Revolution afoot for domestic cricket.

With the ECB announcing several important changes to the domestic game, it is fair to say that the next instalment of county cricket will have a radical edge to it, but are these changes likely to enhance the quality of the game?

Perhaps the most significant of all the new rules was the decision to increase the number of points awarded for a draw in the County Championship from three to five.

Whilst this may seem to be a small alteration, the allocation of five points for a draw is the largest accolade for this kind of result for some time, with four points previously awarded in 2009.

The fluctuation in these rules calls into question as to why the ECB feel the need to change their decisions so often.

The importance of a two point increase may seem to be minute difference, but tell that to Warwickshire who would have finished level on 188.0 points with Sussex in last seasons County Championship had this ruling been in place.

Straight away we can start to see how these apparently small changes can make a big difference.

In addition, the ECB have also announced that the use of the heavy roller may be permitted in all forms of the game, but this decision rests solely with the home team, who will be able to decide when they wish to use it.

The immediate advantage of this decision is that the home team will have an ace up their sleeve.

If bowlers are playing on a featherbed of a wicket the heavy roller will flatten out the pitch, providing pace bowlers with extra bounce.

Whilst the true difference of this change will remain to be observed, once again it is a decision that, a short while ago had a much more different approach.

Cast your mind back to 2010 when the use of the heavy roller was banned after a match had started, a decision which the ECB claimed would: "maintain and promote the preparation of good cricket pitches."

The common cliche in this instance would be to observe that this rule would be the same for all counties and provide no real advantage to any one team, but sheer reasoning will inform even the amateur spectator that certain teams are likely to benefit more from this and, likewise, the teams which favour spin bowling will see less benefit.

For those of you who thought the white creases were boring and unimaginative, you will be pleased to hear that alternative colours will be permitted, a decision which seems to have stemmed from the colourful features of the Australian Big Bash, such as flashing bails.

As the commercialisation of, well, everything seems to be taking place, the ECB has also made alterations to the one-day game which prove to distance red and white ball cricket.

ODI regulations will be replicated on the county scene in the Royal London One-Day cup, with new balls being used at both ends and twenty20 matches will now be decided by a super over 

All of these changes, whilst harmless, seem to have motives beyond the benefit of the game. 

Fans want to see results and, although in hindsight you would prefer a tie, if you lose that is, the ECB's logic in this instance is reflective of the paying customer, who would rather see their team lose, than not get the chance to win.

The likelihood of games finishing as a tie is small, but it has happened before, i.e the Roses clash in Yorkshire last season, but these changes will be less likely to impact one-day cricket than the changes to the longer form of the game.

The practice of breaking the stumps at the bowlers end, commonly referred to as 'Finning', will now be punished with a no-ball, as apposed to a dead ball - And why not?

Even on the village green cricketers are able to avoid touching the stumps when they bowl and there is no reason as to why bowlers should feel the need to be so close to the stumps.

The harsh truth of this decision is, do what 99% of bowlers do and you wont be punished - Sounds fair.

The final leap into the future of county cricket involves an enhanced role for TV Umpires, who will be called into the frame to review No-Balls in the case of a dismissal.

Much like the previous decision, this has a strong case for being introduced. Previously unseen or unfair decision can now be reviewed from the on-field umpire from the bowlers end and, if justice is done, how can this be detrimental to the game?

Important changes to ECB regulations.

Several important alterations have been made to the County game by the ECB.

Perhaps the most significant news of late for domestic cricket was announced by the ECB today, who have decided to make several significant changes to the game.

The previous ruling in the County Championship awarded three points for a drawn match and this figure has now been increased to five points and 16 for a win - bonus points remain unchanged.

Bowlers who break the stumps whilst delivering will now be punished with a no-ball as the ECB adopts a ruling initially formulated by the MCC.

In addition the home team can decide whether or not to make the heavy roller available in Championship and one-day matches, but this may only be used once in the game.

ODI regulations will be replicated on the county scene in the Royal London One-Day cup, with new balls being used at both ends.

T20 matches will now be decided by a super over and the colourful nature of the shortest form of the game received a further boost, with alternative colours to white permitted for crease markings.

TV Umpires are also set to play a larger role on the county scene with ICC ruling creeping in to domestic cricket.

At the request of the on-field Umpire at the bowler’s end, the TV Umpire should check for a No Ball, but only for a dismissal. 

Waist high full tosses will also be reviewed, also for dismissals at the bowler’s end and request of the on-field Umpire, with any doubt benefiting the batsman. 

