From the CEO’s chair – Jamie Clifford’s Blog – 21 July

When I last wrote my blog, we were gearing up for our final game at home in the twenty20. Unfortunately that game went against us, with Sussex – and more particularly Matt Prior – playing extremely well. That game was televised on Sky, as were the final two group games, first at The Oval and then Chelmsford. I thought the side performed magnificently in both and must be congratulated for making the quarter finals. The fact the games were on TV meant that plenty of our supporters were able to watch and I am sure excitement is now building for the game at Grace Road in two weeks time.

Special mention should be made of the supporter (I will not tell you who, to spare his blushes), who, despite having Sky Sports, watched both games on Ceefax. That’s 80 overs of cricket, run by run, ball by ball in black and white numbers – rather than glorious technicolour. That sort of dedication defines the true fan!

As I have said repeatedly, and I know it is probably getting a bit boring – the crowds for t20 simply can’t be ignored. There is a market for it – the games are popular, and people flock to see them. Maybe it is not the form of the game that many have a love for, but it does provide a competition that continues to bring good crowds. It has to provide the route to financial viability. I love championship cricket, but I am acutely aware of the economics – ‘bums on seats’ are the only thing that will make the game add up financially and t20 is the obvious solution.

It was great that The Open Championship was once again in Kent last week, and I thought that Royal St George’s did the job magnificently. Such high profile sporting events are important for the county, and with the introduction of the high speed line from St Pancras I hope that more will realise how close they are to this wonderful part of the world. It is good to think that we can now offer, with our improved boxes, a high quality hospitality experience at the St Lawrence Ground, just an hour from London.

The County Championship is now back on in earnest and the players continue to work hard to secure success. It is a while until the next championship cricket at Canterbury – Canterbury Week – so I am sure Cricinfo, Teletext, Twitter etc will all be followed closely as the team play at Cheltenham and Grace Road in the coming weeks.

You will have seen our plans for Canterbury Week, and will be pleased that reassuringly very little will be different. We are determined that the week is as traditional as ever, and we will be working hard to make it special. Tell your friends, bring somebody for the first time and don’t forget we want to hear your stories of your first Canterbury Week.

As I write, the Test series with India is just getting underway at Lord’s. It is a series that has always been exciting for me, the thought that a billion people are watching every delivery I find inspiring. I can picture Mumbaikers listening to radios, crowding round TVs, and every conversation dominated by the Test match. Imagine the joy across India when Tendulkar scores his hundredth international 100.

If you are going to a day of the Test series, I hope that you get a good one, if not make sure you catch it on TV – it should be a classic.