This is the first piece in this blog examining how various players that we can expect to see in the County Championship next season are faring in their winter seasons wherever that may be. It may be overseas players that will be heading to England in 2011, or English players that are honing their skills abroad.
So first up let's have a look at what's happening in Australia. Well, we know there are very few overseas players invited to play Sheffield Shield cricket over there, although we have Sajid Mahmood and Michael Lumb heading over there to take part in the T20 competition - The KFC Twenty20 Big Bash. So let's have a look at four players, all from the Victoria Bushrangers, that will be in England next season.
Let's begin by having a look at their star performer in the Sheffield Shield, Leicestershire's all-rounder Andrew McDonald, who has begun the season in scintillating fashion.
McDonald smashed 163 at the WACA against Western Australia off only 116 balls, including 21 fours and seven sixes, this inevitably helped Victoria to a deserving eight wicket victory. He backed this up with two centuries against a very useful looking New South Wales side that included the metronomic Stuart Clark, Aussie spin reject Nathan Hauritz, the pacy Mark Cameron, their next leg spin hope Steven Smith and Australia's all-rounder Shane Watson.
McDonald's relaible medium pace has offered his state the necessary control, though the wickets have not come fluently, he still represents a consistent option. He has taken seven wickets at 36.14, but the statistic that comes as no surprise is his excellent economy rate of 2.42.
Unfortunately for McDonald he did break his hand against Western Australia, the second time they played WA this season, and missed the home game against Queensland because of it.
Middlesex's new overseas signing, run scoring machine Chris Rogers, joined the county from Derbyshire during the close season and has also had his appearances restricted by injury. He has had surgery on his knee and has managed just a single game in the Sheffield Shield against Tasmania where he made 26 and 18. He's expected to be out till around February time. Time to get fully rehabilitated and find his form ahead of his first season at Lords.
Our next man is a bowler that was probably unfairly never talked about as a pace option for England during the Ashes tour playing in conditions he is very familiar with, Darren Pattinson. I'm not advocating a return to the Test set-up for Pattinson, but if there were concerns about our penetrative ability on these flat pitches, then Pattinson has more experience then any of our options in how to succeed.
This was exemplified by an eight wicket haul in the season opener against WA. He has added to that tally since and now has 15 victims to his name at 20.86, and is still not considered a certainty in the Victorian line-up, despite being their leading wicket-taker this season.
The last player is a batsman that all the Nottinghamshire fans hope will return as their overseas player in 2011, David Hussey. Can generally be relied upon in all forms of the game, Hussey is yet to hit top form yet this season for Victoria.
He did show his capabilities in combining with McDonald for a 105 run fifth wicket partnership against NSW, Hussey went on to make 122. He still averages over 40 for this season and is Victoria's leading run scorer currently, but you expect he will deliver more in the remainder of the season.
Victoria's form has been below average in the Sheffield Shield, they sit second bottom in the table with only WA below them. In the Ryobi Cup their form is the opposite, and they are second just five points behind top placed Tasmania, yet the players highlighted here are yet to register any match defining performances in this form of the game, althoguh Rogers and Pattinson have only played the once.
Former Durham, Leciestershire and Lancashire batsman Brad Hodge has been the stand out player and is the main reason the Bushrangers are doing so well.
The Ryobi Cup is being used for experimental purposes. It is a 45 over game, but the teams innings are split into two parts, first they bat for 20 overs, then the opposition bats for 20 overs, and they then finish off the remaining 25 overs each. By all accounts there has been mixed reviews for this innovative move.
Next time I'll be having a look at how Ravi Bopara and Owais Shah, amongst others, are going in South Africa.
Tuesday 30 November 2010
Sunday 21 November 2010
Will Shreck remain at the Bridge?
Speculation continues to surround the future of Nottinghamshire pace bowler Charlie Shreck.
There is an offer on the table from Notts to secure the services of Shreck for the near future, but whether he is simply mulling over the deal or assessing his options with regards a move to another county, it's not clear.
Somerset and Durham are the two clubs that have shown interest in Shreck, but the interest may have waned from Somerset as they have recently acquired the Gloucestershire duo, Steven Kirby and Gemaal Hussain.
