Somerset
Newbie Day - Lancashire CB40
Slow Man
By Grockle
May 15 2011
This is, as predicted, the time where we ask the younger players to step up and do a job. With James Hildreth here for this game but then away for the Hove CC1 clash and Craig Kieswetter injured we will look for support from the boys who have been on the outskirts of the first team squad for a while. Max Waller is named for the first time this year but no sign of Craig Meschede who was rumoured to be being considered for his first team debut.
V Lancashire CB40 @ Taunton Sunday 15 May 2011
The squad for this game (as listed on the scorecard) is;
Trescothick, Trego, Compton, Hildreth, Buttler, Suppiah, Barrow, Gregory, Kirby, Dibble, Waller
Presently no twelfth man is named but we are pre announcements. The crowd still filtering in - a little patchy. The weather is quite warm with watery sun ad consistent but white cloud.
Somerset have won the toss and will field with Alex Barrow and Steve Kirby sitting this one out and Gemaal Hussain and Craig Meschede coming in (CM's domestic debut).
Brown and Moore open for the visitors. Adam Dibble opens from the Old Pavilion and Brown opens his account with a single off the second ball. His partner Moore goes 3 better and cuts the last ball to the Somerset Stand. Gemaal opens from the River and goes for 3.
After 4 it hasn't got better and the Red Rose have gone on to 26 which prompts a change at the OP with Lewis Gregory taking over, only to be chiped for 6 to the Caddyshack off ball 1! Already people asking why we put them in. However, things change with ball 3 as Moore pulls a low one straight into Hildreth's middle and it is 34 for 1. Captain Croft is the next man in and he takes his side to a 5th over total of 35.
Gemaal continues from the River and we have too many boundaries coming off our boys. 10 off the 6th. Maybe it's not quite there yet for a limited over return for the young man. At the other end however, Gregory continues to impress with a single run off his over. The 50 comes in the 8th as Lancs move to 53.
By 10 overs it is 65 for 1 (too many for the first 25% I'm afraid) with Dibble being moved to the River for that over. Pete Trego takes his first with the 11th and goes for 4 off it. On 72 Brown skies one, Arul calls for it and takes...oh no he drops it! Brown gets a life as it is into the hands and out as a consequence Lancs are at 78 without further loss as Trigger starts the 13th. Brown looks to stick a half volley into the crowd but under hits is and instead finds the hands of Gregory on the Caddyshack boundary 84 for 2 at the end of the 13th.
Horton is the next man in and he will be facing the first over from Arul at the River and he holds them to 3. Croft is willing to cut loose however and he takes a superb boundary off Peter with a stupendous cut to the Trescothick. After 15 the opposition have 94.
But Arul has Horton in all sorts of trouble in the 16th after Croft took a single off the first ball, he even has him resorting to reverse sweeps (not a shot that seems to be one he is all that familiar with). The poor man doesn't look any better against Trego and he keeps them to 99 by the start of the 18th.
The 100 comes in the 18th but I can't say that Horton looks comfortable out there. 118 after 20. By the 25th we have Waller on at the River and though he is belted back over his head by Croft, Horton is still not into his game. Another reverse sweep attempt and a miuch needed wicket courtesy of Trego who takes the flighted ball out of the air and Lancs descend to 147 for 3. But it is still all a little loose. Despite the side throwing theselves about in the field, Croft has passed 50 and looks in little trouble and Chilton looks more of a handful than the man he replaced was. BY the 30th they have 177 and a 250ish score is definitely on the cards. We seem to feel that we can chase these kinds of scores down but it is an awful lot easier to do that if we don't let them get that kind of number in the first place.
Lewis returns at the OP for the 31st followed by Gemaal at the River for the 32nd. Lancs end that over on 189. Gregory then returns to fielding as Trigger returns to bowl out at the OP. But the scheme doesn't seem to be that simple. Gemaal takes the next and sees the 200 up and then Gregory is back for the 35th to try and continue this productive spell he has had of bowling at the death. He duly provides when the 4th ball of his over totals Chilton's middle pole (something he almost succeeded in doing with his first ball). 4 for 204 and Pete is back on at the OP - not as productive 218 by the end of his.
