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Post by hhsussex on Sept 28, 2014 10:47:42 GMT
Amidst all the valedictory words and deserved congratulations surrounding the capture of 3rd place at Northampton, one fact has escaped attention. Luke Wells with his last-minute return to form actually managed to pass 1000 first class runs in a season for the first time. His final tally in all first class matches was 1016 at 36.28. Last year he reached 994 and in previous seasons he has topped 800 runs, then 700, so perhaps things are going in the right direction for him. Good to see and let's hope for a sustained and consistent contribution from him next year, and for a full return to form from Chris Nash.
One of the unfresolved problems all season was the opening partnership, where Joyce with Wells (while Nash was recovering from his occupation) then Nash and Wells, failed to deliver consistent starts, to the handicap of building the innings where Nos 3 and 4 repeatedly found they had to dig the foundations rather than to push on up to the upper storeys. The average opening partnership in Championship games last year was only 34, with 2 100 and 3 50 partnerships; contrasted with averages of 47 and 43 for the 2nd and 3rd wickets, with plenty of substantial stands once Cachopa joined the side.
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Post by fraudster on Sept 28, 2014 16:45:45 GMT
On the BBC page it says he got 940 odd runs and only another 20 odd in first class games. It also says he played 15 games in the Champ, but also that his highest score was 160 - the score he got in the last match. This could be a case for Mulder & Scullyyyyyyyyyyyy. Do-do-do-do...do...do...do...do
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2014 17:05:39 GMT
It was a surprise that he got his 1000 runs as he seemed to be having a poor season, but credit to him for plugging away.
The frustrating thing about him is that he seems to be a batsman of the bat-all-day-and-accumulate old-school, but he doesn't actually accumulate that many big scores. He waited until his last innings of 2014 to post his only century of the season and he only has eight f/c centuries in a career that is now five seasons old.
I'd like him to forget about white ball cricket (where his record is awful - he has a list A avge of 8 and a T20 avge of 3)and concentrate on being a red ball specialist, who when he starts an innings on day one sets out still to be there at lunch on day two, ticking over at a run and a bit per over while Nash, Joyce, Cachopa and Wright play their strokes around him.
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wally
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Post by wally on Sept 28, 2014 19:17:53 GMT
And what of his contract?
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Post by jonboy on Sept 29, 2014 6:03:02 GMT
According to The Argus, he isn't out of contract
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Post by coverpoint on Oct 4, 2014 7:18:27 GMT
So the paper which last week claimed Wells wasn't out of contract this week claims Sussex face a battle to keep him. If he isn't out of contract I don't see the problem. Sussex must move heaven and earth to keep him. Wells is a class player with eight first class hundreds at the age of 23 and is a future Sussex captain IMHO. How have Sussex allowed this situation to even occur? www.theargus.co.uk/sport/11514663.Sussex_face_battle_to_keep_Luke_Wells/ |
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Post by jonboy on Oct 4, 2014 7:26:16 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2014 8:14:24 GMT
This is a difficult situation as we have ten batsmen vying for six places.
Four of them are 24 or under, five of them will be over 30 next season. At 37, Joyce is the oldest and has at most two seasons left, Yardy probably has two or three if he wants them and who knows what Prior's intentions are once he's out of contract at the end of 2015?
But in the short term how do we keep all ten batsmen happy - because of the ten only Finch can reasonably be asked to wait. The other nine will all expect to be in the first XI next April and three of them will be very disappointed when they're packed off to play for the seconds.
No doubt Wells is looking at this. He also allegedly wants a T20 place - and when it comes to picking a white ball team he is probably numbered tenth out of ten on the list.
Nash (32 next season)
Wells (24)
Joyce (37)
Cachopa (23)
Wright (30)
Prior (33)
Hamilton-Brown (28)
Yardy (34)
Machan (24)
Finch (20)
Where would he go? Looking at the best first division batting line-ups of Yorks, Warwicks, Durham, Notts, Hants and Somerset, he wouldn't get a look in.
Middlesex is a possibility where he could compete with the likes of Denly, Malan and Dexter, but perhaps only if Robson cements his England place and Rogers makes the Australian tour party at 37/38 years old. Worcestershire could be interested, but he might well have to look at Div Two.
Essex, Surrey and Kent might be possibilities and his father moved from Sussex to Kent, of course. But all three of those counties have their own good young batsmen coming through, so he could end up with only the graveyard counties of Leics/Northants/Derbys/Glos/Glamorgan as options.
