Middlesex members force vote on County Championship and T20 Blast
Middlesex cricket club have called a Special General Meeting for 26 June after receiving a petition from members demanding they oppose cuts to the County Championship and T20 Blast next season.
The SGM will include a binding vote to determine the club’s position on proposed changes to the domestic schedule, in the first steps of a coordinated attempt by county members to block cuts to the fixture list.
The England and Wales Cricket Board‘s Professional Game Committee, led by Warwickshire chair Mark McCafferty, is in the process of conducting a review of the domestic structure, with a proposal to reduce both the County Championship and T20 Blast from the current schedule of 14 matches to 12 expected to be the outcome.
Chief executives from six counties, the Professional Cricketers Association and the ECB are working in a steering group on alternative league structures that would facilitate a reduction in the volume of domestic cricket played from next summer, with radical changes including a Championship comprised of three conferences under consideration.
A top-heavy Division One of 10 or 12 counties, with a smaller Division Two topped up by some minor counties, has also been discussed.
The final decision will be made by the 18 first class counties however, with a two-thirds majority needed for any structural changes to be introduced, and with 15 of the clubs member-owned ordinary supporters find themselves in the position of potentially being able to exert considerable influence.
Durham, Hampshire and Northamptonshire are the only counties in private ownership, although Yorkshire could join them as returning chair Colin Graves announced plans last year to consult on demutualisation, albeit progress has been slow.
How Middlesex members’ vote will work
In a significant development that could be followed elsewhere by other counties, Middlesex have agreed to hold an SGM and a binding vote on two proposals from members calling for the club to vote against any ECB proposal to cut Championship and T20 matches, which will be passed if it is supported by 50 per cent of members voting, either in person or by proxy.
Middlesex are understood to have initially resisted demands from members for an SGM on the matter, but were forced to concede after receiving a petition from more than 100 members, as per Rule 22.1 of the club’s constitution.
The club will oppose the members’ resolution and have submitted a counter resolution pledging to “give serious consideration to the views of individual and affiliated members when determining the Club’s position on any proposed changes to the domestic cricket structure,” which will also be put to the vote.
The Championship schedule was last cut from 16 to 14 matches ahead of the 2017 season, but with the volume of global franchise cricket having increased significantly since and The Hundred now taking up the whole of August there have been calls for further cuts for some time.
The players appear to want to play less cricket, with 83 per cent of respondents to a PCA survey published in April citing physical concerns over their current workload and 67 per cent believing the schedule is detrimental to their mental health.
The most recent ECB attempt to cut the fixture list was defeated three years ago however, with Sir Andrew Strauss’s recommendation of 10 Championship matches thrown out by the counties.
Lancashire members played an influential role on that occasion, with the club agreeing to be bound by a member vote on the proposals, which were comprehensively rejected.
Middlesex confirmed their intention to follow suit in an email to members yesterday, which included an offer to supply proxy forms to those unable to attend. The deadline for voting is 6pm on 26 June.