cricket #2: another season comes to an end…

The fact that it’ll be October tomorrow just about sums up how the traditional 4-day county championship has essentially become shoe-horned into the very beginning and end of the cricket season (and to think that, back in 1929, Neville Cardus described cricket as “The Summer Game”!). I’m embarrassed to say that during the course of the season, I only attended TWO games (a day at each… my other attempt was completely rained off)(my ‘home’ side, Gloucestershire play just five county championship games in Bristol all season).
Gloucestershire had an awful season (understatement!). After being relegated from Division 1 last year, they came bottom of Division 2 (even Yorkshire – who had 50 points deducted following the recent racism inquiry – finished above them!).
Gloucestershire’s playing record for the season makes for dismal reading: Played 14, Won 0, Lost 6, Drawn 8.
I have to say, from my rather limited experience of watching Division Two cricket this season, the quality of the cricket has been pretty ‘ordinary’ to say the least. One significant difference that I’ve noticed is the far greater percentage of draws in Division 2 compared with Division 1:
DIVISION 1: 140 games, 48 draws; percentage of drawn games: 34.3%
DIVISION 2: 112 games, 68 draws; percentage of drawn games: 60.7%
In other words, Division 2 games are almost TWICE as likely to end in drawn games compared with Division1.
Why should that be?
Is it related to the lack of talent (mediocre batters and mediocre bowlers)?
Is it related to ‘better players’ not being attracted to join second division clubs?
Is it related to poor captaincy (being prepared to ‘play safe’)?
Is it related to poor coaching/inability to attract quality coaching staff?
Is it related to the lack of ambition/leadership (and/or finance) of the clubs?
Answers on a postcard, please…