English off-season 13/14

[Cabinet96]

Somerset are in that position where they have a few players who are past it and a few players who aren't there yet. Probably only Hildrith, Compton, Kieswetter and maybe Virus are at their peak.

 

[grecian]

Yeah Somerset really need two or three of the young uns to have a big season, not just a promising one.

I really believe Gregory will come through this season, but we'll see. The Overtons need to just get on the field of play and the rest should happen.

 

[SeamUp]

Support Notts so will do their team

Assuming Stuart Broad won't be risked.

1) Steve Mullaney (28)
2) Phil Jaques (35)
3) Michael Lumb (34)
4) James Taylor (24)
5) Rikki Wessels (29)
6) Samit Patel (30)
7) Chris Read *+ (36)
8) Peter Siddle (30)
9) Ajmal Shahzad (29), Paul Franks (35), Andre Adams (39)
10) Luke Fletcher (26)
11) Harry Gurney (28)

Probably start the phasing out of players like Paul Franks (moved to the coaching staff) and Andre Adams. Doubt Gary Keedy will play regularly who joined as a physio along with 'playing duties'.

Alex Hales (25) will be around the set-up, definitely for limited overs cricket. Seamer, Jake Ball (23), probably their most promising young cricketer trying to break through.

I've always thought that Notts must be a little frustrated. Taylor, Broad, Gurney all Nottingham boys but came through the Leicestershire academy. Same for Luke Wright, a Lincolnshire lad but also came through the Leicestershire academy when really Notts should catch all the talented Lincolnshire lads due to proximity.

Suppose they can be happy with Samit Patel, Luke Fletcher and Jake Ball in recent times as well as Paul Franks but to be honest not many of the current youngsters look up to scratch. (ie Kelsall, S.Wood, Hutton)

 

[Woodster]

Support Notts so will do their team

Assuming Stuart Broad won't be risked.

1) Steve Mullaney (28)
2) Phil Jaques (35)
3) Michael Lumb (34)
4) James Taylor (24)
5) Rikki Wessels (29)
6) Samit Patel (30)
7) Chris Read *+ (36)
8) Peter Siddle (30)
9) Ajmal Shahzad (29), Paul Franks (35), Andre Adams (39)
10) Luke Fletcher (26)
11) Harry Gurney (28)

Probably start the phasing out of players like Paul Franks (moved to the coaching staff) and Andre Adams. Doubt Gary Keedy will play regularly who joined as a physio along with 'playing duties'.

Alex Hales (25) will be around the set-up, definitely for limited overs cricket. Seamer, Jake Ball (23), probably their most promising young cricketer trying to break through.

I've always thought that Notts must be a little frustrated. Taylor, Broad, Gurney all Nottingham boys but came through the Leicestershire academy. Same for Luke Wright, a Lincolnshire lad but also came through the Leicestershire academy when really Notts should catch all the talented Lincolnshire lads due to proximity.

Suppose they can be happy with Samit Patel, Luke Fletcher and Jake Ball in recent times as well as Paul Franks but to be honest not many of the current youngsters look up to scratch. (ie Kelsall, S.Wood, Hutton)

Yes Andre Adams finally looking like he's on the wane will be a big loss to this Notts side, his level of performance over the last five years has been exceptionally high and could be relied upon to average around 50 wickets a season over that period. Gurney and Fletcher need to continue improving to ensure his possible drop in standards doesn't hurt too much. Ajmal Shahzad also needs to really step up and show the kind of talent which saw him burst onto the England scene, his return last year did little to inspire confidence this could happen though. The Siddle signing will be interesting, Mick Newell and Notts will surely have a certain schedule to work to in terms of not over bowling him.

The usually reliable Chris Read could not manage to rescue Notts as and when as necessary last season anywhere near as frequently as he has done previously, I guess stepping down as captain of the one-day side may help maintain his focus for the CC. Phil Jaques should still provide consistent runs at the top of the order, and Taylor will hope to push his case early in the season for a possible England spot when SL arrive.

It has an experienced look about the side/squad which can be a big help but of course the older players in the side may need to be carefully rotated. Some quality players but I just think they're lacking a quality player or two to really trouble the top clubs. They have the players capable of big seasons, I just wonder how many of those big players are just past their very best.

 

[Dan]

Casually walking through uni (well, frantically power-walking to get from one end to the other to make it to a lecture), and none other than the great man himself - Monty Panesar - doing some fitness work on one of our ovals.

 

[brockley]

Devon Conway with the Lions now wonder if he will play for Somerset this year since he was playing 2nds with them last year.

 

[SeamUp]

Trotty back playing cricket for Rondebosch Old Boys at Cricket A in the last week in the annual event v the first XI. Sure that will make some of you chaps very happy. Gary Kirsten stole the limelight with a 61* though for the Old Boys. What a legend.

