**Official English County Cricket 2013**

[grecian]

I was just talking about Somerset, not England - I haven't seen a lot of Buttler's keeping but is he good enough to do it week in, week out, in all three formats? He may not even want to do that.

I was talking about somerset too, I think in the end it could mean more runs for Ck, and I believe Jos is potentially a better 'keeper.

I really don't see Buttler as any worse with the gloves than Kieswetter, they both did it from the start of their careers, so neither are make-shift, yet I prefer JB's footwork, and Craig has spent many years to look that ordinary behind the stumps.

 

[Neil Pickup]

As I said in the close season thread about the two keepers at Hants, there are plenty of matches during the season and there's no reason why both shouldn't get plenty of time behind the sticks. Kieswetter to keep in 4 dayers and Buttler in the 40 and 20 over games, perhaps?

MCC doing rather better in the follow-on with a 100 for one of England's forgotten men, Joe Denly. 24 overs for Laurie Evans, a player who only sent down six overs in his previous 13 matches, looks odd though.

"The Bears weren't helped by the loss to injury of main spin bowler Paul Best [back problem] and his intended back-up Ateeq Javed [thigh strain], leaving Laurie Evans to bowl a marathon spell of spin, which he's never previously delivered in first-class cricket."

From BBC Warwickshire.

 

[brockley]

BBC Sport - Ashwell Prince: Lancashire re-sign South Africa batsman
Prince a kolpak.

 

[Viscount Tom]

Pretty decent signing for Lancs reckon he'll do well in division 2.

 

[Woodster]

Lancs needed to strengthen the batting and Katich and Prince should be ideal and certainly gives them a more solid look in the batting department now, and not before time. The fact both are in the twilight of their careers might not be perfect and will only be short-term but it should be enough to propel them back into the top division.

I don't think those two are going to make Lancs particularly exciting to watch when attempting to set big first innings totals but they should be extremely effective.

 

[theegyptian]

Querl is playing today and played last week for Hampshire in warmup games so he is presumably close to gaining a contract. Hampshire's seam bowling attack is their weakest point iyam so it makes sense if they think his action is ok etc.

 

[Pothas]

Well already got Ajmal coming later in the season so guess it is no issue.

Seam bowling definetly the weak point as you say.

 

[theegyptian]

Well already got Ajmal coming later in the season so guess it is no issue.

Seam bowling definetly the weak point as you say.

yes Querl won't be an overseas player if he signs. Still as long as the Ajmal deal doesn't fall through(which is definitely plausible given the PCB) Hampshire do look strong and capable of promotion. Balcombe is a good seamer, Tomlinson alright and Wood is promising but the rest seem average. Not sure Carberry cares too much anymore about 4 day cricket. but the squad has more experience and class than most of the other teams so it really should go up.

 

[Woodster]

yes Querl won't be an overseas player if he signs. Still as long as the Ajmal deal doesn't fall through(which is definitely plausible given the PCB) Hampshire do look strong and capable of promotion. Balcombe is a good seamer, Tomlinson alright and Wood is promising but the rest seem average. Not sure Carberry cares too much anymore about 4 day cricket. but the squad has more experience and class than most of the other teams so it really should go up.

There is a reasonable chance that Carberry's focus may change slightly to LO cricket with him having little, or more realistically, no chance of adding to his solitary Test cap. Certainly in terms of financial security for the retirement years he will want to stand out in the T20 format, but for all Hampshire's supposed strength in the batting department I still think he is integral to them should they target finishing in one of the two available promotion spots in the CC.

With his ability to bat long periods and set up an innings and a match, it will allow the more inconsistent but talented players such as Vince, Ervine, Dawson and exciting signing Wheater, the opportunity to play their natural games with slightly less pressure on them. Carberry must improve on his 2012 form though.

Neil McKenzie is important but much of the CC campaign will have been played out by the time he arrives in June, leaving overseas player George Bailey and skipper Jimmy Adams, alongside Carberry, as the men vital in consistently putting the runs on the board. I think Adams may struggle to repeat the heights he reached last season, and Bailey for me will have less success than his predecessor Katich will at Lancs.

 

[Pothas]

Don't think Carberry has shown any lack of willingness in first class cricket, has just struggled with illness and the injury, if he stays fit all season he should get runs.

The player we really need more runs from is Vince, I like him a lot and he is fantastic to watch but this needs to be a breakthrough year for him in 4 day cricket (pretty sure I said the exact same thing last year.) Does not have to average anything ridiculous, anything over 40 is pretty good in division 2, but needs a lot more than the one score past 50 he managed last season.

 

[Woodster]

Don't think Carberry has shown any lack of willingness in first class cricket, has just struggled with illness and the injury, if he stays fit all season he should get runs.

The player we really need more runs from is Vince, I like him a lot and he is fantastic to watch but this needs to be a breakthrough year for him in 4 day cricket (pretty sure I said the exact same thing last year.) Does not have to average anything ridiculous, anything over 40 is pretty good in division 2, but needs a lot more than the one score past 50 he managed last season.

No I don't think there's been any demonstration of Carberry losing interest in four-day cricket, and just because he had a below par season in 2012 it doesn't necessarily mean he wants to focus completely on LO cricket. I've read a couple of interviews with him where he states that he intends to improve his T20 cricket, and talks mainly about that rather than maintaining his usually high standards in the Championship. I'm sure he is professional enough to retain his four-day focus and get big runs, imo, he has to if Hants are to go up.

 

[theegyptian]

if anyone is interested im doing the telegraph fantasy cricket with a couple of mates. if any of you guys want to do a team your welcome to join the superleague we set up. just send me a message or post here and ill send you the league details.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Ah Yorkshire providing the LOLs already.

 

[Cabinet96]

Good old Yorksihre. Scaly's man out for four as well against Cambridge.

if anyone is interested im doing the telegraph fantasy cricket with a couple of mates. if any of you guys want to do a team your welcome to join the superleague we set up. just send me a message or post here and ill send you the league details.

Go on then.

 

[fredfertang]

Ah Yorkshire providing the LOLs already.

.... was just about to post "ah, but it'll only be their seconds", but then checked - LOLs it is

 

[Scaly piscine]

Good old Yorksihre. Scaly's man out for four as well Cambridge.

Yea, some Aussie scored a really good five though.

 

[fredfertang]

I suppose the silver lining to the Yorkies' cloud is that most of the damage seems to have been done by one of their own

 

[marc71178]

Good old Yorksihre. Scaly's man out for four as well Cambridge.

It was a top quality 4 against high class bowling though - ink him in at 6 for the whole summer.

 

[Pothas]

Bet it was not a patch on Quiney's 5 though.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Will be very interested to see how Will Vanderspar goes with the bat for Leeds/Bradford. He had massive wraps as a schoolboy at Eton but seems have fallen off the radar a little bit since then.