Middlesex apparently are willing to let expensive players go because their financial punishments have meant they need to lower costs.
They need to reduce the number of expensive senior players and one format players too. TRJ apparently could be on the way out.
Sussex were desperate for an experienced multi format keeper, wanted Burgess or Cox from Kent, but couldn’t afford them as they’re younger and in their prime.
A friend of mine is a Sussex fan, Carter apparently isn’t a great gloveman and his batting flatters to deceive. Scores easy runs typically on a very flat Hove pitch. But now he can sit behind Simpson, maybe play as a batsman and work on his game.
Simpson was a cheaper option because he’s only got a 2-3 years left. He provides experience and depth.

The ECB with some serious questions to answer after the shambolic showing in this World Cup so far.
Bet Strauss is rubbing his hands with glee, eyeing up another pointless and overpaid review.
The county game will somehow be blamed for this, as is always the case.

I think after a day in the field they’re allowed to be pretty calorific.
Pizza, chips, burgers etc. it’s about getting the calories back in.

On the injury front and why players seem more injured. I’ve always thought that it’s not about more injuries, it’s about medicine/scans improving to the extent that more injuries are found. Previously they’d have been written off as a sprain, minor pull or something like that. Now they can identify them better.
That affects how the attitude has changed. If you’re told it’s a sprain then you’re expected to strap it and go. If you’re told it’s a contusion of the cartilage (I don’t know if that’s a thing but sounds serious), then seems more reasonable to sit out.

On those 2 points.
1) as much as coaches do know about players attitudes, abilities etc. if this was 1 young seamer I’d understand. But it’s 2 this year. And countless over the last 10 who haven’t been brought through from academy to first team regular. They can’t all have poor attitudes and don’t put in the effort.

2) whilst a players attitude and effort and all those things are part of the judgement for sure. At the end of the day, players need to be judged on their performances on the pitch. That’s what counts the most. And being a great bloke and trying your hardest is irrelevant if you’re not taking wickets, or end up with a top 3 as robust as wet toilet paper.

Hard to know for sure, but considering where he was 2 years ago, you’ve got to think there’s been some significant issue that’s caused his performances to drop off.

Shame really, but once again a club failure to bring through a promising young seamer. You just hope the likes of Che Simmons can come through and buck that trend.

I have so much more respect for the Indians and BCCI because they’re not even pretending that they care about the matches other teams are in.
No opening ceremony, but a big show before the India vs Pakistan match. Grounds bordering on a quarter full unless India are playing. They’re not hiding anything, they don’t care what everyone else thinks.

Is anyone else struggling to get into this World Cup?
I don’t know if it’s because there’s been no close matches, the crowds seem small due to the cavernous stadiums, or if because it’s so long that none of the early matches seem important.
Doesn’t quite have the appeal yet.

7/10 is definitely fair.
Almost but not quite sums up a lot of the players too.
Plenty had good moments without having a great season. We just lacked that something, whether it was a bit of luck, a key moment, or a difference maker on our side that would have taken a good season to a great season.

Think the top 3 really needs looking at for next year. Far too often we were 3 down inside 10/15 overs or the power play . Tough to win any competition like that.

I know I’ve said it before, but feel that Johal performed well on his rare opportunities, like at the end of the 2021 season. Never saw him again in the first class team after that BWT match.
I don’t know whether they decided because of his performances in the second XI that he wouldn’t be given more chances. Or if they simply thought he lacked the raw ability like pace or movement to succeed higher up.
Think Garrett just wasted too many chances over the years, but he got 2 more years than Johal did.

I don’t know if this is just Warwickshire or if it’s something around all the counties and the game in this country in general now. But I think what we’re discovering is that it seems to take a much longer time now for players to break through.
Maybe it’s just that there’s more visibility on academies and second elevens now. But from players first appearing on the radar to them becoming viable regular first team options seems to take much longer now. Mousley is a good example, Bethell too.

Can’t say I’m disappointed about no hotel. Too many grounds being ruined by things like this, or losing what makes them unique.

I don’t know if it’s just me, but across the counties the list of released players seems less impressive than a few years ago.
I mean we signed Chris Rushworth as a free agent last off season. There’s no one who’s even close to that this year. And he was an outlier, based on the talent that gets to free agency in recent years.
Looks like it’s becoming more and more like football where players are signed whilst still on contract, and good players never make it to free agency.

Looking around, Godleman and Ball are by far the best players and both have very obvious issues in terms of age and injury history.

Will admit to not being a fan of how the MVP is calculated. It removes the circumstances, meaning a century against a top attack, on a tough deck, to win the match, is the same as a century on a flat deck, against a poor attack in a match that’s always going to be a draw. Cheapens genuine achievements and promotes stat padding.

That being said, Dawson has been excellent this year. With bat and ball. He seems to be turning it a lot more now than in previous years. Which might explain why teams have struggled against him, expecting non-turning darts as has been his speciality for years, and instead getting genuine movement seems to have taken many by surprise.

“Personal reasons”.

I wonder if the repeated volleys of abuse Sussex launched at Leicestershire might have something to do with that.
Or if he realised Leicestershire weren’t in as bad a place as he thought when he chose to leave earlier in the season.

Problem with Yates is it’s either feast or famine.
He doesn’t get a 30 or 40, and see off the new ball.
If he doesn’t get a decent score it’s typically single figures in 3 or 4 overs. He hasn’t quite mastered the battling part of opening, protecting the middle order.
He’s been the best of the top 3, but the top 3 hasn’t looked good for most of the season. Until recently Rhodes has been poor, Davies has been really poor other than that first match. Too often they all fail.

Have just been told by someone within the club that the players end of season bonus will be roughly a couple grand more each for finishing 3rd instead of 4th.

So I was totally wrong about it not being motivation. That’ll definitely get a few of them pushing harder on the last day.

I think the players care about finishing as high as they can, but it’s not a motivating factor if that makes sense.
You don’t give pre-match speeches about finishing 3rd typically. It’s not something that will be putting pressure on them like previous last matches of the season. If we get third here you won’t see huge hugs and players charging around.

When it was announced before the 3rd ODI it only mentioned sides in must win matches like Surrey and Kent.
But Lancs have brought Hartley back in, and they’re basically guaranteed 5th.
Not sure there’s much to gain for us, let Hain start his holidays early. Think his parents had flown over to watch him in his international debut, so maybe he can spend some time with them.

He must have one hell of an agent. Considering he’s been poor in the blast and hundred for 2 years it’s a great deal for him. I wonder if he counts as a South African domestic player, and that’s helped his cause.

Davies getting more luck in this one innings than some players get all season. Won’t complain though, about time some luck went our way.