Durham also boast a powerful seam attack with Steve Harmison, Liam Plunkett, Callum Thorpe, Mitch Claydon and Charlie Rushworth, that's without mentioning the injured Graham Onions. They were left short on options due to several injuries last season so may wish to add to the depth of the squad should a similar situation arise in the future.
However, Notts coach Mick Newell is still confident Shreck will further his stay at Trent Bridge. Newell has already lost the services of swing specialist Ryan Sidebottom. He has re-signed for his old county Yorkshire, due to the length of the contract that was offered by Notts, which was a two-year offer whereas Sidebottom preferred the security of a three-year stay at Headingley.
Shreck missed much of last season and made only five County Championship appearances, taking 18 wickets at 32.05. Wherever he is, he'll be hoping to feature much more, and no doubt will be the usual reliable source of wickets.
There is an offer on the table from Notts to secure the services of Shreck for the near future, but whether he is simply mulling over the deal or assessing his options with regards a move to another county, it's not clear.
Somerset and Durham are the two clubs that have shown interest in Shreck, but the interest may have waned from Somerset as they have recently acquired the Gloucestershire duo, Steven Kirby and Gemaal Hussain.
Durham also boast a powerful seam attack with Steve Harmison, Liam Plunkett, Callum Thorpe, Mitch Claydon and Charlie Rushworth, that's without mentioning the injured Graham Onions. They were left short on options due to several injuries last season so may wish to add to the depth of the squad should a similar situation arise in the future.
However, Notts coach Mick Newell is still confident Shreck will further his stay at Trent Bridge. Newell has already lost the services of swing specialist Ryan Sidebottom. He has re-signed for his old county Yorkshire, due to the length of the contract that was offered by Notts, which was a two-year offer whereas Sidebottom preferred the security of a three-year stay at Headingley.
Shreck missed much of last season and made only five County Championship appearances, taking 18 wickets at 32.05. Wherever he is, he'll be hoping to feature much more, and no doubt will be the usual reliable source of wickets.
Turmoil at Glamorgan continues
The word crisis is perhaps an overused word in the media these days, the slightest hint of any disruption has journalists questioning an entire structure of a club and its history.
But when a club loses its captain, coach and President, then a serious investigation should be conducted, and in Glamorgan's case, it is more the manner of which these events have occurred.
Paul Russell, the county's chairman, is the man seen to be instigating these movements, and in certain cases making their positions at the club untenable.
Jamie Dalrymple, the skipper for the last two seasons, was replaced, without notice, by the signing of South African international Alviro Petersen. Coach Matthew Maynard, who has held that position at the club for just over three years, was not consulted about making such drastic changes, and Colin Metson, the county's former wicket-keeper, is supposedly being brought into a coaching role that would see him above Maynard in the coaching structure.
None of these cricketing decisions were talked through with Maynard or Dalrymple. Now forgive me if I'm mistaken, but surely the coach and the captain should be made aware of these developments if the club has any inclination to keep these men at the club. Instead they've understandably seen their association with the club become untenable, and must surely have the feeling that they have been forced out by Russell, certainly in Maynard's case from the club he has a huge affinity with.
The problem that now appears to be creeping into cricket are major cricketing decisions are being made by the wrong people. We've seen it happen in football on a frequent basis. Those in charge of the club, non-football men, are making judgements on transfers, formations and styles of play. By all accounts Dalrymple and Maynard, the people that should be in charge of making cricketing decisions, have previously informed the management of the areas that need to be addressed in order for the club's cricketing abilities to progress, and importantly to aid the development of the side as one-day force.
It is the one-day performances that have forced the club into these changes. They were admittedly poor in 2010, but in the Championship they narrowly missed out on promotion to division one on the final day of the season. The decision to replace Dalrymple is naturally the decision of those above, and who is to say at this stage it isn't the correct one. The manner in which this has been dealt with is the biggest slur on the county.
When Russell and co. made Petersen the overseas signing and captain without discussing it with the coach, you can understand that he must have felt surplus to requirements. Also with the news of Metson being installed above Maynard, as a Director of Cricket, meant he was unwilling to ultimately accept a demotion into a lesser role.
