Post by tykemania on Sept 29, 2024 18:21:09 GMT
Time for my annual (except for last year when we didn't have a site) assessment of how our guys performed. As ever, worth saying that I have ranked players based on their contribution across the season, so the very good form of the 13 or so who stormed through the Championship may be tempered by some of the less stellar performances in the white ball game, and I don't believe in blowing smoke.
10 - Ben Coad it is hard to find a fault with anything that he has done in any format, unless we are marking him down for picking up an injury. A true craftsman with the ball - moves it just enough in all conditions, has more than one plan to every batsman, and bowls surprisingly well in the shorter formats, to the extent that he may be worth a punt in the T20s next year. Bats better than people give him credit for. Adam Lyth deserves at least another three year deal, ideally lucrative enough he chooses not to warm the bench in the 100. Poetry in motion with the bat, catches flies, turns the ball more than our frontline spinners.
9 - Jonny Tattersall has become our new Patto, just the soul of the team. He is nowhere near the level of talent of most of his team mates, but he knows just what it means to represent the county and would clearly give an organ to do so. Bats well, keeps well, captains extremely well. George Hill a curate's egg of a season with the bat - he lost all form for two months - but wonderful with the ball, because he simply doesn't bowl a bad ball. Going forward, he needs to bat higher up the order so that he feels like a frontline batsman,
8 - James Wharton I said yesterday he is more journeyman than some of his batting peers, but he makes the most of what he has and has the ability to hit a long ball when he chooses. This should be the season that sees him breakthrough properly. Jonny Bairstow probably only gets a six based on results alone, but the aura he brought, and his clear love of the county and the delight he took in helping the youngsters made him invaluable. Still far too god for the international shelf. Harry Brook is clearly wonderfully talented, and we should savour the game or two a season he will now play. In D2, he almost counts against us - when he is in the side, opposing groundsmen take all life out of the pitch. Joe Root is in a similar boat.
7 - Jordan Thompson loses a mark for occasional sloppiness but still the life of the party. We need to work out how to use him in the shortest format - batting in the top 5 and bowling death ideally. Dom Bess thank whatever deity you believe in that he re-signed. Gibson didn't seem to rate him, everyone else des though - whole hearted, competitive as hell and a genuine all format all action player - bats, bowls and fields well. Would be my choice for white ball skipper. Will Luxton is the biggest challenge for the new coach. All the talent in the world, potentially close to Brook's level, but he seems hindered by the feeling that he is not a first choice - unlock that and ironically, he certainly will be first choice. Jafer Chohan is coming along nicely as a T20 bowler, hopefully he gets the chance to play longer formats more next year - he will never be a first choice Championship spinner, but he is a good second spin option, especially as he bats and fields better every time I see him. Vishwa Fernando was a breath of fresh air, would be happy if it was more than three games next season.
6 - Dan Moriarty has had a decent first season; he did get abused a bit in the first half of the Championship, bowling lots of overs in dead conditions, but showed heart and craft, and was one of our best white ball players. Ben Cliff seemed to kick on at last, was probably a tad unlucky that he didn't get more long format exposure but has definitely moved up the pecking order. Finlay Bean didn't get a lot of luck this year - the couple of times he got a life he made big hundreds - but will need to refocus for next year now bowlers have an idea how to attack him. Matt Fisher if you take the emotion out of his decision to leave - and I have found that difficult today after his self serving interview on the club website - he was good in the last three games but did not do a lot before his injury. Conor McKerr played a brief but important role in our season, helping the side to discover winnings ways. Word is he is no longer on our radar with the change of coaching, and in fairness his record in D1 does suggest that is a good call (though when Surrey use him as a fifth seamer as opposed to a new ball bowler its hard to make a real judgement)
5 - Shan Masood I thought hard about this one, because he is clearly a high class batsman, but he was too often impetuous this year, going at a shot a ball when he could have played himself in more. Not helped by the fact that he is a captain by rote only. Dawid Malan barely played, and was sketchy by his standards when he did. More than god enough to play all formats for another 3 years, but he has to want to. Matt Revis I feel bad saying this, but statistically he went backward fast this year. Stats lie - its hard to play like a frontline batsman, which he is capable of, when you bat 8 or 9 - and he was made to bowl a lot of hard overs in early season. Ironically, having said all that, bowled the most dangerous spell of the season against Gloucestershire at Scarbados, sharp reverse swing that showed real potential. Matt Milnes looked good in the two games he played. If he could get a run of games in it'd be like a new signing.
4 - Harry Duke signed a new contract, which is good because he is definitely good enough. I'm just not sure I see a route to the first team for him, and he didn't make nearly enough of the chances he had this year.
3 - Dom Leech is a player I really like, but leaving is the best bet for him, and D2 is probably where he needs to be as he has lost pace. Also never seemed to have the confidence of the Captains.
2 - Mickey Edwards gets an extra mark because he seems like a nice guy. He doesn't seem like a professional cricketer though.
