Tim Lamb hails the Cup
Source -
Tim Lamb has hailed the Twenty20 Cup a ground breaking success as the competition enters its 2nd year.
ECB Chief Executive Tim Lamb has hailed the Twenty20 Cup a ground breaking
success as the competition enters its 2nd year, speaking at the 04 Twenty20
Cup launch Lamb said "I want to talk to you for just a few moments about
the development of Twenty20 cricket as an accepted and integral form of the
game, particularly at the highest level. As you will be only too well aware,
20-over cricket has been played by cricket clubs since the year dot –
particularly by junior teams. But there is evidence to suggest that this format
of the game has growing appeal amongst senior club and school teams."
"For example in the Northern League in Lancashire this summer, 13 clubs
are taking part in an inaugural Twenty20 competition, playing in coloured clothing
on weekday evenings. The Sussex Cricket Board, meanwhile, has ambitious plans
to invite 250 clubs in East and West Sussex to compete in a Sunday Twenty20
competition in 2005, with the finals at the County Ground at Hove. A significant
number of schools are also playing in competitions around the country –
the biggest currently being an 11 team tournament, played in coloured clothing
with white balls and black sightscreens, the final of which is due to be staged
at Edgbaston before a Warwickshire Twenty20 Cup home game this summer."
"Cricket’s versatility must be exploited. It allows the development
of formats of the game which appeal to a wider cross-section of both players
and spectators, thus enhancing the popularity of the sport. We have five-day,
four-day and one-day matches in the professional game, as well as a variety
of formats at club level – each of which cater for specific player and
audience needs. But there is clearly a growing appetite for the 20 over version
of the game at the highest level of both the men’s and women’s games."
"In women’s domestic cricket, the Twenty20 format has been played
this summer by the Super Fours teams which competed in the women’s elite
domestic cricket competition – just one stage below the international
Test and One-Day teams. And on 5th August, history will be made when the England
women’s team take on New Zealand in the first ever Twenty20 international
match at Hove, sponsored by NatWest."
"In men’s cricket, a great deal of interest was generated both domestically
and overseas following the success of the Twenty20 Cup here last summer. This
led directly to the introduction of the ‘Standard Bank Pro20 Series’
in South Africa. Played over a four week period in April, over 153,000 spectators
attended the 17 games – an average attendance of over 9,000 per match
– making them comfortably the biggest gates South Africa had in their
domestic cricket last season. At one match at The Wanderers in Johannesburg,
there was a crowd of over 18,000."
"A number of other Test playing nations have been in touch with us to enquire
about the rules and regulations of Twenty20, how our games are marketed and
so on. Among others Pakistan and Sri Lanka are both seriously looking at introducing
their versions of the shortened game for their regional or provincial teams
later this year; and we ourselves have taken a major step by organising the
first NatWest International Twenty20 match between England and Australia next
summer."
"Another exciting potential development for Twenty20 could be at the Olympic
Games. The ECB is exploring the possibility of having Twenty20 as an Olympic
sport. We are aware that the ICC are in discussions with the IOC about Olympic
status, and we have had preliminary discussions with the ICC about the possibility
of them making the case for Twenty20 to be incorporated into the 2012 Olympics,
particularly if London wins the 2012 Olympic Bid, or, if that’s too soon
for the IOC timetable, then further down the line. Twenty20 in 2020? Who knows?
The ICC have expressed initial interest and a willingness to explore the issue
further if there is a clear desire to do so within the international cricket
community."
"However, our immediate aim for Twenty20 cricket in this country is clear:
to establish the Twenty20 Cup as a major part of county cricket’s summer
schedule so that, through its appeal to a newer and broader audience, we can
increase the popularity of the game in England and Wales. Three years ago we
commissioned the research which led to the Twenty20 Cup; two years ago it was
voted in by the First Class Forum and last year the competition got off to a
fantastic start; we anticipate an even better year of Twenty20 cricket this
summer, and who knows where it will go in the future."
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