The Bears/Pears/County Cricket Thread 2015

[AVH87]

Warwickshire need new batsmen. We won't improve unless we add a couple of quality ones before next season.

Evans has been dissappointing, as has Trott, as has Chopra etc

Yeah Trott's not been the same since his off the field problems, we really need him to show his class for us again next season. We could do with a solid, reliable opener and an overseas player or a kolpak with international pedigree to come in at number 4/5.

Chopra
New Opener
Trott
Bell (when available, Hain when not)
New Overseas player

Something like that for the first 5 next season.

[peter w]

Agree with that.  What we'd lose in a spinner we'd gain more in the batting department.

[cdbearsfan]

I'd get rid of Trott and Chopra should be retained but only as a squad player.

Get Evans at four or five to make the team more attacking, and improve the tedious run rate from last year and get more bonus points while we're at it.

Sign at least two batsmen.

[spangley1812]

Worcestershire: Richard Oliver leaves after rejecting contract offer

Worcestershire opening batsman Richard Oliver has left New Road after turning down a new one-year contract offer.
Former Shropshire captain Oliver, 25, was a late starter in county cricket when Worcestershire brought him in initially as a T20 player in May 2014. After signing a deal to the end of the 2015 season, he initially scored well in Championship cricket in 2014, making 558 runs in seven matches. But he has lost his place this summer and was offered only a year extension.He made only 452 runs at an average of 21.52 in 12 matches - having averaged 39.85 in 2014 - and was dropped for the final four games of the season as Worcestershire suffered relegation from Division One in the County Championship.Oliver has again headed down under to spend the winter months playing and coaching with Victoria state side Geelong, where has has long established ties. But the free-spirited, strokeplaying batsman would be free to take up any offer from another county if he returns to England for next season.

[adrenachrome]

Edgbaston

Warwickshire CCC appoints new Chief Executive

Warwickshire County Cricket Club today announced the appointment of Neil Snowball as Chief Executive. He will commence the role in January 2016, replacing current Chief Executive Colin Povey who is retiring from the position next month.

Neil Snowball is currently Chief Operating Officer of England Rugby 2015 Ltd, the Organising Committee for Rugby World Cup 2015. He was responsible for all aspects of tournament delivery including Match Venues, Host Cities, team services, security, transport and technology as well as managing multiple stakeholder partnerships.

Prior to his current role, Neil Snowball was Head of Sport Operations at the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) where he was responsible for service delivery and operational management for the 26 Olympic and 20 Paralympic sports, and 45 competition venues. Before joining LOCOG, Neil was an Executive Director at Goldman Sachs for eight years.

Neil is a lifelong cricket supporter, and has been involved with Guildford Cricket Club for many years, as a player, coach and administrator, including three years as Chairman of the Club and of the Guildford Cricket Festival. Neil also has a long association with Surrey County Cricket Club and in 2012 was invited to be a member of the Surrey CCC Business Advisory Group, and also served on the Surrey Championship committee.

Warwickshire CCC Chairman, Norman Gascoigne, said:  "Neil was the outstanding candidate for the role.  He will bring a wealth of relevant experience as the Club strives for greater success on and off the field, building on the outstanding platform created under the leadership of Colin Povey. I am delighted to welcome Neil to Warwickshire.”

Neil Snowball, who will relocate to the West Midlands from Surrey, commented: “I am delighted to have been appointed as Warwickshire’s Chief Executive, joining a Club with not only a proud and successful history but with a clear ambition for the future. The strength of the playing squad as evidenced by performances over the last five years and the world class facilities at Edgbaston offer enormous opportunity in the years ahead.”

[aev]

Looks like Bell might be around for few more games next season.

[adrenachrome]

Just as well, because it looks like we are pretty much sticking with the current squad.

Amusing to read Riki Clarke's comments in the members' Behond The Boundary magazine.

My first home game at Edgbaston was brutal. Craig Kieswetter hit me for 18 or so in one of my first overs and someone in the crowd shouted out "Fuck off back to Surrey, ugly" .

