And that's the bizarre aspect of our final couple of weeks of the season. Only four teams in the country have finished above us in the four day game and we've won the only one day competition. We would have to say that, on the basis of those successes, it has been a pretty decent season and yet for five months we were never really at the races.
Yorkshire won one game and were the only County to win so few. That was against the bottom club, Gloucestershire in the very first match of the season which ended on 17th April. One would struggle to find a legitimate reason as to why they didn't deserve to go down with that record.
Harry Brook was their top scorer with 967 runs at an average of 107.44. I accept that, if he progresses as he promises to, he should be involved with England for a lot of the time but the question has to be, how long a contract does he have because, if the proposed review goes through, he won't be playing in Div 1 in 2023 or 2024 when not on international duty. Of course, there's also Root, Bairstow and Malan to consider too but, as the non established one of the four, I do wonder how long would it take someone like Alec Stewart to pick up the phone to him. 24 hours?
What is the point of Yorkshire even having him under contract - if the stats I was looking at are correct he played 3 games/4 innings in the county championship, and 3 innings in the Blast. It’s almost got to the point where you should try not to have internationals on your team.
Genuine questions have to be asked about why Joe Root didn't play either of the last 2 CC games, and was instead on the golf course.
That I believe is down to what is going on at Yorkshire. There appears to be a reluctance for their players to turn out for them. And if they do it will only be because it suits them to do so i.e. because they need time in the middle. No County with players the like of Root, Bairstow, Malan, Lyth, Ballance, Adil Rasheed, Willey, Bess, Thompsson, Fisher, Coad, Hill, Patterson, Kohler-Cadmore, Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan and Brook in their squad should be struggling. Of those, some were, admittedly, on international duty for part of the time and Ballance, of course, hasn't played this season pending the ECB hearing into allegations of racism. But even so.
Racism was, according to one or two individuals, widespread but that was not the experience of others of the same ethnicity - this has been written about in detail in an article in The Times penned by Michael Atherton. The new regime came in and immediately sacked 16 coaches and members of the backroom staff without due process which is going to cost the County up to and possibly beyond £1m in compensation claims. Some of those might have been racist. Some might not. But everyone is entitled to a fair hearing and the statutory rights that employment law affords them. And that didn't happen.
Milnes isn't the only player that has been approached by Yorkshire but a few others have turned down the opportunity to join them. Now relegated, I bet they are glad they did so. The County is a mess and Root's absence rather confirms that.
Genuine questions have to be asked about why Joe Root didn't play either of the last 2 CC games, and was instead on the golf course.
That I believe is down to what is going on at Yorkshire. There appears to be a reluctance for their players to turn out for them. And if they do it will only be because it suits them to do so i.e. because they need time in the middle. No County with players the like of Root, Bairstow, Malan, Lyth, Ballance, Adil Rasheed, Willey, Bess, Thompsson, Fisher, Coad, Hill, Patterson, Kohler-Cadmore, Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan and Brook in their squad should be struggling. Of those, some were, admittedly, on international duty for part of the time and Ballance, of course, hasn't played this season pending the ECB hearing into allegations of racism. But even so.
Racism was, according to one or two individuals, widespread but that was not the experience of others of the same ethnicity - this has been written about in detail in an article in The Times penned by Michael Atherton. The new regime came in and immediately sacked 16 coaches and members of the backroom staff without due process which is going to cost the County up to and possibly beyond £1m in compensation claims. Some of those might have been racist. Some might not. But everyone is entitled to a fair hearing and the statutory rights that employment law affords them. And that didn't happen.
Milnes isn't the only player that has been approached by Yorkshire but a few others have turned down the opportunity to join them. Now relegated, I bet they are glad they did so. The County is a mess and Root's absence rather confirms that.
On Instagram Root has tweeted a couple of videos about his golf day, including one AFTER the Warks match finished, which is pretty tone deaf as well.
The county doesn't feel like a very positive place at the moment
I liked when Root got a century in the Test at Trent Bridge and the interviewer (tongue in cheek) said must be special to score a century on your home ground (Trent Rockets)
Michael Hogan is 41 and currently playing his 380th and last professional game. Glamorgan have declared on 533-9 with Hogan not required to come to the crease. Nothing unusual there except there was a reason was doing this. Hogan in those 380 games and 307 innings for 3,720 runs has never been out LBW - a world record.
Only one wicket has fallen so far in the Sussex innings. Orr LBW Hogan. Oh the irony.
What is the point of Yorkshire even having him under contract - if the stats I was looking at are correct he played 3 games/4 innings in the county championship, and 3 innings in the Blast. It’s almost got to the point where you should try not to have internationals on your team.
The contract situation and who controls a player's appearance is a bit of a minefield.
Yorkshire won't have paid Root a penny as he is on a full central contract and England control if he plays or not for the County. However, it would not make sense for Yorkshire to release his registration so he can go off and play those few games for someone else. That is the same issue with Crawley and ourselves.
Players that are on incremental contracts get paid less by the ECB and receive a salary from the County who are then compensated by the ECB as and when they are required for international duty. The player will also receive a match fee from the ECB as the full centrally contracted players do.
Players who just get called up and are not centrally contracted get paid an enhanced payment per match by the ECB who then compensate the County for that player's absence.
Now, a centrally contracted player only has to say that he needs a rest and the ECB will then tell the County that they aren't releasing him for that reason. But there is nothing to stop a player such as Crawley, Root or Pope from insisting that they want to play providing they don't have a heavy schedule. Root could have done that but for reasons I've suggested above isn't in love with the regime currently in situ there.