Commenting on the changes, ECB Chief Executive David Collier said: “These changes are designed to make our domestic game even more spectator and viewer-friendly as well as bring the county game into line with rule changes which have been successfully implemented at international level by the ICC."

"They will come into force along with the new county schedule next season and are the product of extensive consultation and discussion with all our key stakeholders in the domestic game.”

Lancs search for new overseas player.

Simon Katich was an instrumental figure in the squad last season.

Lancashire will need to search for a new overseas player after it was announced that Simon Katich has accepted the role of Player Development co-ordinator for an AFL team.

The Australian international will start this job part-time until the Australian Big Bash contest has reached an end, allowing the Perth Scorchers captain to see out his duties until he takes the job on a permanent basis. 

This news will come as a disappointment to the Lancashire faithful, due to Katich playing a key part in the Red Rose counties return to Division One of the County Championship.

Topping the batting averages for the second division with 73.13, his accumulation of 1,097 runs was undoubtedly a major factor in Lancashire's success' last season and, as such, he leaves a sizeable void for the club to fill.

Katich plays a lofted cover drive on his way to
62 in Lancashire's innings win vs Leicestershire. 

As well as his immense contribution to the longer form of the game, Katich also demonstrated his credentials as captain of Perth Scorchers, leading the Lightnings averages for the FLt20 contest at 44.17.

Despite their elimination in the quarter-finals to Katich's former employers, Hampshire, Lancashire fought to the very end, losing by the cruel margin of one run.

At the age of 38 many professional cricketers would feel the need to be rested, or even retire, but this was certainly not the case for Katich, who featured in all three formats of the game for Lancashire.

His only notable absence from the squad came in a freak accident in training, which saw the Australian batsman struck on the temple.

The incident, which occurred prior to Lancashire's LV County Championship tie at the Ageas Bowl, presented Andrea Agathangelou with a chance to shine and the all-rounder made an instant impact scoring 121 in the visitors first innings.

Katich scampers through for a single vs
Worcester as he reaches one of four centuries.

Katich's highest score of the season, a magnificent double-hundred away at Essex, set-up a historic victory for Lancashire, who won by an innings and 105 runs, bowling their hosts out for just 20 in their second innings.

Whichever player attempts to fill his boots faces a monolithic task, but Lancashire exercised a great deal of strength and depth last season in their batting and the addition of Jos Buttler will only increase this.

One thing is for certain. His efforts will not be forgotten and the club wish him well with his new employment.

England slipping on the international stage?

England have set their sights on the pending Ashes series down-under, but the recent One Day International series between their long-standing Aussie rivals and hosts, India, who won 3-2, saw a rebirth for two great cricketing nations, who have both suffered substantial losses over the past decade.

Gone are the days of Kumble in Kolkata or Warne at The W.A.C.A, in a period which has seen England leapfrog all test nations, culminating in their success as the number one test side on the fifth day of an Oval test match against a dejected Indian outfit.

An innings and 242-run loss back in 2011 proved to be a low-point for India who had leaked 710 first-innings runs to England. Further salt was rubbed in to the wounds when you consider the departure of ‘The Wall’, Rahul Dravid, just four months later, as India lost one of its greatest contributors to the game.

Whilst India seem to have lost players one at a time, most recently the great Sachin Tendulkar, Australia lost a plethora of talent in the blink of an eye, leaving them with the improbable task of filling gaps left by Hayden, Gilchrist, Warne, McGrath and Lee.

In truth, both nations still have a long way to come before they will reach the glory of yesteryear, but the number of breakthrough performances in the recent ODI series calls into question if we are looking at the next Sachin?

Incredible displays from the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, George Bailey and James Faulkner made this one of the greatest ODI series’ of recent times, and not just because of how closely fought each match was, but instead, for the confirmation that both Australia and India have a strong future in the game after a spell of uncertainty.

Australian captain Bailey led from the front with a massive 156 in the penultimate tie of the series and Rohit Sharma’s double-century, only the third in the history of ODI cricket, sealed a series win for India in the final match of a thrilling series.

Performances of this quality and consistency are hard to sweep under the mat and if this kind of success edges its way into the longest form of the game, there will be cause for concern in the England camp.

England may still be ahead of these countries in the test rankings, by a finite margin, but on the limited overs scene they are slipping fast. Sitting third in the ODI ranking behind these two nations and sixth in the T20 format, England are hardly in a position that strikes fear on the global stage, with much to prove before they can be considered as brutal as their competitors.

Retaining the Ashes remains the principal concern for England, but a 2-1 win for the Aussie’s in this summer’s ODI series was an early warning sign that England are a long way off the pace in other formats of the game.

