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RIKI WESSELS DEPARTS and a week later Billy Root moves on
Popular Riki Wessels has signed a three year deal with Worcestershire, depleting the under-staffed Nottinghamshire squad almost back to square one and certainly the weaker as a result. Often good enough to hide the teams' collective fielding inadequacies with his own personal brilliance, add this departure to that of Will Fraine's and fielding for one day cricket is definitely the worse for it. In myopic Mick's defence, Riki has dad a couple of below average seasons in the Championship but in the white ball game he has taken matches away from the opposition just in the power plays.
This in no way can be described as a good move for Notts Outlaws, in this writer's opinion.
In myopic Mick's defence
But this is how the two counties broke the news....
Worcestershire have completed their second signing in the space of two weeks with Riki Wessels putting pen to paper on a three year contract until the end of the 2021 season.
The 32-year-old is moving from Nottinghamshire after seven seasons at Trent Bridge and follows Wayne Parnell, who also signed a three year deal, in strengthening the County’s ranks for next summer.
It is another sign of Worcestershire’s intent to assemble a squad capable of making an instant return to Division One of the Specsavers County Championship and continuing to make a big impact in the Royal London One-Day Cup and the Vitality Blast.
Australian born Wessels, who obtained British citizenship in 2016, has a fine record in first class cricket but is also a destructive hitter in the white ball format.
Worcestershire supporters saw Wessels hit nine sixes in making 55 for Nottinghamshire in the Vitality Blast at Blackfinch New Road this summer.
Wessels, who played for Northamptonshire before joining Nottinghamshire in 2011, has scored 10, 740 first class runs at an average of 36.04.
His white ball statistics are also impressive with him amassing 4,452 List A and 4,689 T20 runs at averages of 30.70 and 29.12 respectively.
Wessels has played in the Big Bash T20 competition in Australia for the Sydney Sixers.
He is the son of former Australian and South African international batsman Kepler Wessels. WCCC
Nottinghamshire batsman Riki Wessels has been released from his contract to take up a three-year deal with Worcestershire.
The 32-year-old signed from Northamptonshire in 2011 and quickly became a key player for Notts in all formats.
Wessels made his final appearance for the Club during the County Championship defeat to Somerset.
“Leaving Nottinghamshire was a difficult decision to make,” said Wessels.
“I’ve spent eight years at Trent Bridge and enjoyed being part of successful teams that challenged for trophies but now is the right time for me to make a change.
“Worcestershire will provide a new challenge and I’m really looking forward to starting another chapter of my career at a Club that I have a lot of admiration for.”
Wessels became the first Outlaw to score a T20 century following his knock of 110 against Derbyshire last season and also played an important role in both white ball triumphs.
Speaking on Wessels’ departure, Director of Cricket Mick Newell wished the batsman well with his future.
“We’d like to thank Riki for his contribution to the side over the many years he’s spent here at Trent Bridge,” he said.
“However, both parties feel that now is the right time for a change and for Riki to move on.
“We wish him luck for the future.” NCCC
Ben Kitt out - Jack Blatherwick in, no net gain
TALENT-DRAIN?
So now that's two players that have chosen to take a different pathway; three if you include Brett Hutton last year.
Is this a trend? Do promising young players feel that they will only get limited opportunities at Notts and chose to go elsewhere because of this? Or is there another reason?
Mick Newell's Player Pathway
Mick Newell in the Nottingham Post.
"The most we would want is one Kolpak in addition to an overseas. Even then we've tried to avoid that road since Brendan Taylor left," he said.
"We discussed signing Heino Kuhn last winter and decided against it. He's a good player, but we would rather go for English players if we can.
So what batsman did Mick Newell guide along the player pathway since last winter..... not a solitary batsman.
Lyndon James made a minor impact, but not a breakthrough, as a bowler but the only new batsman to play was Will Fraine, signed in haste once it was obvious to even that Stubborn Mule that the squad lacked bodies to put out onto the field; that was until Mr Newell had found his pen (10 months too late).
