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Post by hhsussex on Jan 22, 2015 14:39:06 GMT
Welcome once again to this quintessential English fixture, the match that isn't included by statisticians in either the preceding or subsequent English season; that is played with pink balls before an audience of 200 pink-skinned expats and, for a short time only, perhaps a few condescending locals, whose patronage is essential for oiling the wheels of all that lucrative commerce that cares not a fig for the spirit of cricket, nor the postulations of Henry Blofeld or the would-be wide-boy persona of Phil Tufnell.
Its a match that has taken over from the Duke/Duchess of Norfolk's team as a pipe-opener in its timeless restatement of the great English virtues of presenting hasbeens, gnarled old pros looking for a last payday, and the media's choice - not the same as those who actually watch cricket - of the new stars yet to be ascendant, or those who can't get a game for some other reason. And they are matched against the might of Yorkshire, or England A, as we have learned to call them this winter.
Here are the England (MCC) stars
Alastair Cook (England, not quite sure of his role)
Nick Compton (capt) (Former England, no Flowers by arrangement)
Michael Carberry (Overpromoted victim)
James Hildreth (Ex-Golden Boy c 2009-10)
Zafar Ansari (Being built up to fail)
Daryl Mitchell (The "other one" from Worcs)
Sam Billings (Not wanted in SA)
Matt Dunn (Promising, but already injured)
Chris Rushworth (Durham must get a mention for its fleet of triers)
Graham Onions (Must acknowledge the biggest failure of all Durham triers)
Adam Riley (Tragedy in waiting)
Paras Khadka (T20 only)....
It would be heartbreaking to comment further on this selection.
What is the point of this joke match, with joke participants? If they want to celebrate the English County Championship then pick proper sides to play a proper match. Everything about this fixture demeans and ridicules all of its participants and especially its organisers.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 22, 2015 20:14:44 GMT
Blimey, hh - you sound almost as dyspeptic as me!
Sure, it would be better if the match could be played at Lord's. I remember Sussex as champions playing MCC at Lords as the curtain-raiser in 2007 and I think Compton and Cook were the openers in that game eight years ago, too... Then Goodwin and Yardy smacked Onions, Hooggard and Harmison all around Lord's in a stand of about 250. Was that the last time the match was played at HQ?
But the season starts so early now, it's not possible to play the game in the UK. The fixture has been transfered from being the season's traditional curtain-raiser to being part of the pre-season overseas training programme. But what else could they do?
The MCC's obssession with pink ball trials I find inexplicable. But I reckon that's a pretty good side. Cook obviously needs some match practice before he resumes as captain of the test side in West Indies in April, and the inclusion of the Nepalese captain is a splendid gesture. And I think it's admirable that the MCC recognises county stalwarts like Rushworth and Hildreth who clearly have no international future, alongside young players who haven't even been capped by their counties yet, such as Billings, Riley and Ansari.
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Post by hhsussex on Jan 22, 2015 21:32:47 GMT
Well borderman,that begs the question, if you don't have the space in the schedule then why are you playing it? It isn't part of the English season,so what on earth is it all about?
By all means recognise the Rushworths and the Hildreths, but give them a proper match in a proper environment for them to flourish in, not this tawdry bit of stage-dressing. Cut out some of the meaningless matches from the calendar and play proper trials games, where good players have a chance to prove they're something better than merely good.
We take a different view about this:I don't think its concieved as a chance for Cook to find form, nor do I see the inclusion of the Nepalese captain (for the T20 only) as other than a piece of patronism. This occasion has less claim to be described as a first-class match than many of the strivings of MCCU sides against the counties.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 23, 2015 7:43:44 GMT
Significant game for young hopefuls like Ansari, Dunn, Billings and Riley as it was also announced yesterday that they will not have the opportunity to showcase their talents with the Lions in 2015 - for the first time in many years there will be no Lions fixtures in the 2015 domestic season, games which have in recent times been the route for players like Root, Moeen, Robson, Woakes and Jordan to full England recognition.
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Post by hhsussex on Jan 23, 2015 7:51:11 GMT
Significant game for young hopefuls like Ansari, Dunn, Billings and Riley as it was also announced yesterday that they will not have the opportunity of showcasing their talents with the Lions in 2015 - for the first time in many years there will be no Lions fixtures in the 2015 domestic season, which have in recent years been the route for players like Jordan to full England recognition. Because the ECB "assumed" that Australia would do as they did last time and send an A side, whereas the ACB found it more lucrative to observe a multilateral commitment to the BCCI and Cricket South Africa, as well as fitting in a mini-Test series against West Indies - and nobody thought to check! borderman, you and I belong to an age in which tours often had some missionary or evangelising principle: to bring on young players, or to help development in a part of the world that saw little first-class cricket. The same principle applied to representative matches as Test trials for the selectors to get together and see young hopefuls. Not any more - and though I agree with all you say about Dunn, Billings and co, that's not how this game is conceived any more. It's a global spectacle and a commercial opportunity. |
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Post by hhsussex on Mar 22, 2015 7:22:10 GMT
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Post by coverpoint on Mar 22, 2015 8:27:24 GMT
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Post by leedsgull on Mar 22, 2015 10:13:33 GMT
There is little point Yorkshire selecting Plunkett as he will be away with England soon. Patterson is one of those bowlers who needs a lot of overs to get his rhythm so his selection seems reasonable to me. They are putting a lot of faith in Rhodes who has to date no outstanding second eleven performances to his credit.
