Ten Doeschate: 'ECB narrative that you need to play in Div One is very hurtful to county cricket'

Ryan ten Doeschate expressed his disappointment at the raft of players leaving clubs in the lower reaches of the pyramid after coming through youth academies, saying the system should do more to assist each of the 18 teams involved

^{Essex captain Ryan ten Doeschate}

Ryan ten Doeschate has called on the ECB to do more to "spread the strength" of first-class cricket right the way through the county structure.

Ten Doeschate expressed his disappointment at the raft of players leaving clubs in the lower reaches of the pyramid after coming through the youth academies of smaller sides, saying the system should do more to assist each of the 18 teams involved in the competition.

Speaking on the outfield at the Kia Oval after his Essex side had beaten Surrey in a dramatic final game of the Division One campaign, the Netherlands international was critical of the emphasis placed on the top league. 

"This won't be a very popular answer but I think the narrative from the ECB that you need to play in Div One is very hurtful to county cricket," he told Sky Sports when asked what county cricket can do to protect and preserve the first-class game.

"If you look at a team like Leicester or Derby or Northants, the players leaving those teams to go to big counties... I think that's detrimental to the smaller clubs.

Surrey celebrate with the County Championship trophy

"My opinion is we need a spread throughout the 18 counties. The standard at the top is good enough; good enough players come through the systems at the Test venues. 

"Someone like Jamie Porter got 75 wickets in Div Two, 75 wickets in Div One, 55 wickets this year. That's what you've got to do. Stick with the club who brought you through and let's spread the strength over all the counties and make it stronger with more depth."

The chairmen of the 18 counties were gathered at the Oval on Thursday to discuss the game's future, though whether or not they heard and took heed of Ten Doeschate's rallying cry remains to be seen.

What is known is that, from 2020, the top division will restructure itself to include 10 clubs, with just one relegated from Division One and three promoted from Division Two next year.

"Every time I go to play a Championship game, particularly over the last two years, the intensity is there, the bowling is there... you always feel like you are in a battle," Ten Doeschate said of the top tier.

"Winning seven games and not even coming close just shows that the top teams in this division are really playing to a high level."

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