tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372519222024-03-24T23:31:44.626+00:00Third UmpireOpinion and analysis on all aspects of cricket - from Afghanistan to Yorkshire.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09215417891130654291noreply@blogger.comBlogger754125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-11654220108850290152021-09-30T10:03:00.001+01:002021-09-30T10:03:01.549+01:00New contracts for three as Priestley leaves I didn't have time yesterday to comment on the contracts awarded at Derbyshire, but I have a few minutes now.<div><br></div><div>I have no real issue with the award of two year contracts to Alex Hughes and Tom Wood, nor the one-year one to Mattie McKiernan. It was something of an inevitability for the latter two, after the awards they won at the club's annual dinner last weekend.</div><div><br></div><div>With Wood having been 'poster boy' for the club Twitter feed in recent weeks, it would have looked pretty silly to then announce his release. His century against Nottinghamshire will live long in the collective memory and his power and stroke play in one day cricket will prove a potent weapon.</div><div><br></div><div>He has work to do on his technique for the four-day game and the defence isn't as secure as it could be, but the talent is there for the new Head of Cricket to work on. </div><div><br></div><div>Similarly, McKiernan was voted Second XI player of the year, so to then announce his departure would have made the club a laughing stock.</div><div><br></div><div>I like him as a cricketer, but he needs to make the most of his opportunities next year under a new Head of Cricket. He also needs to be given more at senior level, because his bowling seems to be seen as a 'last resort'. I think it is better than that and perhaps he, like Anuj Dal, could benefit from greater responsibility.</div><div><br></div><div>Long time readers will know I am a big fan of Alex Hughes and so I am pleased to see him get a new deal. Coming in from left field, he will be a strong contender for the captaincy if they don't look to Matt Critchley, certainly in the one-day games. A change is needed, in my opinion, with fresh eyes and enthusiasm. </div><div><br></div><div>Yet my concern is that Dave Houghton has made, or been allowed to make, decisions on contracts when he won't be at the club.</div><div>Unless the new Head of Cricket is to be given a pot of money as yet undeclared, he looks set to go with the same squad for next year, as he has been presented with a <i>fait accompli</i>.</div><div><br></div><div>I just find it very odd. So whoever comes in cannot be fairly judged next year, unless he turns us into a mid-table side, because there would appear to be only money for the overseas players.</div><div><br></div><div>It makes the appointment of the right man absolutely critical, because we desperately need someone with a track record of motivation, capable of getting the best from what we have.</div><div><br></div><div>Nils Priestley won't be part of the new regime, his release having been announced yesterday.</div><div><br></div><div>A talented cricketer, capable of useful left arm spin and clean hitting, his development was not sufficient, at this stage, to earn a new deal.</div><div><br></div><div>It could come again, if he goes away and works on his game, or his future could be outside cricket.</div><div><br></div><div>Either way, I wish him well. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-32620517471823216392021-07-09T22:06:00.001+01:002021-07-09T22:06:27.678+01:00Durham v Derbyshire T20<div><b>Durham 176-9 (Thomson 3-23)</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b>Derbyshire 180-4 (du Plooy 47, Guest 34*, Critchley 33*, Wood 32)</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b>Derbyshire won by six wickets</b></div><div><br></div>That was a good effort tonight by Derbyshire.<div><br></div><div>It was our highest winning run chase against Durham and the first time ever we have won a match off the final ball batting second (stat courtesy of David Griffin).</div><div><br></div><div>It came with a professional performance, the kind that frustrates a little. We KNOW the team has that in them, but too often this year they have lapsed into mediocrity.</div><div><br></div><div>I was impressed by how they dragged the home side back from a flying start, mainly thanks to an excellent spell from Alex Thomson, who mixed his pace and flight to get good figures. The skipper again bowled well and so too did FHP, but there were too many wayward and poor balls from the other seamers for comfort. Good catches were held though, which made the difference in the end.</div><div><br></div><div>The early loss of Luis Reece was a blow and when Came went after a couple of fine shots, Tom Wood and Leus du Plooy put on a record third wicket stand against Durham of 68 runs. They ran well and found the boundary regularly enough for us to be up with the required rate at half way.</div><div><br></div><div>When they both went in quick succession I was not overly confident, a state of mind that continued until the third last over. But Matt Critchley accumulated well and together with Brooke Guest brought the winning total down. </div><div><br></div><div>A huge six over mid wicket by Guest was a game-changer, as the four overs of Potts went for 50. Eight were needed off the last, from the wily Ben Raine and it went to the last ball, when, with one required, Guest pulled him behind square for the winning four. </div><div><br></div><div>Critchley and Guest showed no little skill and a lot of common sense in their stand of 64 from the last six overs. It was a fine captain's effort and another example of why Guest is a player who has emerged from this competition with his reputation enhanced. </div><div><br></div><div>Well done guys. It doesn't change anything, but it shows what can be done when common sense and skill are harnessed together. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-40972359101651299422021-05-28T15:36:00.001+01:002021-05-28T15:36:20.723+01:00Worcestershire v Derbyshire day 1<b>Worcestershire 336-7 (Haynes 97, D'Oliveira 71, Cox 49, Barnard 48* Conners 2-56)</b><div><b><br></b></div><div><b>v Derbyshire</b></div><div><br></div><div>Sam Conners took a wicket with the first ball of the innings for Derbyshire today, but after the first hour it was a day of graft for the bowlers in what became good batting conditions.</div><div><br></div><div>Conners bowled well in his first spell and should have had three wickets, but Leus du Plooy put down two catches at first slip, neither especially difficult and Fell and Libby survived, at least briefly.</div><div><br></div><div>A fine throw from Matt Critchley ran out Libby, who looked in good touch, but the only wicket in the afternoon was that of Ross Whiteley, who batted in unaccustomed dogged style before going at one that cut across him from Melton and being well caught at second slip by Madsen.</div><div><br></div><div>That was it for a long time as Haynes survived a sketchy start and a tough low chance to Guest to make his highest first-class score. He will be kicking himself all night after slapping an awful long hop from Critchley to deep square leg, where Melton held on to a really good catch. A century was three nudges away.. </div><div><br></div><div>D'Oliveira also looked in little trouble before playing a shot from the Schoolboy Book of Slogging and hitting it straight up in the air. Thereafter Cox and Barnard hit merrily and it suggested the wicket now holds few alarms. It was a surprise when Cox nicked one to Guest in the day's final over, but fair reward for Aitchison, who kept line and length well all day.</div><div><br></div><div>It wasn't a great day for Matt Critchley, whose early spell was erratic, nor for Dustin Melton besides his catch. Both will have better days but the seven bowlers used all grafted on a lovely sunny day.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile at Belper, there was a morale-boosting win for the Seconds against a strong Lancashire side in a T20 match.</div><div><br></div><div>Bowling first, they had the visitors out for 96, with Mattie McKiernan returning the excellent figures of 4-0-7-2 and Australian trialist Bailey Wightman 4-0-10-4.</div><div><br></div><div>The chase wasn't easy against a side featuring Gleeson, Hartley, Hurt, Balderson and Blatherwick, but McKiernan made 45 from 29 balls as Derbyshire won with time to spare and six wickets in hand.</div><div><br></div><div>It stakes a T20 claim for McKiernan, who might well offer additional variety for Dominic Cork in the very near future.</div><div><br></div><div>We should see Ben McDermott bat tomorrow.</div><div><br></div><div>Let's hope it is worth the wait. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-43885693613234369652021-05-27T19:05:00.000+01:002021-05-27T19:05:47.019+01:00Worcestershire v Derbyshire day 1<b>Worcestershire 336-7 (Haynes 97, D'Oliveira 71, Cox 49, Barnard 48* Conners 2-56)</b><div><b><br></b></div><div><b>v Derbyshire</b></div><div><br></div><div>Sam Conners took a wicket with the first ball of the innings for Derbyshire today, but after the first hour it was a day of graft for the bowlers in what became good batting conditions.</div><div><br></div><div>Conners bowled well in his first spell and should have had three wickets, but Leus du Plooy put down two catches at first slip, neither especially difficult and Fell and Libby survived, at least briefly.</div><div><br></div><div>A fine throw from Matt Critchley ran out Libby, who looked in good touch, but the only wicket in the afternoon was that of Ross Whiteley, who batted in unaccustomed dogged style before going at one that cut across him from Melton and being well caught at second slip by Madsen.</div><div><br></div><div>That was it for a long time as Haynes survived a sketchy start and a tough low chance to Guest to make his highest first-class score. He will be kicking himself all night after slapping an awful long hop from Critchley to deep square leg, where Melton held on to a really good catch. A century was three nudges away.. </div><div><br></div><div>D'Oliveira also looked in little trouble before playing a shot from the Schoolboy Book of Slogging and hitting it straight up in the air. Thereafter Cox and Barnard hit merrily and it suggested the wicket now holds few alarms. It was a surprise when Cox nicked one to Guest in the day's final over, but fair reward for Aitchison, who kept line and length well all day.</div><div><br></div><div>It wasn't a great day for Matt Critchley, whose early spell was erratic, nor for Dustin Melton besides his catch. Both will have better days but the seven bowlers used all grafted on a lovely sunny day.</div><div><br></div><div>Meanwhile at Belper, there was a morale-boosting win for the Seconds against a strong Lancashire side in a T20 match.