Latest news with #OllyHannonDalby
The Guardian
22-07-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Yorkshire v Surrey, Sussex v Essex, and more: county cricket day one
Update: Date: 2025-07-22T09:00:42.000Z Title: The future of the County Championship Content: Part XXXXV…the votes are (starting to come) in: Surrey and Somerset have announced that they want 14 Championship games, with a return to eight teams in Division One and 10 in Division Two; Middlesex also want 14, but with ten teams in the top tier, while Durham and Lancashire support the 12/6 conference idea. The PCA, meanwhile, have put their weight behind the conference plan and a reduction in the number of games to 12, alongside a reduced Blast schedule. 'A change in format of the County Championship to 12 league games is the only reasonable option' said Olly Hannon-Dalby, PCA chair, breathing 'new life' into the competition. Update: Date: 2025-07-22T09:00:42.000Z Title: Gary Naylor's excellent round-up of Content: the Blast, as it goes into hibernation. Update: Date: 2025-07-22T09:00:42.000Z Title: Fixtures Content: DIVISION ONE Southampton: Hampshire v Nottinghamshire Taunton: Somerset v Durham Hove: Sussex v Essex Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Worcestershire Scarborough: Yorkshire v Surrey DIVISION TWO Derby: Derbyshire v Leicestershire Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Kent Cheltenham: Gloucestershire v Lancashire Merchant Taylors' School: Middlesex v Northamptonshire Update: Date: 2025-07-22T09:00:42.000Z Title: Good morning! Content: Torrential rain in Manchester (good luck for the Test …) has turned into thoughtful clouds above Cheltenham, at the start of this two-week late-July dip in the Championship waters. Fortified with porridge from the cafe opposite the station, I will follow the rucksacks to Cheltenham college. Play starts at 11am – do join us to rummage around cricket, the universe and everything.
The Independent
17-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
PCA calls for cut to County Championship schedule to protect players' wellbeing
A reduction in County Championship matches from 14 to 12 is 'the only reasonable option' to try to protect the physical and mental wellbeing of domestic cricketers, according to the players' union. A Professional Cricketers' Association survey showed 83 per cent of its members held concerns about the physical impact of the schedule and two-thirds had worries from a mental-health standpoint. Counties have held discussions about changes to the calendar for next year, with Warwickshire seamer and PCA chair Olly Hannon-Dalby urging a cut in the amount of red-ball cricket. He said: 'We are at a critical moment regarding the future of professional cricketers in England and Wales. The schedule has always been a contentious issue and we have seen too many reviews with no change. 'But the feeling in recent seasons due to ever-increasing intensity of fixtures has led the game to a position where positive action has to be taken immediately and as an opportunity for the game to grow. 'A change in format of the County Championship to 12 league games is the only reasonable option and would breathe new life into what I believe would become the best red-ball competition in the world.' An outcome on what the 2026 schedule will look like is expected this month and any modifications would require the backing of at least 12 of the 18 counties, some of whom have publicly expressed their preferences. Middlesex, Somerset and Surrey support the status quo of 14 matches, while Durham and Lancashire are in favour of a dozen games and a shake-up of the current two-division structure. PCA figures further highlighted more than three-quarters of men's players believe there is too much domestic cricket and 72 per cent feel the current programme is not conducive to high performance. England and Warwickshire seamer Chris Woakes said: 'The players aren't trying to play less cricket because they don't want to – it's about being able to produce the best cricket on the field as possible.' Teams playing twice in two days in the Vitality Blast has long been a concern, with PCA chief executive Daryl Mitchell last year warning of the potential for 'disastrous' consequences on the roads. It seems likely the domestic English T20 competition will undergo a revamp and return to three groups of six – it is currently two sets of nine – with each team playing 12 instead of 14 games. But Mitchell said: 'The congestion of the intense schedule cannot be improved enough by losing two 20-over games across a six-month season alone.' England and Essex seamer Sam Cook added: 'You hear stories of people driving at three, four o'clock in the morning in the middle of back-to-back (Blast) games, which from a health and lifestyle perspective is not right. 'We want to see these decisions made before something serious happens. 'We're not able to perform to the highest level we can due to the current schedule. We've got some amazing talent and brilliant cricketers in the country. I think with reducing cricket, fans and supporters will see the standard go up.'
BBC News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Fuller guides Hampshire to 300 at Warwickshire
Rothesay County Championship Division One, Edgbaston (day one)Hampshire 300: Fuller 52*, Stoneman 48, Dawson 46; Barnard 4-56, Hannon-Dalby 3-47Warwickshire 27-2: Davies 16; Abbott 1-13, Wheal 1-13Warwickshire (3 pts) trail Hampshire (2 pts) by 273 runsMatch scorecard Lower-order resistance led by James Fuller lifted Hampshire to 300 all out after their batting fragility had surfaced again on the opening day of their County Championship game against Warwickshire at out twice for under 200 in last week's 366-run defeat by Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, Hampshire this time dipped to 130-5 and 223-8 before Fuller's bullish unbeaten half-century (52 not out from 52 balls) marshalled the addition of 77 for the last two Barnard took 4-56 and Olly Hannon-Dalby 3-47 for a Warwickshire team full of confidence after their strong start to the season. They then wobbled themselves, however, as they lost both openers before closing the first day on 27-2 in reply. Hampshire elected to bat but lost Fletcha Middleton in the fourth over of the day when he edged Hannon-Dalby to second slip and Rob Yates took his 147th catch for Stoneman and Nick Gubbins gritted out 62 from 24 overs but, with the lunch interval beckoning, that fragility kicked in. Gubbins edged an outswinger from Beau Webster to wicketkeeper Alex Davies and Tom Prest nicked a firm-footed jab at struck the biggest blow with the 32nd ball after lunch when the obdurate Stoneman (48) gave Davies his third catch. Ben Brown followed the pattern of batters getting in then getting out he when dug in for 29 from 56 balls but then dragged a drive at Webster on to his 130-5, Hampshire were in jeopardy of coming in under 200 again, on a good batting pitch, but Liam Dawson and Toby Albert applied themselves to add 68 in 19 overs. Both then perished in the space of 10 balls. Dawson edged Barnard high to second slip for 46 and Albert flicked Tazeem Ali to mid-wicket to give Yates his 148th and 149th catches for the left the sun-soaked crowd on tenterhooks to see if Yates would get the opportunity to take his 150th catch for Warwickshire. They didn't have to wait long before Kyle Abbott drove mightily at Barnard but sliced to second slip where Yates triumphantly seized the ball above his was 223-8 and Hampshire appeared well under par but the tail wagged. Former Warwickshire loanee Brad Wheal counter-attacked for a 28-ball 24 before falling lbw, struck on the back pad, to the impressive Barnard. John Turner, recalled to the side in place of Sonny Baker, helped Fuller add 34 before edging Hannon-Dalby were left with eight overs to bat during which Hampshire hit back hard. Yates' day took a downward twist when he was trapped lbw by Abbott and, with 16 balls left in the day, Davies top-edged an inexplicable heave at Wheal and Middleton took an excellent catch running in from deep backward point. ECB Reporters' Network supported by Rothesay
