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Post by Wicked Cricket on Nov 24, 2017 20:54:16 GMT
herring, Are you stalking me? Of your eight posts this I believe is either your third or fourth post mentioning or criticising this thread. Are you a stooge from the Inner Circle? To repeat, there are a few occasions when subjects may overlap and the Mod quite rightly steps in and moves the post to the relevant thread. Yet, just you coming on here and posting must mean you have an interest, although, my suggestion to you is that if this cricket column offends you, please don't bother reading it. Simples.
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Nov 27, 2017 13:22:16 GMT
Will There be Further Changes Made to the Sussex CCC Coaching Staff? ________________________________________________________________________________________The last month has seen major upheavals to the club’s coaching staff and players. It kicked off on October 25th with the release of an official statement confirming that Mark Davis had left his Head Coaching role ‘by mutual consent’. I say ‘confirmed’ because three weeks earlier the Cricbuzz journalist, Rob Johnston, had broken the scoop on his sacking, but supporters had to wait patiently for confirmation. Sad news of Chris Nash’s departure to Notts was also broken and rumours abounded that this was partly down to poor management from Davis who had offered Nash the captaincy after Wright stepped down and then took it away the next day by giving the position to Ben Brown. Meanwhile, there has been much positive news of the youngsters signing extensions to their contracts with the most cheering being that Luke Wright has decided to stay at the South Coast and not follow the route of Nash. Who will become Gillespie's assistant?Not surprisingly, speculation gathered over who might take over from Mark Davis. Naturally, Chris Adams gained all the media attention whilst another former ‘great’, Matt Prior, made his intentions clear with a flurry of tweets, criticising the loss of the former club’s winning culture, whilst cryptically suggesting there were worrying problems behind the club facade. Whenever asked, Prior repeated he would "love to help the club out". But no-one was expecting the monumental news that struck on November 20th when to Sussex supporters amazement and sheer delight, Jason Gillespie was appointed as the new Head Coach. The same man who had dramatically reversed Yorkshire’s fortunes from demise to serial Championship Trophy winners in just a couple of years. And to make the point, a Neil Wright tweeted to him yesterday, "dizzy259 please come back to Yorkshire." Gillespie replied, "I’m a @sussexccc man now pal," followed by the customary loyal hashtag handle: "#GOSBTS" Now the euphoric dust is settling, the next question must surely be? Are there further changes afoot to the coaching staff or has CEO Rob Andrew decided to stick and seek stability? Some suggest that Andrew may expand and change the coaching structure which allows new positions to be created. Could we see Adams or Prior or both make a return to Hove in some capacity or have their ‘job applications’ over recent times been all for nothing? Is Andrew happy with Mike Yardy and Carl Hopkinson as the batting and fielding coaches? Is Andrew content with Keith Greenfield as 'Director of Sussex Cricket'? Perhaps, if he is seeking stability as Rob has stated in recent media interviews, the answer is yes? Even so, who will become Gillespie’s new Assistant? Will Jon Lewis retain the position or could the Aussie bring in his own man? Surprisingly, Lewis has made no comment about Gillespie’s appointment on his Twitter. This can lead to a variety of interpretations, but certainly, he’ll hold on to his position as head bowling coach unless Lewis departs for a more permanent place in the England set-up. My gut feeling is that another change is on the way but not until the New Year. What that will be is uncertain.
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Nov 27, 2017 18:32:34 GMT
While I applaud Sussex CCC Operations Officer, Ian Waring, for now holding an annual summer music concert at Hove, I wish the choice of artist could improve. Next season's musical soiree is 4-piece girlband 'Little Mix', the group that Simon Cowell cynically formed during the eighth series of 'The X Factor' in 2011. Since, the band have released 4 albums, gained No.1 hits, won lots of awards, and been involved with various products, commercials and endorsements. They are playing at the County Ground on July 6th. The venue kicks off a 15 date tour throughout July where 'Little Mix' appear at two other county cricket grounds - Derbyshire and Northampton. www.sussexcricket.co.uk/news-1/concert-little-mix-to-kick-off-summer-2018-tour-at-hove
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Nov 28, 2017 0:21:38 GMT
Heading from the Evening Argus today: MEGHAN MARKLE TO BE DUCHESS OF SUSSEX AFTER ROYAL WEDDING. The paper states, "It is likely that the couple will, like Kate and William, be awarded a dukedom by the Monarch and the newlyweds will become the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The Sussex dukedom is the most likely title for the pair having not been (used) in the royal family since 1843." Perhaps, Sussex CCC should offer her and Prince Harry FREE membership for next season? www.theargus.co.uk/news/15685816.Introducing_the_soon_to_be_Duchess_of_Sussex/
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Nov 28, 2017 9:17:05 GMT
I sense a Sussex CCC supporters campaign coming on. Twitter is awash with "Harry and Meghan for Royal Patrons of the Sharks!" An example: LordRic52The Prince likes his Cricket. Plays at Windsor Castle. What about Duke of Sussex as @sussexccc Royal Patron ??All for it. I am sure Meghan would love the tradition and history of the sport and adore looking around the club Museum. I can just see the headline now in the Evening Argus come September 2018 alongside a picture taken in the club Boardroom. "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex roar on their county cricket club and Promotion to Division 1!"
