Second Eleven Cricket

After quite a lot of consideration I have nervously started a blog on second eleven cricket. It's my first attempt at blogging so it's not very professional but if anyone thinks they might be interested here is a link.

https://newsofthetwos.wordpress.com/

So far I've posted three times and I hope to keep it going all season although it's proving quite time consuming already.

I hope no-one minds what might appear to be self publicity. I am posting the link with some trepidation but maybe some of you may be interested. Please feel free to point out any mistakes in the blog if you do read it. Thanks for your time. VotB

Hi Beehive - the major cricket interest on 606v2 is probably not surprisingly centred around England in Tests and ODIs - and never more so than when we are mucking up!  However, there's still a few of us who strongly support and follow the county game. If you're prepared to keep doing these reports, the least I can do is read them and I'll be delighted to do so.

For anyone wondering what sort of competitions are involved with second eleven cricket, I would heartily recommend your first report. A wonderfully clear summary and a rare explanation as to why some matches are actually twelve a side!

Some names in your reports prompted particular recognition. Tom Craddock trialling at Yorks - didn't know that, good luck to him. Jigar Naik - turning his arm for the seconds with Leics, he was an outsider at one time for an England call up and I suppose given the current situation might even be one again. Burton playing for Northants - I assume that's Dave Burton who has played for about half the second team counties in the Championship over the last decade, if determination was the judge of a player he would be in every Hall of Fame going.

Only spotted what I believe to be one mistake. Don't think Surrey Academy player Chris Jones played against MCC YCs (but instead was doing 12th man duties with the firsts).

PS Hope to see you back on the Surrey threads before long.
PPS A player several posters here like is Michael Bates, the keeper harshly binned by Hants. Would certainly be of interest if you learn of him trialling in any second eleven games.

Cheers for this Beehive.

I've often wanted to keep up with the second XI circuit but have often struggled, partially down to a short attention span I'll admit, due to the difficulty I've had in finding concise summaries of the games and the competitions. As such your blog is a perfect fit and much appreciated.

As well as the Surrey side the MCC young cricketers is a scheme I really like and I'm keen to keep up to date with. Not only have they seen some very good cricketers come through their ranks - Ross Taylor, Darren Sammy, Will Porterfield, etc. They have also actively supported emmerging cricketing nations with the current squad containing players from the Nepal U19s.

In the same vein former MCC YC and now Afghan pace bowler Hamid Hassan is a guy who impresses me whenever I see him bowl. He's got decent pace, good control and a mean yorker. He's actually a player that I'm slightly surprised a smaller county struggling to find a reliable overseas player hasn't taken a punt on as he could be very effective in CC cricket IMO.

Hi Guildford.

Whilst still very annoyed that Bates isn't playing county cricket I was pleased to see that he turned out for Essex 2nd XI vs Notts and is also playing for Wiltshire in minor counties so he isn't lost to the game completely at least.

Thanks, Carlos. I had heard about Bates & Wiltshire but missed the Essex seconds appearance.

Hi lads.

Thanks for your comments.

How ironic that I should make my first mistake on a report about a Surrey game. I think I was a bit complacent and did indeed get my Chris's muddled up. The player who featured for the Surrey Twos was in fact Chris Green whose presence is actually quite interesting.

He's represented New South Wales three times at List A cricket and played one match for Sydney Thunder. He's an off spinner by trade and is spending the summer over here and playing for Sunbury CC.

On the subject of Michael Bates, he is indeed in the Essex side for their opening competitive game of the season against Glamorgan today. Interestingly he's listed to bat at six. Hasn't got on the field yet, Essex are 238-3 but now watching the rain falling.

Any spinner is an interesting development at Surrey these days!

Not much info available on him but I would say it's interesting that in the one Big Bash game he's played he came in to bat at 4. Whilst he only got 3, coming in that high up would suggest that his Sydney coaches felt that he was more than capable at whacking a ball as well. In that game he had bowling figures of 4-0-14-0.

