***Official*** English Domestic Season 2009

[superkingdave]

Sent.


Lancashire's about the only game going on at the moment, must be nice up in the Northeast. Loye's already picked up an injury, surely his last season this year. I've read that he's unable to play the slog sweep anyway due to injury. Prince making his Lancashire debut out for 11, Horton currently 46*

 

[Richard]

OK... so Loye opening, with Chilton at five.

These strange things happen quite often in county cricket, but every new one still surprises me.

 

[superkingdave]

OK... so Loye opening, with Chilton at five.

These strange things happen quite often in county cricket, but every new one still surprises me.

Chilton probably had the best period of his career at no 5. He was never a very succesful opener(apart from half a year in 03 when he moved up to open after scoring 2 centuries at 5 early in the season and most of the lancs top six made hay that summer)...the move back to the middle order is the best thing for him, and thats how all the Lancashire fans i've come accross see it. Loye's not an opener though, but it might be the only position open to him in the side this year. Prince might get a go there, but otherwise would expect the middle order to be Prince, Du Plessis, Chilton, Croft. Brown is another option to open.

 

[Furball]

Should have played the Champion County game in Glasgow, it's been glorious here the last 3 days.

 

[TT Boy]

Why not have Prince open? He will be opening for South Africa in their next test series.

Edit- Didn't read Dave's post.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Sent.


Lancashire's about the only game going on at the moment, must be nice up in the Northeast. Loye's already picked up an injury, surely his last season this year. I've read that he's unable to play the slog sweep anyway due to injury. Prince making his Lancashire debut out for 11, Horton currently 46*

Wouldn't say it was nice, an abundance of fairly high cloud.

 

[GIMH]

It's lovely here today, where have the rained off games been?

 

[Richard]

Most places, by the looks of things. All the usual uni grounds. We've had relentless sunshine here too.

BTW, Loughborough have apparently lost First-Class status so this isn't especially important, but at the fact that Leicestershire have picked Carl Crowe, whose most recent First-Class cricket came in 2002.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Most places, by the looks of things. All the usual uni grounds. We've had relentless sunshine here too.

BTW, Loughborough have apparently lost First-Class status so this isn't especially important, but at the fact that Leicestershire have picked Carl Crowe, whose most recent First-Class cricket came in 2002.

Taken a lot of Minor Counties wickets recently. Can't remember who far - Shropshire, perhaps...

Anyway, invite me to do badly in the FC. Address below...

 

[Neil Pickup]

Taken a lot of Minor Counties wickets recently. Can't remember who far - Shropshire, perhaps...

Anyway, invite me to do badly in the FC. Address below...

HANTS JHK Adams
WARWICKS Ian Bell
SOMERSET Marcus Trescothick
LANCS Paul Horton
KENT Robert Key
HANTS (o) MJ North Trump Player
LEICS Tom New
LANCS Tom Smith
GLOUCS Thomas Stayt
DURHAM Mark Davies
DERBY Jonathan Clare

Seriously unconvinced by several selections there.

 

[Kweek]

Most places, by the looks of things. All the usual uni grounds. We've had relentless sunshine here too.

BTW, Loughborough have apparently lost First-Class status so this isn't especially important, but at the fact that Leicestershire have picked Carl Crowe, whose most recent First-Class cricket came in 2002.

as pointed out by Neil, Leicestershire probably have a valid reason to give him a chance

 

[Neil Pickup]

as pointed out by Neil, Leicestershire probably have a valid reason to give him a chance

Leicestershire County Cricket, Carl Crowe

It was Berkshire - and he was second in the MCCA wickets list with 34 @ 22.03.

 

[stumpski]

As I understand it, Loughborough and the rest (excluding Bradford/Leeds and Cardiff) are first-class teams this season, but not thereafter. Would like to see the Oxford-Cambridge match keep that status for tradition's sake though.

 

[Richard]

I wouldn't. Oxford and Cambridge (Uni rather than UCCE) had it for a reason - at one point, long ago, they merited it. Now they don't. Times must move with. Same way Zimbabwe should be stripped of Test and ODI status having ceased to merit it, Oxford and Cambridge should be stripped of First-Class status having ceased to merit it. Ditto the Varsity Match.

BTW Loughborough were awarded First-Class status after Oxford, Cambridge and Durham were, and appear to have been stripped of it this season, just before all UCCEs are. That's only based on CricInfo, though, and we know they get things wrong (usually correct them eventually) not-irregularly. I'm about to take another look and it might well have been updated in the meantime.

EDIT: yes, it has - Loughborough still a First-Class team for this season.

 

[Richard]

as pointed out by Neil, Leicestershire probably have a valid reason to give him a chance

Oh, yeah, I'm sure they did - just really funny to see a player have a massive gap like that in a First-Class career.

 

[Richard]

BTW I see Joseph Sayers has been restored to the first-team. I also see Kyle Hogg has ripped-out two wickets in his opening over - wonder if he'll repeat last season and make an early game against a UCCE his only First-Class match?

 

[superkingdave]

BTW I see Joseph Sayers has been restored to the first-team. I also see Kyle Hogg has ripped-out two wickets in his opening over - wonder if he'll repeat last season and make an early game against a UCCE his only First-Class match?

Its possible, there's probably only one place in the first team for one from Hogg, Smith and Newby (and hopefully Smith is first inline) with Anderson playing the first match and then Chapple due back. They might have played 4 seamers but it looks like Keedy is going to play with a broken hand. Of course Lancashire could do the decent thing and leave Mahmood out, but i think we can all agree thats unlikely to happen. Newby is probably a definite to miss out the first game because a tail of Mahmood, Anderson, Newby, Keedy is too long, but Smith and Hogg are both more than capable no 8's.

 

[superkingdave]

Oh and one county movement that had passed me by was Jason Brown's movement to Notts. Certainly could prove a shrewd move for them if they are missing Swann

 

[Richard]

I vaguely remember that. So now both of the ex-Northants spin superteam are plying their trade at Notts.

At least there's a common thread on the movement.

 

[superkingdave]

Interesting development if it happens

ECB to offer counties youth incentive scheme in attempt to make Lions roar again - Telegraph

Don't know how many counties would follow this, I think it would be great if they did, its not that restrictive being only 5 players. Lancs could field Brown, Smith, Cross, Croft and one of Cheetham, Hogg, Newby, Kerrigan. Most members would prefer these players in the side anyway.