GEORGE DOBELL: The tournament, introduced by the ECB to attract new supporters to the sport, was rated the least popular of all the game’s formats by respondents to a Cricket Supporters’ Association survey completed 3,704 times
Almost two-thirds of cricket fans dislike The Hundred, according to preliminary results of a survey by the Cricket Supporters’ Association.
The tournament, introduced by the ECB to attract new fans to the sport, was rated the least popular of all game formats by survey respondents.
Sixty-two percent of respondents said they found it “not enjoyable”, with a further 11 percent saying it was neither enjoyable nor not enjoyable. Only 27% said they found it enjoyable.
By comparison, 98% of respondents said they found Test cricket enjoyable. Only 1% said it was “not pleasant”.
The survey, which was partly funded by the ECB, took around 25 minutes and was carried out 3,704 times.
Other survey results revealed that only 10% of respondents were satisfied with the current schedule.
But while 60 per cent agreed there was too much cricket on the schedule, 65 per cent felt any reduction in the number of first-class matches would impact “the quality of Test matches in the future”.
Enjoyment level of each format
Sixty-four percent also disagreed with the theory that playing less often, but on better pitches, with the best teams playing each other more often, would help players move up to Test level. Only seven percent of respondents strongly agreed with the idea.
94% of respondents said they found the County Championship enjoyable, with 83% giving the same answer when asked about the T20 Blast.
Among respondents, 65% said they found the Charlotte Edwards Cup and the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy enjoyable.
While the numbers may deal a blow to the ECB, they will have noted the demographics of the respondents. About 90% identified as male and 92% as white. Thirty-four percent were 44 or younger, and 22% were 65 or older.
With The Hundred developed, in part, to appeal to a different demographic – specifically, more young people and women – the ECB may feel the survey tells them little about their success in this area.
The proportion of age groups who enjoy each format
The findings, however, suggest that traditional cricket supporters are generally unhappy with the current direction of the game and feel protective of the future of domestic first-class and Test cricket.
“Thousands of cricket fans have taken the time to have their say in the future of the game,” said CSA Chief Executive Becky Fairlie-Clarke. The cricketer.
“We have provided this information to the ECB and will provide it to other stakeholders in the game.”
The Cricket Supporters Association is a free organization which seeks to represent the views of supporters to those who run the game. One of its aims is to secure a seat, elected by its members, on the board of directors of the ECB. It is funded by voluntary donations.
Further survey results will be released in due course.
Slides courtesy of the Cricket Fans Association
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