The Dragons again
Peter Promoted
By Grockle
September 4 2010
With Craig away on England duty and Zander playing his last game before the Champions League Peter Trego has the opportunity to push his case for a lower batting number as he opens against a scratch Glamorgan side (Championship game next week). We have won the toss and elected to bat in a low key affair at a 50% full Taunton. A good score will probably confirm the home semi whatever happens.
v Glamorgan CB40 @ Taunton Saturday 4 September 2010
Glamorgan rest half their team for a Championship game. No Cosgrove, no James, no Harris and no Ashling from the side in the programme and that didn’t include all their best players. We have decided NOT to play Max Waller and have brought in Mark Turner at number 11 with Lewis Gregory at 12th man.
The team is;
Trescothick, Suppiah, Compton, de Bruyn, Hildreth, Buttler, Trego, Phillips, Thomas, Kartik and TurnerThe position is that if we win today the home semi final next Saturday is confirmed – the draw will be after the game today. If we lose then it depends on Warwickshire’s run rate which is quite a distance behind ours but could overtake. Somerset have won the toss and have elected to bat. The change of number 11 from Max to Mark may have something to do with the perceived weakness of what the Glamorgan press reps are calling their ‘second eleven’.
With the absence of Kieswetter the opening pair is Trescothick and, getting his wish, Peter Trego. Harrison will open the bowling from the Old Pavilion for the Dragons in front of quite a sparse crowd with obvious gaps in the green seating areas except for the Trescothick Stand which continues to be a very popular place to watch. The Somerset stand is 80% empty but the members areas are pretty full.
Marcus is circumspect with the first delivery but sends two of the others in the first over to the boundary. Opening from the River is Alex (not Aled) Jones a lefty debutant he goes for 7 including a delightful Trego drive to the scoreboard. During Harrisons’s second he shows what he can do with sublime cover drives off consecutive balls to either side of the bowler followed by a deft glance off his hips to bring up 30 by the end of the third. A famous Welshman in the box suggests 400 is on.
By the 5th the score is 48 and Glamorgan bring on Will Owen at the River to try and stem the tide. He takes out Trescothick to a low catch off a full blown drive with his first ball and Nick Compton strides out at 48 for 1. Banger made 25. Pete has his chance to show he can craft an innings from the front and shows he may be up to it with a pull for four to bring up the Somerset 50.
The rate does get pulled back as the new pair get their bearings but unfortunately it doesn’t get the chance to rise again as Compton drives Owen and gets a feather and is caught behind for 6 at 62 at the end of the 8th. It still isn’t quite there for him. Zander is the next man in. Harrison is taken off after 8 and Jones changes ends to come back on at the OP.
In the eleventh Trigger hits a miximum into the Caddick while in the twelfth Zander starts his Champion League training early by flaying the ball twice to the Colin Atkinson in successive balls. We start the eleventh on 78 and finish the twelfth on 100 exactly. Allenby starts his afternoon’s work with the ball in over 13. It heralds PT’s 50 at 105 with a six and 9 fours in the 27 ball onslaught. Zander has also brought his shot bag today and isn’t just playing the role of “strike controller”. He is also hitting big shots over the top but it is the captain from Thursday who does look in great touch and as someone says this is his chance for a big score to justify those comments about wanting to move up the one day and four day order.
After 15 the home side have moved to 121 with a plus 300 score on the cards but Zander’s time is up as Dean Cosker is introduced and he has him caught at long off by Maynard for 33 123 for 3. Enter James Hildreth who is immediately off the mark with a single. It is still Trigger though who is pushing it along with another huge maximum into the car park behind the main scoreboard.
It is 143 after 20 with the one criticism being, once again, the running between wickets which is appalling - we survive two run out chances both of which are created by confusion between the batsmen rather than good Welsh fielding. James begins helping Trigger milk the bowling for runs but he also starts to push it along as we move towards the 25th over and his partner moves towards 3 figures. Somerset have 179 by 25 and the 300+ score still looks most definitely 'on'.
