Leicestershire - from zero to hero (full season, incredible analysis)

[Cricket98]

I am 16 year old, from Melbourne, Australia, i have been playing ICC for 3 years now, and seeing that Leicestershire have not won a county championship game for 2 years now, i thought i would try and fig them out of the hole they are in. It will a very difficult task (normal difficulty), especially with Leicestershire having the lowest basic salary cap in the league, but there are a few promising young players that i think can develop into the core of the team. I wont be afraid to trade aggressively, i think that Leicestershire has a few too many sub-First Class standard players, especially bowlers, and i hope that people will be interested into how serious i am about cricket. More posts to come within the next hour.

[Cricket98]

First Day At The Club

The team that I am presented with at the start:

Batsmen:
• Matthew Boyce (4413 FC Runs @ 28.7)
• Josh Cobb (2330 Runs @ 23.1)
• Dan Redfern (3213 Runs @ 29.5)
• Angus Robson (59 Runs @ 14)
• Ramnaresh Sarwan (13221 Runs @ 39.1)(Overseas Player)
• Greg Smith (3441 Runs @ 28.2)
• Shiv Thakor (1288 Runs @ 39)
• Michael Thornley (1434 Runs @ 22.1)
Sarwan, the overseas signing is our only world-class batsmen, averaging over 40 in test cricket but has been in and out of the West Indies side over the past couple of years. Shiv Thakor is starting to show what all the hype is about and I will be looking for him to push his FC average into the mid-forties. The other 6 will have to fight for spots, and I will probably be looking to improve our overall team’s batting at the end of the season by releasing two of lowest-performing batsmen, freeing up salary cap room for a quality player from division 1.


Wicket-Keepers:
• Ned Eckersley (2495 Runs @ 39)
• Lewis Hill (Uncapped)
• Niall O’Brien (6232 Runs @ 35.6)
Eckersley will most likely play as a specialist batsman, and O’Brien will provide experience to a side void of it, while Lewis Hill will most likely develop his craft in the 2nd XI this season


All-Rounders:
• Scott Styris (6048 Runs @ 31.3, 204 FC Wickets @ 31.57)(Overseas 20ov Player)
• Rob Taylor (488 Runs @ 20.3, 31 Wickets @ 45.42)
• Tom Wells (177 Runs @ 22.1, 1 Wicket @ 129)
Styris is signed only for the 20 over matches, while Rob Taylor and Tom Wells will have to impress in the 2nd XI before they are selected for the firsts.


Bowlers:
• Nathan Buck (108 Wickets @ 40.53)
• Ollie Freckingham (36 Wickets @ 44)
• Andrew Ireland (124 Wickets @ 31.51)
• Jigar Naik (1332 Runs @ 21.5, 130 Wickets @ 32.96)
• Ben Raine (201 Runs @ 22.3, 9 Wickets @ 39.56)
• Rob Sayer (Uncapped)
• Atif Sheik (5 Wickets @ 30.4)
• Charlie Shreck (432 Wickets @ 30.71)
• James Sykes (12 Wickets @ 61.08)
• Alex Wyatt (53 Wickets @ 35.11)
Although we have a large amount of bowlers, I think this is the area where we have our biggest deficiency. Shreck, Ireland and Naik are locks, but the 3rd seamer spot will be contested, with the frontrunners being Wyatt, Buck and Freckingham. James Sykes was extremely economical in the 2 T20 games he played last year, which he can hopefully continue for Leicestershire this season.

