Dominic Cork joins Lancashire

[arnie sidebottom]

...good news (I think) but what we really need is a top class spinner to roll teams over late season - like Surrey and Sussex have had.

Law metamorphoses into an Englishman next season which will allow another overseas player. Harbhajan ? Wage bill might be getting a bit hefty.....

Any views ? Vijay ?

 

[Melbourne Red]

Maybe Law could play for the test team? Leaves the door open for Trescothick to be tried further down the order where he'll be less susceptible to bowlers exploiting that dodgy technique.

 

[fjred]

Don't really know about Cork, think he's past his best but you've got to trust Watkinson I suppose. Spinners? WTF happened to Schofield? Central contract 2 years ago, FA since. The trouble at the moment is any rising 'star' is swiped by England and flogged to death i.e. Anderson!

Think we should stop this central contract stuff and get 'em to learn the trade in the normal way. At least we'll get some benefit from them.

 

[arnie sidebottom]

Signing Cork seems to be a sensible response to the fact that Lancs won't be seeing much of Flintoff (certainly) or Anderson (probably) during the main part of the season. I hope he's put his emotional problems behind him and I think he's got another couple of years in him - like DeFreitas probably needs the impetus that joining a new club gives you.

Apparently Winker has said that Schofield is now regarded as a batsman who can bowl, rather than a bowler who can bat. Really disappointing the way his form fell away, but maybe with age and maturity the craft will return. I certainly hope so. Excellent season from Keedy this year, so if we land a decent off-spinner then we'll have a good right / left combination, with Hooper (if he stays) and Schofield as back ups.

 

[fjred]

Seeing as we are tending to get players in the autumn of their careers - possible winter with Hooper's knees - I hope we've got some potential batting coming through. I know we've a good crop of young bowlers but the future batting concerns even though Law, Hooper and Loye have performed brilliantly this past season and no doubt have a good couple more in them.

I still think that players like Anderson should be given a couple of years experience in the counties rather than the way England have monopolised him.

 

[arnie sidebottom]

Seeing as we are tending to get players in the autumn of their careers - possible winter with Hooper's knees - I hope we've got some potential batting coming through. I know we've a good crop of young bowlers but the future batting concerns even though Law, Hooper and Loye have performed brilliantly this past season and no doubt have a good couple more in them.

I still think that players like Anderson should be given a couple of years experience in the counties rather than the way England have monopolised him.

I can but agree regarding Anderson but the selectors are struggling to find injury free alternatives. What price on Johnson breaking down again in Bangladesh ? I know a few Kent fans who rate Saggers (they also reckon that Hooper will stay as long as he feels he is fit enough).

I thought Chilton had a good year and the Lancy die hards speak highly of a player called Currie (though I've never seen him play). Schofield has made masses of runs for the second XI this year and Chapple / Cork will give us a lot of impetus in the middle order. Basically, we're much better placed than we were at the end of 2002 season.

Of course if any batsmen got to be REALLY top class they'd get an England contract and wouldn't play much for Lancs anyway....

 

[fjred]

Of course if any batsmen got to be REALLY top class they'd get an England contract and wouldn't play much for Lancs anyway....

Thats the problem. I know there is a growing feeling if discontent about it but it will still take time to rectify. I agree that the 'middle order' is capable of getting runs but they are definitely not class batsmen in the mould of Fairbrother, Atherton etc. A couple of this type need to come through and I hope this Currie guy is one. We could always ask Phil Neville to carry his bat again, I hear he was not too bad!

Not a bad season all round though a bit dissapointed we only came second. We'll never get round the early season rain that robbed us of 2 wins (again) this year!

 

[arnie sidebottom]

Not a bad season all round though a bit dissapointed we only came second. We'll never get round the early season rain that robbed us of 2 wins (again) this year!

Yep - Essex on the ropes x 2