So....2010 then
How long Oh Lord How long
By Grockle
January 5 2010
A new captain, a new top three batsman, a new international player who is a new spinner, a new possible England player and at least three new possible Academy entrants into the first team pool. Just another cricket season then?
I have yet to get my TV face in gear and finish off my assessment of last year...maybe that little move into audio-visual stuff was a step too far for me? Who knows.
However we have moved into the New Year with exciting aspects of the county worthy of predicitive debate as well as harping back to the season that has gone.
A number of issues are worth thinking (and therefore talking) about;
Marcus Trescothick; A captain awaiting his opportunity or the only option in a sparse group of candidates?
Nick Compton; The solution (or part of it) to our Number 3 batting conundrum. Is he Somerset's missing link?
Did we see a new Arul Suppiah last season or did he have a Piran Holloway of a season? Will he open and with whom?
Murali Kartik; 'Mushy' for the 'Teenies' or another forlorn hope to get something more out of a dead pitch that is a graveyard for pace bowlers?
Craig Kieswetter; Is he really such an obvious replacement for Matt Prior (who is having a very decent South African tour) in the England setup and if he is, will Jos Buttler be a good enough replacement for our first team.
James Hildreth; After that mighty 300 early in 2009, how patient were we with his form and how patient should we be in the summer? Is he an integral part of our batting line-up and if not? Who will be pushing him for a place....Chris Jones?
Zander the Middle Man; What is his role in the Somerset machine and does it fit all forms of the game?
Max Waller; A partner for Kartik? An alternative? A season of waiting ahead?
Turner, Stiff, Haggett, Thomas, Phillips, Willoughby; Is there a new ball solution in there now we are Caddick-less? Are there three/four men we can rely on. Are there three/four men we can get on the pitch each week?
Peter Trego; An England allrounder? A county allrounder? A batsman who bowls a bit?
Are there loose canons or dark horses in our playing midst that we have missed or got wrong in our assessments?
The Pitch; Well...will it be better? Will it make any difference to some if it is? Will it be seen as a sea anchor around the county's neck if it isn't? Is it a problem at all?
The Long Room; Well the CA has been gutted so it will be replaced with something. Is it going to be a Caddyshack 'carbuncle' or a shining area of light and sun for those who invest in its glory?
Supporter Facilities; Supportive? Lacking concern for the paying punters? Improving? Too corporate? Oh what a can of worms...
So there we go...stuff and nonsense for the dark days of winter. Comments and other debating points welcomed people.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:01:17:19:12:39 by Grockle.
I can't provide answers to all, but perhaps someone out there can?
The season will give us the answers.
The long room! It is only for those who are willing to pay the extra, as I understand it those who pay the extra will have a reserved seat.
How they are going to cope when the white sheeting is covering-up part of the left-hand side for some of the matches for the sightscreen time will tell.
ref the 38 questions. Well that's about 2 and a bit days a question before the start of the season.
As I understand it, a Championship membership of the LOng room is much less than Platinum and still includes all County Championship and 40 over games. For 38 days of cricket in the new facility, that's pretty good value at £7 odd per day if the LR ends up being quality.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
He's got a long way to pull himself back into contention as our wicket taking spinner with Karthik (does it have an 'h'?) in the frame for next year.
I'd also like to see it but I personally wanted to see it two years ago and he seemed to put his career in reverse.
I suppose time will tell and I'll happily eat these words by September if he has 30+ wickets in his bag.
Much will depend on the new captain's thoughts re. selection of course, along with those of Head Coach, Andy Hurry.
Sadly, I do have some apprehension about the future of Michael Munday with Somerset.
In my opinion, he will be more likely to take County Championship wickets than his erstwhile colleague, Max Waller.
Indications at the end of the season suggested a crisis of confidence and a possible belief that the game wasn't for him. But he has stayed and hopefully will not be satisfied with just making up the second team numbers so we'll see a newly invigorated MM in 2010
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
We can only hope that playing with Kartik and the pitch changes give him confidence although I can't see them playing in the same team.
Taunton is not an easy ground for spinners where even a mishit can clear the boundary and this can't help.
Though Waller has better control, we're yet to see him really take wickets as Munday has in the past.
Not good enough I'm afraid although he has had limited opportunities to show anything else.
Now is that because a lack of faith in his consistency?
A lack of personal confidence in his own ability?
A lack of real ability above the second team level?
His face not fitting in the last regime?
It's gonna be a big job for him to re-surface and that will prove he has the will AND the ability and could be the making of the man.
Or it will be...bye Michael
He also needs to wrk on his other "arrows" batting and fielding...he was seen as a one trick pony in his previous incarnation and Max has ability in the field and as a solid tail end batsman.