English off-season 13/14

[Prince EWS]

Tbf to them, Finch does dominate in domestic T20. He won't displace Williamson (who is on a 2 year deal) from the Championship side, and they'll probably split the Pro40 games to keep them fresh.

He'll murder 70mph trundlers on small grounds.

He's been signed to play all forms of cricket though. That's pretty embarrassing in itself.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Heard Williamson is unavailable for some parts of the season and Finch will sub in then?

 

[Viscount Tom]

Gonna be honest when it said world class signing I was kind of hoping for Johnson...

 

[vic_orthdox]

Wouldn't be surprised that Yorkshire get Finch on the discount for the opportunity to play some FC cricket.

 

[grecian]

Good stuff from Woakes, and Moeen picking up a couple before Borthwick even gets a bowl. Well done.

 

[theegyptian]

Notts are in an interesting situation now. None of their players I think got picked up in the IPL. They've already signed Jaques to cover the first part of the season. Hales instead of making loads in the IPL is going to be back in the second team where he finished last year.

Lions doing surprisingly well.

 

[theegyptian]

Good stuff from Woakes, and Moeen picking up a couple before Borthwick even gets a bowl. Well done.

Moeen with a couple of sixes to end the day 12*. What a lad.

Moeen at 6(as the sole spinner) with Stokes at 7, and then you can play Buttler at 8 if England really want to start afresh. Has to be looking more likely by the day.

Another season in div 2 with worcester in a struggling team isn't going to help Moeen develop. More likely to just stagnate. Get him in the team imo.

 

[Pothas]

Yep, it just has to happen. Would be so great.

 

[grecian]

Moeen with a couple of sixes to end the day 12*. What a lad.

Moeen at 6(as the sole spinner) with Stokes at 7, and then you can play Buttler at 8 if England really want to start afresh. Has to be looking more likely by the day.

Another season in div 2 with worcester in a struggling team isn't going to help Moeen develop. More likely to just stagnate. Get him in the team imo.

I must admit I thought he'd slot in at 3, but England clearly have other ideas, batting him at 6, all seems to be going fine so far.

I dread seeing his doosra properly though, as I believe the ball is almost impossible to bowl legally.

 

[Pothas]

Yeah I always thought 3 as well but 6 does actually make more sense, I am increasingly convinced Trott is going to be back at 3 anyway.

 

[grecian]

Yeah I always thought 3 as well but 6 does actually make more sense, I am increasingly convinced Trott is going to be back at 3 anyway.

Hopefully, certainly explains why he's giving it a tonk as well, we'll need a bit of counter-attack down there without KP.

 

[theegyptian]

Good runs by Woakes and Borthwick. Well done to Woakes for declaring on himself on 92*

 

[Cabinet96]

Really starting to feel Moeen as the main spinner this summer.

 

[Cabinet96]

He's been signed to play all forms of cricket though. That's pretty embarrassing in itself.

Yeah, they claimed it was someone who would help them compete on all fronts this season. Obviously just a PR stunt, but you sort of set the fans up for disappointment with stuff like that. Was genuinely thinking they'd snared Philander of someone like that.

 

[Woodster]

The Yorkshire claims before the announcement of signing Finch now look so embarrassing, a signing to shock/excite (or whatever ridiculous claim was made) the world of cricket ?? Do me a favour. I don't doubt he's fairly likely to win them a few T20 games, maybe a few in the 50-over tournament too if he's available to play in those. It will be good for Finch's own development to play some CC cricket, I just don't believe it warranted anything near the hype that Yorkshire built it up as.

A pretty resounding victory for the Lions in SL was good to see. Chopra, Taylor and Moeen with decent contributions in the first innings, Woakes and Borthwick ensuring the target total was out of SL's reach in the second. Woakes leading the way as skipper and with the ball in SL's first innings and good to see all of them chipping in with wickets to win the game (expect Borthwick on this occasion).

 

[fredfertang]

The Yorkshire claims before the announcement of signing Finch now look so embarrassing, a signing to shock/excite (or whatever ridiculous claim was made) the world of cricket ?? Do me a favour. I don't doubt he's fairly likely to win them a few T20 games, maybe a few in the 50-over tournament too if he's available to play in those. It will be good for Finch's own development to play some CC cricket, I just don't believe it warranted anything near the hype that Yorkshire built it up as.