</div><div><br></div><div>Bowling first, they had the visitors out for 96, with Mattie McKiernan returning the excellent figures of 4-0-7-2 and Australian trialist Bailey Wightman 4-0-10-4.</div><div><br></div><div>The chase wasn't easy against a side featuring Gleeson, Hartley, Hurt, Balderson and Blatherwick, but McKiernan made 45 from 29 balls as Derbyshire won with time to spare and six wickets in hand.</div><div><br></div><div>It stakes a T20 claim for McKiernan, who might well offer additional variety for Dominic Cork in the very near future.</div><div><br></div><div>We should see Ben McDermott bat tomorrow.</div><div><br></div><div>Let's hope it is worth the wait. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-46336409048546038002021-05-14T18:48:00.000+01:002021-05-14T18:48:27.731+01:00Essex v Derbyshire day 2<b>Essex 412-3 (Lawrence 152*, Westley 106, Browne 59, Cook 58, Stanlake 2-91)</b><div><b><br></b></div><div><b>Derbyshire 35-3</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b>Derbyshire trail by 377 runs</b></div><div><br></div><div>It was all very underwhelming from Derbyshire in the field today, as they were hammered to all parts by Essex.</div><div><br></div><div>Equally underwhelming was the first sight of Billy Stanlake. Call me old-fashioned, but I like my overseas professionals to know their run ups by that stage of their career. I fully appreciate that at 6'8 your strides are lengthy. I also acknowledge he hasn't played in England before, but he looked undercooked this morning.</div><div><br></div><div>As one former professional messaged me at one point, he will need to sort his length pretty quickly, as few balls endangered the stumps. By extension, two modes of dismissal are ruled out for him, which may be fine in T20, but amply illustrated his lack of four-day experience.</div><div><br></div><div>The wayward start seemed to disillusion the side and the body language wasn't great. It doesn't take away from some sparkling home batting, in which Lawrence shone, but there was too much poor bowling with no one exempt.</div><div><br></div><div>The only control was at the start of the first changes by Melton and Hudson - Prentice, but Essex were away by then. Two wickets for Stanlake in the early afternoon hinted at better, but the carnage started when Lawrence and Westley came together in a fine stand of 221.</div><div><br></div><div>Essex batted like it was an RLODC game, but it was all too different when our turn came. Opening with spinners Harmer and Lawrence because of the light, they quickly removed the Derbyshire openers and looked to be bowling on a different wicket. When du Plooy, badly out of touch at present, soon followed, we were in big trouble. </div><div><br></div><div>It was all too depressing to watch and promises to be a tough weekend. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-23173602776409256932021-03-12T12:06:00.001+00:002021-03-12T12:06:36.630+00:00Sponsors soughtLess than a month until the cricket season starts (less if you count friendly matches) and I hope your excitement is building by the day, as mine is.<div><br></div><div>With the signing of Billy Stanlake I am quite enthused. The batting should take care of itself, but the pace of Stanlake, Cohen and Melton, the potential of Aitchison, Conners and Potts and a raft of all round talent makes our bowling an intriguing and potentially potent mix. So good, in fact that I couldn't name a first choice eleven right now, always a good sign!</div><div><br></div><div>To matters in hand and I am keen to secure a few sponsors for the blog for the coming summer. There is a vacancy for a company (or individual) to sponsor the entire blog and have their logo as a click through in both the header and the side bar, while fairly inexpensive line adverts are also available. These can be for six or twelve-month periods and are a good way to promote your business and support the blog at the same time.</div><div><br></div><div>I am also happy to write a feature on your business and publicise through social media.</div><div><br></div><div>Do please get in touch by email peakfan36@yahoo.uk or by sending me a direct message on Twitter, where I can be found @Peakfanblog.</div><div><br></div><div>Thank you in advance for your interest!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-89082510441194590402020-09-24T12:35:00.000+01:002020-09-25T06:22:11.211+01:00Dean Jones<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3894966044951741679" itemprop="articleBody">The desperately sad news today of the death of former Derbyshire overseas player and captain, Dean Jones, has cast a shadow over the world of cricket. </div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3894966044951741679" itemprop="articleBody"><br></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3894966044951741679" itemprop="articleBody">'The Professor' was a thinker, analyst and commentator on the game which he graced for many years. He was one of the finest Australian middle-order batsmen and even now would likely get into an all-time one-day side from that country. </div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3894966044951741679" itemprop="articleBody"><br></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3894966044951741679" itemprop="articleBody">His time at Derbyshire was short, but memorable. </div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3894966044951741679" itemprop="articleBody"><br></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3894966044951741679" itemprop="articleBody">The dressing room of the mid-1990s was full of talent, yet a strong-willed and disparate bunch of players often seemed to lack direction. The atmosphere could change as frequently as the wind direction, but one had the feeling that if someone could galvanise this group of players they could do something special.<br><br>There had been a number of blunt-speaking players in our legendary team of the 1930s, of course, but Arthur Richardson had overcome any personal shortcomings as a player to lead the side with considerable skill to top three positions in 1934 and 1935 before taking the title in 1936. Something similar looked feasible in 1995, but a dressing room that was all too easily fragmented needed a strong leader.<br><br>Enter Dean Jones for the 1996 season, as close to the stereotypical Australian as you could wish for. Hard as nails, blunt and with a never-say-die attitude that was just what the doctor ordered. With the benefit of hindsight it was never going to last, but it was, without doubt, magnificent while it did.<br><br>Jones was a fixture in a fine Australian side and came with the reputation as being perhaps the best one-day batsman in the world, a title for which only Michael Bevan could challenge him. By the end of the 1996 season, 'Deano' had confirmed himself as an outstanding player, but proven it across all formats. He had also, despite a brusque, often confrontational persona, managed to turn a side of talented individuals into a team that came tantalisingly close to championship success.<br><div class="separator"><br></div><div class="separator">Jones scored 1502 championship runs at 52 that summer, but he inspired Chris Adams to over 1700 runs, while Kim Barnett contributed 1400. Adrian Rollins passed a thousand too, while Karl Krikken averaged 40 from almost 900 runs down the order. Individually and collectively, there have been few seasons when Derbyshire have batted better. Jones added a further 1151 runs at 68 in the one-day games. 2653 runs in a summer led firmly by example, which was the Deano way. </div><br>Having addressed Derbyshire's perennial weaker suit, an attack featuring Devon Malcolm, Dominic Cork and Phil de Freitas was always likely to win games. Jones set bold fields, encouraged and cajoled his charges and finished the season with a side that managed second place behind Leicestershire. With his friend and coach from Victoria, Les Stillman, Jones became an instant hero. Younger players loved him, older ones, for a season at least, tolerated and responded to his way of working. <br><br>As a batsman he had all the shots, strong on anything short, unforgiving on the overpitched ball. His footwork was quick and precise, with perhaps his strongest area between mid-wicket and mid-on. A strong bottom hand, like MS Dhoni today, often saw any bowling shortcomings treated savagely in that area. <br><br> Yet it was his running between the wickets that seemed an even stronger suit and so impressed me. When he was batting, ones became twos, twos became threes... Derbyshire looked professional, challenging....good. We took quick singles, where previously batsmen might have held the pose of a correct defensive stroke. It was magnificent to watch.<br><br>Like Peter Kirsten before him, Jones played himself in and worked the ball around before unveiling a wide array of shots. He was not a stylist, like Mohammad Azharuddin, but generally looked to be balanced, composed and in control at the crease. In over forty years of cricket watching, he remains the best pacer of a run chase I have seen, never seeming to panic if the run rate mounted. He worked the ball around, timed his shots so there were two to a boundary fielder, chipped over the infield and clubbed it to and over the boundary . He would have made a fortune in the IPL, so it is ironic that his death, from a heart attack, came while employed as a commentator on that competition. <br><br>The 'season of Deano' was magnificent yet, like all good things, it could not last. He returned for 1997 but went home in June, the dressing room once again split into factions. Senior members of the side found his abrasive style of leadership hard to deal with and a player with a track record of fall-outs back home decided he simply didn't need the hassle. His departure set off a chain of events that arguably took fifteen years from which to recover, ensuing winters seeing the gradual departure of key members of a very good side.<br><br>Whatever his personal foibles - and we all have them - cricket history will see Dean Jones as an outstanding player. His many fine Test innings, including the legendary one at Madras where he ended up on a saline drip after eight hours in the intense heat, confirm he was much more than a one-day scamperer. While he was batting, irrespective of the match situation, you always felt there was a chance of salvaging something. That is a rare and special gift for any player.