they only chose premium seating.
Monthly Cost of Living: $1929
Average Monthly Net Salary: $3288.55
Annual Inflation Rate: 2.5%
Estimated Monthly Savings: $1359.55
Percent of Savings Spent on Cricket (Live): 4.54%-34.16%
*These economic numbers are for the United Kingdom as a whole, not just England.
Type of Match
General Admission Ticket Price (Adult)
Premium Tickets
A Day of a Test
£38-85 ($50.6-113.1)
£95-145 ($126.6-192.9)
Men’s LOI
£20-40 ($26.6)
£135 ($179.9)
Women’s LOI
£5-10 ($6.7-13.3)
£65 ($86.6)
County
£6-15 ($8.0-20.0)
£23 ($30.6)
Vitality Blast
£15-25 ($20-33.3)
£150 ($199.5)
The Hundred
£11 ($14.7)
£35 ($46.6)
One Day Cup
£5-20 ($6.7-26.6)
£37 ($49.2)
*These are ticket prices for non-members
How Did We Estimate the Ticket Price Range?
The international costs above are estimated from the upcoming England-Zimbabwe Test, India-England Women T20I series, and the men’s South Africa-England series, while the domestic costs are a ballpark number based on perusing several County’s websites.
Note: The prices for domestic price tickets in England vary vastly based on the County/stadium. For example, Kia Oval is at the more expensive side: £15-20 for County Championship matches, £32-40 for Vitality Blast, £40-85 for a men’s T20I, £18-30 for a women’s T20I, and £85-145 for a Test match.
Other Costs: Car Parking (£5+), Guided Tours: (£0-30), Full Season Membership (£240-270), Food, Drinks, Concessions (varies)
Where To Buy Tickets: Tickets can be purchased on the County, stadium, or ECB website. For international matches, you have to enter a ballot and hence, may not be guaranteed a ticket if there is high demand.
If a cricket fan in Australia went to watch 2 days of a men’s Test, 1 ODI, 1 Sheffield Shield match, 2 BBL matches, one women’s international, and 1 WBBL match in a season, they would spend (on tickets alone) at least $180 AUD ($122.6 USD)and as much as $900 $(613 USD) if they chose the premium seating.
Monthly Cost of Living: $1,944
Average Monthly Net Salary: $3,819.73
Annual Inflation Rate: 3.5%
Estimated Monthly Savings: $1875.73
Percent of Savings Spent on Cricket (Live):2.2%-10.89%
Day 4 Tickets: For the Boxing Day Test MCG, the General Admission has a starting price for $30 with reserve stands as high as $85.
Type of Match
General Admission Ticket Price (Adult)
Premium Tickets/Lounge/SkyDeck
A Day of a Test
$30 AUD ($20.4 USD)
$170 AUD ($115.8 USD)
Men’s LOI
$30 ($20.4)
$170 ($115.8)
Women’s LOI
$20 ($13.6)
Domestic Cricket
$10 ($6.8)
Franchise Cricket(BBL)
$27.5 ($18.7)
$165 ($112.4)
WBBL
$10 ($6.8)
*Note: For some Tests (for example, Adelaide BGT, there are ‘Twilight Adult’ prices if the entry is after 5 PM at a discounted price of $22.5).
Watching 2 days of a Test, 2 SuperSmash matches, a men’s limited overs game, and a women’s limited over game can cost anywhere between $109 to $160 in a season.
Monthly Cost of Living: $1782
Average Monthly Net Salary: $3156.96
Annual Inflation Rate: 3.1%
Estimated Monthly Savings: $1,374.96
Percent of Savings Spent on Cricket (Live):1.96%-2.81%
Type of Match
General Admission Ticket Price (Adult)
Premium Tickets
A Day of a Test
$45 NZD ($28 US)
$70 NZD ($43.6)
Men’s LOI
$35 ($21.8)
$65 ($40.5)
Women’s LOI
$20 ($12.5)
Domestic Cricket
FREE
SuperSmash
$15 ($9.4)
*Note: A Test Match Pass (all 5 days) can be purchased, which ranges from $145-220 NZD.
Entry to Plunkett Shield (first class) and Ford Trophy (List A) are free.
Two days of a men’s Test, 1 Men’s ODI, 1 Women’s ODI, and 2 SA20 matches in Bangladesh would cost a spectator somewhere in the range of $44-89 in one season.
Monthly Cost of Living: $974
Average Monthly Net Salary: $1446.04
Annual Inflation Rate: 4.9%
Estimated Monthly Savings: $472.04
Percent of Savings Spent on Cricket (Live):3.1%-6.3%
In India, watching 2 days of a men’s Test, 1 ODI, 2 IPL matches, 1 women’s international, and 1 WPL match in a season, would cost (on tickets alone) between $30-140 on the lower end and about $294 on the higher end over a season. Keep in my end, that or certain IPL teams like RCB, tickets can go as high as $634 alone!
Monthly Cost of Living: $423
Average Monthly Net Salary: $633.49
Annual Inflation Rate: 4.6%
Estimated Monthly Savings: $210.49
Percent of Savings Spent on Cricket (Live): 14.25%+
*This is a bit skewed since population of India has widespread economic disparity. Those who can probably afford to purchase tickets are the only ones that would purchase those premium/VIP tickets.
Type of Match
General Admission Ticket Price (Adult)
Premium/VIP
A Day of a Test
INR 125-200 ($1.5-2.4)
INR 1000-2000 ($12-24)
LOI
INR 750 ($9)
INR 10000 ($119.8)
Women’s International
FREE*
INR 150 ($1.8)
Domestic Cricket
FREE
IPL
INR 700-5000 ($8.4-60)
INR 5000-52938 ($59.9-$634.4)
WPL
INR 100-500 ($1.2-6)
As per Hindustan Times, “Pricing is decided as per demand and supply, affordability, culture, and the eagerness of the people to pay” when it comes to IPL prices. Hence, there is a wide range in IPL tickets depends on which player/teams are playing and when the ticket has been purchased.
Here are some other notes:
Non-international matches are free to attend.
*The entry to women’s Test between India & South Africa was free, while the T20Is were priced for INR 150.
Long story short, watching sports can be a fun and expensive experience.
Final Thoughts
The main thought of writing this article was to answer the question, “Is cricket affordable for the common man?”
With rising cost of living standards around the world and mobile/TV accessibility of cricket, are boards doing enough to incentivize followers to go to the ground?
In general, cricket is not as expensive as other sports. However, if Test cricket is to survive, £95 Day 4 tickets is probably not going to help.
If the trend continues, cricket will become only an elitist game. It began as an elitist game, but do we want to keep it that way?
If you are interested in cricket & finance, consider checking out the following:
Umpires bringing out their light meters out is a common sight in England’s overcast conditions.
We cannot control the weather. So, how can we fix this?
Several proposals have come up over the years: Better Drainage systems (see Sri Lanka), pink ball all the time (especially England), and earlier starts in the day for late-summer months.
All are good ideas, but let’s consider another idea that has been vaguely mentioned—A covered or ‘retractable’ stadium.
Remember that one stadium where the Shahid Afridi hit 12 runs in one ball? Yep, that’s the one.
