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English Domestic Season 2025

Chubb

International Regular
Never understood why any nation uses the Kookaburra ball, it so obviously produces crap cricket.

Some boards like to have flat matches that go five days so everyone can get pissed and yell at the opposition so I doubt it will ever change.
 

HeathDavisSpeed

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I think Essex might struggle this year. Looks like they’re leaning heavily on internal player development and whilst there seem some exciting prospects in there, I feel first team opportunities are going to come too soon. The depth in the event of an injury or two will be severely tested.
Well, I'm afraid to say my prediction was correct. Not helped by absences to rest not to play for England, childbirth absences and most players having worse seasons than last year. Hard to see how we avoid relegation now. I don't think the overseas signings have been the most useful either. Needed some more County Cricket proven firepower really.
 

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Never understood why any nation uses the Kookaburra ball, it so obviously produces crap cricket.

Some boards like to have flat matches that go five days so everyone can get pissed and yell at the opposition so I doubt it will ever change.
The overwhelming majority of the world’s best bowlers play don’t use Dukes in their home test matches

Maybe it’s more a reflection of the lack of quality in the CC bowling ranks
 

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
The overwhelming majority of the world’s best bowlers play don’t use Dukes in their home test matches

Maybe it’s more a reflection of the lack of quality in the CC bowling ranks
Silly. The use of the Kookaburra has nothing to do with the ball's quality - which is and has always been poor - and everything to do with aggressive marketing in the 90s/early 00s.
 

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Silly. The use of the Kookaburra has nothing to do with the ball's quality - which is and has always been poor - and everything to do with aggressive marketing in the 90s/early 00s.
I’ve been as big a critic of Kookaburra as anyone but you only need to look at the standard of some of the bowling in CC to know that it’s not all about the ball
 

kevinw

International Debutant
I've no issue with the use of both balls. There are enough rounds where Darren Stevens type bowlers would run amok as sides were bowled out cheaply. Why not redress the balance? Bowlers have to work hard. It's professional sport not a village game.
 

kevinw

International Debutant
Well, I'm afraid to say my prediction was correct. Not helped by absences to rest not to play for England, childbirth absences and most players having worse seasons than last year. Hard to see how we avoid relegation now. I don't think the overseas signings have been the most useful either. Needed some more County Cricket proven firepower really.
Could be worse. Look across the Estuary. Kent have been embarrassing for the last season and a half. They've lost seriously good cricketers and replaced them with second XI level quality. The overseas recruitment has been poor - Wes Agar has a mediocre record at Shield level, even when bowling averages are low - and he's been garbage. The rest of the bowling is powderpuff. Hopefully Hollioake lasts one season and we actually get someone in who can make these guys work harder and play better. I'm sure Muyeye will leave soon but we may as well see what Denly and Singh have for now. But whoever is in charge of recruitment needs to find half a dozen cricketers who can hold their own even at D2 level because most of what Kent currently have are not worth persevering with.
 

chris.hinton

International Captain
Could be worse. Look across the Estuary. Kent have been embarrassing for the last season and a half. They've lost seriously good cricketers and replaced them with second XI level quality. The overseas recruitment has been poor - Wes Agar has a mediocre record at Shield level, even when bowling averages are low - and he's been garbage. The rest of the bowling is powderpuff. Hopefully Hollioake lasts one season and we actually get someone in who can make these guys work harder and play better. I'm sure Muyeye will leave soon but we may as well see what Denly and Singh have for now. But whoever is in charge of recruitment needs to find half a dozen cricketers who can hold their own even at D2 level because most of what Kent currently have are not worth persevering with.
Cant really blame Adam Hollioake, He's got crap tools perhaps he does need a bit more time
 

chris.hinton

International Captain
Only 5 games to go

Division 1

Surrey 140
Nottinghamshire 139
Sussex 123
Somerset 117
Warwickshire 117
Durham 108
Hampshire 105
Yorkshire 91
===============
Essex 88
Worcestershire 73

Division 2

Leicestershire 157
Derbyshire 126
================
Glamorgan 124
Gloucestershire 111
Northamptonshire 108
Lancashire 102
Middlesex 99
Kent 89
 