If Sussex are offering him a new contract, in my view he'd be well advised to sign it and stay put.
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Post by freddy838 on Oct 4, 2014 8:55:58 GMT
We've always seemed to be searching for our best T20 order so it's not as if there is no chance of him getting picked. He just needs to really work on his T20 skills in the winter. He is almost guaranteed a spot in the Championship team because we don't have so many openers - Machan and Rory are the ones who will struggle to get in the side. We've invested a lot of time in him and it was good to see Robbo's faith rewarded with a strong end to the season from Wells after a disappointing run. I'd be disappointed if he left because I don't see any more attractive options for him that will guarantee what he wants. With Prior back, Mills possibly to come in, if some sort of deal for Tredwell either permanent or on loan, then Wells could well be winning something with us next season. Scoring runs in a successful Sussex side has got England selectors' attention in recent years as well.
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Post by jonboy on Oct 4, 2014 8:58:14 GMT
A young left handed opener the quality of Wells would be much sought after, I would imagine. We do have a lot of batters, but no obvious candidates to open the innings. I would be loathe to move Joyce back up the order. His own preferred batting position is at number four, I believe.
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Post by jonboy on Oct 4, 2014 9:14:44 GMT
Losing Wells would be a real blow and would probably mean we'd need to recruit an opener, as it would leave Nash as the only genuine opener in the squad. It's long been a problem area for us, necessitating moving Joyce from his more favoured position. The problem is equally pronounced in the seconds where numerous players have been tried in that role as makeshift openers, including Anyon, Machan, Jackson, Piolet and various trialists, all with limited success.
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Post by coverpoint on Oct 4, 2014 9:36:54 GMT
Borderman - I think it is a long season and we are likely to need them all at some stage of the season. I cannot see why Wells would want to leave or why he is so desperate to play one-day cricket. Better to concentrate on championship cricket then to excel at nothing at all by playing in all three formats. I would also add Hudson-Prentice to that list as his two second team hundreds marks him out as a player of real promise.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2014 9:43:21 GMT
Losing Wells would be a real blow and would probably mean we'd need to recruit an opener, as it would leave Nash as the only genuine opener in the squad. . Even if Wells left, there is no way we will be signing an extra batter when we will still have nine talented frontline batsmen competing for six places. I'd guess H-B would volunteer to open as it's his best chance of getting into the side, he was a regular opener at Surrey and he manfully stepped up to the plate when we were struggling to fill the number three position last season. There is another aspect to the batting conundrum we haven't discussed : is Prior going to keep wicket? It would appear that is the intention, as Robinson said last week that he is still determined to fight to get his England place back if anything should happen to Buttler. In which case, he will need to keep his glove-work sharp by regular keeping. That means Brown will have to fight for his place as a batsman against H-B, Machan , Finch and perhaps Yardy. It would alo measn with Prior at six as a batsman/keeper, we can play a specialist batsman at seven, followed by four bowlers. A further thought: if Brown isn't keeping wicket, could he be turned into an opening bat? |
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Post by coverpoint on Oct 4, 2014 9:51:11 GMT
Losing Wells would be a real blow and would probably mean we'd need to recruit an opener, as it would leave Nash as the only genuine opener in the squad. . Even if Wells left, there is no way we will be signing an extra batter when we will still have nine talented frontline batsmen competing for six places. I'd guess H-B would volunteer to open as it's his best chance of getting into the side, he was a regular opener at Surrey and he manfully stepped up to the plate when we were struggling to fill the number three position last season. There is another aspect to the batting conundrum we haven't discussed : is Prior going to keep wicket? It would appear that is the intention, as Robinson asid he was still determined to fight to get his England place back if anything should happen to Buttler. In which case, he will need to keep his glove-work sharp by regular keeping. That means Brown will have to fight for his place as a batsman against H-B, Machan , Finch and perhaps Yardy. It would alo measn with Prior at six as a batsman/keeper, we can play a specialist batsman at seven, followed by four bowlers. A further thought: if Brown isn't keeping wicket, could he be turned into an opening bat? If Wells left I suspect we would sign another batsman as Nash is the only specialist opener. With 735 runs including two hundreds in the last two games and 20 wickets with a best of 4-34 against Gloucesershire for the seconds this season a place needs to be found in the squad for Hudson-Prentice. |
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Post by freddy838 on Oct 4, 2014 9:57:55 GMT
Yards opened for a while before he became captain didn't he? I think we could shuffle it about to cover rather than bring someone else in.
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