Marcus Hook’s Surrey CCC column: Battle to keep County Championship as crown jewel continues as Essex display shows they will be title rivals
The opening week of the season was met with unbroken sunshine. However, it was the side setting out to make it four championship titles in a row who were tested.
Credit to Surrey for getting their heads down to salvage a draw from the threat of defeat – but that’s what champions do, even when they’re not at their very best.
More than anything, their trip to Chelmsford confirmed that Essex will, again, be one the main challengers.
With Paul Walter taking no time in bringing up his half-century, it soon became clear it was a ‘bat first and aim to go big’ toss.
Had Walter not perished for 95, there would have been four centurions in Essex’s first innings.
Surrey’s overseas fast bowler Kemar Roach was the only one whose persistence was rewarded.
“It was a very, very tough pitch, probably one of the flattest I’ve played on in England,” said the veteran Barbadian. “But that’s what happens when you play away from home with an attack like ours.”
Dan Worrall, the South Londoners’ leading championship wicket-taker in 2024, was conspicuous by his absence. The 33-year-old seamer was left out, sparking suggestions that he was being rested on the orders of England’s management.
But on a pitch that yielded just 22 wickets in four days, the call to keep Worrall under wraps for The Oval was the right one. Back in SE11, his 90 first-class wickets have come at an average cost of just 17.87.
It seems that whenever the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) undertakes a review of the domestic structure it’s the County Championship that’s targeted.
Last week, a report in the Daily Telegraph suggested it’s set to be cut from 14 games a season to 12. Surrey will oppose that vigorously but, despite having the largest single membership by far, Surrey’s is just one voice out of 18.
A steering group on potential domestic structures has been formed, comprising chief executives from six counties, the Professional Cricketers’ Association and the ECB.
Moving a portion of the One-Day Cup to the first two weeks of the season, following England’s poor showing in the Champions Trophy, is said to be the main drive.
When, last year, Alec Stewart was asked about trimming the County Championship even further, he said:
“We’ve got to make sure the Championship stays strong and very relevant. Four competitions, when you include The Hundred, is too many.
“County cricket gets knocked a lot. I’m a massive fan of county cricket, because it’s what produces England players. Players go off and play franchise cricket and learn, but what’s made them is county cricket.
“Our red-ball county game is very strong. The County Champions playing against the winners of Australia’s Sheffield Shield would be a good thing to do in terms of gauging where we are as a domestic competition.
“But I still think the County Championship is the best and the Shield was, so why change when we’ve got the best domestic competition going?”
The battle to keep the championship front and centre continues.
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