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Post by Wicked Cricket on Mar 17, 2016 15:34:54 GMT
The April issue of The Cricketer Magazine is out today and what an excellent one it is, jam packed with the usual coterie of player interviews, book reviews, personal opinions on the game - even a pullout 2016 fixture list wall-chart. This issue is devoted to county cricket as the season beckons including a review of the 18 counties and their chances of success for 2016. Sussex are placed 2nd in Division 2 with Worcestershire for promotion - the views of two writers with the initials MB and RG. Not good news for our club when there is only one promotional place this season. But then predicting anything as fickle as county cricket is more Mystic Meg than Michael Atherton.  The magazine’s editor, Simon Hughes, is now far more hands on, given the determination of Chief Exec, Guy Evans-Tipping, to end the recent sales slump and turn the magazine around. Expect increased scribblings from Hughes as the year progresses. There is a new more vibrant energy emitting from the pages as the magazine challenges the ‘Monolith of Doom’, Cricinfo; although the realist may ask the obvious question: How can a monthly magazine compete with a FREE daily updated website? A question that no-one has ably answered to date. Blowing my own flugelhorn, there is a four page spread (pages 64-67) looking at the future hopes and predictions for Surrey in 2016 from the perspective of 12 different former club players, cricket media and celebrity supporters. This gave me an ideal opportunity to rub shoulders with tinsel-town’s mega-rich county. Those who turned down my scribe flirtations included Sir John Major, Sir Trevor McDonald, Chris Adams, Michael Vaughan, Dermot O’Leary and Adam Hollioake. Whilst I am being incredibly biased, please check out ‘The Cricketer’ 116 page April issue, as sitting on the fence, this is one of the best editions for quite awhile.     |
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Post by jonboy on Mar 17, 2016 16:42:37 GMT
Is Jimmy Anyon still with us? Last I heard, they were making a decision about his contract at the end of January.
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Mar 17, 2016 17:24:49 GMT
Jb,
I believe he is. MB reckons so or Mark Baldwin as I have surmised - a contributor for 'The Times' on rugby and cricket. As for RG, he is Richard Gibson, a cricket and football correspondent for the Guardian, Observer, Daily Mail and Sunday Mirror. One presumes media mates of Simon Hughes.
Jimmy Anyon is not on Twitter, so difficult to follow his movements. I know that when I spoke to Steve Magoffin in early November at the 'Meet The Players' evening at 'The Cricketers Pub', he was really helping Jimmy to recover. As Mags said, after his own almost career-ending injury, some years ago, the battle is in the mind rather than the body.
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Post by jonboy on Mar 17, 2016 18:04:58 GMT
Jb, I believe he is. MB reckons so or Mark Baldwin as I have surmised - a contributor for 'The Times' on rugby and cricket. As for RG, he is Richard Gibson, a cricket and football correspondent for the Guardian, Observer, Daily Mail and Sunday Mirror. Jimmy Anyon is not on Twitter, so difficult to follow his movements. I know that when I spoke to Steve Magoffin in early November at the 'Meet The Players' evening at 'The Cricketers Pub', he was really helping Jimmy to recover. As Mags said, after his own almost career-ending injury, some years ago, the battle is in the mind rather than the body. It will be a huge boost to our prospects if we have Jimmy fit and available for the start of the season, especially now we cannot call on poor Matthew |
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Mar 21, 2016 9:57:00 GMT
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Mar 22, 2016 12:47:13 GMT
Let The New Season Begin
______________________________________ Just 6 days to the first two day home friendly against Surrey and the anticipation of a new season is palpable. Apart from Chris Jordan who is on T20 World Cup duty, all team members have returned from their overseas Winter travels with Matt Machan the last piece of the jigsaw - flying back from Nagpur, India, last week, after Scotland’s win against Hong Kong by 8 wickets in the T20 World Cup final qualifiers. Unfortunately, their fate had been sealed with a loss against Zimbabwe two days earlier. The best news for Matt was earning his 50th Scottish cap - no mean feat for a local 25 year-old lad. Chris Nash and Ben Brown returned from their 5 week trip to 'Gary Kirsten’s Cricket Academy' in Cape Town, South Africa during late February. Other Sussex players who have been overseas this winter include Tymal Mills, Danny Briggs and Lewis Hatchett. Not forgetting, of course, the club’s dynamic Captain, Luke Wright, after his highly successful time playing in both the Australian T20 ‘Big Bash League’ and Pakistan’s ‘Super League’. Meanwhile, new coach Mark Davis must be aching to begin the new season, particularly when the pressure is on for an immediate