Why Liam Plunkett is the man Steve Rhodes should look to. . .
Since writing in a previous article that Worcestershire need to sign a quality fast bowler to partner Simon Jones and Kabir Ali for the club’s bid to stay up in Division One, it has come to my attention that Liam Plunkett is unhappy at Durham and wants a chance to play more regular cricket to try and claim his England place back. For me, Steve Rhodes should drive up to Durham himself and get the boy signed.
Despite not playing much (seven championship games) he still managed to hit two fifties down the order, and took 16 wickets at 32.5. Whilst this average would not scare most Division One batsman, he was in and out of the side and is likely to face competition once again from Harmison, Onions, Davies and whoever else the champions sign.
Often much maligned as an England cricketer, he did show potential in his handful of showings for his country. One of Duncan Fletchers “bits and pieces” players, he played for England’s ODI team in their worst run in history, and despite this still took 37 wickets in 27 matches.
Still only 23, Plunkett has massive potential, and if he needs first team cricket to realise this then there is no reason at all why this shouldn’t be at New Road.
Showing posts with label Worcestershire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Worcestershire. Show all posts
Sunday, 5 October 2008
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
Sunday, 21 September 2008
Hick: A phenomenon to be treasured
Graeme Hick's injury-ruined end to his career takes nothing away from a man who, for 23 years, has been an awesome and imperious sight in county cricket. The owner of countless records, he came to define Worcestershire. His international performances remain a riddle - even if it is too readily forgotten that he is a serious contender for an all-out England ODI XI - but at New Road, he was a phenomenon. And in his final season, he still managed a first-class average higher even than his age.
This is a piece I did a year ago, after he reached 40,000 first-class runs:
The Bradman of New Road
Thinking of the batting greats of this era, attention, inevitably, will turn first to those who made a big impact on the international scene. But, when people flicking through Wisden see a G.Hick, one of only 16 men to hit 40,000 first-class runs, they will wonder why it is his Test average was only a paltry 31.32.
Graeme Hick, although he was given a generous 65 Tests to prove his worth, can consider himself an unlucky Test cricketer. Having a seven-year qualifying period didn’t help – he is a largely bashful personality and did not enjoy being bandied about as the English Bradman, while his baptism against the West Indies in 1991 was particularly unforgiving.
Although his Test career only ended six years ago, Hick played the vast majority of his career in circumstances that bear no resemblance to the plethora of easy pickings available in international cricket today, a point that must be considered in the final analysis. Moreover, he was perennially a victim of selection upheaval, being dropped no fewer than 11 times throughout his career; he was doomed to continually veering from scapegoat to saviour, and it would have taken its toll on anyone. Shane Warne said he had "really been messed around".
During his only regular run in the side – between the start of 1993 and the end of the ‘95/96 South Africa tour – Hick averaged 45. Yet, testament to the bizarre selection of the era, he was dropped after the second Ashes Test in ’93, despite having scored 178, 47, 68, 26, 34, 22, 20 and then 64 in his last eight Test innings. In amongst it all he played some very fine innings, such as his maiden Test century, 178, in an innings defeat in India and a superb 141 at Centurion Park in 1995. Alas, he never got an Ashes century; Mike Atherton infamously declared him on 98* during the ’94-95 tour.
In spite of his relentless plundering of county attacks, however, his technique did have some fatal flaws, particularly against the short ball. And, it was because he had destroyed county attacks with almost unprecedented regularity prior to his international debut that it was so hard for him to alter his method.
Yet, away from the Test arena, he made runs with unfailing regularity everywhere he went. He has scored over 100 centuries for Worcestershire alone, including 172 against Messrs Ambrose, Patterson, Walsh and Bishop in 1988, at a time when touring games were still treated with respect. And his achievements in, when in his early 20s, being a phenomenal success for Auckland, in ‘87/88 and ‘88/89 and, after a slow start, averaging 49 in the extremely competitive Sheffield Shield in ‘90/91 are seldom remarked upon.
In one-day internationals, where the pressure is great but players are freer to play on instinct, can worry less about technique and the game is generally more batsman-friendly, Hick performed extremely well, averaging 37 over 126 games. Again, however, he was the victim of selectorial blunders, in that he was sometimes, as in 1996, dropped for bad Test form. Even at 36, he surely should have played in the 2003 World Cup.
Yet, throughout all this turmoil, Hick’s run-scoring at New Road remained a constant. To continue playing county cricket with enormous success even after suffering the anguish of international failings has been an exceptional achievement; only once, in ’91, have his international disappointments been replicated on the county stage.
Even at the age of 41, Hick has been in terrific form, averaging 47 in the County Championship, including scoring a century off Muralitharan at Old Trafford, and 68 in the Friends Provident Trophy.Wisden 2007 revealed that only Jack Hobbs has scored more hundreds in all professional cricket than Hick. It is testament to his longevity, his love for the game but, above all, his continued dedication to maximising his wonderful talent.
He has, of course, not been the batsman everyone thought he would be when, in those pre-England days, he could do no wrong as he mercilessly put attacks to the sword in a way that was both beautiful and brutal, a fusion of majestic timing, placement and sheer power.But he has continued, more or less, to do so for Worcestershire; he is unquestionably their finest ever player, owner of their highest ever score and a key man in two of the five Championships in their history.
Typical of his unassuming, modest manner he claims that he is “not really fussed” about reaching 40,000 first-class runs. Well, he should be. For 22 years, Hick has been the Bradman of New Road and, for all his failings, cricket will not forget a man whose run-scoring capacity at county level has defied belief.
This is a piece I did a year ago, after he reached 40,000 first-class runs:
The Bradman of New Road
Thinking of the batting greats of this era, attention, inevitably, will turn first to those who made a big impact on the international scene. But, when people flicking through Wisden see a G.Hick, one of only 16 men to hit 40,000 first-class runs, they will wonder why it is his Test average was only a paltry 31.32.