Key Takeaways
In one of our previous analysis, “How Much Money Does It Take to Host a Test Match?,” we estimated that it takes about $350,000-$1.4 million per 5-day Test depending on the technology used i.e. about $70,000-$280,000 per day of cricket.
It takes about $100-$150 million to add a retractable roof in a stadium (although in some cases the expenses ballooned up to $300 million). For maintenance & repairs, a future budget between $20-30 million needs to be kept aside.
It would take about 357-4,286 days of rain affected matches for the cost of the retractable roof to recover*
In England’s 2024 home season (men’s), six days were rain-affected, one of which was washed out and 5 others were affected by bad light. In 2023, 9 Tests & 5 ODIs were impacted by rain, five of which were no results or complete wash outs. At least 2-5 Hundred matches were marred by rain as well.
The 2024 T20 World Cup had 8 rain-affected games with four abandonments, while the 2019 ODI WC in England had 3 washouts, 4 reduced matches, and one two-day semi-final contest.
*If the roof is only used for international cricket and no other sport
The NFL cannot afford to lose millions of advertising dollars due to weather or unnecessary delays, so they are more inclined to pick stadiums with a covered roof.
Rick Schlesigner, the CEO of Brewers said that he is “very pleased with the roof.” As of 2018, the roof had been used 4,014 times and had “delivered its promise to fans.”
What About Maintenance?
Building the stadium is only a part of the equation, recurring repair & maintenance costs is the other. Brewers’ have estimated that future repairs, maintenance, ironworkers, engineers, roofers will cost about $37.1 million.
Building NFL stadiums is already a costly endeavor. According to Constructive Dive, the overall construction cost for the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles cost a record $5.5 billion (most expensive stadium ever built), Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta was about $1.5 billion, and the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis was about $1.2 billion.
Similar, the owner of the MLB team, New York Mets, estimated that it would take them $800 million to add a retractable roof, while it would have only costed $125 million if it were to be installed during construction.
Here are a few examples of stadiums from different sports and how much their construction cost for a covered stadium. This is not an exhaustive list by any means.
Although cricket was a pioneer in adopting technologies like Hawkeye, it is way behind in architectural investment and innovation.
Archibald Stadium – Carrier Dome ($26.85 Million)
Sport: College Football
Location: Syracuse, New York
Capacity: 40,000
In 1980, Carrier Dome at Syracuse University was one of the first covered domes and the largest collegiate dome. It cost about $27 million back then. The dome was later renovated in 2021 for $118 million.
Huntington Bank Field, Cleveland Browns ($2.4 Billion – Proposed)
Sport: NFL
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Capacity: 70,000
The proposed $2.4 billion investment for the dome would be split between public and private financing, making the $1.2 billion allocated for private investment as the largest private per capita stadium investment in the country.
This stadium will utilize ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), essentially a plastic-see through roof. This is based of other stadiums that have used ETFE like the Allianz Arena in Munich, Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Rugby stadium (cost around $200 million overall), Las Vegas bowl, and Bejing.
The ‘Big O’ Montreal Stadium ($875 Million – Proposed)
Sport: Olympics Stadium
Location: Montreal, Canada
Capacity: 73,000
*Note: The 1976 Olympic stadium is getting a makeover with the roof itself costing $875 million. The replacement roof will not be retractable, but will be translucent to allow for sunlight.
In most cases, the city that hosts the stadium is responsible for paying for any stadium, construction, and repair costs.
Influx of private partnership is helping alleviate some of the costs that the local government gets burdened with.
Due to the complex funding structure, the planning and construction process can go through political interference, red tape, delays, and budget overruns.
How Will A Retractable Stadium in Cricket Impact Playing Conditions?
Playing conditions play a major role in cricket.
Will the amount of swing decrease in England? Do we want natural elements to go out of the game?
To find out how much money cricket lost to rain, we first figured out how many days were affected by rain.
We will consider the last three home seasons for the England’s men’s team as well the last few ICC tournaments.
England Home Season (Men’s)
*Note: W/O denotes complete wash out. N/R denotes No Result
2024 Season
Rain Affected/Wet Outfield
Bad Light
3rd T20I v Pak (W/O) 3rd Test v WI, Day 2 1st Test vs SL, Day 2 1st Test vs SL, Day 3 3rd Test vs SL, Day 3
1st Test vs WI, Day 1 1st Test vs SL, Day 1 2nd Test vs SL, Day 3 3rd Test vs SL, Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
2023 Season
Rain Affected/Wet Outfield
Ashes 1st Test, Day 3 1st Test, Day 5 2nd Test, Day 1 2nd Test, Day 3 3rd Test, Day 3 4th Test, Day 4 4th Test, Day 5 (W/O) 5th Test, Day 4 5th Test, Day 5 Ire v Ban, 1st ODI (N/R) Ire v Ban, 2nd ODI(45-over ODI) Ire v Eng, 1st ODI (W/O) Ire v Eng, 3rd ODI (N/R) NZ v Eng, 2nd ODI (34-over ODI)
*Note: Not many matches were affected by Bad Light in 2023, most of the interruptions were all rain/wet outfield related.
2022 Season
Rain Affected/Wet Outfield
Bad Light
1st Test* v Ind, Day 2 Day 3 Day 5 (W/O) 2nd Test* v Ind, Day 1 5th Test v Ind, Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 1st Test v NZ, Day 3 2nd Test v NZ, Day 2 3rd Test v NZ, Day 1 Day 3 Day 5 2nd ODI v SA (29-over ODI) 3rd ODI v SA (N/R) 1st Test v SA, Day 1 3rd Test v SA, Day 1 (W/O) Day 2 (W/O)
1st Test v Ind, Day 2 2nd Test v Ind, Day 4 3rd Test v Ind, Day 3 4th Test v Ind, Day 3 3rd Test v SA, Day 3 SA, Day 4
*Note: We exclude these matches from our calculations since the 1st 4 Tests of the Pataudi Trophy were held in 2021
ICC & Other Tournaments
2024 T20 World Cup
2024 (M): Match 6 (N/R), Match 23 (W/O), Match 30 (W/O), Match 33 (W/O), Match 34 (10-over), Match 44 (11.2-over DLS), Match 50 (17-over DLS), Match 52 (19-over DLS)
2023 (W): Match 18 (8.2-over DLS)
ODI World Cup
2023 (M): Match 35 (25.3-Overs DLS)
2022 (W): Match 5 (27-over), Match 20 (20-over), Match 23 (N/R), Aus-WI SF (45-over)
2019 (M): Match 7 (41-over), Match 11 (W/O), Match 16 (W/O), Match 18 (W/O), Match 21 (48-over), Match 22 (40-over DLS), Match 25 (49-over), Ind-NZ SF (2 days)
2017 (W): Match 6 (W/O), Match 21 (24-over DLS), Ind-Aus SF (42-over)
The Hundred
2024 (W): Match 21 (W/O), Match 32 (N/R)
2024 (M): Match 21 (N/R), Match 29 (44-balls), Match 30 (N/R), Match 32 (30-balls)
2023 (W): Match 2 (W/O), Match 3 (W/O), Match 6 (W/O), Match 7 (W/O), Eliminator (N/R)
2023 (M): Match 2 (40-balls), Match 6 (N/R), Match 7 (W/O), Match 11 (NR), Match 18 (90-balls)
2022 (M/W): None
Note: We only consider England’s home season and The Hundred. County Championship, Royal One Day Cup, and the T20 Vitality Blast lose a number of matches.