return to Division 1 - only made more difficult when there is just one promotional place this year. A Surprise Return Of the Prodigal Sussex Batsman The club and supporters feel excited and revitalised by the staff changes during the Winter. A new coach and captain; a new batting coach with the surprise appointment of Murray Goodwin; alongside a newly created staff position, ‘Director of Sussex Cricket’, given to the loyal and long-standing club member, Keith Greenfield. Alongside other musical deckchair changes, Sussex CCC remains committed to offering important job positions to former club cricketers, well exemplified by the return of Michael Yardy in the capacity as the U17s coach. Meanwhile, various Members are disappointed with no position being offered to Chris Adams who some felt was the strongest candidate for the batting consultant position. For a club who boasts a great family union, Adams, under his captaincy, instigated 3 Championship trophies and 2 OD tournaments. So, some feel the appointment of Murray Goodwin last week as batting coach is a snub and betrayal to the player who gave more to Sussex CCC via trophies and success than any other club cricketer during its 177 year history. But, that is water under the bridge now. Expectations are a-plentiful and where no team has played a game yet, dreams are strong and hopes are high, particularly on the South Coast. There is a new ground-naming sponsor '1st Central' - a car insurance company - so, journalists, in particular, will be delighted with the tripping off the tongue 3 syllable name compared to its 7 syllable predecessor; although one suspects, some may continue referring to it as 'The Hove County Ground'. Let the season begin and good luck to all at Sussex CCC. We will need it - especially in the injury-free department. GOSBTS!
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Post by joe on Mar 22, 2016 14:10:44 GMT
I second those sentiments and add another good luck to our 3 new youngsters, Salt, Garton and Whittingham who I hope we see being given a game or two.
GOSBTS!
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Post by hhsussex on Mar 22, 2016 14:31:18 GMT
I second those sentiments and add another good luck to our 3 new youngsters, Salt, Garton and Whittingham who I hope we see being given a game or two. GOSBTS! I hope so too, and also that Finch and Hudson-Prentice get the opportunity to have a run in the side and prove themselves. |
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Post by flashblade on Mar 22, 2016 15:58:50 GMT
I second those sentiments and add another good luck to our 3 new youngsters, Salt, Garton and Whittingham who I hope we see being given a game or two. GOSBTS! I hope so too, and also that Finch and Hudson-Prentice get the opportunity to have a run in the side and prove themselves. I have a hunch that Davis will not stifle the youngsters' progress like his predecessor. |
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Post by fraudster on Mar 22, 2016 19:41:41 GMT
"The club and supporters feel excited and revitalised by the staff changes during the Winter."
I'm not getting that from this Board - quite negative about it actually, full of criticism and not a lot of faith in the majority of changes, Wright aside. Not very PC, or IC, if you will.
I feel excited though, although that may in part be down to another window I have open.
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Mar 23, 2016 10:39:59 GMT
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Post by hhsussex on Mar 23, 2016 11:09:28 GMT
Doesn't Gatting look old! It must be a peculiar inverted variant of the old "policeman looking younger" thing that as one ages near-contemporaries are, of course, all much jowlier and more venerable than oneself.  |
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Mar 25, 2016 19:43:12 GMT
I am delighted to report that Sussex CCC have followed my example by offering a diary of forthcoming events occurring at the Hove County...oops, 'Ist Central County Ground'. I have been offering a monthly diary list of off-field club events for close on two years and mentioned its popularity to our media officer, Adam Matthews, on several occasions. Here is the present Sussex CCC diary for 2016 which presumably will change as new events are added. www.countygroundsussex.co.uk/upcoming-events/ |
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Post by flashblade on Mar 25, 2016 20:54:39 GMT
I am delighted to report that Sussex CCC have followed my example by offering a diary of forthcoming events occurring at the Hove County...oops, 'Ist Central County Ground'. I have been offering a monthly diary list of off-field club events for close on two years and mentioned its popularity to our media officer, Adam Matthews, on several occasions. Here is the present Sussex CCC diary for 2016 which presumably will change as new events are added. www.countygroundsussex.co.uk/upcoming-events/It proves the club listens to you! |
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Mar 25, 2016 21:08:57 GMT
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