Yorkshire Crossroads?
Won't be seeing this
By Grockle et al
May 28 2013
Somerset's Championship form is still offering challenges to the players and management alike. Poor to abysmal performances in the last few games have started the search for scapegoats from the captain to the new DoC, David Nosworthy. The players on the pitch need to calm things down by starting to bat and bowl like the professionals we mostly know them to be. Not easy when you are hit by international call ups and injuries to key players such as Alfonso Thomas..
v Yorkshire CC1 @ TAUNTON Tuesday 28 May 2013
Home Commentary
Point your mouse at George Dockrell's head at the top of any page for SCCC commentary
The loss of Jos Buttler and Alviro Petersen plus the injuries to Craig Kieswetter and now Alfonso Thomas will badly affect the resources Marcus Trescothick has to put out a competitive side for this very important Championship match. There is no bed of points already gained to help him. We have played badly and are suffering because of it and now we are undermanned in a game that must start the move back up the CC1 table. We cannot afford another 1 and a half day thrashing by our opponents as happend at Horsham against Sussex.
Some good news in that George Dockrell has returned to the fold after a good series for his country against Pakistan and Dean Elgar joins us as the international replacement but that is about all the good news there is. Marcus chooses from;
Trascothick, Suppiah, Elgar, Hildreth,Trego, Meschede, Barrow, Dockrell, Kirby, Overton J, Gregory, Hussain
The only decision is really whether this is the first time this season we see Gemaal Hussain or is the returning Lewis Gregory fit enough to bowl for a full four day game? That seems highly unlikely, so either we are going in with two main seamers and expecting Craig and Peter to shoulder the rest of the seam attack (George and Arul to provide slow options) while Lewis is picked to enhance the batting or we will bring Gemaal in as an extra seam option to take the pressure off the allrounders a bit.
Seeing as our main issue in the longer format has been managing to bat over 200 it will probably be the former option but looking at the way our bowling attack allowed Leicestershire to overhaul 328 on Sunday in 40 overs either option is possible. Unfortunately there is little information forthcoming about why the tall ex Gloucestershire man has been out of favour over the last month or so or how serious the side strain Gregory suffered was.
Unfortunately the present weather forcast may make the team selection irrelevant. At 9:00am, although the rain seems to have stopped for the moment, the prediction is for more rain to come and presently a reading of 94% humidity with no relevant wind. This prediction (which is as near 100% as is likely to make any difference) sees that position remaining until about 7:00pm so unless something drastic happens we can effectively write off the first day of this game. Day 2 looks a little more pormising but Days 3 and 4 do not offer much hope of a prolonged period of play during this game.
This does not help Somerset but it does not harm them against Yorkshire because we are one of the White Rose's games in hand (they have played one less than we have) so low points aginst us does not worsen our position but it does move others further away if they manage to get games to results. The best situation for us if we do not play this week at Taunton is that there is little play across the country and a large number of low bonus point draws.
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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2013:06:01:09:22:15 by Grockle.
Tim Bresnan will be unavailable.
So - on paper - Yorkshire have nobody that should be close to the quality of Magoffin.
Pace attack will presumably be Sidebottom, Patterson and Pyrah.
Having said that two of those three managed to give us some trouble in Leeds.
But, still, it looks a fair opportunity to recover some batting form if we can find a way to life ourselves out of the current mental trough.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:05:27:08:17:35 by Grockle.
Days 2-4 at the usual time.


Not sure what you are getting at.
I wonder what Compton has actually done to spark such opposition – is it leaving Middlesex or being one Saffer too many? The advocates must surely realise that Root still needs time to become a test match opener or are they hypnotised by the power of 'Yorkshireness'?
Bairstow in the Champions trophy squad (and probably not in the ideal first XI).
He'd probably want to play in this game too if England wrap it up tomorrow, though of course the England management would never allow it.
If England do win tomorrow (I personally doubt the declaration will come early enough) then England should let Compton play vs Yorkshire ... He's hardly likely to have become exhausted by playing this game.
Must agree it's unlikely that they would do, though.
Quote:Mike TA1
Thanks Bagpuss that's the first I have heard of it.
They announced it at least three times last Sunday, Mike.
Bresnan, Bairstow and Root all on England duty, along with Compo and Jos in differing formats.
Moin Ashraf, Gary Ballance, Ben Coad, Andrew Gale ©, Andrew Hodd (wk), Phil Jaques, Adam Lyth, Steve Patterson, Richard Pyrah, Adil Rashid, Joe Sayers, Ryan Sidebottom.
On my assumption (with no inside knowledge) I would expect/hope our line up to be.
Tres, Arul, Elgar, Hildy, Craig K, Barrow/Meschede/Gregory, Trego, Kirby, Alfie/Hussain, Leach/George, JOVE
If Alf was unable to bowl more than 2 overs at Leicester, will he be worth risking for a 4 day game?
Tres needs some control in the field so really hope we get both SLAs in.
Assuming that neither Craig K nor Alf are fit;
Tres
Arul
Elgar
Hildreth
Trego
Meschede
Barrow (wkt)
George
Jack
Kirby
Jamie Overton
Outside of Max and Hussain, I suspect the above may be all we have available, assuming that Dibble, Gregory and Craig Overton are all still injured.
On here it is talked about and even in selection they talk about it as being an option but I can't recall in my 18 years us ever selecting 2 out and out spinners for a 4 day game, not through choice anyway (last year at Durham due to only having 11 men fir I think George and Max played)
I did spot Barrow yesterday doing quite a bit of keeping practice on the outfield so yes putting 2+2 together and making 4 I think Alex may well be keeping tomorrow, as normal no information at all on Craig from the club.
Trego at 5 in the 4 day game looks mighty high based on current form (maybe open with him and tell him to pretend it's a Sunday!)
Quote:wsm fan
Yorkshire 12-man squad Moin Ashraf, Gary Ballance, Ben Coad, Andrew Gale ©, Andrew Hodd (wk), Phil Jaques, Adam Lyth, Steve Patterson, Richard Pyrah, Adil Rashid, Joe Sayers, Ryan Sidebottom.
If Sidebottom looks as if he might be bowling too well, lets get Tractor to invite him to the Coal Orchard!!!

