Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

Two months or so to the start of the season and it seems we will have our captain available for the opening CC games as he isn't going to the IPL. Its kind of catch 22 in that if he gets a good start to the season he may well get an England test call up in an attempt to solve the dodgy upper order.

Not sure how many of the usual contributors will be back on this thread. Brendy is still around but Powelly hasn't visited for a while. We will certainly be down on expert local opinion if those two aren't around.

To be honest, I'm not sure Vince would have even been picked up had he entered the IPL auction. But certainly, a strong start to the county season and he'll have a chance of a test place. I wonder if, as captain, he might promote himself to no.3 this season to help aid his cause. It could also be a move which helps us, because potentially it could lead to Jimmy dropping down to no.4 (with Carberry and Dawson opening). Adams was pretty awful opening last season, but with Terry and Gatting both going and no batsman coming in, leaving Jimmy out of the Championship 11 isn't really an option. So maybe a shift in the order instead, away from the new ball?

Good luck to the Hanty's for the new season

Durhamfootman wrote:Good luck to the Hanty's for the new season

Thanks DFM, hoping for a much better start than last!

Best of luck to the Chester-le-streetarians as well.

You've got Topley this season which is a bonus. Surely Dawson will get a mention for ODIs after his Lions performances, but Moeen will be hard to shift.

Arthur Crabtree wrote:You've got Topley this season which is a bonus. Surely Dawson will get a mention for ODIs after his Lions performances, but Moeen will be hard to shift.

Yep, it will be interesting to see how Topley goes for us.

Must admit I haven't followed Dawson's exploits for the Lions, but I don't think he'll ever be good enough for full international honours, but he might prove me wrong.

budgetmeansbudget wrote:

Arthur Crabtree wrote:You've got Topley this season which is a bonus. Surely Dawson will get a mention for ODIs after his Lions performances, but Moeen will be hard to shift.

Yep, it will be interesting to see how Topley goes for us.

Must admit I haven't followed Dawson's exploits for the Lions, but I don't think he'll ever be good enough for full international honours, but he might prove me wrong.

He may yet get the chance now!

Great news, but I don't find it in the least bit unexpected. I was told sometime ago that England were seriously looking at him for the world t20. Spinning all-rounder, who had a brilliant one-day domestic season with bat and ball, and someone who won't be difficult to deal with if they just find themselves carrying the drinks the whole time.

Basically so long as he didn't badly let himself down with the Lions over the winter, he was on the plane.

That said, realistically his only chance of actually playing is if Moeen continues to underperform with bat and ball. I can't see us picking Rashid, Moeen and Dawson - especially with Stokes already in there as an allrounder too. (Hales, Roy, Buttler, Stokes, Morgan, Moeen, Rashid, Topley, Finn are all nailed on starters in my book if they're fit, plus one of Root and Vince, and one of Willey and Jordan - although the t20s between now and then could yet change that)

...And Moeen does continue to underperform with the bat. He's at risk of just holding open the door for Dawson to walk through and take his place in the team at this rate.

You guys have signed Boom Boom.

OOOHHH hello , i'll be back for the new season , hopefully will get to see a lot more red ball this summer , and i manage to miss the Rod Stewart enforced break as i'm away.

personally i'd love a trip back to Lords over another T20 finals day (esp at bloomin Edgabaston again)

more than anything I'd to see a challenge in the Championship , 1973 is too long ago.

"Hampshire have signed West Indies allrounder Darren Sammy as an overseas player for the 2016 NatWest T20 Blast. Sammy, captain of West Indies T20 side, will be available for around four weeks in June. His first match at the Ageas Bowl will be on June 2. He will depart for the Caribbean Premier League at the start of July."

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/ ... 88611.html

I see that we've loaned Arafat to Somerset for the season. I have to confess, I didn't realise that he was to loan. Obviously we signed him on more than just a one year deal last year. It'll be interesting if he returns to play for us next year.

I'm guessing our line-ups will look something like:

LVCC: Adams, Carberry, Vince, Dawson, Smith, Ervine, Wheater, Berg, McLaren, Fidel, Topley

With Crane, Wood, Tomlinson, Alsop, McManus and Weatherly all squad players (Crane will no doubt be more than that as the season progresses and begins to favour spin more). Could see a shift around with where the top four bat, maybe with Adams dropped down to 4 due to his failures opening last year.

T20: Carberry, Vince, Wheater, Shah/Adams/Dawson, Ervine, Afridi, Sammy, Smith, Wood, Fidel/Dawson, Topley

I'm not sure if Shah will be returning to us this season. If he is, then I'd suggest he's pretty nailed onto play no.4. Adams/Dawson/Fidel, Berg and Crane will be squad players.

One day: Carberry, Vince, Adams, Wheater, Ervine, Smith, Dawson, Wood, McLaren, Berg/Crane/Fidel, Topley

With Berg/Crane/Fidel as squad players.

I missed the Sammy signing. Great news although he didn't have the best of World Cups.

budgetmeansbudget wrote:I missed the Sammy signing. Great news although he didn't have the best of World Cups.

It is a good signing. Annoying though that Watson left it until just after we had signed Sammy (and Afridi) to announce his international retirement, thereby freeing him up to potentially play county cricket after the IPL.

That said, we potentially only get Sammy for six games (he misses our first game, and anything up to our last seven due to his CPL commitments back home), so there could yet be scope to Watson in for the second half of the group group.

Massive blow to se Berg injured. If needs surgery, apparently he'll be out for around 12 weeks. If he doesn't, apparently he'll be out for about 6 weeks. Either way, it's a big chunk of the four day season. Jimmy is also injured at the moment, but I don't know what timeframe we're talking there. He might be available next week, I don't know.