Croft goes past his highest one day score and goes to his ton (103 balls 8 fours and 1 six off the 4th ball of the 37th over to move his side to 220. The 38th is put in the hands of Gemaal after a long conversation with his captain They have 225 and would like 250 so it's a big over. It goes for 9 and the 250 is still on. Lewis has the 39th and he gets Croft for 107 as he puts the ball down Hildreth's throat and out comes Procter with 237 to add to. He manages to add a single before the last ball takes out Cross with a full tos that he misses. 239 for 6 and Gregory goes for 4 for 40 off 7.
BUT WHY HAS HE GOT AN OVER LEFT AND WHY HAS SUPPIAH ONLY BOWLED 4 WHEN HE WAS BY FAR THE MOST ECONOMICAL OF BOWLERS.
Gemaal is given the last one and has more responsibility heaped on his shoulders. It all goes quite well until Lewis misses an easy stop in front of the CA and allows a last ball two to become a four. Lancashire end on 248. It shouldn't be enough but it is more than they should have got.
The effective bowlers were Arul with a return of 3.5 runs per over but no wickets from his 4. Pete went for a few in his later two but ended with 43 for 1 off his 8. Add to that Lewis Gregory who, thanks to his last two overs finished with 4 for 40 off his 7. Gemaal took the last over role ad did it quite well finishing with 56 off his 8. Adam went for 53 and has yet to confirm his place as a one day certainty. Max went for 30 off his 5 - his first game? Hope if he plays at Sussex the figures are better. No bowling by Meschede but the best 3 bowlers only managed 20 overs out of 24 between them.
The Reply
Hogg starts the Lancashire attack and Marcus confidently clips him into the off side for a single. Peter is his opening partner. The Lancashire outfit looks like somene has got half the job done. Did they sort out the blue tops and then nicked some spare red Glamorgan trousers?. A superb piece of fielding from Chilton is cruely treated. A full blooded cover drive from Pete is stopped one handed and fired at the none striker's end with the captain completely stranded. It just misses and then flies for four overthrows....To push the nail in a little harder, Pete then deposits Hogg over the Pavilion and we finish the over with 11. The ball hit the ground in the car park and smashed into the bonnet of a 'sporty number'.
Anderson is their choice to start from the River. A squirted four is the result of the second. Hogg's second shows the intent of Trigger who is up the wicket flinging the bat and flashing one to the Trescothick, he then gets another two "chinese cutting" one towards the CA boundary. However the third is a better driven boundary through the covers. At the end of the 3rd he has 17 out of 24.
He starts the 4th with a pull to the Caddick Pavilion and then starts the 5th with another one bouncing onto the OP roof. 32 to his name in no time followed by a skied one to Parry and out! It's an adventurous strategy giving him his head but we'll have to see if it works as Nick Compton comes out to take up the anchor role while his skipper opens his shoulders to finish the 5th with a driven four. 47 for 1 with 32 to PT off 18 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes.
The 50 arrives with the first ball of the 7th as Banger clears the rank of new cars on the long off boundary to take us to 55 from 49. Hogg goes for his third six in 4 overs and may be re-thinking his strategy. He gets something right because he improves his economy rate from 12 to 11 with "only" 44 coming off his 4 overs. At the River, Anderson is doing little better as The Boss takes him for three consecutive fours to different parts of the ground - it's 76 for 1 after 8 and there is a Lancastiran conference at the OP about who is to bowl and what they are going to try.
The answer is Kerrigan replacing Hogg coming around the wicket to Trescothick. Parry is on for Anderson for the 9th and the two slow men look to put the brakes on this scoring rate. Marcus is having none of that though as he surgically sweeps the bowler between two boundary fielders on the legside to end the over on 86 and take himself into the 40s. Ten overs at 8.6 is there or thereabouts.
Then blood to the Red Rose as Compton looks to flip the secnd ball of the 13th, a wide one, off his toes and misjudges it, trips over and is stumped for 14. 97 for 2 with the Lions captain the next man to the crease. He helps bring up the 100 at the end of the over and we cross the first psychological barrier of this innings.