For a sport that seems to be struggling financially on a larger scale, adding a retractable roof in cricket is, in most cases, a bad idea.
Of course, we cannot build a retractable in every stadium. However, countries that can afford and/or have a dire need may be able to afford this on a case-by-case basis.
For example, the Wankhede, Eden Gardens, or the Narendra Modi Stadium in India, SSC in Sri Lanka, Lord’s in England (in case they host the WTC Final for the next 100 years), and the MCG in Australia for some of the larger occasions.
Richer leagues like the NFL & MLB may help subsidize the cost of ultra-expensive stadiums in the USA. With IPL’s growing wealth, the BCCI may be able to help subsidize these types of stadium enhancements around the world as well. Who knows.
What do you think?
Anyway, retractable roofs in cricket are just one part of the alternative. We will do deep dive into how drainage systems work in cricket and other sports at a different time.
“First problem in solving any problem is recognizing there is one.”
– Will McAvoy, The Newsroom
England cricket is having a mid-life crisis for about a decade now.
Although The Hundred is at the heart of that conversation, we should recognize that the larger issues that plague English cricket are finances and scheduling.
Today, we look at how scheduling has changed for first-class counties over the past 50 years and excavate some patterns.
Let’s dive right in.
Key Takeaways
The Vitality T20 blast is currently at a 133-match season. When it began in 2003 (as the Twenty20 Cup), it was only a 48-match tournament and reached its peak with a 151-match season during 2010-11.
Back in 1962, each County team played between 28-32 matches for a total of 254 three-day matches. 50 years later, The County Championship has become a 126 four-day match affair, where each team plays 14 matches.
48.92% of the 1987 first class season was County Championship matches (204/417), whereas only 34.05% of the 2024 season is County matches (126/370).
In 1975, there were 25 days of international cricket (5 Tests). By the time we got to 2010, the English home season had 51 days of international cricket.
In other news, Tymal Mills has criticized the scheduling of the T20 Blast since international players will most likely miss the final. The finals is slated for September 14th, the same week England-Australia T20Is will take place.
These are all valid issues. However, why is it that the English domestic cricket schedule is scrutinized all the time, but the Indian domestic system is not?
Mainly weather.
English Weather and Summer Break
According to the climate portal of the World Bank Group, average precipitation in the UK increases dramatically between September and October from about 90 mm to 130 mm.
May is the driest month, while July is the hottest month.
Attention Spans are Getting Shorter
With AI taking over the world and everybody glued to their phones, it is no surprise that attention spans are getting shorter.
Students in the UK usually have a summer break from mid-July to late August, and schools go back in session around September. That’s not all—The Wimbledon takes place between the end of June & mid-July with the English Premier League following in mid-August.
The challenge for English domestic cricket is to simultaneously capture the attention of the public and escape from rain. Trying to fit international cricket, County Championship, and 3 separate limited over tournaments within 3-4 months and with the same group of players is nigh impossible and borderline, insane.
Indian cricket has the luxury to host the IPL between March-May and still have the Ranji Trophy & their Test between October-February. The rest of the year, India can host bilaterals and other tournaments like the Duleep Trophy, Syed Mushtaq Ali, etc.
English Domestic Season in a Nutshell
The modern English domestic season mainly consists of the following four types of tournament:
County Championship (first class), ODI Cup (List A), T20 Blast (domestic T20), experimental (currently, The Hundred)
For this analysis, we have looked at the schedules of County Championship, T20 Blast, The Hundred,Benson & Hedges Cup, Gillette Cup, Royal London One Day Cup, Sunday League, Bob Willis Trophy, and England’s international schedules.
*Note: Competitions involving National/minor counties, universities, MCC exhibition matches, and and tournaments such as Gentleman vs Players (ran from 1806-1963) are not considered in this analysis.
How Does the Current 2024 Domestic Season Look Like?
In theory, a three-format English cricketer who plays all possible matches in domestic cricket and The Hundred can play a maximum of 125 days of cricket at home given there is no overlap. That is 68.30% of the 183 total days between April 1st and September 30th.
2024 Season (Current Format with the Hundred)
Total Domestic Matches: 370
Max Days of Internationals: 37
Max Day of Domestic Cricket Per County: 88 (56 first class, 32 limited overs)
County Championship: 14 Matches (4 day per match)
Royal One Day Cup: 8
Vitality T20 Blast: 14
The Hundred: 10
International Home Season Breakdown
May 22-May 30: 4 T20Is vs Pakistan (4 maximum days of cricket)
July 10-July 28: 3 Tests vs West Indies (15 maximum days of cricket)
August 21-September 10: 3 Tests vs Sri Lanka (15)
September 11-September 29: 3 T20Is, 5 ODIs (8)
Competition
Type
Matches
Date Range
County Championship
First-Class
126
5 Apr-29 Sept
One Day Cup
50 Overs
77
30 May-14 Sept
T20 Blast
20 Overs
133
24 Jul-22 Sept
The Hundred
100 Balls
34
23 Jul-18 Aug
County Championship (1948-2024)
Before 1988, all County Championship Matches were played as 3-day games. After 1993, all matches became 4-day affairs and between 1988-1992, it was a mix of 3 and 4 day games.
Here are some additional notes:
In 1992, Durham was added as the 18th team in the County Championship. Before 1988, we have 17 teams and 18 teams after.
Between 1960-1962, a team could play a maximum of 32 first class games or a maximum of 96 days of cricket (since County was only 3 days back then).
Between 1988-1991, each team played sixteen 3-day matches (120 matches total) and six 4-day matches.
In comparison, a player in the 2024 County Championship could play a maximum of 14 first class games or a maximum of 56 days of first class cricket (4-day).
The ‘cricketing days’ column is the (number of matches) * (3 or 4) depending if it is a 3-day or 4-day match. This does not represent the actual days played since multiple County matches may overlap on a single day.
Years
Total Matches
Cricketing Days
Matches Per Team
1948-1949
221
663
26
1950-1959
238
714
28
1960-1962
254
762
Mix of 28/32
1963-1968
238
714
28
1969-1971
204
612
24
1972-1976
172
516
20
1977-1982
187
561
22
1983-1987
204
612
24
1988-1991
187
628
22
1992
198
628
22
1993-1999
152
608
17
2000-2016
144
576
16
2017-2019
126
504
14
2020*
46 (Bob Willis Trophy)
184
–
2021
126 (+1 BW Trophy)
508
14
2022-2024
126
504
14
Note*: In 2020, the County Championship was cancelled, and only the Bob Willis Trophy took place.
“There’s never really been a perfect schedule…I thought it worked well when T20s were on Friday nights and there seemed to be a regularity in the season, but I also liked a little bit of B&H & Gillette Cup!”
Between 2003-2019, the format of the T20 Blast, formerly known as the Twenty20 Cup, changed a staggering 7 times ranging from 48-matches to 151-matches.
