***Official*** English Domestic Season 2008

[wpdavid]

Agree entirely. Swann will keep it tight and give the option to spin the ball the other way.
It all depends what England will do. If they truely want to play 2 spinners for the Tests then definitely Swann. But if they're just going to bring the spinner as a backup for Monty and not really play him then it would be nice to bring Rashid along for the experience and for the England team to get a good look at him close up.

Bad idea imo. Makes it a cast iron certainty that Panesar will get injured or we'll need to play two spinners. I'm with you & Goughy about taking Swann at this stage for all the reasons Kev outlined.

 

[fredfertang]

The saddest aspect of it all is that there are more players born in Yorkshire in the current Lancashire team than were born in Lancashire

 

[stumpski]

Don't see this very often:

AW Gale         not out 99 297 262 10 0 37.78 
CR Taylor   lbw b Cork   2   3   6  0 0 33.33 
A McGrath       not out 99 292 218  6 1 45.41 
Extras (b 7, lb 9, w 1, nb 2) 19      

Total (1 wicket; 80.5 overs) 219 (2.70 runs per over)

You certainly put the mockers on McGrath there - he didn't manage another run.

There are a couple of matches still waiting to start aren't there? Do they still play a one innings game if it starts on the last day, or do they just play for bonus points now?

Batting points no problem for Somerset - I doubt if any side has reached 400 quicker than 78 overs this season. All Surrey bowlers except Saqi had terrible figures - Collins's 10-0-87-0 very much the lowlight. Would have been dire enough in any one-day game.

 

[Richard]

Agree entirely. Swann will keep it tight and give the option to spin the ball the other way.
It all depends what England will do. If they truely want to play 2 spinners for the Tests then definitely Swann. But if they're just going to bring the spinner as a backup for Monty and not really play him then it would be nice to bring Rashid along for the experience and for the England team to get a good look at him close up.

That's a great theory - but as Australia found-out in 2004/05 and 2005 when they took Hauritz and Tait "to bring him along for the experience" it can go badly wrong if circumstances cause the player to have to be pitched into Test action. In Tait's case he played Tests before he should have, and in Hauritz's case it meant the worst player to play for Australia arguably since John Watkins stepped onto the park and cost a (admittedly dead) Test.

If MSP goes down, Rashid would almost have to play. And if you take someone along simply for experience, that can be disastrous.

 

[Richard]

Shame for CW that it wasn't Gale and Taylor, though. Do those two ever score runs in the same game?

Well I can barely recall them playing more than 3 or 4 games together this season.

Interesting that both are opening currently - don't remember either being openers when I last looked.

 

[Richard]

Just trawling through some stats and noticed that Hoggard is actually in the middle of quite a good season, despite having adjudged to have lost his zip by England selectors. He has taken 30 wickets at 23.63,.

The trouble is, he needed for mine to have taken 60 or 70 at 20.00 or so to be really being likely to force his way back in. He's gone OK this season, but no more than that. He's not played every game, and he's only taken relatively moderate hauls for the most part. Took an 8-for in the opening game and has been a chipping-in contributor and no more for the rest of the time.

 

[Richard]

If it makes you feel better, this is the worst Yorkshire team Ive ever seen.

Yep, when you look back to 1999, 2000, 2001 sort of time when bowlers of the calibre of Hutchison, Sidebottom and heck, even Hoggard, were being relegated to Second XI cricket when everyone was available, you could weep. Oh well, these things go in cycles.

BTW did you ever play for Yorkshire's Second XI? Can't believe I haven't asked that before.

What's annoying is that with Gough, Kruis, Rana and Hoggard, we had a potentially excellent bowling-attack this year. And now I'm hoping that only Hoggard is still at the club next year (Gough is definately retiring and probably not too soon given how little he's played this year; Kruis probably won't be offered a new contract and hopefully if he is the ECB'll turn it down because he's been a Kolpak player and I hope they now stop allowing those; and Rana is an ICL player and I don't really want ICL players on Yorkshire's books).

 

[Scaly piscine]

You certainly put the mockers on McGrath there - he didn't manage another run.

There are a couple of matches still waiting to start aren't there? Do they still play a one innings game if it starts on the last day, or do they just play for bonus points now?

Batting points no problem for Somerset - I doubt if any side has reached 400 quicker than 78 overs this season. All Surrey bowlers except Saqi had terrible figures - Collins's 10-0-87-0 very much the lowlight. Would have been dire enough in any one-day game.

