Mayors on a mission
Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, rang the five-minute bell on Friday and then attempted to also sound an alarm. He and Tracy Brabin, mayor of West Yorkshire, wrote a letter calling on the ECB to reconsider its decision not to allocate any Tests in the next home Ashes series to grounds in the north of England. “It feels remarkable that an area so passionate about cricket, with a population of over 15 million people, misses out on a men’s Ashes Test in 2027 whilst the south hosts three,” they wrote. “We urge you to think again.” The ECB responded to say it would do no such thing: “In 2027 there will be an Ashes Test in the north – a women’s Test at Headingley,” a spokesperson said. “There will also be a men’s Test match against another opponent at Old Trafford. With seven grounds eligible to host men’s Test matches we recognise there will always be disappointment.” Their response won’t end the controversy, but really all cricket-related press releases should end with the phrase “there will always be disappointment”. Lancashire’s chair, Andy Anson, said the club was “entirely comfortable” with what had been “a thorough and fair” allocation process, and welcomed the fact it ended with them having “seven years of certainty” regarding international match scheduling.