There are a number of reasons to be optimistic if you are an England fan. Competition for places and squad rotation has been a real strength of their recent displays.

This policy does however have a limited number of implications. Are England’s players fit enough to sustain the schedule they are faced with? Do we take some formats of the game as serious as other nations? Or, quite simply, have England finally found a balance, not Gary, but stability, which allows them to field such different squads, a luxury that their competitors do not have.

Certainly, some might argue that a player who is capable of transferring their game from red to white ball is more useful and gives the team continuity, but there is no reason why England shouldn’t be competing with their toughest rivals with such strength and depth at their disposal.

By this time next year England will have completed their trip to the Southern Hemisphere, as well as their hosting of India for the 2014 summer, and these tasks will be decisive to the future of English cricket.

After such time has passed maybe we will have a more rounded opinion of just how far England have to go before they will catch up, or perhaps, how far they have come to rise to such a challenge.

Fifteen Lancashire players rewarded with renewed contracts.

Following their return to the top-flight of first-class cricket, Lancashire have strengthened their immediate future by rewarding fifteen players with contract renewals ahead of the 2014 campaign.

With such a sizable proportion of the team extending their stay, I will take a look at all of these players and how their past performances will bear on future challenges facing the Red Rose outfit…

Andrea Agathangelou: One of the few players not to have come directly from the youth system at the club, the Cypriot born all-rounder has seized his chances in the first team with a century against Hampshire and a healthy average of 35.50.

“It’s really been an honour to represent the county and it’s been a really amazing time in my career.” – Agathangelou speaking after Lancashire won promotion to division one.

Karl Brown: The top-order batsmen had a fairly average season by his own standards, scoring a mere 428 runs at 26.75 in the longest form of the game, but his capacity to adapt to one-day cricket and bat pretty much anywhere from opener to the middle-order gives him a versatility, which perhaps, others don’t possess.

Glen Chapple: If ever the term ‘veteran’ was to be used to describe any player on the county circuit, then the Lancashire skipper comes as close as is humanly possible. The fast bowler will be forty years of age when the 2014 campaign starts, but Chapple continues to fight on despite a number of injuries and he is more than earned the right to add to a career spanning back to 1992. With 53 wickets to his name last season he is certain to test batsmen for yet another summer.

Jordan Clark: Perhaps best known for being one of only five people to ever achieve six consecutive maximums in an over. But his talents stem far further than this and, perhaps, the 2014 one-day scene will shine a light on a severely underplayed yet gifted all-rounder.

Alex Davies: The wicket-keeper batsman is certainly expected to play second-banana to Jos Buttler, and understandably so, but make no mistake that the 19-year-old has a promising career ahead of him particularly with England internationals on the scene and coach Peter Moores knowing a thing or two about the art of keeping!

Kyle Hogg: Lancashire’s player of the season for 2013, Hogg has been a revelation for the 2011 county champions, taking 60 wickets at an average of just 18.42. Putting pen to paper for someone like Hogg will be key to Lancashire’s plans this winter as they prepare for the challenge of the first division.

Paul Horton: Injury to his hand prevented the opening batsman from playing the entire 2013 season, but when he did feature for Lancashire he proved to be a key player. In ten matches the Australian-born batsman made 645 runs and with three centuries to his name he proved why he will be an essential part of Lancashire’s plans next year.

Simon Kerrigan: One of three Lancashire bowlers to claim fifty wickets in 2013, Kerrigan’s talents were finally recognised by the international set-up, leading to a disastrous debut against a merciless Shane Watson. Nevertheless, he continues to impress at county level and remains Lancashire’s leading spin option, which will be invaluable in division one.

Arron Lilley: The success of Kerrigan and indeed injury to Stephen Parry meant that the young off-spinner was fast-tracked into the first team set-up. However, the 22-year-old grabbed his chance with both hands and proved his worth, particularly on the one-day scene, where he claimed 12 victims and bowled with an economical edge, which provides depth to Lancashire’s spinning options.

Liam Livingstone: Whenever fans have talked about second xi cricket this season at Lancashire, one name has continued to pop-up as ‘the-one-to-watch’ and Livingstone is that man. Having scored two championship centuries and a 47-ball hundred in the shortest form of the game, he is certainly worth keeping an eye on.

“Livingstone has played some exceptional cricket this season. He is a powerful player who has developed his game significantly” - Second XI coach Gary Yates gives his opinion on the future star.

Oliver Newby: The 6ft 5inches tall fast bowler has been at Lancashire for some time now, but has failed to establish himself in the first team on a regular basis. He proved what he is capable of in the latter stages of the season, claiming twelve wickets in three matches and, with Chapple’s injuries creating uncertainties, he is a useful player to hold on to.

