Twitter reacts to ECB’s new 100-ball format competition
Michael Vaughan is among the leading names to have been skittled by the ECB’s announcement.
The England and Wales Cricket Board has surprised many in the cricket world by proposing an eight-team men’s and women’s domestic competition of 100-balls-a-side that will begin in 2020.
Here, Press Association Sport collects the best Twitter reactions to the suggested new format.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) thinks cricket might already be too complicated for the casual observer.
Cricket now has 5 day,4 day,3 day,2 day,50 overs,40 overs,20 overs,T10 league,Hong sixes & 100 ball comp ...... Good luck understanding our great game !!!!!!! #OnOn
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) April 19, 2018
Guardian writer Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) gave the ECB’s announcement a bit of a pasty-ing.
The ECB's new Ginsters 100 Smash is going to bury the IPL
— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) April 19, 2018
There is not quite enough novelty attached to the proposed competitions, according to Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) of Football365.
Just off to send an email to the ECB about inflatable wickets filled with glitter and a cricket ball covered in sharp pins.
— Daniel Storey (@danielstorey85) April 19, 2018
Cricket writer Tim Wigmore (@timwig) had more to say than most about the 100-balls-a-side format.
Cricket has three really great formats. It really, really doesn't need a fourth. T20 is brilliant, it doesn't need shortening
— Tim (@timwig) April 19, 2018
"Based on fifteen traditional 6-ball overs, the other ten balls will add a fresh tactical dimension."
— Tim (@timwig) April 19, 2018
It couldn't be simpler. Or, er, more stupid
People say T20 was a gimmick, but it had been played in clubs for decades before being introduced to the professional game.
— Tim (@timwig) April 19, 2018
No one has ever played 100-ball cricket with 15 six-ball overs and one 10-ball over.
Think the ECB have been hacked by the Russians
— Tim (@timwig) April 19, 2018
The Cricketer magazine editor Huw Turbervill (@huwzat) suspected the governing body were playing a belated April Fools’ Day joke on cricket fans.
Where were you the day cricket's newest format was announced - the 100-ball City T20, or as people are already calling it, the '16.4/16.4'? I had to check if it was April 1. This wheeze has has all the hallmarks of the Strauss Super Series & the Stanford Super Series for $20m
— Huw Turbervill (@huwzat) April 19, 2018
A new format for the sake of a new format? Author Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) thinks so.
T20 works because it is a simple shortening of a fundamentally sound game to fit in with the lifestyles of a greater number of people. This ECB idea just sounds like the result of too many meetings
— Daniel Brettig (@danbrettig) April 19, 2018