 

[grecian]

Great signing for Durham you'd think, John Hastings, after the IPL though obviously.

 

[SeamUp]

Also news that Bird will only be available for 6 County Championship games for Northants and Richard Levi will return for the full T20 season plus 8 one-day games.

 

[grecian]

Also news that Bird will only be available for 6 County Championship games for Northants and Richard Levi will return for the full T20 season plus 8 one-day games.

I've been hoping for ages Somerset would pick up one of these second-tier Ozzie pacer or all-rounder, and hope for a Hogan or Copeland type performance. Yet I'll guess we'll make do with Virus

 

[Prince EWS]

I've been hoping for ages Somerset would pick up one of these second-tier Ozzie pacer or all-rounder, and hope for a Hogan or Copeland type performance. Yet I'll guess we'll make do with Virus

Virus took three wickets a couple of days ago; obviously preparing for all the inevitable bowling he'll have to do this season.

 

[Woodster]

Great signing for Durham you'd think, John Hastings, after the IPL though obviously.

Yes going to be a pretty big workload for Hastings with the reduced playing staff at Durham, could also be worse if Collingwood gets a coaching position offered with England. Hastings bowled over 266 overs for Victoria in the recent Sheffield Shield competition, will be off to the IPL then straight to England. I guess he'll miss a good few early season CC games so it may not be quite as 'full on' by the time he arrives. He looks a big bloke and I may be way off the mark by questioning whether his body can hold up to the rigours of county cricket without getting much of a break but as the overseas player there's going to be a lot of work asked of him when he arrives at the Riverside. Perhaps I'm getting caught up with all the pampering modern sportsman receive with regards their workload!

Also news that Bird will only be available for 6 County Championship games for Northants and Richard Levi will return for the full T20 season plus 8 one-day games.

However, one Aussie bowler's workload that has been eased with the future in mind is Jackson Bird. Big blow for Northants when they thought they'd have him for 10 CC games to have that cut to six. David Ripley currently looking at options to fill the role for the second half of the season.

 

[Woodster]

Things haven't got any better for Northants with the limited-overs captain and talented, if slightly under-performing/developing, batsman Alex Wakely returning home from their pre-season tour to Barbados with a possible ruptured Achilles tendon that may see him out of cricket for the next four months.

 

[theegyptian]

Don't think Willey has started bowling yet either. Chance in the batting for Kettlebrough and Keogh.

Bird could definitely win them a lot of those 6 games if they can manage to get 10 other blokes on the field.

 

[Woodster]

If CA have reduced the terms of Bird's contract, surely with Ryan Harris currently injured, then CA will also look at Peter Siddle's contract and shorten the length of his stay at Trent Bridge ?

 

[theegyptian]

Jeetan Patel's value goes up by the day. Solid pro who will play every game and is probably on a modest contract.

 

[Prince EWS]

If CA have reduced the terms of Bird's contract, surely with Ryan Harris currently injured, then CA will also look at Peter Siddle's contract and shorten the length of his stay at Trent Bridge ?

Given how well Bird did in the Big Bash this season, they might see him as someone capable of making the ODI World Cup squad now, as opposed to Siddle who is basically out of contention for that. If Siddle's only playing one format but Bird's in contention for all three, it may mean they're more open to Siddle playing a big chunk of the county season. Smart money's on you being right though.

 

[Woodster]

Given how well did in the Big Bash this season, they might see him as someone capable of making the ODI World Cup squad now, as opposed to Siddle who is basically out of contention for that. If Siddle's only playing one format but Bird's in contention for all three, it may mean they're more open to Siddle playing a big chunk of the county season. Smart money's on you being right though.

Yes fair enough if he is genuine contention for a spot in all three formats I'm sure they'll want to lessen his load probably more so than Siddle who's only considered a Test specialist. But with the emphasis rightly on Test cricket as the main form of the game I'm sure they'll look to protect Siddle, maybe with a limit on how many overs he can chuck down for Notts.

 

[Dan]

Do the Dutch-qualified Aussies have to play as overseas players, or can they play as locals? You'd think either of c00ps or Timm van der Gugten would be decent additions to almost any County team.

 

[Prince EWS]

Do the Dutch-qualified Aussies have to play as overseas players, or can they play as locals? You'd think either of c00ps or Timm van der Gugten would be decent additions to almost any County team.

They can play as locals in either one competition or the other. If they felt like giving up Shield cricket (or their Shield teams felt like selecting them as overseas players - which is now possible due to the "Robson rule") then they could play county cricket as locals providing they got their passports in order. They both tend to actually play cricket in the Netherlands during the English season though.