I was going to post this in the "County Championship points system to be looked at" thread, but realised it would get lost among the talmudic and jesuitic disputations on the number of points to be awarded for batting and bowling in the County Championship.

In the last 24 hours, there were two quite enthralling one-day internationals -- Bangladesh v Zimbabwe, and India v Australia. Only moments before the end could you tell who the victor would be. I'm of an age (having watched Sutcliffe (H), Hutton (L), Bowes, Leyland, Sellers, the sainted Bradman, et al) when I'd always understood that I was supposed to become more conservative. But that doesn't seem to have kicked in yet, either politically or with regard to cricket. To wit:

Five-day Test matches can be very exciting -- can be, with one side on top at the end of day 3 and the other at the end of day 4, with the issue in doubt for day 5 (weather permitting). The same picture can hold true in four-day state, provincial or county games. The recent Sussex match would be a good example. But usually it doesn't, and my suspicion is that, even with long-overdue improvements to the dopey County Championship points system, it's still going to be a form of the game watched by a small and dwindling band of old-timers. It just doesn't seem to fit today's world.

If you're 18 or 24 years old, and want to take someone near and dear to you to a game with a decent chance of holding spectators' interest, and of an exciting finish, it ain't going to be one that lasts four days. If it's to be cricket (and nowadays god knows there are plenty enough competing attractions), I'd suggest it's going to be either a one-day game or Twenty20. And I think the same is likely to be true if you're older and taking children.

Part of me regrets this, and thinks back to the wondrous days of uncovered pitches, sticky wickets, fiendish spin bowling versus masterful rearguard batting and so on. But another part of me says that life moves on. You can lead the parade, join it, or watch it go by. In terms of the game bequeathed us by the southron folk of long ago, I think it means that before the next decade is over, we junk the four-day version,and possibly five-day Tests, and build up as best we know how the seven-hour and three-hour versions of the game.

And now if you'll excuse me, I think I need to go out and buy a bullet-proof vest. Best wishes to all.

I'd like to mount a spirited defence but I'm not sure I can find the grounds to do so. I'm younger than you - I could have added "considerably" if the mood had taken me - and i feel like something of an anachronism at County games. It's probably one of the few social events in the World where a 47 year old can still feel like a youngster. This has been implicitly recognised by the authorities who look set to schedule County games for midweek fixtures only - making it the preserve exclusively of the retired.
I see four and five day cricket going the same way as Real Tennis, Crown Green Bowling or Fives - it will survive among a small but commited coterie but will be shunted far off the sports pages and into the sporting wilderness.
I think the County system is similarly doomed - I'm sure players like Pietersen will be watching Flintoff's experiment as a freelance cricketer with great interest.
I don't think I'd agree with your time scale - I think we've probably got 20 years left - but it'll be a slow lingering death. The Ashes will possibly persist as a one off event, but it's entirely predictable that future England tours of South Africa, India or the West Indies will only feature limited overs games.
I think we ought now to begin the battle to hang on to the 50 over game for as long as possible...

perhaps we need to liven up the 4 day game and arrange for a similar event to the recent champions League tournament which involved Sussex and Somerset from England.

Durham taking on the best West Indian island, best Aussie State, Saffer province, Indian and Pakistan districts etc might give the 4 day game something of a boost once again?

I know its a crowded fixture schedule and different time zones etc as you may need to play 4 or 5 games each of 4 days in length so a whole month may be needed.

Not sure this will work in hindsight but why should the game going global at county level be limited to the T20 format?

If not I too can see the Ashes becoming like the Ryder Cup in Golf but all other cricket geared towards the one day version.

Well, I'm still in my 20's and I love county cricket. I realize that is odd given the attention spans of younger people these days, but there is something about the CC that keeps me interested from start to finish. There need to be changes (the points system is truly awful) and more results are a MUST, but I for one will be sad if this form of cricket passes into history.

All do my usual ... unless someone is decidated (guilty) they will have to be retired to watch county cricket as games are scheduled to be mainly played mid week ... this has got worse over the years .... the ECB HAVE to try to get championship games played at weekends or there will be no one lest to watch when all the 'regulars' die off

of course there will dpressed

Have you not studied the recent demographic tables and noticed the impact of increasing longevity?

Based on this analysis the ageing population with average life expectancy having gone up by about 10 years for men means there will be more pensioners coming through to watch mid week county cricket.

This does assume people can afford to retire at 65 which may not be the case if their pensions have been adversely affected by the credit crunch...

It is a fact that we all have a longer life span now so WE pensioners will be watching CC for several years yet. I retired from work 6 months ago but I am watching no more cricket than before when in full time employment. The only difference is I do not have to book all my annual leave off every year for cricket matches. I have watched cricket for 40 odd years now, and still, and always have preferred CC to any other form of the game.

Alas, I completely missed that thriller between Pakistan and Australia.

That may be because I was watching Tendulkar's sublime innings of 175 for India who were all out for 347 (with 3 balls remaining) in a noble attempt to overtake the 350 scored by - I jest not - Australia!

Wrong thread!

Thanks, Dubliner. Mea culpa! (Memo to self: Pakistan's the one on the left, and India on the right). Original post now corrected.

Yes, that was a sublime innings by the Little Master all right -- the only thing missing was the fairy tale ending.