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... no it's plain to see
Philip writes:
Rather than just moaning and letting emotion run away with me I thought that I needed to take a cold hard look at the Averages in Division 1 of the County Championship this year.
A Side like Notts would reasonably expect to have, say at least a couple of players in the Top 20 for both Batting and Bowling - like Hampshire 6 & 2; Yorkshire 3 & 3; Essex 2 & 4 and Surrey 2 & 4 - so what about Notts? 0 & 2 (and the 2 have only played 4 matches each Liam Patterson-White and Ravi Ashwin).
Our top Batsman comes in at 23rd - Ravi Ashwin averaging 37; followed by Chris Nash at 33rd. averaging 33.53 and then Ben Duckett at 52nd. averaging 29.43. Joe Clarke is 86th averaging 21.33, Ben Slater at 98th averaging 19.22 followed by Jake Libby at 99th averaging 18.90. Samit Patel falls outside the Top 100 at No. 104 averaging just 17.20.
Our top Bowler is Liam Patterson White with 20 wickets at an average of 20.50 followed by, Yes, Ravi Ashwin with 32 wickets at an average of 20.88. The top wicket taker is Luke Fletcher with 34 wickets at an average of 25.71 and he comes in at 30th. Luke Wood is 53rd with 11 at 31.73; Samit Patel at 74th with 7 at an average of 55.86 and Jake Ball at 76th with 14 at an average of 59.21.
Even Somerset's Lewis Gregory has taken 46 wickets at an average of 14.54 (5th place); Simon Harmer of Essex with a massive 71 wickets at 18.66 (8th place) and Hampshire's Kyle Abbott 51 wickets at 19.25 (12th place).
So, what can't speak can't lie - we are extremely poor.
Ah! I hear you say, "but we are a much better Limited Overs Side" - "we have even got to Finals Day in the T20" - well let's look:
Royal London 50 Overs:
We have Ben Slater at No. 6 in the Batting 315 runs at an average of 78.25 hotly followed by (no, wait a minute, NOT 'hotly) by Alex hales 49th with just 90 runs at at average of 45.
"But our bowling was better" - yes, it was! Luke Wood in 7th place with 2 wickets for an average of 18; Luke Fletcher in 19th place with 17 wickets at an average of 21.65; Ball in 31st place with 14 wickets at 25.57 but in 154th place Harry Gurney with the 1 wicket for 86!!!
Moving on to the T20:
Batting: Dan Christian 18th place 169 runs at an average of 42; Alex Hales, 32nd 366 runs averaging 36.60; Tom Moores 34th 217 averaging 36.17 BUT Ben Duckett in 109th place with 206 runs at an average of 20.60 and Samit Patel in 122nd with just 88 runs at an average of 17.60.
Bowling: 2nd place Luke Wood with just the 1 wicket averaging 11; 9th place Luke Fletcher 6 wickets averaging 13.67; Luke Wood in 10th place with 11 wickets averaging 14.55 and in 19th place Imad Wasim with 10 wickets averaging 16.60. So, yes, we bowled well.
The clear indication from this is there is every reason to play Luke Fletcher in Finals Day - he is one of our best bowlers BUT I fear that Alex Hales he will either be a roaring success or a terrible failure but we probably have no choice but to play him.
The overall conclusion, though, is that this has been an awful Season for us. Nearly all of the Players have let us down with the exceptions of Luke Fletcher; Dan Christian; Imad Wasim ; Ravi Ashwin and the upcoming Liam Patterson-White whose bowling has been quite a revelation - he now needs to work on his bowling more.
The latest round of recruits have proven to be disappointing - next Season needs to be 'make or break' for both them and any remaining Coaches. The Director of Cricket has to assume huge responsibility - he signs the Players and agrees new Contracts. Another Season of failure and he will have to go - no question. Notts have to gain Promotion from Division 2 at the first attempt in 2020.
So, there we have it. I am not wrong to feel as strongly as I do. I am not wrong to cast serious doubts on the Committee and their apparent timidity to act decisively. I was not wrong to see some potential benefits in calling an Extraordinary General Meeting and I don't believe that I am wrong in having grave reservations as to what the ECB is up to with its pressure for us to adopt new Governance Regulations.
Philip Measures
And those stats, and performances, 'earned' Hales a new contract. The sooner this Coaching team, and it's old boys club, are packed off, along with awarding white ball only contracts, the better. Fletch is a great bowler, steady and economical, but we need a strike bowler.
ReplyDeleteImpressive stuff Sir Philip (by you that is, not the players). Let the committee members who are satisfied stew on those appalling statistics. That's assuming they can even be bothered to take an interest in them. Top effort from BIG Fletch and whilst I still wouldn't play him next Saturday for reasons previously mentioned, he has at times carried the red ball attack again this season and he can hold his head high when he looks in the mirror or meets the supporters.
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