grecian
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I wouldn't mind them bringing another experienced bat in TBH, less pressure on those 4 and the younsters, but I don't think they should waste their overseas player on it. Any good Kolpak knocking around?
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***Official English Domestic Off Season 2014-2015***
- Thread starter superkingdave
- Start date
theegyptian
International Vice-Captain
oh wow. England Cricket News: Unhappy Nick Compton leaves Somerset | ESPN Cricinfo
I was thinking at the time that you were discussing Somerset that the batting is still too light. Losing Compton is a massive blow and makes them really light with top order bats.
Tres, Abell, Barrow, Myburgh, Hildreth, Kieswetter are the only 6 top 6 bats they've got unless I'm mistaken.
I was thinking at the time that you were discussing Somerset that the batting is still too light. Losing Compton is a massive blow and makes them really light with top order bats.
Tres, Abell, Barrow, Myburgh, Hildreth, Kieswetter are the only 6 top 6 bats they've got unless I'm mistaken.
theegyptian
International Vice-Captain
And of that list
Tres is pretty old and losing his powers
Abell has done well but over a tiny sample size and is 20
Barrow hasn't done well and it's debeatable whether he will become good enough
Myburgh is kinda meh average
Hildreth is unreliable
Kieswetter decent
There are some good allrounders but Trego shouldn't bat 6 realistically and whilst one off Coverton, Gregory and Meschede may move upto as high as 6 eventually, on last season they aren't really there yet.
Good signing for Surrey or Middlesex though.
Tres is pretty old and losing his powers
Abell has done well but over a tiny sample size and is 20
Barrow hasn't done well and it's debeatable whether he will become good enough
Myburgh is kinda meh average
Hildreth is unreliable
Kieswetter decent
There are some good allrounders but Trego shouldn't bat 6 realistically and whilst one off Coverton, Gregory and Meschede may move upto as high as 6 eventually, on last season they aren't really there yet.
Good signing for Surrey or Middlesex though.
Cabinet96
Hall of Fame Member
Compton potentially taking time away from the game isn't exactly assuring of his mental state. Longer time passes the more I'm starting to think England might have been right to drop him and never look back, though you never know how much such problems were caused by the England in the first place.
Cabinet96
Hall of Fame Member
I admit I didn't follow the season so much last year, but I've been disappointed by Hildrith the last few years. Few years ago people were talking about him for England, yet despite playing on some pretty friendly tracks at Taunton he hasn't exactly set the world alight. With Tres declining, Compton and Buttler gone we could really do with him piling on the runs next year.
ImpatientLime
International Regular
compo back at the middle babeh.
kind of bat they're crying out for, someone with a backbone to whip all these flimsy, wannabe stroke makers into shape.
kind of bat they're crying out for, someone with a backbone to whip all these flimsy, wannabe stroke makers into shape.
theegyptian
International Vice-Captain
Yes Hildreth has never really emerged from the shadows of Tres and Compton. Has always been the 2nd or 3rd most prominent bat in the team. Even in the last couple of season when they've had injury problems, Kieswetter has batted at 4 rather than Hildreth which I found strange.
Alex Gidman has had a similar career path to Hildreth. Both were much vaunted early in their career. Both were Lions captain for a time. But both never really appeared to fulfil the talent they looked to have. Both now over 30. AGidman finally left Glos this winter which he probably should have done a few years ago if he really wanted to progress. Hildreth should probably have left Somerset also if he wanted to really progress a year or two ago instead of continuing the status quo. HIldreth will get a chance now to really show his character but the fact he is 30 and hasn't done much or moved counties probably suggest he is happy doing what he does- and won't go any further.
Alex Gidman has had a similar career path to Hildreth. Both were much vaunted early in their career. Both were Lions captain for a time. But both never really appeared to fulfil the talent they looked to have. Both now over 30. AGidman finally left Glos this winter which he probably should have done a few years ago if he really wanted to progress. Hildreth should probably have left Somerset also if he wanted to really progress a year or two ago instead of continuing the status quo. HIldreth will get a chance now to really show his character but the fact he is 30 and hasn't done much or moved counties probably suggest he is happy doing what he does- and won't go any further.
grecian
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Hmm, all pretty gutting, we kind of need a big signing now, using Compo's wages.
On Tres, he's still good in the Championship, no reason it should fall apart next season.
Yes, even I've given up talking about Hildreth for England, it's all a bit disappointing, he just hasn't trained on. Had a couple of incredible seasons, but in between dross. Has played incredibly well in ListA for a few years though.
I actually think CK is a top quality county bat, if he stays injury-free he'll score massively.
The all-rounder thing is odd, we could be batting deep like Northants next year, if Groenwald, Gregory, Trego, Coverton and Mesc are our seamers. Yet with a weak top-order.
On Tres, he's still good in the Championship, no reason it should fall apart next season.
Yes, even I've given up talking about Hildreth for England, it's all a bit disappointing, he just hasn't trained on. Had a couple of incredible seasons, but in between dross. Has played incredibly well in ListA for a few years though.
I actually think CK is a top quality county bat, if he stays injury-free he'll score massively.
The all-rounder thing is odd, we could be batting deep like Northants next year, if Groenwald, Gregory, Trego, Coverton and Mesc are our seamers. Yet with a weak top-order.
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theegyptian
International Vice-Captain
Of course if Jim Allenby was heading to Taunton things would look a whole lot better. Glamorgan all-rounder Jim Allenby in line for Somerset switch - Wales Online
grecian
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Cool, one of my fave players, another all-rounder, but hey you can't have too many I reckon.
theegyptian
International Vice-Captain
Not a whole lot of decent top order options available. Middlebrook released by Northants opened a bit last year. Stephen Peters and Coetzer also were allowed to talk to other counties at the end of the season even with time left on their contracts. Northants seemed to be trying to get rid off all their senior players. None of them are particularly good but could tide them over for a season or two. Really need a guys in their 20s rather than 30s with Tres coming to the end, and Myburgh,34, the other opener.
