Post by Wicked Cricket on Nov 24, 2018 19:05:25 GMT
Phil Salt extending his contract for an unknown number of years this week has led, once again, to that contentious question: 'Why has Sussex not yet signed a top quality top order batsman for 2019?' Salt had an excellent first year as a fully-fledged 1st XI player for the Club. He struck 739 runs that included two centuries; a maiden first-class hundred against Durham at Arundel in June and a spectacular 148 off 138 balls against Derbyshire at Hove in August.
He also played an important role in the Sharks’ run to the final of the Vitality Blast, scoring 355 runs at the top of the order, including four fifties. His strike rate of 172.33 was the team’s highest and the equal fifth highest amongst players in the tournament who played at least ten innings. Yet, his bizarre run-out in the Final against Worcestershire, led some supporters to believe this was a primary reason why we lost. Even so, those performances have seen Salt selected by teams for the T10 League hosted by the UAE and Pakistan Super League this winter.
Why the gamble?
Naturally, there were rave tweets from both Sussex CCC and Jason Gillespie, both adulating Salt and the merits of the youngsters coming through the ranks, but some supporters are not so optimistic. Loyal, lifelong and fiesty lady supporter Diane Brierley tweeted, "You can NEVER have enough good batsmen! Sorry, but 95% of Ssx members will tell u that we do NOT have enough decent batters. All due respect but we have watched batters longer than u have Dizz! Company line not worth paper it's written on!"
This led to Luke Wright's now repeated and rather tiresome response of a gif showing someone slowly shake their head from side to side, offering a visual response of "You idiot!" And to support his Captain, Gillespie stated more tactfully, "We have plenty of fine batsmen." This was then followed by a comment from John Harvey, "I hope he's spending the winter looking for some batsman."
What is interesting are the tweets which follow Brierley's initial comment.
Alexander wrote, "...I’m wholly confident that the talented youth we saw last year will continue to flourish. I’d rather exciting young than panic transfers of journeymen..." But John Barnet replied, "Signing a batsman from outside the club is neither a “panic” and nor would it automatically be a “journeyman”. The young batsmen made great progress this summer, but as a unit, we were fragile on occasions and as Di says, you can never have too many." lard then says, "Nothing wrong with our current crop of players at all. Strong squad. Whereas Niall Litchfield responds, "Batting *performances* in the last season weren't quite there, but Ben Brown, Harry Finch, Phil Salt, Luke Wells all would be a shoo-in for any team and all under 30."
It is an unusual situation that Sussex supporters and the Club find themselves in. It appears both the CEO and Coach have decided that the future and their faith lies with the youngsters, which is heartening to see. Yet, next season with three counties being promoted to Division 1, never has the Club had such an opportunity to be promoted. Isn't this one helluva gamble to take when one strong signing of a top order batsman would resolve any niggling issues and concerns that presently remain?
For example, how do we know that Phil Salt will mirror his 2018 season next year? How often do we see young batsmen not pushing on the following year. Michael Burgess had an excellent first half of 2018 but the second half turned in to a bit of a run drought.
The present decision by Andrew and Gillespie just seems rather extreme, especially when so much uncertainty surrounds the injury of van Zyl. What happens if Sussex "don't" get promoted next season because the youngster batsmen let the side down. Will they both resign from embarrassment? Certainly, there is growing unease from some of the Club's board Members as the months tick by and still there is no announcement of a signing of an outside batsman.
The Club lives in strange times - times which are not necessary. The idea that Sussex can't afford another batsman is nonsense, imho. So, why not go out and find someone, just in case the faith in the youngster batsmen doesn't pay off?
He also played an important role in the Sharks’ run to the final of the Vitality Blast, scoring 355 runs at the top of the order, including four fifties. His strike rate of 172.33 was the team’s highest and the equal fifth highest amongst players in the tournament who played at least ten innings. Yet, his bizarre run-out in the Final against Worcestershire, led some supporters to believe this was a primary reason why we lost. Even so, those performances have seen Salt selected by teams for the T10 League hosted by the UAE and Pakistan Super League this winter.
Why the gamble?
Naturally, there were rave tweets from both Sussex CCC and Jason Gillespie, both adulating Salt and the merits of the youngsters coming through the ranks, but some supporters are not so optimistic. Loyal, lifelong and fiesty lady supporter Diane Brierley tweeted, "You can NEVER have enough good batsmen! Sorry, but 95% of Ssx members will tell u that we do NOT have enough decent batters. All due respect but we have watched batters longer than u have Dizz! Company line not worth paper it's written on!"
This led to Luke Wright's now repeated and rather tiresome response of a gif showing someone slowly shake their head from side to side, offering a visual response of "You idiot!" And to support his Captain, Gillespie stated more tactfully, "We have plenty of fine batsmen." This was then followed by a comment from John Harvey, "I hope he's spending the winter looking for some batsman."
What is interesting are the tweets which follow Brierley's initial comment.
Alexander wrote, "...I’m wholly confident that the talented youth we saw last year will continue to flourish. I’d rather exciting young than panic transfers of journeymen..." But John Barnet replied, "Signing a batsman from outside the club is neither a “panic” and nor would it automatically be a “journeyman”. The young batsmen made great progress this summer, but as a unit, we were fragile on occasions and as Di says, you can never have too many." lard then says, "Nothing wrong with our current crop of players at all. Strong squad. Whereas Niall Litchfield responds, "Batting *performances* in the last season weren't quite there, but Ben Brown, Harry Finch, Phil Salt, Luke Wells all would be a shoo-in for any team and all under 30."
It is an unusual situation that Sussex supporters and the Club find themselves in. It appears both the CEO and Coach have decided that the future and their faith lies with the youngsters, which is heartening to see. Yet, next season with three counties being promoted to Division 1, never has the Club had such an opportunity to be promoted. Isn't this one helluva gamble to take when one strong signing of a top order batsman would resolve any niggling issues and concerns that presently remain?
For example, how do we know that Phil Salt will mirror his 2018 season next year? How often do we see young batsmen not pushing on the following year. Michael Burgess had an excellent first half of 2018 but the second half turned in to a bit of a run drought.
The present decision by Andrew and Gillespie just seems rather extreme, especially when so much uncertainty surrounds the injury of van Zyl. What happens if Sussex "don't" get promoted next season because the youngster batsmen let the side down. Will they both resign from embarrassment? Certainly, there is growing unease from some of the Club's board Members as the months tick by and still there is no announcement of a signing of an outside batsman.
The Club lives in strange times - times which are not necessary. The idea that Sussex can't afford another batsman is nonsense, imho. So, why not go out and find someone, just in case the faith in the youngster batsmen doesn't pay off?