Not many results this week as the weather gets involved, despite bizarre happenings at Taunton. The tables are still sorting themselves out and Division 2 has a very strange look to it.
Division 1
The weather and the fact that Headingley is turning into a surface as reliable as Taunton meant that a positive result was never an option between Yorkshire and Worcestershire. Batting first in dank conditions, Yorkshire declared in 460 for 6, with Jacques Rudolph getting 198 and Antony McGrath 120 in a stand of 247. At 39 for 2, Yorkshire had thoughts of enforcing a follow on. However, a stand of 317 between Vikram Solanki (206 not out) and Moeen Ali (153) meant that Worcester won the battle of the bonus points as they finished on 405 for 3.
Taunton looked like it was playing to type as Durham racked up 543, with Dale Benkenstein scoring 181 against Somerset. What followed, though, was not expected as Graham Onions celebrated his England call up by taking 6 for 31 as Somerset made just 69. Normal service was resumed in their second innings which closed with them on 485 for 5, centuries for Marcus Trescothick, Craig Kieswetter and Justin Langer.
At Old Trafford, Lancashire batted first, but were bowled out for just 189, Andre Adams taking four wickets. In reply, Nottinghamshire declared on 367 for 9, with Adam Voges making 95. Ashwell Prince led Lancs to safety, making an unbeaten 135 in their 230 for 3 in another weather affected encounter.
Finally in Division 1 to the Rose Bowl, where Sean Ervine made 109 out of Hampshire’s 350 for 8 declared. Matt Prior replied with 140 as Sussex managed 336 all out and with the weather intervening, there was only time for Hants to reach 127 for 2 by the end of play.
Division 2
Northamptonshire hosted Gloucestershire and the visitors made 294, thanks to a late order unbeaten 60 from Ian Saxelby, David Wigley taking 6 wickets. Northants responded with just 161, Steve Kirby and Vikram Banerjee taking four wickets a piece. Gloucester made 237 second time round, setting Northants 370 to win, with Gloucester being two bowlers down through injury. Despite the injuries, Northants were bowled out for 326 to give Gloucester the win which puts them second in the table.
Setting the pace are Derbyshire, who were saved by the weather as they visited Glamorgan. The home side declared on 403 for 6, with Mike Powell and Jamie Dalrymple getting tons. Derby were then bowled out for 210 and were struggling on 34 for 3 following on when the game drew to a close, with two days lost to the weather.
The title favourites met at Chelmsford, where Essex batted first and made 370, with Matt Walker making 98 and James Foster 99. In reply, Kent made just 205 to leave Essex well on top. Following on, Kent did much better and with Darren Stevens and Martin van Jaarsveld making centuries, they declared on 512 for 9, setting Essex a target of 348 to win. This time it was Essex’s turn to collapse, Robbie Joseph taking 6 wickets as they made just 155 to leave Kent as comfortable winners.
Andrew Strauss warmed up for the test series with a ton for Middlesex against Leicestershire. He was joined by Philip Hughes and Eoin Morgan in scoring centuries as Middlesex made 493 for 7. Leicester struggled to 258 in reply. However, as is often the case, the follow on was much more successful, with James Taylor getting a ton as they made 400 for 7 as the game petered out into a draw.
England Player Watch
Michael Vaughan’s week went from bad to worse as he made just 5 in Yorkshire’s 460 for 6. Ali Cook made a run a ball 41 in Essex’s first innings, but collapsed with the rest of the team in the second innings. Andrew Strauss looks in fine form with a run a ball 150, while ODI new boy Eoin Morgan also hit a ton.
Following the plethora of centuries from other wicket keepers last week, Matt Prior responded with one of his own this week and one suspects he will need to be injured not to be England’s test keeper for the summer. James Foster’s 99 keeps him to the top of those poised to challenge for Prior’s place if an injury does occur though.
Contrasting fortunes for the England new-boys Tim Bresnan went wicketless for Yorkshire, while his fellow England debutant, Graham Onions took a 6-fer, outperforming Steve Harmison yet again. Ryan Sidebottom started the rot for Notts against Lancs as he took two early wickets with the new ball. Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar bowled tidily, but picked up just the one wicket apiece in seaming conditions.
Player of the Week
Mentions to Jacques Rudolph, who’s 198 was made in tricky conditions and Vikram Solanki’s who’s 206 wasn’t, but you still have to get the runs. However, the outstanding performance was at Taunton, a pitch normally associated with batting feats. Player of the Week for his first innings 6 for 31 is England new boy, Graham Onions
Showing posts with label Vikram Solanki. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vikram Solanki. Show all posts
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
Thursday, 9 October 2008
2008 – County Team of the Season
So once again, congratulations to Durham, Warwickshire and Worcestershire, while Surrey and Kent look forward to life in a lower league (hang on – didn’t I say that would happen?). One last duty before the tremendous 2008 county season is put to bed. Following Tim’s review of the season, comes my Team of the Season. Same rules as last year: only those who win a player of the week are eligible, so Jacques Rudolph and Steve Harmison aren’t eligible for selection but Josh Cobb and Darren Pattinson are. The team also fits to county regulations with only one overseas player, although I must admit that was through merit rather than planning!
Openers - No specialist openers won a POTW this season, so the places have to go to two players who have filled in rather a lot.
1, Andrew Gale (Yorks) A breakthrough season for the young batsman, who scored a match winning century in week 2 and has been one of the reasons for Yorkshire scoring more batting points than anyone else in Division 1.
2, Vikram Solanki (Worcs) Outscored by Stephen Moore over the season, but scored big when it mattered, including 270 at quicker than a run a ball against Gloucestershire. Captained the team back to Division 1, averaged 47 and scored well over a thousand runs – a fine season.
Middle order – also available for selection were Josh Cobb, Sean Ervine, Tony Frost, Ian Blackwell and most unlucky of all, Martin van Jaarsveld
3, Ravi Bopara (Essex) Following a disappointing winter with England Bopara delivered very quickly for Essex, making POTW in week 1 and keeping that form going all season. He still looks unsure in an England shirt, being dropped for the more recent One Day matches and the forthcoming tour, but for Essex he has averaged nearly 65 and keeps Martin van Jaarsveld out of this team.
4, Mark Ramprakash (Surrey) In any other team he would be a star. In the current Surrey set up, he is so far ahead of the rest of his team mates, it is embarrassing. He couldn’t perform his heroics of single handedly keeping the team up again, but averaging over 60 and reaching his 100th hundred, he had a fine season.
5, Will Smith (Durham) The champion’s only representative shows how much of a team effort winning the title was. He started the season as Paul Collingwood’s stand in and ended up by outscoring the likes of Chanderpaul, di Venuto and Benkenstein.
Wicket-keeper – missing out were Chris Read and James Pipe
6, Matt Prior (Sussex) Like Bopara, Prior had a lot to prove after a difficult winter with England. Like Bopara, Prior answered his critics by scoring a lot of runs regularly, averaging over 50 for the season. At the start of the season, Prior was responsible for keeping the Sussex batting together as the rest of the team struggled. His keeping has reportedly improved immensely and he has been rewarded with an England recall.
All-Rounders – missing out are Jonathan Clare and Ian Blackwell (again)
7, Adil Rashid (Yorks) The final POTW, with his sole century of the season and a 7 wicket haul to kleep Yorkshire in Division 1. His bowling got better and better during the season, with 62 wickets despite the damp summer, while his batting went backwards until that last, vital innings. The England Lions tour beckons for the winter and it will be a surprise if he isn’t in the full England squad this time next year.
8, Dimitri Mascarenhas (Hants) With the loss of Shane Warne at the start of the season, Hampshire went to one of the title favourites to relegation candidates. However, a remarkable run at the end of the season, inspired by Mascarenhas, who averaged 30 with the bat and took 41 wickets at 23 with the ball, saw them as unlikely title candidates even one the last day of the season, finishing 3rd. A downside to the season was the loss of his England limited overs place, to the bemusement of everyone.
Spinner
9, Imran Tahir (Hants) Of course, Mascarenhas was helped in his turning around the Hampshire season by the introduction of a spinner who looked awful in his one performance for Yorkshire last season, but took 44 wickets at 16 in just 7 games at the back end of this season. Tahir gave the team the mystery factor that Warne’s absence had taken away. It will be interesting to see how he fairs over a full season next year.
Seamers – missing out are Yasir Arafat and Ryan McLaren
10, James Tomlinson (Hants) Hampshire’s third representative in the team, Tomlinson was the top wicket taker in Division 1 and was responsible for keeping Hants in touch with the rest of the division during the first half of the season, particularly inspiring a vital win over Yorkshire, which started the Hants revival.
11, Darren Pattinson (Notts) Michael Vaughan may not have heard of him, but he’s never been that interested in county cricket anyway. Pattinson, a Grimsby born Aussie bred roofer ended up being selected for England based on some excellent early season form, leading the Notts attack in the absence of Broad and Sidebottom
Openers - No specialist openers won a POTW this season, so the places have to go to two players who have filled in rather a lot.
1, Andrew Gale (Yorks) A breakthrough season for the young batsman, who scored a match winning century in week 2 and has been one of the reasons for Yorkshire scoring more batting points than anyone else in Division 1.