It is a bit high for Pete, but then I don't see sensible alternatives?
As for the two spinners? Had both ever been simultaneously available then I think we surely WOULD have picked Rehman and George in the same side last season!? I mean the tracks by all accounts turned considerably.
Either way my team is predicated on the assumption that only those XI, plus Waller and Hussain may be available.
As to prior seasons when we didn't pick two spinners - how often did we ever have two worth picking?
Post Mushtaq and pre-George and Rehman spin had become a major weakness for SCCC e.g. Omari Banks.
I now see it as a potential strength of the club.
We are always so scared of weakening batting line up or not having enough seamers it's just not something we ever seriously give thought to doing.

In any event, who says the pitch will be unsuited?
Last season, George took six for naff all vs Middx in April. He took six for naff all versus Durham in May
Then there were 2 more home games where Rehman took a hatful of wickets.
4 of 8 home matches saw plenty of wickets fall to spin. 3 of these games were won. In the other, Panesar took 13 wickets.
Jack Leach already has a five-for in one of two home CC matches this season.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:05:27:12:09:28 by AGod.
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Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
And we've not exactly had two bore draws on it this season!
So, last season at least we were capable of producing turning tracks.
Might be tougher vs the heavy roller but let's give it a go!
I have no idea about the pitch. George doesn't take 6 for 'naff all' every game any more than our seam attack is constantly wayward and short.
I was offering another hypothetical scenario exactly like your hypothetical scenario.
The weather suggests this isn't going to be a turning Bunsen and the spinners are not going to be taking a 'naff all 6' tomorrow either.
I would imagine the last thing on our 'quicks' mind is to come 'running in and bowling far too much short/wayward stuff'.
But we will both have to wait and see won't we? I am certainly in the camp of one spinner unless injury makes the selection unavoidable.

If we're down to the 13 that I think we may be down to then injuries may indeed force the selection unless they want to pick Hussain.
And that might be the silver lining we need - injuries forcing the selectors to do something they might not otherwise have done.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:05:27:12:38:46 by AGod.
He has a way to go before he is Abdur Rehman but we can all hope.
Maybe he'll go further than our last great spinning hope Michael Munday who cost a fortune in runs to buy wickets except on a rare one game a season occasion.

SLA is a totally different back to leg-spin though so I don't think there's any chance of either Jack or George going the way of MKM and getting regularly carted.
I think one of Marcus's captaincy issues has been a tendency to under-estimate spin, possibly because he himself has often found spin so easy to play. That's not a facility that I believe many English players have.
Of course Marcus "underestimates spin" in relation to you because he can't read statistics or analyse a game on the same level because he is a batsman who plays spin well?
Stunning perception AG. On that basis does he overestimate seam bowling then or can he play that as well?

Craig Overton out for the season with a back injury.
Alfonso Thomas out of Yorkshire game with hamstring problem.
Confirmed that Alex Barrow will keep wicket.
Sitting here with a beatific smile on my face. Please don't worry about causing stress or aggression in my case, you really don't.
I'm just a bluff Northerner. I just tend to say what I see

Lewis has side strain and will play as a batter only.
Craig O reported to have stress fracture of lower back, will not bowl for at least 4 months.
No report on the extent of Alfies hamstring injury
The 13 man squad is
Tres, Arul, Elgar, Hildy, Trego, Lewis, Barrow, Meschede, Leach, Kirby, JOVE, George and Hussain.
I suspect the first 11 named will be the team, I expect Leach to play ahead of George based on recent weeks and Hussain seems to be the least favoured of our quicks by those in charge.
As a Somerset born yokel I bain't too clear what's happening outside thi'k cider country!!
He's never done nearly well enough to suggest it's worth doing. Averages about 12, I think.
This on top of Nick Compton tweaking a chest muscle in the Test Match.
I assume it's a stress fracture or herniated disc or something like that?
I see DN seems to pin some of the possible blame on too many overs for Lions.
I'd have thought Jamie Overton has already bowled more overs this season than Craig had to for the Lions?
Perhaps we will be compelled to play Hussain at some point as a means of rationing Jamie's workload?
I think they said George had the 4th best average this season.
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Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Quote:AGod
I'm sure Craig O will feel much better, having been told by DN that 'in a way it's better to get this kind of injury when you are young than later.'
You perhaps don't agree with this opinion? What exactly is the criticism - he shouldn't have said anything? Is there any grace in you at all? Seems a sensible thing to say IMHO and probably true to boot.

Runner beans that is.
We know we have some significant problems.
The following first-choice players are unavailable;
NC
JB
CK
AT
And a couple of fringe players are (I think) out;
Craig Overton (definitely)
Adam Dibble (I assume).
But for Yorkshire, the position is pretty similar. The following first-choice players are unavailable;
Root
Bairstow
Bresnan
Brooks
And a couple of fringe players are definitely out;
Plunkett
Rafiq
So the position is fairly similar. Therefore, if things do not go well, then I do not think we should rush to play the woe be-gone injury card against these particular opponents.

