Durhamfootman wrote:Another humiliatingly incompetent defeat
hard to know what to say really.
Is it Grace Rd at the weekend? Surely there have to be some changes to the batting line up? One hundred, two fifties and nine blobs. Nine blobs.... that means that almost a quarter of the 40 wickets to fall, fell for nought.... and there are only 5 of the 13 players selected with a high score greater than 14
So far only Lees is worth his spot. Bedingham maybe... just about. Harte more for his stickability than his run making or his bowling.... it says something that he comes in at 5 and 50% of the time he's the last man standing without even scoring many runs
Rushy and Raine would make the team every day of the week, even if we were a better team. Salisbury would keep his place purely for his 4 wickets in the Lancs innings
Dickson will presumably be given all 5 matches, I should think, partly to both bed in and partly because all the other contenders are stuck in a different hemisphere
Capt Ned is the captain, so he'll stay, but he's gone from Captain Sensible last year to Capt Calamity this.
Steel averages 5.25 and by all accounts looks like getting out every ball. He can't stay, surely, so we may have to think about replacing the cold with the stainless.... unless he's being saved for the hit and giggle and they don't want to ruin his confidence before the comp even starts...... which might be a good idea
Burnham is one of those infuriating players who has all the skills and none of the application or concentration
Carse was absolutely hopeless in this game and it would be a huge leap of faith to keep him in the side after a performance as woeful as that. The only thing in his favour is that Matty Potts looked toothless against Yorks and Paul Coughlin is.... well, Paul Coughlin!
Excellent summing up. The lineup looks almost certain to fail. Steel has never looked like replicating the form of his first year, Harte I think looks decent and would certainly do no worse at 3. Dickson is interesting, I agree about giving him the matches to try and settle in. He has decent stats but - together with sp's assessment- he doesn't seem to be someone who will make regular telling contributions.
Bedingham the other interesting one - apparently is ( or was!) highly thought of in SA so, given our lack of quality, I'd be keen to take a punt on him and extend the contract. If he wants to that is!
I wonder if Dickson was signed, at least in part, because they may feel unable to afford Bancroft or another top class player next season.
One thing I don't get about Weighell and Whitehead- they're obviously out of contract at the end of the season, but why would we choose not to offer extensions before the season started? Suggests to me that either the decisions were taken last year ( unlikely) or it's down to lack of cash thanks to covid. Now those two won't have been on big wages so if they're too expensive then it does not bode well in terms of strengthening for next season.
On an unrelated note I've just read something from Essex - they say they can't afford to refund memberships and anyone who wants to apply for a refund should fill out a forn and they'll consider each case individually!!