Who's going to be the ones that stand out in pyjamas? These guys will be there or there abouts...
Peter Trego - Somerset: That Trego hasn't played many times for England is nothing short of a crime. The best all-rounder in the country in One Day cricket; a man who can bowl brilliantly in the middle overs or at the death with some fairly pacy stuff, and can thump the ball a hell of a long way. If he doesn't get the England recognition he deserves, look out for him propelling Somerset to the business end of the CB40 once more this year.
Paul Stirling - Middlesex: Stirling was a Middlesex player last year, but other than one T20 game he was playing around the world for Ireland rather than for the Pink Army. However, his Irish commitments will be far less this year, so expect some big hefty blows, as well as canny spin from the well-built Ulsterman. You saw what he did to top class bowling in the World Cup, so heaven knows what he'll do to some of the very ordinary attacks he'll be up against in the CB40 this summer.
Neil Carter - Warwickshire: An obvious pick to choose the MVP of the county season last year, but one-time Middlesex legend (for a week) Carter looks pretty well placed to replicate it. If he has even half as good a season as last, expect plenty more accolades to go his way. As good opening the batting as he is opening the bowling, he is the heartbeat of the Warwickshire side in all forms, but that's most keenly felt in the One Day arena, where he led them to victory in the final last time out. Will go well again this year.
Expect more County Players to Watch - coming later on...
Showing posts with label CB40. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CB40. Show all posts
Sunday, 3 April 2011
Tuesday, 22 March 2011
The ECB's County Changes
So after months of round-table discussions, votes and debate, the 2012 County season has been decided upon. Nearly. While the One-Day competition (likely to remain as a 40 over effort) is yet to recieve a shape, we now know that the twenty20 has been reduced from 16 to 10 pool matches, but the holy grail of the County Championship is untouched with two divisions and sixteen games a side.
Deciding upon the format has been a touchy subject, as there are a number of issues to juggle. More games (specifically more T20 games) means more people coming through the gate, and as such, more money for the counties. In the week when plenty of counties have announced big losses over the past year, reducing the T20 group stage is a big decision. T20 cricket is where the money is, and the counties tried to cash in with the elongated competition, hoping to recreate the success of the IPL in the county game. However, the vast amount of games that needed to be played just lent itself to overkill, and apathy from the crowds, which in many places were down on the year before. Players were tired, fans were bored, and while the golden goose hadn't been killed, the eggs that it produced certainly lacked the sheen of the much loved twenty20 Cup.
While the T20 competition won't be raking in as much money as the IPL (it won't do that without a TV company willing to show 3 games a day) the 2012 effort will certainly go someway towards getting more people cumatively through the gates, as well as massively increasing the quality of cricket (which was low last year due to the very tired and demotivated players).
The big news is that the County Championship is untouched, with two divisions of nine each playing 16 games. While attendances will be low for CC games, they'd be low whether counties played 16 games, 160 games, or 1.6 games (don't ask how they could play that many). But ultimately, County Cricket is the breeding ground for international cricketers, and the ECB needs to decide whether the County structure is to be used as a money-making exercise, or as a place where test quality players can be created. Luckily, they've gone for the right option, which is for a solid County Championship. While this may not please smaller counties hoping to maximise their incomes, with prudent management they should be OK, and the financial packages offered by the ECB will go someway to appease them.
The county structure will never suit everyone, as there are far too many counties who all want different things to please. However, this announcement from the ECB shows their commitment to the County Championship, which rightly has been given precedence above the money-spinning T20. While the T20 can bring in the big bucks, the County Championship has to be the pinnacle of English cricket, so as such, the ECB have made the right decision. Eventually.
Deciding upon the format has been a touchy subject, as there are a number of issues to juggle. More games (specifically more T20 games) means more people coming through the gate, and as such, more money for the counties. In the week when plenty of counties have announced big losses over the past year, reducing the T20 group stage is a big decision. T20 cricket is where the money is, and the counties tried to cash in with the elongated competition, hoping to recreate the success of the IPL in the county game. However, the vast amount of games that needed to be played just lent itself to overkill, and apathy from the crowds, which in many places were down on the year before. Players were tired, fans were bored, and while the golden goose hadn't been killed, the eggs that it produced certainly lacked the sheen of the much loved twenty20 Cup.
While the T20 competition won't be raking in as much money as the IPL (it won't do that without a TV company willing to show 3 games a day) the 2012 effort will certainly go someway towards getting more people cumatively through the gates, as well as massively increasing the quality of cricket (which was low last year due to the very tired and demotivated players).
