Highveld
Member
More catches and stumpings per game than the alternative, as well as more runs.
The other noticwable thing is that the whole team atmosphere is lighter and more positive while Kai is keeping wicket.
There is no way selecting a "specialist" batsman who average less than 14 in the championship and under 4 in the ODC is a viable long term solution
Congratulations to Kai, his 49 not out, means from just 4 innings in this 3rd game this season he is just one run short the the total Davies required 16 innings over twn ganes, he has alao scored more runs than Malik & Jani who have had more games and innings.
Perhaps it is time we started to appreciate what a talented player he is and allow him the opportunities he needs to go onto further success.
He is also taking more catches and stumpings per game,
Now is the time to make him the #1 keeper for the rest of this season and next year. Dougie Brown should be very pleased with how Kai has developed as a player, a great credit to cricket in the UAE.
It is how he is, you accept it because his upside is so good.
It is less acceptable from other players as they fail to provide any positives to the side.
Interesting to see his championship average for Leics is just 17.15, doesn't really suggest he was worthy of a pllace in the Warwickshire side, although is is better than the even more pathetic effors of Malik and Davies.
To be able to get in the side you have to be fit for selection. It does help if you can score some runs &/or take wickets too.
Something that does seem irrellevant in the selection of some players, when the evidence, and the eye test, does suggest they are not playing well enough to be in the side.
Malik had the benefit of attending Malvern College, on of the top cricket schools in the country, and has been involved with first class counties for about ten years, do his performances really justify a new two year contract?
The evidence would suggest not.
https://countycrickethub.net/team-averages.html?teamid=16&comp=1&year=2026
Sam averaging 60 and Kai averaging 44, it makes the fact he has hardly played even more mysterious.
You do have to wonder how a red ball average of 16.18 justifies a two year contract extention, for a 29 year old, especially as Matt Lamb was released when averaging 48 and was significantly younger.
Post game averages https://countycrickethub.net/team-averages.html?teamid=16&comp=1&year=2026
A good team victory, with Sam getting 90 on one leg and the overall performance of Kai amng the highlights.
Did anyone else notice that the team seemed happier, and with much more positive body language throughout the game.
Perhaps we have, finally, got our team selection right.
He is in the sdide. but not keeping. Hopefully this means Ki is playing and keeping for the firdt team.
Live scores link https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#m44c6c209-2b49-46d0-b941-ce43f456bfa6
It will be interesting to see the side for this game.
Probably a delayed start thanks to the rain the last few days.
Averages after the game https://countycrickethub.net/team-averages.html?teamid=16&comp=1&year=2026
It would have been a breech of Law 15 to have declared, due to the situation in the game, the time lost and time remaining.
His average was 14.87 from 15 innings, it is now 14.125 from 16, a total of 226 runs for the season.
As somene said a few days ago Matt Lamb had an average of 48 and had scored centuries in the season he was forced out. Matt was a local player as well, from Barnt Green.
3 runs of 28 balls, out to a dreadful shot, with no foot movement.
Davies is currently unselectable and needs to be dropped for the rest of the season.
Allowing him to continue in the side, with zero consequences for his constant failures, is harming the side and has a dreadful demoralising effect on the rest of the team.
George Thomas scored a century and announced he had signed a two year deal with Worcs.
I feel he was a player we should have tried to sign.
Also, good to see Charlie Taylor doing well with the new ball yesterday.
Live scores etc link
https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#mb180e2c8-0647-4d14-84b6-8702d35ad033
It would probably be the sensible option to include both Davies and Malik in the side for this game, and let Kai have a couple of days resting/practicing before the Notts game.
Averages after the Sussex game
https://countycrickethub.net/team-averages.html?teamid=16&comp=1&year=2026
There is no logical reason to select two specialist batsmen that are averaging less than 17 in championship games.
Malik should be considering himself very lucky indeed to have been given a two year extension. Remember he is 29, benefitted from a private school education, at one of the top cricket schools, and has spent about 10 years around professional county cricket. He's now at an age where it is highly unlikely he is going to improve into a consistant high performer at first team level.
Not only is Davies failing to score runs, but his batting is lacking any fluidity or timing and is actually painful to watch. His lack of batting form is affecting his wicket keeping, which was very sloppy in hte Sussex game. There is also the psycological affect on the rest of the squad of management contimuing selecting a player that is failing without any consequences. It really is time for him to be omitted from the side, and even allowed to leave if some other county would want him.
Just been announced that both Malik and Garton have been given two year contract extentions.
Both should be considered very lucky, as their contributions have not really been desrving ox the extended contracts.
Also Yates and Jani.
It would be fair to say that Charlie Taylor, just 16, is the standout player from the current academy squad. To be playing /u19 international cricket as a 16 year old is a very good indication of a very high level of talent and potential,
He had 2 wickets, at just 2 runs per over, in his first spell this morning.