Graeme Hick, although he was given a generous 65 Tests to prove his worth, can consider himself an unlucky Test cricketer. Having a seven-year qualifying period didn’t help – he is a largely bashful personality and did not enjoy being bandied about as the English Bradman, while his baptism against the West Indies in 1991 was particularly unforgiving.
Although his Test career only ended six years ago, Hick played the vast majority of his career in circumstances that bear no resemblance to the plethora of easy pickings available in international cricket today, a point that must be considered in the final analysis. Moreover, he was perennially a victim of selection upheaval, being dropped no fewer than 11 times throughout his career; he was doomed to continually veering from scapegoat to saviour, and it would have taken its toll on anyone. Shane Warne said he had "really been messed around".
During his only regular run in the side – between the start of 1993 and the end of the ‘95/96 South Africa tour – Hick averaged 45. Yet, testament to the bizarre selection of the era, he was dropped after the second Ashes Test in ’93, despite having scored 178, 47, 68, 26, 34, 22, 20 and then 64 in his last eight Test innings. In amongst it all he played some very fine innings, such as his maiden Test century, 178, in an innings defeat in India and a superb 141 at Centurion Park in 1995. Alas, he never got an Ashes century; Mike Atherton infamously declared him on 98* during the ’94-95 tour.
In spite of his relentless plundering of county attacks, however, his technique did have some fatal flaws, particularly against the short ball. And, it was because he had destroyed county attacks with almost unprecedented regularity prior to his international debut that it was so hard for him to alter his method.
Yet, away from the Test arena, he made runs with unfailing regularity everywhere he went. He has scored over 100 centuries for Worcestershire alone, including 172 against Messrs Ambrose, Patterson, Walsh and Bishop in 1988, at a time when touring games were still treated with respect. And his achievements in, when in his early 20s, being a phenomenal success for Auckland, in ‘87/88 and ‘88/89 and, after a slow start, averaging 49 in the extremely competitive Sheffield Shield in ‘90/91 are seldom remarked upon.
In one-day internationals, where the pressure is great but players are freer to play on instinct, can worry less about technique and the game is generally more batsman-friendly, Hick performed extremely well, averaging 37 over 126 games. Again, however, he was the victim of selectorial blunders, in that he was sometimes, as in 1996, dropped for bad Test form. Even at 36, he surely should have played in the 2003 World Cup.
Yet, throughout all this turmoil, Hick’s run-scoring at New Road remained a constant. To continue playing county cricket with enormous success even after suffering the anguish of international failings has been an exceptional achievement; only once, in ’91, have his international disappointments been replicated on the county stage.
Even at the age of 41, Hick has been in terrific form, averaging 47 in the County Championship, including scoring a century off Muralitharan at Old Trafford, and 68 in the Friends Provident Trophy.Wisden 2007 revealed that only Jack Hobbs has scored more hundreds in all professional cricket than Hick. It is testament to his longevity, his love for the game but, above all, his continued dedication to maximising his wonderful talent.
He has, of course, not been the batsman everyone thought he would be when, in those pre-England days, he could do no wrong as he mercilessly put attacks to the sword in a way that was both beautiful and brutal, a fusion of majestic timing, placement and sheer power.But he has continued, more or less, to do so for Worcestershire; he is unquestionably their finest ever player, owner of their highest ever score and a key man in two of the five Championships in their history.
Typical of his unassuming, modest manner he claims that he is “not really fussed” about reaching 40,000 first-class runs. Well, he should be. For 22 years, Hick has been the Bradman of New Road and, for all his failings, cricket will not forget a man whose run-scoring capacity at county level has defied belief.
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!
Sunday, 6 April 2008
The Young Pretenders 2008
We finalise our brief look at the top eleven up and coming talented youngsters who will be on display in county cricket over the English summer. The qualifiers are all under the age of 23 and are looking to establish themselves in their respective county sides this season.
Moeen Ali (20) – Worcestershire – Left Hand Top Order Batsman / Right Arm Offbreak Bowler
Ali is an explosive and exciting player who likes to dominate the opposition. He once smashed a century off just 56 balls against Sri Lanka U19’s and he is a confident leader. He has mainly been used at the top of the order in limited overs cricket to date, where he has plundered a century and four fifties in just 19 innings. He will be hoping for more first class action this year and with his talent he should get it. Ali is also a good offspin bowler, which makes him a formidable allround player. Brother, Kadeer, plays for Gloucestershire, whilst cousin, Kabir, is also based at New Road and the early signs are that Moeen can outshine them both.
Alex Wakely (19) – Northants – Right Hand Middle Order Batsman / Right Arm Medium-Fast Bowler
Wakely captained England U19’s at the 2008 World Cup and has performed admirably at that level. He has yet to translate his undoubted ability and performances at U19 level into first team county cricket however, although he has notched up two fifties in the County Championship to date. He possesses every shot in the book and is also a capable support bowler. However, he needs to improve under pressure, when the going isn’t so good. This will be a big year for him.
The IX Young Pretenders for 2008
Billy Godleman
Mark Stoneman
Alex Wakely
Tom Westley
Laurie Evans
Moeen Ali
Chris Jordan
Liam Dawson
James Harris
Tom Smith
Steven Finn
NB: Gary Wilson and Tom Burrows are the wicket keepers to watch but they are unlikely to gain as much exposure to first team cricket this time out. Craig Kieswetter meanwhile has already made his breakthrough and it will be interesting to see how he fairs in division one.