</div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3894966044951741679" itemprop="articleBody"><br></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3894966044951741679" itemprop="articleBody">His commentary career was not without controversy but he came through it and was respected as an honest and thoughtful analyst and commentator on the game that he graced for many years. </div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3894966044951741679" itemprop="articleBody"><br></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3894966044951741679" itemprop="articleBody">Rest in Peace, Deano. </div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3894966044951741679" itemprop="articleBody"><br></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3894966044951741679" itemprop="articleBody">You will always be a legend in Derbyshire. <br></div><div class="post-footer"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-35497477716747385242012-07-20T00:08:00.001+01:002012-07-20T00:08:29.656+01:00England’s missing turn<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:DocumentProperties> <o:Revision>0</o:Revision> <o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:Pages>1</o:Pages> <o:Words>520</o:Words> <o:Characters>2967</o:Characters> <o:Company>Trinity College, Oxford</o:Company> <o:Lines>24</o:Lines> <o:Paragraphs>6</o:Paragraphs> <o:CharactersWithSpaces>3481</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:Version>14.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-GB</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/> <w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/> <w:OverrideTableStyleHps/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>England has made this series into a battle of the quick bowlers – but in doing so they risk negating their home advantage.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">It may seem rather odd to criticise England after an excellent opening day. But England may have already made one crucial mistake this Test match: not playing two spinners. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Perhaps England’s management, normally possessing such enviable equilibrium of temperament, was simply unable to ignore the hype about this series being a battle of pace. Perhaps the two Andys simply didn’t conceive of a strategy that few in the media had so much had contemplated. Yet if England do beat South Africa in this Test series, they will owe virtually nothing to home advantage.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Undeniably, England possess a coterie of quicks that, cumulatively, cover it all: devilish late swing, express pace, ferocious bouncers, canny reverse swing and, above all, sheer relentlessness. But, despite what an underwhelming first day may have revealed, so do South Africa. This series should be a salivating shoot-out of the quicks, the sort of which Test cricket lovers have been denied since the retirement of the great pace-bowling pairs – Donald-Pollock; Wasim-Waqar; and Ambrose-Walsh – in the late 1990s. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">But home advantage isn’t meant to be about providing the best possible spectacle. It should be about providing the home side with the greatest chance of winning – something England’s strategy may not have done.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">In any analysis of the two sides, there are legitimate debates about the superiority in batting and fast bowling. But there is no comparable debate where spin bowling is concerned. For all the intoxicating excitement of watching Imran Tahir’s variety, no South African would choose him over Graeme Swann. Indeed, it is most questionable whether they would choose him over Monty Panesar. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Boldness is seldom a quality associated with the England hierarchy, but now would have been the perfect time for it. With the first Test at The Oval, England had an opportunity to genuinely surprise South Africa. For all the hype about a pace war, there was nothing stopping the management from pressing for a pitch </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">a</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"> la The Oval in 2009, when Graeme Swann’s eight-wicket haul underpinned England’s reclaiming of the Ashes. It may in fact prove that this wicket is not too dissimilar – in which case Panesar would have been a perfect selection.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">True audacity would have resulted in Panesar replacing Ravi Bopara in this side, allowing England to field three quicks and two spinners. Given that there is a strong argument that England’s two top spinners are both the Test match superior of Tahir, and his replacement, Robin Petersen, has not played a Test in over four years, it would have been the best way of giving England a genuine home advantage.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">On his recall in the UAE last winter, Panesar showed he is a high-class Test match performer, taking two five-wicket hauls against Pakistan. Given the manner in which Andrew Strauss preferred him to Swann against Pakistan’s right-handers, Panesar may have been a potent weapon against South Africa’s powerful trio of right-handers – Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis and AB De Villiers – in the middle order.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">If England are unable to force a win in the opening Test – and indeed even if they do – they may reflect that they missed an opportunity to give South Africa’s batsmen a challenge they genuinely would not have been expecting. But if the series is one-all before the final Test at Lord’s, perhaps then it will be Monty’s turn. <o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment-->Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09215417891130654291noreply@blogger.com90tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-26439809905540445812012-06-22T18:17:00.001+01:002012-06-22T18:17:11.838+01:00Twenty20 BlogApologies for my lack of posting here recently. I have been Cricinfo's main blogger for the English Twenty20 competition - it would be great to have old Third Umpire readers chipping in with their comments. The blogs can be found at - <a href="http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/county-cricket-live/">http://blogs.espncricinfo.com/county-cricket-live/</a> - see you all there for county chat!Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09215417891130654291noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-13424977769610729502012-02-24T11:20:00.000+00:002012-04-15T11:21:53.939+01:00England need Thorpe's Asian experience<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The cluelessness of England’s Test batting against Pakistan has made their triumph in Pakistan in 2000/01 seem even more extraordinary. In that, and their subsequent victory in Sri Lanka, England had one man to thank above all.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">On those two tours, Graham Thorpe towered above his teammates: he averaged 61, 19 more than anyone else managed, twice scoring centuries and remaining unbeaten in both series-clinching victories. In England’s first series in Asia since losing all four Tests against India and Sri Lanka in 1993, it was a genuinely remarkable performance.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">How did he do it? Memories of Thorpe that winter centre on his self-denial, epitomised by a century in Lahore that, uniquely in Test history, featured only one boundary. Playing the ball extremely late from his back-foot base and always light on his feet, Thorpe’s greatest skill lay in his ability to glide the ball past fielders. He also mastered the fine art of using the sweep shot intelligently to rotate the strike whilst refraining from using it excessively and predictably.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">But unlike so many of the current side, Thorpe, even whilst focused on unobtrusive accumulation, was ruthless in dealing with loose deliveries, in particular deploying his rasping cut shot. He also displayed a chameleon-like ability to adjust his game according to the side’s need.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">In all three of England’s victorious run chases that winter, Thorpe stood out – and not just because he top-scored each time. Displaying adaptability worthy of Tom Jones, he swapped the attrition of his first innings batting for second innings aggression, driven either by outrageous time wasting in fading light (Pakistan in Karachi) or the sheer extent of his team mate’s struggles (against Sri Lanka at Kandy and Colombo). In all three of England’s run chases, Thorpe’s second innings strike rate was at least 65; it didn’t pass 46 in his six first innings in 2000/01. Most impressive of all was his sheer mental strength facing multifarious challenges, encapsulated in his 64* to take England to their first victory in Pakistan for 39 years.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">England's failure to utilise his experience this winter is all the more puzzling in that his coaching of the England Lions has been widely praised, notably by James Taylor. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">This is not to belittle the influence of Graham Gooch – that “daddy hundred” has become an infuriating cliché is the greatest testament to his impact. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">But on tours of Asia, Thorpe’s experiences, possibly alongside that of new permanent batting coach Gooch, could help the side greatly: no one should believe a few ODI wins, impressive as they have been, mean England are suddenly experts at playing spin in Test cricket.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">Thorpe</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;"> encountered Muttiah Muralitharan’s doosra when England toured Sri Lanka in 2003/04 and, although his performances were far less impressive than in 2000/2001, his insights into coping with would have been of great help, especially to Ian Bell. Then there is the case of Eoin Morgan. Thorpe, a fellow left-hander and with a very similar stature and style, may have been able to prevent the disintegration of his confidence and technique that occurred in the Pakistan Test series.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">Sri Lanka may lack a bowler of Saeed Ajmal’s mystery but the fundamental nature of the challenge will be the same. It is one Thorpe understands better than any other Englishman, and England should use his expertise.</span></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09215417891130654291noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-80863600750140168422011-12-24T18:10:00.003+00:002011-12-24T18:11:26.809+00:00A good year to be an Australian debutant<b>When Ed Cowan makes his Test debut in the Boxing Day Test, he will nudge the number of Australians handed their baggy green cap up to ten in 2011- more than any year since 1977. Then the selectors could blame the chaos caused by World Series Cricket; now it is the fallout to Ashes defeat.</b><br />