I didn't include AP in the list precisely because he has been replaced by somebody that (on paper) may be of similar stature, though I could have done.
On the other hand, I don't think Yorkshire have any overseas player in their squad.
We might only get about 2 days play in this week.
And you can't lose a game inside two days.
Can you?
Whether or not one can lose a match in two days depends, in large part, on how long the opposition bat for. If they bat for five sessions, then you're not going to lose and if they bat for four sessions, you'd have to go some!
Quote:Naxxar
The weather isn't looking good.
We might only get about 2 days play in this week.
And you can't lose a game inside two days.
Can you?
Certainly not. But you can win one, as we shall demonstrate.
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Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Any optimism about prospects of any play today?
England have been lucky in Leeds, where the forecast has been confounded.
covers are coming off.
still spots of rain in the air.
If they do drop Compton before the ashes they will look for another opener I would think.
Root and Bairstow are playing for one place?
Our problem is we have no strength in depth and competition for places. Hussein and Dibble are a vastly weaker proposition than their Yorkshire counterparts and therefore Kirby and Thomas continue despite poor form.
I'd highly doubt they'd bring in somebody completely new, such as Chopra.
On the other hand, if they move Trott up to open, who bats three? Would they trust Bell to do it?
Root and Bairstow batting in middle-order partnership over the next decade is quite an attractive prospect.
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Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
If there is a disparity in bowling resources, then I don't think it can be entirely explained away by differences in "size", of County or resourcing because SCCC have been doing well financially and my understanding was that Yorkshire have been mired in debt?
Additionally, we are meant to have the fourth highest wage bill and it's far from certain that Yorkshire are one of the three ahead of us.
In fact, if I remember rightly, there was something in the Torygraph that somebody linked here about club's current financial positions. Most of the Counties provided info in such a way that it was not directly comparable, but if I recall Somerset and Yorkshire provided info in a sensible format that allowed a direct comparison.. and the conclusion was that Somerset and Yorkshire have more or less identical wage bills.
From the clubs web site.
Could be a 7.30 finish today.
Even if we get any play, light will be an issue, as the day goes on.
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Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
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Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Perhaps the management view is that NC's confidence is shot to pieces in which case he could get dropped despite their usual reluctance to drop any of the batsmen?
Does anyone know how long his chest injury is likely to keep him out? I..e when he is liable to be able to resume batting for SCCC?
Quote:Loyal of Lhasa.
Are we now to assume there will be no play today?
Cor blimey! Don't you hate those blokes who say "I told you so!". I told you so at 7.49 this morning siily boy!!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:05:28:16:49:43 by old boy!.

(Just trying to remind BJ of how curmudgeonly I really am)
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Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
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Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
[www.bristolpost.co.uk]
And when George is not bowlin, ask the seamers to forget about the 'corridor of uncertainty,' and bowl for lbws which may also be granted even if there are obvious inside edges!!!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:05:28:19:50:43 by AGod.
Crikey - I must be panicking - it finishes on Friday!!!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:05:28:21:39:56 by old boy!.
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Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
somebody from the England setup (it could have been Giles) said Nick has to go back to Somerset and get back in form before the Ashes.
He said he has two one day matches and a county match to do it in.
my first thought was maybe Somerset may not want to pick him for the one day matches, I hope we don't pick Nick for the one day matches just because England say we should, the team should come first.
We do need a Nick Compton type innings in the county match.
Edit - I found the report on the BBC site (it was Andy Flower) [www.bbc.co.uk]
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:05:29:08:31:15 by Mike TA1.
If NC is as out of form as it appears then I think he's unlikely to help us against Glamorgan on Sunday. But the paper suggested that England have indicated Compton as being available for Sunday and, one assumes, they will certainly want us to pick him.
What we definitely cannot afford is for NC to do anything like have a net in a one-day game.
Apparently, he's not going to play against Yorkshire because he has to for a pre-cautionary scan on what is (presumably believed to be) a minor chest injury.
"I'm sure when you reflect on your broadcasting today, you won't have been a 100% either."
The former may have a bit more to do with Test opening (helping England) but if it's another flat-track belter (as all four Pro 40 pitches that we've played on this season have been) then 40 off 60 will be far too slow and would be very unlikely to help Somerset.
In any event, England would surely have been better off sending him down to face Yorkshire?
Rested, I assume, which may not be unrelated to what happened to Craig.
Shame, though, because Jamie seems to have been far more effective at home than away so far this season. Unless he is exhausted at the time of typing, I would be inclined to have played Jamie in home CC games only as a means of ensuring he receives sufficient rest.
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Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Of course, the exception to that re:their top order has been when they've had Root playing.
Sounds like third slip put one down?
And didn't do what he often seems to which is to bowl 3 or 4 good overs and then a couple of loose ones at the end of his spell.
Suspect he exceeded expectations (and not only mine).
Time for George to bring some extra control?
Still wish we had the chance to one front-line spinner at each end... to try to exert sustained pressure.
Re Compton, assuming his moob-injury is minor, I'm sure he'll play on Sunday and in general in YB40 as well as CC matches - as I believe would be quite correct.

Quote:Naxxar
Again, poor tactics and decisions.
If this goes breast up you're gonna blame it all on the skipper again aren't you?

And, yet, he was bowling by 3:30pm on what, to all intents and purposes, was a first-day track.
This tends to suggest that either there’s a bit in it for spin (or the captain thinks there might be) and/or there’s nowhere near enough in it for the seamers (hence Captain has turned to spin in a bid to gain control.)
If the part-timer is on by 3:30pm on day one, this suggests scope for a second front-line spinner to get a fair amount of work in a match.
And, yes, Elgar will probably be taken off again after tea but, largely, because he’s not really provided as much control as Tres would probably have liked.
84.4-40-142-10.
That's 10 wickets at 14.2 runs per wicket at Taunton.
Economy rate? 1.68 runs per over.
Strike-rate? 50.8
And I know that, in an absolutely ideal world, you'd want a second front-line spinner to turn the ball in the opposite direction to your first front-line spinner e.g an off-spinner to complement George.
On the other hand, the way I look at it is that we are struggling in the CC and, to an extent, struggling for bodies, and yet we have elected to put a man that has averaged 14.2 over the first two CC home games into the seconds for the third home game!
I would simply have included Leach instead of Gregory for this one.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:05:29:16:50:11 by old boy!.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:05:29:16:41:14 by AGod.
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Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Arul is playing, he has the experience of playing with a number of what you call 'frontline' spinners and has been doing it in these kinds of matches for a very long time. You want to block up the other end - he's your man. He is more than some batsman who occasionally bowls no matter how you try and make out that he is, he is not James Hildreth or for that matter Dean Elgar.
You don't have a monopoly of the definition or perception of what a spinner is required to do. You want dual spin then Dockrell and Suppiah are your best option. In this game, I am sorry to inform you, Dockrell and Leach is simply not going to happen no matter how much you harp on about it.