Moeen Ali (20) – Worcestershire – Left Hand Top Order Batsman / Right Arm Offbreak Bowler
Ali is an explosive and exciting player who likes to dominate the opposition. He once smashed a century off just 56 balls against Sri Lanka U19’s and he is a confident leader. He has mainly been used at the top of the order in limited overs cricket to date, where he has plundered a century and four fifties in just 19 innings. He will be hoping for more first class action this year and with his talent he should get it. Ali is also a good offspin bowler, which makes him a formidable allround player. Brother, Kadeer, plays for Gloucestershire, whilst cousin, Kabir, is also based at New Road and the early signs are that Moeen can outshine them both.
Alex Wakely (19) – Northants – Right Hand Middle Order Batsman / Right Arm Medium-Fast Bowler
Wakely captained England U19’s at the 2008 World Cup and has performed admirably at that level. He has yet to translate his undoubted ability and performances at U19 level into first team county cricket however, although he has notched up two fifties in the County Championship to date. He possesses every shot in the book and is also a capable support bowler. However, he needs to improve under pressure, when the going isn’t so good. This will be a big year for him.
The IX Young Pretenders for 2008
Billy Godleman
Mark Stoneman
Alex Wakely
Tom Westley
Laurie Evans
Moeen Ali
Chris Jordan
Liam Dawson
James Harris
Tom Smith
Steven Finn
NB: Gary Wilson and Tom Burrows are the wicket keepers to watch but they are unlikely to gain as much exposure to first team cricket this time out. Craig Kieswetter meanwhile has already made his breakthrough and it will be interesting to see how he fairs in division one.
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
Mystic Richard’s 2008 Predictions – Division 2
Yes I know I said that Hampshire would win Division 1, Kent would be relegated and Essex would go up last season. However, that doesn’t stop me from having another go this season. Division 1 will follow, with the predictions in reverse order.
9 Gloucestershire
Finished 7th last season and with little movement in or out, it’s difficult not to see them going backwards. Marcus North and Steve Kirby look to be their main players with bat and ball and they will be looking for success in the shorter versions of the game.
8 Leicestershire
Stuart Broad won’t be a huge loss to the Foxes as he is likely to spent the season with England rather than in county cricket. However, there is very little in the way of home grown talent and journeyman Kolpaks aplenty.
7 Northamptonshire
Another team looking to rely heavily on Kolpaks, although the ICL seems to have put paid to some of these. Another season of mediocrity beckons.
6 Glamorgan
Bottom of the pile last season, but they seem to have recruited well, with Matt Wood and Jamie Dalrymple talented players looking to kickstart their careers. Add to that the emerging talent coming out of Wales then they seem to be turning the corner. Neutrals will be hoping that this is the case as they seem to be doing a lot more to develop their homegrown talent than the Kolpakshire counties of Northants and Leicester.
5 Worcestershire
Relegated by quite some distance last season, regardless of the problems that the club had with the flooding of the New Road pitch. The signing of Simon Jones is interesting and all England fans will hope that it marks his rehabilitation. With Graeme Hick, Vikram Solanki and Ben Smith, they shouldn’t be short of runs, while Kabir Ali and Fidel Edwards should take wickets. Likely to be one of five teams challenging for promotion, but will come up short.
4 Derbyshire
An interesting off season for Derbyshire, with Rikki Clarke and Nayan Doshi both coming from Surrey and both in the last chance saloon for their respective careers. Mahela Jayawardene should score bucketloads of runs while the underrated bowling attack of Tom Lungley and Graham Wagg will take the wickets to see them in the hunt this season.
3 Warwickshire
An end of season capitulation and a resurgent Surrey saw the Bears relegated and their new recruits on the pitch don’t stir the blood as much as the off field team of Ashley Giles and Allan Donald. A season of rebuilding beckons, particularly as Tim Ambrose and Ian Bell are unlikely to be at Edgbaston much during the summer. Jon Trott and Jim Troughton will score enough runs to make them competitive. However, they will struggle to bowl teams out, even in Division 2.
2 Essex
Surely this has to be the season they go up. Ravi Bopara and James Foster will need big seasons to get them back into the international reckoning, while in Danesh Kaneria they have arguably the most dangerous bowler in the Division. The seam attack looks light, but the recruitment of David Masters looks shrewd.
1 Middlesex
The two teams promoted last season were two of the best seen in Division 2 for a while. Middlesex chased them all the way and should see their efforts better rewarded this season. Ed Joyce, Ed Smith and particularly Owais Shah form the best batting line up in the division, while they will also be looking for Billy Godleman to kick on after a promising first season. The pace attack is reliant on the veterans Chris Silverwood and Alan Richardson with Tim Murtagh giving support, although the highly rated Steve Finn will be looking to play a full season and could be a revelation. Murali Kartik and Shaun Udal provide the spin option and this team is far too good for Division 2.
9 Gloucestershire
Finished 7th last season and with little movement in or out, it’s difficult not to see them going backwards. Marcus North and Steve Kirby look to be their main players with bat and ball and they will be looking for success in the shorter versions of the game.
8 Leicestershire
Stuart Broad won’t be a huge loss to the Foxes as he is likely to spent the season with England rather than in county cricket. However, there is very little in the way of home grown talent and journeyman Kolpaks aplenty.
7 Northamptonshire
Another team looking to rely heavily on Kolpaks, although the ICL seems to have put paid to some of these. Another season of mediocrity beckons.
6 Glamorgan
Bottom of the pile last season, but they seem to have recruited well, with Matt Wood and Jamie Dalrymple talented players looking to kickstart their careers. Add to that the emerging talent coming out of Wales then they seem to be turning the corner. Neutrals will be hoping that this is the case as they seem to be doing a lot more to develop their homegrown talent than the Kolpakshire counties of Northants and Leicester.
5 Worcestershire
Relegated by quite some distance last season, regardless of the problems that the club had with the flooding of the New Road pitch. The signing of Simon Jones is interesting and all England fans will hope that it marks his rehabilitation. With Graeme Hick, Vikram Solanki and Ben Smith, they shouldn’t be short of runs, while Kabir Ali and Fidel Edwards should take wickets. Likely to be one of five teams challenging for promotion, but will come up short.
