That's very interesting, though mum is hardly an unbiased observer and her opinions do raise some questions.
If George really did/does want to play all formats but was prevented by Farbrace, why has he chosen to come to a county (out of all the many other counties that supposedly wanted him) that has only offered him a white ball contract?
And if the county really wanted rid of him, why didn't they just agree to tear up his contract rather than insisting that he bought it out, which normally only happens when it is the player who wants to move and the county wants to keep him.
Out of the ten people who have posted on the Sussex discussion forum, I think nine are pleased to see him go and one is sorry. Even allowing for the fact that discussion forum posters can be quite negative (yes, really), that's quite a majority. The consensus seems to be that he always seems to be fit when franchise teams are paying him but he's too often injured when Sussex need him.
Still no announcement from either club. Could it be that he has to pass a medical before the contract can be signed?
Anyway, we shall see.
Because he will probably play in the Hundred, we shall presumably only see him in the Vitality Blast.

Unless I've missed it, I haven't seen any announcement of the George Garton move either from Sussex or Warwickshire.

It looks like Rob Andrew is stepping into the shoes of Neil Snowball. The Cricketer says:
"Former England rugby union international Andrew's newly created position replaces Neil Snowball's role as managing director of county cricket, with the latter moving on to become managing director of competitions and major events."
Talking of snowballs, George Dobell recently reported that ECB payroll costs rose last year from £54m to £67m. The Rob Andrew appointment with Neil Snowball moving to another post will only add to these increases. No wonder George's article was headed: "The ECB is a money pit".

One aggrieved Sussex supporter on twitter/X says:
"Goodbye and good riddance. Remember everything we have done for you George, reap what you sow. Enjoy the money, you money grabbing **!"

Good to know that they have all been rewarded with a Central Contract, except for David Willey who was the not out batsman in the England innings and took the only two Sri Lankan wickets to fall.
Imagine what it must feel like to be dead and buried but still have four matches to play.
Maybe they will prove everyone wrong and walk all over India who are the hot favourites.
By the way, good to see Glenn Maxwell doing for Australia what he didn't quite manage for the Bears.

Updated ins and outs from Cricinfo:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/county-ins-and-outs-2023-24-1404457
By my count, that's over 30 players who have been released and haven't (yet) found another county.

I suspect that players won't even be allowed in the same room as a plate of chips.
It's amazing that, with all the fitness trainers, physios, dieticians and other experts, players still seem to get injured far more than their predecessors who pretty well ate and drank what they wanted.

Latest advertised vacancy at the Club:
https://edgbaston.com/news/vacancy-performance-nutritionist/
How times have changed since the days of Nancy, the cook at Lord's. She was a fearsome little Irish lady who cooked huge lunches for the players, appreciated by Mike Gatting in particular. It is well recorded that Middlesex captain Mike Brearley approached her and asked if her meals for the players could be more
in line with modern sporting dietary theory. Nancy's reply: "You worry about the effing cricket Michael and I'll worry about the
effing food!"
The subject was never raised again.

He has left:
https://edgbaston.com/news/seamer-manraj-johal-leaves-warwickshire/
He obviously hasn't found a new county.
It's sad that two young seam bowling prospects in Manraj and George Garrett have both failed to make the grade. Without knowing the inside stories, it's difficult to know if the coaching staff could have done more to help them.

Dan gets picked for England Lions training camp:
https://edgbaston.com/news/dan-mousley-named-in-england-lions-winter-training-camp/?fbclid=IwAR2-4fl3yT9RBK4NslKa32GGyv9D8DAlROLuO7QmBz6_P0x9YXlMeo1S_i0

Anyway, we should offer congratulations to the Afghanistan coach. I wonder who he used to play for.

Just about on a par with the decision to take cricket off free-to-air television in 2005 just when everybody was enthused about the Ashes win.

Not much of a Warwickshire content; but I can thoroughly recommend this book as good reading:
https://deepextracover.com/2023/10/book-review-footprints-david-foots-lifetime-of-writing-by-stephen-chalke/

Another Behind the Badge article:
https://edgbaston.com/news/behind-the-badge-martin-porter/

The most exciting incidents so far have been DRS showing bias against Steve Smith and the third umpire getting a catch decision wrong.

Good to see three young Bears selected:
https://edgbaston.com/news/bears-trio-selected-for-england-under-19s-india-tour/
Essex are the only other county to have as many as three players selected.

Yes, I agree.

My most embarrassing moment of 2023 was when i was travelling down from the 4th floor in the lift at Edgbaston, the lift stopped and Alastair Cook was waiting. For some reason, I said: "Do come in", as if a cricketing knight of the realm needed an invitation from me before he could get in the lift!

Olly gets a Benefit year:
https://edgbaston.com/news/proud-bear-olly-hannon-dalby-awarded-testimonial/
Surely well deserved.

Yes, good luck to him.

UrsaMinor wrote:

Wouldn't disagree with any of that Mr Shedd. Just one question: as the photo of Ed Barnard at Taunton must have been taken during the first match of the season, had you already made your mind up or did you take everybody's photo?

I'd like to say that I had the foresight to know what would happen; but the truth is that my colleague Harry Everett (who also does some of the Somerset on-line commentary) took the picture and allowed me to use it.