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Of those that have already debuted in 2011, four can be sure of joining Cowan in the final eleven at the MCG. David Warner carried his bat for 123* in Australia’s recent defeat to New Zealand and, though he has only played two Tests, there are legitimate hopes he can transfer his stunning Twenty20 form into the Test game. To become anything close to an Australian Sehwag, Warner will need to cope with the swinging ball, but he managed rather well against the Kiwis. The well-directed short ball will also be a challenge: Phil Hughes, remember, scored two hundreds in his second Test until found out by this. <br />
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Shaun Marsh looked a Test match natural in compiling 141 on debut in Sri Lanka: so compelling was his knock that Ricky Ponting was promptly moved away from number three, and the spot given to Marsh. Injuries mean he has only received two more caps, but given the solidity and range of shots Marsh has displayed, as well as a phlegmatic temperament, expect him to finish his career, like his father Geoff, with over 50 appearances. <br />
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Two new bowlers will also appear on Boxing Day. James Pattinson younger brother of England’s Darren, picked up 14 wickets in two Tests against New Zealand, pitching the ball up and consistently swinging the ball late. The off-spinner Nathan Lyon has been quietly successful: with his cool temperament, control and subtle variations, he enjoys more job security than any Australian spinner since Warne. This might not be saying much, but 22 wickets at less than 25 is a hugely impressive return from his first seven Tests.<br />
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Yet the most memorable Australian debut of 2011 was from a man who won’t play at the MCG. Pat Cummins’ first Test was as remarkable as they come, combining a haul of 6/79 with a calm 13* to take Australia to a two-wicket win in South Africa. Only 18, Cummins is clearly a cricketer of rare promise, combining pace and swing with a dangerous bouncer that, unlike many young quick bowlers, he doesn’t overuse. Mickey Arthur has already compared Cummins to Dale Steyn, and the new Australian coach will be frustrated Cummins will miss the India Tests through injury. That a man with only one Test appearance is regarded as a substantial loss is an indication both of Cummins’ progress and the current state of the Australian side.<br />
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Rather inevitably, the positive impressions have not extended to all Australia’s Test debutants this year. With an excellent first-class record, Usman Khawaja was much-hyped before his Test debut and, somewhat bizarrely, earned a standing ovation for his assured 37 against England in January. He has a solid technique but, like a young Mark Ramprakash, his Test batting is characterised by passivity: when scoring 7 off 51 balls against New Zealand, Khawaja appeared strokeless. He also shares a propensity for middling scores with the young Ramprakash: seven of Khawaja’s nine Test dismissals have been between 12 and 38.<br />
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Whereas Khawaja’s problems seem about self-belief, Australia’s other three Test debutants of 2011 lack the requisite class. The left-arm spinner Michael Beer has slipped back into obscurity since taking 1-112 against England at Sydney: a first-class average of 45 suggests he should remain there. Trent Copeland, better described as a medium-pacer than a fast bowler, performed well enough when injuries earned him three caps in Sri Lanka. But for all his parsimony – his economy rate in those Tests was 2.1 – Copeland lacks penetration, as three wickets in his last four first-class matches reveals. Finally, the left-arm quick Mitchell Starc is not yet 22, but didn’t look Test ready in his two games against New Zealand.<br />
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Giving Test caps away is a precarious business. As such, the Australian selectors, so derided for their haphazard selections in the Ashes, deserve credit: realistically, five of this year’s debutants could be prominent members of their 2013 Ashes side. Australia should certainly be encouraged by the displays of their debutants; it is their senior players who should concern them.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09215417891130654291noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-48873987370181361922011-09-22T21:48:00.002+01:002011-09-22T21:48:56.750+01:00Championship team of season<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Calibri; font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<div style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Marcus Trescothick</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">As imperious as ever, Trescothick scored 290 more runs than anyone else in either division, despite missing three games to a cruel injury. His dominance is such that it has become a cliché to describe him as batting on a different pitch from everyone else.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Mike Carberry</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Though it wasn’t enough to keep Hampshire in division one, Carberry’s return, after fears his career was over, was astounding. Against Yorkshire, he hit 300*, displaying the range of shots and concentration that earned him an England Test cap only 18 months ago, while his last-day century against Warwickshire denied them the title.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Chris Rogers</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Brought in to average over 50 and lead a side to promotion that finished eighth in division two in the previous two seasons, Rogers made the twin challenges seem positively easy.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Dale Benkenstein</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">There was no third championship in four years for Durham, but Benkenstein’s excellence remained unabated: only Trescothick exceeded his 1353 division one runs. Long established as his side’s crisis man, Benkenstein’s experience as skipper was a valuable aid for Phil Mustard.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Zander de Bruyn</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">In a Surrey top six that is as gung-ho as they come, de Bruyn provides stickability, and two hundreds and two fifties in the last three games allowed Surrey to claim a remarkable promotion. Somerset fans, not unreasonably, will feel they might just have won the championship had he not been lured to The Oval.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Jonny Bairstow (wicket-keeper)</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">In an otherwise bleak season for Yorkshire Bairstow’s excellence, culminating in a memorable England ODI debut, provided some solace. Attractive and calm in front of the stumps, he scored his runs at a strike-rate – 69 – that few top-order batsmen can match. With the gloves Bairstow improved but is not yet the equal of his late father.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Will Gidman</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">With one first-class appearance before the season began, bookmakers would have given any odds on Gidman becoming the first man for 15 years to score 1000 championship runs and take 50 wickets. But do that he did; and with a batting average (45) more than double his bowling one (21). A late developer at 26, Gidman deserves England Lions recognition.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Glen Chapple (captain)</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">It’s not only sentimentality that earns Chapple a place in this side, which his achievement in lifting the pennant without stars ensures he leads. At 37, his canny fast-medium bowling was effective enough to claim 55 wickets at under 20, despite often not being fully fit. Though he was uncharacteristically short of runs, Lancashire would not have won the championship without his 97 in their penultimate game.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Tim Murtagh</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Unlucky to never represent England (though he may yet play for Ireland), Murtagh’s best season yet propelled Middlesex to promotion. A round 80 wickets in 15 matches highlight his potency, which is especially great with the new ball, as a three-wicket bust in 16 balls against Derbyshire illustrates.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">David Masters</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Lazy cricket writers have spent years describing Masters as a “nagging seamer” and “journeyman”, but he forced them to be rather more imaginative after claiming 93 wickets. Masters’ mastery of the Tiflex ball and constant ability to seam it was never more evident than when he claimed 8/10 against Leicestershire.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">Gary Keedy</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; line-height: normal;">The mark of Keedy’s bowling is that his left-arm spin is almost as effective in April as August, while his parsimony (giving away just 2.5 an over) means Lancashire never lost control in the field. His 4-57 from 28 overs in the first innings of the victory at Taunton perfectly encapsulated his qualities.</span></span></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09215417891130654291noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-32047719032387531942011-04-20T00:18:00.001+01:002011-04-20T00:23:15.023+01:00Saving the ICC from their own stupidity<b>Today brought the very welcome news that the 10-team World Cup format may not be so final after all. If they want to maintain the integrity of the sport by <a href="http://third-umpire.blogspot.com/2011/04/oh-icc-what-have-you-done.html">making the World Cup more than just an invitational trophy</a>, the ICC face some difficult decisions - made all the more so by their own essential impotence. When the 10 full members run the game, it is easy to see why self-interest reigns supreme.</b><br />
<br />
So it may well prove difficult for the ICC to get enough of the full members to vote for a qualification tournament; Bangladeshi and Zimbabwean turkeys are unlikely to be great fans of Christmas. Instead they may try and devise a new format. To the greatest degree possible, it must (a) match the ICC's TV contract with ESPN-Star, which requires a minimum of 48 games in the World Cup and (b) ensure India play as many games as possible. These are the depressing realities.<br />
<br />
Within these not inconsiderable constraints, what is the best we can hope for?<br />
<br />
My proposal would be for two groups of six, which would make for 30 round-robin games.<br />
