It has not been a great week for taking cricket to the less well resourced Minor County grounds such as St Austell, with Worcestershire's Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy tie having to be switched from there to Truro because of the weather.

Tony Penberthy is perhaps the most successful Cornishman currently to be playing first class cricket. We have seen something of Ryan Driver also.

I wonder how young cricketers in these non-first class counties regard the idea being considered by the first class forum of allowing two overseas players per county?

I find it staggering, a proposal riddled with flaws and inconsistencies. It is little more than the ECB buying off the counties to make up for their loss of centrally contracted players. The counties themselves have expressed interest in the idea on the basis of higher quality cricket and attracting greater crowds.

Where is the commitment, or indeed incentive, to develop talented, young, English qualified players? What message does the avid youth of these counties receive, let alone Cornwall, if first class counties are concentrating their scouting and spending overseas?

First-class cricket does not pay for itself. Is it being suggested that we should reduce it, therefore, to some side show of entertainment effectively severed from Test Match cricket? A merry go round of international cavaliers. Perhaps I exaggerate, but I do not see a clarity of purpose in moving our domestic cricket in this direction. Just a drain on resources which the counties have not earned and could be better spent elsewhere.

If the ECB really want to rarify the atmosphere of county cricket then they should bite the bullet and reduce the number of first class teams, not artificially maintain the standard in this way. At a time when a lot of money is being spent on developing academies, it seems illogical to clog up the paths of these aspiring talents.

To say that these players will only learn by playing against better quality players in county cricket sounds like a kick in the teeth for all the new academies and coaching initiatives.

If Australia is again our model, their excellence has sprung from an era of minimal overseas involvement in their domestic cricket. The quality fostered by their schools and academy has been allowed to flourish not been propped up like some sickly patient.

My memory of starting out in county cricket was of a dominant Nottinghamshire side in which Rice and Hadlee scored runs and Rice and Hadlee took wickets.

The opportunities to play a leading role with bat or ball were necessarily limited for the other players. That is when you really learn, taking responsibility , not playing second fiddle. For another angle, just consider why England's managers have had a problem filling the left side of midfield.

So I was delighted that the Players' Association spoke out against the idea, citing the increased 'European' element as further evidence of opportunities being limited. I wonder how the overseas battle will have swayed the four-day game in Bristol? Honours just about even for Harvey and Bichel so far this year. They have both brought a lot to their respective counties. You can have too much of a good thing, though.