First the good news - the Minor Counties Cricket Association have today published the full fixture list for the 2018 season. These can be found on the MCCA play-cricket site. There are a few one day trophy games missing. This year the games in this competition will be played on a straight knock out basis with first round games on 29th April and 20th May instead of the previous group system. This is to make way for the new T20 competition.
So now that the endless media hype over the Ashes series in Australia is nearly over, time to look forward to some proper three day cricket throughout the summer period played on some of the most attractive grounds in this country. Just reading through the familiar venues which appeal most to me gives an added spring to the step. Think about Truro and Werrington in Cornwall, Sidmouth in Devon, North Perrott (Dorset), although actually in Somerset, and all three Herefordshire grounds, Brockhampton, Eastnor and Colwall.
One or two new names appear in Marlborough (Wiltshire) and Wimborne (Dorset). There may well be others. In addition Carlisle makes a welcome return for the final match of the season in Cumberland. However, this is where the bad news occurs. We did hear rumours at the end of last season that a change of headmaster at Sedbergh School in Cumberland had taken place and that the long standing annual fixture there might not take place. This appears to have been what has happened.
I later discovered thanks to Mike Latham of Cumberland CCC that it had nothing to do with the Headmaster. It was purely down to the Minor Counties Cricket Association not being able to allocate a home fixture to the County during August (the only time the ground is available.)
However it is hoped that a return to Sedbergh may be possible in 2019. There are also obvious concerns about playing a game at Carlisle in September with a 10.30 start. The last time they played there in September the Minor Counties Final was delayed due to heavy dew on the ground during the morning. We will hope for better things this year.
This is such an attractive ground and a regular place of pilgrimage not just for me, but for many cricket enthusiasts throughout the North of England for probably around the last twenty years. No doubt school matches will continue to be played there and hopefully the annual fixtures with MCC and the Yorkshire and Durham Academies will continue.
Another great loss to the cricketing calendar for 2018 is that due to the reorganisation of Yorkshire Schools cricket the Under 19 Yorkshire Senior Schools festival at St Peter's School, York has been discontinued. This again is a long running annual week's cricket which has always been well supported and produced good class cricket again in excellent surroundings.
Add all this to the abysmal treatment of County Championship cricket by the ECB and people of my generation must feel that their familiar way of life, and ebb and flow of the summer months, is being eroded more and more. Let us make the best of it while we can!
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