Ideally I would then like the group winners to progress to the semi-finals, and the second and third sides to play off against each other, but that format would mean the ICC would have to pay a lot of compensation.<br />
<br />
Alternatively - and more financially viable (how depressing it is how finances cannot be separated from any discussion of World Cup formats) - the top four could go into a Super Eight phase. Now, I know - cricket has not had good experiences with Super Eights / Sixes in 50-over World Cups.<br />
<br />
But two groups of four, along the lines of the format used in the World Twenty20, would possess an excitement wholly lacking in the miserable 2007 tournament, when the Super Eights seemed to never end.<br />
<br />
These groups could consist of the top and fourth ranked side from group A in the opening stages, alongside numbers two and three from group B (and visa versa). No points would be carried forward, as this is always liable to be messy. But crucially, the positions of any sides level on points after the Super Eights would be determined by what position they finished in the first round groups. This would create a real incentive for sides to win their groups in the first round - one conspicuous by its absence in the recent tournament. <br />
<br />
There would therefore by 12 Super Eight games (each side playing the others in their group), bringing the total number of games to 42. Add in semis, a third-placed play-off and the final and that brings us to 46, minimising the damage to the ICC.<br />
<br />
Perhaps it's not quite ideal - what tournament structure is? - but this format both protects the full members and gives an incentive to the associates to progress. Above all, it would create a much more vibrant and exciting tournament than the current planned format for 2015.<br />
<br />
We'll see what is announced at the ICC's meeting in June. In the meantime, what an opportunity for Ireland. If they were to win one of their two ODIs against Pakistan in May, let alone both, while getting large crowds in, the case for the reversal of the scandalous decision would grow greater still.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09215417891130654291noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-56723089737131884772011-04-18T00:32:00.000+01:002011-04-18T00:32:53.151+01:00How a six-team Test championship would work<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Further to my <a href="http://third-umpire.blogspot.com/2011/04/why-six-team-test-divisions-is-answer.html">previous post</a> calling for two Test divisions of six nations each, here is how it would actually work:</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"></div><ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Every side would have to play every other in their league home-and-away, in at least three match series, over a four-year cycle. This means every side would have to play a minimum of 30 Tests every four years for the purposes of the Test championship.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Sides would be free to play longer series (four or five Tests) should they please - so the Ashes could continue in exactly the same way.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Sides would also be free to play Tests against countries outside their division; New Zealand would therefore be able to play around 20 Tests against sides in the top division (when they were outside) every four years. This is only slightly less than they do at the moment. The Ashes, for example, would continue in an identical way even if Australia continued their slump and were relegated.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The points system would work as follows. For every series in the division, there would be a total of six points available. Five of these would be allocated according to the games (so there would be 1 point available per victory in a Test in a five-match series, but 1.67 per victory in a three-Test series, preventing teams getting an advantage for playing more). The points system would encourage attacking cricket - both sides would only get one-third of the points available for a game if they drew it - and also ensure 'dead rubbers' retained a real relevance. There would also be a one-point bonus for a side winning a series.</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">The culmination of the four years would be the play-off matches - providing Test cricket with a showpiece event it needs. Matches would be played at a country that won the hosting rights. The play-offs would consist of the top two sides in the top division playing three Tests to determine the Test champions of the tournament. During the breaks between their Tests, there would be the play-off series, also of three Tests, between the bottom (sixth-placed) side in the top division and the winners of the second division, with the winners earning the right to play in the top division for the next four-year cycle. Pitches would be prepared by an independent body, designed with results in mind. In the event of a drawn series, the winners of the second division would be promoted, thereby encouraging the higher-ranked side to play attacking cricket and prove they deserved to remain in the division.</span></span></li>
</ol><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">To show how it would work in practice, here are two prospective schedules. The first is for England in division one; the second for them in division two (NB assuming New Zealand replaced them in division one)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><u><b>Division One<o:p></o:p></b></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Year 1<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Home – <i>New Zealand 2 Tests</i>; India 4 Tests<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Away – South Africa 5 Tests; <i>West Indies 2 Tests</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Year 2<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Home – <i>Ireland 1 Test</i>; Australia 5 Tests<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Away –<i> Bangladesh 1 Test</i>; India 4 Tests<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Year 3<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Home – Sri Lanka 3 Test; Pakistan 3 Tests<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Away – <i>New Zealand 2 Tests</i>; Australia 5 Tests;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Year 4<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Home – <i>West Indies 2 Tests</i>; South Africa 5 Tests<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Away –Pakistan 3 Tests; Sri Lanka 3 Tests; then Test championship<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Total number of Tests – 50<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><u>Division Two<o:p></o:p></u></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Year 1<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Home – Afghanistan 3 Tests; <i>India 3 Tests</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Away – <i>South Africa 3 Tests</i>; West Indies 3 Tests;<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Year 2<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Home – Ireland 3 Tests; <i>Australia 5 Tests</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Away – Bangladesh 3 Tests; <i>India 3 Tests</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Year 3<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Home – Zimbabwe 3 Test; West Indies 3 Tests<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Away – <i>Australia 5 Tests;</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Year 4<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Home – Ireland 3 Tests (away, but played during English season); Bangladesh 3 Tests; <i>South Africa 3 Tests</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Away – Zimbabwe 3 Tests; Afghanistan 3 Tests; then Test championship<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Total number of Tests – 52<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Even in division two, England still have 22 Tests over three years against the biggest crowd-pullers – Australia, India and South Africa.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">(Teams in italics are those outside England’s division)<o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment-->Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09215417891130654291noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-30660776181885048602011-04-18T00:08:00.005+01:002011-04-18T00:34:07.670+01:00Why six team Test divisions is the answer<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b>Amidst all the rightful uproar over the exclusion of the associates from the 2015 World Cup, Test cricket has rather been ignored. Yet the perennial issue of how games can be more competitive, and be lent real context, is only going to become more pressing when Zimbabwe return to Test cricket in a few months.</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;">Let’s be honest – it’s going to be pretty unpalatable. Against everyone except Bangladesh, Zimbabwe will get thrashed. A 38-year-old Murray Goodwin would be their best batsman if he revoked his international retirement. Heck, if Andy Flower fancied a new challenge I’m sure he could get back in the side tomorrow. Damning evidence of how uncompetitive Zimbabwe will be came during the World Cup, especially a ten-wicket loss to a New Zealand side that lost 4-0 in an ODI series in Bangladesh five months earlier. They certainly didn’t look much like a side who have earned their Test status back – rather, one who will simply massage the statistics of their opponents.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">Whenever there are some ugly mismatches in Tests, discussion of a Test championship is never far away. The usual call is for two divisions of eight, with Bangladesh and Zimbabwe joining the minnows in the second tier. Yet this really wouldn’t help the problem. In division one, thanks to the weakness of the West Indies and, to a lesser extent, New Zealand, one-sided games would remain. And they would be plenty in division too, too; Kenya, Canada and Scotland would be to that league what Bangladesh and Zimbabwe are to Tests now. These sides would have neither the levels of cricketing interest nor the quality of players to make the exercise anything other than futile.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">Promotion and relegation between the leagues would provide the context for the games but imagine the repercussions if the Windies slipped into the second tier? It’s no exaggeration to say Test cricket could completely collapse. Sponsors would run; players would prioritise lucrative Twenty20 even more than they do today. Fans, used to seeing Australia, South Africa and India, wouldn’t touch games against Kenya and co. Remember, too, that England were ranked ninth as recently as 1999 – how would they have fancied five years, sans the Ashes, slugging it out with the Netherlands instead? The gap would make that notorious chasm between the football Premier League and Championship appear trivial.