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

Thought I'd get this thread going after the news about Northeast.

A good bit of positive news before the season starts.

Bailey didn't have a great season last year so not overly bothered about him not taking up the second year of his deal.

Wonder how much we've had to pay Kent?

budgetmeansbudget wrote:Thought I'd get this thread going after the news about Northeast.

A good bit of positive news before the season starts.

Bailey didn't have a great season last year so not overly bothered about him not taking up the second year of his deal.
Wonder how much we've had to pay Kent?

I doubt you'll be paying them anything as he left by mutual consent. He'll no doubt be in a very hefty salary if he had a choice of a number of counties. He certainly won't be joining Hants because of a strong affiliation to them.

It'll be interesting who we go for now in the overseas department.

When everyone is fit and available, we have five CC places nailed down: Vince, Northeast, Dawson, Abbott and Berg. That's regardless of who we sign as an overseas.

Then McManus, Rilee and Fidel are fairly certain I would suggest, but could make way if something better comes along in the overseas department.

Then there's Crane, Adams, Ervine, Alsop and Holland, all of whom will see a decent amount of CC action, but none of whom can feel confident about their places. With Crane and Holland, it more comes down to balance of the XI and bowling conditions. Whereas for the other three, it's more about performance (or lack of).

Obviously there's other guys in the squad, but I'd imagine that we'll generally stay within those 13 players plus an overseas for four-day cricket. So for me, an opening batsman is the number one obvious position for an overseas player, closely followed by a wicket-keeper or a strike bowler. I don't think we need something outside of those three positions (although a batting all-rounder for limited overs would be nice).

westoelad wrote:

budgetmeansbudget wrote:Thought I'd get this thread going after the news about Northeast.

A good bit of positive news before the season starts.

Bailey didn't have a great season last year so not overly bothered about him not taking up the second year of his deal.
Wonder how much we've had to pay Kent?

I doubt you'll be paying them anything as he left by mutual consent. He'll no doubt be in a very hefty salary if he had a choice of a number of counties. He certainly won't be joining Hants because of a strong affiliation to them.

Undisclosed sum paid to Kent due to the one year left on his contract.

Didn't Northeast formerly open at Kent before they got a plethora of openers?

will Slug feature much? Feels to me as though his time has been and gone

Durhamfootman wrote:will Slug feature much? Feels to me as though his time has been and gone

I don't see him playing t20 this season. But due to lack of squad depth, he'll probably still feature a fair amount in the other two competitions. Particularly if/when we're without Vince or Dawson for international duty.

But yes, sadly the great guy no longer gets into my first XI. Was very poor last year.

Inevitably we'll be linked with Morkel now that he's announced his international retirement, but I suspect signing Northeast has heavily dented our available wage budget. I'd expect Surrey or Notts to be able to blow us, and probably everyone else, out of the water.

We do presumably have an amount set aside for an overseas player, and there is always the option for Morkel to be an overseas rather than a kolpak, but you assume that if he does want to come over here, then he'd want the security of a kolpak contract.

Morkel going to Surrey. Surrey making Meaker available (no doubt his game time would be ever more limited than it already is). Us signing Meaker. That wouldn't be a bad outcome for us.

(It's a shame, because not only is Morkel world class, but everyone hates us already. So one more kolpak wouldn't really have made any difference.)

Amla signed as Bailey's replacement for the first three months of the season, seemingly until he has to depart in July/August to go on tour to SL.

perhaps he can persuade Morkel to sign for Durham while he's there?

Durhamfootman wrote:perhaps he can persuade Morkel to sign for Durham while he's there?

I'm hoping that he can join Abbott and Rilee in trying to persuade Morkel to join us. As good as Fidel is on his day, he'd make way for Morkel in a heartbeat.

As it is, I suspect we've spent the last of our budget on Amla, and Surrey have got to be the stand out favourites for Morne. High wage, international ground, London location.

ah... but we offer free pies with every training session

and not pies that have been smothered in green sick and served with jellied eels..... nobody would be interested in that.... we serve proper pies

got to be a factor, surely

st_brendy wrote:Amla signed as Bailey's replacement for the first three months of the season, seemingly until he has to depart in July/August to go on tour to SL.

Bit of a big deal.

No suprise that Topley only playing white ball cricket this season really..?

andy wrote:No suprise that Topley only playing white ball cricket this season really..?

Probably for the best, if you have to deal with long term injuries at such a young age, your long term future is on a knife edge, and I guess shorter bowling stints are all his body will ever manage. Plus it's a trend and all the dosh is in the shorter format.

Must admit had forgotten all about him, can only have played a handful of games since he joined us 3 years ago. Pretty disastrous for both parties.