[Cricket] *** Leicestershire v Sussex - penultimate CC game ***

[Moshe Gariani]

But that’s not what you said. No exclamation mark, smiley or winking emoji, just :
“Lucky that there isn't much time left and the draw is nailed on”

There is a long tradition on NSC cricket threads of saying completely the opposite to what you are really thinking.

I know it is silly - and used to annoy me when Sussex players and coaches were doing really quite well at their jobs but the "joke" was they were all useless. Hoppo wasn't that great in truth but he'd have been handy this season.

 

[vegster]

There is a long tradition on NSC cricket threads of saying completely the opposite to what you are really thinking.

I know it is silly - and used to annoy me when Sussex players and coaches were doing really quite well at their jobs but the "joke" was they were all useless. Hoppo wasn't that great in truth but he'd have been handy this season.

It's not so much fun when they really are useless !

 

[amexer]

Is a reasonable observation.

I guess where opinions differ is whether the "Seven Year Plan" is a legitimate strategy. If the alternative is bankruptcy then I guess it is.

Who knows if a different leadership team could make much better use of the limited resources in the short-term and still achieve player development goals?

Whoever tries to do it certainly has their work cut out.

We have employed 4 overseas players this season so just not acceptable to say we had limited resources. In addition loads of non playing staff including a DOC

 

[hans kraay fan club]

We have employed 4 overseas players this season so just not acceptable to say we had limited resources.

Not for the proper cricket we didn’t. Just Travis ****ing Head who averaged about 8.

 

[timbha]

There is a long tradition on NSC cricket threads of saying completely the opposite to what you are really thinking.

I know it is silly - and used to annoy me when Sussex players and coaches were doing really quite well at their jobs but the "joke" was they were all useless. Hoppo wasn't that great in truth but he'd have been handy this season.

Fair enough. I remember that spell when we were doing much better in the red ball game.

I’m afraid this poor run is killing the youngsters. No one wants to play for the bottom side that’s getting stuffed every week. T20 had just as well be a different club.

I’m angry with the club and it’s management tonight

 

[DJ NOBO]

77-2

Lucky that there isn't much time left and the draw is nailed on.

Even taking Sussex gallows humour , and the weakened team, into account this was a reasonable assumption.
Embarrassing.
We were playing a team whose strike bowler was abi sakande.

 

[dazzer6666]

Anyone going to finals day on Saturday?

 

[Don Tmatter]

Anyone going to finals day on Saturday?

Yep but totally different team (I hope)

 

[Don Tmatter]

Even taking Sussex gallows humour , and the weakened team, into account this was a reasonable assumption.
Embarrassing.
We were playing a team whose strike bowler was abi sakande.

He must have had a wry smile when seeing our seam attack.

 

[Pavilionaire]

This has to be the weakest 4-days side Sussex have ever had. There must be one or two or the Minor Counties that would fancy their chances against our kids.

Our finances must be totally f*cked, and if that is the case we look like joining the likes of Derbyshire and Northants as perennial no-hopers.

The only positive thing I can say is the situation reminds me of the England rugby team that were sent out to play Australia Down Under on 6th June 1998 and got hammered 76-0. However, out of that side emerged World Cup winners Jonny Wilkinson, Phil Vickery and Danny Grewcock, while Austin Healy, Graham Rowntree and Richard Cockerill went on to have successful England careers - the latter two now decent coaches.

 

[Brovion]

This has to be the weakest 4-days side Sussex have ever had. There must be one or two or the Minor Counties that would fancy their chances against our kids.

Our finances must be totally f*cked, and if that is the case we look like joining the likes of Derbyshire and Northants as perennial no-hopers.

The only positive thing I can say is the situation reminds me of the England rugby team that were sent out to play Australia Down Under on 6th June 1998 and got hammered 76-0. However, out of that side emerged World Cup winners Jonny Wilkinson, Phil Vickery and Danny Grewcock, while Austin Healy, Graham Rowntree and Richard Cockerill went on to have successful England careers - the latter two now decent coaches.

That is all we can cling to. Hopefully Gwylan will be along soon to put a positive spin on this - and I'm not being sarcastic as I really want to see the positives. Why wasn't Luke Wright given a red ball contract? I know a lot of the damage was done by the over-rated Gillespie, but when it became obvious that the youngsters, (some of whom may well become decent but at the moment are definitely not), were barely of 2nd XI standard couldn't he have been drafted in?. I see Rikki Ckarke has been playing for Surrey and is just about to retire at 39. We could have so done with a similar figure.

We'll win the T20, which will be great of course, and everyone will say "Oh it's fine."

 

[Moshe Gariani]

That is all we can cling to. Hopefully Gwylan will be along soon to put a positive spin on this - and I'm not being sarcastic as I really want to see the positives. Why wasn't Luke Wright given a red ball contract? I know a lot of the damage was done by the over-rated Gillespie, but when it became obvious that the youngsters, (some of whom may well become decent but at the moment are definitely not), were barely of 2nd XI standard couldn't he have been drafted in?. I see Rikki Ckarke has been playing for Surrey and is just about to retire at 39. We could have so done with a similar figure.

We'll win the T20, which will be great of course, and everyone will say "Oh it's fine."

Luke Wright is an easy one. He has a very dodgy back and couldn't play red ball for physical fitness reasons.

I don't think anyone sensible thinks "Oh it's fine".

I think it is really difficult and complicated for those trying to run the club. I respect Rob Andrew's CV as an accomplished sports executive and don't for one second think I've got solutions that he isn't considering.