2, Vikram Solanki (Worcs) Outscored by Stephen Moore over the season, but scored big when it mattered, including 270 at quicker than a run a ball against Gloucestershire. Captained the team back to Division 1, averaged 47 and scored well over a thousand runs – a fine season.
Middle order – also available for selection were Josh Cobb, Sean Ervine, Tony Frost, Ian Blackwell and most unlucky of all, Martin van Jaarsveld
3, Ravi Bopara (Essex) Following a disappointing winter with England Bopara delivered very quickly for Essex, making POTW in week 1 and keeping that form going all season. He still looks unsure in an England shirt, being dropped for the more recent One Day matches and the forthcoming tour, but for Essex he has averaged nearly 65 and keeps Martin van Jaarsveld out of this team.
4, Mark Ramprakash (Surrey) In any other team he would be a star. In the current Surrey set up, he is so far ahead of the rest of his team mates, it is embarrassing. He couldn’t perform his heroics of single handedly keeping the team up again, but averaging over 60 and reaching his 100th hundred, he had a fine season.
5, Will Smith (Durham) The champion’s only representative shows how much of a team effort winning the title was. He started the season as Paul Collingwood’s stand in and ended up by outscoring the likes of Chanderpaul, di Venuto and Benkenstein.
Wicket-keeper – missing out were Chris Read and James Pipe
6, Matt Prior (Sussex) Like Bopara, Prior had a lot to prove after a difficult winter with England. Like Bopara, Prior answered his critics by scoring a lot of runs regularly, averaging over 50 for the season. At the start of the season, Prior was responsible for keeping the Sussex batting together as the rest of the team struggled. His keeping has reportedly improved immensely and he has been rewarded with an England recall.
All-Rounders – missing out are Jonathan Clare and Ian Blackwell (again)
7, Adil Rashid (Yorks) The final POTW, with his sole century of the season and a 7 wicket haul to kleep Yorkshire in Division 1. His bowling got better and better during the season, with 62 wickets despite the damp summer, while his batting went backwards until that last, vital innings. The England Lions tour beckons for the winter and it will be a surprise if he isn’t in the full England squad this time next year.
8, Dimitri Mascarenhas (Hants) With the loss of Shane Warne at the start of the season, Hampshire went to one of the title favourites to relegation candidates. However, a remarkable run at the end of the season, inspired by Mascarenhas, who averaged 30 with the bat and took 41 wickets at 23 with the ball, saw them as unlikely title candidates even one the last day of the season, finishing 3rd. A downside to the season was the loss of his England limited overs place, to the bemusement of everyone.
Spinner
9, Imran Tahir (Hants) Of course, Mascarenhas was helped in his turning around the Hampshire season by the introduction of a spinner who looked awful in his one performance for Yorkshire last season, but took 44 wickets at 16 in just 7 games at the back end of this season. Tahir gave the team the mystery factor that Warne’s absence had taken away. It will be interesting to see how he fairs over a full season next year.
Seamers – missing out are Yasir Arafat and Ryan McLaren
10, James Tomlinson (Hants) Hampshire’s third representative in the team, Tomlinson was the top wicket taker in Division 1 and was responsible for keeping Hants in touch with the rest of the division during the first half of the season, particularly inspiring a vital win over Yorkshire, which started the Hants revival.
11, Darren Pattinson (Notts) Michael Vaughan may not have heard of him, but he’s never been that interested in county cricket anyway. Pattinson, a Grimsby born Aussie bred roofer ended up being selected for England based on some excellent early season form, leading the Notts attack in the absence of Broad and Sidebottom
Monday, 29 September 2008
2008 Season Review: Worcestershire
Continuing our season reviews, here is an assesment of Worcestershire's campaign.
Championship Division Two – 2nd; (2nd)
Friends Provident Trophy – 3rd, South West Conference; (Group Stage)
Twenty20 Cup – 5th, Mid/West/Wales Division; (Group Stage)
Pro40 Division One – 7th (4th)
Worcestershire began the 2008 season with high hopes of regaining their division one status in the county championship, as well as cementing their place as one the most consistent one day teams in the country.
Boosted by high profile winter signing Simon Jones, as well as the promise of young talents such as Darryl Mitchell, Stephen Moore and Steve Davies being nurtured by the more mature Kabir, Hick and Smith it looked as though the season held real promise.
At the beginning of the campaign Worcestershire found themselves with an Aussie leading the attack, as surprisingly Simon Jones was injured! Steve Magoffin came with a good pedigree from Western Australia, and was filling in for the internationally committed Fidel Edwards. Magoffin bowled manfully, for long spells throughout the start of the season and when he left mid season it was with a respectable 23 wickets at 32.
However, the real early season column inches were being filled by the other two seamers, Kabir and Simon Jones. It was almost a certainty that one or the other would take a five wicket haul every innings, and before injury curtailed Jones’ season he had taken a staggering 42 wickets at just 18.
The other star performer of the early season was Stephen Moore. The first man to reach 500 championship runs (in a really poor season for batsmen all over the country) Moore finished the season with 1288 first class runs at 54 with 5 hundreds. He finally signed a new deal with the club during the season and is now firmly established as one of the finest openers in the country.
As well as Worcestershire’s solid start to the championship campaign there was a more than reasonable attempt at the Friends Provident Trophy. Although the value of this trophy seems to be rated higher than the Pro40 league, it is unlikely that any Worcestershire player would complain too strongly if this early season farce was scrapped. With too many games affected by the weather, this is simply a distraction and a further congestant to the fixture calendar that the players don’t need. With too many dead overs in the middle the game lasts too long and doesn’t make for attractive viewing.
In terms of other domestic one day competitions Worcestershire flattered to deceive again in the T20 cup, and despite possessing such potential stars as Solanki, Hick and Ali Worcestershire just can’t seem to get to grips with twenty over cricket. Again, Hick was the clubs highest run scorer in the competition and this is just one area in which the club will struggle to replace the great man.
Strangely, although having to contest a place in the end of season play off in the Pro40, this was probably the clubs most successful one day competition. It certainly was for one young man, who after an impressive season in championship cricket (698 runs at 38) had a blistering finish to the season in the Pro40. Steve Davies scored 491 runs at 82 in Pro40 and if another good season follows next year an England call up surely cant be too far away.
However, despite all of the seemingly endless one day games Worcestershire marched on in the championship and in an amazing spell won four out of five championship matches, three by ten wickets and the other by an innings. This really was the spell when promotion was clinched for the club.Eventually the club stumbled over the line, hampered by injuries to key players (including, unsurprisingly Jones) and eventually lost the title to rivals Warwickshire.
Funnily enough, this was not the biggest event of the final few weeks of the season. A fairly innocuous 14 made at Kidderminster, ironically the ground where he first came into English cricket, saw the end of the greatest career in the modern game. Graeme Ashley Hick was forced to retire before the end of the season and there is nothing to said really apart from thanks Graeme, and enjoy your retirement because we have certainly enjoyed watching you over the last twenty-odd years. A staggering 64000 runs in all cricket make him the highest run scorer ever, and although he is humble about his achievements now – that is the way of the man – I am sure one day he will look back and allow his chest to swell just a little with pride about his career at New Road.
So, to the future. Who replaces the great man, and who do Worcestershire need to bring in to survive in the now ultra competitive division one. The batting has looked vulnerable, and Moore will need a couple of new recruits around him to take the pressure off. Spin bowling has been lacking as Gareth Batty’s powers have waned over the last couple of years and the seam department still looks light on the ground, especially with the possibility of Simon Jones breaking down at any moment.
Player of the season:
Tough to choose between Kabir (59 wickets @ 18.74) or Moore (1288 runs @ 53.66). The fact that Moore carried the batting on his own on more than one occasion gives him the edge.
Most disappointing player:
Fidel Edwards for not turning up would be the easiest to say, but probably Gareth Batty. 393 runs @ 28 and 25 wickets @ 38 makes pretty poor reading and this is possibly an area for Steve Rhodes to look at. However, he has been bowling on a soggy New Road pitch and may profit from drier grounds such as Hove, Trent Bridge and Taunton.
Highlight:
Back to back 10 wicket wins in the middle of that purple patch in July confirmed the club were headed for promotion.
Lowlight:
Difficult to pick one on the playing side, but it would probably be the retirement of the greatest Worcestershire batsman ever. However the club choose to honour him will be fitting, but not only is he one of the greatest cricketers of the modern era, he is a terrific human being, too. A sad loss to our game.
If you're interested in writing a season review for your county, please email it cricketingworld@hotmail.com
Championship Division Two – 2nd; (2nd)
Friends Provident Trophy – 3rd, South West Conference; (Group Stage)
Twenty20 Cup – 5th, Mid/West/Wales Division; (Group Stage)
Pro40 Division One – 7th (4th)
Worcestershire began the 2008 season with high hopes of regaining their division one status in the county championship, as well as cementing their place as one the most consistent one day teams in the country.
Boosted by high profile winter signing Simon Jones, as well as the promise of young talents such as Darryl Mitchell, Stephen Moore and Steve Davies being nurtured by the more mature Kabir, Hick and Smith it looked as though the season held real promise.