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Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
But it's going to be a fair few more than 300, one would think.
Well done Gemaal to come in and take some - hope it ends up with more than two.
And before we blame us for the score please keep in mind the quality of Mr Lyth who was the only player who came out of the Yorkshire debacle a few years ago now as someone of quality. Good players occasionally make CC1 hundreds irrespective of the best efforts of the opposing team.
Just setting up in advance :-)

Whether our batting group will make that notion look silly remains to be seen.
[cricketarchive.com]
[cricketarchive.com]
[cricketarchive.com]
Three in a row: easily peasily.
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Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
You don't have anything like the monopoly on making that particular assessment or you'd be getting the big bucks instead.
You do need reminding occasionally that you are only a 'fan' with a point of view and access to a computer keyboard.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:05:29:17:49:05 by Grockle.
Just cos AG said it you really don't need to get so excited - lets face it we aint gonna win this one ( again ) are we. Rose coloured.................eye never mind !
There we are!! Problem solved! Next??

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:05:29:18:31:58 by old boy!.
You really do wonder where our first Championship win will come from.
Quote:Grockle
"It's not the best option" in your opinion AG.
You don't have anything like the monopoly on making that particular assessment or you'd be getting the big bucks instead.
You do need reminding occasionally that you are only a 'fan' with a point of view and access to a computer keyboard.
Can you explain the logical difference between you stating 'Arul and George are the best option,' and me stating that they are not?
I don't claim a monopoly on wisdom though I see how you could see it that way. But your bald statement that 'they are the best option', is different, how, exactly?
How will that help development of our squad?
Mentioned but alfonso appears to be out for a month!!
I would say that Yorkshire are in the better position, it looked like there was no pace in the pitch and if you didn't ball accurately there were runs to be had.
Adil Rashid had no trouble dealing with this short ball.
Andrew Gale was beaten by this ball from Peter Trego, the bails removed.
Dean Elgar showed he had a second string to his bow today and bowled a few overs.
Alex Barrow makes a very good reserve wicketkeeper here he is seen taken a ball left by Andrew Gale.
Adam Lyth batted very good today this is four runs and his hundred.
Andrew Gale watches Alex Barrow catch this ball after he was beaten by Steve Kirby
Considering Steve Kirby was unwell for quite a while he still managed to carry on bowling, it looked like Marcus knew what was wrong because he never went to see how he was, several other players did.
Alex Barrow took a good diving catch to dismiss Phil Jaques off Gemaal Hussain.
Before that Steve Kirby had Phil Jaques in all sorts of trouble.
This is Marcus T taking a catch off Steve Kirby bowling to get Joe Sayers's out.
When I'm talking about it being the 'best option' I'm talking about in the game we have here against Yorkshire. The options are limited and with respect to Mr Elgar whose bowling I haven't seen I think I'm right.
When you are talking about it you are talking about it
a) as if it is some kind of fact that can hardly be denied (I see KT has something of the same opinion -at least I think that's what he posted - something about counter evidence) and
b) you are talking about the whole squad.
Now I can see that may be your opinion but as I say it is usually posted in a sort of "and if you disagree with it you must be some kind of idiot" kind of way- possibly even delusional I think you said earlier.
It's good to read that you don't have a monopoly on opinion but I don't really think you believe it.
Maybe you just think you have the monopoly on "right" opinion because you spend an awful lot of time defending whatever your view is against all comers and rarely seem to see any other point of view except you own as possibly right.
Don't agree... but it is only my opinion of course as most things posted here are.
I don't know who would be defined as the "Oracle" on all things Somerset cricket but I don't think he or she posts here and it certainly isn't me or you.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2013:05:29:21:46:39 by Grockle.
Another frustrating day, particularly in that it was really quite close to being a whole load better.
Not much beat the bat but almost everything that did either missed the edge or missed the slips. (One or two did fall short but not enough, I'd say, to make a general trend - three carried and were caught, two were dropped and a few went wide or over).
Bowlers bowled lots of good balls but not many good overs. Gemaal's first spell was top-notch, probably the best he's bowled for us; later ones were still menacing but inconsistent. Alex Barrow did a fine job behind the stumps (sorely tested on occasions) - unfortunately the one ball he dropped was an edge from Lyth on 29.
I do find it quite hard to see us winning this one barring a sporting declaration or something of the kind.
Though I'm not sure we would be in any fit state to take advantage of it at the moment.
Good to hear the bowling was an improvement though the dropped catches were a shame, especially Lyth who is an excellent player and needs to be got rid of or he does what he has done.
Personally was hoping for more at 280 for 5 but it was good to see that they didn't get away. Have to hope for some movement early on tomorrow and then see what the batsmen have to say for themselves.