The Early Years (2003-2009)
The early years had a pretty decent number of matches gradually increasing from 48 to 97.
(Side note: There is no direct correlation between an earlier end date for the T20 Blast and number of rained out matches as we can see from 2007-2008).
Year
Matches
Finals Date
Rained Out Matches
2003
48
19th July
0
2004
52
7th August
4
2005
79
30th July
11
2006
79
12th August
2
2007
79
4th August
19
2008
97
26th July
20
2009
97
15th August
3
Twenty20 Cup (2003-2009)
The Expansion and T20 Blast Scheduling Overkill (2014-2020)
The 2010s were when the scheduling problem amplified not only in the English domestic scene, but also internationally.
The domestic schedule could theoretically afford the increase from 97 games in 2009 to 151 in 2010 since the Gillette Cup & Sunday League ended and morphed into a single ECB 40 competition, but it realistically made the domestic schedule even more complex.
Year
Matches
Finals Date
Rained Out Matches
2010
151
14th August
5
2011
151
27th August
23
2012
97
25th August
20
2013
97
17th August
1
2014
133
23rd August
12
2015
133
29th August
9
2016
133
20th August
15
2017
133
2nd September
16
2018
133
15th September
12
2019
133
21st September
24
2020*
97
4th October
12
T20 Blast (2010-2020)
Post The Hundred (2021-2024)
Year
Matches
Finals Date
Rained Out Matches
2021
133
18th September
13
2022
133
16th July
6
2023
133
15th July
2
2024
133
14th September
10
T20 Blast (2021-2024)
The Hundred
The reason The Hundred has become a point of contention is not necessarily due to the new format created of out of the whim.
Rather, it goes back to attention span. Late July to mid-August is a coveted window in the English domestic calendar.
The Hundred being scheduled during this valuable time slot means that T20 Blast matches becomes a secondary tournament. Furthermore, Test series are delayed to September, where there is a higher likelihood of being affected by rain or bad light. In addition, some rounds of the T20 Blast and the Royal One Day occur during this time, which means County teams have to find a second XI to field their teams (since most marquee players would be at The Hundred).
Year
Starting Date
Ending Date
2021
23rd July
18th August
2022
1st August
27th August
2023
3rd August
3rd September
2024
21st July
21st August
The Hundred (2021-2024)
T20 Vitality Blast Attendance
In 2003, the Vitality Blast begun with an attendance of about 257,759. Over the years, the attendance has ebbed and flowed and has slightly dipped since the inception of the 100-ball competition:
The Hundred is not the first time England cricket is pioneering a new format. They started with 65 overs back in the early 1960s, created a 40-over tournament that built the backbone of England’s 2009 WC winning squad, and are now experimenting with 100-ball cricket.
Here is a brief timeline:
2014-2024: Royal London One Day Cup
2021-2024: The Hundred
2010-2013: ECB 40
1972-2002: Benson & Hedges Cup (55-overs first few years, then 50 overs)
1969-2009: Sunday League/National League/NatWest Pro40 (50, 45, then 40 overs)
By 1975, the modern English domestic season was established, and ODI cricket had taken its root in England. This was an interesting season because it also had an Ashes series and the inaugural ODI World Cup.
Max Days of Internationals: 25
Max Days of Domestic Cricket Per County: 88 (60 first class, 28 limited overs)
County Championship: 60 (20 matches)
Sunday League: 16
Benson & Hedges Cup: 7
Gillete Cup: 5 (Knockout format)
County Championship
Gillete Cup, Sunday League, Friends Provident Trophy
International Home Season
10 July 1975-3 September 1975: 4-Test Ashes (20 days max)
ODI World Cup: 5 Matches Max (3 Group, semi-final, and final)
2010 Season (Inaugural ECB40, Expansion of T20 Blast)
Total Domestic Matches: 424
Max Days of Home International Cricket: 51
Max Days of Domestic Cricket Per County: 96 (64 first class, 32 limited overs)
County Championship: 64 (16 matches)
T20 Blast: 18
ECB 40: 14
International Home Season
May 27-June 6: 2 Tests vs Bangladesh (10)
June 22-July 3: 5 ODIs vs Australia (5)
July 8-July 12: 3 ODIs vs Bangladesh (3)
July 29-August 26: 4 Tests vs Pakistan (24)
September 5-September 7: 2 T20Is vs Pakistan (2)
September 10-September 22: 5 ODIs vs Pakistan (5)
Note: Prior to the home season, 2010 T20 World Cup occurred between April 30-16 May in the West Indies, and England were the winners. They played 7 matches during this campaign.
Max Days of Domestic Cricket Per County: 95 (57 first class, 38 limited overs)
County Championship: 56 (14 matches)
1 tour Match
Vitality T20 Blast: 17
One Day Cup: 11
The Hundred: 10
International Home Season
June 1-4: 1 Test vs Ireland (4-Day Test)
One tour Match took place
June 16-July 31: 5-Test Ashes vs Australia (25)
August 30-September 15: 4 T20Is, 4 ODIs vs New Zealand (8)
2 Tour matches
September 20-26: 3 ODIs vs Ireland (3)
*Note: The ICC World Test Championship took place between 7-11th June at the Oval.
Competition
Type
Matches
Date Range
County Championship
First-Class
126
6 Apr-29 Sept
One Day Cup
50 Overs
77
1 Aug-16 Sept
T20 Blast
20 Overs
133
20 May-15 July
The Hundred
100 Balls
34
1 Aug-27 Aug
Final Thoughts
From the ECB point of view, I get it. More limited over matches means more attendance, and in the long term, better financial stability (hopefully), but is the overkill of cricket really worth it?
“We all recognise that the Twenty20 Cup has been a startling success…Yet I would make a plea to the ECB and the administrators around the counties who smell a golden goose…Cricket is not good at this. At international level, look at the congested schedules that are exhausting players and spectators alike. Short-term greed will backfire.“
– Vic Marks
That was 2003, when the Twenty20 Cup was only 48 matches, and The Hundred did not exist. 21 years later with the proliferation of franchise leagues and ICC tournaments every year, the situation has become even worse.
The ECB continued with the same 133-match format for the T20 Blast even after The Hundred. Maybe there is a case to go back to 2005-07 format, where 79-matches were played throughout or abolish The Hundred altogether.
Is there a Solution to England’s Schedule Woes?
Is there a solution?
Probably, but that is beyond the scope of this article (I have a ‘truly marvelous’ solution to this issue, but the margins are too narrow to contain it).
However, little changes can go a long way.
For starters, as Adam Collins argues on his podcast, scheduling September Test matches earlier in the day or adding lost overs to the beginning of the next day can be a start.
Does Test cricket in the UK start too late in September?
🗣️ "Surely it's 10:30 starts? Why are we starting a Test match in September at 11?" – @collinsadam
Remember, today’s goal was not to solve England’s domestic scheduling problem. Rather, it was to realize that this is the main problem for England’s administration to solve.
****
Thank you all for reading!
What do you all think about how to resolve the domestic English schedule? Comment below, would love to know your thoughts!
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Do you know how many undergraduate collegiate varsity cricket teams exist in the United States?