The Boss goes to 50 at 110 in the 14th with a sweep to the cowshed for four (37 balls 1 six and 7 fours). At 15 we have moved to 123 and the Lancastrian press guy is talking about the inevitable. We placate him with the fact that if they get Marcus out all bets are off for a while as there is some uncertainty in this side after 6 (assuming that is Arul). However, we also suggest that with the skipper on his highest one day score and James being 'due' he may want to pray that they get these two before they really get their eyes in. On cue Marcus sixes Parry into the scoreboard seats.
Procter starts his spell from the OP with over 17. We have 136 for the loss of 2 wickets, well at least until ball two which is a hugely powerful cover drive which leaves the fielder in its wake as it streaks to the Ondaatje boundary. This is followed by a delicate guide to the CA for a second boundary. He goes for 9 off the over. The 150 arrives with another Trescothick six from Parry which is followed later in the over by a sublime slog sweep from Hilda to Cow corner. By the start of the 19th we need 92 off 22 overs and Croft returns to the spin of Kerrigan.
Anderson is back on for the 20th to try and sort out this runaway Somerset pair (Marcus 82 Hildreth 32). It is 166 for 2 and we need 83 from 21. Two ducks nearly get totalled by another Trescothick glide but they manage to waddle out of the way - but refuse to move off the outfield in front of the Gimblett.
Jimmy does make the breakthrough as he gets James to lob one to Parry and he goes for 37 in a partnership of over 70 in just over 7 overs and we replace him with...Jos Buttler. 172 for 3 after 20. The new boy looks a bit shakey facing Kerrigan but he gets off the mark with a single to steal the strike. A better start against England's number 1 as he strokes his first ball to the Ondaatje boundary. After 22 we have 178 and need 71 off 111 balls - run rate down below 6!!
Although Buttler is still scratchy, Banger is still striding on with 87 to his name and we look to be under 50 with over 10 to go. This target looks about 100 short! Hogg is on at the River this time and is having a long chat with Anderson about what to do from this end.... Marcus keeps him waiting while he has a look around and then pulls him to the Ondaatje boundary as if the ball is meaningless (which it was to be honest).
200 arrives with the second ball of the 27th and we are down below 50 (43) wth 13 and a half overs to go. The two men at the crease are just milking singles, there is no hurry and no need to take daft chances. The captain farms the strike at the end of the 27th with 2 needed for his first one day hundred of this season. Anything Croft can do and all that........but it nearly comes apart as he flips one into the air off an outside edge - into no man's land. The next time he is at the crease the shot is far more assured and he drves one to the scoreboard boundary for four. 103 out of 211 - 11 fours and 3 sixes off 69 balls - majestic, clean and sensibly played.
With 12 overs to go we need 33 and Buttler is starting to get the feel, firs with a whipped reverse sweep well fielded and then a lofted drive to the Gimblett that evades the field followed imediately by a second boundary off a MISfield. It is hard to see how this can be anything but a Somerset win as the target is down to 20 by the 29th. Procter is called back to try and stop it once again but he's been here before and the Juggernaut goes on, no fancy shots any more as they can wait for the balls that get them runs. We need 17 with 10 to go and the Lancashire skipper brings himself on from the OP. Trescothick and Buttler with a 64 partnership to their name just wait for the bad ball. It comes at the end of the over and the Boss strokes it to the Ondaatje.
8 off 9 overs, the rate is in decimals now and a pull to the Gimblett boundary from Buttler takes it to 3 for a win. A six would give him 50! Spread betters get your bets in! A misfield down by the CA ties the scores but puts Jos back on strike and a four gives him his 50 (46 balls with 8 fours) and his side 2 points with a victory by 7 wickets with 8 overs to spare.
Totally professional batting performance. Worries about the bowling which was not of the same level but when the top 5 are in this kind of form we can get away with that!
Another side outplayed at HQ and on to Hove.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:05:18:13:09:01 by Grockle.
I wonder who will stand down?
I hope it is not Arul Suppiah - I'd like to see him get some time in the middle ahead of Hove.
Wurz
I've watched him and personally I think he could be as good as Jos in the right frame of mind.
It does seem amazing that about 5 years ago I thought we would not see the likes of Ian Blackwell in his pomp with a bat again and now we have three or four guys in the side who can do it and possibly another on his way into that first team scrum.