The standing ovation comes as Trigger strokes the ball for 2 to bring up an excellent hundred off 69 balls with 3 sixes and 13 fours. This is an innings full of real quality big hitting off anything loose and some really brilliant technical strokes which cut the field and the field positioning to shreds.
It also heralds the introduction of Glamorgan's sixth bowler - sources say is a wicketkeeper!! Bragg comes on and watches his first ball go for a big one bounce six to Cow Corner. 200 arrives a little later with the first ball of the 28th. There is a scare in the 29th when Trigger goes for another maximum in the usual place and is nearly caught one handed by Rees. He got his hand on it but it was a heavy hit ball. Instead of Glamorgan joy the Trego show goes on as he moves to 120.
Maynard is introduced at the River with the end of Cosker's spell. Two wides later he gets away with one (the umpire being nice I do believe) and manages a legal ball. To say Glamorgan are scraping the barrell for a bowling attack in this game is an understatement. But that should not take away from the quality of PT's batting display.
The 8 ball over ends (and there were a couple of the legal ones that were dubious) with the hundred partnership between Trego and Hildreth and we take the batting power play with 10 overs to go and 223 on the board. Harrison is back at the OP and as the main strike bowler he shows the weakenss of the line-up as he is driven and cut by the Somerset number 7 before being deposited through the gap between the OP and the Cowshed for six. The Welshman seems absolutely demoralised as the final ball goes for a single and Somerset move on by 20 runs - A six and 2 fours a three and a single.
But he who lives by the sword...Pete tries an adventurous lob over Wright behind the keeper and dies for a one day career best 147 - excellent performance despite the weakness of the opposition attack - 89 balls 5 sixes and 19 fours - a good batsman destroys poor bowling and we have had a lesson in how to do that this afternoon from a good batsman!!
He is replaced by another as Jos Buttler is sent in to finish the innings. By the 35th we have 289 and they re-introduce Tom Maynard! Jos already has 25 by this time and he moves to 35 off TM's first 3 deliveries (all legitimate). Ball 4 takes us over 300 and the young Somerset batsman into the 40's. He comes around the wicket and the ball goes to the boundary to take JB to 49. Maynard goes for 24. Harrison takes the 37th and his second ball takes Buttler to 50 off 18 balls (3 sixes and 6 fours). He is immediately caught trying for another off a NO BALL. Harrison must be over the moon as he gets a word from the umpire. But the pain keeps on coming as he is placed into the Ondaatje by the same man. 327 with 3 overs to go and Owen back at the River end.
Buttler moves to 63 with the first going for four (though a six was what was attempted). Every ball now is met with a boundary directed shot. On triple 'nelson' the 19 year old sends the ball skyward into the Trescothick as we zero in on the highest one day score here of 345. Before that however a significant supporting position with James going to a 54 ball half ton with only 3 fours. Then Buttler smacks us into the record books with a six to bring up 348 (the highest score here in 40 over cricket)and then the 350 halfway through the 39th. Buttler's 100 is on as he belts another 6 into the car park and he's on 88 with 6 balls to go but he is off strike. 360!!!
Hildreth takes the single. Anticipation abounds but he bottom edges his first and takes a single. Hildreth tries but misses and they have a dot. He snicks the next for four. A single brings Buttler on strike for the ultimate ball and a yorker is squirted out for a final total of 368 where our 19 year old has hit 7 sixes and 8 fours in a score of 90 off 33 BALLS - awesome or what?
Joke bowling has to be hit and both Jos and Peter have murdered it today.
The Reply
Well it doesn't get off to the best start when Rees was skittled after three balls by the mighty Thommo! It got very little better as the fielding kept the Glams in their creases and a frustrated Allenby tried to hit his way out and failed because Hildreth caught the ball from Phillips that he tried to pass himj with and Glamorgan slumped to 14 for 2 in the 4th.
Mark Turner took the ball form the OP for the 7th and kept the pressure on which made for the short ball pull from Brown in the 8th a predictable shot - caught by Thomas and the decline and fall of the Welsh continues with 28 for 3 and Maynard at the crease to join Bragg.
