Northamptonshire, the only county to qualify for two home quarter-finals this season, have asked the England and Wales Cricket Board for a fairer TV deal next year. The county have qualified for T20 finals day on Saturday for the third time in four seasons – but only three of their fixtures in 2016 have been televised.
The head coach and first‑team manager, David Ripley, told the Guardian: “One of those occasions was a high-profile game against Yorkshire and the other was our quarter-final with Middlesex.
“So we’ve only had one game on TV that was designated at the start of the season, against Warwickshire. It does hit a bit of a nerve with us.”
Northants have also qualified for the Royal London Cup quarter-final against Surrey on Thursday.
The county’s chief executive, Ray Payne, said: “I would like to think we will get a fairer share next year, as some other counties should, too. We’re not alone. We would like to have been on Sky for more of our qualification games. I have spoken with the ECB.
“I wasn’t sure whether I should speak to them or Sky but I get the feeling it’s more ECB-driven. As long as you have the infrastructure to televise the sport Sky don’t mind where they go, though of course they want to see full houses.
“So I spoke to the ECB about how matches are divided. They told me they want to be even-handed but they also talked about location, crowds and the stars of the game. But I’m afraid that doesn’t wash too well with me because I think Northants’ reputation in this particular competition, with full houses, makes it difficult to see why we wouldn’t be an attractive proposition for TV. Gates have been well up for T20 matches this season and we’ve had capacity crowds for three games. We like to play T20 and we’re good at it.”
Northamptonshire are a small but spirited county who have only 16 full-time players. However, good management and cup success – they won the T20 in 2013 – have not been enough. In 2014 their very survival was in doubt, as it has been intermittently throughout the club’s history.
In August 2015 they approached the ECB for additional funding amid rumours they might have to leave their home in Wantage Road. Two months later they received a five-year £250,000 loan from Northampton Borough Council. Payne wants to see more televised games to help encourage sponsors and spread the gospel.
Ripley, meanwhile, wants to boost his players’ exposure: “Televised games are great for players to showcase themselves. We’ve got some good young English-qualified players and we haven’t been able to give them the exposure similar types will have got at Yorkshire and Surrey. We haven’t had a 50-over game televised at all yet. The first one would be the semi-final, if we make it. That’s a strange stat, I think. None out of nine so far.
“I’m not at all bitter and twisted because sometimes we use being the underdog to our advantage. But our results show that we’ve got some good players here.”
Northamptonshire, with a capacity of 6,500, are also worried that they will miss out on plans for a new city-based T20 competition that could be introduced in 2018. Ripley said: “It’s hard to see us being at the table if there is a franchise situation. It’s all about the clubs which have the grounds that can hold a lot of people.”
But Payne added: “If discussions about that are taking place – and we all know they are – then for the overall good of cricket in England and Wales there has to be enough cricket being played across the country for people to see it. And three or four cities are not enough if we have aspirations about this being the country’s summer sport.”