ONE.
You read that right. Haverford College in Pennsylvania is the only American institution that has an official varsity cricket team (more on them later).
As we learned from Avinash’s journey earlier, America has numerous cricket clubs across the country. In addition, there is the National College Cricket Association and the American College Cricket League. However, neither are officially affiliated with USA’s official body to regulate university sport, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
If cricket has any chance of survival and wants to be considered a professional sport in the USA, it has to make an effort to become a part of the NCAA sporting fraternity.
What is the NCAA?
The NCAA is a member-led non-profit organization that regulates university sports in the United States.
In the 1904 American college football season, 18 college athletes died and another 159 were injured.
Something had to be done.
So, President Theodore Roosevelt called upon the major universities to regulate football. Several athletic leaders met, 62 colleges signed the inaugural charter, and the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS) was born, which would later be renamed as the NCAA in 1910.
In 1973, NCAA’s current structure of Division I-III sports was established.
In 2022, Division I NCAA institutions reported a revenue of $17.5 billion, $11.2 billion of which was generated by the athletic departments themselves and $6.3 billion came from government and student fees.
In the same year, Division I institutions also reported spending$17.1 billion. $3 billion of which were spent on student financial aid and $3.3 billion was spent on coach compensation.
Apart from student financial aid and coach compensation, NCAA helps fund sports camps, facilities, medical, recruiting, game travel, etc.
Note: This is only Division I data. More money is spend overall in NCAA sports if we also consider Division II & III.
How NCAA Include a New Sport?
I wanted to learn how a new sport can become a part of the NCAA program.
The Emerging Sports Program for Women is one such program that aims to provide more athletic opportunities for women and can help a new sport achieve NCAA championship status.
The Emerging Sports Program for Women
To learn how cricket can be part of the NCAA, I reached out to the NCAA themselves and asked the following questions:
What is the process for a sport to become NCAA recognized?
What is the timeline like, and is there data available for how long it took each sport to complete the NCAA eligibility (both men’s and women’s)?
Has any organization applied for cricket to become a NCAA sport?
According to the Associate Director of Communications of the NCAA,
“Any sport can be considered” to be a part of the NCAA. However, she had not yet “heard of [cricket’s] application for the emerging sports program.”
After a sporting organization submits the initial application,
“The Committee on Women’s Athletics will review the proposal to determine if it is granted entrance to the Emerging Sports for Women program.”
How Can An Emerging Sport Reach NCAA Championship Status?
At least 20 NCAA active members must sponsor the sport at varsity or club level
These members need to demonstrate at least 5 intercollegiate contests during an academic year
At least 10 letters of commitment are needed from members to sponsor the sport at the varsity level in the year under review
The institution’s chancellor/president, the director of athletics, and senior women administrator must sign the commitment
Supporting materials for the application include:
Budget, Roster size, full-time/part-time coaches, description of facilities, competition opportunities, ‘relationship with sport governing body/organization’
Suggested NCAA regulations (Playing Rules, Financial Aid limits, etc.)
Data (Injury Rates, Health/Safety, Ethnicity/Race, High school participation rates, etc.)
The organization can also submit additional documents from the U.S. Olympic/Paralympic committees, professional sport organizations, etc.
A sport has 10 years from the time it becomes an emerging women’s sport to get to 40 active members, after which it can apply for the NCAA championship status.
What is the Application Process?
A representative of the national governing body must submit an interest form and an official application. Applications open between May 1-August 1 each year, and a sport can apply every two years if is not accepted.
Her final question to me was,
“Have you worked with the governing body for Cricket in the U.S.?
I have not yet worked with the governing body for Cricket in the U.S., but if we are serious about making a collective push for cricket to be included in the NCAA, one of us has to reach out to USA cricket and officially apply for the Emerging Sports program.
Beach volleyball (2015), bowling (2003), water polo (2000), ice hockey (1996), and rowing (1996) have all achieved NCAA championship status recently. Women’s wrestling is on track to become the next one.
Currently, acrobatics & tumbling, equestrian, rugby, stunt, and triathlon are other sports to have become part of the emerging program.
According to an ESPN article, Haverford’s “cricket team also has a unique quirk: It’s the only collegiate varsity team in the country.”
Cricket has a rich history at Haverford College dating back to the 1850s. Kamran Khan, a former Pakistan and USA player, has helped coach the team and increase its popularity in recent decades.
Final Thoughts: Are Things Moving in the Right Direction for USA Cricket?
Apart from USA cricket’s administrative issues, cricket seems to be moving in the right direction in America.
Major League Cricket (MLC) has had a couple of successful season, US co-hosted the 2024 T20 World Cup World Cup, and cricket is now a part of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Support from the Indian diaspora, IPL teams, and Australian partnerships have all proved to be fruitful, and the MLC has largely avoided going the way of previous failed attempts to bring cricket to the US.
The initial impetus has been provided, but it has still not become a part of the general American sporting experience.
Lots of promising players are coming up in the American circuit. However, if financial aid, proper facilities, and incentive to continue playing cricket are not provided, talent may switch to other sports.
Therefore, if cricket has to succeed or even stay remotely relevant in the American market, it has to break through the American college market first.
****
That was my tidbits, what do you think should be done to grow cricket in America? Comment below and share ahead. Thanks for reading!
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The ECB have managed to get approval from the 18 counties and the MCC for a ‘direction of travel’ (whatever that means) as a next step towards privatizing The Hundred. This will change the revenue model currently in place between the ECB & the Counties.
This made me wonder why the ECB had come up with The Hundred in the first place and why they are now moving towards privatizing the tournament.
Are all County clubs struggling financially? If yes, how bad are their situations?
I wanted to get to the bottom of this. So I researched all 18 Counties’ (and MCC’s) Annual Reports & Financial Accounts.
Here is what I found out after perusing through about 617 pages of annual reports.
Key Takeaways
Surrey (£ 8 Million – 2023), Lancashire (£ 2.4 Million – 2022), and Warwickshire (£ 1.3 Million – 2023) saw the most profit in a year, while Yorkshire (£ 7 Million Loss – 2023), Hampshire (£ 1.3 Million – 2022), and Gloucestershire (£ 1.2 Million – 2023) had the largest losses.
I separated the Counties in three categories based on their current financial health status.
Several teams highlighted inflation, rising interest rates, and rising energy costs as points of concerns looking at the future.
Although Test cricket is usually costly to host and results in losses for most cricket boards, County Clubs benefit when they host Ashes Tests (and ODIs). Membership soars, tickets are sold out, and the general interest in the County game increases. That is why many Counties experienced a boost in 2023 (except for Yorkshire).
The Counties below are arranged by the profit/loss in their latest released financial statements (not their overall reserves). We have summarized quotes from annual reports, factors contributing to growth, future outlook & concerns, etc. to provide a holistic view of the club. We made our financial health assessments as follows:
Green: Annual profits (mostly) for two years in a row and surplus reserves.
Yellow: (1) Recent annual losses but overall surplus reserves, (2) recent profits but negative reserves, or (3) concerns from the treasurer/CEO/chair in their written statements despite positive financials.
Red: Annual losses for two years in a row as well as negative reserves.