The big news is that the County Championship is untouched, with two divisions of nine each playing 16 games. While attendances will be low for CC games, they'd be low whether counties played 16 games, 160 games, or 1.6 games (don't ask how they could play that many). But ultimately, County Cricket is the breeding ground for international cricketers, and the ECB needs to decide whether the County structure is to be used as a money-making exercise, or as a place where test quality players can be created. Luckily, they've gone for the right option, which is for a solid County Championship. While this may not please smaller counties hoping to maximise their incomes, with prudent management they should be OK, and the financial packages offered by the ECB will go someway to appease them.
The county structure will never suit everyone, as there are far too many counties who all want different things to please. However, this announcement from the ECB shows their commitment to the County Championship, which rightly has been given precedence above the money-spinning T20. While the T20 can bring in the big bucks, the County Championship has to be the pinnacle of English cricket, so as such, the ECB have made the right decision. Eventually.
Tuesday, 21 September 2010
Podcast - Straussy Stuck On Replay
Download the latest episode here
A review of the England v Pakistan ODI series-so-far, as well as some campaigning for Andrew Strauss, and a walk down memory lane whilst thinking of the World Cup squad.
A review of the England v Pakistan ODI series-so-far, as well as some campaigning for Andrew Strauss, and a walk down memory lane whilst thinking of the World Cup squad.
Saturday, 18 September 2010
Bell's Rise to Top Job
Ian Bell is an enigma wrapped in a conundrum wrapped in a puzzle. Why is he a player who has such undoubted talent, yet at times can look like he doesn't know what end of the bat to hold? Why can he struggle against some of the poorest attacks in the world, yet can score big against some of the best? Ian Bell is certainly a tricky one. I don't know whether to support his being in the side, as he can make great runs in certain situations, or argue for his being dropped, as he can also throw his wicket away when England need him the most.
Part of the IRB debate is what position he should bat. He won't open, isn't solid enough to bat 3, isn't full of runs to bat 4, and isn't gritty enough to bat 5. Yet he seems like the world's best number 6, when he can come in at 350/4, and can score a really pretty hundred. And if England play 6 batsman (not including Prior at 7), then Bell is clearly a much better bet than Morgan to bat at number 6.
Ian Bell is like an insect who just won't die, and no matter how many times he's stamped on, he keeps wriggling back into life and jumping into the coleslaw. Just when all seemed lost in the West Indies 2009, he gets a lucky way back in and keeps his place in the side. And even when injured, he appears to be nailed on to start in Brisbane. He's gone through so many crises of confidence, so many dips in form and so many struggles against certain bowlers. Yet still retains his place.
Ian Bell is 28. He has played 57 test matches. Today he will captain Warwickshire in the CB40 final.
Part of the nature of being an English cricket fan is an ability to look far into the future, irregardless of much more important things in the immediate view. Andrew Strauss is 33. He won't play test cricket forever. And as such, he won't captain England forever. Which means the search for his successor has already begun.
When looking for a captain, Andy Flower will look for a player who has lots of test experience. Has an unassailable place in the side. A good captaincy record. And is young enough to take the job on for a few years.
Collingwood is out - too old. KP won't want another go. Alastair Cook isn't guarenteed of his place in the side in a month, let alone in a couple of years. And England won't really want to pick a bowler as captain. Which leaves former Under-19 captain and test veteran Ian Ronald Bell.
No disrespect to Ian Bell, but when I've watched his England career (which is probably 99% of it) he hasn't displayed an awful lot of tactical nous or obvious leadership qualities. He doesn't look like the sort of bloke who can inspire in the dressing room, or console when times are tough. His record of never scoring the first hundred in the innings (until recently) hardly speaks of a man leading from the front.
All in all, Ian probably won't be a very good captain for England. Which is why I want Somerset to win today's CB40 final, to stop IRB's inexorable rise to the top role in English cricket. So in order to stop Ian, I've dug some dirt, where some people call for him to be banned from cricket.
Sorry Ian. Even in this post I've gone from liking him, to disliking him, to feeling sorry for writing a post where I'm mean about him. I guess that's the inigma that is Ian Bell.
Part of the IRB debate is what position he should bat. He won't open, isn't solid enough to bat 3, isn't full of runs to bat 4, and isn't gritty enough to bat 5. Yet he seems like the world's best number 6, when he can come in at 350/4, and can score a really pretty hundred. And if England play 6 batsman (not including Prior at 7), then Bell is clearly a much better bet than Morgan to bat at number 6.
