Bears/Pears Thread 2013.

[PGW]

Chris Woakes has signed up for Sydney Thunder in the Australian Big Bash 20/20 league which starts this coming Friday.
He will only play in the first two games on:
21/12 v Sydney 6 er's at the SCG
27/12 v Adelaide Strikers at the ANZ
Presumably he then leaves to go and get ready to captain the England Lions.

Not too sure which TV company is covering it over here!

[cdbearsfan]

Sky are showing some Big Bash I think.

[PGW]

Sky are showing some Big Bash I think.

You're right Sky Sports 4 showing Saturdays game, i aint going to Stoke so i will certainly have Big Bash on....i daresay more exciting than Stoke v Villa!!

[cdbearsfan]

I hope the Bears get a big name signing in next year, at least for the Twenty20. If they want to get bigger crowds there are better ways to do it than by just changing the name.

[adrenachrome]

Meaning Evil

Chris Wright is aiming to be the catalyst for a serious championship challenge from Warwickshire next season after taking an important step forward in his recovery from a stress fracture in his back

Fast-bowler Wright is at last back bowling again following the injury which ruled him out of the second half of last season.

His absence was a big blow to the Bears as a team and to the player himself as it stalled his progress into the England Lions and Performance Programme set-ups.

But Wright intends to be back better than ever in 2014 – and is now working in the nets again with Bears bowling coach Graeme ‘Pop’ Welch.

“I have had my first bowling session with Pop,” he said. “It was nothing too strenuous but a good step to take.

“I thought I would be a little bit nervous when it came to bowling again but it wasn’t the case.

“The fracture has healed, that is the main thing, so now we just have to take it steady and be sensible. It is a question of building up towards the pre-season trip to Barbados.

“It has been frustrating but injuries happen and you have just got to deal with them.

“The positive to come from all this is that there is no reason why I shouldn’t come back better and stronger than ever.

“I can’t wait for next season to start and I know the other lads feel the same way because we were under-achievers last season.

“Finishing fourth in the championship was a decent effort taking into account all the injuries we had but, with the players we have got, we feel we should be challenging to win it.

“That’s what we want to do next season and hopefully I can make that difference.”

[adrenachrome]

BBC

Chris Woakes to lead England Lions tour to Sri Lanka

Chris Woakes will captain a 15-man England Lions squad to tour Sri Lanka in February and March 2014.

The Warwickshire all-rounder, 24, is one of four men in the squad to have been capped at Test level.

Woakes, Yorkshire's Jonny Bairstow and Lancashire's Simon Kerrigan featured in the last home Ashes series during the summer, while Nottinghamshire's James Taylor faced South Africa in 2012.

Middlesex batsman Sam Robson has gained his first England Lions call-up.

Australia-born Robson, 24, qualified for England  on residency grounds in August.

 Woakes's selection as captain has been announced two days after he signed a two-year contract to extend his stay at Warwickshire.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Bairstow, 24, is with England's Ashes squad in Australia as cover for Matt Prior.

England selector James Whitaker said: "We believe that this Lions squad contains an excellent mix of players who have had international exposure, combined with emerging young talent that we hope can flourish on this tour to Sri Lanka.

The Lions will arrive in Sri Lanka on 27 January and play two three-day matches in Colombo against a Sri Lanka A Team Emerging Players XI.

Mark Robinson's squad will then face three four-day matches against the Sri Lanka A team one each in Kandy, Dambulla and Colombo.

Whitaker added: "The opportunity to train and play in the sub-continent will be an invaluable experience and under the guidance of coach Mark Robinson we are convinced all the players will learn a great deal."

England Lions squad: Chris Woakes (Warwickshire, capt), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Scott Borthwick (Durham), Varun Chopra (Warwickshire), Ben Foakes (Essex), James Harris (Middlesex), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Simon Kerrigan (Lancashire), Alex Lees (Yorkshire), Tymal Mills (Essex), James Overton (Somerset), Sam Robson (Middlesex), James Taylor (Nottinghamshire), James Vince (Hampshire). 

[bertlambshank]

I hope the Bears get a big name signing in next year, at least for the Twenty20. If they want to get bigger crowds there are better ways to do it than by just changing the name.

It will be a top Indian I hope.After changing the name they need to get the punters in

[PGW]

Woakesy had a losing start to his short Big Bash career today he scored 8* off 9 in a total of 166 -6 then took 1-34 off his 4 overs. Sydney 6ers got them with i think 10 balls to spare..

[PGW]

I hope it doesn't prove too disastrous but Graeme Welch has just signed a 3 yr deal to become Derbyshire's performance director. So leaves us looking for a bowling coach.

Disappointing as Welch is undoubtedly the best around, can't say i'm too surprised as he played at Derbyshire for a good number of years.

I just hope we can get someone in sharpish so that they are bedded in prior to us going to Barbados for our usual pre-season get together.

[Simon Ward]

Alan Richardson confirmed as new Bears bowling coach. Good appointment I think!

[PGW]

Alan Richardson confirmed as new Bears bowling coach. Good appointment I think!

Yes i think there must have been a fair bit going on behind the scenes for this to happen so quickly. I agree though could be a good acquisition, an ex - bear 5 years at the club from 1999-2004, admittedly a fair while ago. He didn't waste any time accepting either, he was due to play his last season in cricket for the Pears this coming season. He will have learnt a fair bit from his travels around the county circuit (i hope).

I'm happy anyway.

[Gareth]

As a Pear gutted to lose Richardson, looks like Moeen will be leading the batting & bowling attack next season - need Ajmal to show up now ;-)

Be interesting if he Richardson gets the full talent out of Richard Jones - a wicket taker who is a little expensive can always improve his control so the basics are there.

Not expecting promotion bid for the Pears this year now :-)

[Villan For Life]

Not expecting promotion bid for the Pears this year now :-)

I think that you need the water to drain away before you even contemplate cricket at New Road!

[adrenachrome]

From the Birmingham Mail:

In terms of bowling coaching, Warwickshire have lost a sorcerer (in the last four years, Welch pretty much turned all the Bears’ seam bowlers into England material) and gained an apprentice.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Bears and am proud to have been part of the coaching group that has developed one of the most potent bowling attacks in the country.”

That bowling attack still has that potency, of course, and remains arguably the strongest in county cricket.

But how will it cope, individually and collectively, without the man who, to a large extent, built it?

[PGW]

From the Birmingham Mail:

In terms of bowling coaching, Warwickshire have lost a sorcerer (in the last four years, Welch pretty much turned all the Bears’ seam bowlers into England material) and gained an apprentice.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Bears and am proud to have been part of the coaching group that has developed one of the most potent bowling attacks in the country.”

That bowling attack still has that potency, of course, and remains arguably the strongest in county cricket.

But how will it cope, individually and collectively, without the man who, to a large extent, built it?

I think the Mail have pretty much nailed it.....Richardson is the apprentice, shame he never had any time working with Welch....but can't have everything. As i said on an earlier post
i'm quite happy with the appointment.