I'm waiting for the day when Marcus, Craig K, Pete and Jos ALL turn up in a CB40 game with their big bats...we may have got something like it against Glamorgan if the rain had stayed away but...what a day that will be. 300 plus in 40 overs is well within their grasp.
Mind was working slowly first thing but BR has put me right - Craig for Craig.
I hope they give Arul the chance to open with Tres today - give him a chance to get in some nick. Suspect we may see Pete open though? If so, perhaps Arul will get to bat at three?
Hove is going to be really, really interesting. Sussex will be buoyed by their win over Notts. In theory, they might look at our batting line-up and fancy that, if they can get Tres early, they will have a good chance at getting us fairly cheaply. But if conditions are good for batting then I don't see too much in their attack that would be likely to unduly worry even our youngsters. If conditions are good for bowling then they may very well experience problems with our attack.
I seem to remember that our last visit to Hove brought a heart-stopping win on a turning track on which Piyush Chawla caused havoc. I think we have to anticipate that with us sans Kartik they will try to produce a Bunsen for this one and hope that Monty can play the lead role in winning it for them.
I hope they move the Blotter machine it has been parked blocking the south east corner view of the ground for some of us sat on the Gimblett’s Hill, it may even block the view of the bowler running up from the OP end if the pitch is that far over on that side today, I will have to see when I get there.
I didn’t even see Peter Trego take that boundary catch in the last match it was in the way then.
This my mean they are playing through the week too. I watched Craig M in a second team game and he does look the part as he did in the WI. Hope he does well.
This is the reason Ben and ZdB were let go I suppose. To give these boys a chance.
got to plan how little work to do today
Team (most definitely NOT batting order!) from
Croft (c)
Anderson
Brown
Cheetham
Chilton
Cross (w)
Hogg
Horton
Kerrigan
Keedy
Moore
Procter
Parry
Hope the new guys get a run out today, do the business and get a four day start next week.
Lancs should present a much better test than Gloucs were ever likely to be able to do - not so much because Lancs have a great team on paper but because there must be a high level of confidence at the club, as they have begun the season so well (although not, perhaps, so much in this competition.)
Ankle niggle or no, I think its sensible to give Kirby the weekend off after 2 and a bit days in the field against Durham. Need him champing at the bit come Wednesday
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:05:15:13:55:59 by Bagpuss.
I can see why you don't have programmes because the time you have to have the squad in for printing means that the first thing you do when you get to the middle is ....change the side. The scorecard idea is better but even then it is usually wrong in at least two cases per side.
Leaking runs here a bit, except for Gregory. They've moved Dibble to the River but that opening attack aren't tight enough for this stuff.
Info here is that neither Alf or Kartik will be in the Yorks side - they need a rest it seems. Pete Trego on for the 11th from the OP.
Quite frankly, I'm not at all sure that Alf Thomas will agree with the notion that he 'needs a rest.'
Surely that Yorkshire game will also be the only CC game they'd have to play for ages, as we then have to slog through T20?
Some of the rest of it not so great though, by the sounds of it.
A bit surprised Arul did not bowl more? Decent figures.
Opening bowlers sounded like they bowled too much on leg stump.
But as you say...why did he end with an over left? Why didn't they sort it so that he bowled the last over?
I was hoping we might see an over or two of Meschede just to have a glimpse of what we have.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:05:15:18:22:21 by Grockle.
Sounds like we just totally dominated their bowling in comprehensive fashion..... it did not really sound like it was ever going to be in any doubt at any point in our innings.
Grizzzly
Well done lads. Good to keep the momentum.
Amazing that we do not play another game in the CB40 until July 17th!!
Essex at Southend is going to be a big game I feel (July 31)
I hope the youngsters do us proud on Wed and they dont get back in anyway.
Kartik has bowled about 16 overs in the last 2 months and Tommo not much more. I dont know where this is coming from but its laughable.
Then batting wise..well what can we say! However many runs we conceed, we can always back our batters! Class knock from Marcus, Pete got things going at the top of the order, Hildy looked neat and Joss was the icing on the cake..4 CB40 innings now and nobody has yet got him out!
