On Thursday 24 October (7.00pm) our guest speaker will be Ben Bloom.

Ben Bloom is a freelance sports journalist who has produced live sports reports for national newspapers and websites, including the Guardian, Times, Telegraph and Press Association. Ben will be joining us to discuss his book Batting for Time: The Fight to Keep English Cricket Alive.

In a rapidly changing sporting and social landscape, county cricket – an institution whose history spans more than 150 years – finds itself confronted with the most uncertain period in its long history.

The proliferation of lucrative global franchise leagues has threatened to leave behind a member-owned English structure deep-rooted in the Victorian era. Pitting traditionalists against modernisers, and romantics against pragmatists, the need for change has sparked a host of civil wars, creating deep divisions among those who care for the English game.

Using the 2023 season as a backdrop, Ben’s work explores the precarious state of English cricket, asking what it is we expect from our domestic game, who it primarily exists for and where things might go in the future. What must English cricket do to survive?

MEDIA REVIEWS

“Everybody who cares about English cricket should read this book… it’s vital work.” – Adam Collins, The Final Word Cricket Podcast

“This book is sensational. So many complex issues and nuances in the game… written in such a way that is so readable and understandable. It is some achievement.” – Kevin Howells, Test Match Special

“Who should read Batting For Time? Anyone who has an interest in the future of English cricket. The book will certainly enable those on both sides of the argument to understand the other’s position a little better and as a result, just maybe, help in finding some common ground and… a solution that we can all live with.” – Martin Chandler, Cricketweb

“Bloom proves a most welcoming and thoughtful host… as he leads us through the unwieldy ugliness that is the current structure of the domestic professional game.” – Jon Hotten, Wisden Cricket Monthly

Signed copies of Batting for Time will be available at the event.

Ben Bloom can be followed on Twitter