Tayls79 wrote:
I have just seen Micky B in the nets while queing for a coffee. Looked to be hitting well but grimacing and grinning in equal measure. I don't think he'll miss much CC but not sure how he'll go today.
Interesting Lamb is in at 4, suspect that’s entirely to do with Burgess not being fit. You wonder if it’s a case of Burgess only batting if we can win, and not risking him if we need 150 off 10.
By the look of things, it will get to 15 an over well before the 40th over. I would sooner see us get out trying to hit some runs than crawl along leaving inexperienced players needing a ridiculous rate of scoring in the last 10.
It does seem the case we repeat ourselves. But looking at this you can see why the batsman are red ball specialists. Play and miss a lot, not many singles,very fews 1s turned into 2s. Only management will know for sure objectives of the tournament, and we have been disrupted by injuries and 100 for sure, but my feeling is it's a double failure: both in the table and the fact we've used development players so rarely.
Where is Dan Mousley?
Carrying drinks in the unwanted competition!
Have been saying the same this whole tournament. Without Pandya and Burgess we really lack that ability to drive the score. Even when they don’t hit the fence, they push the running between the wickets. The others don’t quite have that same ability to hit big or push the fielders. Smith seems that sort of cricketer though, so will be interesting how he goes.
Sibley on the other hand seems to be of the belief we can bat out for the draw.
Sibley is either having a 'net' or trying to do a 'Gavaskar at Lord's 1975' in the first ever world cup game. I would sooner see us bat first and make 290 than not have a go at chasing this.
180 needed off 14. We’ve barely made an attempt to chase this. Truly bizarre.
Poor again from us playing 1980's cricket once more.
That is the end of our limited overs season, just a relegation battle to look forward to with nobody looking like they can bowl other than OHD.
It is hard to see how wholesale changes are not made for next season, we have been awful with the ball in hand in all formats and apart from a few of the T20 games we have been no better with the bat.
The economy rates of our bowlers today is shameful.
eta - I have just checked the respective teams batting strike rates as well, they look like scorecards that are 35 years apart!
If you could 'only' make three changes for next season Measham, what would they be? (I've got a few more than three in mind!)
3 Changes.
1) Batting.
2) Bowling.
3) Get the captain to realise that is is alright to bat first occasionally.
1) Captain
2) The coach
3) The director of cricket
BristolBear wrote:
1) Captain
2) The coach
3) The director of cricket
Amen to that!
"You can take the boy out of Atherstone, but you can never take Atherstone out of the boy !"
"The Bears and the (footballing) Foxes for ever !"
Think it’s a bit harsh to suggest that such wholesale changes are needed - we did win the championship last season after all! I’m hopeful that because this season has gone so badly that management will recognise the need to recruit a bowler or two for next season, and we’ve already made steps in the right direction with the signing of Barnard and Moeen. We should also be able to get a better quality overseas for the championship next season as well as we’ll have far longer to plan for it this time - this season we were rather left in the lurch by Bresnan’s late decision to retire.
Some here seem to be getting into the "football mob" mentality of sack everyone.
Over time, in all sports, the clubs that have long term sustainable success have a stable management structure, and develop their teams over time, not by making radical short term changes.
I can only agree with Exiled Bear and Highveld.
The Bears have still won more games in this competition than they have lost and, if they win the last two games, could still (just about) qualify for the quarter finals. Losing the overseas all-rounder and then, in this game , having the wicket-keeper dislocating a thumb have hardly helped.
As for the Vitality Blast, has everyone forgotten that the Bears finished top in their group before going out at the quarter final stage? They had the highest net run rate of any team in the two divisions.
I agree that the Championship has been pretty disappointing, especially after last year's win. The bowling, in particular, hasn't been up to scratch and the overseas player (McAndrew) tried hard but was slightly more successful with the bat than the ball. Injuries to Norwell Stone and Woakes didn't help - Woakes if fit would undoubtedly have played some early season games and Stone would have been trying to get himself back into England contention.
As well as getting the overseas signing(s) right next year, it will be key that several of the undoubtedly talented young players need to step up to the next level and establish themselves. Although he had a bad start to the year, I have no doubts about Rob Yates. Dan Mousley has been held back by injuries. I am thinking of players like the Brookes brothers, Jacob Bethell and George Garrett plus one or two of those who have featured in the Royal London tournament.
There were years when the supply of young players seemed to have dried up but that's certainly not the case now.
Both Moeen and Ed Barnard are quality characters who will add a lot to the team with their experience and calmness.
If, as seems likely Chris Woakes is no longer fit enough for International cricket, he could make a great contribution to the side as a batsman, and occasional, bowler in all forms of the game.
Players like Mousley, Bethell, Kai Smith and both Henry and Ethan Brookes could develop into the core of a very strong side for the next decade. With support and guidance from the experienced Sam Hain, that seems strange, Will Rhodes, Burgess, Briggs and OHD.
I have concerns about the first and second team bowling coaches, especially when tht is/was the specailist area of the head coach.
I also wouldn't make the wholesale changes that have been suggested but my main concern is the same as yours Highveld, the bowling coaching - made especially more concerning when both H Brookes and Miles have had decent showings in the Hundred...
The scores we've conceded in this comp so far are:
264 v Gloucestershire
293 v Surrey
306 v Sussex
338 v Leicestershire
257 v Nottinghamshire in 34 over game
374 v Middlesex
That's too many runs for my liking. The T20 campaign was referenced above as well but that was built on batting not bowling.
My changes for next season would be:
I applaud the optimism. Especially in regard to some of our young "prospects" but I still believe we have witnessed some awful performances in all formats this season and in so many cases self inflicted by decision making. Sometimes on the field, sometimes off and without doubt at times a combination of both. I even believe that some of our seemingly experienced players have been damaged by the experiences of this season. Some may have benefited from being away from Edgbaston already and I sincerely hope that others will benefit from being away in the future. We will see, but good luck to them. I do hope that Moeen will bring with him a greater level of expectation next season, far more ambition on the field and leadership that will be embraced by the club as a whole. If we see enough of him of course!
I wonder if we are in for Masood as the overseas for next year? He has been, by all accounts, superb for Derbyshire this year and it’s been reported he has agreed to join another county rather than stay at Derby. He would potentially cover the loss of Sibley as an opener.