Bald_Reynard
Member
5 candidates on the short list for Bowling Coach. Allan Donald and Donovan Miller at the top of the list, along with Dale Steyn, Mo Sheikh and Shaun Tait. Interviews have been held and a final announcement is expected in the next day or two.
JT has had a promotion at Edgbaston - from Batting Consultant to Assistant Coach. He goes in as No 2 to MR and will be responsible for more than just batting work. Frosty (for the moment ?!) stays as official Batting Coach.
I would say this means it pretty certain, that our Overseas Championship player will be an all rounder.
Farb has turned down Sri Lanka to stay at Edgbaston - for this season at least.
A very sad bit of news this morning. Graeme Welch has left Edgbaston (again !), to go to Hampshire. I'm really surprised, he seemed such a key member of the Coching staff - and was probably the best Coach we've had in many a year - so many WCCC bowlers owe a future to him. I don't know if its down to money, or a feeling that he'd be better off at Hampshire. I guess we'll find out more soon. I hope we've got a good replacement lined up.
If we were lose a Coach, I fully expected it to be our Batting Coach. I do think Frostie has had his day in that job and we seriously need new ideas and skills in that role ?
Jacob got 185 off 110 balls (28x4 & 7x6) as Young England Lions B Captain, in their 50 overs match against Young Lions A, a few days ago (I don't think the A and B represent a first and second XI). Even with that, the B team only won by 1 wicket (406 for 9 - with 1 ball left - against 405 for 6) ! He didn't bowl.
Bob Willis's Widow has been talking about the future of the Trophy. She thought last seasons formula was ideal, as it led to the County Championship title. This season's has had less meaning - though, if it doesn't carry on, she'd be happy it the Trophy resided (for ever!) at Bob's old County!
The ECB are looking at alternative formats for it, including a sort of pre season 'Community Shield' - Red ball Champions v White ball (RLC I guess - even they wouldn't suggest T20, would they?!). I would have thought a much better solution, is the County Champions versus MCC fixture, which traditionally opens the season?
Highveld wrote:
Cricinfo report on the day, also confirms the conference format will, probably, remain next season, and the club have decided not to sign an overseasn batsman for next season.
Good to see the club will continue to back our young batsmen.
With the signings of Davies and Benjamin (and only the release of Pollock), I always expected we wouldn't be looking at ANY more batsmen (Overseas or otherwise). I think our Overseas player next season will be a Seam bowler - probably a Left Armer. We have desperately needed a good replacement for Barker, for ages. And it definitely won't be Holder!
Lancs 57 for 8 now ! I know winning the toss was crucial at this time of year (and putting them in), but our seam bowling has been immaculate - Norwell, Miles and Johal (I guessed he'd be in, he really has been amazing for the Seconds in the last month or so), all totally bamboozling the Lancies !
Andy wrote:
Squad is up. No Holder. **Johal, Sidebottom and Garrett **are all in. So is Benjamin. And the rest of the usual faces.
I guess one of the three will start in place of Woakesy. A fair bet could be Manraj, he's had a cracking end to the season with the Seconds and promises much for the future. It could be Ryan though - either because he might be being released soon (a bit of a swansong), or because he still has something to offer.
Wonderful. Even at Lunchtime, I never thought we'd finish it. What great seam bowling, and great fielding, to match an awesome batting display yesterday.
I really am SO proud of my Bears. Congratulations to all, but particular to Mark Robinson, for engineering this renaissance in our fortunes. With just a couple of 'tweaks' (ie with Overseas signings and a new Batting Coach) I really feel this team could go far.
U Bears!
Exiled Bear wrote:
Lost the toss, not a great start!
Yep, winning the toss in September is pretty significant.
Team:-
Sibley, Yates, Hain, Rhodes, Lamb, Burgess, Bresnan, Woakes, Briggs, Miles & Norwell.
So Yates in for Benjamin and Briggs for Bethell (from Headingley). Probably what most of us would have gone for, given CB's recent scores ?
14 man squad:-
Rhodes, Benjamin, Bethell, Bresnan, Briggs, Burgess, Hain, Holder, Lamb, Miles, Norwell, Sibley, Woakes & Yates
So Briggs is back in. Which 3 will miss out - I would say Holder is a cert again and Briggs will come in for Jacob from the Headingley team, but the other one - Yates once more ?
Great article on the 100, from George D, in this months Cricketer. He points out (as lucidly as ever), how clever it was of the ECB, to spend £50m on promoting the competition, to get £40m back in from it!
Pollock opening in his last game for us. Michael Booth is in again, but Bradley Currie is playing for Gloucestershire!
Last Seconds game of the season, at Rockhampton.
We're batting first.
Bald_Reynard wrote:
I agree
The_Lickey_Banker wrote:Coming up to that time of year again. My thoughts:-
Not Retained - Ryan Sidebottom, Vikai Kelley, George Furrer and possibly George Garrett?
New Contracts - Jordan Bulpitt, Kiel van Vollenhoven, Karl Carver and possibly Michael Booth & Bradley Currie?
I agree about the players likely to be released. There is a chance George Garrett might have do enough, but I'm not sure about him. As far as new contracts go, yes, Jordan Bulpitt, but I'm not sure KvV and Karl Carver have done enough - yet. Michael Booth and Bradley Currie will probably play again in the last Seconds game (Gloucester, away, on Monday), so a decent performance (again - they did well against Hampshire) might help.
Bradley Currie is playing AGAINST us at Rock Hampton today, so I guess he is unlikely to get a contract! Booth is in again and if he does well, I wouldn't be surprised if he gets something for next season.
Perhaps the earlier pessimism was a bit unfounded. Yorkshire 65 for 5 now, with only Ballance holding us up (so far!). Woakes & Norwell doing what Patterson & Coad did earlier.