Quote:I am trying to square this remark with the cricketing environment I grew up with in the 60s, and failing.Grockle
This is Yorkshire Mike a sporting declaration is always on the cards.
Quote:Frome Exile
I do find it extremely dichotomous that you, AG, who have spent at least 12 months bemoaning the lack of experience and "proven-ness" in our "support" players, should then tell us today that no fewer than nine of the established players should be on the team sheet "whenever available".
How will that help development of our squad?
I think I've been consistent in saying pick those that produce the most?
I've certainly never said that we should pick players for the sake of it on experience alone.
I genuinely do not understand your point, FE.'
If you seriously disagree with my slight elaboration on Old Boy's team, perhaps you would care to provide your own view on the same?
Instead of criticising my view, FE, why do you not provide a suggestion as to which players YOU think we should pick?
Whilst you are at it, perhaps outline the mechanism by which you judge the point at which more proven players should be phased out?
Or just take the easy option, which is to criticise a poster without bothering to develop an alternative position.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:05:29:23:24:02 by AGod.
When it suits, Jos and Craig K are "established players" who are not being "pressured" by the "support players": now you seem to want to use their selection as proof that you are all about the rising stars!
I don't need to demonstrate my "mechanism" for phasing players out. I'd rather demonstrate my support for those that are better placed, and far more competent, than either you or I, to make those kind of decisions based on both the short- and long-term best interests of the club.
I'm not trying to claim 'promoter of youth,' of the year for that (leave that to Old Boy).
You seemed to be saying, FE, that I had been saying that younger players were not proven and that, therefore, I should support their promotion, more or less willy-nilly, so that they would become proven.
My position has always been that genuinely good prospects tend to demonstrate genuine potential early in the piece as, I believe, Jack has done.
I'm not saying you should promote them willy-nilly.
I'm saying that it us disingenuous to hold their lack of experience against them, at the same time as promoting a selection which excludes all but one (per match-day XI) of them, from addressing that kack of experience.
You can't have it both ways!
As much as I see Jack as a prospect, he is portrayed as a match winner and a 'must pick' ''front line' spinner on the basis of what?
Cricket Archive has these figures;
First class this season
v Warwickshire 2 for 43 and 5 for 63 from 64 overs
An excellent start
v Yorkshire 0 for 76 from 22 overs in the one innings
not so good
v Middlesex 3 for36 in 21 overs in the one innings
A good solid performance
v Sussex 0 for 27 off 3 in the one innings
not a lot really - bit of tap
4 games - 10 wickets for 245 in 110 overs
One brilliant 2013 debut and some solid stuff besides
Taking into account he has played 7 games and has taken 12 wickets then his career before this was 3 games with 2 wickets for about 194 runs.
Had that been a non spinning non first team regular I suggest that your reaction would have been different but based on one performance effectively he is now a 'must pick' and a 'frontline' spinner.
Others aren't identifying you as 'delusional' for basing your faith on one of the small performers in 2012 being given a chance why should they be classified as such because they talk about other possibilities?
However, in your view others, unless they perform immediately, are confirmed as nothing more than 'injury only selection fodder'.
I think that is what FE is talking about
While some are batted around their heads with their earlier record when selection is even considered one player's previous record is completely ignored simply, it seems, because he had a good first game and you like spinners. He is immediately some kind of 'game changer' and his lack of consideration is a major error by the club.
I hope he is. I hope he takes more wickets but just in the same way that Gregory or Barrow or Meschede should be given the opportunity to show something over a period before being shoved in the dustbin so does Jack before he is lauded as some kind of wicket taking machine who must be picked.
We have done that with spinners before and it hasn't worked but at least we had some time based assessement to go on.
You have faith in yours, others have faith in theirs. Both are valid and slightly based on personal bias rather than written in stone by the Gods and the only consideration that should be viewed as 'sensible'.
The bits in '' are not quotes from you by the way just my impressions.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:05:30:05:41:15 by Grockle.
I'm not saying you should promote them willy-nilly.
I'm saying that it us disingenuous to hold their lack of experience against them, at the same time as promoting a selection which excludes all but one (per match-day XI) of them, from addressing that kack of experience.
You can't have it both
-----
It would only be 'disingenous,' if the unproven players had not already had sufficient first-team chances.
In my view all of the youngsters bar, probably, the oft-injured Adam Dibble, have already either made some sort of mark (enough that they should be considered for the CC first XI) or had sufficient chances to do so.
What I hold 'against people,' as you put it is not lack of experience, per se, but lack of production. Guys like Gregory and Barrow have, in my view, already had enough CC chances to assess their productivity and it simply has not been high enough as batsmen. Gregory, pre back injury was a very good one-day bowler. It sounds like Barrow has done well as a keeper in this one.
In terms of guys who were not regulars prior to this season, I'd have two in there for home games - Jack and Jamie O ( you'll notice there were only ten listed as I had added only Jos and Alf to the 8 that Old Boy suggested).
And when we're talking about a home game, when their home bowling average is 14? We're almost in garden gnome territory again!
As to your point in bold ('perform immediately') I think guys should, in most circumstances get sort of 10 or so CC games. I think that's enough to judge potential...if they are going to do it they will show something really good inside those first 10 or so games, IMO. I don't mean they'll be consistently good in their first 10 games but that there'll be one or two really good performances 'production,' wise.
I think that is the case with pretty much all of our current first XI that have come through - Tres, Hildreth, Craig K, Jos, George (had loads of ODI experience before coming here admittedly). Previously it was the case with guys like Lathwell and Caddick. I think it was the case with Simon Ecclestone.
I don't remember with Arul. But I doubt his first 10 were so unproductive as to be averaging 11 or 13.
ibble - I do like some of what he did in his very limited chances - 3 for not that many and 40 odd at Edgbaston last season stands out as, in one-day cricket, does 4 overs, 1 for 20 in the Champions League semi-final.
So if he cluld get and stay fit he'd be one worth considering, IMO.
"The point is that these things are more about hunch and instinct than anything else."
There is no formula for who succeeds or who fails and trying to impose one on the views of others as if it is some kind of tried and trusted method based on science is futile - when that is done with any level of inconsistency it is even more futile.
It certainly didn't work for Wes Durston's later career and on your basis I doubt Arul would have been here for long. Because you've already decided he was never anything but a back up spinner based on the stats it seems. It's what he was for half his career here but that seems to count for nothing against Jack's four 2012 games stats.
I watched a whole bunch of Lathwell innings - I only ever saw one that showed me what other people saw in him.
We need consistent performers. Jack might be one but stats for 4 games do not a 'permanent' first team player make whatever you say, especially when they are skewed by one (at the moment only one) exceptional performance.
Others haven't pulled out that first game - for them you are saying they never will but Jack must be included supposedly based on the same set of rules.
Meschede is only getting the opportunity now and may not be ready for it.
Barrow may be at the other end of an assessment by your rule book.
Gregory, Dibble?? unsure where they are.
Jamie looked good - does he look as a good now as he did?
Craig O will have to wait.
Max has probably waited too long.
Regan? too young.
Burke? Mutch?
Either you use the rule book for all of them or you don't use the rulebook as your main decision point.
I agree with George and I'd probably agree with you more if you weren't so certain of your own fallability on these points. To coin a phrase "BOTTOM LINE" in my eyes you give no-one you don't rate a chance of ever improving and those you do can do no wrong. It's almost a supporters view.
Gemaal Hussain did quite well yesterday..... I'll leave you to add the "but".