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Post by pjonathanf on Nov 28, 2017 14:55:20 GMT
I would certainly not renew my membership if that was the case (unless, of course, the club was offering free membership to everyone, not just those fortunate to have been born into the right family!)
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Nov 28, 2017 16:28:41 GMT
Ah, an anti-Royalist. Harry may have been born with a silver-spoon but compared to his predecessors both Harry and Wills are, perhaps, the best Royals to have emerged in a very very long time. I wish Harry and Meghan all the happiness and success they can muster. Not only, alongside Wills and Kate, will they transform the Royal Family into more normal human beings, but given the chaos and mayhem in the world which could get worse, help bring understanding, compassion and comfort to those people who still respect the Royal Family. www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsremiCn0MU
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Nov 29, 2017 11:49:13 GMT
KEVIN PIETERSEN IS BACK TO HIS FORMER POMP _______________________________________________________________The tabloid media were dismayed after Kevin Pietersen left the cricketing limelight. He had been a cash-cow for them from 2005 onwards after his daring exploits at The Oval that helped secure the Ashes for England after years of Aussie torment and humiliation. From then on, KP sold increasingly more newspapers, attracted more web clicks whilst placing English cricket firmly back in the public eye. His life then became one long drama of highs and lows. No English cricketer since Ian Botham had achieved such a feat. Today, Pietersen is saving the Rhinos which barely offers a paragraph for the cricket scribes. Like a pair of old slippers that have worn away, they mourn for his loss. Not even Ben Stokes has the same finesse or elegance. He is a street-fighter, more brawn than brain, that rankles with the English middle-classes, the primary followers of the beautiful game. So, with delight, excitement and relish, KP has stopped saving wildlife for now, come out of his chosen retirement, and is back with a punch. His ego is purring like a V8 engine as he laps up the limelight once again with his former panache and gusto. His present Tweets perfectly sum up the rediscovered KP swagger as he basks in the glory of the 'Ashes' down-under surrounded by old cricketing mates and TV cameras. He loves Australia: “Brisbane - Sydney now! I bloody love Australia! If Australia is your home, you’re super lucky!” All the different aspects of his showmanship are on display, whether it is wearing different pairs of coloured socks or gleefully criticising England’s performance in the 1st Test. He even has a humorous poke at his ‘bete noir’ Andrew Strauss, after comments made about the Bairstow affair. “Strauss says ok to a head butt greeting. Can’t wait to see him again!” In fact, KP is presently so inspired, he’s back in the nets playing some classic shots again and as ever there is no modesty. “The expansive shots started to flow...! Flamingo shot deluxe!” But wait, all this cricket, all this ego purring V8 engine, is distancing himself from his wonderful Rhinos, so he quickly tweets, “Something that makes me incredibly happy these days...more people EVERYDAY stopping me in the streets saying, thank you for everything you doing for rhinos than talking cricket!! “ Ohh, the heart strings are singing again for his 3.48m Twitter followers. I am not ashamed to say, it’s great to have you back KP. We've missed you. We've missed you a lot. twitter.com/KP24?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Nov 29, 2017 20:13:59 GMT
Time for Sussex Supporters to Turn Australian ___________________________________________________________Over the last nine days Sussex CCC and their supporters have been struck by an Australian tsunami. It came out of the blue with no warning. No Sussex supporter expected it or even dreamt it. First, a wave of amazement struck the South Coast as news erupted that former Aussie international and hugely successful past Yorkshire CCC Coach, Jason Gillespie, was coming to Hove on a three year contract. Just as that news had settled, we learn today that the might of the Australian International side are playing against Sussex at Hove on June 7th in a 50 over game. Break out the barbies, Ugg boots, Fosters, vegemite, timtams and latex gloves. Turn on the telly to watch repeats of Neighbours; turn up the music for Kylie during a walkabout on the Brighton promenade; then watch DVDs starring Russell Crow and Hugh Jackman. I'm turning Australian, I think I'm turning Australian, I really think so. Turning Australian, I think I'm turning Australian, I really think so...
