***Official*** English Domestic Season 2008

[Pup Clarke]

Saw him about 3-4 years ago, looked like one of the worst county bowlers of recent times. Along with Gareth Andrews, Chris Whelans and Mark Turners, how he got a contract with a second county is beyond me.

Do you have to repeat this for the umpteenth time?

 

[Richard]

People seen this? Thoughts?

http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/story/362154.html

Pretty good for English cricket if the ECB manage it properly.

Aye, was discussed both a week or so ago and 2 months or so ago ITBT.

 

[Richard]

Do you have to repeat this for the umpteenth time?

Probably.

 

[Anna]

Saw him about 3-4 years ago, looked like one of the worst county bowlers of recent times. Along with Gareth Andrews, Chris Whelans and Mark Turners, how he got a contract with a second county is beyond me.

Even the worst bowlers might have the odd decent game though.

BTW, seems like at last Palladino and Phillips are fit again. Bloody hell Essex have a lot of bowlers, and quite a few decent ones too.

Masters, Tudor, Danish(\Nel), Palladino, Middlebrook, Napier. Then the lesser lights like Wright, Chambers, Westfield, Phillips and Jahid Ahmed. Plus Bopara, ten Doeschate and, in OD cricket, Grant Flower to offer some part-time stuff.

You can't even spell their names correctly. Shows what you know! Anyway, Turner has turned into a pretty good bowler, considering his home ground is Taunton. And don't you dare start having a go at the Somerset seam attack, as they bowled Kent out twice for around 200 runs in BOTH innings in the last match; they must be doing something right!

 

[Richard]

You can't even spell their names correctly. Shows what you know!

The "s"s on the end of all names were deliberate. It's a figure-of-speech, turning singles into plurals.

Anyway, Turner has turned into a pretty good bowler, considering his home ground is Taunton. And don't you dare start having a go at the Somerset seam attack, as they bowled Kent out twice for around 200 runs in BOTH innings in the last match; they must be doing something right!

If Willoughby, Thomas and Caddick are in the team (can't remember off top of head whether all were in that game incidentally), yeah, they are. Those three are quality bowlers. Andrew and Turner simply aren't. They're woeful. So is Munday. And Jones, Trego and Phillips are poor too.

And yes, I'm well aware that Trego and Phillips somehow average under 27 this season.

 

[Manee]

Saw him about 3-4 years ago, looked like one of the worst county bowlers of recent times.

Cut him some slack, he would have been 19-20 at that time.

 

[Richard]

You know, that's true actually. Looked last night, didn't realise he was so young. He's no more than a few months older than me.

Still, even at 19-20, that's still very poor. You'd expect anyone who was going to amount to something to be better than he was (and, it seems, still is).

 

[Scaly piscine]

England's U19 team close to wrapping up victory, leg-spinner by the name of Beer taking 5 of the 7 second innings wickets so far.

In other news Somerset's seam attack is crap.

 

[Richard]

Kinda ridiculous for mine that u19 games get priority over county games. Surely it's far better for Chris Woakes to be given the chance to continue his excellent season than waste his time playing against Kiwis his own age and even younger, some of whom are (inevitably in the way of u19 cricket) not going to amount to anything?

Wonder if Will Beer's performances - should he keep them up - will manage to get him a game or two for Sussex in the last part of the season?

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Kinda ridiculous for mine that u19 games get priority over county games. Surely it's far better for Chris Woakes to be given the chance to continue his excellent season than waste his time playing against Kiwis his own age and even younger, some of whom are (inevitably in the way of u19 cricket) not going to amount to anything?

Wonder if Will Beer's performances - should he keep them up - will manage to get him a game or two for Sussex in the last part of the season?

I have to disagree. With so many county games happening Woakes will get PLENTY of them under his belt over the season. I think its more important to get him into the England setup where he can make use of better coaches / training practices as well as to hang around with the best players of his own age group.

 

[Richard]

You really would hope that promising youngsters would get decent coaching from nationally-employed coaches even without playing for the u19s TBH.