The tenth over brings the next bit of glory as Bragg smacks one into the air and Trigger calls for the ball and takes a really excellent diving catch off Ben Phillips to send the batsmen back to the showers!! 41 for 3 introduces Wright to the Welsh nightmare. The 10 over point arrives with Glamorgan 108 behind the D/L at 44 for 4. Turner is bowling a fuller length more consistently. At which point he doesn't and Maynard flays him to the Somerset stand boundary for 4. Nevertheless and economy rate of 4.5 is much more acceptable for the Somerset (still?) man.
Wright takes his county (country?) past one land mark in a 40 over game as he takes four off the first ball of Phillips to bring up the 50. Unfortunately all Tim Maynard can do is pop the ball up into Marcus Trescothick's bucket hands a couple of balls later to give Ben another one (4 for 31 off 5.4 overs) and take his side to 53 for 5 and in danger of not reaching 3 figures. Wallace is soon out there watching Wright getting the 'Welcome to Taunton' short ball bouncer from Marky who finishes his fourth over with a decreasing economy rate putting the pressure onto the bat.
Murali Kartik starts with the 14th and bowls a maiden first up, again notching up the pressure - though really the Dragons can only possibly be playing for the pride of surviving the 40 overs as they are nearly 150 behind the asking rate and scoring at a rate well below 4 an over. To try and get something, Wallace tries sweeping Mr K and loses his stump to the meastro who stands in the middle of the pitch and shrugs. 61 for 6 in the 16th. The heaviest defeat beckons unless someone stands up and makes something of this.
Zander is introduced for the 17th but Owen waits until the 18th to commit suicide by flipping one out to mid off for the easiest of catches for Hildreth 71 for 7. Jones the debutant comes in and in the 21st is bamboozled by the famous "de Bruyn bouncer" into a rash top edge that loops to Trego and it is 95 for 8. Harrison strides out with something to prove after a drubbing with the ball. Zander no balls for the second time and the free hit is totalled by Wright onto the roof of the Ondaatje so at least he is looking to make some kind of game of it with 33 to his name. However in the 23rd, after seeing his side past 3 figures he is comprehensively bowled by the South African to bring in Cosker and the death knell of this game for the sadly understrength men from across the Channel. It has been embarrasing. Heaven knows what the BBC Wales commentary team are talking about because there is little positive Welsh cricket going on out there!!
Harrison tries to drive Kartik and is stumped at 119 to lose the game by 249 runs. Ben Phillips ends with 4 for 31 while Kartik took 2 as did Zander while Alf was only needed for 3 overs and took the other. Mark Turner 5 overs for 17 - can't argue with that.
Not the greatest opposition but it seems the largest winning margin in a 40 over game for us. Tickets are already on sale for the semi and will be tomorrow SUNDAY as well.
Who do we play? Well the draw is waiting for the end of other games Warwickshire? Essex? Gloucestershire looks highly doubtful unfortunately but we will have to wait and see.
You can only beat what is put in front of you and we've done that emphatically today. Now we have to turn up and do it to much stiffer opposition in 7 days time. Whoever it is - send 'em packing gentlemen and give me a day out in London in a fortnight's time celebrating a really excellent season from almost all perspectives. Well done for the one day campaign up until now. PLEASE turn up next week. It would be a travesty NOT to be at Lords on the 18th because we are the best one day unit in the country.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:09:08:16:40:38 by Grockle.
They add youngsters Alex Jones and Chris Cooke to a 13-man squad:
Allenby, Bragg, Brown, Maynard, Wright, Rees, Cooke, Wallace, Cosker, Owen, Ashling, Harrison and Jones.
Glamorgan's young, fresh and energetic team play out of their skins and put 300 on the board. Somerset have a bad day at the office and are skittled for 100.
Meanwhile , in the sudden death playoff in Group C, Warwickshire post 280 and Notts can only muster 210.
The net result?
Somerset (NRR 0.48) and Warks (NRR 0.44) are on 18 points but Somerset qualify as the second best-placed home team and are awarded a home tie with superior run rate.
Any suggestions as to which 5 we should be resting tomorrow?