At the beginning of the campaign Worcestershire found themselves with an Aussie leading the attack, as surprisingly Simon Jones was injured! Steve Magoffin came with a good pedigree from Western Australia, and was filling in for the internationally committed Fidel Edwards. Magoffin bowled manfully, for long spells throughout the start of the season and when he left mid season it was with a respectable 23 wickets at 32.
However, the real early season column inches were being filled by the other two seamers, Kabir and Simon Jones. It was almost a certainty that one or the other would take a five wicket haul every innings, and before injury curtailed Jones’ season he had taken a staggering 42 wickets at just 18.
The other star performer of the early season was Stephen Moore. The first man to reach 500 championship runs (in a really poor season for batsmen all over the country) Moore finished the season with 1288 first class runs at 54 with 5 hundreds. He finally signed a new deal with the club during the season and is now firmly established as one of the finest openers in the country.
As well as Worcestershire’s solid start to the championship campaign there was a more than reasonable attempt at the Friends Provident Trophy. Although the value of this trophy seems to be rated higher than the Pro40 league, it is unlikely that any Worcestershire player would complain too strongly if this early season farce was scrapped. With too many games affected by the weather, this is simply a distraction and a further congestant to the fixture calendar that the players don’t need. With too many dead overs in the middle the game lasts too long and doesn’t make for attractive viewing.
In terms of other domestic one day competitions Worcestershire flattered to deceive again in the T20 cup, and despite possessing such potential stars as Solanki, Hick and Ali Worcestershire just can’t seem to get to grips with twenty over cricket. Again, Hick was the clubs highest run scorer in the competition and this is just one area in which the club will struggle to replace the great man.
Strangely, although having to contest a place in the end of season play off in the Pro40, this was probably the clubs most successful one day competition. It certainly was for one young man, who after an impressive season in championship cricket (698 runs at 38) had a blistering finish to the season in the Pro40. Steve Davies scored 491 runs at 82 in Pro40 and if another good season follows next year an England call up surely cant be too far away.
However, despite all of the seemingly endless one day games Worcestershire marched on in the championship and in an amazing spell won four out of five championship matches, three by ten wickets and the other by an innings. This really was the spell when promotion was clinched for the club.Eventually the club stumbled over the line, hampered by injuries to key players (including, unsurprisingly Jones) and eventually lost the title to rivals Warwickshire.
Funnily enough, this was not the biggest event of the final few weeks of the season. A fairly innocuous 14 made at Kidderminster, ironically the ground where he first came into English cricket, saw the end of the greatest career in the modern game. Graeme Ashley Hick was forced to retire before the end of the season and there is nothing to said really apart from thanks Graeme, and enjoy your retirement because we have certainly enjoyed watching you over the last twenty-odd years. A staggering 64000 runs in all cricket make him the highest run scorer ever, and although he is humble about his achievements now – that is the way of the man – I am sure one day he will look back and allow his chest to swell just a little with pride about his career at New Road.
So, to the future. Who replaces the great man, and who do Worcestershire need to bring in to survive in the now ultra competitive division one. The batting has looked vulnerable, and Moore will need a couple of new recruits around him to take the pressure off. Spin bowling has been lacking as Gareth Batty’s powers have waned over the last couple of years and the seam department still looks light on the ground, especially with the possibility of Simon Jones breaking down at any moment.
Player of the season:
Tough to choose between Kabir (59 wickets @ 18.74) or Moore (1288 runs @ 53.66). The fact that Moore carried the batting on his own on more than one occasion gives him the edge.
Most disappointing player:
Fidel Edwards for not turning up would be the easiest to say, but probably Gareth Batty. 393 runs @ 28 and 25 wickets @ 38 makes pretty poor reading and this is possibly an area for Steve Rhodes to look at. However, he has been bowling on a soggy New Road pitch and may profit from drier grounds such as Hove, Trent Bridge and Taunton.
Highlight:
Back to back 10 wicket wins in the middle of that purple patch in July confirmed the club were headed for promotion.
Lowlight:
Difficult to pick one on the playing side, but it would probably be the retirement of the greatest Worcestershire batsman ever. However the club choose to honour him will be fitting, but not only is he one of the greatest cricketers of the modern era, he is a terrific human being, too. A sad loss to our game.
If you're interested in writing a season review for your county, please email it cricketingworld@hotmail.com
Monday, 4 August 2008
Championship Review - Week 13
In stark contrast to previous weeks, very little changes in Division 1 as all matches are drawn, while in Division 2, Worcestershire are beginning to pull clear at the top. And Ramprakash’s wait is finally over.
Division 1
Having made his debut against Yorkshire as well as his maiden first class century, it seems appropriate that Mark Ramprakash should have made his 100th ton against the White Rose county. It was an important innings as well as Surrey had initially struggled to just 204 against injury hit Yorkshire, with Deon Kruis taking 5 wickets. Yorks then declared on 414 for 9, dodging the showers, with Kruis adding an unbeaten 50 to his wickets. Needing 210 to make Yorks bat again, Surrey lost Stewart Walters without scoring a run before Ramprakash (112) and Scott Newman (129) put on 259 to lead to Surrey to safety, finishing on 264 for 3. Surrey remain bottom, with Yorks in some trouble 7th in the table (although if they had forced the win, they’d have been within a point of 2nd).
At the top of the table, Durham batted first against Nottinghamshire, managing just 266. Bilal Shafyat held the Notts reply together with 100 as they managed a 2 run lead on the first innings. Stuart Broad then took the first four Durham wickets to fall, to leave them in trouble at 88 for 4. However, more resilient Durham batting and the poor weather meant there wasn’t time to force a result and the game finished with Durham on 257 for 8. Notts and Durham remain first and second respectively.
Sussex started well against Somerset with a Murray Goodwin ton leading them to a total of 419. Somerset couldn’t match them with the reply, Marcus Trescothick top scoring with 92 as Somerset made 348. Sussex them declared on 264 for 5 in an effort to force a result. However, the weather meant that the run chase wasn’t possible and the match finished with Somerset on 128 for 2. Somerset move 3rd, with Sussex in 6th.
Finally Hampshire recovered from the loss of two early wickets as the Michaels Carberry (92) and Lumb (73) put on a stand of 181 to take them to 367 despite six wickets for Yasir Arafat. Kent had a better start with Rob Key and Joe Denly putting on a century opening partnership. However, Imran Tahir took 5 wickets as Kent managed just a two run lead with 369. Hants started poorly again, but an unbeaten 105 from Nic Pothas (to go with his unbeaten 73 in the first innings) took Hants to 311 for 7 as the time ran out of the game. Hants are still in the relegation zone and now have an important match with Yorkshire coming up. Kent are 4th.
Division 2
Worcestershire went to the top of the league last week and soon had Gloucestershire in trouble at 110 for 5. Marcus North (98) and David Brown (83) led something of a recovery until the last 5 wickets went down for just 43 runs as Gloucester made 283, Kabir Ali taking 6 wickets. Worcester lost just one wicket going past the Gloucester total, with Stephen Moore (129) and Vikram Solanki (270) putting on 316 for the second wicket. An ubeaten 99 from Stephen Davies took Worcester to 672 for 7 declared. North and Brown both made their second half centuries of the match in Gloucester’s second innings. However, with Simon Jones taking four wickets, the total of 247 was not enough to make Worcester bat again they move clear at the top of the table while Gloucester remain bottom and winless.
Essex would have been looking to make up ground at the top of the table against struggling Glamorgan and the game was going to plan as the Welshmen were skittled for just 139. Essex managed 206 in reply. Second time round, batting seemed easier for Glamorgan and despite 6 wickets for Graham Napier they made 347 to leave Essex needing 281 for victory. Ravi Bopara then top scored with just 15 as Essex were bowled out for just 78, with Robert Croft taking 5 wickets for 6 runs in 8.1 overs. The win takes Glamorgan above Gloucestershire while Essex remain 4th.
HD Ackerman dominated the Leicestershire innings, scoring 199 out of the 432 against Warwickshire, Ian Salisbury taking 5 wickets. The Bears, looking to return to the top of the table didn’t find batting as easy and made just 267, Nadeem Malik taking 5 wickets. Following on Warwicks were more resilient and with poor weather affecting the game, their 169 for 3 left the game drawn. They remain 2nd, but are falling behind Worcester. Leicester are 5th, and probably too far behind to challenge for promotion now.
Northamptonshire are still in the promotion chase and they started well against Derbyshire, falling one run short of maximum batting points on 399, with Lance Klusener scoring a ton, while fellow South African, Charl Langeveldt took 5 wickets. Another South African, Andrew Hall, took 5 wickets as Derbyshire made 342, made around a 6th wicket stand of 138 between Greg Smith (yet another South African) and Jonathan Clare. Stephen Peters made a century second time round for Northants as they made 216 for 3 and the game petered out into a draw. Northants remain 3rd, Derby are 7th.
England Player Watch
Ravi Bopara had a game to forget with the bat for Essex (as did all of his colleagues), while Matt Prior seems to have found his early season form with a brisk 73 against Somerset. Also finding form again is Michael Carberry and the Kent opening pair of Joe Denley and Rob Key made 89 and 67 respectively. Chris Tremlett also hit 56, and his batting seems to be outshining his bowling at the moment. Adil Rashid showed a welcome return to form with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 67 to marshal the Yorks tail.
