Glad to have lost

Your current correspondent, dear reader, is a Yorkshireman; defiantly, emphatically so. As such, yesterday's loss to Warwickshire in the CB40 semi-final hurt, but on reflection, it's not that big a deal and the reason for that is, as ever, the ECB.

Not content with bloating the T20 calendar out to an eye-watering 150+ games, actively encouraging the recruitment of more overseas players than most counties can afford, attempting to bankrupt counties with international grounds with the crazy bidding system for Tests and ODIs, they're also trying to alienate the fans. The CB40 final is next week, not giving fans much time to arrange travel, but once they start to look for options they'll find them rapidly running out. You see, the ECB in their wisdom have decided that the final will start at 3pm and be played under lights. Even taking aside the lunacy of playing at night deep into September where the game is likely to be decided at the toss, it's not going to be finishing while around 9.30pm, long after the last train home has departed. The cheapest ticket for the game is £30 to which must be added travel, sustenance - including, let's face it, several beers - and either a hotel for the night or short-changing yourself out of an hour or more of cricket.

As it is, Yorkshire didn't post enough runs and Warwickshire picked them off with a bit in hand. Warwickshire fans might just about be able to get back to Birmingham, but Somerset - who walloped Essex in the other semi - face the exact same problem that Yorkshire would have done. I'd have considered going had it been, say, a noon start. This was a good semi to lose.