***Official*** English Domestic Season 2008

[stumpski]

Are counties still allowed 2 overseas players this year?

Only one - but Surrey's attack will comprise Matthew Nicholson, Pedro Collins, Mohammad Asif, Saqlain Mushtaq and, if he can get in the side, Chris Jordan.

 

[wpdavid]

Only one - but Surrey's attack will comprise Matthew Nicholson, Pedro Collins, Mohammad Asif, Saqlain Mushtaq and, if he can get in the side, Chris Jordan.

That's shocking isn't it. When in doubt, buy in a second rate or past it overseas pro instead of trying to develop one of your own. Even as a supporter, I hope they go down. Serves the lazy fekkers right.

 

[superkingdave]

Pretty dissapointed at Lancs getting a kolpak tbh.

Hoping for Horton to build on last seasons effort and for Smith to return to form. Don't think we'll challenge for any trophies this year, the team is in decline and we don't have Murali. would be happy to just finish midtable and blood some youngsters...hopefullyCork won't get much game time this year, though it looks like we'll end up with Mahmood in our side all year and Anderson being 12th man for England.

 

[grecian]

I went there a few times when Viv, Joel and Both were around. It's real but it's the sort of place you wish you could magically arrive at the ground for the game and disappear after without having to walk the streets.

Tauntons a dump, but Bath is wonderful if you can get there for the festival. Weston Super-mare has had a song written for it by the Wurzels, that's about the most interesting thing about it, tbh.

 

[Langeveldt]

I wouldn't go quite that far but it's certainly a bit of a dump.

haha what? Have you ever been to Somerset? Okay Taunton is a nasty town, but it's definitely a beautiful area

 

[Pup Clarke]

That's shocking isn't it. When in doubt, buy in a second rate or past it overseas pro instead of trying to develop one of your own. Even as a supporter, I hope they go down. Serves the lazy fekkers right.

How are Nicholson, Collins and Saqlain "past it"?

 

[Shoggz]

I just hope my beloved Yorkshire can get some silverware this season after flattering to decieve last year.

I have a soft spot for Northants as I live here and will probably do most of my live cricket viewing at The County Ground.

 

[TT Boy]

How are Nicholson, Collins and Saqlain "past it"?

I think the signing of Saqlain has a far amount of sentiment involved but Collins is a good signing, if he actually joins. Mark Butcher said he recently spoke to Pedro and was amazed that Collins was told in September(ish) by the West Indian hierarchy that his the best bowler in the Caribbean but unfortunately your not going to play but we are still going to select you. It really is a strange situation and Surrey are still not 100% sure if Pedro will join up with them or whether the West Indies will keep selecting him but not play him.

In regard to Nicholson his actually signed on as Asif’s overseas cover and will not be joining the club as a Kolpak (as originally suspected).

 

[brockley]

Going for durham to win chanderpaul + coetzer,mustard,divineuto and murchall and benkenstein means a strong batting line up,bowling gibson if avalable,onions,thorp,harmison,killeen and wiseman,strong bowling line up.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Mustard and Muchall are pretty meh in the CC, Coetzer is still relatively unproven even though he was outstanding last season. Killeen hardly plays four dayers anymore.

 

[wpdavid]

How are Nicholson, Collins and Saqlain "past it"?

Saqlain's stats & injury record in recent years speak for themselves. Nicholson is hardly in the peak of his career.
Fair comment about Collins though.

Ultimately, it just depresses me that a county with Surrey's resources can't manage to produce a single bowler better than these guys at any point in the last 15 years or so. Since the late 1980's, the only bowlers we've produced remotely worthy of the name are Bicknell & Tudor. There really hasn't been anyone else at all. Beyond that, I think there's a wider malaise that counties assume that a 2nd or 3rd rater from elsewhere will be better than anyone they can produce. Hence the lack of viable bowling options for the national side right now.

 

[superkingdave]

Ultimately, it just depresses me that a county with Surrey's resources can't manage to produce a single bowler better than these guys at any point in the last 15 years or so. Since the late 1980's, the only bowlers we've produced remotely worthy of the name are Bicknell & Tudor. There really hasn't been anyone else at all.

Pretty much the opposite to what's happened up at Lancs..since Crawley and Atherton we've not produced a batsman of note, though Horton will hopefully push on from last years breakthrough. While we've had plenty of bowlers/all rounders come through the system. Maybe we should do a coaching/scouting exchange

 

[gettingbetter]

My claims and analysis and hopes.

* Sajid Mahmood to return to form and be selected in the England ODI side

* Adil Rashid will continue his form with the bat, hopefully averaeging 40+, but will not be as prosperous with the ball. But I so hope that he does come good (or better might be a better word) with the ball

* Michael Carberry to score runs and if Strauss is out of form, might get a look into a England squad

*Owais Shah (if not playing for England), will continue to churn out runs, but will still not get a birth in the Test team

* Will be interesting to see how Goodleman and Denly go this season, both fell away at the end of the last after having super starts

Thats all for now.

 

[stumpski]

*Owais Shah (if not playing for England), will continue to churn out runs, but will still not get a birth in the Test team

Ditto Mark Ramprakash, I imagine. He only wants four or five for his hundred 100s, doesn't he? Woud be great to see him do it at the Oval, after all he might well be the last player ever to achieve it.

 

[chaminda_00]

* Adil Rashid will continue his form with the bat, hopefully averaeging 40+, but will not be as prosperous with the ball. But I so hope that he does come good (or better might be a better word) with the ball
.

Rashid the new Cam White?

 

[gettingbetter]

Certainly hope not, give him a few more years and he should come good. Its good to see that he is on the Lions tour and getting some favourable results with bat and ball. Although he has been underused and being bowled when the tailenders are in, but success against the Indians can only help him in the long run.

 

[Perm]

Nicholson is hardly in the peak of his career.

296 runs at 49.33 and 16 wickets at 22.31 suggests he's still going strong...

 

[chaminda_00]

296 runs at 49.33 and 16 wickets at 22.31 suggests he's still going strong...

Yeah Nicholson > any english seamer bar Hoggard. Would walk into the English team.

 

[morgieb]

TBH if it doesn't rain I think Lancashire or Yorkshire will win. If it does, title looks likely to go to Sussex and Surrey. Kent to do well. Somerset to go down (simple, their bowlings simply not good enough and Caddick's 39). Durham as a major title threat.

 

[Goughy]

Apart from the obvious (Yorks) I have a new favourite team. Notts appear to be the only team without a foreign player (Aus, SA, Zim, Pak etc) on an EU passport or a Kolpak playing for them.

Good luck to them