Stephen Parry: An untimely accident in training saw the left-arm spinner’s season cut short, but with his arm now fully healed, Parry will be aiming to pick-up where he left off as Lancashire’s senior one-day spinner and, should Kerrigan play a greater role in the international set-up, Parry has to seize the wider responsibility of becoming the club’s regular spinner.

Luke Procter: Making seven half-centuries in the Championship campaign, the Oldham-born all-rounder has certainly proved his worth as a middle-order batsman. There is room to improve as far as his bowling is concerned, as the 25-year-old averaged just one wicket for every championship match he played in, but Procter proved to be one of the unsung hero’s of the team’s success’ last year.

Luis Reece: Lancashire’s young player of the season broke into the first team and never looked back with a staggering record of seven consecutive half-centuries, a club record. With the departure of Stephen Moore, Reece has nailed-down the difficult role of opening batsman alongside the experienced Horton and the pair have already shared five hundred-run stands after six different opening combinations were trialed by the Division Two winners. He hasn’t managed to secure a maiden hundred for Lancashire, but there is no reason why he will not do so next year with the talent he has already displayed.

"Personal performance aside it's good to get back in to the first division. It's been a pretty good season all-round to be fair, I’ve been lucky to carry good form all the way through the year, I’ve worked really hard and its been good to contribute in a winning side." – Reece discusses the side’s successful season just after he was bowled for 97 in the penultimate match of the season.

Tom Smith- Last, but by no means least, Smith has grown in to a dependable figure in the Lancashire set-up on all accounts and has developed his game further to accommodate Championship cricket. He scored at an average of 48.17 and claimed 22 wickets in just seven first-class matches. As a first change bowler, Smith is more than just an all-rounder who can help ‘on his day’. Instead he is a constant performer and can be utilised in all three forms of the game.

Anderson agrees contract extension.

Anderson has rarely featured for Lancashire in recent times due to his success' for England.

Lancashire fast bowler, James Anderson, has accepted an extension to his contract which will see the Burnley-born England international committed to the Red Rose county until the end of the 2015 season.

This one-year extension to his current contract will mean that the 31-year-old is set to remain a Lancashire player for a further two season's, despite being centrally contracted to the international set-up.

Anderson's Lancashire career has been a tale of two halves. The first, one of career-changing success which gained him international recognition and, the sizeable latter, somewhat frustrating for the Lancashire faithful who rarely see the opening bowler in the side due to England responsibilities.

Making his Lancashire debut in 2002, Anderson has made just 57 first-class appearances, breaking straight into the England one-day set-up and taking a hat-trick versus Pakistan to become the first Englishman to do so in an ODI.

One year after making his county debut, Anderson became the youngest Lancastrian to take a hat-trick, the first hat-trick at Old Trafford in eight years, this, a week before his test debut against Zimbabwe, as the fast bowler recorded his maiden first-class ten-wicket-haul against Worcestershire.

In 2005 Anderson played in his first full season for Lancashire, taking 50 wickets from just 13 matches at an average of 22.28 and it was this performance which turned 'Jimmy' into one of the best fast bowler's to ever wear an England shirt.

His international record has gone from strength to strength and he is now closing in on Sir Ian Botham's record of 383 wickets.

Lancashire's 2013 awards.

Hogg claims player of the year award.

Kyle Hogg claims career-best figures of 7-27 versus Northants at Old Trafford.

Kyle Hogg was presented with the Thwaites Wainwright player of the year award last night in a season which saw the fast bowler claim 60 Championship wickets with an average of just 18.42 runs per victim.

The 30-year-old was also named as the University of Salford Championship player of the year, registering his 200th first-class wicket against Leicestershire in the final home match of the season.

Until the midway stage of the season, the young player of the year could have probably gone to half a dozen candidates, but a clear winner emerged in the name of Luis Reece, and with eight fifties already in his tender career, he promises to be a real talent as Lancashire return to the first division.

Reece accumulated 722 runs from just 16 innings and, despite failing to make a maiden century for the Red Rose county, his average of 55.54 puts him behind only Simon Katich, who was in contention for the player of the year award, with the best batting average in the entire division (73.13).

The Hill Dickinson One-Day player of the year was deservedly awarded to Ashwell Prince, who made 506 List A runs in 12 matches at an average of 56.22.

The South-African could have also laid claim to the overall player of the season award, scoring nearly twelve-hundred runs in the Championship campaign, with seven fifties and three centuries in 16 matches.