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">A much more sensible solution, previously not suggested, is two division of six. This is how it would work.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">Every four years, the Test league would take place. Each side in division one and two would be required to play every other side in their division in home-and-away series of at least three matches. Every game would count towards the league standings. The culmination of the four years would be a three-match series played between the sides ranked first and second in the top division. Simultaneously, there would be a three-match play-off series between the bottom-ranked side in the top division and the top side of division one. And there could be something similar, though not granted Test status, between the bottom-ranked side in the second division and the winner of the ICC Intercontinental Cup, which would continue. This would provide Test cricket with the showpiece it badly needs, giving players and sides a tangible aim every four years. Winning the championship would captivate in a way that reaching number one in the Test rankings simply does not; sides like New Zealand and West Indies, which currently bumble along thrashing those ranked below them but struggling against the rest, in the limited Tests they play against them, would have something realistic – promotion or avoiding relegation - to aspire to.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">Division two would produce some competitive and intriguing cricket. I’d much rather watch Ireland tussle Bangladesh than Shane Watson pulverise the Tigers. It would also provide those outside the current Test-playing nations the matches they need both to improve as teams and further increase the popularity of the sport. Mercifully, the charade of the best minnow players qualifying for other countries to play Tests would end; George Dockrell wouldn’t need to worry about England.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">So far, so good – but surely Australia, England and India would block such a championship, fearful of how much revenue they would lose if they suffered relegation? But the great strength of this format is its openness: teams would only have to play 30 Tests every four years against those in the same division. Given that England played a total of 50 Tests in the period between the last two World Cups, this leaves ample scope for other fixtures. So New Zealand and the West Indies would not suddenly be cut-off from the sides in division one. The Kiwis played only 25 Tests against sides ranked above them between the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, and could expect to play division one sides in 20 Tests over four years under this system.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">India and friends wouldn’t have to worry about losing out on revenue if they were relegated. If England were, they could still play home-and-away Ashes series of five Tests apiece, as well as, say, three-match contests against India and South Africa home-and-away over four years in division two. Relegation, though a great embarrassment, wouldn’t be the sporting and financial catastrophe it would be under eight-nation divisions.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">Undeniably, this change would make Test matches a much more appealing prospect: more games would be played between sides of the same standard; there would be more overall meaning; and there would be a thrilling climax every four years. To those crying ‘but what of the statistics?’, cricket needs to get over its numbers obsession. Iran’s Ali Daei has more international goals than anyone else, but no one thinks he’s better than Pele. Besides, it wouldn’t require a degree in mathematics to see the difference in Test stats between division one and division two.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">Under this system, all sides would become aspirational. Far from destroying Test cricket in New Zealand and West Indies, the challenge of getting promoted would be reinvigorating, in a way their current schedules clearly are not. There would be a very welcome bonus, too: as all league series would have to be at least three Tests, that miserable specimen known as the two-match series would become virtually extinct. If cricket is to be expanded, as it should, this is how.</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">See my post on <a href="http://third-umpire.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-six-team-test-championship-would.html">How it would actually work</a></span></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09215417891130654291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-41881831909109413552011-04-16T10:43:00.007+01:002011-04-16T16:33:09.503+01:00Gloucestershire: 2011 Season Preview<span style="font-weight:bold;">2010 in a nutshell:</span><br /><br />2010 was a somewhat disappointing year overall for the Gladiators. In the County Championship the club finished fifth in Division Two after a fairly disastrous end to the season. Once again it was generally the bowling which was the stronger suit for Gloucestershire, so much so in fact that two thirds of their 2010 County Championship wickets came from players who have been drawn away to supposedly bigger and better things. The biggest negative for Gloucestershire was undoubtedly the ease with which they were turned over on no less than nine occasions (matched only by Warwickshire). At home they won just two County Championship matches, not good enough. In the T20, Gloucestershire finished bottom of the Southern Group, enough said. It was a slightly better story in the 40 Over League, where the Gladiators narrowly missed out on the knockout stages, finishing third by just one point in Group B. Overall, it was a season to forget, although there were glimpses of the potential residing at this club of great history.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2011 prospects:</span><br /><br />Departures galore across the disciplines will hurt the Gladiators, but not perhaps as much as people first may think. A promotion challenge is an outside possibility, but without a top quality spinner in the County Championship, and with a number of inexperienced players throughout the side, the consistency of performance will probably not match that required for a serious push. Much more likely is success in the T20, aided by the signing of the magical Murali, somewhat of a miracle for a club so strapped of cash. This alone would be a welcome change from last season, when the club faired so badly. A lot will depend on how quickly the new youngsters and new overseas signing, Kane Williamson, adapt to county cricket.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Batting:</span><br /><br />The top order has undergone a bit of an overhaul, as in been replaced! Kadeer Ali was let go and William Porterfield is now plying his trade at Warwickshire. Allrounder Rob Woodman and very surprisingly, wicket keeper Steven Snell, were also released. Finally, James Franklin has been replaced by fellow Kiwi Williamson, a destructive player with bags of potential. Ian Cockbain, Richard Coughtrie and Chris Dent face a tough time in their first full seasons with the club and this is why I expect the batting to once again be the county’s downfall across the competitions. Will Gidman meanwhile will hope for more action than he had at Durham, now that he has been reunited with his brother once again. The burden will rest largely with Captain and talisman Alex Gidman and overseas player Williamson, who will bat at three. Hamish Marshall along with veterans Jonathan Batty and Chris Taylor will also be looked to for significant contributions across the three formats and a bit more consistency than they were able to muster last year.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bowling:</span><br /><br />The departures have been plentiful. Steve Kirby has moved on to Somerset in the hope of international honours as he approaches the twilight of his career. The great find of last season, Gemaal Hussain rather did the dirty on the club that gave him a chance and joins Kirby at Somerset for this season. Franklin hasn’t come back this year and even Anthony Ireland has moved on to Middlesex. However, what appears depressing to begin with could in fact become a major positive for the club. Young fast bowlers are coming through the ranks and there are high hopes for Liam Norwell (right arm fast-medium) especially, along with David Payne (left arm fast-medium) and Ian Saxelby (right arm medium, who can bat). Led by the evergreen Jon Lewis, who is fast becoming an allrounder it seems, there is real hope for the seam attack this year, so expect the bowling to remain pretty strong despite the departures. The problem then? Spin, or the lack thereof yet again. Gloucestershire will again be dependent on the inconsistent twosome of Vikram Banerjee and Richard Dawson (now also the spin bowling coach), apart from when Murali arrives for the T20 of course. If only he could play all year...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Probable side:</span><br /><br />Cockbain<br />Batty (wk)<br />Williamson<br />Marshall<br />A. Gidman (c)<br />Taylor<br />W. Gidman<br />Saxelby<br />Lewis<br />Payne (Banerjee)<br />Norwell<br /><br />An all pace attack is likely more often than not in the County Championship, given the relative weakness of the spin options available.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Key Man:</span><br /><br />My pick is <span style="font-weight:bold;">Alex Gidman</span>, Captain, talisman and a supremely talented and dangerous player, who has been on the verge of England selection for the past few years. He can be a destructive player, whose allround contribution and leadership of those younger players will prove decisive on many occasions for Gloucestershire this year. He will have to massively improve on last years’ efforts though, when he averaged just 23.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Rising Star:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Liam Norwell</span> is a young right arm English bowler capable of making the breakthrough this year and more than that, making a real contribution to the county’s success. If he performs as well for the Gladiators as he has for the youth team then the county will find themselves with a more than adequate replacement for the likes of Steve Kirby and Gemaal Hussain.