Another good day for Yorks .... I never thought I'd be chearing on Durham ... but have been today. All the Tykes have to do now is ensure the draw ... although if Durham beat Kent Yorks are safe provided they bowl our overs on time & Kent will be relegated

BUT .... before I get over excited it has to be asked how the (censored) Yorks got into this situation in the first place. In what must be said to be a poor year Yorks should really have been challenging for the championship not panicing about relegation ... but we basically got what we deserved

I was at Trent Bridge today...............I don't want to talk about it

I'll not comment about any other team ... but are now whistling the great escape as somehow Yorks survived to play 1st division championship cricket next year ... & it was 2 young Yorkshire lads (Rashid & Wainwright) who did our bit .... whilst Durham did the rest .... congtratluations to them on winning the championship

So congratulations to Durham, and well done you Yorkies for escaping...

...and Kent's collapse has been, erm, interesting. I guess that means Essex will have to play them even more times next season.

End of season always feels a bit sad. Suppose that means it's winter.

As far as I'm concerned winter started at 4:20 on Saturday August 20th when Somerset declared at Scarborough. I wished a number of my cricket friends Merry Christmas & Happy New Year (I wont see them again until April) & drove home.

I guess Essex/Kent is a bit like Yorks/Durham ... at the start of the 2008 season it felt like we were playing Durham every other game ('friendly', Championship, FPT, 20/20 ... all home & away before the end of June) ... next season there's also the Pro40.

Yep, it tends to be a bit like that, and we then ran into them again in the final of the FPT this year. 'Twould be nice to play someone different occasionally, but unless the ECB change the zonal grouping system for the FPT and T20, I think we're doomed to go on this way. We go through phases of the season when we constantly seem to be playing Kent, Surrey and Middlesex. And we'll get all three of them in Div 2 of the CC next season. At least next year we'll have escaped them in the Pro40.

Yorks first Lupack Deon Kruis has left the club. I've a feeling that both parties whould have liked another year but couldn't agree terms. Kruis showed the good side of Kolpacks ... in his first season (2005) he was Yorks leading wicket taker.... in the following 3 season there have been 'injury' problems but Kruis was liked by the majority of Yorks regulars as he always game 100% ...... I'll never forget Kruis's first wicket for Yorks at Headingley. At the end of the over Deon retreated back to fine leg ... & the look of joy when 'the faithful' gave their usual round of applauce for a wicket take had to be seen to be believed ... it said "I'm going to like it here"

I always find it a strange and vaguely sad time of year, this time when you know contracts are up for discussion. And some of those county players you've sort of grown attached to will end up leaving, never to be seen again (unless they end up returning with a different county to inevitably score a match-winning ton or take a hatful of wickets against you), other youngsters you had high hopes for will find their cricket career over before it's hardly begun... and one or two of those useless wastes of time you really wanted rid of will be handed a nice fat lucrative career extension.

Next up will be the time when those exciting new signings that were being talked about all round the county ground at the end of the season turn out to be a couple of cast-offs that other counties consider past it.

Ah well, at least it looks like the Stanford Moneyfest is back on. So that's a relief to all of us.

^^^^^^^^^

Good post as that's exactly what all cricket regulars are feeling atm. At Yorks we just hope that the Plunkett rumours are true.

btw After his comments I'm sure Moster will be please to hear that Ian Fisher who was released by Gloucestershire has driven up the M5 & joined Garreth Batty bowling spin for Worcestershire

i'd have driven him there myself.

But you've replaced Fisher with Richard Dawson (rejected by Yorkshire AND Northants) ... dont 'the shire' ever learn

no

After sacking CorK Lancs have now removed Law. So Lancs are finally following Brian Close's dictum. When Yorks finished Boycott's career at the end of the 1986 season Close said it was to "give the young uns a chance" .... as one rather sad mate has been reminding me for 22 years ... in fact it has become the term we use if we suspect a pub is being used by under-aged drinkers !!

There are of course voices in Essex wanting to bring Stuart Law back. Fortunately, there is surely no chance of the Essex management letting this happen, and that's even apart from the "giving the young uns a chance" issue.