Worcestershire declared on 450-8 after 82.2 overs here:

http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/countycricket2008/engine/match/319996.html

I would imagine they passed 400 before 75 overs.

 

[Goughy]

BTW did you ever play for Yorkshire's Second XI? Can't believe I haven't asked that before.

No. U19s and then Uni. I could be wrong, but with the very strong Academy, Im not sure any University guys were used at that time.

 

[stumpski]

Number 101 up for Ramps then, and he made it a double for good measure. Collins hung around while he made his last 20 or so (and more importantly, took Surrey past 400) so he did something right in the end. The midweek weather meant that just about every game was drawn though. Gough bowled 11 overs in the match (and didn't bat) against Lancs - that's what I call winding down. He and Naved were the sixth and seventh bowlers used.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Sutcliffe decides to call it a day

Hardly surprising really. An old-fashioned county journeyman - never had pretensions of playing for England, but you got what you saw from him. I remember him playing an unspectacular but gritty, determined knock against Warwickshire in an NCL game in 2004 to set up a last-over win. Just a shame he couldn't go out while a first-team regular and had spent most of the season languishing in the seconds.

I guess this opens the door for Chilton and Loye to come back in, or maybe Brown for a long-awaiting chance. An injury or two would leave us deep in the mire at this point though, especially with Law's age.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Sutcliffe decides to call it a day

Hardly surprising really. An old-fashioned county journeyman - never had pretensions of playing for England, but you got what you saw from him. I remember him playing an unspectacular but gritty, determined knock against Warwickshire in an NCL game in 2004 to set up a last-over win. Just a shame he couldn't go out while a first-team regular and had spent most of the season languishing in the seconds.

I guess this opens the door for Chilton and Loye to come back in, or maybe Brown for a long-awaiting chance. An injury or two would leave us deep in the mire at this point though, especially with Law's age.

Given how Lancs have recently said they want to give the younger players a chance (re: Cork release) then id be surprised if they brought Chilton or Loye back in. But then if they have few other choices then i guess theres little other choice.

 

[fredfertang]

Would be interesting to know what these opportunities are that have caused him to leave so suddenly and, presumably, not see out his contract.

Perhaps now young Cross will get a chance to show if he can bat properly in the first class game - I think he deserves one.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Perhaps now young Cross will get a chance to show if he can bat properly in the first class game - I think he deserves one.

I'm not so sure it's an option worth pursuing in the long-term. Cross is hardly a prolific runscorer, even in league cricket. Brown would be my preferred choice, but given the shakey state of the batting at the moment I wouldn't really complain if Chilton or Loye was brought in as a short-term replacement.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I just had a thought. Moore of Worcestershire has had an excellent season. He's revealed he's had offers from a number of countys for next summer. Wouldnt surprise me one bit if he ends up at Lancashire.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

I just had a thought. Moore of Worcestershire has had an excellent season. He's revealed he's had offers from a number of countys for next summer. Wouldnt surprise me one bit if he ends up at Lancashire.

I certainly wouldn't object to that. Solid county batsman (probably a little better than Sutcliffe when we signed him) but never going to have an England call-up.

 

[Woodster]

FP Trophy Final! Essex vs Kent

A big final at Lords that has lost some of its prestige due to the focus on Twenty20 these days, but a massive day for the players and supporters alike. Two very good one-day sides, it should be a cracker providing the weather stays fine!

Both sides have some injury worries ahead of the game tomorrow, for Essex James Foster (mystery virus) should hopefully have recovered in time, while captain Mark Pettini has been struggling with blurred vision.

Kent have a few more worries, Justin Kemp, Azhar Mahmood, Darren Stevens, and Yasir Arafat will need to be assessed tomorrow, and hopefully both sides will be able to select their strongest side to make the game as special as the occasion.

Kent of course pipped Essex in the Twenty20 semi-final, so they will be eyeing revenge. Hopefully Alastair Cook can prove he has what it takes to play a major part in a 50 over game, while it represents a good opportunity for Ravi Bopara to enhance his reputation for scoring big runs.

Really looking forward to this one.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I certainly wouldn't object to that. Solid county batsman (probably a little better than Sutcliffe when we signed him) but never going to have an England call-up.

He's in that perfect little band of batsmen. Better than your average opener, but not good enough to realistically play for England.

 

[TT Boy]

Now with Simon Marshall being shown the door, has Faf du Plessis been offered an extend Kolpak deal by Lancs?

 

[TT Boy]

Going for Essex (underdogs?). Kaneria to be the key.