4 Derbyshire
An interesting off season for Derbyshire, with Rikki Clarke and Nayan Doshi both coming from Surrey and both in the last chance saloon for their respective careers. Mahela Jayawardene should score bucketloads of runs while the underrated bowling attack of Tom Lungley and Graham Wagg will take the wickets to see them in the hunt this season.
3 Warwickshire
An end of season capitulation and a resurgent Surrey saw the Bears relegated and their new recruits on the pitch don’t stir the blood as much as the off field team of Ashley Giles and Allan Donald. A season of rebuilding beckons, particularly as Tim Ambrose and Ian Bell are unlikely to be at Edgbaston much during the summer. Jon Trott and Jim Troughton will score enough runs to make them competitive. However, they will struggle to bowl teams out, even in Division 2.
2 Essex
Surely this has to be the season they go up. Ravi Bopara and James Foster will need big seasons to get them back into the international reckoning, while in Danesh Kaneria they have arguably the most dangerous bowler in the Division. The seam attack looks light, but the recruitment of David Masters looks shrewd.
1 Middlesex
The two teams promoted last season were two of the best seen in Division 2 for a while. Middlesex chased them all the way and should see their efforts better rewarded this season. Ed Joyce, Ed Smith and particularly Owais Shah form the best batting line up in the division, while they will also be looking for Billy Godleman to kick on after a promising first season. The pace attack is reliant on the veterans Chris Silverwood and Alan Richardson with Tim Murtagh giving support, although the highly rated Steve Finn will be looking to play a full season and could be a revelation. Murali Kartik and Shaun Udal provide the spin option and this team is far too good for Division 2.
Monday, 25 June 2007
Mystic Richard’s Half Term review – part 2
Having looked at the teams at the lower reaches of Division 2, it’s time to look at the four teams challenging for promotion, and the two teams that are likely to replace them in the 2nd tier
Div 2
Somerset
I predicted 4th and in the promotion mix. They’re currently top and looking good. Batting at Taunton has been a dream this season and seven players have scored tons. Marcus Trescothick, Justin Langer, James Hildreth and Cameron White all have over 700 runs so far this season with Langer’s highest score of 315 being more than any Glamorgan player has managed in total this term. As impressive has been the bowling attack of Andrew Caddick (39 wickets), Charl Willoughby (29) and Peter Trego (21) all at an average of 30 or less. It looked as if the Taunton wicket would prevent too enough home victories but big wins in their last two matches have taken them to the top and they will be difficult to dislodge.
Nottinghamshire
I predicted top and they’re one and half points behind in second, having recently gone off the boil with a loss to Glamorgan and being unable to force a win in a day and a half against Derby. On the batting front David Hussey, Jason Gallian and Mark Wagh all have more than 500 runs, while Samit Patel and Chris Read are both averaging over 50 as well. The bowling has been weakened by Ryan Sidebottom’s England call up, but Charlie Schrek (36 wickets at 24), Mark Ealham (25 at 24), Graeme Swann (24 at 30) and Paul Franks (23 at 30) are a well balanced and effective bowling attack. With Stephen Fleming still to come good this season, it should be a battle royale between the top two.
Essex
I predicted 2nd and they’re currently 3rd and 19 points behind the top two. Ronnie Irani tops the batting averages, but his retirement will hit the team hard, as did the loss of Andy Flower to England. None of the top six in the batting averages have played every game for Essex this season. Ravi Bopara tops the batting aggregate with 496 runs and Essex must be hoping that his injury isn’t serious enough to keep him out of the 2nd half of the season if they are to challenge. They must also hope for more from their opening pair of Mark Bettini and Vanush Chopra who haven’t score a hundred between them. Danesh Kaneria leads the bowling figures by a mile with 47 wickets at 25 and Essex should expect more from their overseas pair of Andre Nel and Andy Bichel. The loss of Irani may just be too much for them to cope with and their challenge could fall just short again.
Middlesex
I predicted 3rd and they are 4th having played a game less than the top three. Owais Shah, following his disappointing England performance, is making up for it in the Championship, along with the highly promising Ben Godleman, who is pushing for an academy place come the winter break. More disappointing have been Ed Joyce and Nick Compton who will both be looking for an improvement in the second half of the season. Bowling wise, Alan Richardson has 26 wickets at just 18, while Chris Silverwood has 23 and 21, meaning that Chaminda Vaas hasn’t been missed while injured and then on International duty. 35 points behind 2nd is a lot to make up, even with a game in hand, but they will be there or thereabouts come September.
Div 1
Surrey
I predicted 5th, higher if Mark Ramprakash continued his form, but thought they would have difficulty taking wickets. Well the last part of that was correct at least. Currently 8th and 24 points behind Kent, they are still win-less, despite the best efforts of Ramprakash who has nearly a thousand runs already this season, averaging over 100. Jon Batty has also had a profitable season, but their problem isn’t scoring runs. Nadeem Doshi is the leading wicket taker with 13 at over 50. Mo Akram tops the bowling averages at nearly 40 runs per wicket. If they can’t bowl a team out twice then they will go down and unless they find some young wicket takers, they may struggle to come back up again.
Worcestershire
I predicted 9th and that is where they are. Graeme Hick and Vikram Solanki have both scored over 500 runs, but no-one is averaging over 50 and there is little contribution from lower in the order. The bowling is heavily reliant on Kabir Ali (26 wickets) and Gareth Batty (19). There has also been little contribution from the overseas players, particularly Doug Bollinger who is averaging 50+ with the ball and 6 with the bat. Very close to their first win against fellow strugglers Surrey, they do at least look as if they could surprise someone, and I’d fancy them to finish above Surrey by the end of the season.
