GerryShedd
Super Moderator
I haven't seen a report that says he is leaving for a career outside playing, only that he is leaving Durham for personal reasons. Nor have I seen a report that says he is coming to Warwickshire as a player/coach. Are there any links that support those statements?
There has been no announcement on the Warwickshire site that he is joining the Club in any capacity so I suspect that the deal is not yet signed.
His career record is outstanding and he took 34 wickets in the Championship last year; plus he was top wicket taker for Durham in the Royal London with 12 wickets.
His recruitment is a reflection on the form and fitness of some of our current bowlers but I can see the sense in bringing in a reliable performer who is noted for always giving 100% and delivering good results.
Chris Rushworth states that he is leaving Durham for personal, not cricketing reasons. He might fill a role as a player for a year or so - a bowler who seems to stay fit might be a novelty.
Club article about Derief Taylor:
https://edgbaston.com/news/black-history-month-lasting-legacy-of-pioneering-former-coach-derief/
I was coached by Derief and was one of his failures! I remember him as a nice guy with some very firm opinions.
His son became Baron Taylor of Warwick but has had a bit of a chequered career, including going to prison for false accounting as part of the parliamentary expenses scandal.
I wouldn't want to settle for any less than 14 four day County Championship matches, though 12 would at least give us more days of proper cricket than Liz Truss managed as prime minister,
I agree that there has been no focus on proposed points scoring changes.
In his history of the County Championship "Summer's Crown", Stephen Chalke listed 28 different scoring systems that have been used (from 1890 to 2014). So the likelihood of any system lasting very long is somewhat limited.
I'm glad that The Hundred is at least being talked about now - its existence of otherwise is obviously not for discussion but a reduction in the amount of time it takes up would certainly help.
Could there be a faint crack in the wall that surrounds and protects The Hundred?
In the latest edition of The Cricketer, George Dobell suggests that the time span for The Hundred could be reduced by a week. He also reports that the review of ECB costs being conducted by Worcestershire Chair Fanos Hira may reveal that the true cost of The Hundred may be far higher than claimed, once factors such as payments to counties plus head count and consultancy costs are included. This may well show that the competition is running at a loss rather than the profit that the ECB claims.
I gathered from the report of the Lancashire meeting that the two resolutions up for debate were voted down but I couldn't find exactly what they were. Does anyone know?
The Club is inviting applications for membership of the Members Committee:
https://edgbaston.com/news/members-committee-vacancy-play-your-part-in-the-clubs-future/?utm_campaign=13537181_Warwickshire%20Members%20Newsletter%20%2814.10%29&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=DotDigital&dm_i=1AFS,825CT,R425FP,WZBS8,1
Just to emphasise what a good signing he could be, he got the following awards at the Pears' End of Season Dinner:
He was voted the Worcestershire Supporters’ Association Player of the Year and Worcestershire Players’ Player of the Year, He also collected the Worcestershire Cricket Society Moment Of The Season Award for his unbeaten 163 versus Nottinghamshire.
As an aside, the Kenyon Award for the best match performance during the 2022 season went to ex-Bear Ed Pollock for his match-winning 113 off 77 balls against Middlesex in the LV= Insurance County Championship.
Here's my review of the season for Deep Extra Cover:
https://deepextracover.com/2022/10/warwickshire-ccc-season-review-2022/
I've tried to be as balanced and fair as possible but feel free to tell me where I've gone wrong.
I haven't seen any public announcement; but based on an email I've received, the Club have appointed Brigg Ford to the post. I don't know anything about him except that he seems to live in Stratford-upon-Avon so at least he's based in the right county.
He's won the prestigious Walter Lawrence Trophy for his Blast hundred for the Bears:
https://edgbaston.com/news/paul-stirling-wins-walter-lawrence-trophy-for-fastest-century/
Interesting article; and I think there is a fair case for making Norwell's performance the best ever because of the context - needing to win to avoid relegation and succeeding by the narrowest of margins. None of the other performances mattered quite so much.
I might take issue with Brian Halford twice describing Jack Bannister as a medium pacer - he was fast-medium compared with, for example, Tom Cartwright or Billy Ibadulla who were medium pacers. But I'd also put in a word of praise for Brian who reports for the Club and manages to steer a narrow line between over and under praising Bears' performances. He's employed by the Club, so he's never going to be too outspoken however bad the performance but you can sometimes read between the lines!
Jake Lintott?
Yes, best article I've read in a long time.
Two points - Alex Davies comes out of it well.; and Liam Norwell still hasn't been awarded his county cap, despite those nine wickets?
According to the Telegraph, a "compromise" is being mooted:
"Talks are advanced on a new proposal to reduce the Championship from 14 to 12 games – two more than the original suggestion made in the high-performance review led by Sir Andrew Strauss.
Three separate divisions of six will also be on the table with two going up and two down between divisions two and three and one up, one down between divisions two and one.
A play-off between the bottom two teams in division one will determine which county is relegated, while a play-off between the top two in division two will decide who goes up to the top flight.
The decision to cut the Blast from 14 to 10 games is also likely to be reviewed, although there is more work to be done on how this will look. One proposal is to go with 12 games in the belief the higher intensity and better scheduling of Blast matches will work to the benefit of the counties in the long run."
Of course, if you want to get unpopular ideas agreed, starting off with something even more unpopular and then watering it down to what you originally hoped for is one way of negotiating.
In the unlikely event that they all stay fit, a pace attack of OH-D, Liam Norwell and Ed Barnard with occasional support from Will Rhodes doesn't look too bad. But I agree that the back-up is the worry. I think 2023 will be a key season for Miles, Johal, Garrett plus Ethan and Henry Brookes who all have a lot to prove. But it would be a bit negative to assume that they will all fall short. Who knows, we might even see something of Chris Woakes; and maybe the overseas player will be an ace all-rounder, as good as Lara with the bat and Allan Donald with the ball.
No harm in having October dreams!
Maybe the last of the current batch of leavers - and not too much of a surprise:
https://edgbaston.com/news/ryan-sidebottom-leaves-warwickshire/
A shame that he doesn't seem to have found another county.