If debts and loan repayments were called out in the report, we mention it. However, other important metrics like detailed balance sheet and long-term debt analysis for each County is a deep dive for another day. (All the sources are linked at the end of each section if you are interested to learn more).
*Note: Results are presented from the club’s most recent Annual Report. Some clubs have already released their 2023 reports (that covers both 2023 & 2022 financial reports) while some others have only released 2022 reports (that cover 2022 & 2021 financial reports). The reports are sourced at the end of each section.
**The annual total represents the total comprehensive income for the club after taxation.
1. Surrey (£ 8 Million Profit)
Division: Division One
Home Ground: The Oval
Financial Health Status:Green
Assessment: Positive annual returns pushed their reserves even higher, but they are expecting a tough 2024.
Surrey’s 2-Year Profit/Loss
Year
2023
2022
Annual Total
+ £ 7,999,000
– £ 1,332,000
Total Reserves
+ £ 29,200,000
+ £ 21,167,000
Treasurer’s Report Summary
“We have delivered an excellent financial performance in 2023 and look forward to continuing growth over the medium term. In the short term however, we expect a difficult year in 2024. We have a Friday start in our Test match, and an IT20 not an ODI.”
Positive Highlights from Surrey’s Annual Report
Membership grew by 18,739
Men’s Ashes Test (Sold Out), India vs Australia WTC Final (Sold Out)
Women’s Ashes IT20 (20,000 tickets)
Strong T20 Vitality Blast Attendance
Financial Concerns for Surrey County Cricket Club
Inflation, Increases in Rent
Overheads expenses increased by £6,300,000 compared to 2022
Staffing Increase Costs (recovery from COVID staff reduction)
Assessment: The Ashes helped boost Warwickshire’s 2023 return. Financial growth moving in the right direction for the club.
Warwickshire’s 2-Year Profit/Loss
Year
2023 (10/01/2022-12/31/2023)
2022 (09/30/2021-09/30/2022)
Annual Total
+ £ 1,310,068
+ £ 123,791
Total Reserves
+ £ 8,783,073
+ £ 7,233,214
*Note: + £ 277,600 revaluation reserve was added to the + £ 1,310,068 for a total growth of + £ 1,588,069 in the 15-month period.
Chief Operating Officer’s Report Summary
“In summary, revenue for 2023 was substantially higher than in 2022, principally driven by hosting the men’s Ashes Test match. Costs were also substantially higher in 2023 primarily due to the increase in Major Match day (MMDs) staging fees paid to the English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the additional 3 months salary costs…”
Positive Highlights from Warwickshire’s Annual Report
Men’s Ashes Test
Catering and hospitality revenues (driven by the Ashes Test)
T20 Blast and Hundred ticket revenue increases
Partnership revenue increases
Financial Concerns for Warwickshire County Cricket Club
Expenses increase (cost of sale, administrative cost, overhead costs)
Inflation
Operating EBITDA decreased 6%
*Year ending on 31st December, 2023 (Note: Warwickshire changed their annual report date from 30th September to December so had 15-months to account for in this latest report instead of just the 12).
Assessment: Although 2022 was not as profitable as 2021, the club retains its massive surplus.
Nottinghamshire’s 2-Year Profit/Loss
Year
2022
2021
Annual Total
+ £ 689,623
+ £ 1,331,476
Total Reserves
+ £ 6,726,973
+ £ 6,037,335
Treasurer’s Report Summary
“Although there were some positive and negative movements in comparison tour budget for the year, the end result was closely aligned to our forecasts. he continued generation of surpluses has ensured the club continues to meet all of its debt repayments, minimising any interest charges accrued…”
Positive Highlights from Nottinghamshire’s Annual Report
Hosted Test, T20I
“Larger-than-forecast number of membership subscriptions
Strong catering and retail return on Day 5 of Test match
“Successful staging of The Hundred…to a significantly better level than in 2021.”
Financial Concerns for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Scheduling concerns (Friday start to Test match caused hospitality and Day 4 financial concerns)
3 home Vitality Blast games in five days
Rising electricity prices, rising national minimum wage
Assessment: From the financial statements, Somerset is growing and has ample surplus. However, the annual report suggests that the board of directors are wary of challenges that may impact them in this straining economy.
Somerset’s 2-Year Profit/Loss
Year
2022
2021
Annual Total
+ £ 399,328
+ £ 149,087
Total Reserves
+ £ 10,231,772
+ £ 9,833,700
Financial Review Summary
“…the year…represented a return to something resembling a more ‘normal’ year, although operations were negatively impacted by challenges emanating from the legacy of the pandemic…We are well positioned financially to absorb potential economic shocks over the coming months and to take advantage of opportunities that we are proactively seeking out, as we operate in an economic, political and cricketing landscape of rapidly-changing variables and volatility.“
Positive Highlights from Somerset’s Annual Report
Surplus in these two years meant that ‘debt levels remain manageable’
+ £ 540,562 resulting from membership subscriptions and match receipts
Strong year by the commercial team as it relates to business partners and sponsors
Financial Concerns for Somerset County Cricket Club
Inflation, conflict in Europe, rising interest rates
Assessment: Durham has benefitting from external events to add to their surplus and recent profits.
Durham’s 2-Year Profit/Loss
Year
2023
2022
2021
Annual Total
+ £ 1,531,190
+ £ 333,033
+ £ 1,560,754
Total Reserves
+ £7,888,727
+ £ 6,357,537
+ £ 6,024,504
*Note: In 2023, £ 285,756 was the profit for 2023, while £ 1,531,190 was the total comprehensive income for 2023 (including £ 1,245,434 was the revaluation of tangible fixed assets)
Chairman’s Review Summary
“With our events business performing strongly and the strong financial management of the last few years continuing, I am delighted to report a profit of £333,0333 in the current financial year as we look to continue strengthening our financial position for the challenges ahead…The key business risks affecting the group are considered to relate to staging of international cricket and the share of money we receive that is generated through the ECB…Failure to stage international cricket beyond this date would have a financial impact on the group through lost turnover.”
BusinessLive Article Summary
According to BusinessLive, who had access to Durham’s 2022 Annual Reports and financial statements, they quoted Chairman Lord Botham as follows:
“Current year turnover has risen to £ 8,048,739 as a result of the Durham Cricket Events business performing strongly over the year.”
*In 2021, the turnover was + £ 7,108,908
Positive Highlights
Plans of building a hotel on site
Concerts & events provide financial boost
Two fixtures two host (in 2026 & 2028)
Food and beverage income almost doubled
Potential Concerns
Average number of employees decreased by 16 (135 to 119)
*Year ending on 30th September, 2022
Note: I could not initially find Durham’s annual reports, so had to rely on the Business Live article. Special thanks to Reuben Herbert and Graham Smith for sending me Durham’s updated financials and pointing me in the right direction!
They should still publish accounts at Companies House.
“Middlesex Cricket can today announce that for the financial year ending November 2023, the Club has recorded a profit after tax of £ 131,000...After such an extended period of posting significant losses, to turn the business around a time when the game is under financial pressure is a credit to everyone involved.