[Cricket98]

The team that I am presented with at the start:


Batsmen:
• Matthew Boyce (4413 FC Runs @ 28.7)
• Josh Cobb (2330 Runs @ 23.1)
• Dan Redfern (3213 Runs @ 29.5)
• Angus Robson (59 Runs @ 14)
• Ramnaresh Sarwan (13221 Runs @ 39.1)(Overseas Player)
• Greg Smith (3441 Runs @ 28.2)
• Shiv Thakor (1288 Runs @ 39)
• Michael Thornley (1434 Runs @ 22.1)
Sarwan, the overseas signing is our only world-class batsmen, averaging over 40 in test cricket but has been in and out of the West Indies side over the past couple of years. Shiv Thakor is starting to show what all the hype is about and I will be looking for him to push his FC average into the mid-forties. The other 6 will have to fight for spots, and I will probably be looking to improve our overall team’s batting at the end of the season by releasing two of lowest-performing batsmen, freeing up salary cap room for a quality player from division 1.


Wicket-Keepers:
• Ned Eckersley (2495 Runs @ 39)
• Lewis Hill (Uncapped)
• Niall O’Brien (6232 Runs @ 35.6)
Eckersley will most likely play as a specialist batsman, and O’Brien will provide experience to a side void of it, while Lewis Hill will most likely develop his craft in the 2nd XI this season


All-Rounders:
• Scott Styris (6048 Runs @ 31.3, 204 FC Wickets @ 31.57)(Overseas 20ov Player)
• Rob Taylor (488 Runs @ 20.3, 31 Wickets @ 45.42)
• Tom Wells (177 Runs @ 22.1, 1 Wicket @ 129)
Styris is signed only for the 20 over matches, while Rob Taylor and Tom Wells will have to impress in the 2nd XI before they are selected for the firsts.


Bowlers:
• Nathan Buck (108 Wickets @ 40.53)
• Ollie Freckingham (36 Wickets @ 44)
• Andrew Ireland (124 Wickets @ 31.51)
• Jigar Naik (1332 Runs @ 21.5, 130 Wickets @ 32.96)
• Ben Raine (201 Runs @ 22.3, 9 Wickets @ 39.56)
• Rob Sayer (Uncapped)
• Atif Sheik (5 Wickets @ 30.4)
• Charlie Shreck (432 Wickets @ 30.71)
• James Sykes (12 Wickets @ 61.08)
• Alex Wyatt (53 Wickets @ 35.11)
Although we have a large amount of bowlers, I think this is the area where we have our biggest deficiency. Shreck, Ireland and Naik are locks, but the 3rd seamer spot will be contested, with the frontrunners being Wyatt, Buck and Freckingham. James Sykes was extremely economical in the 2 T20 games he played last year, which he can hopefully continue for Leicestershire this season

[Cricket98]

The team that I am presented with at the start:


Batsmen:
• Matthew Boyce (4413 FC Runs @ 28.7)
• Josh Cobb (2330 Runs @ 23.1)
• Dan Redfern (3213 Runs @ 29.5)
• Angus Robson (59 Runs @ 14)
• Ramnaresh Sarwan (13221 Runs @ 39.1)(Overseas Player)
• Greg Smith (3441 Runs @ 28.2)
• Shiv Thakor (1288 Runs @ 39)
• Michael Thornley (1434 Runs @ 22.1)
Sarwan, the overseas signing is our only world-class batsmen, averaging over 40 in test cricket but has been in and out of the West Indies side over the past couple of years. Shiv Thakor is starting to show what all the hype is about and I will be looking for him to push his FC average into the mid-forties. The other 6 will have to fight for spots, and I will probably be looking to improve our overall team’s batting at the end of the season by releasing two of lowest-performing batsmen, freeing up salary cap room for a quality player from division 1.


Wicket-Keepers:
• Ned Eckersley (2495 Runs @ 39)
• Lewis Hill (Uncapped)
• Niall O’Brien (6232 Runs @ 35.6)
Eckersley will most likely play as a specialist batsman, and O’Brien will provide experience to a side void of it, while Lewis Hill will most likely develop his craft in the 2nd XI this season


All-Rounders:
• Scott Styris (6048 Runs @ 31.3, 204 FC Wickets @ 31.57)(Overseas 20ov Player)
• Rob Taylor (488 Runs @ 20.3, 31 Wickets @ 45.42)
• Tom Wells (177 Runs @ 22.1, 1 Wicket @ 129)
Styris is signed only for the 20 over matches, while Rob Taylor and Tom Wells will have to impress in the 2nd XI before they are selected for the firsts.


