County Cricket: Midweek musings

Yorkshire will be reliant on Kane Williamson next season

Time for a short hello from me, to let you know that I’ve not left the country, but am busying away on blog content for the coming weeks and months.

Last night I enjoyed another lengthy chat with Derbyshire legend – a word used advisedly – Harold Rhodes, who was patience personified in answering my many questions on his career. There were some very interesting and surprising answers to them and it will go down as one of the most enjoyable cricket-related evenings of my experience. I now have to write it all up and hope to present part one to you in a few weeks time.

There’s little happening on the county circuit right now. Leicestershire have announced that they are looking for a batsman and a bowler for next season, which presupposes that the rest of the side is fine, but more likely that finances permit little more. They have some talented young players, but most of them need to mature quickly for them to do anything but struggle in 2014.

What surprised me was the assertion of their chief executive, Mike Siddall, that Joe Burns, the young Aussie who replaced Ramnaresh Sarwan in the overseas role, didn’t adapt to the overseas role as well as they hoped. I’m not sure what they expected, as the lad had less than fifty first-class innings in Australia and averaged forty. Exposure to English tracks was always going to be demanding, as it has been to overseas batsmen since they started coming here. Burns averaged thirty, pretty much what I’d have expected with his record and experience. Any expectations above that were naive and unrealistic. Surely they didn’t expect the lad to carry a batting line-up that was, at its best, fragile?

At least they’ve signed on four players today and can be relieved that Ned Eckersley intends to see out his contract – presumably before joining Nottinghamshire for 2015, if past events are anything to go by…

Meanwhile, our northern neighbours Yorkshire will not augment their T20 side next year with David Miller or anyone else, instead relying on the highly-talented Kane Williamson in all formats, but perhaps recruiting a T20 specialist if he is selected for the Kiwi tour of the Caribbean in late May through to July.

I think a few sides will join them, as the format of T20 next summer is far from conducive to imports. How many can afford to keep someone in this country for one night of T20 a week for three months or more? How many players would want to kick their heels in order to do so? Maybe the solution of a recent correspondent to the blog might find some favour – that players are engaged to play as a league professional at the weekends and for the county on Friday nights. That might help the cost and might keep the player in question in better touch than would otherwise be the case.

Then again, the forementioned player might pick up an injury in a league match that ruled him out of the more serious stuff, so it would be a risky move. More likely, for me, is that a few counties might consider a Kolpak, someone who could play in all formats and offer better value for money, as they’d be more likely to retain form.

How many players offer the right combination of availability, qualification and talent is a moot point, but I suspect a few county cricket chiefs might be scouring the names of South Africans, West Indians and Zimbabweans who have recently dropped from national favour and could be worth a polite enquiry.

I’ll be back soon. Keep smiling.