There were times last season when he looked a good bowler and he certainly would have had far better figures had our slip cordon (and surprisingly Brooke Guest) not put down a number of chances from his bowling. I am not sure if that was early season-itis, cold hands or unexpected nip, but the New Zealand international did create opportunities. He can't be down at the other end to 'cop' them as well.
Having said that, he ended his spell prematurely with only eight wickets at 61 runs each. With decent close fielding that average could have been down to mid thirties and would likely have improved further on later season pitches. He was lively and what was undeniable was that he enjoyed the experience and gave everything at a time when his wife's illness must have preyed on his mind. He seemed like a good bloke to have in the dressing room and to enjoy his stay. Certainly a smile was never far from his lips and that must have been a challenge, with everything going on in his life.
I would have changed things, but it is important to understand that sometimes the kind of player you want is in short supply or outside your price bracket. The county with one of the two smallest playing budgets in the country can only do so much. He's here for the season, too, which is always a preferred option. If we can pick up a T20 specialist, we can adopt a 'horses for courses' approach to the competition.
So Tickner returns, which I assume means his wife is progressing well. That in itself is excellent news and we can only hope that the Blair Tick Project 2 is a sequel better than the original.
Fingers crossed and let's hope he is in fine fettle when he returns.
And that we don't collectively have teflon hands, this time around...
Tickner's return is unlikely to excite many supporters. At least Caleb Jewell's 76 today was reassuring. He looked a very capable T20 opener. Playing in front of 30,000 spectators in a hot, humid Queensland will also be good preparation for Derby in early April.
ReplyDeleteMarcus Bean, the tall left-arm fast bowler who bowled impressively on debut against Khawaja, Labuschagne and other Test batsmen, might be a target for the club. He has Derbyshire connections.
I was unaware of a Derbyshire connection, has he pro-ed somewhere? He is probably a little raw for an overseas deal, for me, but is tall and lively. I wouldn't say no to Mitch Owen, who hits it a mile and is a handy bowler too...
DeleteGood signing in my opinion. Our fielding badly let him down last season or he'd have returned significantly improved numbers.
ReplyDeleteAs you say most importantly hopefully his wife is doing well enabling his return.
Yeah his record shows he takes wickets. We just need to support him better in the field. Which is where Jewell comes in, of course, as an excellent slip
ReplyDeleteHe should bring his coach - Glenn Pocknall - with him. Central Stags are flying high and he did a good job at Wellington. Been discussed on this forum before I believe!
ReplyDeleteWell I'm chuffed he's coming back. A grafter who will take wickets if backed up properly in the field.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back Blair!
Andy
I'm disappointed with these overseas signings, I can see absolutely no difference between next season and the last. Blair had personal issues which he needed to attend to and rightly so, hope his wife is recovering well. But he wasn't pulling any trees up before his return to NZ, surely we can do better?
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I can't see any other county falling over themselves to re-sign a bowler who took just 8 wickets at 61 each. I take the point that some chances off his bowling were missed and if his wife is responding to treatment that is good news. But CB is right - these 2 signings seem unlikely to bring us the success we crave.
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