Div 2
Somerset
I predicted 4th and in the promotion mix. They’re currently top and looking good. Batting at Taunton has been a dream this season and seven players have scored tons. Marcus Trescothick, Justin Langer, James Hildreth and Cameron White all have over 700 runs so far this season with Langer’s highest score of 315 being more than any Glamorgan player has managed in total this term. As impressive has been the bowling attack of Andrew Caddick (39 wickets), Charl Willoughby (29) and Peter Trego (21) all at an average of 30 or less. It looked as if the Taunton wicket would prevent too enough home victories but big wins in their last two matches have taken them to the top and they will be difficult to dislodge.
Nottinghamshire
I predicted top and they’re one and half points behind in second, having recently gone off the boil with a loss to Glamorgan and being unable to force a win in a day and a half against Derby. On the batting front David Hussey, Jason Gallian and Mark Wagh all have more than 500 runs, while Samit Patel and Chris Read are both averaging over 50 as well. The bowling has been weakened by Ryan Sidebottom’s England call up, but Charlie Schrek (36 wickets at 24), Mark Ealham (25 at 24), Graeme Swann (24 at 30) and Paul Franks (23 at 30) are a well balanced and effective bowling attack. With Stephen Fleming still to come good this season, it should be a battle royale between the top two.
Essex
I predicted 2nd and they’re currently 3rd and 19 points behind the top two. Ronnie Irani tops the batting averages, but his retirement will hit the team hard, as did the loss of Andy Flower to England. None of the top six in the batting averages have played every game for Essex this season. Ravi Bopara tops the batting aggregate with 496 runs and Essex must be hoping that his injury isn’t serious enough to keep him out of the 2nd half of the season if they are to challenge. They must also hope for more from their opening pair of Mark Bettini and Vanush Chopra who haven’t score a hundred between them. Danesh Kaneria leads the bowling figures by a mile with 47 wickets at 25 and Essex should expect more from their overseas pair of Andre Nel and Andy Bichel. The loss of Irani may just be too much for them to cope with and their challenge could fall just short again.
Middlesex
I predicted 3rd and they are 4th having played a game less than the top three. Owais Shah, following his disappointing England performance, is making up for it in the Championship, along with the highly promising Ben Godleman, who is pushing for an academy place come the winter break. More disappointing have been Ed Joyce and Nick Compton who will both be looking for an improvement in the second half of the season. Bowling wise, Alan Richardson has 26 wickets at just 18, while Chris Silverwood has 23 and 21, meaning that Chaminda Vaas hasn’t been missed while injured and then on International duty. 35 points behind 2nd is a lot to make up, even with a game in hand, but they will be there or thereabouts come September.
Div 1
Surrey
I predicted 5th, higher if Mark Ramprakash continued his form, but thought they would have difficulty taking wickets. Well the last part of that was correct at least. Currently 8th and 24 points behind Kent, they are still win-less, despite the best efforts of Ramprakash who has nearly a thousand runs already this season, averaging over 100. Jon Batty has also had a profitable season, but their problem isn’t scoring runs. Nadeem Doshi is the leading wicket taker with 13 at over 50. Mo Akram tops the bowling averages at nearly 40 runs per wicket. If they can’t bowl a team out twice then they will go down and unless they find some young wicket takers, they may struggle to come back up again.
Worcestershire
I predicted 9th and that is where they are. Graeme Hick and Vikram Solanki have both scored over 500 runs, but no-one is averaging over 50 and there is little contribution from lower in the order. The bowling is heavily reliant on Kabir Ali (26 wickets) and Gareth Batty (19). There has also been little contribution from the overseas players, particularly Doug Bollinger who is averaging 50+ with the ball and 6 with the bat. Very close to their first win against fellow strugglers Surrey, they do at least look as if they could surprise someone, and I’d fancy them to finish above Surrey by the end of the season.
Monday, 18 June 2007
The Bradman of New Road
Thinking of the batting greats of this era, attention, inevitably, will turn first to those who made a big impact on the international scene. But, when people flicking through Wisden see a G.Hick, one of only 16 men to hit 40,000 first-class runs, they will wonder why it is his Test average was only a paltry 31.32.
Graeme Hick, although he was given a generous 65 Tests to prove his worth, can consider himself an unlucky Test cricketer. Having a seven-year qualifying period didn’t help – he is a largely bashful personality and did not enjoy being bandied about as the English Bradman, while his baptism against the West Indies in 1991 was particularly unforgiving. Although his Test career only ended six years ago, Hick played the vast majority of his career in circumstances that bear no resemblance to the plethora of easy pickings available in international cricket today, a point that must be considered in the final analysis.
Moreover, he was perennially a victim of selection upheaval, being dropped no fewer than 11 times throughout his career; he was doomed to continually veering from scapegoat to saviour, and it would have taken its toll on anyone. Shane Warne said he had "really been messed around".
During his only regular run in the side – between the start of 1993 and the end of the ‘95/96 South Africa tour – Hick averaged 45. Yet, testament to the bizarre selection of the era, he was dropped after the second Ashes Test in ’93, despite having scored 178, 47, 68, 26, 34, 22, 20 and then 64 in his last eight Test innings. In amongst it all he played some very fine innings, such as his maiden Test century, 178, in an innings defeat in India and a superb 141 at Centurion Park in 1995. Alas, he never got an Ashes century; Mike Atherton infamously declared him on 98* during the ’94-95 tour.
In spite of his relentless plundering of county attacks, however, his technique did have some fatal flaws, particularly against the short ball. And, it was because he had destroyed county attacks with almost unprecedented regularity prior to his international debut that it was so hard for him to alter his method.