We look a thoroughly decent one-day side..we still have 2 of our best one day players to play a match..and (this may be vital come the run in) we are cleverly rotating the bowlers. Kirby and Charl should both now be fresh for Hove after their exertions at Durham
Played 8..won 7..drawn 1...not bad
I was delighted with every member of the team today from the skipper down. Sorry the other youngsters didn't get a bat but their time will come. Suppiah's drop was very very into the clouds and there was a nasty breeze - I'd back him 9 times out of 10.
BR must be absolutely over the moon with his young pretenders - there should be plenty of debate as the season moves on over selection.
ps don't say it too loudly at home of women's cricket!
pps my wife pointed out that Arul didn't bowl much, although he too was very economical.
ppps Max Waller was a joy to watch in the field, running around like a spring lamb, as were the two duck, resting on the outfield.
Im still laughing at the Kartik/Thomas thing. Makes the signing of Kartik (I think the party line was he is available most of the season) to be not what it was. Worcester will get more out of Saeed Ajmal in my opinion.
Marcus, Arul, Compo, Pete, Jos, Barrow, Lewis, Max, Gemaal, Kirby and Willo...
Thoughts?
I suppose what we do not know (or at least I don't know) is when the two guys are actually coming home. If they fly home the day before the game a la Mendis when he came here, then I could see the sense of resting them.
Otherwise it looks crazy to me.
Batting firing big-time in the one day stuff. Don't think we're anywhere near fielding our best one-day bowling attack yet.
Not only are we down Alf and Kartik but if the World Cup is anything to go by at all, then George Dockrell is also a top one-day bowler, so you could say we're down 3 of the guys that are likely to be our best one-day bowlers.
Having Lewis and Alf available to both bowl at the death is likely to make things awfully tough for our opponents.
Max was in line but he did not bowl tightly. He has to take wickets at Sussex if he is going to go at 6 an over. He was pretty good in the field though
Wouldn't play Alex at Hove - Craig M is a stronger bat.
One would expect that ALf would probably be fighting Steve for his place in the CC - not an easy fight at the moment.
AG, if Pune lose tomorrow if I were BR i would get flights booked for Alf and Kartik on Sat night so they can play next Tuesday v Yorks and not have a Mendis situation. But as Grockle has intimated it may already be decided no matter what Pune do in the rest of the IPL.
Today’s photos.
I keep thinking Thomas is back whenever I see Lewis bowling; he was too good for G Cross.
K Brown was lucky when he played the ball into the ground and it bounced over the stumps.
Another Lewis Gregory wicket when he bowled M Chilton.
Adam Dibble troubled several batsmen today this was M Chilton.
Not the best way of getting out for N Compton being stumped by G Cross off a wide ball from Kerrigan.
P Horton desperate to get back in his crease to avoid being stumped by Jos.
The T20 really has taken over.
You were such a staunch advocate for the short format against the traditional format that at one time it took the form of derision of those who enjoyed Championship stuff...has familiarity altered your view?
These Sunday CB40's have been a pleasure, primarily as my wife enjoys the matches and she's great company, but it's also much easier to park.
Lewis was excellent again.
Max was a little short to begin with but when he got it a bit fuller he caused the odd problem.
Even Hussain bowled well at the death, to restrict them to 248, it was never going to be enough.
Great knock from Tres, if we'd lost few early ones could have exposed a inexperienced (yet talented middle order) to see it home he really played a superb innings.
Our 20-20 potential is huge, with bowling attack of Alfie, Gregory, Kartik et al, and an unrivalled batting line up the sky is the limit.....
We're different class, so dominant it's almost painful.
Much more of this sort of stuff and they'll be slapping a Government health warning on us, maybe they'll have to reconsider the old style odds matches, the eleven fine men of Somersetshire against the twenty two of the Rest of England.
We'd still hammer them.
Quote:Big Jim
We have to face the facts, just like every other team in the land and their hapless supporters, it's there in black and white for all to see.
We're different class, so dominant it's almost painful.
Much more of this sort of stuff and they'll be slapping a Government health warning on us, maybe they'll have to reconsider the old style odds matches, the eleven fine men of Somersetshire against the twenty two of the Rest of England.
