Trouble at 'Mull

The anniversary edges yet nearer; 13 winless games yielding only 72 points

Opposition	Venue	Toss	Result	Batting	Bowling	Total points
WORCESTERSHIRE	TB	U	D	4	3	12
SURREY	TB	U	LI183R	1	2	3
Hampshire	Rose Bowl	U	L270R	-	3	3
Surrey	The Oval	U	LI125R	-	3	3
YORKSHIRE	TB	U	D	5	2	12
ESSEX	TB	W	L8W	-	3	3
SOMERSET	TB	L	LI146R	-	2	2
YORKSHIRE	TB	U	D	4	3	12
SOMERSET	TB	U	LI14R	2	3	4*
Essex	Chelmsford	W	L8W	-	3	3
Hampshire	Newclose	U	L244R	1	3	4
Warwickshire	Edgbaston	L	D	-	1	6
HAMPSHIRE	WELBECK	U	D	-	-	5

* Deducted 1 point for slow over rate

Played 13 Won 0 Drawn 5 Lost 8 Batting 17 Bowling 31 Points 72

TROUBLE AT 'MULL

Only those at Edgbaston will know the truth for sure but is Stuart Broad's presence becoming counter-productive for struggling Notts?

Broady's a strong influential personality on the field and has already cost Notts a point in the Somerset game with his eternal overs accounting for the lethargic slow over rate, but it's his dictating to the captain and his overall petulance towards colleagues, opposition players and umpires that holds the deepest concerns. Perhaps Broady's behaviour is a symptom of his personal concerns about his own International future.

Stuart isn't an automatic choice for the Test XI anymore, especially overseas and in spite of the extended opportunities that he has been granted in 2019 by his masters, playing in most rounds of CC1, he is yet to look the World Class International that he supposedly still is.

Once Stuart loses his central contract, which is probably in the not too distant future, could Notts afford his contract, would Notts want want to afford him, would Broad want to continue in County Cricket anywhere? He could decide to reinvent himself, turn to T20 and furrow an extended lucrative career circumnavigating the globe on the World T20 Circus tour and even perhaps take in the Hundred too.

MAG's report from Edgbaston mentioned the "double teapot" pose and on Crinfo Steven Mullaney confessed that the team had been dealt a Code 1 violation and that he suspected individuals would/could be in line for additional sanctions following the frustrations over arduous passages of play.

Should the Notts Committee Step-in?

If Mullaney can't control Broad, should he lose the captaincy? Should the club fine Broad independently for bringing the club into disrepute through his actions and demeanour? Pattinson and Mullaney himself as well are also in the frame for personal sanctions too from the ECB, there being a lot of foul mouth stuff directed at the Bears' batsmen and low level dissent. The bad behaviour and poor sportsmanship is a direct result of the difficult times currently at Notts in 2019.

Continuing where I left-off, where I wasn't singling out Stuart Broad but it was where I had got to this morning before the paid work needed my attention :(

There's a lot that could be said; things aren't right at the club, that's plain for everyone to see and for the opposition to exploit, though those at the club will probably deny it.

 Change

The same reoccurring problems that we had in 2016, 2017 and 2018 are just as evident this season, playing personnel have come or gone but other individuals remain a constant throughout. To effect change you've got to want change and to want change you must have those at the top recognising the necessity to change. Currently I'm not seeing that.

A good team defence has been thrown-up around the club; PM has made his explanations clear and SM has backed his bosses and blamed poor on the field decisions by players for the club's predicament (blaming himself as you would expect from an honourable individual).

Other counties do other "stuff" better and I'm not talking just about fielding. The transition between formats and the Academy to First XI pathway are just two aspects where others appear to be better at it than Notts.

Are we too proud to observe, learn from and to copy where appropriate what others do well? Yes other counties have their own periodic issues but the perennial blight on almost every Notts season, in point has been the running out of steam mid August because we don't have enough players with experience to rotate leaving the ever present skeleton of a side knackered having played in all formats; this results in games where our points return is minimal; 2016 it confirmed our plight, 2017 we only scraped promotion after a flying start to the season and 2018 where Lancashire will still be scratching their heads to how we survived - again the flying start saved us, just. 

Dire Defeatism

In 2019 we have been dire from the start, unable to adapt to the current toss rule, the new balls being used and the use of the heavy roller; all of which we were warned about in March and that the coaching staff had their concerns but who have, to date, been unable to get a game plan to counter these changes unlike some other counties have. It could be argued, that that defeatism (from before the first game started) has put those feelings of inevitability into the players' minds and has triggered this whole mess. 

Confidence

Confidence is infectious they say, therefore the opposite must also be true. This dark cloud (looking from the outside) appears to enveloped most of the first eleven squad; why are so many batsmen under-achieving, out of nick and showing no consistency at all at the same time? As a Notts supporter through and through, it is painful to watch. No one is saying that the players are lacking effort, but they surely are lacking in confidence and mistakes are being made.

Lack of foresight?

When Notts signed the now struggling Joe Clarke, did they not know the degree of baggage he came with? The court case and the ECB further investigations into the matter, people were sacked at Worcester for pity's sake; the drip feeding of information about a player blacklist from the now squeaky clean England set-up which JC is said to be on - I just hope the club are supporting the player further than just backing him and picking him regardless in games. The same goes for Alex Hales and his self destructive behaviour; talk of him going away on holiday with certain team mates recently (mid-season) isn't great PR given the current climate (in both senses of the word).

Our predicament would be eased (hopefully), the club would say, if we had a fully firing Paul Coughlin and Zak Chappell and that the club can't be blamed for unfortunate absences, BUT when these players were signed PC had a reputation for being "unlucky" with injuries (and so it has proved, and we really need him on the park ASAP) and ZC was a perpetual "sick note" at Leicester playing something like 1 in 3 games only (he's got plenty of season left if he finds some pace he could turn it all around, I hope he does and hopefully before the Blast interrupts the season too). BUT you don't build your plans around such players - no foresight just wishful thinking.

"Hope for the Best but Plan for the Worst" - Jack Reacher

Contracts

There was some talk at Welbeck that Samit would be off the pastures new for 2020, that Luke Wood was Lancashire bound and that Tom Moores was after a white ball only deal.

Rats leaving a sinking ship or players legitimately seeking a lifeboat, you decide?

Just a few personal opinions/concerns
DDG