COACH
And play our strongest possible teams in the remaining matches (unless the CC is decided before the last one).
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Cant see any others being in contention realistically, guessing Turner more likely than Max if he's fit
Tres won the toss, Somerset batting.
What a week it's been for him, after captaining Somerset in the Pakistan match.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
This may not be the greatest bowling attack, but the measure of the man is that he has taken the opportunity presented to him in advancing his claim to bat regularly higher up the batting order.
LoL is of course right - a Somerset hero. PT that is, not LoL.
Although the latter is as well, I'm sure.
147 - a maximum.
Excellent play from PT. He was out trying to be inventive and lob the fielder so it was a bit of a damp squib of an ending but still brilliant to watch.
He is going to Australia anyway should nothing else come up so he'll be about the continent if England should need someone to call on!!
I see that Notts got slaughtered at Durham, too.
Does that put us back in with an outside shout?
Trust you are enjoying your time in non-Spanish Spain'
Outside chance, but we shall not give up hope till all hope is gone.
I'd like to see Jos go up a spot or two, but he's just so good at this role I'd also like him to stay where he is.
I don't think we should over-play the weakened attack angle; Are not Harrison, Cosker and Allenby all first choice bowlers?
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Could he be the fastest gun in the west?
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Also, Cricinfo has evidently gone wrong - it claims that JB has scored 88 not out from 31 balls.
Just send him and PT and JH to Cardiff tomorrow and leave some of these over-paid pampered ones out.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Astonishing !
Must have been pretty good to watch. You lucky people !!!
Grizzzly
Whether I can forgive you for not identifying me as a true Somerset hero in the same bracket as Trego is, however, questionable. I'd ask you to report to my study after play, if you were not already there in your capacity as headmaster.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
No doubt in my mind except for an unfortunate miss by JH in the last over we would have witnessed a 35 ball ton from JB today. He was up for it in a big way.
Cosker bowled very well. Harrison just lost his way against a tide he could do little about because of what was happening elsewhere. With their tails up that high I don't really know what he could have done to stem it.
I shall stand no nonsense, rest assured.
Leave hime alone!
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
As I type Trego has taken a great diving catch coming off the boundary 41 for 3. Bye bye Bragg.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
- Highest ever innings score for SCCC in a 40 over match.
- Most runs conceded by a Glamorgan bowler in a 40 over match.(Harrison 8-0-100-0, which I suspect may haunt him for the rest of his career !)
Also, assuming we roll over the last few wickets, possibly:
-Greatest ever (runs) defeat for Glamorgan in a 40 over Match.
- Highest ever margin of victory, in a 40 over match, if we win by more than 220 runs, which looks eminently likely.
One to remember for all concerned.
Grizzzly
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
They were pretty disgusted by Glamorgan's efforts and lack of pride, as no doubt I should have been were I one of their supporters.
old boy!
Let's make the most of him next season, I wouldn't be surprised if he's playing for England by the end of it.
Glam's bowling as other have said wasn't very good but we did indeed marmalise them! Jos' effort was the icing on a very tasty cake.
Glam knew they were on a hiding to nothing and batted loke a side who knew that. Big Ben took 4 good wickets but seemed to be suffering witha neck prob. Alfonso was...Alfonso. Kartik was mysterious. Turner was quick and to my eyes less loose than usual.
Can I get a refund on my car park ticket perchance...??!
The draw was live on Sky.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:09:04:19:10:29 by SheptonPaul.
On the other site Alfonso says that it's always been his dream to play in a Lord's final, and that 'that's where all the Somerset team want to be on September 18th'. All but one, it seems.
This was written in in the event that the Lions qualified for the Champions League. He has the choice because we gave it to him and if we want to quibble about it we ought to have done it when the contract was signed and not now the choice has been made.
Maybe its the fact that he has contributed to us getting there and the form of the people in the squad that made the decision easy for him - we have more than adequate backup. If we were in but struggling maybe he would have made a different decision - who knows.
Selfless and brilliant work.
Thought game as a contest was a total non event, we were so superior to them in every department is was untrue.
Harrison 8-0-100-0 has to be the worst bowling i have ever seen at HQ, their fielding was very poor too.
