Leicestershire under GrahamB

[KGKOOLKAT777]

Did you sign a reserve, although it probably won't matter as Dean won't play for Australia. Nice squad though, Kerrigan a good steal

[KGKOOLKAT777]

Which makes perfect sense really.
I always go for 3 year deals even if they are 35+ .. guess if they retire I'm not out of pocket!

I have found players start to demand less of a salary after about 32

[Dick Van Dykes Disco Dog]

I have found players start to demand less of a salary after about 32

Yep thats a good point.

There always seems to be a few older guys available each season who are getting on a bit but can still do a job. Always good to pad out your squad with guys who want less than £30K but have 10+ years experience!!

I've always found it odd that a 35 year old batsman will want £25K but a bowler of the same ages will be wanting £35K+
... confusing

[GrahamB]

Did you sign a reserve, although it probably won't matter as Dean won't play for Australia. Nice squad though, Kerrigan a good steal

I didn't get the opportunity because I didn't get Dean to agree to a deal until the very last moment.
There wouldn't have been anybody else worth getting for 28,500 anyway. Dean was a real bargain considering his stats.

[GrahamB]

Yep thats a good point.

There always seems to be a few older guys available each season who are getting on a bit but can still do a job. Always good to pad out your squad with guys who want less than £30K but have 10+ years experience!!

I've always found it odd that a 35 year old batsman will want £25K but a bowler of the same ages will be wanting £35K+
... confusing

Really good bowlers are harder to find than really good batsmen. That's possibly why.

[GrahamB]

DERBYSHIRE v LEICESTERSHIRE (County Championship D2)



We won the toss and batted first.
After the early loss of Greg Smith at 19/1, Martin Sharpe and Shiv Thakor put on 89 runs for the second wicket before Sharpe fell for 59.
James Hildreth and Sam Billings both got starts, but couldn't build on them, and after Alex Blake was trapped in front by Jonathan Clare for just 2, the innings was precariously balanced at 222/5.
However, Thakor found an ally in Matthew Boyce, and he brought up a fine century as their partnership developed.
After Thakor was dismissed for 121, Marcus Clarkson continued providing support for Boyce. Together, they put on 91 for the seventh wicket before Clarkson (41) holed out to give Clare his third wicket at 385/7.
We waited until Boyce completed his century before declaring at a daunting 432/7.

England international player, David Lennon, held the Derbyshire reply together with an aggressive 105 off only 138 balls, but with Keith Langley bowling superbly, the visitors looked shaky at 254/6.
However, just as Boyce had done for us, veteran batsman Wayne Madsen did for his side, with a gritty knock of 113. He was aided by Paul Borrington in a seventh wicket stand of 120, as Derbyshire got through to 401 all out.
Langley impressed with 4/106 in just his sixth first class appearance, while Simon Kerrigan picked up 3/99.

With a first innings lead of just 31, forcing a result was going to be difficult in the time remaing.
We were again in early trouble at 20/2, as Clare ripped out both Sharpe and Thakor cheaply.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man, as the largely unheralded Greg Smith took control with the tenth century of his career.
Hildreth chipped in with 40 and Billings with 87, and we finally pulled the plug at 270/6 declared.
Clare was again the most dangerous of the Derbyshire bowlers, with another three wickets.

The visitors required 302 to win, but it was going to be a tough ask.
We started well, with Langley snaring Chesney Hughes for 4, but then Billy Godleman and Lennon came together in a dangerous second wicket stand of 75, before Godleman was on his way for 43 and it was 79/2.
Lennon again spoiled the party for us and when he was finally trapped in front by Michael Reed for 90, Derbyshire were seemingly safe at 190/4.
However, Kerrigan then struck with two quick wickets and at 199/6, we had a sniff of possible victory.
There was little time left though, and Larry Woodward and Borrington made sure there were no further dramas as they batted through to the finish at 234/6.

A solid start to our new campaign.

[GrahamB]

LEICESTERSHIRE v SUSSEX (County Championship D2)

We've gone into our second first class fixture with the same playing eleven.

[lukaz189]

Great reading! and just wanted to say keep plugging away with Leicestershire. My game with them was terrible for the first 2/3 seasons, but finally got them promoted in the 4th year and haven't looked back since. Seems you've made some good signings with the likes of Billings & Kerrigan and some good youngsters coming through. I'm sure you'll start climbing up the First Class ladder now!

[GrahamB]

Great reading! and just wanted to say keep plugging away with Leicestershire. My game with them was terrible for the first 2/3 seasons, but finally got them promoted in the 4th year and haven't looked back since. Seems you've made some good signings with the likes of Billings & Kerrigan and some good youngsters coming through. I'm sure you'll start climbing up the First Class ladder now!

I hope so!

[GrahamB]

LEICESTERSHIRE v SUSSEX (County Championship D2)



We were brought down to earth with a big bump by the strong Sussex side.

The visitors won the toss and predictably opted to bat first.
Chris Nash and Ed Joyce got their side off to a solid start, putting together an opening stand of 82, before Kerrigan struck to remove both just short of their half centuries.
Then Langley struck with three quick wickets to leave Sussex struggling at 125/5.
Luke Wright and Rory Hamilton-Brown stopped the rot temporarlily, but when Wright fell to Kerrigan for 27, it was 179/6 and we were still well on top.
However, Hamilton-Brown was in dazzling form, and he combined with Chris Jordan to put together what would prove to be a match winning partnership of 173 for the seventh wicket.
Once Jordan was trapped in front by Clarkson for 58, the innings ended quickly at 355 all out, with Hamilton-Brown remaining unbeaten on 138no.
Kerigan finished with 5/69 and Langley 3/72.
Sussex would be without the services of one of their bowlers for the match though, with Steffan Piolet receiving a fracture from a Reed bouncer.