Finally, attach corks to your white floppy cricket hats and learn how to speak with an Australian accent. This is how you do it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVgiG7_Ey9k
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Nov 30, 2017 12:03:01 GMT
What is it about the English fascination for snow? Is it because the public are so fed up with rain that any other weather is viewed as a godsend? Then, when you add the word cricket to the overall picture, snow goes stratospheric to an even higher level of consternation and awe. Perhaps, the most famous example has now become of legend. That remarkable June day in 1975 when snow, yes snow, fell at Buxton, England's highest town, during a county match between Derbyshire and Lancashire. What ought to have been an ordinary and low-key day made the front pages of the following morning's newspapers. On the Saturday, Lancashire had raced to 477 for 5 - a big score now, an almost unbelievable one by the standards of the day - before reducing the home side to 25 for 2 by the close. A large crowd, many shirtless, ate ice-cream and sheltered from the fierce sunshine. Shortly after the teams and umpires arrived at Buxton on the Monday, it started to rain. Within minutes rain had turned to hail and then snow. After a few minutes the ground resembled a Christmas card. Typically, Dickie Bird was umpiring the game. He recalled: "When I went out to inspect the wicket, the snow was level with the top of my boots. I'd never seen anything like it." Play was abandoned immediately. Clive Lloyd, who had hit a big hundred for Lancashire two days earlier, was equally bemused, but that did not stop him scooping up a handful of snow and hurling it at the county's Indian wicketkeeper, Farokh Engineer. Bob Taylor, the Derbyshire and England wicketkeeper, and team-mates Geoff Miller and Keith Stevenson, ambled to the bowling club next door to see what was happening there. An attempt to play a game ended within minutes when the bowls gathered snow as soon as they had been played. There was also snow at Colchester that day but Essex and Kent managed two hours of cricket in wretchedly cold conditions. What makes this story even more bizarre is that England had been enjoying a heatwave only weeks before. Exactly a week later the Daily Mail sent a reporter back to Buxton to find a different scene - the temperature had soared from 36 degrees to 75 degrees and "spectators stripped to the waist in the sunshine". Two months later, after weeks of unbroken sunshine, the fourth day of the second Test between England and Australia set a new record for the hottest day at a Lord's Test, as the thermometer reached 93 degrees. It was also notable for the famous streaker. This story only emphasises that 'climate change' has been around a lot longer than some scientists suggest. If such an event had occurred this year, the mainstream media would be screaming for tighter restrictions on the releasing of CO2 and anyone who still dared to question manmade global warming might be viewed as "a dangerous heretic." The reason for this column is because Lord's today tweeted a short video of a few snowflakes dropping over the Home of Cricket. Why this has caused such excitement is beyond me. Now, the above is a little more like it! This photo was taken during February 2015. twitter.com/HomeOfCricket
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Nov 30, 2017 15:24:44 GMT
Two delightful tweets this afternoon showcasing the rich history of Sussex CCC. First, Chief Sports Writer at the Daily Telegraph, John Hayward, Tweets: England’s oldest living Test cricketer. Don Smith, 94, told me a wonderful love story when I interviewed him in Adelaide today.Followed by a pic Sussex supporter LordRic52 follows this up by reminding us that Don Smith remains the oldest living Sussex CCC player too and goes on to say: Don is followed in Oldest by Hubert Doggart, Ian Thomson, Alan Oakman & Young Jim Parks (with a hashtag) Play for @sussexccc & stay #ForeverYoung
Here is that wonderful interview: www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2017/11/30/meet-don-smith-englands-oldest-living-test-cricketer-honest/
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Dec 1, 2017 11:51:31 GMT
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Dec 4, 2017 8:38:55 GMT
The Sussex Cricket Foundation have immersed themselves in Christmas cheer by organising a Carol Service in the Spen Cama Pavilion for Monday, December 18th. This musical event features The Mayfair Wassailers. Tickets are £10 and the service begins at 7pm. Children under 16 years-old are allowed to attend FREE. Did you know the word 'wassail' comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase 'waes hael', which means ' good health'.