And I AM using the rule book for all of them.
Jack has played 5 CC matches for Somerset. His least effective was at Leeds - the 0 for 76 off 21 when Yorks took us for 500.
As you say a bit of tap from 18 balls in the debacle at Horsham.
But otherwise he has the two home efforts you listed above plus he played at Aigburth last year - figures were something like 2 for 37 off about 18 overs.
So he's played 5 games and done either well or very well n three of them.
It's true that he did get battered by Compton and Hildreth on what was probably an absolute road for Cardiff MCCU but his efforts since then suggest that he's actually way better than that.
Jamie? Performance vs Middx showed same (and some of the Warks performance)
Dibble, I mentioned above.
Gregory has had 11 CC games, which is also his batting average.
Barrow has had more than the equivalent of an entire CC season and has 1 50 to show for it and averages about 14 - but maybe could make a go of things as a back-up keeper?
Jones? I don't know how many times he's played for SCCC? His first-class figures include numerous Uni games, I think? His record is better than Barrow or Gregory, not as good as Craig M.
Suffice to say I think it's a make or break season for all of the youngsters named above apart from the Overtons.
Others you mentioned;
Burke - seems to have done well in minor counties - never given a chance by SCCC so I don't know - what do you think?
Don't know why you mentioned Mutch as I think he was a 29 year old locum or something that played in extremis last year - I don't think he is part of our squad or involved in SCCC cricket?
His best stuff was early on in his career. Used to do things like make scores that were disproportionate such as 132 vs Essex out of (I think) only about 196.
Or score 70 odd out of a total, when dismissed, of 120 for 5.
Tomorrow is forecast to be glorious - so should be a good batting day with the chance to recover some form and pride as well as garnering some important batting points.
What if it were followed by a second season of 9 matches with only 3 fifties and still no hundred, albeit with an average of 49?
What would the "rulebook" say?
And an average of 49, I'm sure we'd all take every time.
Are those Wes Durston's figures, I assume?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:05:30:09:41:32 by AGod.
In his third, his average dropped back to 36, but he made 1000 runs with 7 fifties and his first CC hundred.
The rest, as they say, is history.
One way of looking at it? If you were to double an average of 14 or 11 it STILL would not be what one is looking for from a fixture in your first-team.
If, on the other hand, one were to double 29....
But, to be honest, FE, there is also a wider point in terms of production which is not just about net production but about what might be called "direction of travel."
To put it another way, which of the young players are showing improving production with time? I would say that, generally, the bowlers are doing that whereas there is no conspicuous evidence of any of our young batsmen producing gradually improving returns.
If you are not scoring many runs and not blowing through sides with the ball? At least make the oppos work hard (and take their time) over whatever runs they score!
Is it not time for spin?
My point is that if our persistence with Barrow (for example) allows him to become someone near half the batsman Ramps was, I, for one, would consider that persistence to have been worthwhile.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
It doesn't follow from that that many CC1 teams would necessarily be content with a first-team regular specialist batsman that averages 29. Rather 29 is a decent starting point from which to improve (as young players should be expected to do).
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:05:30:13:36:31 by AGod.
This sort of thing mystifies me. Barrow ahead of Buttler twice at Horsham, not Gregory ahead of Elgar. Why?
Gave up on Club commentary long time ago.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Let's hope he's more composed than that which went before him.
Thanks heavens I've got the BBC back now. That shouty man...
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Gregory was indeed sent in ahead of Elgar.
Surely it would have been more logical to send Elgar in - it was my understanding that he has batted at three in SA?
Regardless, as overseas pro you'd think we'd want to lean on him?
Makes no more sense to me than twice sending Barrow in ahead of Jos at Horsham.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
I don't think i've ever seen a batsman have such opposite form at the same time!!!
Could that final hour be the moment that defines our season?
Well played boys.
I think the big disappointment was losing two wickets to a part-time bowler and shame Tres did not go on to a ton.
Whether or not we save the follow-on, I hope JH gets a ton as that should do him the power of good.
Weather is meant to be perfect for batting tomorrow so we ought to be able to stave off a loss, one would hope, even if we have to follow-on.
The morning session sounded chastening with the ball.

I see Elgar last played a first-class match nearly four months ago. Sounded like a joke ball that Sidebottom got him with.
There just seems to be this malaise that it seeing an entire team underperform. Obviously at any time you expect a couple of player to play badly but it just seems to be infecting everyone.
Worryingly all our seamers except Jamie Overton and Peter Trego are struggling; Kirby, Thomas, Dibble , Hussain, Mechede.. Just how does that happen?
It's the youngsters failure that really troubling for me.
Only players to have distinguished themselves are Jamie Oveton and Jack Leach. One injured, one dropped.
Jamie is bowling too short it seems.
Craig Kieswetter was developing before his injury.
Dibble and Hussain would not be playing in our strongest side anyway would they? Do you suddenly rate them after moaning we have no seamers for years
It's worrying yes but Marcus has moved forward this match and so, it seems has Hildreth
Alex has done a decent job behind the sticks which is good for him because he's hardly had a decent word said about him this season
Tough times but a good side works through them.