As for batsmen earmarked for advancement from the Seconds, Newell says: "We do see a group now of 17 to 19-year-old batsmen who are progressing nicely, including Chris Gibson and Joey Evison. Lyndon James can bat too. We don't want to block these players off in the second team."
But on the premise that only Samit Patel has been developed from scratch by Notts as a batsman since Noah took out out his saw and hammer ready to build a boat, then how confident can we be that any of those lads will make it, or even get a real opportunity to try to make it?
Scyld Berry in the Telegraph
Three biggest county mysteries
1. Why are Nottinghamshire unable to produce batsmen of their own, without pillaging neighbouring counties?
1. Why are Nottinghamshire unable to produce batsmen of their own, without pillaging neighbouring counties?
Of all the East Midlands counties, including Nothamptonshire; Nottinghamshire quite possibly has the smallest population of the four but are the senior and biggest cricket club so it's only natural that the region's best batsman will gravitate to the biggest club. It's time our neighbours realised that it's their purpose within the new order, to feed the best players into the region's top club. It might feel unpleasant and unfair to the supporters and members of thos smaller counties, but that is the way it is until there are some radical changes to the way that the ECB divvies out the dosh.
2. Why are Surrey unable to produce pace bowlers of their own, who do not hail from southern Africa?
2. Why are Surrey unable to produce pace bowlers of their own, who do not hail from southern Africa?
Because they're allowed to get away with it!
3. Why are Hampshire unable to produce pace bowlers of their own, who are not Kolpaks?
Because they are looking only for short term solutions.
And the Academy has been almost disbanded - they only play around half-a-dozen Matches as a team not being any longer in the Notts premier league.
ReplyDeleteMore delusional, corporate bullshit from the Club.
ReplyDeleteNo batsman since Patel!
ReplyDeletePersonally, not too bothered Fraine has gone to the Tykes, nor Milner gone to Kent. Would have liked Hutton to stay, but ultimately HE wanted to go to play more white ball. Ironically, he would have got his chance this season to see what he could have produced. Never want to see top prospects leave, not sure any of these 3 are Div. One players though, but, I take your point. What about the old fashioned way of producing top performances for the 2nd team to force your way in. Then of course you have to be good enough to stay in the first eleven...........
ReplyDeleteThought WF was treated harshly, dropped after one game v eventual Champs. He didn't get a fair crack of the whip whereas automatic choice through reputation only, CN was given ample opportunity and delivered just the once. You could say CN was a short term fix, except he fixed nothing, rather the reverse. If Riki is leaving like they say, then we're back to square one with the threadbare squad.
DeleteNotts urgently need a frontline fast bowler - as well as an opening pair of batsmen for Championship Matches. Remember also that Wessels was originally brought in as a reserve Wicket Keeper - has he played in that position more than a dozen times in all his time with Notts? In my view he should have become First Team Wicket Keeper after Chris Read left - Tom Moores has made a good start but it is still early days. IF Wessels leaves then Notts will have lost a really good player who, until this Season, has been superb. I am still clear that there is something fundamentally wrong at Notts and perhaps players are now 'voting with their feet' and seeking Clubs where they will be happier, more appreciated and able to play at the levels they wish - OR Mick Newell / Peter Moores / Andy Pick etc. are being shown to be unable to properly achieve what we expect of them - are they subject to Performance Reviews and Performance-related remuneration?
ReplyDeleteIt is quite fundamental. Even in the days of Randall, Robinson and Co we had to import batsmen. But that having been said how many of those imports have really taken that chance with both hands recently. Libby looked good for a while, Billy Root looked a class act briefly, Moores is young, original and dangerous (actually anyone remember the match at Ransome Hoffman and Marles ground where Derek announced himself with five sixes?) .
ReplyDeletebws
Chris S
The problem is fear. Fear of a failure because if they do fail then....
