Essex news/articles

First topic message reminder :

i know there is a surrey one, but thought i would make an Essex one, in case im not the only Essex fan lol

for a start someone please take Tim Phillips!

he did....however Grayson rotates him and Topley...

Topley has been playing CC games and Mills has been playing limited overs cricket.

CF - yeah, but if Mills and Topley are both the real deal a time will need to come before too long when they are playing alongside each other in all formats with some regularity.

Anyway, good luck for the new season.

they will do...but with Topley it was difficult he had exams most of the time...

I think this year we will be forced into playing the both of them anyway.

guildfordbat wrote:CF - it's probably about time Mills properly came to the party. He can't for ever be regarded as an exciting prospect.

We've had a few of those over the years at Surrey. Then you suddenly realise they are half way through their career....

Agree that not looking too promising for Essex atm.

we will struggle this year, we lack the strength of depth...and the decision to let Wheater go has really peed me off.

CF wrote:we will struggle this year, we lack the strength of depth...and the decision to let Wheater go has really peed me off.

CF wrote:we will struggle this year, we lack the strength of depth...and the decision to let Wheater go has really peed me off.

But it may mean Foakes gets more of an early chance?

Na, cos Foakes isn't as good with the bat....Wheater is good enough to play as a specialist batsman, Foakes isn't....and he isn't going to get the gloves whilst Fossie is around,

Essex have beaten Middlesex in back to back friendly encunters over past couple of days

I expect us to line up like this for the first game of the season

1.Tom Westley
2.Jaik Mickelburgh
3.Ravi Bopara
4.Mark Pettini
5.Greg Smith
6.James Foster (c) (wk)
7.Graham Napier
8.Tom Craddock
9.David Masters
10.Tymal Mills
11.ReeceTopley

HOWEVER

when RTD and Shah come back i expect the side to look like this

1.Tom Westley
2.Mark Pettini
3.Ravi Bopara
4.Owais Shah
5.Greg Smith
6.Ten Doeschate
7.James Foster (c) (wk)
8.Graham Napier
9.David Masters
10.Tymal Mills
11.Reece Topley

CF wrote:Essex have beaten Middlesex in back to back friendly encunters over past couple of days

Hope they weren't playing in England, unless it was an indoor game...

they were playing at fortress chelmsford.

Wonder whether they were competing to see who could get off the pitch quickest....

The mighty Essex take on Northants at Wantage road in the game starting tomorrow...

im expecting quite a convincing victory for us, and we simply have to bowl better than we did last week!

CF wrote:I expect us to line up like this for the first game of the season

1.Tom Westley
2.Jaik Mickelburgh
3.Ravi Bopara
4.Mark Pettini
5.Greg Smith
6.James Foster (c) (wk)
7.Graham Napier
8.Tom Craddock
9.David Masters
10.Tymal Mills
11.ReeceTopley

HOWEVER

when RTD and Shah come back i expect the side to look like this

1.Tom Westley
2.Mark Pettini
3.Ravi Bopara
4.Owais Shah
5.Greg Smith
6.Ten Doeschate
7.James Foster (c) (wk)
8.Graham Napier
9.David Masters
10.Tymal Mills
11.Reece Topley

Afternoon CF - would you really expect Essex to go in with 4 seamers plus Bopara and RTD but no spinner once Shah and Ten Doeschate are back? I can't claim to know a huge amount about the Essexs squad but Craddock has always looked a decent developing spinner and would add some balance to the attack surely.

No doubting you've got some excellent young seamers in Mills and Topley however! Masters is great spearhead to lead those two youngsters as well.

its what we did most of last year mate

Smith and Westley bowl off spin and they tended to be used in the most part last season

A lot of counties aren't bothering with spin and at a lot of grounds it is easy to see why. In last week's Notts-Middx game Patel and Rayner hardly bowled. So unless you have a really good spinner its probably not worth it at the moment.

thats only in the early part of the season shelsey...

where conditions hugely favour seamers

Shelsey93 wrote:A lot of counties aren't bothering with spin and at a lot of grounds it is easy to see why. In last week's Notts-Middx game Patel and Rayner hardly bowled. So unless you have a really good spinner its probably not worth it at the moment.

