It is interesting to have watched over the years the way in which certain sports have evolved, maybe so that they can generate more money and so they can be accessible for today's demanding sports audience.
Cricket is a game which is going through major changes.
People are starting to realize that playing 20-over matches is a winner.
It can quite easily precede a Friday night drinking session for the lads. It is extremely watchable, because runs
are being scored at a rate never seen before, and it is producing regular crisis points making cricket suddenly very watchable for all the family.
As good as Test match cricket is, many complain that five days is too long. Some even find one to be a push in this chaotic modern world – and even then it can end in a draw.
Small wonder Twenty20 cricket is becoming more prominent and popular.
Having watched the game at Headingley on Friday night it is easy to see why the formula works.
Music, different colour kit, white balls. What would WG Grace think to all this you wonder?
One thing's for sure, the game is moving on and is seeing rewards as the crowds are getting bigger and the game is being shown to a new audience.
And if you bring the crowds in the financial standing of the sport improves.
Already the big money men are moving in, and millions are being offered for top players to play in these matches.
I fear it is time for the traditionalists to start worrying about the future of Test cricket. Something may have to give.
People may laugh when I say this, and many people say that they doubt whether it should actually be called a sport, but darts has created a great image for itself.
Watch it on TV and you see lights, music and pretty girls bringing the players on.
The commentators are going berserk and the crowd, fuelled by alcohol, love it.
As a result of its new found popularity, it is now on Sky constantly, and the sport will be making significant financial gains from this.
Like cricket, the people behind darts have thought about how people want to be entertained.
At Leeds Rhinos matches, I have seen opera singers who bring the crowd to a frenzy, cheerleaders and half-time action, in an effort to make the game a piece of entertainment rather than just a match.
Squash clearly has a long way to go, but the game has introduced a worldwide scoring system so that points are scored for every rally and for the men the tin is lower making the rallies shorter and more exciting.
The sports which don't move on will be the ones that get left behind in today's world of quick fixes.
The full article contains 473 words and appears in EP Leeds First & County newspaper.