But look, researchers have found that cricket can "curb bad behaviour in schools"
... "Cricket particularly has been seen as a gentleman's sport and it's played with particular codes of conduct that maybe we don't see in other sports": http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7669018.stm

They possibly haven't been watching much international cricket lately...

red, out of interest, where do you stand on the boycott sacking?

No comment, lets just say I'm not a Boycott fan. I was living in West Yorks when they combined the members areas in the early 1990s. This meant that Boycott was one of the possible committee members for the West Area I lived in. One mate has never forgiven me for voting against him

Friends Provident Trophy draw for 2009:

Group A: Ireland, Hampshire, Nottinghamshire, Worcestershire, Leicestershire.

Group B: Scotland, Warwickshire, Kent, Somerset, Middlesex.

Group C: Surrey, Durham, Gloucestershire, Yorkshire, Sussex.

Group D: Essex, Glamorgan, Lancashire, Derbyshire, Northamptonshire.


Of course Yorks group includes ****** Durham ... its seems to be a rule that Yorks must play Durham every other week between April & July. Next season it will be a minimum of 7 games between the teams .... 2 in the FPT, 2 in the championship, 2 in the 20/20 & 1 in the Pro40 ... never mind that Yorks always tend to play Durham in pre season 'friendlies'

And astonishingly, Essex will be playing someone different. Don't think we played Lancashire at all last season. Ok, we're still stuck with Northants as usual, but I suppose you can't have everything. At least it's not Kent and Middlesex again.

I'd have thought you'd be happy Bm ... Essex, Glamorgan, Lancashire, Derbyshire Northamptonshire should guarentee that Essex & Lancs get through to the quarter finals whilst Surrey, Durham, Gloucestershire, Yorkshire & Sussex will be 'the group of death'.

Aye, I am reasonably confident, on this season's form... which probably now means we face embarrassing defeats to Derby and the Stealboks.

Your group is certainly 'interesting'. Though if Surrey and Glorse are as bad next year as they were this year, that should make it easier.

Yorks tied with Derby in the Pro 40 & should have lost to the Sticklebacks (thankfully they collapsed) so I cant comment. Glouc did well in some 1 dayers topping their group in the 2008 FPT ... they then lost to Yorks in the quarter final (Yorks had the advantage that 'our group' didn't travel to Bristol)

True enough. And it's hard to believe that Surrey can possibly be as bad next year. So 'group of death' it is.

Though Group A looks 'interesting' too... Hampshire and Notts, you'd think... but then Leics got to the FPT QF last year... and Worcs on their day can be tough, especially if they can get Simon Jones fit...

???

The county on the M5 between Worcse & Zumerzet

as pronounced by who, helen mirren? the queen?

Today Yorks signed a replacement for pace bowler Deon Kruis who left the county on Oct 9th

The name of the new South African Lurpac is . ..... Deon Kruis (& no there aren't two of them)

I've discovered that we get the Indian 20/20 league on some random channel on FreeSat...
At least I get to watch some live cricket now...

You put your Lurpak in, your Lurpak out, in, out, in, out, you shake it all about...

A bit of a weird saga that, Red Star? What's it all about?

Following the India-Oz test, and wondering what's going to happen when England tour there this winter...

they're going to smash us to bits, i'd wager.

I'd be very worried Barking as I was going to add the Hokey Cokey but decided against it. What happened was the Kruis wanted to stay & Moxon (director of cricket) wanted Kruis to stay. The chief exec then suddenly decided to cut short Deon's 'decision time' & told him that the offer had been recinded. In the following week something mst have happened .... our guess is that Yorks failed to entice Plunkett from Durham. There was a rumour Liam was unhappy & Yorks wanted him ... esp as Plunkett is a Yorkshireman from Middlesbrough.

England will probably get creamed with winter .... but provided Jaques's back doesnt recover we stand a chance against Aus next summer.

