English Domestic Season 2016

I see Swanny is back, and opening the bowling for the Cambridge students (under an assumed name):

http://www.ecb.co.uk/scorecard/39559

PeterCS wrote:I see Swanny is back, and opening the bowling for the Cambridge students (under an assumed name):

http://www.ecb.co.uk/scorecard/39559

and seemingly was as unsuccessful as his last tour..

England batsman Nick Compton has his say as Andrew Strauss warns Alastair Cook over his helmet
England batsmen Nick Compton has criticised the ECB's new helmet regulations as Test captain Alastair Cook was reportedly warned he could be banned if he failed to adopt the new safety measures. The England and Wales Cricket Board announced a change in policy in regards to helmets last November, with all players in professional matches required to wear helmets that meet the updated British Safety Standard. The decision came around 12 months since Australian batsman Phillip Hughes was killed when he was struck in the neck by a delivery during a Sheffield Shield match, and six months after Englishman Craig Kieswetter retired due to the serious facial injuries he suffered when a ball went between his helmet and grille during an English county match. Compton was one of Hughes's closest friends having been his flatmate in London during their time together at Middlesex, while they were also teammates at Sydney grade club Western Suburbs. Compton flew from the UK to Australia for Hughes's funeral in December 2014. But 32-year-old right-hander says the new measures have gone too far. "For me there are so many rules and regulations now," Compton was quoted as saying by The Telegraph. "Health and safety and all these regulations - they do my head in.
Helmet
A helmet with the new Masuri StemGuard helmet safety attachment // Getty Images

"You look at the Phil Hughes incident. It was well publicised that he was one of my best friends and I’m always thinking of him, but what happened was a freak accident. "Those helmets have been used by thousands of players in the past and have done very well. "All these new regulations takes away the freedom that sport is associated with. The whole point of sport for me growing up was freedom, and being away from rules and conforming. "Sport should be about going out there and expressing yourself, but it seems that everything around you is everything but. "It’s so conforming and restricting and I just hope that we don’t take away from natural game." Compton's comments come as Cook was reportedly warned by England's Managing Director Andrew Strauss - his former opening partner - that he risked being suspended if he continued to wear a helmet that didn't meet the new standards. A report in The Times said Cook could face a disciplinary committee if he continued to wear a non-sanctioned helmet, as he did in county cricket last week. All eyes will be on the helmet Cook wears when he captains Essex in their county clash against Sussex, starting this weekend, with The Telegraph reporting the ECB are confident their captain will adopt the new guidelines. Cricket Australia informed its players last August that they must comply with the British Standard as of the 2015-16 season, a decision that came after a directive from the International Cricket Council. Last October, Australia batsman Shaun Marsh was reprimanded for failing to comply with the updated regulations during a Matador BBQs One-Day Cup match. The findings from a coroner's inquest into Hughes's death are yet to be released.

I'm fairly sure following an example set by Shaun Marsh is pretty farquen stoopid

Perhaps you should check with horrie?

Nick Compton wrote:Sport should be about going out there and expressing yourself, but it seems that everything around you is everything but. "It’s so conforming and restricting and I just hope that we don’t take away from natural game.

Cannot think of a worthier modern cricketer to hold forth on expressing oneself on a cricket pitch.

FMD!! Qunt McKay took 73/6 for Leicestershire

Hard to believe. Against Leicestershire, yes; but FOR Leicestershire is hard to fathom.

Bad news: Mark Wood is out of the game for 8 weeks as he is having more surgery on his ankle.

Adam Lyth and Sam Robson both have tons to their name this season. So that'll be Lyth opening with Chef and Robson at number 3 then.

Has anyone seen me coat?

Blobby Key has retired. That'll be another (extra wide) seat in the Sky Comm Box then.

Lancs currently holding their own vs Notts, but I fear it will be a long summer. A still suspect top order (I have hopes for Hameed, if he can establish himself - but then I did for Reece), thin reserves of bowling. Once Jimmy is off back for England, not sure there's any depth.

On the bright side, that Ring of the Nibelungen chap has started pretty well.

So have Davies and Livingstone. And Jarvis.

embee wrote:I'm fairly sure following an example set by Shaun Marsh is pretty farquen stoopid

Bog was prolly on the gas or a selection of the Colonel's herbs and spices.

Crikey, Jonny dined out v Hants. Even Liam Plunkett chipped in with a fast ton!!

Basil wrote:Bad news: Mark Wood is out of the game for 8 weeks as he is having more surgery on his ankle.

Might not even rise to the heights of Si Jones, Bruce Reid. Coulda should woulda.

Butta ...

Basil wrote:Bad news: Mark Wood is out of the game for 8 weeks as he is having more surgery on his ankle.

done his fetlock; bad news

Alex Hales seems to have decided to sit back and watch as his test opening spot gets taken from him. He opted out of the first three rounds of the Championship. Robson was unmemorable in his first forays into test cricket, but perhaps he's tightened his technique up outside off stump and deserves another crack in the test side.

Henry wrote:Alex Hales seems to have decided to sit back and watch as his test opening spot gets taken from him. He opted out of the first three rounds of the Championship. Robson was unmemorable  in his first forays into test cricket, but perhaps he's tightened his technique up outside off stump and deserves another crack in the test side.

If he tightens his technique up any more, he'll be strokeless.

I wonder if Hales has been given the nod that his place is secure for the Sri Lanka series - hence him going missing.

Basil wrote:

Henry wrote:Alex Hales seems to have decided to sit back and watch as his test opening spot gets taken from him. He opted out of the first three rounds of the Championship. Robson was unmemorable  in his first forays into test cricket, but perhaps he's tightened his technique up outside off stump and deserves another crack in the test side.

If he tightens his technique up any more, he'll be strokeless.

I wonder if Hales has been given the nod that his place is secure for the Sri Lanka series - hence him going missing.

If it were Cook or Root, then fine. But I'd be very disappointed if they were giving that sort of guarantee to a guy like Hales, who didn't exactly set the world on fire in his first four tests. It would be an especially foolish and ill-advised guarantee if there was another opener banging the door down, demanding to be picked.

Henry wrote:

Basil wrote:

Henry wrote:Alex Hales seems to have decided to sit back and watch as his test opening spot gets taken from him. He opted out of the first three rounds of the Championship. Robson was unmemorable  in his first forays into test cricket, but perhaps he's tightened his technique up outside off stump and deserves another crack in the test side.

If he tightens his technique up any more, he'll be strokeless.

I wonder if Hales has been given the nod that his place is secure for the Sri Lanka series - hence him going missing.

If it were Cook or Root, then fine. But I'd be very disappointed if they were giving that sort of guarantee to a guy like Hales, who didn't exactly set the world on fire in his first four tests. It would be an especially foolish and ill-advised guarantee if there was another opener banging the door down, demanding to be picked.

Given what Bayliss said in the winter about the top three, I suspect Hales is more his sort of player.

Unusual dismissals file:

Dickson out 'handled the ball' on the second ball he faced for Kent v Leicestershite ...

Ton for Joe Clarke, and power to add. Get in there Joe!

Aye. A typically good Pears fightback as well

I note MehKay is still taking wickets.

Lovely day for cricket at Kidderminster

embee wrote:

Lovely day for cricket at Kidderminster

Cold enough for sleet and hail today.