Bowlers:
• Nathan Buck (108 Wickets @ 40.53)
• Ollie Freckingham (36 Wickets @ 44)
• Andrew Ireland (124 Wickets @ 31.51)
• Jigar Naik (1332 Runs @ 21.5, 130 Wickets @ 32.96)
• Ben Raine (201 Runs @ 22.3, 9 Wickets @ 39.56)
• Rob Sayer (Uncapped)
• Atif Sheik (5 Wickets @ 30.4)
• Charlie Shreck (432 Wickets @ 30.71)
• James Sykes (12 Wickets @ 61.08)
• Alex Wyatt (53 Wickets @ 35.11)
Although we have a large amount of bowlers, I think this is the area where we have our biggest deficiency. Shreck, Ireland and Naik are locks, but the 3rd seamer spot will be contested, with the frontrunners being Wyatt, Buck and Freckingham. James Sykes was extremely economical in the 2 T20 games he played last year, which he can hopefully continue for Leicestershire this season

[Cricket98]

The team that I am presented with at the start:

Batsmen:
• Matthew Boyce (4413 FC Runs @ 28.7)
• Josh Cobb (2330 Runs @ 23.1)
• Dan Redfern (3213 Runs @ 29.5)
• Angus Robson (59 Runs @ 14)
• Ramnaresh Sarwan (13221 Runs @ 39.1)(Overseas Player)
• Greg Smith (3441 Runs @ 28.2)
• Shiv Thakor (1288 Runs @ 39)
• Michael Thornley (1434 Runs @ 22.1)
Sarwan, the overseas signing is our only world-class batsmen, averaging over 40 in test cricket but has been in and out of the West Indies side over the past couple of years. Shiv Thakor is starting to show what all the hype is about and I will be looking for him to push his FC average into the mid-forties. The other 6 will have to fight for spots, and I will probably be looking to improve our overall team’s batting at the end of the season by releasing two of lowest-performing batsmen, freeing up salary cap room for a quality player from division 1.


Wicket-Keepers:
• Ned Eckersley (2495 Runs @ 39)
• Lewis Hill (Uncapped)
• Niall O’Brien (6232 Runs @ 35.6)
Eckersley will most likely play as a specialist batsman, and O’Brien will provide experience to a side void of it, while Lewis Hill will most likely develop his craft in the 2nd XI this season


All-Rounders:
• Scott Styris (6048 Runs @ 31.3, 204 FC Wickets @ 31.57)(Overseas 20ov Player)
• Rob Taylor (488 Runs @ 20.3, 31 Wickets @ 45.42)
• Tom Wells (177 Runs @ 22.1, 1 Wicket @ 129)
Styris is signed only for the 20 over matches, while Rob Taylor and Tom Wells will have to impress in the 2nd XI before they are selected for the firsts.


Bowlers:
• Nathan Buck (108 Wickets @ 40.53)
• Ollie Freckingham (36 Wickets @ 44)
• Andrew Ireland (124 Wickets @ 31.51)
• Jigar Naik (1332 Runs @ 21.5, 130 Wickets @ 32.96)
• Ben Raine (201 Runs @ 22.3, 9 Wickets @ 39.56)
• Rob Sayer (Uncapped)
• Atif Sheik (5 Wickets @ 30.4)
• Charlie Shreck (432 Wickets @ 30.71)
• James Sykes (12 Wickets @ 61.08)
• Alex Wyatt (53 Wickets @ 35.11)
Although we have a large amount of bowlers, I think this is the area where we have our biggest deficiency. Shreck, Ireland and Naik are locks, but the 3rd seamer spot will be contested, with the frontrunners being Wyatt, Buck and Freckingham. James Sykes was extremely economical in the 2 T20 games he played last year, which he can hopefully continue for Leicestershire this season.