***Official*** English Domestic Season 2008

[Richard]

68% of the total at the point he was out - I understand all the arguments against him but no one will convince me he wouldn't improve the current England team - sadly though I am convinced now that I'll never find out

I was convinced when he took the best part of the summer to get from 99 to 100, I'm afraid.

Even before that I wasn't convinced. As I've said ad nauseum, Ramprakash's time has been and gone. He was ridiculously harshly treated when he was dropped in 1999/2000 and he was a pretty decent Test player (provided he wasn't opening) between 1998 and 2001, but his time has gone now and it went a while ago.

Also as I've said many times I think people have gone OTT in praise of his 2006-2008. It's not like he was a poor county batsman before then.

 

[FBU]

I would have Clare and James Tomlinson on the A tour personally.

I would keep them for the next tour. If the England team had injuries on tour you would want to have players who would be ready for international cricket and I think apart from Dawson most of those are about ready.

Vaughan, Denly, Trott, Bopara, Morgan, Patel, Rashid, Read, Mascarenhas, Bresnan, SJones, Tremlett, MDavies, LDawson.

 

[superkingdave]

Horton surely has to go on the A tour this year

 

[Perm]

Yeah, I'd be very surprised if he wasn't in the minds of the selectors. Surely he must be ranked ahead of Denly and Godleman, if domestic performances are anything to go by. Plus he's a lot younger than Rob Key, the only other contender for an opening birth.

 

[Richard]

Horton surely has to go on the A tour this year

It'll be a ridiculous injustice if he's not. Just hope he only plays the First-Class games.

 

[GIMH]

That old March deadline was the one I was referring to TBH.

That said it often did irritate me back in t'day, players moving so often mid-season, so I wasn't terribly sorry when the much-earlier deadline was introduced.

Fine for the top flight, **** for the lower divisions though

 

[Richard]

I would keep them for the next tour. If the England team had injuries on tour you would want to have players who would be ready for international cricket and I think apart from Dawson most of those are about ready.

Vaughan, Denly, Trott, Bopara, Morgan, Patel, Rashid, Read, Mascarenhas, Bresnan, SJones, Tremlett, MDavies, LDawson.

Not sure about Dawson - he's still only 18 - and there's no point taking Read as he won't be playing for England again. Much better idea to take Foster (if he's not going on the senior tour, which he possibly should do) and Davies as well. Mascarenhas too I don't see a hell of a lot of point in - he's only ever going to be a ODI player and A-tours are more First-Class based than OD-based. If they were to pick separate parties (as they really should do, like the senior team does) then it'd be good for him to go for the OD leg.

The rest, completely agree. Morgan is an interesting one though - has he definately committed to playing for England?

 

[TT Boy]

Not sure about Dawson - he's still only 18 - and there's no point taking Read as he won't be playing for England again. Much better idea to take Foster (if he's not going on the senior tour, which he possibly should do) and Davies as well. Mascarenhas too I don't see a hell of a lot of point in - he's only ever going to be a ODI player and A-tours are more First-Class based than OD-based. If they were to pick separate parties (as they really should do, like the senior team does) then it'd be good for him to go for the OD leg.

The rest, completely agree. Morgan is an interesting one though - has he definately committed to playing for England?

Well his played for England Lions (A) this year and who else can he commit to? It's not like he wants to play for Ireland anymore...

 

[Richard]

Excellent.

 

[stumpski]

What the hell's going on at Canterbury? Kent lash 160 off 21 overs and then walk off for bad light? I'd have thought they were seeing it pretty well. Presumably they were trying to get a batting point in the remaining time, in which case why take the light?

 

[Richard]

Haha, cripes. If you were going to go off for bad-light why bother batting so remarkably ITFP?

Maybe they weren't bothered and just swung the bat then were glad to get off the field.

Just thank fook Jonathan Batty didn't get gifted a wicket. Hope they don't come back on and see that happen.

