Ball one: Glamorgan’s glory in the gloom

Even the weather gods seemed irritated by the scheduling of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup Final, rained off on the Sunday and held over to the reserve day, a miserable, back-to-school, Monday if ever there was one.

Shortened to a T20 match which was both sensible and a little bit soul-destroying, the professionals were professional, the supporters who could be there supportive and England’s oldest List A trophy swiftly handed over to Wales’s Glamorgan. They had won both their group and semi-final comfortably, and the unsatisfactory scheduling was hardly their fault. Congratulations to them.

Spare a thought for Somerset, who had a chance of a treble, but lost to relegated Lancashire in the crucial Championship match, lost to Gloucestershire in the T20 Blast final and lost to Glamorgan in the third leg of the trifecta. On paper, it looks like a choke, but that would be unfair – the ruthless logic of sport demands more losers than winners and Somerset were fated to join their ranks three times in a cruel September.

Ball two: no more 2024s please

The 2024 County Championship slid out of our lives as apologetically as it had slid into them six months ago. While the matches are often compelling – given decent weather, decent players and something decent to play for, first class cricket is a wondrous thing – the competition is not. Surrey are too dominant at the top of Division One, there is no real prize for finishing second or third, it’s too easy to stay up without winning at the bottom and there are too many dead rubbers in Division Two. That’s just for starters.

It’s probably too late to do much about 2025 (though the re-structured Covid seasons of 2020 and 2021 showed that necessity can still spawn invention), but the domestic cricket’s opacity, increasing irrelevance in a crowded sporting calendar and disrespect from administrators, cannot just continue. Tournaments need clear structures and continuity in scheduling to create an ever-developing narrative that works for avid fans, occasional followers and newbies exploring the format.

Another report from the blazers then? Well, look where they’ve taken us, so it’s a hard no from me. I’d suggest that the ECB facilitate a conversation over the winter by producing a pack that frankly sets out the issues in plain language and asks for ideas as to what an English domestic cricket season could look like. It might form the basis of case studies in business schools, discussions at county and club members meetings or provoke bedroom scribblers to draft masterplans. Sift a lot of the sand that will inevitably come through and there might be gold in there too. The game needs ideas and it’s in no position to turn any down – the only one that should be thrown out without a hearing is ‘business as usual’.

Ball three: Albert a prince among batters

Only one positive result was possible in the final round of matches and, somewhat inevitably, Somerset were on the wrong end of it, as Hampshire leapfrogged them into second place in Division One.

It was a low-scoring affair at Taunton in which the bowlers were always on top. Such matches often turn on a top order batter digging in and a combination of luck and stroke-making from the keeper and bowlers to carve 20 or 30 runs that are worth 100 in high summer.

Somerset’s first innings saw a scoreboard showing 71-6; Hampshire were 76-6 in reply; and Somerset were 75-6 second time round. But, in Hampshire’s innings, opener, Toby Albert (77), found a partner in the experienced Ben Brown (35) and their 73-run stand was the highest of the match. Brown was there at the end too, Hampshire getting the 121 runs needed five down.

Ball four: bonus discontent

In their match against Worcestershire, Lancashire were all out for 177 in their first innings; in their match against Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire made 487. And the Bears, not entirely out of the woods themselves in the relegation fight, replied with 373-7.

Lancashire will play in Division Two next year, and few of their supporters would argue that such an outcome is undeserved. A full analysis of the reasons for such a disappointing season would require a final spell rather than merely a final over, but the inability to pick up bonus points has been a major contributor. Whether it is appropriate that Lanky’s three wins and five draws merits 134 points, when Notts’ two wins and eight draws yields 155, and Warwickshire’s one win and nine draws garners 159, is certainly moot. I’m not sure Ben Stokes would agree.

Bowlers may win matches, but, with five bonus points to reward them (and only two for the bowlers), it’s batters who keep teams up.

Ball five: White Rose replaces Red

Yorkshire’s supercharged second half of the season culminated in a well-deserved promotion to the top flight, edging out a gallant Middlesex side who finished with an identical five wins, seven draws and two defeats record.

In the draw with Northamptonshire that sealed the deal, the ageless Adam Lyth made 147 but it was James Wharton, batting at three, who bothered the record books with his 285, the centrepiece of a mountainous 726-7 declared.

It was 23 year-old Huddersfield lad’s second ton of the season, adding a couple of half-centuries to his haul in just nine matches. An academy product, he’ll likely play in a 2025 batting unit that includes (availability permitting) fellow Tykes, Lyth, Finlay Bean, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jonny Bairstow, Jonny Tattersall, Will Luxton, Jordan Thompson and Matthew Revis.

It’s an admirable roster of home-grown talent, but imagine how much better it would be if it drew on all the cricket-mad communities in England’s largest county? With the 21st century into its second quarter, it really should.

Ball six: with thanks

Though I’ll be tugging your coats again later in the week with the annual piece on five county cricketers of the year, the last talking point of the season is always reserved for gratitude to both the staff at The Guardian who correct my errors (well, most of them!) and do clever stuff with photos and layout that makes this column look as professional as Alec Stewart striding out of The Oval for the last time as director of cricket.

But, pace Oscar Wilde, these talking points only work if they’re being talked about. I’m as blessed as Tanya Aldred on the county cricket live blog with an informed readership who do not just add to the column with their wit, wisdom and warmth (cricket needs a regular supply of three Ws). In the fingerless gloves of April and September, I raise a metaphorical flask of Bovril to you all.