Off Season Thread

[chris.hinton]

Originally posted by marc71178
I was talking about Key.

Warwickshire need 2 good overseas bowlers next year in order to get a decent team that could IMO challenge for the title.

Let's face it, with batting that reads Knight, Powell, Wagh, Bell, Troughton, Trott, Brown (1000 runs from 7 this year) - we should be OK in that department, and adding a decent opening bowler (Waqar for me could be the answer form his late season efforts) and a spinner (since Giles will almost certainly not play more than 2 or 3 CC games in 2004) and that's not a bad line up at all!

Warwickshire Bowling is poor and the sad factor is they are releasing all there younger bowlers before they get the chance.

If for example Warwickshire get in Ntini and say Hauritz of Australia( this is just an example) then there side would be this

Knight (Capt)
Powell
Wagh
Bell
Troughton
Trott
Brown
Piper
Ntini
Hauritz
Richardson


The Back up bowlers are not good enough, for example the 2nd xi bowlers would be Wagg ( at 20 needs 1st xi cricket), Tahir ( Never been any where near first team level) Carter ( will battle with Richardson) Mees ( at 23 he needs to progress at at rate of James Anderson)

Warwickshire will have to be busy in the winter just to sign 2 quick bowlers and a young back up spinner as releasing (Smith,Shelkh, Warren, Joshi, Spires and Betts) could mean that you either going into decline or you getting in EU players in the winter... i think it is the latter

Your Batting is strong though apart from them six you have Ostler, Penney and Frost to back up

As for Worcestershire we need to bring in a Fast Bowler during the winter together with another overseas player as hayward is not staying i would like us to sign a batsman as Singh will also leave someone like Graham Smith would be Good

[Neil Pickup]

You can keep dreaming about Smith.

And why do Warwicks need bowlers when they've got Trott, Wagh and Bell? :P

Regarding young players and releases: have you heard of something called a development plateau? Sometimes people reach a level and then don't get better. It happened to me at 8 :saint: but happens to plenty of people at around 13/14 and again 19/20 - and as Warwickshire take on so many young players they are bound to release plenty as well.

And Neil Carter is going to beat Alan Richardson for a 1st XI place nine times out of ten.

[marc71178]

Originally posted by chris.hinton
They why did they give him a 2 year deal then? it is a bit stupid..... then again it is Warwickshire we are talking about

Another nice balanced post there Chris.

They gave him a 2 year deal, but have now realised he's not good enough to replace either keeper (lets face it, both are pretty decent players and have been interchanged all year)

Had he still had 3 or 4 years to run it would be puzzling, with 12 months it is not.

[marc71178]

Originally posted by chris.hinton
Warwickshire Bowling is poor and the sad factor is they are releasing all there younger bowler before they get the chance.

Yet you said they aren't good enough when talking about the young back-up bowlers?

Originally posted by chris.hinton
If for example warwickshire get in Ntini

They're aren't signing Ntini. End of story.

[marc71178]

Originally posted by Neil Pickup
You can keep dreaming about Smith.

He has gone though Neil.

Originally posted by Neil Pickup
And Neil Carter is going to beat Alan Richardson for a 1st XI place nine times out of ten.

I wouldn't be so sure - Richardson seems to me to be vastly underrated at County level, and Carter seems to be more a one day player.

[Rich2001]

Originally posted by marc71178
I wouldn't be so sure - Richardson seems to me to be vastly underrated at County level, and Carter seems to be more a one day player.

I agree with Marc on the who would play part.

And Neil your 9/10 was a little off, in the CC this season Richardson played 14 games to Carters 4.

[Neil Pickup]

Originally posted by Rich2001
I agree with Marc on the who would play part.

And Neil your 9/10 was a little off, in the CC this season Richardson played 14 games to Carters 4.

Ooops. I meant 2/9, honest, easy typo to make :saint:

Can't expect me to follow Division One now, can you...

Originally posted by marc71178
He has gone though Neil.

Not sure I understand you here.

[chris.hinton]

I just thought that releasing Clifford was a bit strange, Perhaps they think that Sandy Allen will be better i dont know but all i know is that Tony Frost at 28 must be one patient guy,

[Rich2001]

"Kent County Cricket Club today confirmed that it would not be offering Matthew Banes a contract for the 2004 season.

Earlier in the summer the club released opener Ian Flanagan and pace bowler Jamie Hewitt.

All other members of the 2003 playing staff are either under contract or in discussion with the Club regarding contracts for 2004 and beyond."

A little surprising here, Matty Banes has huge promise and has been tipped for about 2 season now that he is the next best thing, and was given a few games this season and they suddenly dump him :rolleyes: - Ive seen worse players at the club

[Rich2001]

Yorkshire

D.Lehmann returns as one of the overseas players next year

And earier I said a few counties were intrested in R.Sidebottom, well as expected he was released offically on Wed'

[Rik]

Originally posted by chris.hinton
They why did they give him a 2 year deal then? it is a bit stupid..... then again it is Warwickshire we are talking about

But then again, Worcestershire have just given 39 year old Steve Rhodes another year on his contract. He will reach 40 in the middle of next season. I don't think you have any basis to attack Warwichshire, who have 2 good keepers who both still have plenty of years left in them.

[marc71178]

Originally posted by chris.hinton
I just thought that releasing Clifford was a bit strange, Perhaps they think that Sandy Allen will be better i dont know but all i know is that Tony Frost at 28 must be one patient guy,

Frost played more than Piper this season IIRC.

[Bazza]

I find this a bit strange. I mean Sidebottom is a top county bowler, and Gough won't be around next year.

Maybe the likes of Tim Bresnan are going to play a bigger part?

[chris.hinton]

Originally posted by Rik
But then again, Worcestershire have just given 39 year old Steve Rhodes another year on his contract. He will reach 40 in the middle of next season. I don't think you have any basis to attack Warwichshire, who have 2 good keepers who both still have plenty of years left in them.

I can because we have two excellent young keepers in David Pipe and 17 year old Steve davies Who is in the under 19 squad for England. and i think the reason for Rhodes being given a one year deal is for tho coach the young keepers.

Also Frost is 28 and playing Second xi cricket

[marc71178]

Originally posted by chris.hinton
Also Frost is 28 and playing Second xi cricket

Which Frost are you talking about?

Tony Frost is 27 and played 13 out Warwickshire's 17 First Class Matches this season - so unless CC Div 1 is now 2nd XI Cricket, I think you may be a little wrong here.