Not Ranked - Noah Kelly and Yash Vagadia played in the odd 50 over game, not enough to form judgement. Adil Rashid didn't play. Which is an immense shame.
10 - Ben Coad it is hard to find a fault with anything that he has done in any format, unless we are marking him down for picking up an injury. A true craftsman with the ball - moves it just enough in all conditions, has more than one plan to every batsman, and bowls surprisingly well in the shorter formats, to the extent that he may be worth a punt in the T20s next year. Bats better than people give him credit for. Adam Lyth deserves at least another three year deal, ideally lucrative enough he chooses not to warm the bench in the 100. Poetry in motion with the bat, catches flies, turns the ball more than our frontline spinners.
9 - Jonny Tattersall has become our new Patto, just the soul of the team. He is nowhere near the level of talent of most of his team mates, but he knows just what it means to represent the county and would clearly give an organ to do so. Bats well, keeps well, captains extremely well. George Hill a curate's egg of a season with the bat - he lost all form for two months - but wonderful with the ball, because he simply doesn't bowl a bad ball. Going forward, he needs to bat higher up the order so that he feels like a frontline batsman,
8 - James Wharton I said yesterday he is more journeyman than some of his batting peers, but he makes the most of what he has and has the ability to hit a long ball when he chooses. This should be the season that sees him breakthrough properly. Jonny Bairstow probably only gets a six based on results alone, but the aura he brought, and his clear love of the county and the delight he took in helping the youngsters made him invaluable. Still far too god for the international shelf. Harry Brook is clearly wonderfully talented, and we should savour the game or two a season he will now play. In D2, he almost counts against us - when he is in the side, opposing groundsmen take all life out of the pitch. Joe Root is in a similar boat.
7 - Jordan Thompson loses a mark for occasional sloppiness but still the life of the party. We need to work out how to use him in the shortest format - batting in the top 5 and bowling death ideally. Dom Bess thank whatever deity you believe in that he re-signed. Gibson didn't seem to rate him, everyone else des though - whole hearted, competitive as hell and a genuine all format all action player - bats, bowls and fields well. Would be my choice for white ball skipper. Will Luxton is the biggest challenge for the new coach. All the talent in the world, potentially close to Brook's level, but he seems hindered by the feeling that he is not a first choice - unlock that and ironically, he certainly will be first choice. Jafer Chohan is coming along nicely as a T20 bowler, hopefully he gets the chance to play longer formats more next year - he will never be a first choice Championship spinner, but he is a good second spin option, especially as he bats and fields better every time I see him. Vishwa Fernando was a breath of fresh air, would be happy if it was more than three games next season.
6 - Dan Moriarty has had a decent first season; he did get abused a bit in the first half of the Championship, bowling lots of overs in dead conditions, but showed heart and craft, and was one of our best white ball players. Ben Cliff seemed to kick on at last, was probably a tad unlucky that he didn't get more long format exposure but has definitely moved up the pecking order. Finlay Bean didn't get a lot of luck this year - the couple of times he got a life he made big hundreds - but will need to refocus for next year now bowlers have an idea how to attack him. Matt Fisher if you take the emotion out of his decision to leave - and I have found that difficult today after his self serving interview on the club website - he was good in the last three games but did not do a lot before his injury. Conor McKerr played a brief but important role in our season, helping the side to discover winnings ways. Word is he is no longer on our radar with the change of coaching, and in fairness his record in D1 does suggest that is a good call (though when Surrey use him as a fifth seamer as opposed to a new ball bowler its hard to make a real judgement)
5 - Shan Masood I thought hard about this one, because he is clearly a high class batsman, but he was too often impetuous this year, going at a shot a ball when he could have played himself in more. Not helped by the fact that he is a captain by rote only. Dawid Malan barely played, and was sketchy by his standards when he did. More than god enough to play all formats for another 3 years, but he has to want to. Matt Revis I feel bad saying this, but statistically he went backward fast this year. Stats lie - its hard to play like a frontline batsman, which he is capable of, when you bat 8 or 9 - and he was made to bowl a lot of hard overs in early season. Ironically, having said all that, bowled the most dangerous spell of the season against Gloucestershire at Scarbados, sharp reverse swing that showed real potential. Matt Milnes looked good in the two games he played. If he could get a run of games in it'd be like a new signing.
4 - Harry Duke signed a new contract, which is good because he is definitely good enough. I'm just not sure I see a route to the first team for him, and he didn't make nearly enough of the chances he had this year.
3 - Dom Leech is a player I really like, but leaving is the best bet for him, and D2 is probably where he needs to be as he has lost pace. Also never seemed to have the confidence of the Captains.
2 - Mickey Edwards gets an extra mark because he seems like a nice guy. He doesn't seem like a professional cricketer though.
Not Ranked - Noah Kelly and Yash Vagadia played in the odd 50 over game, not enough to form judgement. Adil Rashid didn't play. Which is an immense shame.