Stuart Broad arrived late for his match against Durham, but still made a big impact with the ball, taking 7 wickets, although he did fail with the bat. Steve Harmison and Liam Plunkett bath took three wickets when Notts batted. Matthew Hoggard was one of the Yorkshire crocks this week, while Tim Bresnan and Adil Rashid each took three wickets.
Player of the Week
Mentions for the South African trio of HD Ackerman with 199, Deon Kruis with a 5-fer and an unbeaten 50 and Nic Pothas for 178 unbeaten runs. However, this week’s winner is someone who no longer makes it into the England Player Watch, despite being maybe an outside contender for the England One Day captaincy. For 270 runs at quicker than a run a ball, this week’s Player of the Week is Vikram Solanki.
Division 1
Having made his debut against Yorkshire as well as his maiden first class century, it seems appropriate that Mark Ramprakash should have made his 100th ton against the White Rose county. It was an important innings as well as Surrey had initially struggled to just 204 against injury hit Yorkshire, with Deon Kruis taking 5 wickets. Yorks then declared on 414 for 9, dodging the showers, with Kruis adding an unbeaten 50 to his wickets. Needing 210 to make Yorks bat again, Surrey lost Stewart Walters without scoring a run before Ramprakash (112) and Scott Newman (129) put on 259 to lead to Surrey to safety, finishing on 264 for 3. Surrey remain bottom, with Yorks in some trouble 7th in the table (although if they had forced the win, they’d have been within a point of 2nd).
At the top of the table, Durham batted first against Nottinghamshire, managing just 266. Bilal Shafyat held the Notts reply together with 100 as they managed a 2 run lead on the first innings. Stuart Broad then took the first four Durham wickets to fall, to leave them in trouble at 88 for 4. However, more resilient Durham batting and the poor weather meant there wasn’t time to force a result and the game finished with Durham on 257 for 8. Notts and Durham remain first and second respectively.
Sussex started well against Somerset with a Murray Goodwin ton leading them to a total of 419. Somerset couldn’t match them with the reply, Marcus Trescothick top scoring with 92 as Somerset made 348. Sussex them declared on 264 for 5 in an effort to force a result. However, the weather meant that the run chase wasn’t possible and the match finished with Somerset on 128 for 2. Somerset move 3rd, with Sussex in 6th.
Finally Hampshire recovered from the loss of two early wickets as the Michaels Carberry (92) and Lumb (73) put on a stand of 181 to take them to 367 despite six wickets for Yasir Arafat. Kent had a better start with Rob Key and Joe Denly putting on a century opening partnership. However, Imran Tahir took 5 wickets as Kent managed just a two run lead with 369. Hants started poorly again, but an unbeaten 105 from Nic Pothas (to go with his unbeaten 73 in the first innings) took Hants to 311 for 7 as the time ran out of the game. Hants are still in the relegation zone and now have an important match with Yorkshire coming up. Kent are 4th.
Division 2
Worcestershire went to the top of the league last week and soon had Gloucestershire in trouble at 110 for 5. Marcus North (98) and David Brown (83) led something of a recovery until the last 5 wickets went down for just 43 runs as Gloucester made 283, Kabir Ali taking 6 wickets. Worcester lost just one wicket going past the Gloucester total, with Stephen Moore (129) and Vikram Solanki (270) putting on 316 for the second wicket. An ubeaten 99 from Stephen Davies took Worcester to 672 for 7 declared. North and Brown both made their second half centuries of the match in Gloucester’s second innings. However, with Simon Jones taking four wickets, the total of 247 was not enough to make Worcester bat again they move clear at the top of the table while Gloucester remain bottom and winless.
Essex would have been looking to make up ground at the top of the table against struggling Glamorgan and the game was going to plan as the Welshmen were skittled for just 139. Essex managed 206 in reply. Second time round, batting seemed easier for Glamorgan and despite 6 wickets for Graham Napier they made 347 to leave Essex needing 281 for victory. Ravi Bopara then top scored with just 15 as Essex were bowled out for just 78, with Robert Croft taking 5 wickets for 6 runs in 8.1 overs. The win takes Glamorgan above Gloucestershire while Essex remain 4th.
HD Ackerman dominated the Leicestershire innings, scoring 199 out of the 432 against Warwickshire, Ian Salisbury taking 5 wickets. The Bears, looking to return to the top of the table didn’t find batting as easy and made just 267, Nadeem Malik taking 5 wickets. Following on Warwicks were more resilient and with poor weather affecting the game, their 169 for 3 left the game drawn. They remain 2nd, but are falling behind Worcester. Leicester are 5th, and probably too far behind to challenge for promotion now.
Northamptonshire are still in the promotion chase and they started well against Derbyshire, falling one run short of maximum batting points on 399, with Lance Klusener scoring a ton, while fellow South African, Charl Langeveldt took 5 wickets. Another South African, Andrew Hall, took 5 wickets as Derbyshire made 342, made around a 6th wicket stand of 138 between Greg Smith (yet another South African) and Jonathan Clare. Stephen Peters made a century second time round for Northants as they made 216 for 3 and the game petered out into a draw. Northants remain 3rd, Derby are 7th.
England Player Watch
Ravi Bopara had a game to forget with the bat for Essex (as did all of his colleagues), while Matt Prior seems to have found his early season form with a brisk 73 against Somerset. Also finding form again is Michael Carberry and the Kent opening pair of Joe Denley and Rob Key made 89 and 67 respectively. Chris Tremlett also hit 56, and his batting seems to be outshining his bowling at the moment. Adil Rashid showed a welcome return to form with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 67 to marshal the Yorks tail.
Stuart Broad arrived late for his match against Durham, but still made a big impact with the ball, taking 7 wickets, although he did fail with the bat. Steve Harmison and Liam Plunkett bath took three wickets when Notts batted. Matthew Hoggard was one of the Yorkshire crocks this week, while Tim Bresnan and Adil Rashid each took three wickets.
Player of the Week
Mentions for the South African trio of HD Ackerman with 199, Deon Kruis with a 5-fer and an unbeaten 50 and Nic Pothas for 178 unbeaten runs. However, this week’s winner is someone who no longer makes it into the England Player Watch, despite being maybe an outside contender for the England One Day captaincy. For 270 runs at quicker than a run a ball, this week’s Player of the Week is Vikram Solanki.
Saturday, 12 April 2008
2008 Season Preview: Worcestershire
Continuing our series of county previews, here is an assessment of Worcestershire's chances in 2008.
2007 in a Nutshell:
Again, like normal, 2007 was a mixed season for Worcestershire! Relegated from the First Division in the County Championship, finished champions in the Pro40 Division One, had another disappointing T20 effort and made a fairly poor attempt in the Friends Provident Trophy, would be how the season went in terms of cricket played.
Best Performances
Championship
Batting – Graeme Hick, again – 963 runs at an average above his age – 42 - (only just!)
Bowling – Kabir Ali – over 50 wickets at 22 – standout bowler once again
Limited Overs
Batting – Graeme Hick – an average of over 70, what more can be said!
Bowling – Kabir – an average of 19 – brilliant.
Worst Displays
Phil Jaques – only 500 first class runs from the overseas “star”
Gareth Batty – only 8 one day wickets at 55. Awful.
Probable side:
County Championship
Mitchell, Moore, Solanki*, Smith, Hick, Davies+, Batty, Kabir, S. Jones, Magoffin/Edwards, Mason
One Day Games
Davies+, Solanki*, Moeen, Smith, Hick, Mitchell, Batty, Kabir, S. Jones, Magoffin/Edwards, Mason
Openers: Mitchell and Moore formed a pretty decent partnership towards the end of last season, they will look to consolidate this early on in the season. With no real openers in back up, attention could turn to Solanki or perhaps the promising Moeen Ali to step up should Mitchell or Moore look out of touch early on.
Middle Order: As has been the case at Worcestershire for the last 20 years, Graeme Hick is key here. Although he has moved down from 3 to 5, he still nearly topped 1000 runs last year and will be looking to do that this year, as many think this could be his last. Ben Smith is not getting any younger either and with players such as Moeen Ali and the young Dutchman, Alexei Kervezee, waiting in the wings, the pressure will be on early doors.
Wicketkeeper: There is no doubt here – Steven Davies. Although he didn’t enjoy too profitable a year with the bat – just 690 runs at exactly 30 and with no centuries, Davies will be looking to shake that off and put himself back into England contention. He is, however, an almost faultless wicketkeeper – responsible for 47 dismissals last season – a good effort from a keeper in a team who often failed to bowl the opposition out twice. Backup will come from Josh Knappett – an Oxbridge graduate who has impressed in the second team.
Fast Bowlers: This is where we really struggled last year and Kabir would have often been seen bowling 20 odd over’s in a row. However, this year we hopefully have a bit more depth than in previous seasons. The overseas combination of Magoffin and Fidel Edwards will be interesting – and could work out really well with Magoffin bowling on green tops early on in the season and Edwards bowling on the harder, bouncier tracks later on. Simon Jones is an incredible acquisition and with a full pre season behind him looks fit and ready to go – maybe a stab at the Ashes in 2009? Matt Mason is also hopefully fit again, after missing all of last season with a shoulder injury. He will probably start the season in the team, but will face competition from youngsters Richard Jones, Gareth Andrew and Chris Whelan.