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Captain and Coach:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Alex Gidman</span> has already been mentioned a lot, indicating the county’s reliance on him. As a Captain he leads by example and hopefully the younger additions to the side will follow in his stride. As for the coach, <span style="font-weight:bold;">John Bracewell</span>, he has always been considered as a bit of a one day specialist, but he will be desperate to improve the clubs fortunes in the longest and shortest versions of the game. His nurturing of the young talent in this side will be key to Gloucestershire’s chances of success and he will need to get the blend of experience and youth right throughout the season.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Prediction:</span><br /><br />Just outside the promotion places in the County Championship and progress to the knockout stages of the T20 Cup. Finals day is a possibility if the batting clicks for the Gladiators, but it rarely does. The 40 Over League will probably be used as a breeding ground for some more youngsters meanwhile.Chrispyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17116768172493122694noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-53643153742419219212011-04-15T13:26:00.010+01:002011-04-15T23:30:23.295+01:00Essex: 2011 season preview<span style="font-weight: bold;">2010 in a nutshell</span><br /><br />One-day fun days accompanied by self-destruction in the championship. A first season in Division One since 2003 ended, as it had done on the two previous occasions that Essex reached the top tier, with relegation. After thumping eventual champions Notts and drawing with Yorkshire in July, Essex had 107 points from 11 matches and faced relegation rivals Warwickshire (twice) and Kent in their final five games. They lost four (only drawing with Durham after relegation was confirmed), bowled out for less than 200 seven times in 14 innings, and mustering just 19 points. You don't have to be Good Will Hunting to work out that equation.<br /><br />Still, there was the usual proficiency in the short forms to enjoy. Ryan ten Doeschate, despite missing a chunk of the season with injury, showcased the abilities that would later inspire the Netherlands at the World Cup, while Ravi Bopara and the ever-in-bloom Grant Flower (who notched two 40-over tons at the age of 39) also scored heavily as Essex reached the semi-finals of both the Twenty20 Cup and the CB40 competition. However, Dwayne Bravo was bussed in to fairly disastrous effect for T20 finals day, while a Trescothick-inspired Somerset ended hopes of a fourth one-day title in six years.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2010 prospects</span><br /><br />I write this after the first game of the season (defeat to Kent) and in the midst of a first-innings collapse against Middlesex, so the forecast looks a little bleak right now. The addition of <a href="http://third-umpire.blogspot.com/2011/04/county-men-to-watch-owais-shah.html">Owais Shah</a> (currently at the IPL with Ten Doeschate) should strengthen the batting, while the return to the second tier will hopefully give the likes of Jaik Mickleburgh, Tom Westley and Billy Godleman further opportunities to develop. The bowling attack, led by the supremely reliable David Masters and with South Africa's Lonwabe Tsotsobe as overseas player, looks as good as any in Division Two - if, unusually for Essex, a little light on spin options.<br /><br />However, if Bopara joins Alastair Cook on England duty for much of the summer and the likes of Mark Pettini and Matthew Walker fail to contribute significantly, captain James Foster is going to need shoulders like Atlas to lead Essex up again. The Eagles were somewhat fortunate (and probably unready) to win promotion two seasons ago, so don't be surprised to see them fiddle around in the middle of the Div Two pack in 2011. Essex's focus is likely to remain on both the one-day competitions - T20 at Chelmsford is the county's real money spinner, after all - and with Ten Does and Scott Styris in the side for the 20-over format, a real crack at lifting the trophy for the first time is expected.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Likely team</span><br /><br />With everyone available, this would have been my first-choice line-up before the start of the season:<br /><br />Cook, Mickleburgh, Shah, Bopara, Walker, Ten Doeschate, Foster (wk), Masters, Phillips/Wright, Tsotsobe, Chambers<br /><br />However, with the emergence of Reece Topley (see below) and the absence of key players due to the IPL and international call-ups, the team is more likely to look something like this:<br /><br />Godleman, Mickleburgh, Bopara/Pettini, Walker, Westley, Foster (wk), Phillips, Masters, Tsotsobe, Chambers, Topley/Wright<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Key man</span><br /><br />James Foster has had more than enough on his plate in recent seasons, what with keeping wicket to almost Russellian standards and maintaining a batting average in the 35+ region, all the while trying to catch the selectors' eye. Now he's got the captaincy to manage too. After the pressure proved too much for Pettini midway through last season, Foster carried out an adroit balancing act that didn't seem to greatly affect his form (he finished as joint leading run-scorer in the championship) - but he'll have to do the same in spades this year if he is not to be overwhelmed.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rising star</span><br /><br />Reece Topley - who doesn't even have a first-team profile on the Essex website - is a 6ft 7in 17-year-old with two five-wicket hauls to his name in as many championship appearances. The son of former Essex bowler Don Topley, Reece made his first-class debut against Cambridge at Fenners in March and is about as raw as 18 ounces of blue steak, but he seems able to extract swing as well as the bounce that comes with his lofty action. Comparisons with Steve Finn and Chris Tremlett are to be expected, though Essex should be wary of exposing such a prospect to the effects of burnout.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Coach and captain</span><br /><br />Foster has taken on the armband, such as it is, and there is little doubt that he is the most inspirational of Essex's senior players. At 31, his England chances now appear to have receded terminally, but his nous at this level is invaluable. Paul Grayson remains head coach and he is as enthusiastic and straight-talking as ever. The Yorkshireman seems to recognise that the batting is too frequently of the papier mache variety - whether he can fix that, as a former top-order player himself, is the big question.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Prediction</span><br /><br />Coloured by the dismal start (we're now following-on at Lord's), I'd say a four-day challenge is remote, given the amount of young players likely to make up the bulk of the side. Mid-table consolidation coupled with T20 mastery seems like the best outcome.<br /><span id="fullpost"></span>allrounderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01855338798218466908noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-80792386157534870212011-04-15T12:16:00.006+01:002011-04-15T12:36:38.885+01:00Replacing CollyIt is a remarkable fact that of the seven batsmen who represented England in the epic 2005 Ashes series, four played in the last test match. While bowlers have come and gone, there has been a remarkably stability about the England batting order, with five of the top six in the recent Ashes series having more than 50 caps for England (and few would bet against Jonathan Trott achieving the same longevity). This has led to accusations of a closed shop in the past as the incumbent batsmen have been persevered with, but it does mean that when a place comes up in the batting order, there is a genuine feeling of “who can grasp the nettle”.<br /><br /><strong>Paul Collingwood’s </strong>timely retirement from Test cricket gives the batsmen that first opportunity at permanency since Andrew Flintoff’s body decided enough was enough in 2009. Colly was an obdurate (the word “nuggety” will be a lot less used now) test batsman, averaging over 40, typically when the runs were needed most. His bowling was no more than handy at test level (only 17 wickets) but his fielding was outstanding and in the most recent series, probably his greatest asset. So who are the contenders? <br /><br /><strong>Eoin Morgan (Middlesex)</strong> Probably the favourite having played against Pakistan last summer when Ian Bell was injured and carrying the drinks in Australia. He did score a century last summer, but that innings accounted for more than half of his runs in his eight innings. Only seven first class tons in nearly 100 innings do not seem the form of a batsman who can go on to play the big innings required at Test level. A critical part of the One Day squad, he is clearly well thought of, but would need to put to rest the perception that he is a one day specialist quickly. <br /><br /><strong>Ravi Bopara (Essex)</strong> He had an extended chance before Trott was selected and while he utterly dominant against a poor West Indies team, he was dismantled by Australia in 2009. He is probably the most like for like replacement in that he also bowls handy medium pacers, but is likely to find his niche in the One Day team. Unfortunately, not quite good enough for Test cricket. <br /><br /><strong>James Taylor (Leicestershire)</strong> A young man with a very bright future, he was young cricketer of the year in 2009 he scored prolifically for Leicestershire last season and impressed with the England Lions in the winter, second in the batting averages among the recognised batsmen. His time will come, but with his runs mainly having come against Division 2 opposition, he will need to continue to impress at Lions level to press his claim. <br /><br /><strong>James Hildredth (Somerset)</strong> The man to beat Taylor in the Lions averages, which he managed while captaining the squad. Hildredth has long been seen as a talented cricketer, but it is only in the last two seasons that he has put the promise into practise, being a vital cog in Somerset’s push for trophies last season. Justin Langer rates him very highly and he is a very strong contender. <br /><br /><strong>Andrew Gale (Yorkshire)</strong> Another man who has captained the England Lions and had a successful tour as a player over the winter. Gale took a while to break into the Yorkshire squad, but having done so, he has flourished, particularly as captain. He is a batsman who seems to deliver when it is needed most and the pressures of captaincy have enhanced rather than detracted from his game. Should he be given the chance and take it, he is also a real alternative to Alistair Cook as the next England captain. <br /><br /><strong>Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)</strong> A bit more left field this suggestion, and certainly not a like for like replacement. However, with Matt Prior averaging well over 40 in test cricket, there would seem to be little reason to suggest that he could not bat at 6, with Rashid batting at 7 as a bowling allrounder. This would allow England to play with two spinners and with the likes of Broad, Bresnan and Swann, still maintain a strong batting line up. <br /><br /><strong>My choice:</strong> The Rashid experiment may need to wait until later in the season. Test cricket in May is not the time to experiment with a new leg-spinner, as Chris Schofield could probably testify. For me, <strong>Hildredth </strong>just edges it over Gale to be given the first opportunity.Richard Lakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12305428361656401297noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-4906839775089476322011-04-14T21:16:00.010+01:002011-04-14T23:18:41.161+01:00A new Caribbean dawn? Pull the other one<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">After their latest cricket humiliation - the 10-wicket defeat to Pakistan at the </span></span><a href="http://third-umpire.blogspot.com/2011/04/tournament-review-west-indies.