Ian Bell is like an insect who just won't die, and no matter how many times he's stamped on, he keeps wriggling back into life and jumping into the coleslaw. Just when all seemed lost in the West Indies 2009, he gets a lucky way back in and keeps his place in the side. And even when injured, he appears to be nailed on to start in Brisbane. He's gone through so many crises of confidence, so many dips in form and so many struggles against certain bowlers. Yet still retains his place.
Ian Bell is 28. He has played 57 test matches. Today he will captain Warwickshire in the CB40 final.
Part of the nature of being an English cricket fan is an ability to look far into the future, irregardless of much more important things in the immediate view. Andrew Strauss is 33. He won't play test cricket forever. And as such, he won't captain England forever. Which means the search for his successor has already begun.
When looking for a captain, Andy Flower will look for a player who has lots of test experience. Has an unassailable place in the side. A good captaincy record. And is young enough to take the job on for a few years.
Collingwood is out - too old. KP won't want another go. Alastair Cook isn't guarenteed of his place in the side in a month, let alone in a couple of years. And England won't really want to pick a bowler as captain. Which leaves former Under-19 captain and test veteran Ian Ronald Bell.
No disrespect to Ian Bell, but when I've watched his England career (which is probably 99% of it) he hasn't displayed an awful lot of tactical nous or obvious leadership qualities. He doesn't look like the sort of bloke who can inspire in the dressing room, or console when times are tough. His record of never scoring the first hundred in the innings (until recently) hardly speaks of a man leading from the front.
All in all, Ian probably won't be a very good captain for England. Which is why I want Somerset to win today's CB40 final, to stop IRB's inexorable rise to the top role in English cricket. So in order to stop Ian, I've dug some dirt, where some people call for him to be banned from cricket.
Sorry Ian. Even in this post I've gone from liking him, to disliking him, to feeling sorry for writing a post where I'm mean about him. I guess that's the inigma that is Ian Bell.
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
A (sort of) Middlesex season review
It seems like only yesterday I was looking forward to the start of the county season. It wasn't too long ago that I was so optimistic about Middlesex's season - especially due to the form of Steven Finn. It seems like only moments ago that Middlesex started to lose some games, and I stopped writing about them.
After 7 county champo games in the blink of an eye (with a small smattering of 40 overs in there too), attention was turned to the T20, which was undoutably the focal point of the cricketing summer (mainly due to it's invasive nature and 170 odd matches).
But now the T20 has come and gone; the group stages of the CB40 are over, and Middlesex are playing their last game of the season.
Where has the time gone?
To say it has been an up and down season for Middlesex would be an understatement. There have been some electrifying performances; such as the CC wins over Surrey, Sussex and Glamorgan, but there too have been some timid defeats. Far too many timid defeats. In the T20, we had a 50% win/loss ratio, with some epic wins over Essex, Kent and Hampshire, following and preceding terrible defeates to Surrey, Gloucestershire and Sussex. And the less said about the CB40 the better!
So where now for Middlesex? Iain O'Brien's visa issues are well documented, and of course we all hope he's able to extend his stay at Lord's. Pedro Collins has to leave due to a change in Kolpak laws, and we all wish Pedro well; a good performer in all codes of the game this year. And Owais Shah is leaving, released by the club, perhaps due to money, perhaps due to poor performances, probably a combination of both.
Chris Rogers will arrive as an overseas player for next year, and if he can maintain his 60+ average at the top of the order, it could be a very good piece of business. Eoin Morgan is staying, having re-signed his contract, but the nature of the international calendar means we'll be without him, Strauss and Finn for long spells of the season.
While this season has been often one to forget for Middlesex, there have been some positives. There have been plenty more wins then last season - proof that Angus Fraser is slowly turning it around. The emergence of Toby Roland-Jones and John Simpson as very good young county players (and potential internationals in the future) is very encouraging, as has been some infrequent performances from Josh Davey, Adam London and Sam Robson.
The problem with Middlesex at the moment is that we're a team in transition; a side who are building on our way to bigger and better things. With very promising, talented youngsters, as well as some players like Dawid Malan who are continuing to flourish, we could be in with a chance of promotion next year if we remain consistent. But that's probably me just being blindly and optimistically deluded.
After 7 county champo games in the blink of an eye (with a small smattering of 40 overs in there too), attention was turned to the T20, which was undoutably the focal point of the cricketing summer (mainly due to it's invasive nature and 170 odd matches).