Personally I think playing u19 cricket in the middle of a spell in the team of your county risks breaking-up a player's rhythm. It's fine for those (and this is the vast majority) who aren't county regulars, but I don't like it when an established county player is taken away.

 

[GIMH]

I don't see that it should affect their rhythm though, unless they get called up to the squad and then don't play. I'd much rather be gaining international honours than FC honours, ITBT

 

[Richard]

Under-19 cricket is hardly "international honours" though is it?

And it can easily affect a bowler's rhythm (less so a batsman) because you may quite possibly need to bowl completely differently according to the different calibre and developmental-stage of batsmen you're bowling at.

 

[GIMH]

Under-19 cricket is hardly "international honours" though is it?

Look at it this way, if you were told at the beginning of your career by a clairvoyant that you were never going to play for the full international side, would you want to play for the U19s as they are the only international honours you will get, or would you rather continue playing for your county?

A hell of a lot of u19s will never go on to full honours and I bet most of them are really proud just to have played for their country at some stage

And it can easily affect a bowler's rhythm (less so a batsman) because you may quite possibly need to bowl completely differently according to the different calibre and developmental-stage of batsmen you're bowling at.

I can see your point, but I am not sure it should matter all that much. Certainly, if the players you face are of a higher standard, it can't do you much harm (unless you get carted everywhere).

Also, I guess U19 can give a good idea of how players cope with the different pressures of international cricket.

 

[Richard]

Look at it this way, if you were told at the beginning of your career by a clairvoyant that you were never going to play for the full international side, would you want to play for the U19s as they are the only international honours you will get, or would you rather continue playing for your county?

A hell of a lot of u19s will never go on to full honours and I bet most of them are really proud just to have played for their country at some stage

Maybe. The idealistic idea of u19s, though, is to do the best you can with every player under the roof, in the hope that one day they will play international cricket.

I don't think you're doing that by taking players away from counties.

In any case, if you're good enough to play for your county at 18-19, there's a very substantial chance you'll be good enough to play international cricket some day. Those who aren't ever going to make international cricketers are going to be those who aren't established county players (maybe have never even played a senior game).

I can see your point, but I am not sure it should matter all that much. Certainly, if the players you face are of a higher standard, it can't do you much harm (unless you get carted everywhere).

Also, I guess U19 can give a good idea of how players cope with the different pressures of international cricket.

What I mean is - county cricket is of a notably higher standard than u19 cricket. Dropping down levels after playing at higher levels always runs the risk of disruption.

 

[Goughy]

Given the choice of England U19s and never playing FC or never playing for England at any level but playing 1 FC game, then it isnt close. The FC game everytime

I know this wasnt the question but I thought Id answer it anyway.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Given the choice of England U19s and never playing FC or never playing for England at any level but playing 1 FC game, then it isnt close. The FC game everytime

I know this wasnt the question but I thought Id answer it anyway.

Agreed.

 

[Chubb]

Given the choice of England U19s and never playing FC or never playing for England at any level but playing 1 FC game, then it isnt close. The FC game everytime

I know this wasnt the question but I thought Id answer it anyway.

The first is what happened to my uncle, in the late 70s. he played 1 U19 test v. West indies, and many games for Essex IIs, but he never quite made the first team there. I think he'd rather have been able to pull on the three yellow scimitars for real once. He doesn't really speak about his cricket career, but at one time a lot of people thought he'd play for Essex. Of course at that time they had a very strong side. He was at the same club as the Pont brothers and in all honesty there was little to choose between them and him, except desire.

 

[Richard]

Is Graham Onions injured again currently?

If not, seems very odd that Plunkett and Wiseman are playing ahead of him, given their performances so far this season.

As for Chris Wright playing for Essex ahead of Palladino... that's probably worse than Pattinson playing for England ahead of Hoggard, Tremlett et al.

 

[BHG86]

I have no idea about Onions, but I do know Trent Bridge has been spinning this year, Swann and Patel have been quite fruitful. 15 for 2 Durham, The Ogre has struck twice already!

I fancy Will Smith for a few though at his old stomping ground.