Quote:Loyal of Lhasa.
I can't get either the local or the BBC commentary now - and earlier the local one had that old problem of one dead mike. I hope the condition is not contagious, for the sake of Mssrs Index and TA1.
All talk of my death was premature. I hope the other Mike is okay.
On average we might expect to lose all of about 10-12 runs per match by picking Leach instead of Gregory. But I bet the gain to the team of having Leach would have been higher as we would have been likely to have appreciably better control than we did in the field, bearing in mind that Pete was our only seamer that proved capable of keeping a lid on the scoring-rate.
Re:Jamie have the club said that Jamie was left out for bowling too short?
I'd assumed he was simply being rested for workload related reasons e.g Craig's stress fracture.
Not so many good ones to choose from today.
Adil Rushid celebrating his 100.
How Adil Rushid managed to see the ball to hit it I do not know but he did and got Yorkshire their 5th batting points.
Lewis Gregory almost played on off a inside edge.
Dean Elgar hitting four runs.
You wouldn't see this very often in the past Marcus Trescothick missing the ball with a straight bat and being out lbw, this was bowled by Richard Pyrah.
It was good to see Dean Elgar bat for the first time.
Alex Barrow added 26 with James Hildreth.
James Hildreth hitting four runs.
I pack the camera away early, Somerset were batting when the light was not very good about an hour before end of play.
The camera gets covered so it stays dry.
Scorecards don't always tell the whole story though, do they.
Ref tomorrow. Choice 1, we bat and bat and make max. batting points. If we can't do that, then I think we'd actually be better off following on, thereby a) getting more batting time and b) eliminating any risk of further injury to our bowlers!!!
If we save the follow-on then I hope we give George a long bowl and give Pete a rest from bowling.
Scorecards don't always tell the whole story though, do they.
I agree Frome Exile several of my photos show him giving batsmen the Hurry-up (no pun intended) if people don't see the match first hand they often make a wrong judgement. and also I pointed out he was unwell for a while and still carried on bowling.
No thanks, we need to get a little stability back, to be avoided at all costs.
Quote:AGod
If it was discarded for batting reasons then it was a poor calculation by the club.
On average we might expect to lose all of about 10-12 runs per match by picking Leach instead of Gregory. But I bet the gain to the team of having Leach would have been higher as we would have been likely to have appreciably better control than we did in the field, bearing in mind that Pete was our only seamer that proved capable of keeping a lid on the scoring-rate......
Well get used to it AG because it is going to happen most of the season and your golden boy will be third in the list once Abdur arrives when George is also available (the problems of the modern day spinner who does not bat and is not yet classed as 'frontline').
It wasn't a massive scoring rate though was it for Pete to 'keep a lid on' though... 3.6 across the seam and 2,5 from the slows. Not as if we'd returned to the 6 and 7 days of the early noughties or anything. And, as referenced here bymore than one observer at the game, the other seamers took the wickets and made the batsmen nervous.
As there are two parts to the whole game - batting and bowling there are two parts to the bowling, runs and wickets.
Jack may have kept it tight but would he have taken wickets? George didn't particularly.
How would you have married that with a tail that started at 6 (I assume you don't rate Mr Barrow yet).
I think I know what you would have said had someone else suggested it and had referred too the inclusion of anyone else except Mr Leach.
It's a nice idea but it isn't nailed on yet that it would have made a difference and the club isn't going to wear it as an option until either the batting stabalises or Jack knocks too hard to be ignored by his own performances rather than your enthusiastic recommendation.
There he is in the 'Catch 22' of all spinners who do not offer that second string. If you aren't first choice then you don't play and if you don't play how can your performances make you first choice? The bet thing for Jack would be injury to a number of bowlers (and now Hussain has shown a little the line has got longer) or George on extended leave with his country.
It's a problem for a young man trying to break in. Bowl a lot Jack and make yourself a useful middle order batsman.

That is pretty expensive, IMO, and it sounded a pretty uneven performance in terms of consistency and accuracy to me.
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts...for support rather than illumination."
Had young Andrew not thought of it first I should of course have come up with it myself.
I harped on about having a ftm for ages and last week I saw one in action and he saved a lot of runs.
So, if you believe in something, don't let the masses put you off.
I also like the two spin option. Anything is worth a try in the face of adversity.
I don't think the difference between 3 and a half an over and 4ish means Pete was significant over the other seamers (Steve and Gemaal) in curbing Craig's excesses and the others were at least, if not more effective in the wicket stakes.
Craig skews the stats for this innnings in the same way Jack's first game in 2013 skews his 2013 record presently. Funny how stats can be used really isn't it.
But my error so apologies.

I think it's unusual for a cricket team that is really struggling to magically flick the switch and go from losing, and failing to make runs, to magically winning. I think this is because cricket, more even than most other sports, is a confidence game.
I think what happens in terms of turning it around is more often that teams first have to become hard to beat. Becoming harder to beat leads to more confidence and eventually this translates into winning. This, to my mind, was what happened with Nasser Hussain's England.
In the very short term, SCCC needs to do whatever it can to minimise the chances of suffering further defeats and one way of doing that is to make it as difficult as possible for the opponent to score quickly. And that's even more obviously the case when you have a forecast suggesting that you won't get a full four days.
If we'd managed to slow Yorkshire down then there would probably now be a lower chance of a possible loss going into the final day.
Now, perhaps George might have had more chance of taking wickets - especially in a truncated game where the opponent would be thinking declaration - had we been able to apply something of a run squeeze from both ends.
Just a thought.
The theories aren't new but the 'establishment' is nervous of them and the gains are at the moment hypothetical and based on untried or tested resources.
If we get a two spin option it will be because we have two 'frontline' spinners who are proven to be capable of taking bucketloads of wickets. If George and Abdur are present together it will certainly be considered and, if the batting is still an issue, might even still be used because Abdur is no slouch with the bat.
Presently the 'brand new idea' is based on teaming an established 'frontline' spinner with a 7 match novice spinner with one 8-fer to his name in a side with significant batting issues. Neither of the two players having any significant batting prowess that we know of.
It isn't rocket science to see why it may not occur. There is no real certainty yet that Jack will take significant wickets while there is more certainty that he will not improve our batting ability. It's a simple calculation of probability.
Later in the season the probability will alter and the spin option you both so badly want may very well appear (though not necessarily with the pairing you are discussing now).
The 'establishment' isn't being 'stick in the mud' they just haven't been convinced by the argument.
Bit like your third man harping really Mr B. When you were taking offence because people would not support your notion the question was always - where do you take the fielder from and what is to stop a batsman putting the ball there instead. If enough people score significant runs through that position then that position will become important. Maybe it is happening now. It wasn't four or how many years ago you started with this.
You were obviously ahead of your time and a cricket strategist not understood by your peers. Like a lot of inventors - invent something when it isn't relevant and see it become something after your time when it becomes so.

So it's welcome form but not enough to convince, as yet, that he can get back to where he was, pre-injury.
Of course, one might also say that it isn't - in any case - healthy for one guy - be it MT or NC - to be substantially carrying the batting.
But baby steps are better than none at all.