Indeed with Root not turning up for either of Yorkshire's games, despite not having a game for months, and them being in L2 next season, you wonder whether he might move on. After all, that was the whole point of the divisional system, with players leaving weaker counties in L2 to join the bigger ones in L1.
After all we finish in NZ at the end of February next year, and the first Test against Ireland, followed by the Ashes, is in June, so he'll need some red ball practice.
Indeed with Root not turning up for either of Yorkshire's games, despite not having a game for months, and them being in L2 next season, you wonder whether he might move on. After all, that was the whole point of the divisional system, with players leaving weaker counties in L2 to join the bigger ones in L1.
After all we finish in NZ at the end of February next year, and the first Test against Ireland, followed by the Ashes, is in June, so he'll need some red ball practice.
That would really go down well with the Yorkies. I can't see him going to Lancs because that would really rub salt in the wounds and of course, his brother, Billy played for Notts before moving on to Glamorgan so that would be a legitimate move for him.
Crawley only signed a one year contract with us so it wouldn't be a surprise if he were to move on and the rumours about Cox going continue although it is accepted that this would be now at the end of next season. To lose both would be painful so quickly following Robinson, especially as all three are home grown but, of course, there wouldn't be too many obvious options for them (bar the ones that play in the colours of brown stuff) should we finish in the top six.
Indeed with Root not turning up for either of Yorkshire's games, despite not having a game for months, and them being in L2 next season, you wonder whether he might move on. After all, that was the whole point of the divisional system, with players leaving weaker counties in L2 to join the bigger ones in L1.
After all we finish in NZ at the end of February next year, and the first Test against Ireland, followed by the Ashes, is in June, so he'll need some red ball practice.
That would really go down well with the Yorkies. I can't see him going to Lancs because that would really rub salt in the wounds and of course, his brother, Billy played for Notts before moving on to Glamorgan so that would be a legitimate move for him.
Crawley only signed a one year contract with us so it wouldn't be a surprise if he were to move on and the rumours about Cox going continue although it is accepted that this would be now at the end of next season. To lose both would be painful so quickly following Robinson, especially as all three are home grown but, of course, there wouldn't be too many obvious options for them (bar the ones that play in the colours of brown stuff) should we finish in the top six.
Root is a Trent Rockets player after all, so they're his real home county
The local rag's take on what has gone on at Yorkshire. The article even mentions that the players were proposing a black arm protest by the players and the way and the numbers of people that were sacked without due process before Christmas:
Today is the last day to vote for the player of the season. Quite a tough one, as different players have shone in different competitions, and at different times of the season, but plumped for Compton
Comments
6 runs still needed
Norwell with his 8th wicket
Yorkshire are down
Norwell 9-62
What a bowling performance by Norwell. Great entertainment and drama
Harry Brook was their top scorer with 967 runs at an average of 107.44. I accept that, if he progresses as he promises to, he should be involved with England for a lot of the time but the question has to be, how long a contract does he have because, if the proposed review goes through, he won't be playing in Div 1 in 2023 or 2024 when not on international duty. Of course, there's also Root, Bairstow and Malan to consider too but, as the non established one of the four, I do wonder how long would it take someone like Alec Stewart to pick up the phone to him. 24 hours?
Racism was, according to one or two individuals, widespread but that was not the experience of others of the same ethnicity - this has been written about in detail in an article in The Times penned by Michael Atherton. The new regime came in and immediately sacked 16 coaches and members of the backroom staff without due process which is going to cost the County up to and possibly beyond £1m in compensation claims. Some of those might have been racist. Some might not. But everyone is entitled to a fair hearing and the statutory rights that employment law affords them. And that didn't happen.
Milnes isn't the only player that has been approached by Yorkshire but a few others have turned down the opportunity to join them. Now relegated, I bet they are glad they did so. The County is a mess and Root's absence rather confirms that.
The county doesn't feel like a very positive place at the moment
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/63037519
Yorkshire won't have paid Root a penny as he is on a full central contract and England control if he plays or not for the County. However, it would not make sense for Yorkshire to release his registration so he can go off and play those few games for someone else. That is the same issue with Crawley and ourselves.
Players that are on incremental contracts get paid less by the ECB and receive a salary from the County who are then compensated by the ECB as and when they are required for international duty. The player will also receive a match fee from the ECB as the full centrally contracted players do.
Players who just get called up and are not centrally contracted get paid an enhanced payment per match by the ECB who then compensate the County for that player's absence.
Now, a centrally contracted player only has to say that he needs a rest and the ECB will then tell the County that they aren't releasing him for that reason. But there is nothing to stop a player such as Crawley, Root or Pope from insisting that they want to play providing they don't have a heavy schedule. Root could have done that but for reasons I've suggested above isn't in love with the regime currently in situ there.
After all we finish in NZ at the end of February next year, and the first Test against Ireland, followed by the Ashes, is in June, so he'll need some red ball practice.
Crawley only signed a one year contract with us so it wouldn't be a surprise if he were to move on and the rumours about Cox going continue although it is accepted that this would be now at the end of next season. To lose both would be painful so quickly following Robinson, especially as all three are home grown but, of course, there wouldn't be too many obvious options for them (bar the ones that play in the colours of brown stuff) should we finish in the top six.
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/cricket/yorkshire-ccc-a-club-relegated-and-a-club-destroyed-chris-waters-3861999
Today is the last day to vote for the player of the season. Quite a tough one, as different players have shone in different competitions, and at different times of the season, but plumped for Compton