County Championship 2018 & 2019 Thread

[jimbohammers]

First topic message reminder :

Not long until the new season starts so i thought it's time for me to get the thread up.

As always....

Who are your picks for the title?
Who is going down?
Surprise team?
Most runs?
Most wickets? 
One to watch?

Discuss here...

[LondonTiger]

Joe Clarke joining Notts from next season. Gotta say, I’m absolutely fuming about this, what’s the reward for nurturing players and giving them a chance if they go off to a test match ground at the first opportunity? Might as well not bother.

Just saw that he is leaving. He's also playing for Worcestershire today, i wouldn't be too happy with that if i was a fan, if you're not committed and don't want to play for the club then see ya. Shouldn't be taking a spot from someone who actually wants to play for the club.

Crowd gave Moeen a rousing ovation when he walked out and back in again. Clarke got barely a whimper it seems.

It is hard though for young players with international aspirations as the selectors do seem to prefer people from the first division. That said, Notre do seem to be hoovering up young batters with Slater and Duckett also signed for next year from second division counties.

[Afro]

Maximum batting bonus secured for Somerset, so by my unreliable calculations, I think we just need 1 more point, or for Essex not to get to 400, to be mathematically sure of 2nd

[Corporalhumblebucket]

By my - even more unreliable - calculations, it's squeaky bum time for Notts! I think they need 3 more points, to be secured from any of the batting points they get, a draw or win in their match, any batting points Lancs fail to secure, or failure by Lancs to get a win.

At the moment there is - as a minimum - a fair chance that Notts will lose their match and Lancs will win theirs. Lancs look unlikely to reach 400, but they just might pass 300, which could leave Notts needing to secure at least one batting point. So, if Lancs lower order prospers through the afternoon and Notts lose a few more wickets (50 - 2 at lunch) they could be sweating!

[chichestersurreyfan]

The Lancs 2018 Great survival is still on! Personally, I really hope they do it!

[chichestersurreyfan]

Spoke far too soon...the great 2018 Lans escape has ended and Notts fans can relax!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Notts very fortunate - they really have played very poorly at times this season.

[chichestersurreyfan]

Notts very fortunate - they really have played very poorly at times this season.

Indeed...the day I saw them, they were truly shocking and the Notts fans we were sitting near were pessimistic about their chances of avoiding relegation even though they were 4th in the table at that time!

[Mat]

Joe Clarke joining Notts from next season. Gotta say, I’m absolutely fuming about this, what’s the reward for nurturing players and giving them a chance if they go off to a test match ground at the first opportunity? Might as well not bother.

Just saw that he is leaving. He's also playing for Worcestershire today, i wouldn't be too happy with that if i was a fan, if you're not committed and don't want to play for the club then see ya. Shouldn't be taking a spot from someone who actually wants to play for the club.

Crowd gave Moeen a rousing ovation when he walked out and back in again. Clarke got barely a whimper it seems.

It is hard though for young players with international aspirations as the selectors do seem to prefer people from the first division. That said, Notre do seem to be hoovering up young batters with Slater and Duckett also signed for next year from second division counties.

I can understand why he moved, he should be playing international cricket in the next two seasons really and the likelihood of that happening is increased greatly 1) By playing Div 1 Cricket and 2) Being at a test match county. There is of course the odd exception, Moeen being a very close to home example but circumstances played a big part in that.

My big frustration is that the way Surrey have done things this year should have been the model the ECB encourage for all other counties, ie a mainly home grown team that have developed together and have then produced 3/4 players who have stepped up to International Cricket this year. Obviously, they are unlikely to get someone poached from them as one of the bigger counties to play for anyway.

Worcs try to operate that way but the majority of the time, if someone decent comes along, you only get them for 2/3 seasons. If Barnard repeats his feats of this season, or Tongue plays a whole year in Div 2, they'll be the next to go if we don't go straight back up

[jimbohammers]

Guildford's man Barker looks set to join Hampshire on a 2 year deal. To be announced on Wednesday. Very happy with that. A talented bowler and useful with the bat.