Yet, away from the Test arena, he made runs with unfailing regularity everywhere he went. He has scored over 100 centuries for Worcestershire alone, including 172 against Messrs Ambrose, Patterson, Walsh and Bishop in 1988, at a time when touring games were still treated with respect. And his achievements in, when in his early 20s, being a phenomenal success for Auckland, in ‘87/88 and ‘88/89 and, after a slow start, averaging 49 in the extremely competitive Sheffield Shield in ‘90/91 are seldom remarked upon.
In one-day internationals, where the pressure is great but players are freer to play on instinct, can worry less about technique and the game is generally more batsman-friendly, Hick performed extremely well, averaging 37 over 126 games. Again, however, he was the victim of selectorial blunders, in that he was sometimes, as in 1996, dropped for bad Test form. Even at 36, he surely should have played in the 2003 World Cup.
Yet, throughout all this turmoil, Hick’s run-scoring at New Road remained a constant. To continue playing county cricket with enormous success even after suffering the anguish of international failings has been an exceptional achievement; only once, in ’91, have his international disappointments been replicated on the county stage. Even at the age of 41, Hick has been in terrific form, averaging 47 in the County Championship, including scoring a century off Muralitharan at Old Trafford, and 68 in the Friends Provident Trophy.
Wisden 2007 revealed that only Jack Hobbs has scored more hundreds in all professional cricket than Hick. It is testament to his longevity, his love for the game but, above all, his continued dedication to maximising his wonderful talent. He has, of course, not been the batsman everyone thought he would be when, in those pre-England days, he could do no wrong as he mercilessly put attacks to the sword in a way that was both beautiful and brutal, a fusion of majestic timing, placement and sheer power.
But he has continued, more or less, to do so for Worcestershire; he is unquestionably their finest ever player, owner of their highest ever score and a key man in two of the five Championships in their history. Typical of his unassuming, modest manner he claims that he is “not really fussed” about reaching 40,000 first-class runs. Well, he should be. For 22 years, Hick has been the Bradman of New Road and, for all his failings, cricket will not forget a man whose run-scoring capacity at county level has defied belief.
Graeme Hick, although he was given a generous 65 Tests to prove his worth, can consider himself an unlucky Test cricketer. Having a seven-year qualifying period didn’t help – he is a largely bashful personality and did not enjoy being bandied about as the English Bradman, while his baptism against the West Indies in 1991 was particularly unforgiving. Although his Test career only ended six years ago, Hick played the vast majority of his career in circumstances that bear no resemblance to the plethora of easy pickings available in international cricket today, a point that must be considered in the final analysis.
Moreover, he was perennially a victim of selection upheaval, being dropped no fewer than 11 times throughout his career; he was doomed to continually veering from scapegoat to saviour, and it would have taken its toll on anyone. Shane Warne said he had "really been messed around".
During his only regular run in the side – between the start of 1993 and the end of the ‘95/96 South Africa tour – Hick averaged 45. Yet, testament to the bizarre selection of the era, he was dropped after the second Ashes Test in ’93, despite having scored 178, 47, 68, 26, 34, 22, 20 and then 64 in his last eight Test innings. In amongst it all he played some very fine innings, such as his maiden Test century, 178, in an innings defeat in India and a superb 141 at Centurion Park in 1995. Alas, he never got an Ashes century; Mike Atherton infamously declared him on 98* during the ’94-95 tour.
In spite of his relentless plundering of county attacks, however, his technique did have some fatal flaws, particularly against the short ball. And, it was because he had destroyed county attacks with almost unprecedented regularity prior to his international debut that it was so hard for him to alter his method.
Yet, away from the Test arena, he made runs with unfailing regularity everywhere he went. He has scored over 100 centuries for Worcestershire alone, including 172 against Messrs Ambrose, Patterson, Walsh and Bishop in 1988, at a time when touring games were still treated with respect. And his achievements in, when in his early 20s, being a phenomenal success for Auckland, in ‘87/88 and ‘88/89 and, after a slow start, averaging 49 in the extremely competitive Sheffield Shield in ‘90/91 are seldom remarked upon.
In one-day internationals, where the pressure is great but players are freer to play on instinct, can worry less about technique and the game is generally more batsman-friendly, Hick performed extremely well, averaging 37 over 126 games. Again, however, he was the victim of selectorial blunders, in that he was sometimes, as in 1996, dropped for bad Test form. Even at 36, he surely should have played in the 2003 World Cup.
Yet, throughout all this turmoil, Hick’s run-scoring at New Road remained a constant. To continue playing county cricket with enormous success even after suffering the anguish of international failings has been an exceptional achievement; only once, in ’91, have his international disappointments been replicated on the county stage. Even at the age of 41, Hick has been in terrific form, averaging 47 in the County Championship, including scoring a century off Muralitharan at Old Trafford, and 68 in the Friends Provident Trophy.
Wisden 2007 revealed that only Jack Hobbs has scored more hundreds in all professional cricket than Hick. It is testament to his longevity, his love for the game but, above all, his continued dedication to maximising his wonderful talent. He has, of course, not been the batsman everyone thought he would be when, in those pre-England days, he could do no wrong as he mercilessly put attacks to the sword in a way that was both beautiful and brutal, a fusion of majestic timing, placement and sheer power.
But he has continued, more or less, to do so for Worcestershire; he is unquestionably their finest ever player, owner of their highest ever score and a key man in two of the five Championships in their history. Typical of his unassuming, modest manner he claims that he is “not really fussed” about reaching 40,000 first-class runs. Well, he should be. For 22 years, Hick has been the Bradman of New Road and, for all his failings, cricket will not forget a man whose run-scoring capacity at county level has defied belief.
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
Mystic Richard’s Division 1 Predictions
As the fat lady limbers up on England’s World Cup “campaign”, the serious business of the Championship is about to start. We already know from my Division 2 predictions that Essex and Notts are going to win promotion. Who will they pass on the way down and who will lift the trophy? Teams, as before, are in reverse order.
