I would hope that both play and have an opportunity to showcase their obvious talents. With the pitch expected to turn, one of the seamers is likely to miss out. Blair Tickner plays his final match for the club, heading home to New Zealand afterwards.
My preferred team:
Jewell, Came, Guest, Madsen, Basra, Donald, Reece, Chappell, Hawkins, Tickner, Morley
Andersson, Aitchison also in the squad but the former's back spasms are a concern and we will need Ben for the One Day Cup.
Luke Procter returns after missing the last game, while Justin Broad is back after a wrist injury. The home squad:
Procter, Bartlett, Broad, Chahal, Guthrie, Keogh, McManus, Ramesh, Sales, Scrimshaw, Vasconcelos, Zaib
Yuzi Chahal will expect to be bowling at one end for much of the match, while Saif Zaib will want to build on his tally as the first man in division two to reach a thousand runs this summer. Caleb Jewell (916 runs) and Wayne Madsen (914) will hope to join him on that landmark during this game, while Harry Came needs 285 from his last eight innings to do so for Derbyshire.
Rain interruptions appear likely, with Thursday looking especially wet in the current forecast. The toss will be important, as neither side will want to bat last on a surface that normally turns at this stage of the summer.
Accordingly, I can't call a result, but the weather may take too much time out of the game and a draw could be the most likely scenario.
What do you think?
Assuming the pitch turns as forecast my only difference to your team Peakfan would be Aitchison for Tickner. Ben takes more wickets and whilst I’m sure Tickner is a good team man etc etc he simply does not take enough wickets as evidenced by a seasons best of 3-44. As you have said previously the overseas needs to be producing more than our own produced/signed players and Tickner doesn’t.
ReplyDeleteThat middle order also makes me twitchy so for this game only I’d promote Reece to three and leave Guest down the order as Reece is averaging 50 against Guest 34. Will increase Reece workload but same applies to Guest anyway.
Paul
It will be interesting to see what the batting line up will me as I can come up with a number of possible permutations.
ReplyDeleteHarry Came to open with Brooke Guest at 3 seems the obvious choice. But they could promote Luis Reece to opener or 3. Martin Andersson could possibly bat at 3. Amrit Basra has batted at 3 for the 2nd's or we could go full "Bazball" and promote Nye Donald up the order.
We're playing all the right batters, but not necessarily, in the right order! 😉
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DeleteI'm glad my suggestion of Basra's inclusion has been agreed with. Has to play.
ReplyDeleteIf we lose the toss I can't see anything other than a defeat, unless rain takes a large chunk out of the game. Even if we win the toss, I'm leaning towards a defeat.
ReplyDeleteIt would be good to see Hawkins and Basra getting a chance to impress. Assuming Morley plays, he will have to perform a lot better than against Leicestershire, where he had a shocker. I wouldn't be too surprised if this is the last we see of Tickner.
They have said he is returning to NZ after this game, Jasper. I would be surprised if he was back next year. We either aspire to better or use the money for some of the young lads on the staff
DeleteYes, that's what I mean, I don't think he will be coming back. Shame, nice guy but we need more, much more.
DeleteYes, you can't build a cricket team - or recruit the key overseas role - on nice guys. Blair seems a top bloke, but if no one better is available I would prefer to use the money on 2/3 lads at the top end of the academy
DeleteI’d rather see the funds we wasted on tickner being spent on our academy lads who show promise.
DeleteJames - Chesterfield
Totally agree with the comments so far. Be lovely to see some new players in the team. I also agree tickner should not play . He looked like he was already on the plane home in the last match. I’m a big fan of Morley but he did look dreadful in the Leicestershire game so this match will be quite a big one for him. Hopefully we will put up a better fight in this one and look far more purposeful in the field and not have 5 or 6 players waving their arms about and directing the field around every other ball as happened v Leicestershire. It looked like a village team who didn’t have a clue
ReplyDeleteAs an overseas, who get paid more than county players, Tickner hasn't been a match winner. A bit like Lakmal. I'd leave him out tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI hope Basra plays, as from what I've heard, he looks an exciting player.
Any news on Wagstaff? I think I would drop Tickner and Morley is lucky to keep his place after 2 pretty awful performances. Grant from Telford
ReplyDeleteNo news on him, Grant. Was never going to drop Tickner, though
Delete"Andersson, Aitchison also in the squad but the former's back spasms are a concern and we will need Ben for the One Day Cup."
ReplyDeleteIsn't the four-day competition more important than the One Day cup though? I've no idea if Ben is fit to play. But if he is - and if our best team includes him (which I think it does) - then surely the four day has to be a priority? At least while we still have a chance of promotion.
Important, yes. But do we really need FIVE seamers, Oliver? As a sage old pro once said, if you need that many seamers, the first three you picked were wrong...
DeleteYou have to feel sorry for Mitch Wagstaff. Both first choice spinners and opening bat injured meaning an opening in the side and he gets injured in a warm up game with Bedfordshire meaning he misses a game on what looks like a wicket that is going to turn.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking that too, David. He had a chance of a run in the side and this pitch would have suited him, I think. Unlucky
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