Blenkinsop

State 12th Man
I'm more positive about the Kball experiment than some. I think there are signs that it might be doing what it was meant to. Middlesex won by blasting the opposition out with genuine fast bowling from Helm and Sharma. Northants nearly forced an unlikely win by fielding two leg-spinners. Admittedly most of the other games were tedious but maybe those counties just need to be more daring with selection or tactics.
 

mackembhoy

International Vice-Captain
I've no issue with the use of both balls. There are enough rounds where Darren Stevens type bowlers would run amok as sides were bowled out cheaply. Why not redress the balance? Bowlers have to work hard. It's professional sport not a village game.
See my post on the previous page.

If you just want a bunch of pointless draws that aren't getting into a third innings by day 4. Then I don't think cricket is the game for you.
 

mackembhoy

International Vice-Captain
I'm more positive about the Kball experiment than some. I think there are signs that it might be doing what it was meant to. Middlesex won by blasting the opposition out with genuine fast bowling from Helm and Sharma. Northants nearly forced an unlikely win by fielding two leg-spinners. Admittedly most of the other games were tedious but maybe those counties just need to be more daring with selection or tactics.
You can't magically create faster bowlers and better spinners from thin air.

It's been panned by players/coaches from Aus/NZ and SA that use the Kookaburra all the time.

Great that a 19 year old had joy for Middlesex though.

Why are they not using the Kookaburra in the India test series or in the Lions tests against India.

Barely anyone in county cricket will play for England anytime soon. So I don't see what benefit it has other than to make more drawn cricket matches and devaluing the CC.
 
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Blenkinsop

State 12th Man
You can't magically create faster bowlers and better spinners from thin air.
No-one is suggesting you can. But what you can do is try to create the conditions where attacking spinners and genuine pace bowlers actually get picked, instead of defensive finger spinners and medium pace seam/swing bowlers.

For me the jury is still out on whether the Kookaburra rounds have done that. It didn't seem to happen at York or Chesterfield and those games actually produced a result. But it did at Leicester and Canterbury. It's a shame we didn't get to see the likes of Josh Hull, James Minto, George Scrimshaw, Che Simmons, Sonny Baker and so on in action in this round.
 

mackembhoy

International Vice-Captain
No-one is suggesting you can. But what you can do is try to create the conditions where attacking spinners and genuine pace bowlers actually get picked, instead of defensive finger spinners and medium pace seam/swing bowlers.

For me the jury is still out on whether the Kookaburra rounds have done that. It didn't seem to happen at York or Chesterfield and those games actually produced a result. But it did at Leicester and Canterbury. It's a shame we didn't get to see the likes of Josh Hull, James Minto, George Scrimshaw, Che Simmons, Sonny Baker and so on in action in this round.
Minto playing for England U19s the others are probably injured.
 

Third_Man

State Regular
Why are they not using the Kookaburra in the India test series or in the Lions tests against India.

Barely anyone in county cricket will play for England anytime soon. So I don't see what benefit it has other than to make more drawn cricket matches and devaluing the CC.
Wonder how many runs would have been scored in the first two tests with the kookaball? Probably some things Key not allowed to play around with. Lions using it would be more interesting.
 

chris.hinton

International Captain
Next County Championship matches (22nd July)

Division One
  • Hampshire vs Nottinghamshire
  • Somerset vs Durham
  • Sussex vs Essex
  • Warwickshire vs Worcestershire
  • Yorkshire vs Surrey
Division Two
  • Derbyshire vs Lancashire
  • Glamorgan vs Gloucestershire
  • Kent vs Northamptonshire
  • Leicestershire vs Middlesex
 

Third_Man

State Regular
Not too sure about that. Lancashire play Gloucestershire at Cheltenham College next up.

Commentators on Steebacks TV about as knowledgeable and fair as you can get. Did a good job tonight (as did a full strength Lancs team).
 

LangleyburyCCPlayer

International Debutant
Keith Dudgeon will return for Kent next season, his season was cruelly cut short, but I’m sure Kent fans will be looking forward to his return
 

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