“After two years of extremely heavy losses caused by the pandemic and the pension scheme deficit, in 2022 we began the slow journey back to financial stability…The net assets of the Club that were less than £ 200K at the start of the year have now been exhausted. What this means is that making a profit in the year ahead is non-negotiable and that our activities and ambitions must be focused on meeting this target.“
Positive Highlights from Middlesex’s Annual Report
ECB county partnership agreement fees increased
Member subscriptions, ground receipts, sponsorships, hospitality/events saw an uptick
Financial Concerns for Middlesex County Cricket Club
Wages and salaries cost increased
Insurance, social security, pension costs, etc. increased
Assessment: Not as much of a surplus as some of the bigger clubs, but they have been profitable and are slowly moving return to normal from the financial consequences of the pandemic.
Northamptonshire’s 2-Year Profit/Loss
Year
2023
2022
Annual Total
+ £ 110,164
– £ 1,474
Total Reserves
+ £ 1,361,920
+ £ 1,251,716
Directors’ Report Summary
“Post pandemic the club benefitted as the local community looked to enjoy life again. Season ticket sales, gate income, and conference & events revenue not only recovered, but far exceeded pre-pandemic levels.”
Positive Highlights from Northamptonshire’s Annual Report
Hosted T20I vs India (Sold Out)
Financial Concerns for Northamptonshire County Cricket Club
Increasing energy costs (now investing in solar panels to counter costs)
Assessment: An excellent two years means Derbyshire has accumulated a bit of surplus for themselves.
Derbyshire’s 2-Year Profit/Loss
Total
2023
2022
Annual Total
+ £ 70,000
+ £ 138,000
Total Reserves
+ £ 3,087,000
+ £ 3,017,000
Finance Director Summary
“From a financial results point of view, it has been another very good year for the Club, showing a strong income and expenditure performance and an improvement in the long-term balance sheet position…Looking ahead to 2024 and beyond there are a number of challenges we face which will inevitably make future years more difficult financially.”
Positive Highlights from Derbyshire’s Annual Report
Sponsorship, Advertising, Hospitality
Conference and Events
Financial Concerns for Derbyshire County Cricket Club
Inflation
“Commercial sponsorship is proving difficult across England….we will have to work hard to ensure we don’t see a drop in this income.”
Assessment: Although Worcestershire have a decent surplus for five years running, the losses in 2019 and 2022 were far greater than the minimal profits made in 2020, 2021, and 2023 respectively.
Worcestershire’s 5-Year Profit/Loss
Year
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
Annual Total
+ £ 13,340
– £ 203,287
+ £ 8,477
+ £ 21,635
– £ 81,810
Total Reserves
+ £ 2,184,117
+ £ 2,170,801
+ £ 2,374,044
+ £ 2,365,567
+ £ 2,343,977
*Note: Worcestershire documents 5-year profit/loss on their annual reports rather than 2-year profit/loss as other clubs.
Accounts Commentary Summary
“There has been an uplift in revenue across nearly all sectors of our operations…Financial sustainability remains a paramount concern for the Club, as well as for other venues not hosting Test matches or The Hundred. It is imperative that we generate sufficient profits to ensure debt repayment. A strategic focus for 2024 will be the development of new revenue streams beyond cricket and the expansion of existing operations.”
Positive Highlights from Worcestershire’s Annual Report
15% increase in match ticket sales (both red & white ball games)
Catering Department delivers profit of £282,000
2 Music concerts
Financial Concerns for Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Assessment: Although Kent is in the profits over the last couple of years and have ample reserves, the chair of the board voiced his concern in the seismic shift that County Cricket is facing and what this uncertainty implies for the club.
Kent’s 2-Year Profit/Loss
Year
2023
2022
2021
Annual Total
– £ 469,448
+ £ 6,488
+ £ 282,235
Total Reserves
+ £ 6,986,301
+ £ 7,455,751
+ £ 7,449,232
Chair’s Report Summary
“Two of the High Performance Review’s conclusions – structure and schedule – presented an existential threat to both our Club and the essential fabric of the county game…There is no question that Sir Andrew did a high quality piece of of work in the context of his brief. He has come up with many good ideas and the game has gained useful insights from subject experts across sport. However, it was when suggesting a County game structure and schedule that had the sole purpose of improving the England teams, the matters became more vexed…Reducing County Cricket in Kent to five home Championship games, five T20s and potentially one or two 50 over games would have rendered the Club completely irrelevant. Four days of cricket a month throughout the season would have meant that we became invisible.“
Positive Highlights from Kent’s Annual Report
Development of media and marketing
New ‘state-of-the-art ticketing system’
Digital match day streaming service grew
Stable ticket sales
Financial Concerns for Kent County Cricket Club
“Inflation, labour shortages, rising interest rates, and higher energy prices”
The Hundred’s negative impact on T20 Vitality Blast crowds (due to change of schedule)
Assessment: From a five year outlook, we can see that Leicestershire has had 4 years of losses. Since surplus are still in a relatively healthy condition, I went with a ‘Yellow’ financial rating for them.
Leicestershire’s 2-Year Profit/Loss
Year
2023
2022
2021
Annual Total
– £ 440,112
– £ 320,341
+ £ 482,892
Total Reserves
+ £ 2,109,609
+ £ 2,549,723
+ £ 2,870,064
The past 5-year annual total summary for Leicestershire are as follows:
“Encouragingly the reliance on the central funding dropped from 78% to 65% during the year. However we must continue to reduce this number and become more self-sufficient. This will remain one of our key targets during during the short and medium terms.”
Positive Highlights from Leicestershire Annual Report
Facilities and commercial revenue grew
Increased hospitality
Record numbers for T20 attendance
Financial Concerns for Leicestershire County Cricket Club
Assessment: Losses for consecutive years, but still holding onto decent reserves.
Essex’s 2-Year Profit/Loss
Year
2022
2021
Annual Total
– £ 378,983
– £ 508,226
Total Reserves
+ £ 2,336,488
+ £ 2,715,471
Essex’s Notes to the Accounts Summary
“Based on current forecasts, total cash outflows exceed total cash inflows in the forecasted period to December 2024. The Club is actively looking to address this loss and cashflow situation to avoid having to sell part of its investment portfolio to cover this shortfall. These matters indicate that a material uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt over the ability of the Club to continue as a going concern.”
Positive Highlights from Essex’s Annual Report
Matches, commercial activity, and membership resulted in the most profit for Essex
Financial Concerns for Essex County Cricket Club
Buildings (net – £ 690,254) and cricket operations (net – £ 435,987) resulted in the most net loss in 2022
Assessment: Massive positive reserves but the direction of annual losses are not going in the right direction.
Glamorgan’s 2-Year Profit/Loss
Year
2023
2022
Annual Total
– £ 528,294
– £ 39,248
Total Reserves
+ £ 9,767,471
+ £ 10,295,765
Chair’s Report Summary
“The club is reporting a reasonable financial outcome for the year…2024 will be a challenging year financially and the club has had to reduce its cost base in order to produce a budget with a similar EBITDA to 2023.”
