Since starting my blog, I've sometimes felt a little cheap that I rarely have any stories which are down to my investigative prowess (unless you count finding vaguely Warwickshire related articles in the Hindu Times and New Zealand Herald).
So I was somewhat comforted this week that Cricinfo just ripped off an interview by George Dobell in the Post and made an article out of it; Harmison told Donald he was scared. Being as ripping off and regurgitating articles by George Dobell is a central pillar of the Raggy Bear, it made me feel a lot better. At least I have the decency to mention him by name when I trade off his work; Cricinfo just put "Donald told the Birmingham Post" - No he didn't, he told George in The Swan in Harborne - credit where credit's due. Although the fact their article is written by "Cricinfo Staff" might indicate they have a preference for anonymous journalism.
Tuesday, 11 March 2008
In exalted company
Friday, 18 January 2008
The Daily Pollock
So another day, no more really concrete news and yet I am writing another blog entry. Imagine if I was gainfully employed to sell newspapers? It would be even worse.
George (I feel we are on first name terms now after he appears to be considering me a source of forthright and well informed opinion on WCCC and is writing responses to my theorising in the Post, in a reciprocal manner to me ripping off all his stories and adding my own two pence - me? delusioned? Not a bit of it!). Anyway George (Dobell) has closed the book on the Zondeki signing and echoed my thoughts yesterday that he is almost certain to be in the squad for the SA tests this summer and therefore IF Pollock is signed there will only be a few games when they are both likely to be in the same team for Warwickshire.
Zondeki aparently added the illuminating comments: "The opportunity to work under Ashley Giles and bowling coach Allan Donald is too good to refuse. This promises to be a huge year for the Bears." In my head he went on to add the made up comments: "Its important to put the ball in the right areas. I feel its coming out nicely. My action is feeling really natural. AD will help me add some hostility to my game. The Edgbaston crowd generates a special atmosphere. They're a great bunch of lads in the dressing room." There is a possibility that the first set are as made up as the second.
George concludes; "Meanwhile, a host of counties have expressed an interest in signing Pollock. All will be disappointed. He has assured Giles that if he returns to county cricket, he would prefer to play at Edgbaston. The contractual details might take some time to resolve, but it is surely a question of 'when' not 'if' Pollock returns to Warwickshire."
Which sounds quite promising, but again does not add a great deal to Pollock's public comments from earlier in the week.
George - if you do read this blog (which would make a total of 4 people) then please refer to Pollock as "Polly" somewhere in your next article. It's a little out of keeping with your usual style, but not unduly so and It'll only be the two of us that'll know. Alternatively please refer to Pollock as "an old warhorse". Many thanks for your support George - it means a lot.
Thursday, 17 January 2008
Zondeki and Pollock signings "close"
George Dobell is reporting in the Post this afternoon that the deal to bring Monde Zondeki to Edgbaston should be completed today. While Cricinfo is reporting it as a done deal. George Dobell also reports that International duty with South Africa might mean he misses the first match of the season (against Worcestershire).
Also encouragingly Shaun Pollock is believed to have given a verbal assurance to Giles that if there is place for him at Edgbaston he will not be going elsewhere. This looks like being on a season long kolpak deal, however as far as I am aware he has commitments with the IPL Twenty20 tournament in India, which runs in April and possibly into May. So it is likely he will miss the first few weeks of the season as well.
It appears that Dobell has been faithfully reading the Raggy Bear, as I can only assume his comments regarding the irony/moral dilemma faced by Giles with the potential signing of Pollock following on from his pledge not to sign kolpaks; "His words and actions do not contrast quite as much as some might suggest". I can only think he must be referring to my post earlier in the week, where I pointed out the problem Giles has, which is largely restricted to a personal moral dilemma and one entirely of his own making.