We'd still hammer them.
Certainly true at the moment in 40 over cricket.
MOst of our opponents so far (all except the Unicorns, really) have been comprehensively outgunned by our superior batting firepower.
The scary thing for our opponents is that our bowling is all but certain to improve dramatically in the one-day stuff once Alf and Kartik are back in the fold and, assuming he recovers form and confidence after injury, one would think that George Dockrell will also be one of the best one-day bowlers in the land, too. So that could give us four of the best one-day bowlers in the land - Alf and Kartik have been the best two in recent years. And Lewis Gregory looks sooooooooooooooo good that he looks like he could join that company.
Quote:old boy!
Sorry Grockle but I must take you up on your comment ref Max - he must bowl tighter - not six an over! This was a One Day game in which 6 an over is quite acceptable - by the way other SCCC analysis 53 in 8, 56 in 8 (Hussain), 40 in 7, 43 in 8, best one another slow bowler 14 in 4 and Max 30 in 5. Most telling of all - he bowled nothing outside leg stump. In a 4 day game there would be a lot of different fielding positions cutting out a lot of singles which are, generally acceptable in the shorter form. Sorry, but I feel it is necessary to challenge statements which do not always do justice to my favourite form of bowling - leg breaks - no, I was a fast medium! But Max's greatest asset at present is his infectious enthusiasm for the game - particularly shown in his no-holds-barred fielding.
Well, I look forward to seeing whether Max has developed an ability to turn the ball to a greater degree (assuming he plays at Hove.) Compared to most young wrist-spinners Max has always had relatively good control. But his very limited sample size of games (four) in the CC has shown little penetration. Conversely, when Munday played he had plenty of penteration but used to go round the park rather too much. The Munday pattern of penetration + profligacy is more common, I feel, in young wrist spinners than the Max pattern.
It should turn at Hove (albeit probably slowly) so he will have the chance to show that he can now give it a bit of a rip. And he will need to do that to have any chance of figuring in the CC once Kartik is available.
Number one has got to be control - without that no wrist spinner will ever get the chance to develop further.
That control comes from confidence - either but ideally from both the guy using him (skipper) or the guy picking him (coach). Given a fair consecutive run that confidence grows to allow more experimenting with more ambitious bowling. I am pleased that, contrarily to my earlier fears, BR is giving Max and some of his peers good opportunities to prove themselves OR fail.
Without those opportunities, I am sure several of them will seek pastures new, and I don't want to lose them.
But he also says that whilst a guy that can rip it can learn accuracy, it is much more difficult for a guy that starts out bowling accurately but without much turn to then learn how to rip it.
In Max's case, I obviously hope that Benaud's dictum on this does not apply.
In the T20 stuff it did seem that Max had got his googly to turn a fair amount, but the pivotal question will be whether or not he has learned to rip that leg-spinner.
I'm not expecting him to be particularly expensive at Hove, but I'm keen to see if he offers penetration.
The question for Max is whether he can bowl well enough in whatever chances he gets, pre Kartik, to make himself the second spinner (when one is needed) in either first-class or one-day cricket alongside Kartik?
From what I've seen of Max his style of bowling is better suited to the one-day stuff. But his problem there might be that George Dockrell might also be a one-day specialist (we don't know what George's potential in first-class cricket is.)
What we do know is that - as of right now - Max is the last specialist spinner standing and he simply HAS to grab this chance now....
One thing though is though. Although we didn’t bowl perfectly, no one offered up quite as much as Hogg. I know its very harsh to say, but are bowling will be almost twice as effective this year without Turner, Jimmy was bowling very well, but had to change to being more aggressive as Hogg was undoing all his good work at the other end.
I do agree with everyone, dockrell and kartik tying down the innings and then alf and lewis bowling at the death gives us the chance to have the best fielding, batting and bowling team in the country. Add pollard for the 20/20 and that’s a better than average team.
I really hoped (at the time) that the Kartik signing would have given us the license to bowl Munday a lot more last season -- because Kartik is so tight it should not have been the end of the world if Munday was going for a few at the other end.
