Cricket has changed considerably in recent times, but with a magnificent Test series between England and India still in the balance despite England's victory on Monday, July 15, giving them a 2-1 series lead, the summer so far has been compelling and on so many occasions brilliant, writes Merv Colenutt.
The County Championship has also been compelling at times as well as brilliant, despite the ongoing issues with the Dukes ball and the Kookaburra ball and also at the start of the season, saw Surrey attract their biggest ever first day crowd at the Oval.
In my eyes, red ball cricket is still very much alive in both formats, and although the T20 Blast draws big crowds, are you ever likely to see such a rip-roaring Test series that even drew a sold-out crowd on the fifth and final day at Lord's?
The tension, however, between England and India did spill over with the Ben Duckett dismissal by Indian quickie Mohammed Siraj, which could have spilt over into not just eye and verbal contact, but there was just that feeling that one day physical contact could cause major issues.
Fortunately, at the conclusion of the game, the England side did console Siraj on his dismissal with India 22 runs short of victory, but respect and sense were restored in the correct manner.
It reminded several members of past confrontations between Somerset and Surrey with Gareth Batty, Jason Roy and the Currans, but with the introduction of franchise cricket around the world, that side of the game appears to have dropped off, with all the players becoming closer friends as many of them now play in the same side in the shorter format of the game.
Talking to several former players, they have concerns about not only the flat pitches, but also the number of runs coming in the third man area, Gerry Wilson, Chris Tinnion and Gilbert Wall are all amazed, that especially in the red ball game, the number of runs coming through the slip cordon with no third man in place.
Gerry Wilson who was a cricket coach at Millfield for over forty years and brought over thirty players through Millfield into county cricket, is also amazed how many no balls are bowled in a game.
With the finals of the T20 Blast and the County Championship finale still two months away, there is so much cricket still to look forward to, can Somerset earn their first ever County Championship title as well as regaining their T20 Blast title and with Shoaib Bashir likely to miss the final two Tests with a broken finger, will the England selectors recall Jack Leach or go down the road and select Hampshire's Liam Dawson?
So far cricket this summer has been given a huge boost in the red ball game and is there a side capable of beating either Somerset or Surrey on T20 finals day at Edgbaston on Saturday, September 13, whatever the outcome, let's hope the summer game is not tarnished by the Hundred, which so far has been put on the back burner, mainly in a conflict of interest from the general public.
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