So another season ends. We need to take stock, get those who have under-performed to work at their game, identify the areas we need to fill (a quality batsman and a seriously quick bowler I would suggest) and play all next season as we started this.
Those who have underperformed? That is nearly all of them; exceptions being Denley, Stevens and SNE. Although the latters captaincy and leadership need to be questioned.
Those who have underperformed? That is nearly all of them; exceptions being Denley, Stevens and SNE. Although the latters captaincy and leadership need to be questioned.
I think the ones who have had proper opportunities and under-performed in the CC are DBD, Dickson, Coles, Claydon and Gidman. In DBD's case he has done well in the limited overs matches and Dickson did average 38.29 albeit massively influenced by that 318.
The likes of Rouse, Billings, Hunn, Haggett, Tredwell and Qayyum escape that criticism simply because they've either done OK or just not played much.
To protect the workload of the England elite who barely play county games anyway....
According to someone high at Worcestershire that I spoke to, it was so that all 18 teams could play on the same day leaving yet more time for other forms of the game. This selling point seems to be nonsense as I am not sure all 18 teams were often in action simultaneously.
So, exactly a year after winning the title, Middlesex have been relegated. How they must wish that the proposed "one down only" had come to fruition.
Even more frustrating must be the fact that the bottom four were only separated by 2 points - and that they would have survived had they not been the only county in the division to have points deducted (2 against Surrey) as a result of a slow over rate!
What I don't like about the system of promotion and relegation, is that so many random factors can determine league positions, such as weather and international callups. Have a team full of Kolpaks and you're fine, have a couple of England callups, and you can lose key players.
Kent are going nowhere, but our penultimate match had no play at all (when every other game in the country had play on most days) while in the last game, we had a player (Billings) removed during the match.
What I don't like about the system of promotion and relegation, is that so many random factors can determine league positions, such as weather and international callups. Have a team full of Kolpaks and you're fine, have a couple of England callups, and you can lose key players.
Kent are going nowhere, but our penultimate match had no play at all (when every other game in the country had play on most days) while in the last game, we had a player (Billings) removed during the match.
Yes, I was pretty cheesed off that Billings was stolen from Kent mid-way through a game just because Ben Stokes is a massive drunken, pub-fighting idiot. WTF are the ECB playing at?!
So, exactly a year after winning the title, Middlesex have been relegated. How they must wish that the proposed "one down only" had come to fruition.
Even more frustrating must be the fact that the bottom four were only separated by 2 points - and that they would have survived had they not been the only county in the division to have points deducted (2 against Surrey) as a result of a slow over rate!
So, exactly a year after winning the title, Middlesex have been relegated. How they must wish that the proposed "one down only" had come to fruition.
Even more frustrating must be the fact that the bottom four were only separated by 2 points - and that they would have survived had they not been the only county in the division to have points deducted (2 against Surrey) as a result of a slow over rate!
They've absolutely no chance of winning this appeal.
I mean what has the home of cricket with the influence of people like Strauss and Fraser got that the country bumpkins that Kent haven't?
Why wouldn't the ECB want a team made up of Sam Robson, Eoin Morgan, Dawid Malan, Nick Compton, Steven Finn, Nick Gubbins, Ollie Rayner, Toby Roland-Jones, Tom Helm, James Fuller and Max Holden, all of whom have played in International cricket or been on Lions' tours, playing in Div 2?
So, exactly a year after winning the title, Middlesex have been relegated. How they must wish that the proposed "one down only" had come to fruition.
Even more frustrating must be the fact that the bottom four were only separated by 2 points - and that they would have survived had they not been the only county in the division to have points deducted (2 against Surrey) as a result of a slow over rate!
They've absolutely no chance of winning this appeal.
I mean what has the home of cricket with the influence of people like Strauss and Fraser got that the country bumpkins that Kent haven't?
Why wouldn't the ECB want a team made up of Sam Robson, Eoin Morgan, Dawid Malan, Nick Compton, Steven Finn, Nick Gubbins, Ollie Rayner, Toby Roland-Jones, Tom Helm, James Fuller and Max Holden, all of whom have played in International cricket or been on Lions' tours, playing in Div 2?
Should dock em another 2 points next season by saying the early end to the game prevented them falling even further behind the over rate.
Lions squad announced. Guess what? No northeast or billings. What does northeast need to do to get picked?!
