How do you view us...

[Tyler]

I suppose this thread has been started hundreds of times over but:

How do you View Northants?

Oh and hello people

[Rachael]

Originally Posted by Tyler

How do you View Northants?

As the most badly treated side in the entire history of English cricket.

Seriously: you produce a side with two first class spinners (something this country once took forgranted but has desperately needed of late) but the bizarre focus of the ECB pitch inspectors means that you can't prepare a sporting pitch that allows a contest between bat and ball (with a bit of turn from day one) in case the rank incompetence of the opposition against slow bowling leads to a pitch inspection.

I don't know how you can run a club in that situation: how on earth do you go about developing young players in the finest bowling traditions of them all when each and every half-decent pitch gets the press talking about pitch inspections?

[adamberry]

Originally Posted by Tyler

How do you View Northants?

Thank God you'd said Northants and not Worcestershire, I'd have had a long rant otherwise.

I completely echo Rachael's sentiments here. The main problem, as I see it, is that the ECB's pitch guidelines have been more or less taken straight from the ICC's, where spin is not really supposed to be supported by the pitch until day 2. The problem that creates is that, as Championship games are a day shorter, there's a day's less spin for Northants to use. Without this problem, England would have a lot more competition for spin places (especially with a tour of Sri Lanka upcoming) and Northants would be a darn sight more successful.

[Rachael]

I don't expect spinners to dominate batsmen on days 1 and 2.. but I don't see anything wrong with spinners being able to at least compete on days 1 and 2: a county should be able to prepare a pitch on which a spinner can come on at first change on day one and at least cause the odd problem and get enough help from the pitch to do a job for the team.

Sadly, many county batsmen are so unused to turning wickets that such a mild contest between bat and ball often ends in wickets tumbling even BEFORE conditions allow the bowler to dominate - which should NOT lead to pitch inspections.

[Tyler]

You're right.We do have 2 first class spinners.And we have another one coming through.

We have Monty,we have Jason Brown and we have some kid coming through called Alex Wakely who has hit 50 in every innings he's batted bar one

I believe we were reported a few years ago because our pitches turned too much

[engssmoothcriminal]

Originally Posted by Tyler

You're right.We do have 2 first class spinners.And we have another one coming through.

We have Monty,we have Jason Brown and we have some kid coming through called Alex Wakely who has hit 50 in every innings he's batted bar one

I believe we were reported a few years ago because our pitches turned too much

You also have a certain Richard Dawson looking to rebuild his career after being forced out by the young Yorkshire leg spin contingent so Graeme White will have to go some to force his way into the first team in proper cricket and not just the occasional 20/20 hit and giggle outing. Although given Brown's pretty miserable form this year you could do worse than give him a go. In terms of Wakely I'd be pretty annoyed if I was a Northants fan that he will be dissapearing off with the U19's whilst young Rashid is allowed to play for Yorkshire. Double standards involving Yorkshire surely not .

(But on the bright side when the run machine Rogers leaves for an aussie training camp at the end of the month you do have Iain Sutcliffe on loan from Lancs as cover)

[Tyler]

Did you just say run-machine and Rogers in the same sentence?

He's had a shocking season

[engssmoothcriminal]

Originally Posted by Tyler

Did you just say run-machine and Rogers in the same sentence?

He's had a shocking season

(very much tongue in cheek)

Who would have thought the Pura Cup's Player Of The Season would only 6 months later be unable to buy a run in the 2nd division of the "inferior county championship". Throw in Jaques having a mare for Worcestershire and the race to take Langer's spot in the Aussie side is hardly hotting up.

[Notts Exile]

Originally Posted by engssmoothcriminal

Who would have thought the Pura Cup's Player Of The Season would only 6 months later be unable to buy a run in the 2nd division of the "inferior county championship". Throw in Jaques having a mare for Worcestershire and the race to take Langer's spot in the Aussie side is hardly hotting up.

Just proves that CC Div 2 isn't really so different to Div 1 after all!

Northants must be seen in a better light by most now that Kepler's gone. Bringing in too many Saffers doesn't impress the majority. Never been a fashionable county, you've provided a few England players over the past twenty-five years. Only now are we seeing one (Monty) have a positive effect like Allan Lamb did. I always thought that Mal Loye was unlucky not to get recognised whilst at Northants and David Sales obviously never kicked on enough for the selectors liking.

Disappointed you didn't make an effort to get any sort of result against Notts last weekend, your first innings scoring rated really messed that game up from the word go!