SC_Bear wrote:

Officially retired. Seems like a throwback to a bygone age now but what a player. Doubt we'll see his like again. Thanks for the memories - particularly captaining an Ashes winning team in Australia. A proper legend and a true gent.

Was he really captain in 2010/11?! I'd have bet my life Strauss was. Blimey, I'd be dead!

Terrific player and person though, totally agree that we won't see his like ever again. You have to respect him for doing 5 years post international retirement with Essex too. A real titan of cricket.

I don't really follow international cricket anymore. It just isn't played on a level playing field and due to the expansion of franchise cricket you just won't often see the best competing against the best anymore. With regards to the World Cup, when it went to 10 teams that was me done. Just a glorified Champions Trophy now. Its been destroyed. Shame.

Yes he definitely seems one worth investing in. We've a few good ones aged 16-18 or so at the moment, definitely a positive.

Kent always seem to be in total disarray in terms of injuries to seam bowlers so if he can stay fit he should be a decent opportunity.

Highveld wrote:

Even worse than the poor record of the overseas players was probably the largest signing made by Robinson, and the fact that all 3 of 4 full county caps given out this season were to players whos contribution to the club did not deserve the honour.
Ed Barnard deserved to be capped, but wasn't.

Yeah it's wild when you think that Davies is capped but Barnard isn't.

Yeah fair enough. If I can be picky (really picky, sorry!) I'm not sure I'd be calling Drakes a disappointment, seems harsh.

Terrific move for him. Said in a previous thread on here earlier this week that it just doesn't feel as though he's had a proper chance. Another academy lad leaves having not been been given a real go, it's not a great look for the club.

I'd love to know what actually went on with Johal. He makes his List A debut in 2021 playing several of the games and performing decently, then makes his first class debut at Lords where he not only bowls well but he appears to field well and be a serviceable tailender with bat in hand. Sky commentators talk him up, Dobell on cricinfo says he definitely has a future. He's made an impression. Signs a contract extension in April 2022, it seems to be lift off for him.

He is literally never seen in the first team again, barely even making a squad.

Garrett, for me, has been a victim of the pandemic in a way. He comes into the 4day side in late 2019 and does well bowling steady away swingers at around 80mph. He stays in the side, even took the new ball v Essex, got wickets away at Notts, gets a few top order scalps etc. He finishes 2019 in a really good place with credit in the bank so to speak. Covid hits. No cricket til August 2020. Those who had been injured recover and come back into the side, Garrett goes back to the bottom of the pile. Doesn't play any first class cricket in 2021, plays one FC game away at a rampant Hampshire in 2022, is barely seen in 2023. I'm not really sure he actually did get a proper chance. He did have some injuries to be fair.

Its not a good look on the club and coaching though this. Two academy seamers who both show decent ability at first glance, a little bit more than a glance in GG case, both getting released at the same time. You'd have thought one of them would have made it or at least one of them to have got a bit more of an opportunity. Neither looked out of their depth or had any horror show performances.

Our record at bringing through home grown seamers has been particularly poor for quite some time.

I think its something that will need to go on the back burner for quite some time.

Can't really comment on any potential Test match performances as I don't watch enough of it but Liam Dawson is clearly one of the best players in County cricket, he's improved so much. Had a great couple of years.

MalmesburyBear wrote:

Interesting to see Rob Yates appearing relatively high in the rankings, particularly in the County Championship

I said in the Somerset thread yesterday his numbers stack up favourably in comparison to most other Division 1 openers.

Ben Slater might go above him this evening to be fair.

Highveld wrote:

To become true contenders in the championship, a massive improvement in the quality of the opening batsmen is needed. It is not fair on the rest of the side that the mediocrity delivered this season is accepted, and even worse rewarded with full county caps.

I mean Rob Yates has a higher season average than Rory Burns, Alastair Cook, Nick Browne and Fletcha Middleton who all play for counties that finished above us. He alone had more centuries than Burns and Sibley combined. He also averaged more than Lammonby, Dickson, Hameed, Slater, Stoneman, Gay, Wells etc all regular openers.

He can do better for sure but he's not a glaring weakness. He's clearly one of the better openers in County cricket.

ajones1328 wrote:

Talking to management after the game, they felt the umpires just wanted to go home early.

If that's the case a formal complaint should be made by the club

Totally agree.

We're definitely trending in the right direction. No one won more cricket matches than us or Hampshire this season. We won home to Essex and away to Hampshire, we've not done that for a while, we can beat good sides. I honestly don't think we're too far away. I looked at Surrey in 2022 season and thought 'wow what a team...' i didn't really get that vibe from them this year. The knockout defeats are frustrating of course but I think we're really lucky to be following a county that is generally able to compete well across formats with tje prospect of it getting even better. Some of our younger batters have had a great learning season and showed some real promise. Barnard looks an excellent addition despite some of the mental criticism of him not that long ago, Rushworth has done very well too. The recruitment has been good, the academy seems to be working better now, there are some really excellent prospects aged around 16/17 (think the cupboard might be bare with regards the seam bowling prospects though?), Rhodes and Briggs came good at the end of the season (I thought back in spring Briggs was one senior we might have looked to ease out for a younger player), OHD incredible again, for a team in transition this all bodes very well.

We've done a bit better than I thought we might.

How are we not on here?!

Tayls79 wrote:

Surrey v Hants looks like it's going to end up a nailbiter as well. Which is more than can be said of Essex. If we do win this, and I think that's going to be tough from here, we will be very close to matching Essex and I didn't consider that a possibility until a few hours ago.

Apart from that little mid season wobble after the Blast, we've had a good season.

Has been signed by MI Cape Town to play in the SAt20 this winter. A good opportunity for him and you'd think for the sake of his career one he needs to do quite well in should he get a chance to play.

Davies living a charmed life, a few flashes through the slips/gully and now dropped by Rew.

Our openers have got out to 2 absolute pearlers. That ball Yates got shaped in then seamed away, i mean what can you do. Tough gig this opening lark.