Glamorgan Huge Challenge Ahead.........?

[sammy22]

And The End Of Season Awards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also England have offered me the job, but i'm not taking it, as my work at Glamorgan has only just started

 

[sammy22]

Problems Already!!!!!!!!!

The new season ahead has already lead to difficulties.

I knew the players I wanted to add and set out rebuilding. Sadly there was not much choice when the new players were listed, and I had to get what I could.

To make matters worse a number of players I tried to sign including 2 spinners chose other clubs at the last moment.

I didn;t even have enough players to submit a quad for the coming season.

However a number of new signings have been made, which I will profile individually to give you a flavour of who has come in.

I am pleased with the players I have brought in, but just hope it will be enough.

 

[sammy22]

Maynard did retire so that almost spoilt the season for me and David Hemp did too.

If i;d have thought on I would have retained Powell from last season, but I now only have 1 opener.

Here are the list of new players

1. Sachin Tendulkar
2.Carver youth (given to me when my squad was too small
3.Flint (same as above)
4.Andrew Flower - to replace Maynard.
5.Keith Buss (young talented bowler RFM)
6.Darren Gough (well pleased with this signing)
7.Harbjahan Singh (released by surrey looks a quality spinner)

So 7 new signings.

Tendulkar will come in to give the team much needed batting strengh, particuarly now we have lost Matthew Elliot and Ganguly. Flower always scores runs against me and since Maynard had retired I had to get him. His wages are pricey, but I needed a wicketkeeper.

Keith Buss is a really talented youngster, similar to Larry Marshall signed last year. He will be nurtured into the side but will no doubt figure at some stage.

Darren Gough is a tremendous signing can;t wait for him to make an impact. I needed bowlers really badly and so he should do an excellent job alongside Simon Jones, Crofy Harrison, etc

H Singh is a classy player and I really wanted Shane Warne. When Warne wasn;t available ( I presume Hampshire renewed his contract) I went for a quality spinner still young enough to improve. He has been bought in particular to play in tandem with fellow spinner Robert Croft.

I realised that if I could get other quality spinners in it would be great to prepare spinning pitches so I bid for 2 Cosker and Bridge, offering them more than they were asking for. Sadly both chose to join other teams.

Overall though I am quite pleased with the signings and hopfully another exciting season lies ahead......................

 

[sammy22]

Looking at the squad it is abundantly clear that I am very short on batsmen. When you consider that 2 are youngsters simply given to me by the computer, and another J Hughes has only played a couple of 20/20 matches under me (without sucsess) then it looks very thin.

In that respect I only really have 3 batsmen Tendulkar, Thomas and Goddard. Add to that Flower my wicket keeper who is excellent then I have 4 decent batsmen.

It means that J Hughes will probably have to be given a chance and one of the 2 rookies Carver and Flint possibly having to play as well.

Next season I will have an incredible team, as I will simply ensure I bring in a couple of quality batsmen. Wicket-keeper is now sorted and bowling wise I look very strong.

The squad is now slightly unbalanced, with at least 1 quality bowler having to be left out each week, with 6 or 7 decent ones to choose from

1.Singh
2.Gough
3.Harrison
4.Thomas
5.Jones
6.Buss
7.Marshall
8.Davies
9.Croft
10.Cherry

Of the ten names Cherry is a reserve, and Davies a first team regular last year is probably at the back of the list. However there is plenty to choose from there.

 

[sammy22]

The first game of the season, after this much more would be known about the side I have assembled.

Booing greeted the Glamorgan side, angry that there manager had allowed star names to leave and has only 3 recongnised batsmen in the whole squad. They went away on there knees worshipping and saluting him after seeing his new side play magnificently.

Tremendous debuts from Gough, Singh and Flower were the highlights.

One things for sure last seasons team wouldn;t have been capable of bowling a side out for 120.

 

[sammy22]

A nice victory against rivals Hampshire. They've got the strongest batting line up i;ve faced so far, including Katich, Dravid and Pietersen, yet it wasn;t enought for them to claim victory. The reason can be described in 2 words. DARREN GOUGH.

 

[sammy22]

Gutted. The fun is over.

I stated before how I only have 3 recognised batsemen, of which 1 is an opener. Star player is Tendulkar signed on over £100,00 contract.........and he;s out for 4 weeks as the screenshot first revealed to me.

Obviously I refuse to comment on my reaction when news of the injury first broke. Needless to say furniture was broken.

 

[sammy22]

If that wasn;t enough another of my batsmen has also got injured the day after Tendulkar and will be out for 3 weeks.

I dread to think of the batting line up for the next game

 

[sammy22]

It's so bad both youngsters (who I didn't even sign they were given to me to make up the squad) Flint and Carver have to come in and i;m in trouble.

Carver was obviously nervous making his debut but it took him 45 balls to get off the mark

 

[sammy22]

What a game. With a completely depleted side we slumped in our 1st innings, yet William Goddards maiden county century came to the rescue.

We then did ok to bowl them out taking a lead of 31 into the 2nd innings. With time running short we just slogged out in our 2nd innings, and declared about half an hour into session 2 on day 4.

There seemed to be little time but some great bowling from Singh left them stunned

 

[sammy22]

Lost to Middlesex in the tightest game ever.

But what do you expect when half my batsmen are injured.

I've only got 2 batsmen fit, Thomas and Goddard.

 

[sammy22]

Here is the team i;ve been forced to field for the next game.

It includes Carver, who isn't even a legitimate player, simply an added extra to the squad as the squad size was too small.

 

[King_Ponting]

7 bowlers......

 

[sammy22]

7 bowlers......

I know mate, all my batsmen are injured. Although of course I should have probably signed a couple of extra batsmen. I did try but at the last minute they joined other clubs

 

[sammy22]

Keith Buss made his debut in this game, a screenshot shows his first over in professional cricket. If only the lbw had been given he could have claimed his 1st victim with his very first ball. He was celebrating not long after though

Credit also goes to Carver, who despite my previous reservations regarding his batting prowess managed half centuries in both innings. Indeed when time was running out towards the end he played some great shots finishing 85 not out and hitting two 4's at the death to see out the gaame.

Hopfully my batsmen Hughes and Tendulkar will soon be back, because there were far too many bowlers to choose from in this game

 

[sammy22]

Here is the how the county table currently stands. A good start to the season, despite having a limited selection of batsmen to choose from, and then 2 key batsmen getting injured at the same time.

 

[Kweek]

its a FIX! haha, good going mate! like the story!

 

[sammy22]

its a FIX! haha, good going mate! like the story!

Thanks Kwek i;ve been enjoying writing it, although there have been times when I haven;t felt like posting after a humiliating defeat

 

[sammy22]

Another good win, abeit a close run thing against Sussex in the national league.

Goddard batted well to see us home.

 

[sammy22]

A comfortable victory in the cup. I didn;t even bowl them out , but they scored there runs so slowly the run chase (if you can even call it that) was always going to be a formality.