Spinners: Gareth Batty was the main spinner last season and with the departure of Ray Price, looks as though he will be again. He was ineffective in one dayers, but economical and probing in the championship and will thrive playing on second division pitches – most notably going back to the spinner’s paradise at Northampton! His poor performance in one dayers last year may mean that one of the younger spinners – David Wheeldon, or Moeen Ali - will get a chance to shine in the shorter version of the game.
Key Man: Difficult to say. It would be easy to say Graeme Hick, as although he is going to be 42 this season, when he scores runs, we tend to win matches. However I am going to go for Kabir Ali. Over 50 wickets in the championship last year, he has developed into a very mature bowler as well as a very, very useful lower order batsman. He is key to the bowling attack and to get promoted we will need to win a lot of matches – and to do that we need to bowl teams out twice – something we cannot do without the male model on top form. Do not be surprised if he “does a Sidebottom” in the next couple of years.
Rising Star: Last year this would have gone to Steven Davies, or maybe Darryl Mitchell, however, both of these are now pretty much cemented in the team. For this reason I am going to go for Moeen Ali. He got a fair crack of the whip towards the end of last year and if one of the top 4 or 5 start badly this time around, he will be chomping at the bit to get in. Also look out for young Dutchman, “the new Graeme Hick”, Alexei Kervezee.
Captain and Coach: Steve ‘Bumpy’ Rhodes and Vikram Solanki. Bumpy’s first season was a tumultuous one – as if replacing the legendary Tom Moody needed to get any harder he then had to face the prospect of playing every match away from New Road for the last 1/3 of the season. Interesting to see how he develops, however his iconic status at New Road will ensure he gets time. Vikkers, now entering his 3rd season as captain, has flourished in the role and, assured of his place in the team for both forms of the game, will be looking to lead his team to at least one trophy this year and himself to 1000 runs for only the 3rd time.
2008 Prospects: Again, I would say that our best chance is in the championship as our team looks set up for that and promotion back to the top tier has to be the priority. Lack of investment in real "stars" means the T20 is out of the window and the other limited over’s competitions are of little real importance anyway. If our key players – Solanki, Hick, Kabir and Simon Jones – all play well, then we will walk the second division and maybe even get to a Lord's Final.
Predictions:
Championship (Div 2) - 2nd
Pro40 (Div 1) - 4th
T20 - Group Stage
Friends Provident - Group Stage
We are still looking for Warwickshire and Lancashire previews to complete a full set (the other 16 counties' previews are already on the site). If you fancy giving them a go, do email cricketingworld@hotmail.com :it would be much appreciated!
2007 in a Nutshell:
Again, like normal, 2007 was a mixed season for Worcestershire! Relegated from the First Division in the County Championship, finished champions in the Pro40 Division One, had another disappointing T20 effort and made a fairly poor attempt in the Friends Provident Trophy, would be how the season went in terms of cricket played.
Best Performances
Championship
Batting – Graeme Hick, again – 963 runs at an average above his age – 42 - (only just!)
Bowling – Kabir Ali – over 50 wickets at 22 – standout bowler once again
Limited Overs
Batting – Graeme Hick – an average of over 70, what more can be said!
Bowling – Kabir – an average of 19 – brilliant.
Worst Displays
Phil Jaques – only 500 first class runs from the overseas “star”
Gareth Batty – only 8 one day wickets at 55. Awful.
Probable side:
County Championship
Mitchell, Moore, Solanki*, Smith, Hick, Davies+, Batty, Kabir, S. Jones, Magoffin/Edwards, Mason
One Day Games
Davies+, Solanki*, Moeen, Smith, Hick, Mitchell, Batty, Kabir, S. Jones, Magoffin/Edwards, Mason
Openers: Mitchell and Moore formed a pretty decent partnership towards the end of last season, they will look to consolidate this early on in the season. With no real openers in back up, attention could turn to Solanki or perhaps the promising Moeen Ali to step up should Mitchell or Moore look out of touch early on.
Middle Order: As has been the case at Worcestershire for the last 20 years, Graeme Hick is key here. Although he has moved down from 3 to 5, he still nearly topped 1000 runs last year and will be looking to do that this year, as many think this could be his last. Ben Smith is not getting any younger either and with players such as Moeen Ali and the young Dutchman, Alexei Kervezee, waiting in the wings, the pressure will be on early doors.
Wicketkeeper: There is no doubt here – Steven Davies. Although he didn’t enjoy too profitable a year with the bat – just 690 runs at exactly 30 and with no centuries, Davies will be looking to shake that off and put himself back into England contention. He is, however, an almost faultless wicketkeeper – responsible for 47 dismissals last season – a good effort from a keeper in a team who often failed to bowl the opposition out twice. Backup will come from Josh Knappett – an Oxbridge graduate who has impressed in the second team.
Fast Bowlers: This is where we really struggled last year and Kabir would have often been seen bowling 20 odd over’s in a row. However, this year we hopefully have a bit more depth than in previous seasons. The overseas combination of Magoffin and Fidel Edwards will be interesting – and could work out really well with Magoffin bowling on green tops early on in the season and Edwards bowling on the harder, bouncier tracks later on. Simon Jones is an incredible acquisition and with a full pre season behind him looks fit and ready to go – maybe a stab at the Ashes in 2009? Matt Mason is also hopefully fit again, after missing all of last season with a shoulder injury. He will probably start the season in the team, but will face competition from youngsters Richard Jones, Gareth Andrew and Chris Whelan.
Spinners: Gareth Batty was the main spinner last season and with the departure of Ray Price, looks as though he will be again. He was ineffective in one dayers, but economical and probing in the championship and will thrive playing on second division pitches – most notably going back to the spinner’s paradise at Northampton! His poor performance in one dayers last year may mean that one of the younger spinners – David Wheeldon, or Moeen Ali - will get a chance to shine in the shorter version of the game.
Key Man: Difficult to say. It would be easy to say Graeme Hick, as although he is going to be 42 this season, when he scores runs, we tend to win matches. However I am going to go for Kabir Ali. Over 50 wickets in the championship last year, he has developed into a very mature bowler as well as a very, very useful lower order batsman. He is key to the bowling attack and to get promoted we will need to win a lot of matches – and to do that we need to bowl teams out twice – something we cannot do without the male model on top form. Do not be surprised if he “does a Sidebottom” in the next couple of years.
Rising Star: Last year this would have gone to Steven Davies, or maybe Darryl Mitchell, however, both of these are now pretty much cemented in the team. For this reason I am going to go for Moeen Ali. He got a fair crack of the whip towards the end of last year and if one of the top 4 or 5 start badly this time around, he will be chomping at the bit to get in. Also look out for young Dutchman, “the new Graeme Hick”, Alexei Kervezee.
Captain and Coach: Steve ‘Bumpy’ Rhodes and Vikram Solanki. Bumpy’s first season was a tumultuous one – as if replacing the legendary Tom Moody needed to get any harder he then had to face the prospect of playing every match away from New Road for the last 1/3 of the season. Interesting to see how he develops, however his iconic status at New Road will ensure he gets time. Vikkers, now entering his 3rd season as captain, has flourished in the role and, assured of his place in the team for both forms of the game, will be looking to lead his team to at least one trophy this year and himself to 1000 runs for only the 3rd time.
2008 Prospects: Again, I would say that our best chance is in the championship as our team looks set up for that and promotion back to the top tier has to be the priority. Lack of investment in real "stars" means the T20 is out of the window and the other limited over’s competitions are of little real importance anyway. If our key players – Solanki, Hick, Kabir and Simon Jones – all play well, then we will walk the second division and maybe even get to a Lord's Final.
Predictions:
Championship (Div 2) - 2nd
Pro40 (Div 1) - 4th
T20 - Group Stage
Friends Provident - Group Stage
We are still looking for Warwickshire and Lancashire previews to complete a full set (the other 16 counties' previews are already on the site). If you fancy giving them a go, do email cricketingworld@hotmail.com :it would be much appreciated!
Monday, 17 September 2007
England’s misuse of resources
The squad England has assembled for the Twenty20 World Cup has all the elements for success, but has been poorly managed both in terms of selection and match tactics.
The worst example of this has been the batting orders, which have failed to reflect form or common sense. Prior is not a ODI opener, much less a Twenty20 opener. He does not have the ability or the nous to fulfil this role, yet has been a permanent fixture in it. Luke Wright, though he has potential, has failed to find form so far and is cruelly exposed at the top of the order.
What is needed is someone who can hit over the top and improvise to maximise run output while the fielding restrictions are in place. To my mind there is no better hitter in the team than Mascarenhas. With only two fielders allowed out of the circle in the first six overs he has the ability to hit over the top and cause early carnage.
Even if he failed to build on a quick start, he would almost certainly score at such a rate that England would have the foundation to build a big innings or chase down a formidable total.
He could ideally be partnered by Maddy, who keeps the scoreboard ticking over as well as having the ability to hit boundaries. Solanki may have been another option, but he has not played in the tournament so far. It would be foolhardy to throw him into the competition in such a key position with England desperate for victories, though he should merit serious consideration in the middle order.
