Highveld
Member
Averages etc goiung into the game https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#m48c293b5-14d5-49a9-bb82-206bc7bb9a9b
Four day red ball game at Notts, live scores etc here https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#m48c293b5-14d5-49a9-bb82-206bc7bb9a9b
Currenty there is a ground delay.
Won the toss and elected too bowl. A very young 2nd 2xi with Ed Millar as captain.
Warwickshire Men 2nd XI
1
E Miller*
17
AL Davies
3
AS Nahal
83
JR Eckland†
5
LS Gekis
6
MO Khan
7
N Mahmood
10
TC Ali
9
J Pidgeon
10
A Khan
11
J Walley
Averages after the Glamorgan game https://countycrickethub.net/team-averages.html?teamid=16&comp=1&year=2026
I fail to see how signing an injury prone 35 year old, who has rejected offers from Warwickshire in the past, as the number 1 keeper is a sustainable option, or how it will help a young keeper develop if the first team job is blocked.
The decision of who to sign will have long lasting effects on the club and the development of the squad. We have lost two quality keepers in the last two seasons through having a lack of opportunities.
Do we really want to go into next season with an injury prone 35 year old and a 32 year old that averages single figures with the bat and will be out of contact in September?
We have a very talented young keeper/batsman in Kai, he has to be given the chance to develop, there may be errors along the way, but you get that with every young player. Just look at the times Yates and Mousley have faiked while maturing into thier first team roles, even Sam Hain, Ian Bell and Chris Woakes had errors as they developed, but they were allowed a long run in the first tea,m to develop their games and grow into the international class players they became, or should have been in Sam's case.
We either sign an older keeper to be the backup and mento/coach to Kai, also totally removes the need for Davies or find the budget to sign an absolute top level keeper and accept that the club will lose Kai, as there would be no point in him staying if there is no possibility of regular first team cricket.
There are specialist wicket keeping coaches available, Jack Russell is only an hour down the road, Chris Read does specialist coaching and despite their great age it's not unknown for Bob Taylor and Alan Knott to take individual sessions. Also Kumar Sangakhara is in the country a lot of the year and he's a former Bear so could be approached.
Do we want/need someone to come is as the number one keeper, or an experienced player who can help to develop and mentor Kai, and be ready to take over the gloves if needed. Which I feel would be the best option, unless we were able to sign an absolute top level keeper who would fill the role for the next 6-8 years. The wisket keeping ability must be given top priority over any batting ability.
The costs involved, and the character of the person would be different for both roles.
If the club goes for the first option, it should be prepared to have to find a second keeper as well, as there would no point a player staying with teh club if his path to the first team was effectively blocked.
How any new signing will fit into the team atmosphere should be considered too, the players spend long periods of tiem together, would it be sensible to sign some who would be a negative influence on the team culture, and who's presence would harm the performance and development of the team, and players overall.
I'd put that claim down with the stories in the North Korean press of Kin Jun Il scoring 18 holes in one on his first ever game of golf!
Wasn't it claimed when he first joined us that due to hand injuries he was not able to keep in red ball games.
So either he's had a miracules recovery of he has been selfishly playing when he know he was not fit enough to perform the full demands of the rol, and harming the team, and the development of other players.
Also most of his dismissals, this year, if not longer have not needed an umpires decision they are so obviously out.
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.