Comings and goings

The very title reminds me of one of my favourite cricket stories, from a few years back, when West Indian supporters threatened to boycott a Test match due to the fact that the Barbadian quick bowler Anderson Cummins had been omitted from the side at Bridgetown with Kenny Benjamin playing instead.

"No Cummins, no goings" said the banners. Priceless and inspired...

Anyway, there's been a few of them today, with Steve Adshead leaving Gloucestershire, as has been expected for some time. Destination Worcester, no doubt.
Elsewhere, Scott Newman has left Surrey, as was widely expected, to join Middlesex, as I reported a week or so back that he would. Meanwhile, what must be a revolving door at Lords got greater use as Nick Compton left to join Somerset.

I have to say the latter surprised me. Firstly as I didn't know Compton was on the move (he had a year left on his contract) but secondly because I thought he'd be a focal point of a planned Middlesex revival. I don't see Newman as the same sort of reliable batsman and having lost Billy Godleman to Essex, Middlesex must be hoping that their England trio of Strauss, Shah and Morgan are available a little more next year. At this stage they look very weak in batting and their bowling isn't especially strong, Murtagh apart.

Meanwhile, Warwickshire have signed Imran Tahir, who seems to be on a crusade to play for every county before 2020. The leggie has already played for Hampshire, Middlesex and Yorkshire and the Brummies see him as someone to help Ant Botha bowl sides out at Edgbaston. Good luck with that one, mate...

Warwickshire are also set to announce the signing of Varun Chopra, who was apparently unsettled at Essex. Chopra will cover the expected loss of Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott to England and must be looking forward to boosting his average at the Birmingham featherbed.

Just in case anyone queries why we've not signed these guys, the answer is, of course, money. As well as making the world go round, it buys in players from other counties, even if they don't know they're unsettled. Somerset will have money to spare having released several players and with Justin Langer retired, while Warwickshire always have an edge financially. They always seem to have had since the 1970's, when they attracted the likes of Rohan Kanhai, Alvin Kallicharran and Deryck Murray to the club, as well as Bob "the Moan" Willis.

Anyway, that's pretty much that for tonight. Still no signing news from the County Ground, but it just means that we can look forward to it a little longer!