With Pietersen at three and a middle order of Collingwood, Shah and Solanki, England would be well placed to build on a quick fire start. Prior and Flintoff could add some late blasting, if required, without being under the pressure their current batting spots generate.
There can be little doubt that if England are to progress in the competition they need some ruthless pruning of their underperformers and a radical rethink of their batting order.
The worst example of this has been the batting orders, which have failed to reflect form or common sense. Prior is not a ODI opener, much less a Twenty20 opener. He does not have the ability or the nous to fulfil this role, yet has been a permanent fixture in it. Luke Wright, though he has potential, has failed to find form so far and is cruelly exposed at the top of the order.
What is needed is someone who can hit over the top and improvise to maximise run output while the fielding restrictions are in place. To my mind there is no better hitter in the team than Mascarenhas. With only two fielders allowed out of the circle in the first six overs he has the ability to hit over the top and cause early carnage.
Even if he failed to build on a quick start, he would almost certainly score at such a rate that England would have the foundation to build a big innings or chase down a formidable total.
He could ideally be partnered by Maddy, who keeps the scoreboard ticking over as well as having the ability to hit boundaries. Solanki may have been another option, but he has not played in the tournament so far. It would be foolhardy to throw him into the competition in such a key position with England desperate for victories, though he should merit serious consideration in the middle order.
With Pietersen at three and a middle order of Collingwood, Shah and Solanki, England would be well placed to build on a quick fire start. Prior and Flintoff could add some late blasting, if required, without being under the pressure their current batting spots generate.
There can be little doubt that if England are to progress in the competition they need some ruthless pruning of their underperformers and a radical rethink of their batting order.
Thursday, 14 June 2007
One Day Options
With the final test about to start, it's time to start thinking of the shorter game. The World Cup disappointment and the fact that the West Indies are also rebuilding means that this is the ideal opportunity to begin building a new One Day team. Here are the options and my team to take the national team forward.
Wicket Keeper
Lets start with the easy one and the one position where we are choosing from strength. Paul Nixon had a very good World Cup, but Matt Prior has announced himself onto the world scene, is 12 years younger and may even get in on his batting alone. In the wings we have Tim Ambrose, James Foster and Chris Read (amongst others) , but at the moment Prior is well ahead of the pack and I'd have him opening the batting.
Batting
England's problem at the World Cup was the number of accumulators at the top of the innings, and with Ali Cook also being mentioned, it is time to move away from test batsmen playing ODIs.
Only one of Vaughan, Bell, Strauss, Joyce and Cook should play, as an opening batsman. For this series, this comes down to a straight choice between Bell and Cook. Marcus Trescothick hasn't been considered.
Of the five middle order batsmen we need, three are clear cut choices, with Pietersen, Collingwood and Bopara being our best three batsmen in the World Cup. This leaves two spaces, as Collingwood and Bopara constitute the fifth bowler.
To my mind, in the frame should be Owais Shah, Vikram Solanki, James Hildreth, James Benning, Alex Gidman. Of those, Benning is not in great form at the moment, but his time should come later. The other four should all make the squad and given an opportunity. However, my first two choices will be two who have been tried before - Shah and Solanki. Both are in great form and both will benefit from a more consistent selection policy.
Bowlers
Four bowlers are required. With Flintoff (who should be considered to be a bowler) injured, then Jimmy Anderson is our best One Day bowler. Sharing the new ball with him should be Simon Jones. None of the other pace bowlers used in the World Cup were able to control the white ball and should be left to the test arena.
One of the big surprises of the World Cup was how ineffective Monty Panesar was, and Michael Vaughan was our most effective spin bowler. In the short version of the game, Ian Blackwell was improving his control and I would have him into the team instead of Monty.
For the final bowler, who would normally be Flintoff, I have three options, all of whom offer something with the bat as well as the ball. Rikki Clarke and Jamie Dalrymple have had extended runs in the team, but are both still young and should not be discounted. However, I would give Tim Bresnan another run beginning against slightly more friendly opposition than Sri Lanka last year. He has been solid with bat and ball this season, scoringhis maiden first class hundred, and his bowling pace has increased.
Captain
The Australian adage is pick the team then the captain. Vikram Solanki has had a couple of years captaining Worcester now, taking them to an unlikely promotion last season. While Collingwood has his supporters, he has little captaincy experience and should continue to be a key leader on the field rather than the team captain.
Therefore, my team for the ODI series
Prior
Bell
Solanki (c)
Pietersen
Shah
Collingwood
Bopara
Bresnan
Blackwell
Jones
Anderson
With Rikki Clarke, James Hildreth, Alex Gidman and Graham Onions making up the 15 man squad
Wicket Keeper
Lets start with the easy one and the one position where we are choosing from strength. Paul Nixon had a very good World Cup, but Matt Prior has announced himself onto the world scene, is 12 years younger and may even get in on his batting alone. In the wings we have Tim Ambrose, James Foster and Chris Read (amongst others) , but at the moment Prior is well ahead of the pack and I'd have him opening the batting.
Batting
England's problem at the World Cup was the number of accumulators at the top of the innings, and with Ali Cook also being mentioned, it is time to move away from test batsmen playing ODIs.
Only one of Vaughan, Bell, Strauss, Joyce and Cook should play, as an opening batsman. For this series, this comes down to a straight choice between Bell and Cook. Marcus Trescothick hasn't been considered.
Of the five middle order batsmen we need, three are clear cut choices, with Pietersen, Collingwood and Bopara being our best three batsmen in the World Cup. This leaves two spaces, as Collingwood and Bopara constitute the fifth bowler.
To my mind, in the frame should be Owais Shah, Vikram Solanki, James Hildreth, James Benning, Alex Gidman. Of those, Benning is not in great form at the moment, but his time should come later. The other four should all make the squad and given an opportunity. However, my first two choices will be two who have been tried before - Shah and Solanki. Both are in great form and both will benefit from a more consistent selection policy.
Bowlers
Four bowlers are required. With Flintoff (who should be considered to be a bowler) injured, then Jimmy Anderson is our best One Day bowler. Sharing the new ball with him should be Simon Jones. None of the other pace bowlers used in the World Cup were able to control the white ball and should be left to the test arena.
One of the big surprises of the World Cup was how ineffective Monty Panesar was, and Michael Vaughan was our most effective spin bowler. In the short version of the game, Ian Blackwell was improving his control and I would have him into the team instead of Monty.
For the final bowler, who would normally be Flintoff, I have three options, all of whom offer something with the bat as well as the ball. Rikki Clarke and Jamie Dalrymple have had extended runs in the team, but are both still young and should not be discounted. However, I would give Tim Bresnan another run beginning against slightly more friendly opposition than Sri Lanka last year. He has been solid with bat and ball this season, scoringhis maiden first class hundred, and his bowling pace has increased.
Captain
The Australian adage is pick the team then the captain. Vikram Solanki has had a couple of years captaining Worcester now, taking them to an unlikely promotion last season. While Collingwood has his supporters, he has little captaincy experience and should continue to be a key leader on the field rather than the team captain.
Therefore, my team for the ODI series
Prior
Bell
Solanki (c)
Pietersen
Shah
Collingwood
Bopara
Bresnan
Blackwell
Jones
Anderson
With Rikki Clarke, James Hildreth, Alex Gidman and Graham Onions making up the 15 man squad
Thursday, 15 February 2007
The Ones Who Got Away
Consistent and planned are not two words that could ever be used to describe England’s One Day selection, which is strange considering the success that approach has had with the test team. Since England’s last trip to the West Indies just three winters ago, around 40 players have donned the blue pyjamas. This is the squad of fifteen that didn’t make it.
Marcus Trescothick – By far and away the biggest loss to the World Cup squad. A shoe-in for England’s best One Day team of all time. 12 hundreds and an average of nearly 40 at an astonishing strike rate of 85 per hundred balls. Without his stress related illness, the debate over Mal Loye would be superfluous. With his stress related illness, England’s task has become much harder.
Matt Prior – Included as a batsman, because that’s how he’s played most of his International cricket. A destructive batsman for Sussex, he couldn’t bring that form to the International arena failing to pass 50 in 12 attempts. Still in the frame when the wicket-keeping position is discussed and it would be a surprise if he isn’t given another chance.
Vikram Solanki – Here’s an odd one. Over fifty games for England without ever looking like a regular. Even his two centuries (only Pietersen, Flintoff and now Collingwood have more in the current squad) only ever hinted at what might be rather than looking like the catalyst for a real breakthrough. Admittedly he wasn’t helped by the ill-fated substitute rule, or batting at anywhere from 1 to 9 is a terrible batting line up, but a measure of how far his star has fallen is that no-one even considered him in contention for the World Cup.
Anthony McGrath – Also never in contention for the World Cup, and some would wonder why he played for England at all. Fourteen ODIs (and that’s 14 more than Mark Butcher) with an average of 16 and a strike rate of less than 50, his debut performance of 33 runs in 75 balls should have been a giveaway. As an “all-rounder” he bowled less than 3 overs per match.
Owais Shah – Made a promising ODI debut in 2001, and has played just 17 matches since. Badly used by England after his debut, his perceived lack of ability in the field may have counted against him during the Fletcher years. Still scoring healthily for Middlesex.