 

[Gwylan]

That is all we can cling to. Hopefully Gwylan will be along soon to put a positive spin on this - and I'm not being sarcastic as I really want to see the positives. Why wasn't Luke Wright given a red ball contract? I know a lot of the damage was done by the over-rated Gillespie, but when it became obvious that the youngsters, (some of whom may well become decent but at the moment are definitely not), were barely of 2nd XI standard couldn't he have been drafted in?. I see Rikki Ckarke has been playing for Surrey and is just about to retire at 39. We could have so done with a similar figure.

We'll win the T20, which will be great of course, and everyone will say "Oh it's fine."

I'm not sure I'm the one to put a positive spin on it. I've been saying constantly that the kids need some senior players alongside them as it's unfair to expect a whole team to jump from youth/Seconds to the CC in one go. I've also said for some years that it was madness to give Wright solely a white ball contract - his experience would have been invaluable this season. The one thing that I have said is that it's unfair to blame Salisbury for this as he's been dealt a poor hand.

If I were in charge of Sussex, I'd be looking at players' contracts and move away from this idea of two teams for red and white ball cricket. I've been looking back at the teams that won the one-day events for us in the past and they were pretty much the teams that played in the CC. Having separate teams haven't won us anything. And I'm sure that having one player in all forms is cheaper than having two separate players.

This will take some time but it should be a priority. That and signing a decent overseas batter for all forms of the game.

 

[Gwylan]

Luke Wright is an easy one. He has a very dodgy back and couldn't play red ball for physical fitness reasons.

That's not what he said when it was announced that he only had a white ball contract. He said that he'd been practising red ball cricket all winter and was up for the challenge.

And even if he couldn't play every game, he'd have been a useful person to have around.

When Bopara was signed, it was announced that he'd play in all forms - that was quietly shelved.

The principle should be, from now on, to sign players for the whole season

 

[DJ NOBO]

Luke Wright is an easy one. He has a very dodgy back and couldn't play red ball for physical fitness reasons.

I don't think anyone sensible thinks "Oh it's fine".

I think it is really difficult and complicated for those trying to run the club. I respect Rob Andrew's CV as an accomplished sports executive and don't for one second think I've got solutions that he isn't considering.

That makes a lot of sense in theory but Wright spent the winter preparing for red ball before being jettisoned. He wasn’t happy about that.
Not that the likes of Wright , nash, wells (or bopara ) would have necessarily made the difference , going on their form over the preceding years. The bigger problem has been not adequately replacing key players over more than a decade.
Anyway , every Sussex fan should enjoy Saturday . It may be the last time we see a sussex team of that Calibre, in any form , for a long time.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

That's not what he said when it was announced that he only had a white ball contract. He said that he'd been practising red ball cricket all winter and was up for the challenge.

I'm very surprised by that. He would obviously have been ideal to have in this team of youngsters as a role model and to add ballast to the batting.

If Luke Wright was really fit and keen to play red ball cricket then I don't understand why he didn't. The relatively small extra cost of paying him to play in some red ball matches alongside the youngsters, rather than come in to Hove and train, would seem like a no-brainer investment in the future.

People paying to watch the matches would also have loved to see him play a few more times.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

I'm very surprised by that. He would obviously have been ideal to have in this team of youngsters as a role model and to add ballast to the batting.

If Luke Wright was really fit and keen to play red ball cricket then I don't understand why he didn't. The relatively small extra cost of paying him to play in some red ball matches alongside the youngsters, rather than come in to Hove and train, would seem like a no-brainer investment in the future.

People paying to watch the matches would also have loved to see him play a few more times.

Or maybe DJ NOBO is right and Luke actually wouldn't have made that much difference? Who knows?

One big positive IS the emergence of real young talent this year with 3 x England U19 (2 aged 17) also performing at close to 1st XI standard. We haven't ever had that.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Or maybe DJ NOBO is right and Luke actually wouldn't have made that much difference? Who knows?

One big positive IS the emergence of real young talent this year with 3 x England U19 (2 aged 17) also peforming at close to 1st XI standard. We haven't ever had that.

This, plus the magnificent form of Tom Haines. Who was the last SCCC player to top the CC runs? Did Goodwin do it?

 

[DJ NOBO]

I'm very surprised by that. He would obviously have been ideal to have in this team of youngsters as a role model and to add ballast to the batting.

If Luke Wright was really fit and keen to play red ball cricket then I don't understand why he didn't. The relatively small extra cost of paying him to play in some red ball matches alongside the youngsters, rather than come in to Hove and train, would seem like a no-brainer investment in the future.

People paying to watch the matches would also have loved to see him play a few more times.

Several reasons, I should think.
It was at the time when the current youth first strategy was first on trend at the club.
Gillespie looking to make his mark (he quickly seemed to change from Mr Approachable to ruthless, impulsive and willing to cut the club’s nose off to spite its face)
Wright had struggled for runs .
And maybe a genuine desire to get the best out of Wright in lucrative one-dayers, and consideration of his injuries.

But even if there were justifiable reasons back then, it is frustrating the decision has seemingly not been revisited. If fit, he would surely have been helpful this season.

 

[Moshe Gariani]

Several reasons, I should think.
It was at the time when the current youth first strategy was first on trend at the club.
Gillespie looking to make his mark (he quickly seemed to change from Mr Approachable to ruthless, impulsive and willing to cut the club’s nose off to spite its face)
Wright had struggled for runs .
And maybe a genuine desire to get the best out of Wright in lucrative one-dayers, and consideration of his injuries.

But even if there were justifiable reasons back then, it is frustrating the decision has seemingly not been revisited. If fit, he would surely have been helpful this season.

Well, yes, the reason emboldened is the most compelling.

I don't rule out that mistakes have been made though. One clear possibility is that the Salisbury/Kirtley coaching team have overplayed the rush to youth partly as a result of their own inexperience. This will be very forgiveable if a decent red ball team is built based on some of these same Sussex youngsters.