But now the T20 has come and gone; the group stages of the CB40 are over, and Middlesex are playing their last game of the season.
Where has the time gone?
To say it has been an up and down season for Middlesex would be an understatement. There have been some electrifying performances; such as the CC wins over Surrey, Sussex and Glamorgan, but there too have been some timid defeats. Far too many timid defeats. In the T20, we had a 50% win/loss ratio, with some epic wins over Essex, Kent and Hampshire, following and preceding terrible defeates to Surrey, Gloucestershire and Sussex. And the less said about the CB40 the better!
So where now for Middlesex? Iain O'Brien's visa issues are well documented, and of course we all hope he's able to extend his stay at Lord's. Pedro Collins has to leave due to a change in Kolpak laws, and we all wish Pedro well; a good performer in all codes of the game this year. And Owais Shah is leaving, released by the club, perhaps due to money, perhaps due to poor performances, probably a combination of both.
Chris Rogers will arrive as an overseas player for next year, and if he can maintain his 60+ average at the top of the order, it could be a very good piece of business. Eoin Morgan is staying, having re-signed his contract, but the nature of the international calendar means we'll be without him, Strauss and Finn for long spells of the season.
While this season has been often one to forget for Middlesex, there have been some positives. There have been plenty more wins then last season - proof that Angus Fraser is slowly turning it around. The emergence of Toby Roland-Jones and John Simpson as very good young county players (and potential internationals in the future) is very encouraging, as has been some infrequent performances from Josh Davey, Adam London and Sam Robson.
The problem with Middlesex at the moment is that we're a team in transition; a side who are building on our way to bigger and better things. With very promising, talented youngsters, as well as some players like Dawid Malan who are continuing to flourish, we could be in with a chance of promotion next year if we remain consistent. But that's probably me just being blindly and optimistically deluded.
Friday, 16 April 2010
If you love it...
As I walked through the pavilion at Lord's yesterday (I know, place dropper) for the first day of the County Championship game between Middlesex and Glamorgan, the first thing I saw was an advertising hoarding for the sponsors of the Championship saying "If you love it, LV it". While the purpose of the advert was to attract people to their insurance company, it made me think of my personal thoughts regarding the four day game. I have long been a champion of the First Class game, but yesterday was the first time I have ever been to a LVCC game. Previously I would just look on Cricinfo or the BBC Sport website to find out the scores, and occasionally watch the day's highlights via the Middlesex website. But even though I was a Middlesex member, I had never got around to actually going and watching a game.
However, partly because it was the first game at Lord's of the season, and partly because I had agreed to meet Suave as part of his season in the stands off I went to the home of cricket, not really knowing what to expect. For the day itself, I thoroughly enjoyed Suave's company, the cricket itself, and my highlight; going up to the Media Centre at the end.
Seeing the LV advert at the start of the day stayed with me as I reflected on the day. And I came up with this; I do love the County Championship. I do love going and sitting in the pavilion at Lord's. I do love watching good cricket. The opening bowling partnership of Murtagh and Steven Finn wouldn't look too out of place representing England, and there were further internationals in Iain O'Brien and Shaun Udal who later bowled. And standing in the slips was the England captain. I will definitely go back for more LVCC games in the summer (when times allows), as well as the FPt20s and CB40 games. I will also endeavour to write more about the county game rather than "Oh, Middlesex lost" or "Steven Finn took 9/37". So if you're not a fan of the county game, unlucky. A new blog is coming up. Sorry.
However, partly because it was the first game at Lord's of the season, and partly because I had agreed to meet Suave as part of his season in the stands off I went to the home of cricket, not really knowing what to expect. For the day itself, I thoroughly enjoyed Suave's company, the cricket itself, and my highlight; going up to the Media Centre at the end.
Seeing the LV advert at the start of the day stayed with me as I reflected on the day. And I came up with this; I do love the County Championship. I do love going and sitting in the pavilion at Lord's. I do love watching good cricket. The opening bowling partnership of Murtagh and Steven Finn wouldn't look too out of place representing England, and there were further internationals in Iain O'Brien and Shaun Udal who later bowled. And standing in the slips was the England captain. I will definitely go back for more LVCC games in the summer (when times allows), as well as the FPt20s and CB40 games. I will also endeavour to write more about the county game rather than "Oh, Middlesex lost" or "Steven Finn took 9/37". So if you're not a fan of the county game, unlucky. A new blog is coming up. Sorry.
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