Not much to go on but given our lack of spinners at the Oval he could give us options, especially in limited overs cricket.

On the flip side it could make Burgher Vans chances even more sporadic than they have been previously..

Hi Beehive - I've got an interest in 2nd XI cricket.  Mainly Surrey if I'm honest, but certainly extending to the interesting and sometimes surprising players found in opposition teams as well as Surrey's. So I'm grateful too for updates....

king_carlos wrote:Any spinner is an interesting development at Surrey these days!

On the flip side it could make Burgher Vans chances even more sporadic than they have been previously..

Berger Van should be an expert at the "flip" side

Thanks to those who visit my blog on second eleven cricket.

I promise this will be the last bit of self publicity but I've done something different for my latest post and set out some details of some of the 2015 Unicorns in case anyone is interested.

https://newsofthetwos.wordpress.com

I'm slightly ashamedly bumping this thread because, after a three year break, I've resumed my blog on second eleven cricket this season.  

In case anyone's interested  https://newsofthetwos.wordpress.com

I'll try and post on here some of the more interesting things to happen in second eleven cricket each week.

Some big name players playing second eleven cricket this week, Shiv Chanderpaul and Morne Morkel amongst them. Morkel bowled seven overs for Surrey in his first game since he picked up that side strain in his last game for South Africa.

More importantly from an England point of view, Haseem Hameed scored a century for Lancashire twos.

Daniel Bell-Drummond was a surprise name in the Kent second eleven today, apparently playing to hone his bowling skills.  He bowled only four overs however, taking two for twenty.  

He captained the side and batted at number eight.

Beehive, keep an eye out on Notts 2nd XI as the season progresses - he may not get a game, but there is rumour a young kid from my local cricket club, Calum Metcalf, who is in the Notts Academy system is going to get a game for them before the season is out. He's only 16, can bowl 80mph and bat 4/5. One to keep an eye on

Thanks Olly. I'll watch out for him.

There's plenty of T20 games coming up for the twos over the next few weeks so he may get a go in those maybe. Notts have five three day matches left to play too.

Yorkshire second eleven had a point deducted from their total in the Second Eleven Trophy after an 'in game check' revealed 19 year old Tom Loten's bat was bigger than allowed under the new regulations.

Adam Zampa played a T20 game for Essex Second Eleven yesterday. I guess that makes sense with the 'real thing' coming up soon.

Hampshire Second Eleven's T20 matches today featured Sam Northeast, having recovered from his broken finger. I wonder if he will feature in their Royal London One Day Cup semi final.

Voice of the Beehive wrote:Hampshire Second Eleven's T20 matches today featured Sam Northeast, having recovered from his broken finger. I wonder if he will feature in their Royal London One Day Cup semi final.

Hi Beehive - yes, I would think so. I realise I'm not comparing like with like but in Hants' very recent CC defeat to Surrey, their batting appeared noticeably light.

Btw, your posts about second eleven cricket are informative and appreciated. Please don't be discouraged by the lack of responses - you are posting about areas most of us know little about but that doesn't mean there isn't interest.

Very much second GB's comment above!

Enjoy reading them - and will contribute from time to time also

Voice of the Beehive wrote:Hampshire Second Eleven's T20 matches today featured Sam Northeast, having recovered from his broken finger. I wonder if he will feature in their Royal London One Day Cup semi final.

Maybe, beehive. However I'd be slightly tempted to stick with the side that has got us this far in the competition.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Beehive, keep an eye out on Notts 2nd XI as the season progresses - he may not get a game, but there is rumour a young kid from my local cricket club, Calum Metcalf, who is in the Notts Academy system is going to get a game for them before the season is out. He's only 16, can bowl 80mph and bat 4/5. One to keep an eye on

Cal currently making his minor counties debut for Norfolk in their three day match against Lincolnshire. Both teams first innings complete and he got bowling figures of 7.4-0-30-2 as Lincolnshire made 293, then he made 52* off 35 balls batting at 6, as Norfolk declared on 413-6.

Not bad for your debut so far!