Never posted on here before. Would like some sensible cricket debate on the (nearly) mighty Cidermen.
How do we win a trophy? thats the question. I love watching the boys, the amazing games we're involved in, the scores we smash, the players we have, I love the cider bar they've introduced, I love the 'ah well' maybe next year west country care free outlook, I love the atmosphere of a packed county ground, the banter, the best fun you can have........BUT.........how do we win something!!! just to top it all and cement in our history our second golden generation. Thats surely the big question.
So I'm throwing some ideas out there and would welcome others, and I'm trying to set emotions aside and be clinical/ruthless about this, and they are just ideas....
1) Make Alfonso Thomas captain of the 1 day side. For his aggression and bowling nous. (I'm a big tresco fan btw).
2) Play Compton instead of Suppiah in the T20/CB40 side. Now that RVDM provides left arm spin. Play him up the order, he can stone wall or hit out.
4) Stop bowling Pollard in the T20's, he might cost a lot and we want to get our moneys worth, but he goes for too many - and bowl Kirby instead.
5) Take Lancashire's/Hampshire's lead and play spin heavy teams and prepare turning pitches. (Have faith in Waller's wicket taking bowling in CB40 and T20's)
6) Have the confidence to pick and bowl Dibble or Gregory (or Hussain) if the pitch suits.
7) Have more difficult pre-season games to avoid our early season lack of form.
8) Prepare result pitches at Taunton right from the start of the season.
9) Reprimand / (temporarily) drop batsman for getting out whilst playing innapropriate / stupid or ill disciplined shots. And give Barrow or Jones a go. And Andy Hurry give them the hairdryer treatment now and again to get them mean and angry!
10) Hold a second big hitter (Kies/RVDM) down the order in 1 dayers to avoid pressure/reliance on Buttler to bring us home. Trego has flourished opening or at 3 so not him.
11) For the future of the club competing with the test teams, rename Somerset's T20 side the 'West Country Rebels', to tap into the already healthy support from Devon/Wiltshire/Dorset/Cornish support.
Any other ideas, or criticsim/agreement?
How do we (Somerset) win something.......?
posted on 27/10/11
Have to say from an outsiders point of view (worcester fan) you guys can't seem to get over that finishing line. Certainly from our point of view you're half the team when missing Tresco as we saw when he was injured for a while. I would like to see more of Gregory who i think looks good but i think Hussain is and will be a waste of money, to up and down and needs a lot of assistance from the wicket to be effective. Also as lanky have found out, sometimes you just need that bit of luck to get over the final line, you;ll get there soon enough i have no doubt. Seems more teams are preparing spin friendly pitches now so that could be a route, but haven't you just lost kartick for next season ? Big ask for waller if so.
posted on 27/10/11
need to be able to take 20 wickets (for the 4 day game obviously) and the bowlers have not been up to it.
Kirby and Hussain did not take anywhere near enough.
posted on 27/10/11
Yeah funny thing about Hussain, he has a lovely action and height, but he seems to drift too many 4 balls onto the pads, exactly what Dibble doesn't seem to do and i think he'll replace Willoughby soon or eventually. I think we lack a bit of aggression and tenacity in those big games (you only have to look at Nixon in the t20 final!), Tresco is such an easy going guy, perhaps the Fonz might get us fired up.
Kartik has left, but Van Der Merwe is our replacement, he's a saffer SLA spinning/big hitting all rounder, his miserly economy rate in critical moments of our Champions league campaign was critical and if he can transfer that to CC cricket (he's available from June) he could be important for us. Also, because RVDM is an agressive quality bat it gives Max Waller or Dockrell their opportunity in all formats as second spinners. RVDM is awesome in the field, so its kind of like having Ian Blackwell combined with Jonty Rhodes!!
posted on 27/10/11
RVDM is a very good one day player yes but i can't see him running through good batting line ups, even on a turning wicket, might be wrong but i feel his game is all about the shorter format.
Dibble looks a good prospect from what i saw of him a couple of times last season so he could do well in the future. Dockrell i would have thought will get the nod ahead of waller, maybe waller could do with a loan season somewhere to get a full season under his belt. What happened to Michael Munday, always thought he could take wickets, although he did get some tap at times.
posted on 27/10/11
I think we were pretty unlucky with the weather last year, which hindered us getting 20 wickets and results, but honestly, Kirby did an amazing job for us last year. I don't think it was initally expected that he'd lead our bowling attack but it ended up that way, and he gave it everything in all formats, and I think got to 30 wickets 2nd or 3rd quickest in the league. Our CC batting on the other hand - except for Tresco (and Compton) was dire. It almost goes without saying - and I don't want to jinx it - but please god give Hildreth a good season........
posted on 27/10/11
Kirby for me is such an under rated bowler, he always gives you everything he's got and has sure got under the noses of a few batsmen down New Road way, fair play to him for it, just works so hard, a great honest pro. Think he did well in the game we lost agaist somerset where we scored 450+ you got 590+ and bowled us out for 90 odd in 3 hour to win the game, still hurts that one !
posted on 27/10/11
It will be very interesting to see what RVDM can do with bat and ball in the CC next year - Brian Rose is clearly hoping he'll come good, if he does he could make the difference! I couldn't believe how little tap he got from the Indians in the CLT20. Its a great opportunity for Waller or Dockrell, I'm happy to see either of them flourish and cement their first team place! Munday was released, with Stiff leaving too - what with us having Kartik and the other young spinners.
posted on 27/10/11
I suppose the likes of Munday and Stiff would be good candidates for the Unicorns.
Dockrell i think has a very bright future ahead of him and am glad the young guys will get the chance, it's what the CC is all about. But to my mind of someone like Brian Rose thinks RVDM can cut it in the longer form of the game, who am i to argue with him.
You're right that Hildreth could do with a good season, he seems to have slipped down the England pecking order a bit which i think is a great shame, quality player.
posted on 28/10/11
I think a lot of it is mentality. You have been very unlucky. I hope Gregory gets a good run. You could play another spinner. Cheeky bid for Taylor from Leicester too?
posted on 31/10/11
Certainly the likes of Gregory and Dibble are the future of our seam bowling attack, of that I don't think there is any doubt. Our normal team of Suppiah, RVDM and Dockrell or Waller will involve 3 spinners.
As for poaching other counties, there is a strong desire in the county to develop our own players (ala Yorkshire!), and with Jones and Barrow, and even Meschede (a saffer who Jimmy Cook poached as a nipper for our academy), plus our existing senior batsman, it really has to be the guys we've got - imo anyway. So we've got some classy 19/20 year olds, its just a case of hoping they get up to standard before the likes of Tresco and even Thomas/Trego/Kirby are past their best. Though I think Rose is pragmatic and ruthless enough to grab a quality pro from elsewhere if he thinks that'll make a difference.