[guildfordbat]

Guildford's man Barker looks set to join Hampshire on a 2 year deal. To be announced on Wednesday. Very happy with that. A talented bowler and useful with the bat.

Hi Jimbo - I didn't know that. As long as Ronnie gets through the medical ok, it should be a very good signing for Hants. He's a top 4 day cricketer and bloke.

[LondonTiger]

Strange scenes in Chester-le-Street where it's been announced that fast bowler James Harris can't continue after the Middlesex player was hit in the head while batting.

Middlesex want to replace him with spinner Ollie Rayner, which gives them a big advantage on a deteriorating pitch.

Durham skipper Paul Collingwood feels subbing Harris with Rayner is not fair because they are not like for like players. The umpires have even been off the field to ring their boss for advice.

[wisden]

Also i think the law says he wouldn't be able to bowl...it's purely so 11 are on the field...

[JDizzle]

Matt Coles has subbed on for Sam Cook for Essex, who suffered a concussion whilst batting yesterday, and Coles has bowled. This is what purely for concussions. I don’t know what happened in the Durham game in the end, but it is meant to be a like for like sub - so I think Durham were right to complain.

It’s a sensible move IMO - the surface has barely been scratched on the extent of concussions and there after effects later on. All precautions must be taken to treat them as seriously as possible.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Rayner was the substitute, but I see from the scorecard that he didn't actually bowl in Durham's second innings. They collapsed to 109 all out in just under 40 overs to lose the match, and only four Middelsex bowlers were used. Wonder whether there will be repercussions....

[sirfredperry]

Controversy over the Rayner sub or not, this was an amazing win by Middlesex.
Despite having a really dreadful season with the bat, Middx have conjured up three of their best-ever come-from-behind wins this year. They got nearly 400 to win in the last innings against Leics, beat Northants after following on and now have topped Durham despite a huge first-innings deficit.
But overall, the season has been a huge disappointment. Only consolations have been the bowling (although they've let opposition tails wag too often) and the batting of Holden.

[Marky]

Surrey are gonna win this game aren't they.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Surrey are gonna win this game aren't they.

So close - what a remarkable game!

[wisden]

In a suprise move, Riki Wessels has left notts and joined Worcestershire on 3 year deal!!!

[JDizzle]

In a suprise move, Riki Wessels has left notts and joined Worcestershire on 3 year deal!!!

Nice little signing that for Worcs. They will lose a bit, compared to Clarke, in the CC but Wessels is at least on a par with Clarke in the shorter forms at the moment anyway.

Along with Wayne Parnell becoming a full time Kolpak, it is a bit different to their usual strategy of young, British players filling the holes but the amount they still have - Barnard, Brown, Pennington, Fell etc. - I think they can be begrudged a couple of experienced signings!

[wisden]

Liam Linvingstone stands down as Lancs captain

[guildfordbat]

County fixtures for 2019 being announced tomorrow.

[guildfordbat]

County fixtures for 2019 being announced tomorrow.

Unofficial so far but hearing that due to WC games being played at the Bowl, Hants will play a 4 day Championship match on the Isle of Wight for the first time since 1962. Scheduled for May, don't know opponents. Could be fun for Jimbo H!

Meanwhile, Yorks taking on Surrey at the end of June and Notts in August, both these CC matches at Scarborough.

[wisden]

Simon Harmer has signed an extension with us until the end of 2021 season

[guildfordbat]

Simon Harmer has signed an extension with us until the end of 2021 season

Yes, that's good news for you. Another very useful bit of work was getting Tendo's agreement to continue playing next year - he's got a brilliant cricket brain, you want to get him on the coaching staff as soon as he does quit playing.

[wisden]

Temba Bavuma has joined Northants as overseas for new season

[wisden]

Durham are looking for a new coach!


Joe Burns and Glenn Maxwell will share overseas duties at Lancashire next season

[wisden]

Mark Wallace appointed Glamorgan director of cricket


Essex have signed Cameron Delport as overseas for next 2 seasons in the blast....awful signing!

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