[ACVilla]

Just as well, because it looks like we are pretty much sticking with the current squad.

Amusing to read Riki Clarke's comments in the members' Behond The Boundary magazine.

My first home game at Edgbaston was brutal. Craig Kieswetter hit me for 18 or so in one of my first overs and someone in the crowd shouted out "Fuck off back to Surrey, ugly" .

#bantz.

Anyone remember the bloke in the 90's who used to follow the bears home and away with an old leather bag with a picture of David "Ugly" Ward on it? Specifically when we won the Sunday League at Cardiff in what was to be Roger Twose's last game but it turned out he stayed another year.

[ACVilla]

Looks like Bell might be around for few more games next season.

There can't be many more formidable 3s and 4s than Trott and Bell surely?

[Colhint]

add Hain to that and 5 looks good too

[ACVilla]

add Hain to that and 5 looks good too

Agreed, Hain appears to be the real deal and to spend quality time in the middle with Trott and Bell will benefit him infinitely.

My only concerns for the season are that our back up players do not appear to be good enough and Dougie's overly negative tactics last year could hinder us but if everyone can stay fit and we can change our brand of cricket we could be in for an excellent year.

[Villan For Life]

add Hain to that and 5 looks good too

Agreed, Hain appears to be the real deal and to spend quality time in the middle with Trott and Bell will benefit him infinitely.

My only concerns for the season are that our back up players do not appear to be good enough and Dougie's overly negative tactics last year could hinder us but if everyone can stay fit and we can change our brand of cricket we could be in for an excellent year.

I'd make Bell captain. When he lead us in a Lords one-day final a few seasons ago his captaincy was imaginative and given that he's a Bear through and through he would thrive in the role.

[aev]

add Hain to that and 5 looks good too

Agreed, Hain appears to be the real deal and to spend quality time in the middle with Trott and Bell will benefit him infinitely.

My only concerns for the season are that our back up players do not appear to be good enough and Dougie's overly negative tactics last year could hinder us but if everyone can stay fit and we can change our brand of cricket we could be in for an excellent year.

I'd make Bell captain. When he lead us in a Lords one-day final a few seasons ago his captaincy was imaginative and given that he's a Bear through and through he would thrive in the role.

Yep, I think it would free up Chopra to rediscover some form too.

I wonder how Trott will get on next season? I wouldn't at all be surprised to see him retire.

[spangley1812]

Worcestershire batsman Tom Fell says he has been given the go-ahead to play next season after revealing he has had surgery for testicular cancer.

Fell, who was the county's top scorer in the County Championship in 2015, had an operation in October after a tumour was discovered.

"I got the results on 1 November and they broke the good news that it hadn't spread," the 22-year-old said.

"It was really the best news that I could have hoped for."

Fell is now back in training at New Road and is set to spend part of the winter in Australia playing grade cricket in Perth.

Tom Fell: 'I should have seen doctor sooner'

"I was quite lucky. I was fairly stupid in the fact I didn't get it checked straight away," Fell said.

"When they did analyse the tumour, it was fairly big at the stage they operated.

"I think if I had left it any longer and I had gone to Australia without being checked, who knows how bad it could have been.

"Because I felt no different, that is why I didn't bother to get it checked sooner than I did."

Fell has chosen not to follow up his operation with any further treatment on the advice of his specialist.

"I was recommended by the professor I saw that if you can avoid chemotherapy it is definitely something I should do - especially as a sportsman - as the side effects and consequences can be quite severe," he said.

"It is something I want to avoid. I've been told there is a 65% chance it is all clear and a 35% chance it can come back and if it comes back, it will most likely be in the next three months and then I would have to go through three cycles of chemotherapy as opposed to two now.

"I've got back into training which has been a bit of a shock to the system this week but it's great to be back - playing cricket is the best thing about it."

[adrenachrome]

Bears 2016 Fixtures