 

[stumpski]

Well they didn't get back on, and Surrey's 11th draw of the season leaves them rooted to the foot of the table with 117 points, 18 behind the two Roses counties. Realistically we need to conjure up 30 points from the last two games to have any chance of survival. The match against Hampshire at the Oval starting on Tuesday may settle our fate. Just want some decent weather for starters.

Oh and Nicholson has left the club. No sign of Shoaib yet.

 

[Scaly piscine]

What the hell's going on at Canterbury? Kent lash 160 off 21 overs and then walk off for bad light? I'd have thought they were seeing it pretty well. Presumably they were trying to get a batting point in the remaining time, in which case why take the light?

Are you sure the umpires didn't take them off because it was unfair or whatever to the fielding team?

 

[Richard]

Oh and Nicholson has left the club.

For good I hope?

Surrey'd do best just leave overseas-players methinks, with Saqlain now British.

Honestly, just about every Surrey bowler this season I'd have something to complain about:
Tom Jewell - why the hell has he played just 1 game? Completely pointless in my view to give a player 1 game in a season. Either give 'em a few or none at all - even if it is against a UCCE.
Abdur\l Razzaq - why was he signed for 1 game?
Saqlain - England nationalised within 4 years. Don't like such short residence qualifications. Should be an overseas-player IMO.
Tudor - loan deal, fair enough, but not exactly worked wonders so far.
Dernbach - rubbish, why the hell did they give him a new contract?
Collins - Kolpak player, don't like Kolpak players.
Ormond - should never have left Leics, performances have gone steadily downhill ever since.
Jordan - would prefer him to opt for West Indies than England.
Meaker - see Jewell.
Nicholson - terrible as overseas-players go. Not a good choice at all.
Murtaza Hussain - see Saqlain, though I'm not totally sure how long he's been in the UK for.
Schofield - should never have got another county (weren't Surrey his third?). Should be doing something else by now, he's never going to make it as a cricketer.
I hope Surrey finish this season with a good clear-out. Just a shame Dernbach won't be part of such a thing.

Oh - and as well as Morpeth (my hometown, for those unaware), New Road is flooded again. Second summer in a row.

 

[FBU]

Not sure about Dawson - he's still only 18 - and there's no point taking Read as he won't be playing for England again. Much better idea to take Foster (if he's not going on the senior tour, which he possibly should do) and Davies as well. Mascarenhas too I don't see a hell of a lot of point in - he's only ever going to be a ODI player and A-tours are more First-Class based than OD-based. If they were to pick separate parties (as they really should do, like the senior team does) then it'd be good for him to go for the OD leg.

The rest, completely agree. Morgan is an interesting one though - has he definately committed to playing for England?

When England are out in India they might have injuries and need to call on someone from the Lions. It might be while they are playing ODIs or Tests. (I am assuming that the Lions will be touring at the same time)

Foster couldn't get a run on his last Lions tour.

They probably won't ever pick Read so I should leave him off and add Davies and I put Dawson in so he could get some experience out there.

Morgan has said he wants to play for England and through his English mother has a British passport.

 

[Richard]

I put Dawson in so he could get some experience out there.

I still don't think he's been playing long enough for it to do him much good TBH - that's if, of course, he's all that good ITFP which we don't yet know at all. He certainly appears unlikely to be the next Samit Patel.

 

[aussie]

Just had a look at the county standing & well i am shocked to see Surrey facing relegation. Weird position for them for sure.

 

[TT Boy]

Well they didn't get back on, and Surrey's 11th draw of the season leaves them rooted to the foot of the table with 117 points, 18 behind the two Roses counties. Realistically we need to conjure up 30 points from the last two games to have any chance of survival. The match against Hampshire at the Oval starting on Tuesday may settle our fate. Just want some decent weather for starters.

Oh and Nicholson has left the club. No sign of Shoaib yet.

Apparently he arrives today.

 

[TT Boy]

Abdur\l Razzaq - why was he signed for 1 game?

He wasn't.

 

[GIMH]

Just had a look at the county standing & well i am shocked to see Surrey facing relegation. Weird position for them for sure.

It's not that weird, they were relegated three years ago and have a pretty poor side