Their first eleven arent as good as ours let alone a botched combination of several fringe, squad players.
Has Tom Maynard ever bowled before ever, to bowl 2 consecutive off side wides off 2 paces is tough to do surely?!
Hopefully a similar outcome next Saturday at HQ v Essex, then we can all head up the M4 to claim our trophy at Lords!!!
I think Mr Rose saying that Craig will cover Zander's batting is somewhat spurious as the two men neither bat in a similar position in the order, nor bat in a similar style.
I'm sure Zander's sensible and measured one day batting will be missed. I'm afraid his absence will also mean yet another run out for Compton in the CC, though, whereas I would rather see a youngster like Meschede given a chance.
James Hildreth has shown he can do the same job.
Compton may play but he DOES NOT have to play in that 3 or 4 slot and really shouldn't. Bring Arul down and put Compo in the "hold the tail together" role. We've nearly all said before that Arul is wasted at number 7 or 8.
Expect Craig to go back to open so does that mean Tregs back down to 6 below Comps, Hildy and Jos, or maybe Tregs at 3, Comps 4 then Hildy and Jos can stay at 5, 6.
For Tues Jos will come back in for Zander so maybe Jos at 4, Hildy 5, Craig 6???
It was a privilege being there and watching it, I think one of Jos’s sixes went into one of the boxes.
Photos can only show a part of what happened. I hope I can help those who couldn’t be there.
B Wright bowled by Zander De Bruyn
D Harrison, Jos was hoping his would lift his foot.
Good fielding especially catching, on the left is Arul Suppiah taking a catch to dismiss D Brown and on the right Peter Trego also taking a catch to dismiss W Bragg both off Phillips bowling.
Hildreth took two catches this to dismiss J Allenby also off Phillips
Everybody standing and clapping when Jos left the field at the end of the innings.
James Hildreth was so keen to give PT the strike he almost run himself out when a shout of no made his go back.
Kartik keeping up the pressure at the other end bowling M Wallace.
Glamorgan were smiling watching Peter Trego walking off, but the smile disappeared when they watched Jos Buttler entering the arena.
A six from Jos Buttler.
When I saw their reaction Grockle I thought the ball had gone inside, they did seem amused.
Must've been hard to select just a few today ...
VtF.
I would not be surprised if he has the best strike rate of all players in the land in one day cricket this year. I'd guess it would be 130+?
I'm hard pressed to remember a more dramatic entrance by a player into one day cricket?
You can bet your life that when Essex sit down to make their plans for next Saturday, Buttler will be one of the first names mentioned.
old boy!
Before this match I said I'd like to see Arul have compo's spot, I think now I'd like that, and have Arul and Pete 3 and 4, possibly changing round based on how early wickets fall.
Newspapers publish what people want to read.
Can I tempt you to put up some of the photos you mention of PT on reaching his century?
Would love to see 1 or 2 of the PT pictures, Mike.
This photo speaks for it’s self.
I don’t know if you can see the expression on Pete’s face, I am not sure if he is smiling or crying.
Is he happy or is he Happy, bo must be a proud brother.
Another little cameo....was sat near the Family area for our innings and Pete's wife was sat in that area with their two boys. As Pete got to late 90's she was getting more and more tense and biting her nails. Bute she too was highly delighted when Pete got the three figures!
Well done PT & smashing photo's Mike.
Glad the security team let you in with your camera. (They would have a lot of Grocklees to aswer to otherwise !).
Grizzzly
For me this is going the biggest couple weeks of Pete's career. Two matching winning displays to follow yesterday's and he may achieve the dream of representing England.
Awful shot.
plus the dropped catch.
Bah.
Trego is twice the player.
Having said that, Craig enjoyed phenomenal luck at the start of his England career, in the form of dropped catches, so I suppose we cannot complain too much about it.
Wrigtht's was an execrable shot. Everyone knows that the thing about Afridi is that he is very much a wicket-to-wicket bowler, so that was an outrageous and stupid risk for Wright to take, before playing himself in. Try using a straight bat, LUke, for heaven's sake.