Agreed although Surrey are giving serious thought to playing both Batty and Keedy at the Oval tomorrow along with just two frontline seamers ....

Early season I guess it's fair enough CF. Especially at Chelsmford where it usually offers a bit for the seamers anyway. Are you expecting Topley and Mills to see a lot of FC cricket this season? It would be good to see two young left armers with their sort of talent keep progressing.

NickisBHAFC wrote:

CF wrote:we will struggle this year, we lack the strength of depth...and the decision to let Wheater go has really peed me off.

Out of interest do you ever have anything interesting to say? What possible satisfaction do you get out of these contributions? CF isn't even rising to the bait anymore...

Back on topic: I know it's the common orthodoxy nowadays to not play a specialist spinner in early season conditions. As far as I'm concerned it's mistaken - green pitches tend to turn (Shane Warne once said "if it's seaming then it's turning") as well, and I would never feel comfortable going into a game without a reasonable spinner. If you have a decent part-timer like Patel you can probably get away with it, but...

Have to say when I saw Mills play against Middlesex I wasn't that impressed. Pacy yes, but not so much that the batsmen were struggling, and didn't seem to be much of a thinking bowler. Topley I think is more promising, but hasn't quite come on as I thought he would. Yet.

Masters is 35 next week, Essex need to bear in mind that he may only be at his peak for another season or two.

King- I expect Mills and Topley to be rested and rotated, i dont expect them both to be in the side at once.

Napier today - kept Essex afloat

A bold statement, but i think Essex might finish bottom of div 2.

Essex have the talent to compete in Division Two but I get the impression that the focus is elsewhere for a lot of the squad: Bopara on his own form, Shah and RTD on T20 globetrotting, Mills, Topley etc. on impressing England Lions. They just don't seem the cohesive unit that the better county teams are.

I've said in the past that I'm not sure if Paul Grayson is the correct man to be Head Coach there (perhaps a bit soft). They could do with bringing in somebody from outside to re-focus the players in my view.

Shelsey - looking at Grayson's comments on BBC website - I think you may be right. He sounds a bit desperate. Mind you when a team has got crushed by a few tail enders what else can you say....

"... in a statement released three days later, he [Grayson] said: "As head coach, I feel I wish to publicly express my apologies to all members and supporters for the shambolic performance."
He added: "At one stage on day two, with only two first-innings wickets intact, our opponents were still trailing by 12 runs. But by the time the final two wickets had been claimed, they had forged a lead of 216 runs.
"We then generally batted poorly to add to the obvious shortcomings in the bowling department - all resulting in a defeat by a highly embarrassing margin.
"I feel that it is right that our members and supporters should be aware that the players have been told in no uncertain terms that their performance, as a team, was totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated."
England captain Alastair Cook is expected to make his first appearance of the season for Essex, who are in their third consecutive season in Division Two, against Hampshire next week.
The batsman missed the season-opening draw against Gloucestershire as well as the defeat against Northamptonshire.
Grayson added: "I can assure you that changes will be made for the next match that starts on Monday week against Hampshire at Chelmsford.
"I feel that it is important to stress to our members and supporters that I, and the coaching staff, will continue to do everything in our powers to bring success to this club.
"But the players have, of course, a major part to play if that desire we hold is to be realised.
"The coaching staff have every confidence in the potential of the squad and we will continue to all work together to get our season back on track."

I never liked Grayson when he was a player at Essex, never mind coach. I think he was the easy pick when he got the job, rather than the right one.

Our problem is that we'll never get Cooky back, Ravi has been ruined by his treatment by England / his own mental demons, T20 plays havoc with our middle order, we let Wheater go, and our bowling attack isn't very threatening. I long for the days of Mark Ilott and Peter Such, I really do.

Azzy Mahmood wrote:I never liked Grayson when he was a player at Essex, never mind coach. I think he was the easy pick when he got the job, rather than the right one.

Our problem is that we'll never get Cooky back, Ravi has been ruined by his treatment by England / his own mental demons, T20 plays havoc with our middle order, we let Wheater go, and our bowling attack isn't very threatening. I long for the days of Mark Ilott and Peter Such, I really do.

And JK Lever. And the Gnome...

Tim Phillips has signed a one year extension