DeleteIf you're going to be good enough at a place like like TB you have got to handle the mental side of the game also and cope with so called fear. In the real world there's a lot more things to fear than in the protected environment of sport. However, I do agree with the comments above. Once we decided to play Fraine(and the decision to bat him 3 against that Surrey attack on a seamer, on his real FC debut was utterly ridiculous-suspect the senior players wanted to hide away though) he should have had a run in the team, unfortunately we were in a relegation fight wth most batsmen out of form, so he never got a real chance. Good luck to him now, personally do not think he is a Div One player, but it's a great chance for him now............time will tell whether it comes back to bite us on the backside
DeleteNotts can't produce their own players as there is no way into the first team. As soon as things begin to go pear-shaped, supporters demand signings and kolpak players.
ReplyDeleteSupporters don't see the young prospects coming through, they either languish in the seconds until they lose hope and then they move on or away from cricket, or they just aren't scoring runs to be noticed so appear to be not good enough - no one since Samit has come through the system; so is the system not fit for purpose?
DeleteI wish Riki well- but 'back to square one with a depleted squad'. We've signed Slater, Duckett, Clarke and Riki barely made the red ball side. I understand disappointment with a transitional year last year but we're making changes so let's at least be reasonable
ReplyDeleteAs the club wanted to retain Will Fraine and Matt Milnes, we've only increased the squad by one body and I did say "almost".
DeleteThere's something seriously wrong at the club, I don't know what but there's something that we're not being told.
DeleteNow Riki has gone it's not rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic but more like getting a new set of deck chairs for the Titanic
The new signings with their new contracts have disturbed the status quo for those established senior players, add to that Alex Hales "free pass to play when ever or whatever he chooses contract" and no wonder Riki chose some place else where it all looks rosy, where in 2020 they will be financially secure and without having delusions of being the next world beaters.
DeleteRoot opts for greener grass as well
DeleteIt's a shame Wessels has gone.
ReplyDeleteIn the short term it will be painful and will no doubt come back to haunt us in white-ball cricket where Riki is one of the most dangerous players on the county circuit. However he has struggled to score runs in Division 1 of the County Championship (where Notts want to be), not helped to be fair by the ECB's ridiculous scheduling of games early season and Trent Bridge generally favouring bowlers. From 2020, you would expect Riki to be snapped up by one of "The Hundred" franchises so in effect, it would only be the T20 Blast where we would miss him going forward. In the longer term, replacing Riki with Joe Clarke is the correct way to go. Hopefully other senior players that seem to be favoured by management will step up to replace Riki in the short term.
DeleteExcept that Joe Clarke when playing to his full potential at trent Bridge will attract the attention of the National selectors and then we won't have him at all, T20, The 100 or autumnal champo.
DeleteI think it's fair to say that not withstanding the four new signings,It's highly likely to be another season where Notts are looking over their shoulders again come the end of the season.
ReplyDeleteIf we are serious about competing with the Surreys and Somersets of this division then we clearly need more depth to the squad, For example Just say Joe Clarke gets off to a flier next season and is picked and does well for England. Who would we replace him with? Add to that the ever present risk of injuries and you might as well start planning to visit a few different grounds the following season.
The answer is clear ( well it is to the supporters it seems) We need more players,Even the management admit that last season we were short of numbers,As it stands we have a net gain of one player, Time for the DOC to earn his money and give us at least a chance of actually finishing higher than seventh....
I agree with the net gain of 1 player comments (4 in, 3 out!) but I think our quality is higher in that, of the 4, the 3 batters are first team players (we hope), whereas only Rikki could have been considered a first team pick from those who have departed (Millns would have played more, I am sure though, in 2019)
ReplyDeleteBut RW departure is a loss. Published elsewhere here are the 2018 and career averages. His figures stack up against all the other front line batsmen. And in white ball cricket, his loss will be more keenly felt. If Moores has a bad season with the gloves and/or bat, we are also "stumped" (boom boom) for a replacement.
So overall I would still be pessimistic. In truth we were a long way off last season, and probably have been since Pattinson left (see the article on the performances since then). Our plan, as it stands, seems to be that Nash will come good, Libby will find his feet in div 1, Broad and Ball will play more in 2019, Coughlin will be a genuine number 8 (?), Samit will come back to form and that the new guys will settle in. I would rather have a greater pool of genuine talent to cover more eventualities, of which Wessels would have been a part
Yes the departures have helped to quash the optimistism for next season.