“…It is worth remembering that the game of cricket is undergoing generational change as the rise of Indian cricket and the Indian Premier League has the potential to shift the old order and orthodoxies. While this process will undoubtedly be disruptive and challenging, it will also potentially provide opportunities for individual clubs to reset their financial, strategic, and operational activities onto a more positive and sustainable basis. Rest assured that the Board will work to ensure that Glamorgan is positioned to take advantage of these trends as they develop.”
Positive Highlights from Glamorgan’s Annual Report
International stadium
International match staging agreement with the ECB till 2031
“Stable financial position with minimal debt”
Hundred team/host based in Wales
Financial Concerns for Glamorgan County Cricket Club
“Adverse macro-economic environment in which we currently operate” (ex: higher interest rates)
Assessment: Similar to Glamorgan, two consecutive years of losses (and 2023 was way worse than 2022) is a bit of concern, but overall, they are still holding up well.
Sussex’s 2-Year Profit/Loss
Year
2023
2022
Annual Total*
– £ 735,616
– £ 39,418
Total Reserves
+ £ 8,461,170
+ £ 9,196,873
Note: In the annual report, both Sussex Cricket Limited and Sussex Cricket Foundation’s earnings have been reported. We only state SCL’s profit/loss (since it is based on membership, matches, etc.)
*Even though Sussex had + £443,929 operating profit in 2022, the total comprehensive income was – £ 39,418. Similarly in 2023, they had an operating loss (- £ 121,918) but an even larger total comprehensive loss (-£ 735,616)
Treasurer’s Report Summary
“Income decreased 5.6% in FYE 2023 while expenditure increased 2.8%.”
Assessment: Two consecutive years of losses (Losses for 2023/2024 almost doubled), but they do not have the luxury of reserves like Sussex & Glamorgan.
Gloucestershire’s 2-Year Profit/Loss
Total
2024
2023
Annual Total
– £ 1,190,000
– £ 570,000
Total Reserves
+ £ 1,790,000
+ £ 2,980,000
*Year ending on 31st January, 2024
Treasurer’s Report Summary
“This year has been a challenging year financially for a number of reasons and there is no doubt it is disappointing to be reporting a second consecutive financial deficit…Fundamentally, our finances have been impacted by the fixed nature of the majority of our central funding and the fact the growth of the business has not kept up with the rate of inflation…”
Positive Highlights from Gloucestershire Annual Report
Hosting England v Ireland (Men), Hosting Women’s Ashes ODI
Second fastest growth of any county in terms of ticket sales (although it still fell short of expectations)
Cheltenham Cricket Festival
Sponsorship and BS7 Gym
Financial Concerns for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Assessment: Things are not looking that great for Hampshire, who are on the verge of becoming one of the first County teams to sell shares to IPL team owners.
Year
2022
2021
Annual Total
– £ 1,346,883
– £ 1,535,292
Total Reserves
+ £ 2,440,783
+ £ 3,787,666
Group Strategic Report Summary
“The Group will look to consolidate its position as a leading leisure destination and international cricket stadium, although the Directors anticipate that a return to significant levels of profitability is unlikely in 2023 and 2024 given the poor allocation of international cricket in this period.”
Positive Highlights from Hampshire’s Annual Report
Hotel and events saw a rise in operating profit
Men’s Ashes in 2027, Women’s Ashes in 2031
Financial Concerns for Hampshire County Cricket Club
Net debt at 31st December, 2022 is approximately £ 61,423,363.
Assessment: Despite an Ashes season, Yorkshire reported devastating losses in 2023. Financial (and social) overhaul is required at Yorkshire.
Yorkshire’s 2-Year Profit/Loss
Year
2023
2022
Annual Total
– £ 7,050,776
– £ 2,169,332
Total Reserves
– £ 9,106,154
– £ 2,054,488
Chair’s Statement Summary
“The 2023 financial statements presented to you are very clear—it was an Ashes year for us, which should have been productive and profitable, but in the event there was a huge trading loss for the Club. The reasons behind this are explained throughout the financial statements but 2023 was definitely Yorkshire’s ANNUS HORRIBILIS!“
“The Hundred continues to generate significant income for the Club.”
Positive Highlights from Yorkshire’s Annual Report
Hosted Ashes at Headingley (provided £ 18.2 million revenue)
Membership numbers increased
New investment to come in
To host Men’s Test again India in 2025 along with some other T20Is
“The conversations around the Hundred are potentially extremely beneficial for us”
Vitality Blast sales increased 14%
Financial Concerns for Yorkshire County Cricket Club
More staffing in the executive team
Cost of running a stadium
Rising Interest rates
Cricket Disciplinary Committee investigation, legal and professional fees, settlement of employment claims, governance, EDI plans, etc.
No major capital investment
Restructuring of County Age Group pathway
Hosting and Administrative costs for Ashes
“It should be noted, however, that the costs of hosting the match, which include a staging fee payable to the ECB, stewarding and security, and the cost of delivering hospitality packages, were proportionally higher too, totalling £ 3.3 m.”
19. Bonus: Marylebone Cricket Club, The MCC (£ 7.7 Million Profit)
Financial Health Status:Green
Assessment: The MCC are doing really great at the moment on all accounts.
Year
2023
2022
Annual Total
+ £ 7,735,000
+ £ 2,849,000
Total Reserves
+ £ 82,916,000
+ £ 75,181,000
MCC Committee Report Summary
“We continue to evaluate the potential to own and manage a Hundred franchise based at Lord’s. It is anticipated that the ECB will put in place a new financial model from the start of the 2025 season and subject to more detail on the structure and economics of the tournament, we believe that owning a Hundred franchise could have a positive impact on all four of the Club’s objectives
“On the commercial side, income surpassed previous records across Retails, Tours of Lord’s, the Indoor Cricket Centre, Marketing and Advertising, Events and Experiences, shown within Catering and Hospitality, whilst performing strongly, was around 10% lower than the record World Cup year of 2019.”
Other Positive Highlights from MCC’s Annual Report
Lord’s Test, Women’s T20I, and the Hundred saw 500,000 spectators at Lord’s
Financial Concerns for the MCC
High Inflation, rising Employment Costs, rising energy costs
In the past five years, the ECB have made strides to bring financial stability and increase their standards in Test cricket (after success in the white ball game).
It is evident with Yorkshire and Hampshire, for example, that things need to change. However, we also found that not all County teams are struggling. In fact, a majority are doing just fine and many of them have bounced back from the days of the pandemic.
With the IPL increasing its influence around the world, international schedule tightening, number of freelance players increasing towards the growing franchise leagues, County cricket and ‘traditional’ old school cricket is definitely under threat.
Will ECB’s new financial model change things up for the better or the worse? Will it help all the Counties or only some?
Only time will tell.
What do you think? Let me know below!
Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed reading this and learned something new. Cheers!
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Financial Glossary
Here are some of the definitions of terms we have used in the analysis above. The definitions are derived from various sources like Investopedia.
EBIDTA: Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation, and amortization
Fair Value Reserve: Represents cumulative revalution gains and losses in respect of historic investment properties.
Operating Profit: Total earning from its core business functions for a given period. An operating loss occurs when core business income ends up being lower than expenses.
Total Comprehensive Income: Includes net income and unrealized income (ex: hedge/derivative financial instruments, transaction gains, etc.)
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