County Cricket 2017 season

[westoelad]

Steve Magoffin to Worcs. He's 37 year old -same age as Ottis when he joined Durham.
http://www.sussexcricket.co.uk/news-1/n ... estershire

One of those left field signings that might be a great punt.

Could there be a final twist in the relegation battle? Pitch panel will announce their decision on the Somerset pitch on Monday - apparently they could technically change the "below average" umpires rating and impose a points deduction. That is probably highly unlikely but there is a suggestion that the umpires told Middlesex they would not be deducted points after the 'crossbow" abandonment only for the paperwork to be filed incorrectly! If that is true there must be a chance those two points will be reinstated and Somerset would go down!

That would be incredible given that Middlesex appealed that decision and the appeal was rejected. They could make a satirical TV series about FTECB to rival "Yes Minister" called "Yes Graves".

[captaincolly]

Steve Magoffin to Worcs. He's 37 year old -same age as Ottis when he joined Durham.
http://www.sussexcricket.co.uk/news-1/n ... estershire

One of those left field signings that might be a great punt.

Could there be a final twist in the relegation battle? Pitch panel will announce their decision on the Somerset pitch on Monday - apparently they could technically change the "below average" umpires rating and impose a points deduction. That is probably highly unlikely but there is a suggestion that the umpires told Middlesex they would not be deducted points after the 'crossbow" abandonment only for the paperwork to be filed incorrectly! If that is true there must be a chance those two points will be reinstated and Somerset would go down!

That would be incredible given that Middlesex appealed that decision and the appeal was rejected. They could make a satirical TV series about FTECB to rival "Yes Minister" called "Yes Graves".

Yep!
If the BBC's Kevin Hand is right Middlesex were told there was no appeal process when the 'error' was first made but have now gone on the record about what they claim the umpires assured them at the end of the game. What isn't clear is if the supposed clerical error was the fault of Middlesex or FTECB.

It would open up a can of worms if the points were added on - Middlesex would go to 4th apparently and get prize money!
Umpires are on the spot too - if they confirm they told Middlesex points would not be deducted then FTECB will have a tricky decision to make but of they deny making the comments they will be accusing Gus Fraser of lying.

[westoelad]

Gale getting the dreaded vote of confidence of his boss! Hint of discord between players and coach?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/41443469

[captaincolly]

Gale getting the dreaded vote of confidence of his boss! Hint of discord between players and coach?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/41443469

Sounds like it " for some reason they have underperformed." Suggests some sort of unrest.

[westoelad]

ESPN 4th day report.
Last sentence irrelevant but hilarious.
This pitch was marked "below average" by the Cricket Liaison Officer (CLO), Wayne Noon, as it showed signs of "excessive turn" from the start. Crucially he could not see any uneven bounce on days one or two. As a result there will be no points deduction and Somerset's place in Division One is assured.

That isn't quite the get out of jail free card it might appear. The ECB regulations state that, should a pitch be marked "below average" twice within a 12-month period in the same competition, penalties can be applied. While Somerset have not had another such mark this season, they will, Noon said "have to be very mindful" of their surfaces in 2018.

There is a slight caveat to all this. Phil Whitticase, a senior CLO, will arrive in Taunton on Friday and conduct a further investigation into the pitch. He will, as part of that investigation, speak to the umpires and the groundsman and it remains theoretically possible that he will increase the penalty. He could also decrease it.

But it would be a major surprise - and an astounding own goal from the ECB - if they should, for the second season in succession, alter the table after the campaign has finished and change the relegation positions. But, not so long ago, it seemed impossible that a hotel magnate with comic hair would become US president; life is full of surprises and not all of them are good.

[captaincolly]

ESPN 4th day report.
Last sentence irrelevant but hilarious.
This pitch was marked "below average" by the Cricket Liaison Officer (CLO), Wayne Noon, as it showed signs of "excessive turn" from the start. Crucially he could not see any uneven bounce on days one or two. As a result there will be no points deduction and Somerset's place in Division One is assured.

