Every ball counts. It is a slogan made for The Hundred competition - the pyrotechnic-charged, music-pumping version of cricket bankrolled by billionaires.
It is a world away from what you get on the fringes of the professional game, where first-class cricket meets well-manicured English village grounds that so often host second XI matches.
At least, you would think so.
For some, playing for the 'twos' is a tightrope cricketing existence and a last shot at trying to make it as a professional. Every ball really could count.
But unlike The Hundred, where top earner Harry Brook will pocket £465,000 for a month's work, some second XI players on trial runs with County Championship sides are rocking up to play in matches on the UK daily minimum wage of just over £100, with a little more on top for expenses.
#matches
It is a world away from what you get on the fringes of the professional game, where first-class cricket meets well-manicured English village grounds that so often host second XI matches.
At least, you would think so.
For some, playing for the 'twos' is a tightrope cricketing existence and a last shot at trying to make it as a professional. Every ball really could count.
But unlike The Hundred, where top earner Harry Brook will pocket £465,000 for a month's work, some second XI players on trial runs with County Championship sides are rocking up to play in matches on the UK daily minimum wage of just over £100, with a little more on top for expenses.
#matches
2 months ago