DeleteIf you add Kitt to the departures , then we are equal in numbers.
ReplyDeleteI would have preferred to have retained Wessels, and lost both Nash and Libby, but realistically, Wessels will be missed in white ball cricket only.
The final game against Somerset proved that there was a gulf in the quality in both batting and bowling between the two teams.
Realistically, Notts have to add to their squad if they wish to compete at the top end of division one next season, otherwise it would be another season of toil and trouble.
Yes, I had forgotten about Kitt (!) - so 4 in and 4 out, albeit that the 4 incomers are (with the exception of Wessels and ignoring the potential of Milnes) more likely to be first teamers.
DeleteI was thinking this morning that it is not inconceivable that our line up next year will be Nash, Slat, Duckett, Clarke, Libby, Mull, Samit, Moores, Coughlin + 2 bowlers from Broad, Ball, Fletch and Gurney.
If I am right (ignore the batting order), then the truth is that we still have really only Billy Root in reserve - hence the departure of Wessels is huge. If everyone shifts up a place and we play an extra bowler or Chappell, then Libby also becomes the spare
Either way, with a team likely to depend on Nash + Libby next season, we will surely struggle as we did this. So an overseas or Kolpak opener is not out of the question, at least until Broad starts with England later in the summer.
So don't be disappointed folks with an overseas batter instead of the common view here that we need a strike bowler from next season. I'd still prefer a bowler but I could see the logic in a decent batter.
Ben Kitt never made it to debut. The DoC missed his chance and then BK had his injury and was never the same again.
DeleteRay
I'd rather have Riki in our XI than playing against us.
DeleteSo, the rumours were true, but, Worcester is a surprise. Firstly, if a player doesn't want to be at TB then they can go plain and simple.I only want players who are 100percent committed to the cause and in my opinion Wessells focus last season was some way short of that. More disturbing is why do some players now not want to sign new deals with us(we are a big club, have a brilliant ground and probably the best domestic coach in the game) and why Wessells decided to leave for pastures new. He will be a big loss in white ball. It's a real pity he signed off with such a poor performance when he has given us many years of brilliant destructive batting and superb fielding. Most will agree I'm sure, the lads coming in are better than the ones leaving overall,but, this season proved a small complacent squad nearly gets you relegated and thrashed at the qtr finals. On the basis we need more bodies, DoC, if you cannot bring more English players in, swallow your pride, put the club first and bring at least one top class Kolpak in please. None of us members want a repeat of this season that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteI wish you'd stop banging on about kolpak players. The last thing we need is short term mercenaries joining the squad. We must develop, blood, and stick with our own young players.
DeleteYes, I agree david, but if we cannot produce our own(and do I see you down at the Bay of Ladyness sitting on an uncomfortable park bench with a crowd of 15 people?) you would surely realise there is LITTLE coming through the academy/playing for the stiffs(if you know what what term means), so come on and tell me just who we are going to stick with me old cocker and put in the first team............the most prolific we've produced in years(and he was from the Cornish premier league and NOT our own) is Jake Libby and he is a pretty average player(most sane Nottsviewers would agree), so whilst we all agree with your vey noble, idealistic, sentiment we have to live in the real world of winning matches. By all means, you are perfectly entitled to your opinion, as we all are but look at the bigger picture as the game we all love has changed forever. Last season david was very nearly a disaster........we have to learn from it as a club. Would you honestly be opposed to let's say Kraig Brathaite, signing on a 3 year Kolpak deal(if Chris Gibson or Joey Evison-if you've heard of them) are not ready for Division One and if so can I have the pills you must be taking............
DeleteShort term mercenaries........uhm, would you class Andre Adams in that category then? I seem to think we won the Championship with him in the side, for the last time in 2010 and he carried the bowling for several seasons, the DoC himself said he was the best bowler since Hadlee(perhaps you weren't supporting the green&golds then?) Also, on the seemingly thorny subject of young players, Billy Roooooot has had numerous chances, but if he ain't good enough, then YES we are right to sign a Ben Duckett or Joe Clarke or @benny slats. I am still waiting for your reply to who we stick with............pls enlighten old Stoneface david you clearly have more knowledge on Notts than I do and I would like to be educated further if you would be so kind.