You can't blame them for trying to whip up some interest though. The object of the signing can only have been to get bodies through the turnstiles, and I'm sure they'll do that, and I for one I'm delighted that the Yorkies can no longer adopt that holier than thou attitude they used to take when they had their ****bollocks "have to be born within the Broadacres" rule

 

[Woodster]

Moeen with a couple of sixes to end the day 12*. What a lad.

Moeen at 6(as the sole spinner) with Stokes at 7, and then you can play Buttler at 8 if England really want to start afresh. Has to be looking more likely by the day.

Another season in div 2 with worcester in a struggling team isn't going to help Moeen develop. More likely to just stagnate. Get him in the team imo.

Should England go down the route of selecting Moeen at six and Stokes at seven, and it is an exciting option though I'm entirely sure they will do, surely that then opens up the opportunity for us to re-visit the past and select a wicket-keeper based primarily on his ability to keep wicket ? Batting at number eight and with the likes of Broad and maybe even Bresnan behind him it doesn't become as vital that he's capable of averaging well into the 30's. I also think it would help a player such as Jos Buttler to continue developing his keeping and four-day batting skills with a full CC season with Lancs and subsequently benefit England long-term. I can also the plus points for bringing Buttler in at eight in the Test side, almost easing him into the England side in the batting sense where any of his cameos would be most valuable at eight where there will be less pressure on him to score runs.

Personally though I'd like to see a proper cricket and let Buttler develop his long game and having the opportunity to bat higher up the order and bat for longer periods for Lancs readying him for Test cricket. So who is the best gloveman in England ? Invariably various well judged opinions suggest for the last 10 years or so it's been between James Foster and Chris Read, Foster will be 34 by the time the SL series comes round while Read will be 35, approaching 36 but it will only be for a short-term fix if Buttler's all-round game continues to improve. Are there any other glovemen that may have usurped these two as the finest in the country ?

 

[grecian]

Should England go down the route of selecting Moeen at six and Stokes at seven, and it is an exciting option though I'm entirely sure they will do, surely that then opens up the opportunity for us to re-visit the past and select a wicket-keeper based primarily on his ability to keep wicket ? Batting at number eight and with the likes of Broad and maybe even Bresnan behind him it doesn't become as vital that he's capable of averaging well into the 30's. I also think it would help a player such as Jos Buttler to continue developing his keeping and four-day batting skills with a full CC season with Lancs and subsequently benefit England long-term. I can also the plus points for bringing Buttler in at eight in the Test side, almost easing him into the England side in the batting sense where any of his cameos would be most valuable at eight where there will be less pressure on him to score runs.

Personally though I'd like to see a proper cricket and let Buttler develop his long game and having the opportunity to bat higher up the order and bat for longer periods for Lancs readying him for Test cricket. So who is the best gloveman in England ? Invariably various well judged opinions suggest for the last 10 years or so it's been between James Foster and Chris Read, Foster will be 34 by the time the SL series comes round while Read will be 35, approaching 36 but it will only be for a short-term fix if Buttler's all-round game continues to improve. Are there any other glovemen that may have usurped these two as the finest in the country ?

I do like this idea, and have mentioned it for a while. I see no reason to go against Read or Foster if you're going down that route. Wallace is a fine 'keeper, but I don't think they'll go for him.

 

[Woodster]

You can't blame them for trying to whip up some interest though. The object of the signing can only have been to get bodies through the turnstiles, and I'm sure they'll do that, and I for one I'm delighted that the Yorkies can no longer adopt that holier than thou attitude they used to take when they had their ****bollocks "have to be born within the Broadacres" rule

Will the signing of Finch get that many more bodies through the gate than those that would have attended anyway ? Maybe it will I'm not sure. I just think it makes you look a little foolish when you're building up a signing to shock the world of cricket, then roll Aaron Finch out. Had they signed a player to back up such claims I wouldn't blame them at all in trying to whip up some interest. Maybe I'm underestimating the skills of Finch.

 

[fredfertang]

Will the signing of Finch get that many more bodies through the gate than those that would have attended anyway ? Maybe it will I'm not sure. I just think it makes you look a little foolish when you're building up a signing to shock the world of cricket, then roll Aaron Finch out. Had they signed a player to back up such claims I wouldn't blame them at all in trying to whip up some interest. Maybe I'm underestimating the skills of Finch.

For their target audience I think he will - he's produced enough pyrotechnics to have huge appeal to the hit and giggle brigade, and arouse the curiosity of the rest of us