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Dec 4, 2017 11:38:49 GMT
There was a warming and festive event at the Hove County Ground on Saturday, which so often begs the question: Why don’t more Sussex supporters get involved with the club through the dark and desolate winter months where county cricket is no-more than memories? The occasion was the annual Members and Museum Patrons three course Christmas lunch. Why did only 46 people attend? And even more worrying, around 95% were aged over 65 years-old and only a tiny fraction were under 60. The guest speaker was CEO Rob Andrew. I appreciate my views on the former rugby man presently border on the sycophantic, but I truly believe he is our Moses to lead Sussex out of the recent years of darkness and mediocrity, where the parting of the Red Sea is the City-Based Tournament (CBT) beginning in 2020. I happened to sit on the same table as our No.1 Sussex CCC supporter, Brenda Lower, and for her, like others, the event is an opportunity to be enveloped within the club bosom once more as supporters count down the days until the start of a new season. “I love occasions like this,” she beamed. “It’s so lovely to chat with other supporters and feel a part of the club again.” Who could disagree, so why do so few return to the ground during the Winter? As coffee and mince pies were served it was time for Rob Andrew to stand up for his talk. What a consummate speaker he is. He began with a reflection on his own cricket performances this year which included two matches for the Sharks Staff and a number with the Sussex Seniors over 50s. While he scored a few thirties, he muttered it was his low strike-rate which let him down. So determined is Rob to embrace the side next season that he’s organising a series of indoor nets at the ground in the coming months; although as he pointed out. “This last year has flown by. It has been a fantastic time getting to know and understand the club, but I have never worked so hard in my life!” Rob went on to say that while rugby is immersed in politics, to his surprise, cricket is even worse. He stated that while the sport is going through many changes, never has the future been so bright. “To be given £1.1bn for a five year media rights deal is a phenomenal amount. The key is for Sussex to invest their share of this extra money wisely.” Rob alluded to other sports where much of these finances have ended up in the pockets of the players, but cricket must find a better balance. “Sussex are in a strong and fortunate position with an already redeveloped ground and no debt. For that we must thank the Spen Cama Legacy.” Rob continued that he’s surprised at how many people do not know the County ground even exists and part of the future planning is to get out to the local Community more and spread the message; whilst complimenting the Sussex Cricket Foundation on the excellent work already carried out. Then Rob discussed the recent news of Jason Gillespie as the new Head Coach. “He is genuinely excited about coming here,” smiled Andrew. “We are very lucky to have one of the world’s top coaches at Sussex. It is quite a coup.” He then mooted the “possibility” of seeking out a new spinner and an O/S top order batsman, although pointing out the club already has an emerging array of highly promising and talented youngsters. He once more affirmed the need for stability. His speech was well received although I noted a few frowning faces when the CBT was briefly discussed. To get his message across to club supporters, Rob is speaking at another event - the 'Sussex CCC Supporters Monthly Lunch' - on Wednesday December 20th. These are a series of luncheons held throughout the Winter where speakers, so far, have been Mark Robinson and Jon Filby. And don’t forget the monthly ‘Quiz & Curry’ night which is another opportunity to be amongst supporters during the Winter. Both event dates are in the link below. www.countygroundsussex.co.uk/monthly-lunches-returning-for-the-winter/
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Dec 5, 2017 10:51:38 GMT
The Sussex Cricket Museum and Educational Trust (SCMET) have arranged an exciting event for next summer - a unique one-off fund-raising gourmet dinner and champagne reception on the eve of the Sussex v Australia 50 over game on Wednesday June 6th. It is to be held in the Museum. Australian Cricket Manager, Darren Lehmann, is the guest speaker and Rob Andrew the MC for the evening. Lehmann is a Patron of the SCMET which only makes this event more special. New club Head Coach, Jason Gillespie, is also expected to attend. Darren Lehmann outside the Sussex CCC Museum a few years agoNumbers are restricted to 50 people and only available for primarily trustees and patrons of the Museum. The cost of a ticket is a cool £125, but given this special occasion, well worth the charge. This event shows again the club's charitable ambition after their recent success of a £150 a head three course meal held at the 'Tower of London' when the guest speaker was Andrew Strauss and where a five figure sum was raised.
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