Interview with Alex Davies:
https://edgbaston.com/news/interview-alex-davies-on-honour-and-pressure-of-bears-captaincy/
PS - as any PR expert would advise, if you're not quite as popular as you'd like to be, make sure you're pictured with a cute dog.

Somerset's Harry Everett says about George Thomas:
"He is the hardest departure for me to come to grips with in recent years. It is said his fielding, and previously his attitude, have let him down, but other than one real dolly drop this season he has otherwise fielded solidly and matured into his career as a professional cricketer. I have not yet found anyone of a Somerset persuasion who is not disappointed at his dismissal, and there is certainly no ounce of it that he wanted to leave the club and town with all his mates, and his brother."

Highveld wrote:

I'm sure he was mentioned in the "end of contracts" thread. :-)

Yes, though I can't recall who mentioned him.

There seems to be a lot of regret in Somerset that George Thomas has been released - he might be a decent Bears recruit:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/george-thomas-1260859

Back for 2025:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/c30l2d76v94o

ITE7376 wrote:

you missed out Barnard who has got oodles of white ball centuries over the last 2 years

Yes, I intended to put Barnard in. My 13 man squad was only 12 because I missed him out.

There may be a bit of a Will Rhodes type dilemma in relation to Danny Briggs because my recollection is that he came to Warwickshire specifically because he wanted to play more red ball cricket. But the reality is that he hasn't delivered in red ball. So if part of his negotiation on a new contract is that he still wants a guarantee of red ball selection, that might be a problem.
I would imagine that counties generally will be looking at the spreadsheet and seeing who might be available soon.

I assume that the list is about right. So a lot of negotiating for the new coach (whoops, I mean Mr Robinson) to do.

Assuming that Chris Woakes was not available, we could have had a squad of 13 for the Blast:
Davies
Hain
Moeen Ali
Burgess
Bethell
Briggs
Mousley
Yates
Garton
Lintott
Gleeson
Rhodes
With injuries and non-availabilities, Rhodes would probably have got a few ganes.

LeicesterExile wrote:

I remember back in '57 viewing the scoreboard from the top of the 1A bus on the way home from school!!

Ah yes, the 1A bus. I remember it well.

A record set at Edgbaston fell today - England's highest ever Test partnership, set in 1957 when Peter May and Colin Cowdrey added 411 together. Root and Brook went well beyond that with 454.

ITE7376 wrote:

GerryShedd wrote:

Some fair points there. You don't mention, however, that in his last T20 season (2021), Will ,Rhodes easily topped the T20 bowling averages with 14 wickets at 11.71.

good point!
I was comparing Will Rhodes' most recent season when he played T20 with Benjamin's most recent season.
I agree that Will may find that he doesn't really have a T20 future. I just think that, if I had been coach, I would have given him an opportunity to show what he can do now after two seasons out of the team if the alternative was for him to go elsewhere for the chance to play.
And as for batting, Chris Benjamin's figures this year of 114 runs at an average of 11.40 and a strike rate of 117.52 don't compare too well with those 2021 figures for Rhodes (192 runs at 19.84, strike rate 134.37), modest though Rhodes' figures were.

ok but its hardly fair to compare CB's worst season with Rhodes's best, lets compare Rhodes with compare Benjamin's best season, 2022, 354 runs average 39 strike rate 163 absolutely annihilates Rhodes's best season

Some fair points there. You don't mention, however, that in his last T20 season (2021), Will ,Rhodes easily topped the T20 bowling averages with 14 wickets at 11.71. And as for batting, Chris Benjamin's figures this year of 114 runs at an average of 11.40 and a strike rate of 117.52 don't compare too well with those 2021 figures for Rhodes (192 runs at 19.84, strike rate 134.37), modest though Rhodes' figures were.

Tribute to the late Joey Benjamin here:
https://edgbaston.com/news/black-history-month-joey-benjamin/

Kai Smith interviewed about his 'performance of the year":
https://edgbaston.com/news/kai-on-a-high-after-his-130-voted-performance-of-the-year/

Interesting that the above article quotes him as supposedly saying that he bowls off-spin. Maybe he's trying to emulate Glamorgan's Ben Kelleway who alternates between left arm spin and right arm off spin.

Quote from the late American football coach Oail Andrew "Bum" Phillips Jr.
"There's two kinds of coaches, them that's fired and them that's gonna be fired."
Just saying!

Will Rhodes' final interview as a Bear, in which he confirms that he is going because he wants to play T20 cricket:
https://edgbaston.com/news/will-rhodes-final-interview-as-a-bear/

UrsaMinor wrote:

GerryShedd wrote:

Here's my review of the season:
https://deepextracover.com/2024/10/warwickshire-season-review-2024/
As usual, kind and constructive comments welcomed and the other sort tolerated because I believe in free speech!

It's a first rate review but I think our coach is MARK Robinson rather than that guy from Neighbours! Maybe Paul could do a better job.
Whoops! I must have been dreaming of Kylie Minogue (again)!

From The Guardian:
"The Manchester United award for underachievement:
To Lancashire, though it was a close-run thing between three big-name Test counties. Warwickshire, where Mark Robinson seems likely to move on, Nottinghamshire, who finally found their feet as autumn drew near, and relegated Lancashire. But the soggy handshake must go to (the other) Old Trafford where a combination of usually reliable senior pros falling on hard times, overseas imports failing to function, Nathan Lyon being pulled home early by Cricket Australia and a side stuffed with talented but callow youths were relegated. Lancashire lost four games by an innings and gained only 15 batting points. The three points they earned during the draw with Worcestershire in the final game of the season were immediately lost due to a slow over rate. Time to hunker down and try again next year."

See the bit in bold.