When or if Pete gets a run in the England squad i just hope they invest the same ammount of time in him as they have with Luke Wright,who now as far as i am concerened offers no more than what Pet does at this moment in time.
I would have a guess that Wright has not bowled a ball in anger for a couple of weeks now and is batting at 6/7 for England where Pete has pulled his socks up regards the bowling and we all know he hits it better than Wright!!
We have the league dinner and Geoff Miller is the guest speaker,i think i will have a word with him that night!!!
COACH
Wright, by contrast, seems to be a by-the-numbers slogger who has a "good eye," but not a whole lot else going for him with the bat. Wright is seldom trusted to do much bowling, or so it seems.
His shot yestrday was "thick cricket," not only because it was an inappropriate shot to play so early in the innings vs that bowler, but because it also ignored the match situation - one which clearly called for sensible batting of the like which was shortly to be provided by his County Captain, Mike Yardy. Yardy is an enormously astute and admirable cricketer.
If England needed nine an over when Wright had gone in, then one could understand showing such aggression so early (even if one would have preferred a differnt type of shot to be employed), as it was this made no sense.
There was an international England game at Old Trafford earlier this season where England barely scraped home in the end and Wright played a completely ridiculous shot in that game, too, which helped to land England in the brown stuff. I sometimes play for a pub team called the Railway Tavern and the erstwhile captain of that team texted me to say that Wright "Showed all the composure and cricketing accumen of a Taverner with that shot."
I'm afraid that Wright is an example of managment theory gone mad - the idea that if someone is a really good egg and a really good guy to have around the team, then this should be considered to be MORE significant than the results that he generates.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
a) The impression that he has frequent, long barren spells is a false one, perhaps created in the mind because he often looks ridiculously out of touch.
or
b) When the force is with him he takes full toll of it, making absolutley sure to make good scores, rather than cameo 30s and 40s.
I don't know how much of a "good egg," Colly is perceived to be. I do think that his reputation for mental toughness means that they are loath to drop him. Again, though, I wonder if part of his reputation for being such a tough battler has come about because he often seems to be fighting his own 'form demons'??
League Dinner?
When?
Geoff Miller?
Pete's mate?
Could be enlightening?
old boy!
Then suddenly the policy changes - and we are winning the Ashes; other Test series; six T20 internationals in a row; and we are actually World champions at one form of the game.
So what happens? The cry moves from stop `chopping and changing` to `start dropping`.
Drop Wright, drop Colly, drop Pietersen (actually comes to pass), drop Craig, drop Bresnan, drop Cook from the Test team.
So back to the `good old` bad old days, then. Why not?
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
England`s renaissance surely shows it is a good thing `in practice` also.
Viz: Somerset this season.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
And if Strauss hadn't been left out of a touring party two or three years ago, he might not be captain now.
There is a happy medium between the constant chopping and changing of the past and, on the other hand, picking the same side for match after match, with no apparent regard to the form of those in the team or those vying for a place.
In my view, the pendulum (at least, so far as the England test team is concerned) has swung a bit too far in the direction of continuity for continuity's sake.
Quite so.
Moreover, CJM would also find that Ian Bell has said that being dropped was, with hindsight, exactly what Bell needed to get him to really push on and improve as a batsman. He didn't say it at the time at which he was dropped, as a platitude to please the selectors, he said it after he had regained his place.
I personally detest the Central Contract system and, so far as all cricketers save for fast bowlers are concerned, I cannot really divine a cricketing logic in it.
To me, the Central Contract system breeds complacency and a cosy type of atmosphere in which a player (batsmen, especially, probably feels entitled to a place, by dint of his contract.)
So far as SCCC's settled team is concerned, my question would be this;
How many people in our (very) settled CC team are frequently failing to make any meaningful contribution to the CC games that we play? There are certainly plenty in the England Test Team (batsmen, I mean) who did little or nothing in the series vs Pakistan.