Michael Yardy – Genuine all-rounder as no-one really knew if he was a batsman or a bowler. The figures would suggest the latter, despite him batting at number 4. English conditions suited his bowling. However, subcontinent and the Champions trophy didn’t and off he went.
Rikki Clarke – A two ball duck in his debut, a golden duck in his last game, England have tried and tried to convince that Rikki Clarke is the answer to our one day problems. A bit like Yardy in that no-one really knows if he’s principally a batsman or a bowler, and with a batting average of 11 (strike rate just 62) and bowling average of 37 (economy over 5) he’s not good enough at either discipline.
Alex Loudon – Selected for the ODI squad in 2006 possibly because he can bowl a doosra, he played one game, was run out without scoring and bowled six overs going for a run a ball (reasonable in the context of the game, but crucially not as good as Jamie Dalrymple). By the end of the 2006 season, he was struggling to stay in the Warwickshire team.
Chris Read – The man who murdered Duncan Fletcher’s favourite dog. Surely that is the only explanation for his treatment at the hands of the England selectors over the past few years. A contender for best wicket-keeper in world cricket and an unorthodox batsman. His best series was in the WI last time England toured with two cameos of 20+ to see England home.
Geraint Jones – It all started so well. Brought in on the back of his superior batting, he started at 3 in the batting line up and was also used as a pinch hitting opener. However, he eventually found his place at 7 and when his Test match form became untenable even for Duncan Fletcher, he disappeared from the One Day scene as well.
Tim Bresnan – Injuries cost him his chance to come back from the debacle of the Sri Lanka series and at still only 21 (despite having been in the Yorkshire team for 5 years) he should get more chances. Currently scoring and conceding runs at over one a ball in International cricket.
Steve Harmison – England’s best ODI bowler for a number of years, he seems to have been more mentally scarred than most following the Sri Lankan demolition of last year. The three-fors in the first two matches were forgotten with the 0-97 in the final game. Confidence gone, Harmison retired from ODI cricket after the Champions trophy a pale shadow of the match winning bowler seen two years previously.
Kabir Ali – A promising start away to South Africa where he played in all seven matches of the 04/05 series taking 13 wickets, he was then dropped for a year. Always expensive, the latest nail in his international coffin came at the hands of the Sri Lankans. Six overs for 72 runs and back to Worcestershire.
Alex Wharf – Another wonderful example of England’s selection policy. A regular for 6 months two years ago, he played 13 matches in five months, taking 18 wickets at an economy of just over four…..and hasn’t been seen again since.
Darren Gough – No shortage of self-belief and England’s leading ODI wicket taker. Despite lobbying and the support of Graham Gooch, Dazzler’s dream of one more World Cup didn’t come true. Last seen playing beach cricket, a career in show business beckons.
Marcus Trescothick – By far and away the biggest loss to the World Cup squad. A shoe-in for England’s best One Day team of all time. 12 hundreds and an average of nearly 40 at an astonishing strike rate of 85 per hundred balls. Without his stress related illness, the debate over Mal Loye would be superfluous. With his stress related illness, England’s task has become much harder.
Matt Prior – Included as a batsman, because that’s how he’s played most of his International cricket. A destructive batsman for Sussex, he couldn’t bring that form to the International arena failing to pass 50 in 12 attempts. Still in the frame when the wicket-keeping position is discussed and it would be a surprise if he isn’t given another chance.
Vikram Solanki – Here’s an odd one. Over fifty games for England without ever looking like a regular. Even his two centuries (only Pietersen, Flintoff and now Collingwood have more in the current squad) only ever hinted at what might be rather than looking like the catalyst for a real breakthrough. Admittedly he wasn’t helped by the ill-fated substitute rule, or batting at anywhere from 1 to 9 is a terrible batting line up, but a measure of how far his star has fallen is that no-one even considered him in contention for the World Cup.
Anthony McGrath – Also never in contention for the World Cup, and some would wonder why he played for England at all. Fourteen ODIs (and that’s 14 more than Mark Butcher) with an average of 16 and a strike rate of less than 50, his debut performance of 33 runs in 75 balls should have been a giveaway. As an “all-rounder” he bowled less than 3 overs per match.
Owais Shah – Made a promising ODI debut in 2001, and has played just 17 matches since. Badly used by England after his debut, his perceived lack of ability in the field may have counted against him during the Fletcher years. Still scoring healthily for Middlesex.
Michael Yardy – Genuine all-rounder as no-one really knew if he was a batsman or a bowler. The figures would suggest the latter, despite him batting at number 4. English conditions suited his bowling. However, subcontinent and the Champions trophy didn’t and off he went.
Rikki Clarke – A two ball duck in his debut, a golden duck in his last game, England have tried and tried to convince that Rikki Clarke is the answer to our one day problems. A bit like Yardy in that no-one really knows if he’s principally a batsman or a bowler, and with a batting average of 11 (strike rate just 62) and bowling average of 37 (economy over 5) he’s not good enough at either discipline.
Alex Loudon – Selected for the ODI squad in 2006 possibly because he can bowl a doosra, he played one game, was run out without scoring and bowled six overs going for a run a ball (reasonable in the context of the game, but crucially not as good as Jamie Dalrymple). By the end of the 2006 season, he was struggling to stay in the Warwickshire team.
Chris Read – The man who murdered Duncan Fletcher’s favourite dog. Surely that is the only explanation for his treatment at the hands of the England selectors over the past few years. A contender for best wicket-keeper in world cricket and an unorthodox batsman. His best series was in the WI last time England toured with two cameos of 20+ to see England home.
Geraint Jones – It all started so well. Brought in on the back of his superior batting, he started at 3 in the batting line up and was also used as a pinch hitting opener. However, he eventually found his place at 7 and when his Test match form became untenable even for Duncan Fletcher, he disappeared from the One Day scene as well.
Tim Bresnan – Injuries cost him his chance to come back from the debacle of the Sri Lanka series and at still only 21 (despite having been in the Yorkshire team for 5 years) he should get more chances. Currently scoring and conceding runs at over one a ball in International cricket.
Steve Harmison – England’s best ODI bowler for a number of years, he seems to have been more mentally scarred than most following the Sri Lankan demolition of last year. The three-fors in the first two matches were forgotten with the 0-97 in the final game. Confidence gone, Harmison retired from ODI cricket after the Champions trophy a pale shadow of the match winning bowler seen two years previously.
Kabir Ali – A promising start away to South Africa where he played in all seven matches of the 04/05 series taking 13 wickets, he was then dropped for a year. Always expensive, the latest nail in his international coffin came at the hands of the Sri Lankans. Six overs for 72 runs and back to Worcestershire.
Alex Wharf – Another wonderful example of England’s selection policy. A regular for 6 months two years ago, he played 13 matches in five months, taking 18 wickets at an economy of just over four…..and hasn’t been seen again since.
Darren Gough – No shortage of self-belief and England’s leading ODI wicket taker. Despite lobbying and the support of Graham Gooch, Dazzler’s dream of one more World Cup didn’t come true. Last seen playing beach cricket, a career in show business beckons.
Monday, 24 April 2006
Same old England
For England, the ODI series in India was yet another disaster in the side’s increasingly laughable attempt to become recognised challengers for next year’s World Cup. And, though injuries provided one much-needed excuse for the shambles, the most worrying aspect of the defeat is that, unlike India’s reserves, the majority of England’s stand-ins looked out of their depth.
Had the side been totally outclassed, we could all have shrugged our shoulders and come out with the usual excuses for the general ineptitude of the one-day team: lack of games and priorities laying so much with the test side. Yet defeats in the first two games were the result not so much of India’s quality, but the brainless batting of the England side. Despite dominating for the majority of both games, England were undone by their lack of nous and a coherent game plan towards the end of each innings.
The rash of slog-sweeps that saw the most facile of run chases turn into a defeat that was ultimately pretty comprehensive, in the first game, epitomised the slapdash showings on display all series. To further compound England’s misery, the chief practitioners of that particular collapse – Pietersen, Flintoff, Collingwood and Jones – are the quartet who will almost certainly be given the job of turning good starts into victories come the World Cup.
If there is anything England can gain from six largely unproductive matches, it is a burgeoning rubbish bag overflowing with players not good enough. This is particularly true of the batting – the facet of the game that truly let England down. An inexperienced brand of seam bowlers generally performed respectably enough.
It was a relief for England that Vikram Solanki finally had a truly abysmal series, rather than his usual showing of rash shots and a useful innings to grant a temporary reprieve. Despite claiming to have matured, Solanki continues to go around in circles and, at 30 and with 49 caps under his belt, Duncan Fletcher surely has the confirmation that the Worcestershire player is an infuriating underachiever.
Owais Shah, the man who performed so well on his test debut, mustered only 11 runs in three innings, yet may still be deserving of another chance, given the consistency of his county efforts and the inventiveness he revealed in the final test. Meanwhile Matt Prior, for reasons no one is quite able to fathom, appeared in all 11 of England’s winter ODIs – and as a specialist batsman in 10 of those. The lack of a half century is a damning indictment of Prior’s lack of quality, while Geraint Jones’ 100 runs in his final two games mean that his wicket-keeping role is secure. Indeed, Chris Read is now a more plausible rival to Jones than Prior.
