Are Middlesex so skint that they've bought old Dulwich Hamlet shirts?

Anyway, cricket. Is this the place to talk about the political economy of cricket?

I've always had a soft spot for country cricket in that most counties are mutual societies, much like member association clubs in football (Barca, Real Madrid, most bundesliga etc). It's noticeable that the profiteering going on in football, such as asset-strips of ground have been absent in cricket, not least because it can't be done here.

At the same time, you have a sense of that world disappearing, all the same, because it was swept away by dirty commerce. The counties are an anachronism in many respects (as are the county FAs in England for exactly the same reasons) and conurbation-based teams seems to chime better with most people's senses of identity. And the fact that the work-life balance in the UK is so fucked is always going to hurt a sport based on committment as cricket is.

But why should it change? The counties are owned by people who aren't thrusting types wanting global domination. They seem reasonably happy with their lot. There's lots of fans who might not get to grounds much, but are passionate about their county team, so why the fuck should they change? It seems like a takeover by filthy lucre, in some misguided bollocks about 'growing the sport'. having seen where that leads in football, it all seems, well, just very very sad.