Indeed, Vic Marks wrote at the weekend about the differnce between spot fixing and match fixing, or throwing a whole match. In some sections of the media, the two seem to be somewhat confused. If the idea that Pakistan were not really trying to win the Tests is actually true (which I doubt) then things look even more serious for our batsmen! Pakistan's catching was certainly inept and one has to say that against any kind of competent fielding side, the records of messrs Strauss, Pietersen, Collingwood and Morgan would surely have been far worse than they actually were in that series.
I don't agree with constantly picking different players in your team for every game. But I do agree with SELECTING a team for each game. I don't think England do very much SELECTING of a team for each Test anymore. They SELECT the team at the start of the year, when the central contracts are then given out and then, if you get such a contract, you pretty much seem to be guaranteed your Test place, come hell or high water.
I would like to see a move away from the concept of "dropping" or "being dropped", so beloved of the simplistic media. I've long said that cricket (actually like football) is a squad game, and here I think central contracts is a decent model. Select 16 or so to last a period of time (a series, a tour, a tournament, as appropriate) but also recognise that players go in and out of form, need rests, get injured, are / are not suitable for different pitches and so on.
Then pick the best XI for the conditions / game, according to need, form, fitness and so on - without having to go through the 'ENGLAND DROP (insert name here)' scenario time after time.
For what it's worth, I think Cook's and KP's time back in county cricket for a few weeks will do them both good; I'd stick with Colly but ditch Wright.
This discussion started with a mention of "chopping and changing", but my standpoint remains that dropping (or whatever euphemism we use) a player because of continued failure to contribute is not the same thing at all.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Lancashire are practising I hasten to add in the indoor school nets.
The pitch for tomorrows (if we are lucky) match is on the east side of the square; as far as I can remember that’s the first time this season.
As for central contracts being the bete noire, then just about every major playing country in the world must have got it wrong.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:09:06:17:02:40 by Loyal of Lhasa..
Like others who have commented, I have nothing against Wright personally. My own view, however, is that he is unlikely to have a successful international career because, as a batsman, he tends to club the ball baseball-style, rather than stroking it and, as a bowler, he neither does enough with the ball (in the air or off the pitch) nor is sufficiently accurate.
But what message does continually picking L J Wright give to all those players - like Pete Trego - that are on the outside looking in?
Surely these things MUST MUST MUST be based on merit? I tend to think that players that get newly picked for the International side should be dominant players on the County circuit. Of course, there's a place for a hunch - such as Duncan Fletcher's hunch on Banger, in intial selection as well. However, continued international selection should, surely, be based on actual performances in the international side?
I think the problem is that once you have guaranteed to pay a batsman x or y sum of money as basic pay, you are then loath to replace him since same would mean, effectively, paying someone to NOT play for you.
I think that's the problem with Central Contracts. Yes, lots of other countries use them. But the fact that lots of other countries use them gives the lie, in my view, to the notion that we have improved BECAUSE of central contracts.
It's possible - with sufficient will-power - to hold the course in selection matters, so as not to have constant chop and change - without having to bind yourself into a situation where you pick a group of players and undertake to pay them, come hell or high water.
You are so right.
I have been blogging about scrapping central contracts since the day they were introduced. My alternative is very simple - reducing appearance to a nominal amount BUT rewarding winning with very generous bonuses, for both players AND selectors!. That will, first of all, concentrate the minds of the selectors, and secondly ensure that EVERY player will be (not literally) fighting to do well.
old boy!
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Perhaps not - but has Wright EVER been dominant at County level - in any season? My answer would be no. And not even close. I cannot understand why he was promoted in the first place, let alone how he has kept his place for all this time.
Of course, one also has to say that there is no law that says that the England side has to have an all-rounder in it, anyway. Since Wright's bowling is largely ignored then one could say that he is only there as a so-called batsman anyway.
If they did then an ex-Gloucestershire captain and a player with a similar name to our present director of cricket would be known as seasoned and multi-capped internationals like their well known colleagues Mr Pringle and Mr Mullally
But you've lost me with your reference,Grockle?
That makes more sense than my having completely forgotten the existence of an ex-Gloucestershire captain that was an all-rounder and good and had a name like Rose.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
And he of yours.
Oh, bother. That means SP was right all along.