The introduction of T20 has gone through a certain amount of revisionism in the past few months. But, trust me, I was a ticket-buying fan back in the early Noughties.
Initially, it was an amusing sideshow yet, within a year, a must-see event. There was early debate over its benefit to the county game but, from a fans’ perspective, it was, at worst, a worthwhile exercise in self-promotion and, at best, a lifeline.
Within a few short years, the format was proven, established and taken seriously.
As a result, it barged its way to the front of English cricket’s shop window, something that had...