Unfortunately, though, we tried to lean on Munday before Kartik arrived and MKM had, sadly, been deemed to have bowled himself out of contention by the time that Kartik actually arrived.
I ferevently hope that Max spins a few Sussex batsmen out at Hove.
I saw last season's Lancashire match in which both Max and Murali played, and my impression of Max was that he bowled quite fast (for a leggie of course - not comparing him to Shaun Tait!).
Thinking about the likes of Shahid Afridi and Anil Kumble, surely there is room for leggies to succeed without the "ripping" turn of MacGill, Kaneria and Warne.
This seemed to be the difference between Mike M and Max.
Further, it is difficult to see how Max fits into the plans with Murali and George. Perhaps the thinking is that Murali will not continue next season, and this season will be a matter of grooming the youngsters to take over.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:05:16:12:17:26 by Blub.
I've a liking for Max's approach to the game and would love to see him establish himself as a regular.
I do agree that Tres is often reluctant to give the spinners a full quota in one day matches, including Arul when his economy figures are good.
I do wonder if it comes from his own ability to knock almost any spinner out of the game. Very few others in the current game have that ability.
[Edited for typo]
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:05:16:12:02:48 by Sloop John B.
I get the impression that the management have alot of faith in dockrell becoming our frontline spinner.
The one game last season where MKM was particularly effective he was bowling in tandem with Alf who tied the batsmen down so heavily that he allowed Michael free rein. The reason why he isn't here now is because he could not take sufficient wickets with enough regularity to justify his runs per over rate.
I hope Max takes a bucket full but he is going to have to if he is going to allow one day rates of scoring I'm afraid.
The field he bowls to will be different of course and the time he is brought on with unlimited overs available so I expect it to be different anyway.
I think he bowled so much that day, and is probably bowling so much generally, because the Sussex seam attack was so ordinary and easily blunted by the Lancs batsmen.
Broadly speaking, I'd be very happy if Max plays there this week, but I wouldn't expect it to be a raging turner.
Panesar and Swann's wickets were mainly due to dot ball pressure and bad shots.
Nash and Joyce look a fine opening pair for Sussex but I think we can get at the bowling.
Khan and Naved were slightly flattered from what I saw.
I'd hope for us to either sign a recognised batsman for next season or use the over seas slot. Ponting would be perfect in my opinion
Anyway, is being stingy really that important?
If they score 300 then we score 301......and then with half a dozen or so overs to spare.
We float like a butterfly and sting like a bee
we are the mighty
Somerset CCC
I haven't done the exercise yet but I strongly suspect that if you put his figures up against those of other young wrist-spinners with relatively skimpy first-class experience, then Max would actually be relatively inexpensive anyway.
Still suspect that it's penetration that is the thing that he needs to convince the powers-that-be of as that's what Brian said a couple of years ago (or it might have been last season) "He needs to turn his stock ball more."
Obviously, that statement was made a while ago, but I assume from the fact that Max has not been permitted many CC games, that that view remains the view of the powers-that-be.
I guess what I am surmising is that this kind of attitude may well lead to leggies developing a more parsimonious, flatter style in order to serve the needs of these short-over games, and perhaps preventing the more bouncy, flighty bowlers from really developing.
To be fair, though, even bowling the flatter style of wrist-spin with any great degree of accuracy is also quite difficult to achieve!
It all changes of course if he takes wickets...So if you aren't one of the world class spinners who takes wickets on anything then the assessment of your ability is based on how many wickets you take in relation to the runs you give away.
As you say AG, it matters little if you keep knocking them over. I suppose part of the reason for this view is that we don't get many English attacks with tight bowlers supporting promising spinners who give it a rip and some air. What tends to happen is that the spinner changes their attack mode to conserve runs because of the lack of other end support and in doing so they lose their wicket taking ability because the balls are accurate but not doing much.
Hence why MKM is no longer here. He didn't or couldn't go down that route.
Graeme Swann launched a fairly robust attack on spinners who lack ambition and do not try to give it a rip but he, perhaps, had not fully considered the expectations that others may have of the spin bowler in a side. Of course, as a world class spin bowler himself, he may not realise that many spinners find it very difficult to maintain accuracy whilst bowling in a very attacking mode.
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