Could try and tempt decent top order options from div 2 clubs but most of the young ones signed new contracts this year. Tavare, Browne, Bell-Drummond, A Robson, Eckersley, Burns, Ansari etc
Borthwick would have been great for Somerset and was out of contract but it sounds like he's just about signed on again at Durham. Durham's Scott Borthwick heads list of players to agree new contracts - Chronicle Live. Hard to see how he will become a spin bowler for England now.
On transfer news Steve Davies signed up for two more years at Surrey. There was a bit of talk about him going elsewhere. Maybe return to Worcester but that didn't make much sense given Cox is an improving as a bat/keeper and they have Joe Clarke who is a real good prospect in reserver as keeper - and in all likelihood they couldn't afford his contract. Surrey'll just have the 4 keepers next year. Wilson, Davies, Burns, Foakes.
vic_orthdox
Global Moderator
Middlebrook over here playing, tough for guys to get picked up when they're not in the country.
theegyptian
International Vice-Captain
Colin Ingram signs for Glamorgan on Kolpak subject to clearance. News | Glamorgan Cricket | Official Site : Glamorgan Sign Batsman Ingram Replaces Allenby so to speak.
If Glamorgan actually had any decent english (or welsh) players they should be competing given they've got Rudolph, Hogan and Ingram in the same team. Always in a bind trying to remember who the official glamorgan overseas player is. Feels like it should be Hogan but it's Rudolph (even though he himself has spent time as a Kolpak)
Gonna be some teams looking vastly different next year. Glamorgan, Leicestershire and Northants the most obvious. Weird from a Gloucestershire perspective to have no Gidman.
If Glamorgan actually had any decent english (or welsh) players they should be competing given they've got Rudolph, Hogan and Ingram in the same team. Always in a bind trying to remember who the official glamorgan overseas player is. Feels like it should be Hogan but it's Rudolph (even though he himself has spent time as a Kolpak)
Gonna be some teams looking vastly different next year. Glamorgan, Leicestershire and Northants the most obvious. Weird from a Gloucestershire perspective to have no Gidman.
theegyptian
International Vice-Captain
County fixtures for next year released today.
Champions Yorkshire get Worcestershire away first up. April 12th first round gets underway.
Seems likely that more than ever the English guys will be playing a bare minimum of games. For a start the test squad is in West Indies in April and May and the last test doesn't finish there until May 5th. Then first test against NZ in England is 21st May. Be lucky to fit one county game in that time.
Their whole schedule once they go to Australia at the start of January to prepare for the World cup is completely ridiculous, non stop cricket for 13+ months. I really fear for the players that will be playing everything (or at least in every squad). The likes of Buttler, Root, Moeen, Stokes are going to need rest periods. Real opportunity for the likes of Vince, Hales, Roy, Billings, Bairstow, Taylor, others.... Shame there are no bowlers really ready to step up.
Anyway if Lyth is called up by England for the tests in WI (which seems likely at this point) with the rest of the Yorkies they are gonna be pretty light in April when they have 3 championship games and going forward they'll rarely see him if he is in the test team in the summer of 2015. Plus I think there is a good chance Lees makes the ODI side next summer. Yorkshire are comfortable boookies favourites right now but should Lyth be selected for the West Indies and given that the rest of the England group will barely play county cricket in 2015 the smart money is gonna be elsewhere imo.
Champions Yorkshire get Worcestershire away first up. April 12th first round gets underway.
Seems likely that more than ever the English guys will be playing a bare minimum of games. For a start the test squad is in West Indies in April and May and the last test doesn't finish there until May 5th. Then first test against NZ in England is 21st May. Be lucky to fit one county game in that time.
Their whole schedule once they go to Australia at the start of January to prepare for the World cup is completely ridiculous, non stop cricket for 13+ months. I really fear for the players that will be playing everything (or at least in every squad). The likes of Buttler, Root, Moeen, Stokes are going to need rest periods. Real opportunity for the likes of Vince, Hales, Roy, Billings, Bairstow, Taylor, others.... Shame there are no bowlers really ready to step up.
Anyway if Lyth is called up by England for the tests in WI (which seems likely at this point) with the rest of the Yorkies they are gonna be pretty light in April when they have 3 championship games and going forward they'll rarely see him if he is in the test team in the summer of 2015. Plus I think there is a good chance Lees makes the ODI side next summer. Yorkshire are comfortable boookies favourites right now but should Lyth be selected for the West Indies and given that the rest of the England group will barely play county cricket in 2015 the smart money is gonna be elsewhere imo.
theegyptian
International Vice-Captain
Kieswetter T20 figures from last two years.
2013 English domestic T20 517 runs @ 64.62 avg @ 137.13sr
2013/14 Big Bash T20 192 runs@ 24 avg @ 116.36sr
2014 English domestic T20 497 runs @ 49.7 avg @ 125.50 sr
2014 Ram Slam(SA) T20 199 runs @ 22.11 avg @ 105.85 sr
2013 English domestic T20 517 runs @ 64.62 avg @ 137.13sr
2013/14 Big Bash T20 192 runs@ 24 avg @ 116.36sr
2014 English domestic T20 497 runs @ 49.7 avg @ 125.50 sr
2014 Ram Slam(SA) T20 199 runs @ 22.11 avg @ 105.85 sr
vic_orthdox
Global Moderator
Saying something about the relative strength of T20 leagues? 
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