9 Worcestershire
Promoted last season but about to find out how much tougher it is in Division 1 than Division 2. Phil Jacques is a proven run scorer, but surely the sands of time must catch up with Graeme Hick soon, leaving Vikram Solanki as the other source of runs. The main source of wickets last year, Zaheer Khan, is not coming back though, so Matt Mason and Kabir Ali need to fill the gap. Gareth Batty still harbours England hopes and at 30 should be approaching his prime as a spinner. Also with England hopes is highly regarded wicketkeeper Steven Davies. However, this year will be a struggle and survival has to be the aim.
8 Kent
Only Matt Walker and Martin van Jaarsveld got a thousand runs last year. Amjad Khan was the leading wicket taker with 34, yet Kent finished fifth, showing the importance of a good all round team effort, and the paucity of the four teams at the bottom of Division 1 last season. The teams that have come up are an improvement and Yorks and Durham look much stronger, so Kent need to improve to keep up their unbroken run in Division 1. This won’t be helped by the injury to Amjad which will rule him out for the season or the delay to Andrew Hall joining the team. In particular, Rob Key had a dreadful season with the bat, but it’s going to take more than his resurgence for Kent not to struggle this year.
7 Warwickshire
Runs were the main problem for Warwickshire, with only Jim Trott and the now retired Nick Knight getting over 600. Kumar Sangakkara should help on this front, bit Darren Maddy looks like a short term solution with one dayers in mind. Warwickshire won’t see much of Ian Bell this year, and it needs to be a big season for Alex Loudon with bat and ball if he wants to get back in to the England reckoning. Heath Streak and Dale Steyn will be a real force with the new ball and the wickets they take should win enough games to see them survive.
6 Durham
Paul Collingwood will be missing, but it is likely that Durham will see more of Steve Harmison and Liam Plunkett than they did last season. Add Graham Onions to the list and that is a pretty formidable pace attack. Dale Blenkenstein weighed in with over 1400 runs and if Michael Di Venuto brings his Derbyshire form from last year, then young talent such as Gordon Muchall and Phil Mustard should flourish. They survived by half a point last season. They should be a bit more comfortable this season.
5 Surrey
The great imponderables. If Mark Ramprakash keeps up his form from last season then the rest can go home now. However, Division 1 is tougher than Division 2. Their middle order of Mark Butcher, Ramps and Ali Brown behind an opening pair of Scott Newman and Jon Batty is as good a batting line up as any in the league on paper but youth isn’t on their side and if they do struggle, there isn’t a lot as back-up. However, if Rikki Clarke starts to justify the early promise week in week out with bat and ball, then this team could be challenging for the prize money. The bowling looks much weaker than the batting, with Mo Akram and Azhar Mahmood having little in support. The spin twins of Salisbury and Doshi, backed up by a returning Chris Schofield, will need to match their success of last year or Surrey could end up with a lot of drawn games.
4 Yorkshire
At the start of the year they were certainties for relegation and ninth place. Chris Adams had come and gone. Darren Lehmann had retired, Michael Lumb had gone to Hampshire and Anthony McGrath never wanted to play for Yorkshire again. Then Jacques Rudolph was signed as a Kolpak, Younus Khan was signed as the overseas player, Darren Gough and Martyn Moxon returned as captain and coach respectively and McGrath decided to stay. With Craig White and the promising Joe Sayers, this gives a strong, if untried, batting line-up. And who knows, we may even see Michael Vaughan turning out. Gough, Jason Gillespie, Matthew Hoggard and Tim Bresnan form an experienced, pace attack, backed up by Deon Kruis and a raft of youngsters. The main cause for promise, though is the spin attack with Adil Rashid and Mark Lawson hoping to continue where they left off last season. The lows and highs of the winter have brought a momentum of its own. If that continues, then anything is possible.
3 Sussex
Ironically, the Chris Adams affair may have a greater effect on Sussex than Yorkshire. The Sussex triumph of last season was based largely upon a great team spirit. If times get tough over the season, the effect of the captain trying to leave during the winter may be crucial. Murray Goodwin’s runs will again be crucial in giving Mushtaq Ahmed enough runs to bowl at, and they will also be looking for more runs from their openers, with Chris Nash looking like he’s got the nod over Richard Montgomerie. The loss of Michael Yardy for the start of the season will be a blow and if Matt Prior does get an England call up, his runs will also be difficult to replace. The strength is the bowling attack. James Kirtley and Jason Lewry are still a force at this level and Mushtaq was comfortably the bowler of the English season last year. They will challenge for the title, but will just come up short this year.
2 Lancashire
Like Sussex, the bowling is stronger than the batting, and has been strengthened further by the signing of Muttiah Muralitheran. While James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff likely to be away with England, it would be a surprise if Sajid Mahmood wasn’t available for most of the season to form a pace attack with Dominic Cork, Glen Chapple and the promising Tom Smith. Gary Keedy was tipped by many to be England’s second spinner over the winter and will team up with Murali. The batting doesn’t have the same strength in depth, although with Stuart Law, Brad Hodge and Mal Loye, there should be enough runs scored to make a challenge. However, even if the weather holds off for them, they’re not quite good enough again.
1 Hampshire
Like Sussex the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. But for the feats of Mark Ramprakash, we’d have been talking up the John Crawley revival and with James Adams, Nik Pothas and Michael Carberry, there should be plenty of runs for Shane Warne to play with. In addition to this, Michael Lumb will be looking to recapture the form that got him an A team tour three years ago, moving from Yorkshire. The bowling isn’t just about Warne, with Dimitri Mascarenhas, Chris Tremlett and the newly signed Stuart Clark all likely to contribute in a balanced and potent attack. Third last year, this is likely to be Warne’s last season and no-one in the game (including one IT Botham) has had a better scriptwriter.
