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The Cricket Thread

Former England batsmen Kevin Pietersen and Michael Carberry say English Twenty20 should adopt the franchise system used in India and Australia.

Both played in this year's Australian Big Bash League, where there are eight city franchises instead of state teams who contest longer forms of the game.

"The franchise system works, everybody has made it work, the whole world has gone that way," Pietersen said.

"Why can't they do it in England? It's strange."

The Big Bash League spans six weeks, with a match almost every day, while England's T20 Blast, featuring all 18 county sides, lasted over three months in 2014 and will do so again this year.

County cricket is also reportedly set to lower salary caps, with sides encouraged to bring through players from academy ranks.

But Pietersen said: "What's frustrating is they say they want to help home-grown players. The best way to make them become better is to play against better players.

"All the muppets who are on £18,000 or £15,000 - either you become better or you go and do something else.

"The best players would play against each other, week in week out. That's how you become better. You don't do that by reducing salary caps."

Carberry, whose Perth Scorchers team beat Pietersen's Melbourne Stars to reach the Australian Big Bash League final, told BBC Sport that franchises would be welcomed by players in domestic English cricket.

"I know for a fact the players over the years have been voting for franchise cricket," the Hampshire batsman said.

"We've been trying to drive that machine for quite a while, but for reasons beyond me it's always fallen flat on its face.

"You just have to watch a game here (in Australia), and you get just a small flavour of what the atmosphere is like at one of these games. The sheer interest levels are unbelievable. Something's surely got to be done back home."
 
England getting embarrassed by Australia in the One Day final.

The aussies are good, England apart from a few loose overs bowled really well earlier, Woakes 0-89 didnt help, the Aussies should've scored maybe 30 less, Maxwell & Faulkner, Marsh batted really well

Early wickets didnt help England, terrible umpire decision too when it was clear it was a no-ball but a few brain dead shots as usual
 
We didn't turn the pressure into wickets and what I didn't understand was bowling these slower ball bouncers, Faulkner loves them, whacks them all over the park and we don't learn our lessons.

I was at a dinner with Darren Gough and he said (and I agree) that full quick Yorkers were and still are the best way to go, you miss, I hit, you hit it has to be a good shot to get away for 6. The likes of Woakes and the lad from Surrey who are self proclaimed death bowlers, I just see them get whacked every time...
 
Easier said than done though. Batsman just needs to vary his stance and what was a Yorker is now a full toss or a half volley and very easy to be carted for a boundary.
 
All starts tomorrow, I've done a few bets

Winners
New Zealand 5/1

Top Run Scorer
Brendon McCullum 12/1

Top Wicket Taker
Mitchell Starc 9/1

Top Tournament Runscorer/Wicket Taker Double
McCullum/Starc 80/1
Smith/Steyn 175/1
Warner/Johnson 70/1
DeVilliers/Herath 275/1
DeVilliers/Steyn 100/1
 
England had the Aussies in a bit of trouble than as usual let them off the hook

Woakes who for me is awful drops Finch on 0, he goes on to get 130 odd

Aussies will get well over 300, I bet we don't get half that in reply

My tip of NZ had a very impressive start earlier in dispatching SL
 
Aussies get 342, some fantastic batting but the bowling was absolutely awful, zero clue just kept firing in these slower ball bouncers

Hatrick for Finn with the last 3 balls of the innings
 
Taylor has looked a really good player today, that's probably the only positive out of this performance, still only NZ in their own back yard next hahaha
 
The whole scheduling of the fixtures is really odd I must say - teams have played two fixtures before other teams have even started their campaign.
 
I thought it was all Cooks fault?!

NZ are good, just wish I'd backed them before the tournie started. NZ, Aus and SA look head and shoulders above anyone else.
 
Gayle with 215 today, 16 sixes, I watched some of it and he didn't even bat that well also was LBW 1st ball but the umprire gave it not out so it wasnt overturned on review
 
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