Joe Denly surely should have been with the Lions in Australia, seeing that he can open and play at 3, both places where England have very thin resources
I went to see the second days play at Canterbury v Glamorgan. It was a very gloomy experience. £20 to get in. No atmosphere. No young people in the ground. No special offers on food or drink. In fact it was hard to find a drink even though Shepherd Neame is plastered all over the place. One bar had no clean glasses, no barman for several minutes and eventually one of the worst pints of Sheps i have ever had. The place really needs to liven up and an injection of fun into the day. Oh, no scorecards, no betting outlets,no announcements at key times and no will to look after the customer.
I think that the selectors are sending clear messages to the players - unless you play in Div 1 or for a "big" county then you aren't going to get in to the England set up. I believe that only three (Wood, Duckett and Garton) apart from the Middlesex players, will be playing in Div 2 next season from the 33 picked for the Ashes and Lions squads.
And that is why we are seeing the better players migrating to those Division 1 Clubs. They simply want to make them more competitive.
I went to see the second days play at Canterbury v Glamorgan. It was a very gloomy experience. £20 to get in. No atmosphere. No young people in the ground. No special offers on food or drink. In fact it was hard to find a drink even though Shepherd Neame is plastered all over the place. One bar had no clean glasses, no barman for several minutes and eventually one of the worst pints of Sheps i have ever had. The place really needs to liven up and an injection of fun into the day. Oh, no scorecards, no betting outlets,no announcements at key times and no will to look after the customer.
I think counties only care (commercially) about the white ball stuff, especially T20
It's thinking the unthinkable, but to me the Canterbury ground is a dump, and a major reason why Kent are now stuck with the also-ran counties. Maybe Kent would be better served "doing a Hampshire" and building a new ground somewhere else?
I went to see the second days play at Canterbury v Glamorgan. It was a very gloomy experience. £20 to get in. No atmosphere. No young people in the ground. No special offers on food or drink. In fact it was hard to find a drink even though Shepherd Neame is plastered all over the place. One bar had no clean glasses, no barman for several minutes and eventually one of the worst pints of Sheps i have ever had. The place really needs to liven up and an injection of fun into the day. Oh, no scorecards, no betting outlets,no announcements at key times and no will to look after the customer.
I think counties only care (commercially) about the white ball stuff, especially T20
It's thinking the unthinkable, but to me the Canterbury ground is a dump, and a major reason why Kent are now stuck with the also-ran counties. Maybe Kent would be better served "doing a Hampshire" and building a new ground somewhere else?
They have, The County Ground Beckenham. Unless they find themselves a Sugardaddy that's as good as it will get.
Comments
The wickets were shared about but Grant Stewart took his first couple in the CC.
23-2 (11.4 ovs) Denly
23-3 (11.5 ovs) Northeast
24-4 (14.4 ovs) Crawley
Dizzy heights of 59/5
Glamorgan cruising on 26-0 chasing 189
The sooner this season ends the better.
So another season ends. We need to take stock, get those who have under-performed to work at their game, identify the areas we need to fill (a quality batsman and a seriously quick bowler I would suggest) and play all next season as we started this.
The likes of Rouse, Billings, Hunn, Haggett, Tredwell and Qayyum escape that criticism simply because they've either done OK or just not played much.
I must have blinked !
Then sitting in the dressing room watching Moeen and Buttler smack it around...
Even more frustrating must be the fact that the bottom four were only separated by 2 points - and that they would have survived had they not been the only county in the division to have points deducted (2 against Surrey) as a result of a slow over rate!
Kent are going nowhere, but our penultimate match had no play at all (when every other game in the country had play on most days) while in the last game, we had a player (Billings) removed during the match.
Yes, I was pretty cheesed off that Billings was stolen from Kent mid-way through a game just because Ben Stokes is a massive drunken, pub-fighting idiot. WTF are the ECB playing at?!
I mean what has the home of cricket with the influence of people like Strauss and Fraser got that the country bumpkins that Kent haven't?
Why wouldn't the ECB want a team made up of Sam Robson, Eoin Morgan, Dawid Malan, Nick Compton, Steven Finn, Nick Gubbins, Ollie Rayner, Toby Roland-Jones, Tom Helm, James Fuller and Max Holden, all of whom have played in International cricket or been on Lions' tours, playing in Div 2?
Ollie Robinson has signed his first professional contract and Stevens is about to put pen to paper on that new one year deal.
Jennings and Gubbins ahead of Mitchell too! After their respective seasons! It's all politics ffs
And that is why we are seeing the better players migrating to those Division 1 Clubs. They simply want to make them more competitive.
It's thinking the unthinkable, but to me the Canterbury ground is a dump, and a major reason why Kent are now stuck with the also-ran counties. Maybe Kent would be better served "doing a Hampshire" and building a new ground somewhere else?