Sorry if it upsets our antipodean friends .... but its nice to see Australia hammered. The last time I felt like this was when Australia beat the West Indies in the early 90's as it was the first time the Windies had lost at home for years .... I remember watching the final afternoon of the game in a pub as it was before I had Sky.

we should have won the 1st test , as we were the better team ,
but the 2nd test was ordinary.
India outplayed us. They batted very well and then backed it up with some great bowling.
a deserved win.
whoever won the toss in the 2nd test was going to post a big score, and India had that luck , but when it was our turn to bat , well disappointing. The batsmen struggled . in the 1st innings everyone got a start , except for ponting , then the 2nd innings we lost the plot 0/49 then we lost 5/9 . i dont think i have ever seen an aussie top order fold like that. But fair play to India , they were outstanding.
the 3rd test will be interesting , if our bats fire it will be a good game.
if stuart clark is fit , along with johnson and lee .our pace attack is quite menacing.
we miss andrew symonds versatility, craig white isnt up to test standard nor is watson.


in the 2nd test ,Our bowlers without Stuart Clark( injured) struggled in the Indian conditions.
Peter Siddle from victoria made his debut. 23yo pace bowler ,only his 1st test but struggled on a flat deck.
Brett Lee struggled , quite a poor performance, Mitchell Johnson continues to show that he will be a class bowler with a bit more experience. he has bowled well in both tests.
spin bowling is our major weakness now. shane warne and stuart mcgill's retirements have hurt.
bryce mcgain , a leggie from victoria was selected to tour but injured himself before the tour started.
white his replacement is ordinary , as is the off spinner jason krejza( the other spinner on tour )
Beau Casson , who made is debut in the w.indies in may and performed well, must be wondering what he did wrong. apparently wasnt selected because the selectors thought he would struggle (as a left arm spinner ) in india...i would have thought you take your best bowlers.

Taa for the report Brendon ... it appears that things are better than they look for Aus .... not good for England in 2009.

As someone who's watched Hattie (Phil Jaques) play for Yorks I know he's a class act so his runs must be missed ... although Jaques is a bit of liability in the field as at times he made Lehmann look athletic. How bad is the back injury?

Jacques' injury has forced him to fly back home and he has been replaced by shaun marsh ( geoff marsh's son ). shame, i rate Jacques.... when symonds not touring , i thought it would be good to open with hayden , jacques,then ponting , hussey , clarke , and play katich at 6 ...but on the strength of katich's 2007-08 summer and his last 2 100's in the windies. he kept his spot.
Papers reported also because katich can bowl spin and jacques fielding were other reasons. yet they didnt bowl katich in either test.
watson from qld is batting at 6 . i dont think he is up to test standard.
Brad Haddin from NSW is the new keeper . he is a good keeper and an aggressive batsmen, in the same mould as gilchrist. if he does half the job gillys done , then he will have done good. he is a keeper who can bat , has 10 first class 100s to his name.
the spin bowling is the major problem...
after the indian series , we play nz in 3 test at home...we should win them . the bangladesh nearly beat nz yesterday in a test match.
then after nz , south africa are in australia for 3 tests

jacques has arrived home and apparently requires back surgery which according to media reports will put him out for the entire australian summer, so i imagine that means he wont make the trip to england in 2009

^^^^^

Thanks for that Brendan .... you can be cetain that Hattie will be missed.

It appears that the ECB are now saying England stars can play in the IPL next April .... shouldn't they be playing in something called the county championship ... or does this show that this competition doesn't matter any more

We keep being told that 20/20 games are exciting ... stayed up till god only knows when last night watching the Standford All Stars vs Trinidad & Tobago 20/20 match .... in a word BORING

England stars? In the county championship? Shouldn't they be off doing book-signings or something important like that?

Very cynical BM .... but unfortunately very true

The Standford 20/20 has been the biggest let down for ages ..... as one local said 20/20 is all about 6s & 4s .. both of which have been in very short supply .... the lights are also useless ... they are bright enough but have to be low down due to the airport next door

It's a sad state of affairs, RS, that you know, as a county supporter, that if one of your players gets a central contract, you're likely hardly to see them again. You understand it when they're actually playing for the national team, or training... but when you find they're off doing promo work or some other means of making even more money, it, erm, tests the patience.