Maynard's son, Tom, has recently extended his stay at Glamorgan, whether there is to be any repercussions here will remain to be seen.
Metson, who is already a committee member, does not have a particularly impressive coaching resume in terms of experience gained, so it may be seen as a gamble in that respect.
To cap it all, President Peter Walker also opted to join Maynard and Dalrymple in walking out of Swalec Stadium, he simply did not agree with the changes and the impending implications of these actions.
It hasn't been a good week for Glamorgan, yet they have remained tight-lipped following the resignations of three key members. They are expected to announce on Monday that Colin Metson is joining as Director of Cricket, but it may take some time for the club to be shown in a good light again.
But when a club loses its captain, coach and President, then a serious investigation should be conducted, and in Glamorgan's case, it is more the manner of which these events have occurred.
Paul Russell, the county's chairman, is the man seen to be instigating these movements, and in certain cases making their positions at the club untenable.
Jamie Dalrymple, the skipper for the last two seasons, was replaced, without notice, by the signing of South African international Alviro Petersen. Coach Matthew Maynard, who has held that position at the club for just over three years, was not consulted about making such drastic changes, and Colin Metson, the county's former wicket-keeper, is supposedly being brought into a coaching role that would see him above Maynard in the coaching structure.
None of these cricketing decisions were talked through with Maynard or Dalrymple. Now forgive me if I'm mistaken, but surely the coach and the captain should be made aware of these developments if the club has any inclination to keep these men at the club. Instead they've understandably seen their association with the club become untenable, and must surely have the feeling that they have been forced out by Russell, certainly in Maynard's case from the club he has a huge affinity with.
The problem that now appears to be creeping into cricket are major cricketing decisions are being made by the wrong people. We've seen it happen in football on a frequent basis. Those in charge of the club, non-football men, are making judgements on transfers, formations and styles of play. By all accounts Dalrymple and Maynard, the people that should be in charge of making cricketing decisions, have previously informed the management of the areas that need to be addressed in order for the club's cricketing abilities to progress, and importantly to aid the development of the side as one-day force.
It is the one-day performances that have forced the club into these changes. They were admittedly poor in 2010, but in the Championship they narrowly missed out on promotion to division one on the final day of the season. The decision to replace Dalrymple is naturally the decision of those above, and who is to say at this stage it isn't the correct one. The manner in which this has been dealt with is the biggest slur on the county.
When Russell and co. made Petersen the overseas signing and captain without discussing it with the coach, you can understand that he must have felt surplus to requirements. Also with the news of Metson being installed above Maynard, as a Director of Cricket, meant he was unwilling to ultimately accept a demotion into a lesser role.
Maynard's son, Tom, has recently extended his stay at Glamorgan, whether there is to be any repercussions here will remain to be seen.
Metson, who is already a committee member, does not have a particularly impressive coaching resume in terms of experience gained, so it may be seen as a gamble in that respect.
To cap it all, President Peter Walker also opted to join Maynard and Dalrymple in walking out of Swalec Stadium, he simply did not agree with the changes and the impending implications of these actions.
It hasn't been a good week for Glamorgan, yet they have remained tight-lipped following the resignations of three key members. They are expected to announce on Monday that Colin Metson is joining as Director of Cricket, but it may take some time for the club to be shown in a good light again.
Wednesday 17 November 2010
Warwickshire skipper resigns to focus on batting
Ian Westwood has led Warwickshire for two season since taking over from Darren Maddy, but his own poor form in 2010 has led to him resigning as captain to focus on regaining his touch with the bat.
You can fully understand his decision, as captain of the side it is vital that you retain your own form, or you begin to question your own worth in the side and wonder if your respect is diminishing in the changing rooms. This was clearly on Westwood's mind last season when he left himself out of some games due to his inability to buy some runs. The most notable being the CB 40 final when Ian Bell led the side, and how, with a magnificient century to bring some silverware to Edgbaston.
It seems the honourable thing to do. He wants to earn his place in the side, not be there because he is the man in charge. There will be added pressure on his position in the side with Will Porterfield and Younis Khan joining the club in an attempt to solve the batting problems of last season. Two potential options for the captaincy, but that will be discussed later.
