Welcome Wellesley.
I'm sure you will find a happy home in the 'Curmudgeons Corner' section of Grockles.
As someone who has watched SCCC for over 40 years, it is pretty difficult to take your gloom ridden assessment seriously. Certainly as measured against some really difficult times we had in the late 1980's, 1990's & mid 2000's.
Taking a look at the Championship averages below, which players fall into the 'dead wood' category ?
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www.ecb.co.uk]
(With the notable & unfortunate exception of the T20 format), there are so many differences to years gone by:
a) We challenge for every game.
b) We win from positions of seeming defeat, the polar opposite of our previous sphere of excellence of clutching defeat from the jaws of victory. (Were you at the Surrey Championship game or the Gloucs one dayer ?).
c) We have three players likely to have 1000+ Championship runs by season end.
d) We have one of the best young spinners in the land.
e) Cove & Jove offer aggression and speed, whilst still maturing.
f) We have a Championship skipper (hopefully he will stay for another year or two), willing to take risks & bold decisions to try to get over the line.
g) We are now in our ninth unbroken year of Championship division one status, and with three games to go are challenging for a top three position.
h) We came within 8 runs of getting to the RLODC final.
i) We have a second team performing admirably,
j) Our academy is producing/honing talented players offering excellent promise for the future.
g) We have strong finances, good and improving ground facilities and superbly loyal (in most cases) supporters.
All is not risy in the garden. Our T20 campaign was a mess & Management have acknowledged this.
But to portray our efforts this year in such a derisory manner is frankly insulting to all concerned, and specifically the players.
Grizzzly