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Post by theleopard on Mar 22, 2015 10:50:13 GMT
But the season starts so early now, it's not possible to play the game in the UK. The fixture has been transfered from being the season's traditional curtain-raiser to being part of the pre-season overseas training programme. But what else could they do? It could have been played over the Easter weekend, Friday April 3-Monday April 6. The domestic season has already begun then. I'm almost certain that when it was last played at Lord's it was done in this way in parallel with a round of MCCU maches. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2015 13:14:56 GMT
Are we really sure this is being played in a middle easstern desert and not on a seaming English green-top? Compton and Cook both out to Sidebottom in the first 16 balls!
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Post by coverpoint on Mar 22, 2015 16:02:29 GMT
Rushworth, Onions, Riley and Dunn that four number elevens!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2015 16:43:42 GMT
Rushworth, Onions, Riley and Dunn that four number elevens! Batting average of 42 - and that's all four of them combined! I'd back Riley and Dunn to join the select group of players who finish their careers with more wickets than runs... Feel sorry for Ansari, who came in at 160-4, but then ran out of partners, stranded on 24 not out. 2-10 for Rhodes on his f/c debut. He must have thought bowling in what is supposed to be the grown-up version of the game is easier than taking candy from a baby when he saw Rushworth coming in at eight. |
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Post by invicta1977 on Mar 22, 2015 17:40:44 GMT
Rushworth, Onions, Riley and Dunn that four number elevens! Batting average of 42 - and that's all four of them combined! I'd back Riley and Dunn to join the select group of players who finish their careers with more wickets than runs... I used to harbour such hopes for Riley but he's gone and blown it in the past few years by acquiring a bit of batting nous. He got into the twenties a couple of times last season and ended up with an average in double figures. He's even been employed as night-watchman on occasions. I fear he'll be no Jarvo. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2015 18:31:17 GMT
Batting average of 42 - and that's all four of them combined! I'd back Riley and Dunn to join the select group of players who finish their careers with more wickets than runs... I used to harbour such hopes for Riley but he's gone and blown it in the past few years by acquiring a bit of batting nous. He got into the twenties a couple of times last season and ended up with an average in double figures. He's even been employed as night-watchman on occasions. I fear he'll be no Jarvo. He looked like he didn't know which end to hold the bat when I last saw him. He was twitching like someone trying to avoid a swarm of bees and the only 'shot' he had was not so much a prod, more like someone jabbing at a snake with a stick. More early Underwood than Jarvis, I thought. Disappointed to hear that Jimmy Adams is trying to turn him into a number ten. I love a proper number 11 and we need more of them. I had high hopes of Riley being the new Charl Willoughby - although Riley does at least try whereas Willo simply shut his eyes, retreated two paces in the direction of the square leg umpire and unleashed his windmill impersonation. Still, we've always got Broad heading in the opposite direction down the order and making a late bid for Charl's crown! |
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Post by hhsussex on Mar 22, 2015 19:29:37 GMT
I used to harbour such hopes for Riley but he's gone and blown it in the past few years by acquiring a bit of batting nous. He got into the twenties a couple of times last season and ended up with an average in double figures. He's even been employed as night-watchman on occasions. I fear he'll be no Jarvo. He looked like he didn't know which end to hold the bat when I last saw him. He was twitching like someone trying to avoid a swarm of bees and the only 'shot' he had was not so much a prod, more like someone jabbing at a snake with a stick. More early Underwood than Jarvis, I thought. Disappointed to hear that Jimmy Adams is trying to turn him into a number ten. I love a proper number 11 and we need more of them. I had high hopes of Riley being the new Charl Willoughby - although Riley does at least try whereas Willo simply shut his eyes, retreated two paces in the direction of the square leg umpire and unleashed his windmill impersonation. Still, we've always got Broad heading in the opposite direction down the order and making a late bid for Charl's crown! Some of my favourites: Eric Hollies, played 515 games, 1673 runs av 4.99 (and isn't that exquisite?), 2323 wickets av 20.94 Bryan Wells, 302 games, 2413 at 7.47, 998 wickets at 24.26 (and he chose to retire before joining the 1000 wicket club) Norman Graham, 173 games, 408 runs at 3.88, 614 wickets at 22.34 In 1967 Graham scored 49 runs for Kent at 3.76 and Underwood's average of 9.45 and top score of 47 exceeded Alan Ealham. Graham took 104 at 13.90 and Underwood 128 at 12.16) Jeff Jones, 198 games, 513 runs at 3.97, 511 wickets at 25.98. There were giants on the earth in those days..... |
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