Director of Cricket, Ashley Giles, tried to talk Westwood out of resigning, but the left-hander had his mind made up. Westwood suggested he wanted to be selfish for once, and I for one don't blame him. Captaincy brings its own immense pressures, you have the responsibility of looking after a squad, and without the confidence in your own game your decision making becomes clouded and your confidence as a captain is negotiated. Even the best players in the world have doubts as skippers when their form deserts them. The problem is you do not find the necessary time for your own game when you are in such a drought, as it's inevitable you put the teams needs ahead of your own.
So was his form that bad to resign as captain ? He wasn't the worst culprit, but that is no good reason to justify your own place in the XI. He averaged 25.92 in the Championship, without a century all season. The senior players, such as Westwood, will have been aware their best two batsmen, Ian Bell and Jon Trott, would be missing for large chunks of the season, so they needed to step forward and find the runs they'd be missing. Of course the fact they didn't is not all Westwood's fault, Jim Troughton, Darren Maddy, Tim Ambrose, all let their skipper down. Westwood for the record finished leading scorer with 726 runs, flattered by the poor performances around him.
In the CB 40 his stats improved, he made 166 runs at 33.20, but his Twenty20 record was poor, averaging 12.87.
So his first mission is to win a place in the side in 2011, but who will he be playing under ? Perhaps part of the reason for Giles being reluctant to accept his resignation is because of so few options to take over. The new signings, Porterfield and Younis Khan both have international leadership experience, but surely for Porterfield his focus should be settling in at Edgbaston and proving his capabilities as an opening batsman before embarking on the road as a County captain. Younis is currently in favour with the PCB, so his availability may be problematic through the summer, a skipper flitting in and out will not do the changing room any good.
Bell and Trott also would be out of the equation on this basis, although I'm sure Bell would do an admirable job.
Rikki Clarke had a nightmare time of it at Derby when he was skipper, so may be scarred by the whole experience. Maddy would be nothing more than a temporary measure, and Troughton should be in the same boat as Westwood and concentrating on his own game and consolidating his spot in the side.
Which leaves Ant Botha, who has a good cricketing brain and with Imran Tahir heading back to Hampshire, he will be the lone spinner and so his selection should be a given, in all formats. He could be the favourite for the job, with the only other alternative being another player brought in from the outside. Jamie Dalrymple recently sacked as captain of Glamorgan could be tempted to resume the role at Warwickshire and would also offer another spin option.
The Warwickshire board insist the new incumbent will be identified and appointed with plenty of time to prepare fully for the 2011 season, he will be the tenth captain in 14 seasons, so if it takes a little time, the Edgbaston faithful won't worry a jot, providing it's the right man.
You can fully understand his decision, as captain of the side it is vital that you retain your own form, or you begin to question your own worth in the side and wonder if your respect is diminishing in the changing rooms. This was clearly on Westwood's mind last season when he left himself out of some games due to his inability to buy some runs. The most notable being the CB 40 final when Ian Bell led the side, and how, with a magnificient century to bring some silverware to Edgbaston.
It seems the honourable thing to do. He wants to earn his place in the side, not be there because he is the man in charge. There will be added pressure on his position in the side with Will Porterfield and Younis Khan joining the club in an attempt to solve the batting problems of last season. Two potential options for the captaincy, but that will be discussed later.
Director of Cricket, Ashley Giles, tried to talk Westwood out of resigning, but the left-hander had his mind made up. Westwood suggested he wanted to be selfish for once, and I for one don't blame him. Captaincy brings its own immense pressures, you have the responsibility of looking after a squad, and without the confidence in your own game your decision making becomes clouded and your confidence as a captain is negotiated. Even the best players in the world have doubts as skippers when their form deserts them. The problem is you do not find the necessary time for your own game when you are in such a drought, as it's inevitable you put the teams needs ahead of your own.