I know what BJ means, psychologically, about not having to follow on.
But if we do bat again and somebody like Arul gets a 50 (or Elgar a good long bat) then that could be very helpful moving forward for games vs Derbyshire and Durham.
Conversely our three main seamers (those that did the bulk of the seam bowling on Wed and on Thur morning) have probably had enough activity - certainly in the cases of Pete and Steve.
He will probably need to do the same here to ensure we pass the follow-on mark.

Quote:AGod
I know what BJ means, psychologically, about not having to follow on.
But if we do bat again and somebody like Arul gets a 50 (or Elgar a good long bat) then that could be very helpful moving forward for games vs Derbyshire and Durham.
Conversely our three main seamers (those that did the bulk of the seam bowling on Wed and on Thur morning) have probably had enough activity - certainly in the cases of Pete and Steve.
What an awful lot of words you've used to agree with me!

Well batted, Sir.
But, equally, little point that I can see in declaring.
Think differently about what, exactly?
The likelihood (which was the question asked) of us getting to 350?
Does not exactly appear likely that Yorkshire will be in the relegation picture, I would say to that?
But I expect Marcus could have said that with the form we've been in, it wouldn't have been impossible for Yorkshire to have a quick thrash i.e 150 off 30 overs or something and decide to leave us a target in hopes of bowling us out again.
In other words, he may have been able to claim that he was declaring to put the ball in Yorkshire's court in terms of setting up a game.
Once George went any declaration would pretty certainly have been seen as an attempt to deny Yorks a point, IMHO.
Quote:Ronniesabre
Id have declared so we can bowl them out for 50 and then have enough time to knock em off. How can you be docked points for that?
Almost right Ronnie!
If only our lads could have learnt something from Horsham, and bowled every ball now straight at middle stump on a good length (where the batsmen don't don't know whether to play forward or back), we get them out for less than 76 and get our first win of the season!!
Next question??
Quote:Frome Exile
Might have got away with it had we declared at 8 down as soon as the follow-on had been avoided; but even that would have been stretching credibility a bit.
Once George went any declaration would pretty certainly have been seen as an attempt to deny Yorks a point, IMHO.
That would have given us four or five overs at them before lunch, too, so it would have been fairly plausible.
EDIT: I'm not saying I would have done it, mind: just saying that if we were going to do it, that (immediately after George's last boundary) was the point at which it should have been done.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:05:31:13:54:15 by Frome Exile.
Not that I think this is a huge issue as Yorkshire are nowhere near us in the table.
I reckon that would have been the only point at which we could have been confident of avoiding a "frivalous declaration" penalty.
At 600 for 2 there would be no problem declaring as the umpires would assume you were trying to win the game....
Hey ho!
In which case it was the talk of us declaring after George was out that would have been immaterial?
Quote:Grockle
Bloody optimists!!!
If you want to swear then your message won't be on the site for long and neither will you.
Ban 'em, Grock.
Oh......

Quote:AGod
Surely if we declared at 8 down that would have denied them the ninth wicket?
In which case it was the talk of us declaring after George was out that would have been immaterial?
Exactly AG.
My whole argument was based on the tenth wicket being the important one, and declaring 8 down looking less "suspicious" than 9 down.
Better stuff from our lads: more to come, I hope.
That said, it was another disjointed and disappointing performance overall, very much second best and second rate. We've been so bad recently that some supporters seem pleased with things in this match, when in truth we only picked up 7 points for a drawn match in which we were always on the back foot.
Much work to do.
Quote:AGod
Where's Naxxar and "the curse of the third innings"?
These days we seemed to be cursed whatever the innings

Obviously it wasn't so obviously it isn't classified as swearing. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Even though it was a draw Somerset showed some fight today, surprising what a bit of sun can do.
Gary Ballance avoiding a bouncer watched by James Hildreth.
Adam Lyth leaving the ball for Alex Barrow.
James Hildreth thought that was close, Adam Lyth is the batsman.
Adam Lyth looks a good player.
Adam Lyth dropped by Marcus Trescothick, Steve Kirby was so upset he pulled his hair out.
Peter Trego gave Andrew Gale a hard time in this over playing and missing several times.
That's what the scorecard doesn't tell you.
After beating him several time he finally had him.
Andrew Gale lbw Peter Trego, he couldn't believe in was in front of the stumps.
Steve Kirby in action again getting Phil Jaques lbw.
Steve Kirby waiting for the umpires decision.
George Dockrell hitting four runs to save the follow-on joined by Steve Kirby, George is smiling and looking at the scoreboard or the Somerset balcony.
This was the best result we could have had at the start of the day.
Encouraging to see.
I'm waiting for a day when I can tell Mike that his pictures are really poor. That day certainly hasn't arrived yet. Thanks, as always, Michael. The batsman looks rather unBallanced by the bouncer.
Thanks for the photos Mike, excellent as always


Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013:06:01:00:02:56 by Scrumper.
Marcus missed three catches as far as I remember and the people around me said they should have been taken.
Lets not forget he did score 74 the second highest in the innings. What concerns me just as much is that he was out lbw again.
.
I've been supportive all along of Marcus as captain and am more than delighted that he now has some serious CC runs. It wouldn't be entirely shocking, though, if, at his age, his reactions in the slips were to slow a little.
Very good batting from Hildy. Meschede applied himself well and was upset to have got out. Our opening bowling was good and Yorks couldn't get away. Three early wickets were hard won.
Alex Barrow kept wicket quite well I thought and it is good to have a competent third wickie/batsman around when Jos/Craig are on England duty etc.
There was good body language/banter in the team when we were in the field yesterday.
It was good to hear.
But, on the other hand, he took them for 70 odd.
So maybe the issue is less reaction speed, more concentration?
But, every other batsmen in the side, bar maybe Hildreth, would like to have whatever 'issues', Tres has at the moment.
I was looking at South Africa vs Holland and I note that the polish sounding opener for Holland took 98 off SA.
I assume that anyone playing for Holland would be automatically eligible to work in County cricket under EU employment law.
As in the Greg Kennis 127 scenario a number of years ago against a good NZ attack. One performance does not a career make.
Hope he gets the chance to show a little more if it is there.