Our reply was an absolute shocker however, as the four man Sussex attack consisting of Chris Jordan, Moin Ashraf, Lewis Hatchett and Luke Wright rolled us for a meagre 170 all out!
James Hildreth was the top scorer with a pitiful 31, while Hatchett finished with the best figures of 3/26.

With us being 185 runs behind, Sussex enforced the follow-on.
Ashraf had fire coming from his nostrils as he steamed in to send Sharpe, Smith and Thakor on their way to leave us at 52/3.
Hildreth (64) and Billings (41) arrested the decine by putting together 75 for the fourth wicket, but once they'd both gone, their was only token resistance from the others, as we fell to 225 all out.
Jordan was the best of the visiting bowlers with 4/59.

Sussex only required 41 to win the match, but Langley again showed his promise as a star of the future, as he grabbed three quick wickets before the target was reached.

A wake up call for us, leaving us in no doubt that there are several sides in this division to be feared. We are still developing.

[GrahamB]

WORCESTERSHIRE v LEICESTERSHIRE (County Championship D2)



We decided to make two changes to our side, after reviewing performances so far.
Alex Blake makes way for back-up keeper, Gerald Bulman who has been in superb form for the second team. Bulman has yet to deliver on his potential at first class level however, so this is a slight risk.
Michael Reed has shown little penetration with the ball and has been left out in favour of another of our up and coming youngsters, Kurt Webster. Webster adds some variety with his left armers and also has a good record with the bat for a lower order batsman.

[GrahamB]

WORCESTERSHIRE v LEICESTERSHIRE (County Championship D2)



Our turn to win the toss, so we chose to bat first.
At 33/2 with both Sharpe and Smith back in the dressing room, we needed a partnership of substance and thankfully we got one from Thakor and Hildreth.
These two put on 160 for the third wicket before Hildreth cruelly fell short of a century on 94, lbw to the miserly Shaaiq Choudrey.
With the score now at 193/3, the middle order failed to capitalise on their good work. Billings, Boyce, Bulman and Clarkson all fell cheaply and at 257/7, it looked as though our score would be nothing more than okay.
However, Thakor was still there and in came young Kurt Webster to join him. In his debut match he had scored 70no and so we were hoping that he might be able to replicate that effort here, in his second first class match. And he delivered again with a spirited knock of 52, helping Thakor to add 112 runs for the eighth wicket.
We declared soon after that at 391/9, Thakor unbeaten on 139no.
Joe Leach was the most successful of the Worcestershire bowlers, finishing with 4/112.

Initially, Worcestershire's innings followed a similar pattern to ours.
Both openers (Tom Latham and Richard Oliver) fell cheaply, before Moeen Ali and Richard Fell cobbled together 96 runs for the third wicket.
Once Ali was caught behind off Webster for 71 with the score 156/3, Webster grabbed two more wickets, including Fell for 81, as the reply fell away to 199/6.
However, their was a stubborn fight from Daryl Mitchell (43) and the lower order - Joe Leach (31) and Gareth Andrew (36).
The Worcestershire side has batting strength a long way down and they ended up scoring 334 all out, conceding a lead of only 57.
Webster repaid our faith in his selection by bagging 4/73 to go with his first innings knock of 52.

Our second innings got off to a rocky start, with Sharpe falling for a duck, Thakor for 21, and then Hildreth having to retire hurt for 2 after Stuart Meaker clouted him with a ripsnorter. That left us at 51/3 with our overall lead at only 108.
Two good partnerships then put us back on top though, as Smith combined with Billings (56) and Boyce (37) to get us through to 225/5. With Smith still there, we continued going for quick runs, so that we could declare with enough time to bowl out our opponents.
Eventually the declaration came at 292/8, Smith unbeaten on 133no, his second century of the season.
Worcestershire would require 350 to win, with most of the final day remaining.

What happened next was absolutely incredible!
Langley and Webster ripped out two batsmen each to leave the home side four down with only two runs on the board!
The carnage just continued from there as Clarkson and Kerrigan chimed in with cheap wickets as well, Worcester being dismissed for just 49 all out! Fell was the only batsman to offer resistance and he was still there at the end on 23no, having come in during the first over of the innings.
Webster took 3/13, Clarkson 3/17, Langley 2/9 and Kerrigan 2/9.
A massive win for us by 300 runs!

[ThandiPienaar]

Yep thats a good point.

There always seems to be a few older guys available each season who are getting on a bit but can still do a job. Always good to pad out your squad with guys who want less than £30K but have 10+ years experience!!

I've always found it odd that a 35 year old batsman will want £25K but a bowler of the same ages will be wanting £35K+
... confusing

Does this mean batsmen decline at 32? In the modern age I think player should plateau for longer. Many players are still good at 35.

Love the thread Graham. Nice story. Why has Hildreth never had an England chance. Stats are good.

[GrahamB]

Thanks.

I've had to take a break though, as I'm helping beta test ICC2015. However, I'm not allowed to comment on the new version, so can't answer any questions, which is fair enough.

[ThandiPienaar]

Thanks.

I've had to take a break though, as I'm helping beta test ICC2015. However, I'm not allowed to comment on the new version, so can't answer any questions, which is fair enough.

Wow lucky you. I am guessing the reason the forum is quiet is because the regulars are testing the game? I won't ask you any Qs about the game!!!

Are you going to start an international story with the new game? You sometimes do a NZ one don't you?