So was his form that bad to resign as captain ? He wasn't the worst culprit, but that is no good reason to justify your own place in the XI. He averaged 25.92 in the Championship, without a century all season. The senior players, such as Westwood, will have been aware their best two batsmen, Ian Bell and Jon Trott, would be missing for large chunks of the season, so they needed to step forward and find the runs they'd be missing. Of course the fact they didn't is not all Westwood's fault, Jim Troughton, Darren Maddy, Tim Ambrose, all let their skipper down. Westwood for the record finished leading scorer with 726 runs, flattered by the poor performances around him.
In the CB 40 his stats improved, he made 166 runs at 33.20, but his Twenty20 record was poor, averaging 12.87.
So his first mission is to win a place in the side in 2011, but who will he be playing under ? Perhaps part of the reason for Giles being reluctant to accept his resignation is because of so few options to take over. The new signings, Porterfield and Younis Khan both have international leadership experience, but surely for Porterfield his focus should be settling in at Edgbaston and proving his capabilities as an opening batsman before embarking on the road as a County captain. Younis is currently in favour with the PCB, so his availability may be problematic through the summer, a skipper flitting in and out will not do the changing room any good.
Bell and Trott also would be out of the equation on this basis, although I'm sure Bell would do an admirable job.
Rikki Clarke had a nightmare time of it at Derby when he was skipper, so may be scarred by the whole experience. Maddy would be nothing more than a temporary measure, and Troughton should be in the same boat as Westwood and concentrating on his own game and consolidating his spot in the side.
Which leaves Ant Botha, who has a good cricketing brain and with Imran Tahir heading back to Hampshire, he will be the lone spinner and so his selection should be a given, in all formats. He could be the favourite for the job, with the only other alternative being another player brought in from the outside. Jamie Dalrymple recently sacked as captain of Glamorgan could be tempted to resume the role at Warwickshire and would also offer another spin option.
The Warwickshire board insist the new incumbent will be identified and appointed with plenty of time to prepare fully for the 2011 season, he will be the tenth captain in 14 seasons, so if it takes a little time, the Edgbaston faithful won't worry a jot, providing it's the right man.
Tuesday 16 November 2010
Why Shah is ideal for Essex
Owais Shah recently put pen to paper on a two-year deal to sign for Essex, a move that should ensure the county are amongst the favourites to return to Division One of the County Championship.
Essex were relegated last season due in the main to a serious lack of runs. Ravi Bopara managed only eight Championship games due to IPL committments, Alastair Cook playing as many as seven was a bonus, throw in the injury to Ryan ten Doeschate and Essex had problems fielding their strongest side on a regular basis.
In truth, Essex have lacked a consistenly reliable runscorer for some time. While Shah's form drifted off last season (he scored 804 runs at 36.54), he can generally be relied upon to pass the 1,000 run barrier in first-class cricket. He did so for eight consecutive seasons from 2000 to 2008.
Essex's top runscorers in 2010 were James Foster and Jaik Mickleburgh who both made 839 Championship runs at 32.26 and 29.96.
Shah still has the desire to get back into England reckoning, he wants to continue pushing himself and is motivated by the challenge. But at 32 it would most probably take quite a lengthy injury list before England would turn back to Shah. His team-mate, Bopara, would consider himself to be above Shah in the list should England come calling again.
Mark Ramprakash was a similar age when he left Middlesex for Surrey in 2001 and his desire to score big runs has certainly not diminished.
Shah was hurt by the way he found out of Middlesex's decision to release him, he made his debut for the club in 1996, and found out about his departure via a friend. Courtesy should have ensured Shah was the first to know. If he is smarting from the disappointment of being released, that can only spell trouble for the bowlers in Division Two.
Essex were relegated last season due in the main to a serious lack of runs. Ravi Bopara managed only eight Championship games due to IPL committments, Alastair Cook playing as many as seven was a bonus, throw in the injury to Ryan ten Doeschate and Essex had problems fielding their strongest side on a regular basis.
In truth, Essex have lacked a consistenly reliable runscorer for some time. While Shah's form drifted off last season (he scored 804 runs at 36.54), he can generally be relied upon to pass the 1,000 run barrier in first-class cricket. He did so for eight consecutive seasons from 2000 to 2008.
Essex's top runscorers in 2010 were James Foster and Jaik Mickleburgh who both made 839 Championship runs at 32.26 and 29.96.