However, Ian Bell’s performances in the last two games of the season were encouraging and suggest he may be worth another look at in the future. Which leaves Michael Vaughan, who did not participate in his second consecutive ODI tournament. Vaughan’s limited overs record is very poor; his injury record is even worse. It is surely time to ask the skipper to concentrate on test cricket – and, were he not the captain, he would probably have been ditched from the ODI set-up a long time ago.
England’s bowling may have been a mixed bag, but given the fact that Jones, Harmison, Giles and Flintoff (for two games) were all missing, it at least matched expectations.
Ian Blackwell’s tidy left-arm spin went for well under four an over, which would surely have cemented his place, had his batting not appeared so clueless. But Giles’ injury will give him an extended run in the side and, by the law of averages, he must eventually contribute with the bat.
The largely stand-in seam attack each hinted at a bright future, with the bizarre exception of Matthew Hoggard, who seems to lack the mental capacity to play one-day cricket. Yet it must not help being told virtually at the departure lounge that you are in fact wanted for the one-day series. However, ultimately it may come down to a lack of cool when getting smashed.
James Anderson, save for the odd expensive spell, is well on the way to restoring his old reputation, and should play in the World Cup. For all Duncan Fletcher’s obsession with a number nine who can score runs, logic dictates that the berths must be filled be the three best seamers (especially as Jones and Harmison could both score quick runs late on.)
Liam Plunkett showcased his bowling potential – though his 56 against Pakistan looks increasingly like a freak innings, given his woeful showing with a bat in his hand in this series. Still, Plunkett is firmly odds-on for a place in the World Cup squad. Kabir Ali was expensive but did pick up four wickets in one match. The Worcestershire player’s tendency to fall over in his delivery stride compromises his accuracy, and future chances may now only arrive after an injury crisis (so he will certainly play again!) And highly-rated Sajid Mahmood was much the same as Ali but may just have over-taken him in the pecking order.
Assuming Marcus Trescothick returns to the one-day team with better form than when he left it, England’s top seven includes six near-certainties – Trescothick, Strauss, Pietersen, Collingwood, Flintoff and Jones – and one definite question mark. Vaughan, Bell and Shah all have claims to the number three berth, as does Ed Joyce, while it is also possible that Alistair Cook will continue his sterling form and demand selection. England should discard Vaughan now, giving them a year to narrow down the four possibles and find two batsmen who can rely on.
Surrey’s Rikki Clarke, newly appointed vice-captain, has long been thought highly of, and could easily find himself in the final 15, albeit only as back-up to Collingwood and Flintoff. He is unlucky that the problem berth – number three – is a position he is alien to.
And the bowling options also look settled. Blackwell will probably pip Giles to the number eight berth, leaving Jones, Harmison and Anderson to complete a line-up of enormous potential. But who to play if a seamer is fit? Plunkett is favourite, though Chris Tremlett – absent through injury – has made an encouraging start, while Sajid Mahmood, if he finally becomes a regular for Lancashire in all forms of the game, could make a late charge for selection.
It is clear success in the one-day series was hardly Duncan Fletcher’s priority; how else to explain the continued selection of two keepers who were not worthy of selection as specialist batsmen?
Despite the disastrous result, England are closer to learning their squad for the World Cup, though it is true those not playing advanced their standing more than those who did. It may also be worth England’s while continuing to rest players in ODIs, at least until the end of the summer; it is the back-ups, rather than the probable starters, who must do most to convince.
Potential Squad for 2007? (starters in bold)
Trescothick
Strauss
Shah
Joyce
Pietersen
Collingwood
Clarke
Flintoff
Jones
Blackwell
Giles
Harmison
Jones
Anderson
Plunkett
Had the side been totally outclassed, we could all have shrugged our shoulders and come out with the usual excuses for the general ineptitude of the one-day team: lack of games and priorities laying so much with the test side. Yet defeats in the first two games were the result not so much of India’s quality, but the brainless batting of the England side. Despite dominating for the majority of both games, England were undone by their lack of nous and a coherent game plan towards the end of each innings.
The rash of slog-sweeps that saw the most facile of run chases turn into a defeat that was ultimately pretty comprehensive, in the first game, epitomised the slapdash showings on display all series. To further compound England’s misery, the chief practitioners of that particular collapse – Pietersen, Flintoff, Collingwood and Jones – are the quartet who will almost certainly be given the job of turning good starts into victories come the World Cup.
If there is anything England can gain from six largely unproductive matches, it is a burgeoning rubbish bag overflowing with players not good enough. This is particularly true of the batting – the facet of the game that truly let England down. An inexperienced brand of seam bowlers generally performed respectably enough.
It was a relief for England that Vikram Solanki finally had a truly abysmal series, rather than his usual showing of rash shots and a useful innings to grant a temporary reprieve. Despite claiming to have matured, Solanki continues to go around in circles and, at 30 and with 49 caps under his belt, Duncan Fletcher surely has the confirmation that the Worcestershire player is an infuriating underachiever.
Owais Shah, the man who performed so well on his test debut, mustered only 11 runs in three innings, yet may still be deserving of another chance, given the consistency of his county efforts and the inventiveness he revealed in the final test. Meanwhile Matt Prior, for reasons no one is quite able to fathom, appeared in all 11 of England’s winter ODIs – and as a specialist batsman in 10 of those. The lack of a half century is a damning indictment of Prior’s lack of quality, while Geraint Jones’ 100 runs in his final two games mean that his wicket-keeping role is secure. Indeed, Chris Read is now a more plausible rival to Jones than Prior.
However, Ian Bell’s performances in the last two games of the season were encouraging and suggest he may be worth another look at in the future. Which leaves Michael Vaughan, who did not participate in his second consecutive ODI tournament. Vaughan’s limited overs record is very poor; his injury record is even worse. It is surely time to ask the skipper to concentrate on test cricket – and, were he not the captain, he would probably have been ditched from the ODI set-up a long time ago.
England’s bowling may have been a mixed bag, but given the fact that Jones, Harmison, Giles and Flintoff (for two games) were all missing, it at least matched expectations.
Ian Blackwell’s tidy left-arm spin went for well under four an over, which would surely have cemented his place, had his batting not appeared so clueless. But Giles’ injury will give him an extended run in the side and, by the law of averages, he must eventually contribute with the bat.
The largely stand-in seam attack each hinted at a bright future, with the bizarre exception of Matthew Hoggard, who seems to lack the mental capacity to play one-day cricket. Yet it must not help being told virtually at the departure lounge that you are in fact wanted for the one-day series. However, ultimately it may come down to a lack of cool when getting smashed.
James Anderson, save for the odd expensive spell, is well on the way to restoring his old reputation, and should play in the World Cup. For all Duncan Fletcher’s obsession with a number nine who can score runs, logic dictates that the berths must be filled be the three best seamers (especially as Jones and Harmison could both score quick runs late on.)
Liam Plunkett showcased his bowling potential – though his 56 against Pakistan looks increasingly like a freak innings, given his woeful showing with a bat in his hand in this series. Still, Plunkett is firmly odds-on for a place in the World Cup squad. Kabir Ali was expensive but did pick up four wickets in one match. The Worcestershire player’s tendency to fall over in his delivery stride compromises his accuracy, and future chances may now only arrive after an injury crisis (so he will certainly play again!) And highly-rated Sajid Mahmood was much the same as Ali but may just have over-taken him in the pecking order.
Assuming Marcus Trescothick returns to the one-day team with better form than when he left it, England’s top seven includes six near-certainties – Trescothick, Strauss, Pietersen, Collingwood, Flintoff and Jones – and one definite question mark. Vaughan, Bell and Shah all have claims to the number three berth, as does Ed Joyce, while it is also possible that Alistair Cook will continue his sterling form and demand selection. England should discard Vaughan now, giving them a year to narrow down the four possibles and find two batsmen who can rely on.
Surrey’s Rikki Clarke, newly appointed vice-captain, has long been thought highly of, and could easily find himself in the final 15, albeit only as back-up to Collingwood and Flintoff. He is unlucky that the problem berth – number three – is a position he is alien to.
And the bowling options also look settled. Blackwell will probably pip Giles to the number eight berth, leaving Jones, Harmison and Anderson to complete a line-up of enormous potential. But who to play if a seamer is fit? Plunkett is favourite, though Chris Tremlett – absent through injury – has made an encouraging start, while Sajid Mahmood, if he finally becomes a regular for Lancashire in all forms of the game, could make a late charge for selection.
It is clear success in the one-day series was hardly Duncan Fletcher’s priority; how else to explain the continued selection of two keepers who were not worthy of selection as specialist batsmen?
Despite the disastrous result, England are closer to learning their squad for the World Cup, though it is true those not playing advanced their standing more than those who did. It may also be worth England’s while continuing to rest players in ODIs, at least until the end of the summer; it is the back-ups, rather than the probable starters, who must do most to convince.
Potential Squad for 2007? (starters in bold)
Trescothick
Strauss
Shah
Joyce
Pietersen
Collingwood
Clarke
Flintoff
Jones
Blackwell
Giles
Harmison
Jones
Anderson
Plunkett
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