So you end up hoping your county players do well, obviously, but not so well that they might get picked for the national team. And the trouble in the end is, what incentive is there for counties to train and support their young players if they know that if the player gets too good, they'll lose him?

Anyway, back to Stanford, oh poor England players having to put up with those substandard playing conditions. I suppose there must be something that might make all their hardship bearable...

Exaclty ... atm most Yorkies are trying to talk down Rashid. As you know Adil is a very promising leg spin bowler who can actually bat (the lad was picked as a batsman in his first game at Scarborough in 2006... & won it by bowling out Warwickshire). But being young Rash has quite a few 'off days' & most of us think he isnt ready for test matches. The problem is that when he's good Rashid can be brilliant ... his ton saved us at Hove this year.

At Yorks we also have two recentisht examples of England ruining careers. Gavin Hamilton was a hard working bowling all rounder who made the most of his talent. Then after a 'good' world cup for Scotland Gav got in the England team for a test against South Africa. Ufortunately Hamilton got a pair & no wickets (some Yorkies blaim captain Hussain). Within a couple of year Hammy had 'the bowling yips' & its been downhill ever since. There's also Richard Dawson, a 'promising' off-spinner (& potential future Yorks captain) who never recovered from the 2002/3 Ashes where he ended up in the team due to Giles getting injured. Hopefully Glouc will resurect Daws's career ... but I wouldn't bet on it.

Aye, Dawson in particular was an obvious case of a young talent ruined. Hope you can nurture Rashid till he's really ready.

In Essex, we're currently torn between believing that James Foster is the best keeper in England, and secretly hoping that England don't take him and ruin him again. Mind you, while Moores is in charge, as Fossie hasn't ever played for Sussex he has little chance of being picked.

Another good start for India (296 for 3) .......are they intentionally annoying the Aussie's before they come over here next year ?

As Bredon has pointed out Aus aren't at full stength ... & have always struggled in India even when they had McGrath Warne Gillchrist etc

T'was meant to be a jape

we are full strength . maybe symonds 4 watson and we lack a quality spinner after warne then macgill retiring... we were always going to miss warne but we thought we would get another2 or 3 years out of macgill. not to be
india won toss and elected to bat on a flat deck , 2/27 dravid , schewag out it looked good, then 3/390 or there abouts at stumps. now day 2 tea. 6/515. just a flat wicket , we will need to bat well to avoid defeat .
we havent bowled badly , clark 0/55 off 29 overs , johnson 2/95 off 25 , watson 2/66 off 20. just the wicket offers nothing to quicks.

Sorry Aqua .... some of the members of cricket forums I inhabit are getting carried away with Aus doing badly so I forgot to switch on my joke responder when I say your post

I've been watching the Standford 20/20 games ... & they are doing a great job for us traditionalists ..... the cricket is truely awful .... .... one local was moaning because of the lack of 4s & 6s .....one team lost when chasing a score in the 120s.

Indeed. Entertaining though it certainly is for English cricket supporters, we should not forget that England are heading for India next...

...still, however badly England get mauled in the Indian tests, it will at least be proper cricket...

So the ECB are going to "review" the Stanford Moneyfest, as maybe even they have begun to feel a tad uncomfortable about the proceedings. Trouble is, when you've sold your soul, it's difficult to undo it.

A question .... is it just Yorkshire fans who think their team is going to be relegated unless the county sign loads of 'stars'. On the Yorkshire cricket forums there's doom gloom & despondancy because players are moving to other counties & not Yorks. I have to keep reminding them that in the games that lost Yorks we competed well execpt for a couple sessions that let the opposition get a big advantage (thats except for the Trent Bridge match & even then we did have chances to get on top)

Best thing about the Stanford cricket is the commentary from Bumble!

The advantage of being stuck in Division 2 for yet another season is that relegation is not a worry for us Essex fans...

England 99 all out, Stanford Superstars 50 for 0 after 5 overs.


I'm off to bed.