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">World Cup</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> - West Indies coach Otis Gibson has taken some pretty serious action. From the ODI squad for the upcoming series against the same opponents, he has dropped Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and, most eye-catchingly of all, Chris Gayle.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Given that Chanderpaul is nearing 37, his omission isn't very surprising: he has no chance of playing in the next World Cup. The death of ODIs may have been greatly exaggerated, but the death of bilateral ODI series has not been. Where they are interesting, it tends to be because they are played before the Test series, lending them context. Piggy-backed onto the end of the Tests, they are essentially </span></span><a href="http://www.kingcricket.co.uk/odis-dont-matter/2011/04/06/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">meaningless</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. So it makes sense to ditch Chanderpaul, in this form of the game at least.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Sarwan and Gayle, however, are both 30, so clearly haven't been dropped for reasons of age. Sarwan has struggled for form for some time now, and was never fluent at the World Cup. Gayle was, but the view that he doesn't care much has always lingered, albeit unfairly at times. If you are trying to build a new team with spirit and work ethic, it probably makes sense to dump Gayle. Keeping him in, for all the brilliance of his batting, risks sending a symbol that it's fine to act in such a nonchalant way with so little apparent passion for the West Indies (with his decision to arrive back from an IPL stint only two days before a Lord's Test perhaps the best example of this). To a degree, Gayle is probably slightly unlucky - he strikes me as a man for whom, like David Gower, endless hours of training would be counter-productive. Nevertheless, dropping him is a powerful symbol.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Yet the most disheartening aspect of the selection news concerns two all-rounders who should be integral to a West Indian revival. Both Dwayne Bravo and Kieran Pollard will miss international fixtures to play in the IPL - and the West Indies board don't even bother threatening not to select them in future. Of Pollard, the statement even said, "I</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">t was mutually determined that Pollard would be best served by being allowed to hone his T20 skills in the Indian Premier League, which will bring future benefit to West Indies cricket". Who do they expect will believe that? </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 19px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">With commitment levels like that from their best players, it is no wonder the board have said they want to make it 'special' to represent the West Indies again. And it's why talk that the West Indies won't exist as a cricketing entity in 2020, but a series of nations, continues to linger.</span></span></span></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09215417891130654291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-81759838213534551962011-04-08T01:21:00.004+01:002011-04-08T01:27:38.274+01:00World Cup petitionJust a quick note on the <a href="http://www.PetitionOnline.com/wc2015/petition.html">World Cup petition</a> we've put together - so far we have had over 1300 signatures, which is a great effort. I have also had an email from the ICC's legal team (some people were using their chief executive's email address, but I've since increased security to prevent this from being possible) - that they know about it must be a good thing.<div><br /></div><div>Anyway, do try and spread the word if you can. In the meantime, check out this interesting article calling for a 20-team World Cup on <a href="http://idlesummers.com/post.php?postid=1509">Idle Summers</a> - it makes business and cricketing sense. Not sure that would be my number one option but, but I'd certainly prefer it a great deal to a 10-team tournament! </div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09215417891130654291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-31522435977252580022011-04-08T01:08:00.003+01:002011-04-08T01:20:31.644+01:00A new county season - will Somerset actually win something?So today marks the beginning of the new county season, less than a week after the World Cup final. Cricket really is a 365 day a year sport.<br /><br />Somerset look like they might be able to improve on their treble of near misses last year. As well as powerful batting - Trescothick, Hildreth, Kieswetter - they have boosted their bowling attack. Steve Kirby is an astute signing, while overseas spin, in the form of Ajantha Mendis and then Murali Kartik, will get plenty of wickets, especially given that most English batsmen seem allergic to using their feet to spin. And George Dockrell could be an excellent signing too.<br /><br />In the meantime, here are 10 county players to watch (click the links to read why)-<br /><a href="http://third-umpire.blogspot.com/2011/04/county-men-to-watch-simon-jones.html">Simon Jones</a><br /><a href="http://third-umpire.blogspot.com/2011/04/county-men-to-watch-alviro-petersen.html">Alviro Petersen</a><br /><a href="http://third-umpire.blogspot.com/2011/04/county-men-to-watch-owais-shah.html">Owais Shah</a><br /><a href="http://third-umpire.blogspot.com/2011/04/county-men-to-watch-amjad-khan.html">Amjad Khan</a><br /><a href="http://third-umpire.blogspot.com/2011/04/county-men-to-watch-graham-onions.html">Graham Onions</a><br /><a href="http://third-umpire.blogspot.com/2011/04/county-men-to-watch-james-taylor.html">James Taylor</a><br /><a href="http://third-umpire.blogspot.com/2011/04/county-men-to-watch-george-dockrell.html">George Dockrell</a><br /><a href="http://third-umpire.blogspot.com/2011/04/county-men-to-watch-danny-briggs.html">Danny Briggs</a><br /><a href="http://third-umpire.blogspot.com/2011/04/county-men-to-watch-jonny-bairstow.html">Jonny Bairstow</a><br /><a href="http://third-umpire.blogspot.com/2011/04/county-men-to-watch-james-taylor.html">Tom Maynard</a><br /><br />What are your thoughts on the list? And, indeed predictions for the new season?Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09215417891130654291noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-17485690829482283382011-04-08T00:59:00.003+01:002011-04-08T01:08:53.422+01:00County men to watch - Danny BriggsBriggs is a left-arm spinner whose action evokes that of Dan Vettori. He benefited from the England Lions tour more than anyone else, claiming 33 wickets at under 20 with guile and plenty of turn. Briggs out-bowled Adil Rashid on that tour – and it may not be too long until he overtakes Monty Panesar as England’s second choice Test spinner. Unusually for a slow bowler yet to turn 20, Briggs has also fared outstandingly in the hustle-and-bustle of Twenty20.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09215417891130654291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-2504923641564763342011-04-08T00:59:00.001+01:002011-04-08T00:59:45.564+01:00County men to watch - Jonny BairstowLike his father, Jonny is a Yorkshire wicket-keeper and he too could play for England. In both his seasons for Yorkshire, Bairstow (21) has averaged in excess of 40, as well as impressing on the recent England Lions tour to the Caribbean. A natural behind the stumps and a resolute batsman, Bairstow knows some long innings – he has 15 first-class 50s but is yet to score a hundred – will put him in contention for a winter touring spot.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09215417891130654291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-35654158172484682622011-04-08T00:47:00.000+01:002011-04-08T00:48:13.457+01:00County men to watch - Tom MaynardAmidst the <a href="http://third-umpire.blogspot.com/2011/04/glamorgan-2011-season-preview.html">chaos</a> that saw <a href="http://third-umpire.blogspot.com/2011/04/county-men-to-watch-alviro-petersen.html">Alviro Peterse</a>n appointed new Glamorgan skipper, Tom Maynard left the club. Though his time at Glamorgan was characterised more by rich potential than performance, fans were sad that a man of his stroke-playing ability had left. A move to Surrey could provide the spur Maynard, 22, needs to achieve more consistency, especially in first-class cricket. If he can manage that, his clean-hitting is such that the next World Twenty20, to be held in the autumn of 2012, is a realistic aim.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09215417891130654291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37251922.post-22929470748865047702011-04-08T00:45:00.001+01:002011-04-08T00:46:55.860+01:00County men to watch - George DockrellDockrell starred for Ireland at the World Cup, most notably dismissing Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni. Just 18, Dockrell is a left-arm spinner who gives the ball a pleasing flight, as well as getting probing turn and bounce. But his biggest attribute is his relentless accuracy. Aided by an admirable temperament, Dockrell picked up 2/23 from his ten overs against Bangladesh. Somerset recognised his potential, handing him a two-year contract last year, and he could be a huge asset towards the end of the season.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09215417891130654291noreply@blogger.com3