Shah still has the desire to get back into England reckoning, he wants to continue pushing himself and is motivated by the challenge. But at 32 it would most probably take quite a lengthy injury list before England would turn back to Shah. His team-mate, Bopara, would consider himself to be above Shah in the list should England come calling again.
Mark Ramprakash was a similar age when he left Middlesex for Surrey in 2001 and his desire to score big runs has certainly not diminished.
Shah was hurt by the way he found out of Middlesex's decision to release him, he made his debut for the club in 1996, and found out about his departure via a friend. Courtesy should have ensured Shah was the first to know. If he is smarting from the disappointment of being released, that can only spell trouble for the bowlers in Division Two.
Dalrymple demoted as Petersen takes over!
Glamorgan have appointed South African opening batsman Alviro Petersen as their new captain, and overseas player, for the 2011 season.
James Dalrymple has led the side for the last two seasons, but it seems their limited overs form is the biggest reason behind the change of leader. Glamorgan narrowly missed out on promotion to division one of the County Championship on the final day of last season, but the club placed huge emphasis on the one-day competitions and they were poor in both the Twenty20 competition and the CB40 trophy.
In the FP T20, they won six games out of 16, finishing 8th in their group of nine, and it was worse still in the 40-over format finishing bottom of Group A (7th).
Petersen is no stranger to captaincy, he is the current man in charge of Highveld Lions back in South Africa, so to have the opportunity to captain in another country will help his development no end.
The benefits of having Petersen at Glamorgan are clear. He is an international player that is currently available for the entire season with South Africa having nothing scheduled, he already possesses captaincy experience, and he knows what it takes to lead a side in a high profile Twenty20 competition. He led the Lions at the Champions League in September this year, despite failing to qualify for the semi-finals they put up a decent show, winning two and losing two.
It is becoming the focus of many counties to excel at T20 cricket with the financial rewards on offer, rather than, in Glamorgan's case, strive to win promotion into the top division of the County Championship. Of course playing attractive and successful cricket in the 40-over format should in theory swell the coffers with a growth in attendances at the Swalec Stadium.
Petersen will have some very able performers to work with, young paceman James Harris continues to enhance his credentials, in the Championship last season he took 63 wickets at 20.52, and the all-round skills of the underrated Jim Allenby will be vital in all forms.
Mark Cosgrove has been an offered a T20 contract for 2011, he was in imperious form in this format in 2010 (562 runs @ strike rate of 132.23), and the Welsh county will be eagerly awaiting his response.
James Dalrymple has led the side for the last two seasons, but it seems their limited overs form is the biggest reason behind the change of leader. Glamorgan narrowly missed out on promotion to division one of the County Championship on the final day of last season, but the club placed huge emphasis on the one-day competitions and they were poor in both the Twenty20 competition and the CB40 trophy.
In the FP T20, they won six games out of 16, finishing 8th in their group of nine, and it was worse still in the 40-over format finishing bottom of Group A (7th).
Petersen is no stranger to captaincy, he is the current man in charge of Highveld Lions back in South Africa, so to have the opportunity to captain in another country will help his development no end.
The benefits of having Petersen at Glamorgan are clear. He is an international player that is currently available for the entire season with South Africa having nothing scheduled, he already possesses captaincy experience, and he knows what it takes to lead a side in a high profile Twenty20 competition. He led the Lions at the Champions League in September this year, despite failing to qualify for the semi-finals they put up a decent show, winning two and losing two.
It is becoming the focus of many counties to excel at T20 cricket with the financial rewards on offer, rather than, in Glamorgan's case, strive to win promotion into the top division of the County Championship. Of course playing attractive and successful cricket in the 40-over format should in theory swell the coffers with a growth in attendances at the Swalec Stadium.
Petersen will have some very able performers to work with, young paceman James Harris continues to enhance his credentials, in the Championship last season he took 63 wickets at 20.52, and the all-round skills of the underrated Jim Allenby will be vital in all forms.
Mark Cosgrove has been an offered a T20 contract for 2011, he was in imperious form in this format in 2010 (562 runs @ strike rate of 132.23), and the Welsh county will be eagerly awaiting his response.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)