9 Worcestershire
Promoted last season but about to find out how much tougher it is in Division 1 than Division 2. Phil Jacques is a proven run scorer, but surely the sands of time must catch up with Graeme Hick soon, leaving Vikram Solanki as the other source of runs. The main source of wickets last year, Zaheer Khan, is not coming back though, so Matt Mason and Kabir Ali need to fill the gap. Gareth Batty still harbours England hopes and at 30 should be approaching his prime as a spinner. Also with England hopes is highly regarded wicketkeeper Steven Davies. However, this year will be a struggle and survival has to be the aim.
8 Kent
Only Matt Walker and Martin van Jaarsveld got a thousand runs last year. Amjad Khan was the leading wicket taker with 34, yet Kent finished fifth, showing the importance of a good all round team effort, and the paucity of the four teams at the bottom of Division 1 last season. The teams that have come up are an improvement and Yorks and Durham look much stronger, so Kent need to improve to keep up their unbroken run in Division 1. This won’t be helped by the injury to Amjad which will rule him out for the season or the delay to Andrew Hall joining the team. In particular, Rob Key had a dreadful season with the bat, but it’s going to take more than his resurgence for Kent not to struggle this year.
7 Warwickshire
Runs were the main problem for Warwickshire, with only Jim Trott and the now retired Nick Knight getting over 600. Kumar Sangakkara should help on this front, bit Darren Maddy looks like a short term solution with one dayers in mind. Warwickshire won’t see much of Ian Bell this year, and it needs to be a big season for Alex Loudon with bat and ball if he wants to get back in to the England reckoning. Heath Streak and Dale Steyn will be a real force with the new ball and the wickets they take should win enough games to see them survive.
6 Durham
Paul Collingwood will be missing, but it is likely that Durham will see more of Steve Harmison and Liam Plunkett than they did last season. Add Graham Onions to the list and that is a pretty formidable pace attack. Dale Blenkenstein weighed in with over 1400 runs and if Michael Di Venuto brings his Derbyshire form from last year, then young talent such as Gordon Muchall and Phil Mustard should flourish. They survived by half a point last season. They should be a bit more comfortable this season.
5 Surrey
The great imponderables. If Mark Ramprakash keeps up his form from last season then the rest can go home now. However, Division 1 is tougher than Division 2. Their middle order of Mark Butcher, Ramps and Ali Brown behind an opening pair of Scott Newman and Jon Batty is as good a batting line up as any in the league on paper but youth isn’t on their side and if they do struggle, there isn’t a lot as back-up. However, if Rikki Clarke starts to justify the early promise week in week out with bat and ball, then this team could be challenging for the prize money. The bowling looks much weaker than the batting, with Mo Akram and Azhar Mahmood having little in support. The spin twins of Salisbury and Doshi, backed up by a returning Chris Schofield, will need to match their success of last year or Surrey could end up with a lot of drawn games.
4 Yorkshire
At the start of the year they were certainties for relegation and ninth place. Chris Adams had come and gone. Darren Lehmann had retired, Michael Lumb had gone to Hampshire and Anthony McGrath never wanted to play for Yorkshire again. Then Jacques Rudolph was signed as a Kolpak, Younus Khan was signed as the overseas player, Darren Gough and Martyn Moxon returned as captain and coach respectively and McGrath decided to stay. With Craig White and the promising Joe Sayers, this gives a strong, if untried, batting line-up. And who knows, we may even see Michael Vaughan turning out. Gough, Jason Gillespie, Matthew Hoggard and Tim Bresnan form an experienced, pace attack, backed up by Deon Kruis and a raft of youngsters. The main cause for promise, though is the spin attack with Adil Rashid and Mark Lawson hoping to continue where they left off last season. The lows and highs of the winter have brought a momentum of its own. If that continues, then anything is possible.
3 Sussex
Ironically, the Chris Adams affair may have a greater effect on Sussex than Yorkshire. The Sussex triumph of last season was based largely upon a great team spirit. If times get tough over the season, the effect of the captain trying to leave during the winter may be crucial. Murray Goodwin’s runs will again be crucial in giving Mushtaq Ahmed enough runs to bowl at, and they will also be looking for more runs from their openers, with Chris Nash looking like he’s got the nod over Richard Montgomerie. The loss of Michael Yardy for the start of the season will be a blow and if Matt Prior does get an England call up, his runs will also be difficult to replace. The strength is the bowling attack. James Kirtley and Jason Lewry are still a force at this level and Mushtaq was comfortably the bowler of the English season last year. They will challenge for the title, but will just come up short this year.
2 Lancashire
Like Sussex, the bowling is stronger than the batting, and has been strengthened further by the signing of Muttiah Muralitheran. While James Anderson and Andrew Flintoff likely to be away with England, it would be a surprise if Sajid Mahmood wasn’t available for most of the season to form a pace attack with Dominic Cork, Glen Chapple and the promising Tom Smith. Gary Keedy was tipped by many to be England’s second spinner over the winter and will team up with Murali. The batting doesn’t have the same strength in depth, although with Stuart Law, Brad Hodge and Mal Loye, there should be enough runs scored to make a challenge. However, even if the weather holds off for them, they’re not quite good enough again.
1 Hampshire
Like Sussex the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. But for the feats of Mark Ramprakash, we’d have been talking up the John Crawley revival and with James Adams, Nik Pothas and Michael Carberry, there should be plenty of runs for Shane Warne to play with. In addition to this, Michael Lumb will be looking to recapture the form that got him an A team tour three years ago, moving from Yorkshire. The bowling isn’t just about Warne, with Dimitri Mascarenhas, Chris Tremlett and the newly signed Stuart Clark all likely to contribute in a balanced and potent attack. Third last year, this is likely to be Warne’s last season and no-one in the game (including one IT Botham) has had a better scriptwriter.
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