I think the whole thing is probably a reflection of the relative inexperience Giles has in dealing with the media as a leader/figurehead (director of cricket), rather than a part of a larger entity (player for England/Warwickshire). It may well be that his comments have been reported out of context, or given undue weight, but in the 4 or 5 interviews where he has been quoted this winter he has consistently given soundbites/quotes promising no kolpak signings. Obviously he was referring to the likes of Alfonso Thomas and other journeymen on the circuit, not to players of the quality of Shaun Pollock. No sensible person would oppose the signing of Pollock, regardless of any commitments/comments/promises they believe Giles may have made, or on the basis it is likely to be a kolpak signing. Quite apart from anything else the rule to reduce counties to one overseas player is ridiculous when it is possible to sign so many inferior non-England qualified players. For this season it will likely mean that every Warwickshire player is technically England qualified, apart from two top class South African bowlers, which I for one wholly support.
I will also not lose too much sleep over the possibility of some of the younger seemers having reduced oppurtunities. Purely because I only expect both of the overseas players to be available for about 4-5 championship games (in May-June), neither to be available for the opening game. Furthermore there is now a proven bowling coach in place, coupled with the fact that having a chance to see how a bowler and cricketer of the class of Shaun Pollock conducts himself on a cricket field can only be a good thing. The biggest gap in the team was a senior seam bowler, I don't feel it is job Neil Carter can necessarily do.
Tuesday, 11 September 2007
Warwickshire on the brink
Every time you keep thinking it can't get any worse this season, Warwickshire managed to find new depths to plumb. Thankfully as I am still in full time employment it is not easy for me to get to away games, so I was not at Old Trafford today to see Warwickshire capitulate in outstanding fashion.
To sum up; Warwickshire were bowled out for 106, having won the toss and chosen to bat, and Lancashire were 156/4 at stumps; Ant Botha removing the dangerous Horton in the last over of the day. This translates into 1 bonus bowling point (with 2 more to play for) and 0/5 batting points.
Meanwhile at Southampton, Kent had made the not inconsiderable total of 342/5. Which translates to 3 bonus batting points (with one more on offer for 350 and a fifth for 400 tomorrow).
The live table tonight therefore reads:
| Warwickshire | 16* | 2 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 137 |
| Kent | 15* | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 130 |
| Worcestershire | 15 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 91 |
With the Bears having 2 more bonus points to play for and Kent having 5 to go for. It seems increasingly likely that Kent will overhaul us without needing the extra game. And confirming this as Warwickshire's worst season for some time, possibly ever.
George Dobell in today's Post writes a good article on their current woes and where it has all gone wrong, also picking out some telling statistics. Now I accept that statistics cannot tell the whole story, however there are some gems in there. I have updated them as of today's match;
- The fewest wickets every taken by Warwickshire in a first-class season is 188 (185 in the championship). This season Warwickshire have [currently] claimed only [163]. A new record is certain.
- The fewest wickets taken in a season by Warwickshire's highest wicket-taker is 39 by Waqar Younis in 2003. The leader this year is Jimmy Anyon with [32].
- The highest bowling average of Warwickshire's leading wicket-taker in a season is 36.60 by Vasbert Drakes in 2001. Anyon's average is currently [43.75].
- The worst strike-rate (the number of balls taken to claim each wicket) in Warwickshire's history is 78.81 in 1979. This year it is 81.03. The next worse by any side in either division is Worcestershire, who take a wicket, on average, every 70.93 deliveries.
- Tim Ambrose, with 840 first-class runs, is the only player in the squad with a realistic chance of achieving 1,000 runs in the season. The last time that Warwickshire failed to produce a single player who reached that target was in 1919. [As at the moment he has 842 with one innings to go....]
Another interesting stat I have heard a few times, first relayed to me by Mrs Raggy Bear who heard it in the bus queue for the No1 outside the ground is that;
- The last time Warwickshire produced a home-grown specialist seamer that went on to win his county cap was 1977. His name was Steve Perryman.
There is no easy fix for Warwickshire, but to continue to deny that anything needs changing and to continually look for quick fixes is going to send this club right to the wall.