I think that this was one of those games where they had two quality overseas players and we had one.
We made a decent score and we bowled reasonably well, with only Jon Clare and Steffan Jones taking punishment, but the end of it all was another defeat. Two points behind fourth place with a game in hand means we still have a chance to progress, but only if we start turning a few of these close finishes our way.
Solid batting tonight without anyone really cutting loose, but MacDonald and Razzaq were always going to be key wickets and they scored the runs that mattered before Taylor's late flourish.
I'm sure some will again suggest that we should have signed a second overseas player to level the playing field, but it wasn't for the lack of trying. Realistically, such a player would have taken the place of Whiteley or Knight and neither lad let us down tonight.
Peakfan, I agree with you. When Chris Grant came out and said that we didn't need a second overseas player for the 20/20 I thought he was wrong. After tonight I know he was wrong. McDonald and Razaq were the difference. I am affraid sometimes you have got to speclate to accumulate!
ReplyDeleteWhen I heard that Chris Grant was coming an board I thought great as I thought that this was someone who would be putting some money in for the Head of Cricket to spend on the squad. It seems to have backfired somewhat as he does not put any money in yet wants to make all the decisions both on and off the field which is not what we are looking for surely?
First comment for a couple of weeks after an intense period at work, but I've been reading the increasingly frustrated comments about our T20 progress.
ReplyDeleteI really don't know why so many are so disappointed not to be doing better. I asked before it started whether we thought our batters could score 190 every match, because they were going to have to for us to prosper, given the weakness of our bowling. I think the point has been proven in the last few weeks that it doesn't matter how well our batting does, we don't have the bowling to defend it.
Neither Jones or Clare were would be in my first choice team at their best, and they've both been well below that here. Although Groenewald was brought in primarily as a one day player, he's never really delivered in this form whatever his value elsewhere. The rest of our pace bowling, quite rightly - apart from Palladino - are being counted out of this competition. I would have thought that Palladino would be worth a try if he's fit, as he doesn't have the worst record with Essex.
We know that whatever pace attack we put out will go for 9 or 10 per over at best. Given the relative success of the spinners, I can't see we'd do worse replacing Clare with Needham, replacing Jones with Palladino, and giving Park - who has bowled well in previous years - overs when Groenewald is expensive.
Certainly, we need to do something with the bowling, because only our batting has been keeping us remotely afloat in games, and the signs are that their confidence is starting to drain in the knowledge that whatever they do, the bowling will throw it away. It was interesting that most of the criticism after Worcestershire was about the batting and some of it does sound dire. Actually, what really lost us the game was the first over.
And before anyone starts on the "It wouldn't have happened in Morris' day" actually, it did, and it's the bowling attack he put in place that is doing it.
Anon, the bottom line is that top cricketers dont want to come to play T20 as they get paid massive amounts for IPL.
ReplyDeleteIf Chris Grant paid £5K a match to someone - say, £80K for 16 matches - that is a fraction of what they can earn in IPL. Top players in that earn £30K-plus a game! How can we compete and why would anyone expect us to?
Gayle, Kallis, de Villiers command around £50K a game in IPL...
Peakfan, if Leicester can afford a couple of decent overseas players for the 20/20 then why can't we?
ReplyDeleteAfter 'poor' home defeats against Worcester and Leicester no one is going to watch the rest of our 20/20 home games now and this will hit us in the pocket!
We have got a decent 20/20 side but were desperate for another bowler and the lack of investment in this area will cost us. With a decent bowler in we could have qualified and have big crowds at the County Ground and a very lucrative quarter-final. This lack of ambition will see some of our 'better' players leave I'm affraid.
Spot on anon.
ReplyDeletestop sitting on the fence peakfan and making up silly excusers up all the time.
jim.
I give up. Another match that could have been won,but no. Once again we contrive to throw it away.
ReplyDelete160 is now only an average score in this form of cricket.Defendable but nothing to write home about. The 20-30 runs we missed out on assisted in our downfall. We simply didn,t hit enough boudaries. A total of 17 is not high enough. For those who love their averages,it,s less than one per over. A target of 100 runs in boundaries is what we should be aiming for.
Guptill excepted,nobody capitalised having got in and got a start.Madsen was particularly guilty. One boundary in 28 deliveries. Not good enough fellas. Others too could have done more. Park and Whiteley did their best, but it was earlier in our innings where we really missed out.
Then we come to the bowling. If you care to look back at the team i selected (on the Worcester inquest)you will note that neither Jones nor Clare were in my eleven. So im not talking from hindsight here. Those two cost us the game.
If you can,t rely on your senior bowler to produce something half decent in the penultimate over,then what chance do we stand?. It was a dreadful over from start to finish and handed the match to Leicester on a plate. How on earth can Jones say anything to anyone on the coaching front after that showing?. One of the obvious problems of having players coaching,which i have mentioned before.
Clare was an out and out disaster,nothing else to add. Why did,nt Durston bowl?. Dont they realise that slow bowling is the answer in this competition?. Maybe it,s me they really need as head of cricket. My team would have come a damn sight closer to winning than the one we put out,batting order included. It,s very disappointing and highlights once again the deficiencies of this team and the person who put it together.
Well done to young Knight again. Maybe he should be coaching Clare and Jones.
Good comments Marc. I was puzzled at the absence of Durston and can only assume he had an injury. I'd also be inclined to give Clare a breather and bring in Palladino.
ReplyDeleteIf Steff does leave, we need to give others greater opportunity too. Death bowling is very difficult and everyone gets it wrong on occasion, even the best. Remember Langers last year at Edgbaston? Umar Gul and Dirk Nannes have had their bad days too.
I know it,s not easy peakfan but once again it,s the basics of bowling that are lacking here. A bit of common sense as we keep on saying and in Jones,with all his experience,you would expect much better. Not a ball pitched as i recall. Leicester might have won anyway but at least we could have made them fight for it. If Durston was injured he didn,t do it batting and short of a broken arm,im sure he could have trundled through his dobbers. Park could have bowled aswell. We must bowl spinners. Taking the pace off the ball is an obvious and sensible thing to do. Fair enough,they may get carted,but so far the slow bowlers have proved far more successful than the seamers.
ReplyDeleteCan't argue on that mate!
ReplyDeleteso if we can all see it why cant sutton? Perhaps he should be rested?
ReplyDeleteAs a captain you have to rely on players doing the job they get picked for and paid to do. In supporting Sutton and Krikken i think they need to look at the batting order and choice of bowlers,both in terms of selection and how they are utilised. Sooner or later,young Knight is going to get clobbered. Its bound to happen eventually,the same with Hughes. We need as many slow bowling options as possible. Hopefully, Smith will soon be fit to play again. Obviously LS and KK see things differently to me.
ReplyDeleteI presume due to his relationship with us, we could easily have signed Charl Langafeld, who has just signed for Kent part of the way through the competition. However if we dont have any money to pay good players we have no chance whatsoever of achieving anything in any competitions over the next few years, because the local "talent" isnt good enough on their own without an injection of higher class from outside. Although we can still qualify for t20 qf it is highy unlikely as we are now rock bottom of the group.
ReplyDeletei think we have the second worst record in 20/20 in England,If Peter Gadsby wanted to invest in our team, why not pay for a overseas player? instead of his silly incentive that will not cost him a penny.
ReplyDeletefor the cheap publicity.if he cared about the club a low key, no strings donation would have been of more help & gained him more respect as most i know see this for what it is. I would love to see a clean sweep for the lads (not likely but we can dream) and see if he would be as happy as he said he would be to pay out.I know he does his bit for us but i do think this is tacky. Brewbeard.
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