Poor old four-day county cricket. It starts in April, amidst freezing temperatures, continual rain and crowds of two men and a dog and has to continue through the distraction of May’s Friends Provident Trophy, more rain, the ever popular Twenty20 competition in June and July, a bit more rain, August’s Pro40 and the international fixtures of the summer, ending in often cold, rainy September.

Without the summer weather and wham-bam excitement of Twenty20, or the convenient, self-contained other limited overs matches, it is hardly surprising that the County Championship is often accused of being unpopular.

The nature of the game itself means that, in order to see a whole contest, four consecutive days’ attendance is required. For those in full-time employment or education, it is easier and less expensive to attend a one-day game if seeing a match through is important to them. Then there is the increased chance that a result will be ruined by rain with no Duckworth Lewis to implement when play is lost. Presumably, the average fan would rather see a result than a draw.

'The last four-day match I attended achieved a good crowd on two of its days, while the other two were blighted by rain. Is the waning popularity of the four-day game just a myth?'


But for all the talk of how County Cricket can increase its appeal to fans, who says it needs to? The last four-day match I attended achieved a good crowd on two of its days, while the other two were blighted by rain. Is the waning popularity of the four-day game just a myth?

There were a few chagrins surrounding the less populated matches, however - one being the lack of food. Most stands did not bother to open for the last, rain-affected day of the match I attended, leaving the average fan with the enticing selection of chips, chips or chips. There were still main meals being served in the pavilion, but the members were in no hurry to let a bunch a soaking-wet fans trample through their area in search of food. A little more accommodation on the club’s part might see four-day cricket become more popular. The idea of sitting out in the rain is an unattractive one, whilst sitting inside in the warm seems a more worthwhile experience.

“Outdoorsiness” aside, county cricket’s four-day matches can still attract a decent crowd once the rain clears. Is there really any need to give the most traditional form of the game a revamp? Four-day cricket will never pack the crowds or fuel the excitement that Twenty20 does, but it isn’t without its fans and it isn’t without enjoyment. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.