ReplyDeletePerhaps, Mr Stonewall, you may agree with David in relation to retaining and developing Notts 'own' if the Club was prepared to state that it had a clear policy to do so and was prepared to accept a period in Division 2 if necessary. Now seems a good time to have a new Plan in place but one which Members are willing to buy into and not be critical when Notts perhaps struggle for a while. I also firmly believe that such a new Plan would also need to involve some changes at the top.
DeleteYou only have to walk around the ground and chat with a few Notts fans to get an idea of the change they would like to have at the top.
ReplyDeleteSadly it's not likely to happen any time soon ( friends in high places and all that !)That being the case then yes, Andrew I think you make a good point about a plan and the possibility of a spell in Div 2
The main problem I can see with that is the seconds do not look overly strong at the moment, That being the case you can see why it not likely to happen soon
What is needed though is a good hard look at the coaching set up for those not in the first team, For some reason we seem unable to produce our own batsmen, Maybe the answer is more with the quality of coaching than the batsmen...
Do we have a specialist batting coach?
DeleteIt's an interesting subject lads, but I'm not sure a spell in Div2 will ever make a side stronger even if they are in transition? I, personally would have started the season with Billy Rooooooot in the 4day side after his heroics at Hove the season before but with batting conditions extremely difficult would he have scored more runs than some others ? - we'll never know now. Also sport is now a results oriented business, no one has any patience and it's all about winning matches so it's getting even more difficult to stick with a young player when you have the resources to buy a ready made replacement that will hit the ground running(in theory, at least). One thing that is extremely puzzling though is why we just cannot produce batsman from our system, Samit Patel being the last one is a shocker really and why other clubs like Worcs for example can. They then have their own problems of holding onto them, but that's a different story.
ReplyDeleteSo let's let the other Counties do the hard work and then poach them!!! It won't be long before the penny drops though that Notts is not the best of Clubs - it may be the best of Grounds but as a Side we are seriously second-rate. What is the Committee view of what is going on? Why do members not seriously get together and use their power to re-claim the Club and insist on changes?
DeleteIt is, as many have remarked, a great puzzle why Notts have not produced quality batsmen of their own, especially with the sports resources of Loughborough Uni nearby. Are there any formal tie-ups here? Paul Franks would probably know better than most the whys and wherefores but may not have the freedom to say much.
ReplyDeleteWe will miss Riki Wessels. Thanks for all the good times and all the best for the future to him.
bws
Chris S
And so it continues. Hot on the heels of RW departure, Billy Root has gone too. I don't see that we have spare batters who are close to the first team. To recap. we have lost Milnes, Root, Fraine, Kitt and Wessels. And gained Chappell, Duckett, Clarke and Slater. Even on numbers, and better players have come in. But squad depth is hugely lacking
Delete. We move nearer, in my opinion, to an overseas batsman (and/or a Kolpak), with Coughlin, Chappell, Ball, Broad, Carter, Gurney, Fletch plus Samit and Mull on the bowling.(with James and Blatherwick perhaps)
The club proved to all including themselves that the squad in 2018 lacked numbers. With all the comings and now goings over the past 6-7 weeks, we are back to being short on numbers again. Either they've got a couple of wild card signings lined-up or they are suffering from collective memory loss. You getthe impression MN couldn't manage his way out of a paper bag but I look forward to news of a couple of new players coming in very soon; however I won't be holding my breath.
DeleteWe must be short in numbers as the number of arrivals matches those of departures: Root, Kitt, RW, Milnes out; Duck, Slat, Clarke and Chappell in:
DeleteAs Dave says, we either have a plan and a couple more signings, or we are banking on a fit Broad, Ball, Coughlin and Nash for the entirety of 2019. Surely it cannot be the latter???
