First Class
 

Well FC is just around the corner and i for one can't wait it should be brilliant. There seems to be a lot of discussion about different aspects of FC cricket. So i thought it would be a good idea to have a thread for FC cricket, so you can have one place to talk about things surrounding First Class cricket.

I for one would love to know if any of you guys are going to make an major tactically changes for the longer form. Personally i might drop some of my better batsmen into the middle order, rather then having my top 3 at 1,2,3. Also i'm thinking about playing four bowlers and having a part timer at five if required, so i can play an extra batsmen, but that may depend on the new advanced tactics.

My only worry about FC is that I won't have enough batting depth. I've got three very good batsmen (Cuss, Watkins, Whitehorne) and another decent batsman (Ashton) but nothing much after that save for a few respectables/competents with poor secondaries.

Most of the time it won't matter as few teams will be able to get rid of all my good batsmen, but my concern is more to do with PFLs, as Watkins and Whitehorne are allrounders so it will be damaging to have them do too much batting. I've been training Ashton fairly heavily lately to get him up to a decent level so I'll be able to use him to open against weaker teams. I'll probably spend 1.5m or so for a new batsman around the middle of the season, so I just have to ride it out till then.

Don't really have any problems with bowling apart from a lack of reserves, although I'm not sure what the plan is with NT matches next season so I may or may not have Whitehorne at my disposal. He's a sensational spinner with superb stamina so he should be pretty handy bowling long spells if necessary. I hope the bowling orders for FC are decent, will be a bit boring if they're pre-determined like OD.

Im just hoping that my FC league is kinda easy, so that i can coast through and win 75% of my matches, and bring in a nice amount of cash. That way i can have a solid team for next season, and actually challenge in either FC or OD, hopefully both.

Same.

If I get a hard FC league I'm basically screwed.

Im going for a div 5 with 6 bots and us too, that will do me.

any word on how teams will be placed into leagues?

ive done nothing more than put a few more fitness nets on than usual

I don't really believe that my side will ready for FC games. However, this seems to be a trend amongst most sides in BT. Although perhaps some will be more ready than others, most sides will head in the First Class matches feeling underdone and not ready yet. So I think that all anyone needs to do here is relax, because most sides aren't although, having said that, I would like to see what everyone defines has being ready for FC cricket next season. Personally, I think it involves having considerable depth and most players having stamina of respectable or better. But thats just me. I supect 95% of teams won't be ready if applied to my outlook at what being ready is all about.

Yeh i dont think ill be doing anything drastic to my team until i get a few FC games under my belt.

The only thing im worried about is havingonly five bowlers (one being a AR),
but im training up another AR. Also might jiggle the starting OD XI to make the FC one, and add in the second AR, maybe in place of Buckle.

What i am confused about is how wll the FC league sbe arranged im sure there will be an announcement at the end of this season/start of season 5.

oh sorry forgot to add been experimenting with a few possible first class orders in friendlys

hmm, i think the best prepartion that anyone can make at this stage is to have depth.

I don't have ANY depth at all. I need about two more batsmen and another bowler. I'm waiting until next season to look for a trainee of each type, though, as I figure there'll be plenty of decent 17 year olds on the market.

Im hoping there is quite a few 17yo as well, i think i have depth, but i have no real stars, so i think might stop buying average players and save up and get some guns.