That isn't quite the get out of jail free card it might appear. The ECB regulations state that, should a pitch be marked "below average" twice within a 12-month period in the same competition, penalties can be applied. While Somerset have not had another such mark this season, they will, Noon said "have to be very mindful" of their surfaces in 2018.

There is a slight caveat to all this. Phil Whitticase, a senior CLO, will arrive in Taunton on Friday and conduct a further investigation into the pitch. He will, as part of that investigation, speak to the umpires and the groundsman and it remains theoretically possible that he will increase the penalty. He could also decrease it.

But it would be a major surprise - and an astounding own goal from the ECB - if they should, for the second season in succession, alter the table after the campaign has finished and change the relegation positions. But, not so long ago, it seemed impossible that a hotel magnate with comic hair would become US president; life is full of surprises and not all of them are good.

Fantastic!

[Durhamfootman]

Steve Magoffin to Worcs. He's 37 year old -same age as Ottis when he joined Durham.
http://www.sussexcricket.co.uk/news-1/n ... estershire

perhaps he can do the job that Alan Richardson did for them so well, for so long

[captaincolly]

Steve Magoffin to Worcs. He's 37 year old -same age as Ottis when he joined Durham.
http://www.sussexcricket.co.uk/news-1/n ... estershire

perhaps he can do the job that Alan Richardson did for them so well

Yep. Have to imagine that he will take a lot of wickets when he plays and only q will be if he is fit enough to get through the season.

[Durhamfootman]

he's had a lean couple of years, though. Perhaps he needed the change?

[captaincolly]

he's had a lean couple of years, though. Perhaps he needed the change?

Probably. Used to be a real pain when he played against us but not heard much from him recently. The deal is probably good enough to be worth the risk.

[Durhamfootman]

when Sussex got relegated, everybody, including me, seem to assume that he rip div 2 batting line ups to pieces, yet he didn't. He struggled for a large part of last season, iirc.

That should have told me what this season was going to be like for Durham, actually. There was a lesson there that I didn't pay any attention to

[captaincolly]

when Sussex got relegated, everybody, including me, seem to assume that he rip div 2 batting line ups to pieces, yet he didn't. He struggled for a large part of last season, iirc.

That should have told me what this season was going to be like for Durham, actually. There was a lesson there that I didn't pay any attention to

Yeah, that was a warning sign. Think everyone missed it because the assumption was only the 48 point penalty would stop Durham and even then there was a slim but realistic chance of overhauling it.

[Alviro Patterson]

Gale getting the dreaded vote of csonfidence of his boss! Hint of discord between players and coach?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/41443469

Sounds like it " for some reason they have underperformed." Suggests some sort of unrest.

Gale (and Moxon's) position have become untenable with those press releases. Questions players mindsets to a point he refers them to the two club psycologists, blames anyone and anything that didn't go his way instead of taking ownership of the batting issues. He even publically criticised Tim Bresnan's T20 captaincy midway through the Blast.

To go with five recognised batsmen against Essex and a tail starting at seven, no wonder the batsmen's mindsets are not right because one of the top 5 faced the prospect in farming the strike at 5 down.

[westoelad]

Gale getting the dreaded vote of csonfidence of his boss! Hint of discord between players and coach?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/41443469

Sounds like it " for some reason they have underperformed." Suggests some sort of unrest.

Gale (and Moxon's) position have become untenable with those press releases. Questions players mindsets to a point he refers them to the two club psycologists, blames anyone and anything that didn't go his way instead of taking ownership of the batting issues. He even publically criticised Tim Bresnan's T20 captaincy midway through the Blast.

To go with five recognised batsmen against Essex and a tail starting at seven, no wonder the batsmen's mindsets are not right because one of the top 5 faced the prospect in farming the strike at 5 down.

That must have created an interesting atmosphere next time he had the In-laws round for meal.
Publicly criticising the team is the sign of a drowning man clutching at straws and normally the beginning of the end. Ironic that both 1st and 2nd div. champions have Yorkshirmen at the helm.
Most of the Durham faithful will let you have our head coach as a gesture of neighborly goodwill

[Durhamfootman]

we'll even wrap him up in pretty paper..... with ribbons and everything