And Kitt out too (I keep forgetting him) - so actually we are one short
DeleteOnly a double lottery winner would hope get through a season where none of Footitt, Coughlin, Ball, Broad, Fletcher, Wood (if he too hasn't left before the season) or the Landlord pick up injuries.
Deleteoh add to them the new sick note, Chappell, hallelujah!
DeleteAgree about the Fielding issue, but RW was pretty poor in all formats. When releasing players it's important to line up a replacement. Perhaps we've done theat with Duckett?
DeleteWhen you sign 3 batsman obviously they will play 1st 4-6 weeks of season at least So Root Fraine & Wessels move on Can’t see a problem they all have agreed good deals elsewhere After all we were poor all season at batting So decisions been made & Overseas opener my preference
ReplyDeleteClarke is the quality signing. Duckett's average in 2018 was poor and Slater is a risk which so far has paid dividends but could quite easily turn sour. Notts can't gamble on a tiny squad again and the doctor needs to sign some of those sick notes back fit for work. Nash and Coughlin owe Notts big time!
DeleteWhat can you do with a problem like Footitt? Perhaps swap him or a younger problem!
Us Notts fans can all see it........the squad is short on NUMBERS. So, like last season that brings nil competition, nil options and players picked whether in form or not. Hopefully the DoC himself now AKA Myopic Mick, is well aware of this, OR have the lads that have come in commanded much bigger wages than those that have gone and we simply have to balance the books?
DeleteRooooootdog and Fraine were not in the team anyway, so not quite as simplistic as that in my opinion. Squad was painfully short in numbers, 4 in and 4 out so is it still a Status Quo, but it ain't Marguerita Time ?
DeleteSo the 5 that I predicted to go have departed but whilst the number was about right the make up is not. Notably Wessels going is negative. My preference would have been Nash instead of him as our batting is now weaker although Rikki's last season with us was far from his best. Happy with the recruitment so far but and a very big but is - how are we going to bowl div. 1 sides out twice. Batting might be ok, fielding not a lot of change maybe a little weaker but bowling especially opening is a real worry. Probably we have to recruit two quickies from south of the equator methinks to survive again.
ReplyDeleteI think Gnasher might have been played out of position at 3. He would have been better utilised lower down, using his vast experience to shepherd our extended tail.
DeleteI think everyone would agree, he's lost it and isn't good enough for the upper order in div 1. He must be chuffed to bits to have two more years left on his contract.
The Nottinghamshire CCC website now "Trent Bridge@. I think reflects CEO's view that is she is now the head of venue rather than a club. Next danger (and so for "Hundred" counties) is setting up ground as separate legal entity. This could be final/fatal knifing of county cricket
ReplyDeletetrentbridge.co.uk has been going for many years Richard, this isn't new. There was a time, I believe, when Nottinghamshireccc or nottsccc.co.uk operated parallel but not now. Twitter is my gripe where we are the only county that doesn't have it's own name in its user name and never has.
DeleteAs for venue v's county, the Hundred will seal that fate, if the World Cup 2019 doesn't. The forthcoming fixtures for 2019 will be interesting. Where will Notts play home games? Grantham IMHO is too remote and is out of county. Cleethorpes was always during the holidays as a novelty attraction, before anyone shouts.
Nothing to stop members seeking at the AGM to instruct the Club not to allow the 100-ball aberration at Trent Bridge but no-one will be brave enough. I believe that several committee members know that we are a downward path but their own 'Rules' are similar to non-Disclosure Agreement - but perhaps even worse, they are totally unConstitutional. The Committee are almost forced to show unanimity even if it doesn't really exist and their Monthly Minutes (available to anyone in the Library) seem heavily sanitised. Why can't Members attend Committee meetings? It is time Notts members seriously got together and reclaimed THEIR Club.
ReplyDeleteWhere, when and how would members know to meet? The trentbridge website is unlikely to publicise it?
DeleteI think that Slater has already added value and undoubtedly both Duckett and Clarke will be good long term signings. Add the fit Paul Coughlin and Zak Chappell & all we now lack is a penetrative opening bowler, hopefully called James Pattinson.
ReplyDelete