Sadly Wes Agar's injury means that his stay with us is now over. Shame because he has been by far the best of our four overseas players this season. Arshdeep Singh leaves after the next two games so that leaves us with Linde as an overseas for our final three games and he hasn't played a single game in the CC this season.
Worrying times, AA.
Is Rob Key likely to return in some role or another ?
I'm sure that he would love to because that is what he wanted to stay and do. I think that there were a few issues him doing so and whether those remain if and when Downton leaves remains to be seen. At the end of the day, he might improve some of the younger players but the likes of Denly, DBD, Billings, Leaning, Blake, Linde, Compton, Quinn, Finch, Stewart, Hogan and Klaassen are all old and experienced enough to know their game. Too many of them are simply not performing and that is down to them as individuals.
Of course, next season we have Parkinson arriving but we will probably need to "doctor" a few wickets if we are going to get the best out of him given that, in the last nine years, no spinner has taken more than 23 wickets in a season for us.
Match drawn with scores level. Robson, fortunately for us, demonstrating why he won't get back into the England side batting that slowly - 126 off 252 balls
Match drawn with scores level. Robson, fortunately for us, demonstrating why he won't get back into the England side batting that slowly - 126 off 252 balls
So, our squad for the 50 over comp is now down to 15. Of those, O'Riordan and Gilchrist are, I believe, currently injured and I would be surprised if Logan is picked at all. That would leave us with 12. We might get one or two back from The Hundred from time to time but we could see one or two youngsters/loans/club players thrown in on occasions:
So, our squad for the 50 over comp is now down to 15. Of those, O'Riordan and Gilchrist are, I believe, currently injured and I would be surprised if Logan is picked at all. That would leave us with 12. We might get one or two back from The Hundred from time to time but we could see one or two youngsters/loans/club players thrown in on occasions:
So, our squad for the 50 over comp is now down to 15. Of those, O'Riordan and Gilchrist are, I believe, currently injured and I would be surprised if Logan is picked at all. That would leave us with 12. We might get one or two back from The Hundred from time to time but we could see one or two youngsters/loans/club players thrown in on occasions:
Is there a wicketkeeper in amongst that lot (other than maybe Denly)?
Finch has been keeping all year for the 2s specifically with this competition in mind. It is a strange situation where we've gone from Billings, Robinson and Cox to the first being dropped in the CC, the second leaving for Durham and the third potentially going at the end of the summer.
In the last 2s match, wicket keeper/bat Sam Smith of Tunbridge Wells played as a batsman and given that he is averaging 54.60 this season it wouldn't be a surprise if he was included or, for that matter, Gareth Severin of Hayes who has also been playing in the 2s (and is a keeper too) and who averages 64.00 in the KPL.
I asked this the other day and I think AA stated it would be Finch.
It is a strange one, in some ways, that we have gone down that route especially when one considers that Finch has, in his club career, taken 2 stumpings but has 73 wickets to his name with the ball. He is one of those all round sportsmen who can probably turn his hand to anything and there was probably a reluctance to sign a third keeper who would have to sit on the sidelines when the CC and Blast were going on - Finch, effectively, killed two birds in potentially being good enough for those two with the bat if need be and then being able to take the gloves for the 50 over comp
On another note, it says it all that the ECB hasn't been able to find a sponsor to replace the Royal Insurance for the 50 over competition. We've always had the likes of B & H, Gillette, John Player, Royal Insurance, C & G, Liverpool Victoria, Vitality etc etc but, literally, no one wants to put their name to what is a second rate competition. And that other one that is going on at the same time is not anything like as strong as the ECB said it would be given the reluctance of overseas players and home internationals to partake in it. So spectators in this country have lost all round.
Comments
Of course, next season we have Parkinson arriving but we will probably need to "doctor" a few wickets if we are going to get the best out of him given that, in the last nine years, no spinner has taken more than 23 wickets in a season for us.
I know he plays the wrong side of the river but wanted to say nice one Jamie.
Compton
Denly
Leaning
Finch
Blake
O'Riordan
Evison
Logan
Qadri
Gilchrist
Quinn
Stewart
Singh (Jas)
Bhuiyan
Hogan
In the last 2s match, wicket keeper/bat Sam Smith of Tunbridge Wells played as a batsman and given that he is averaging 54.60 this season it wouldn't be a surprise if he was included or, for that matter, Gareth Severin of Hayes who has also been playing in the 2s (and is a keeper too) and who averages 64.00 in the KPL.
I'm filling up !