Essex net session

[glyn]

Nice of our bowlers to head down to Chelmsford to give the Essex batsmen a net. 200-0.

 

[tpearce]

It's a cunning plan. Essex have been poor this season in the championship, and their batsman need time in the middle. We're denying their middle order that time by, erm, not getting their openers out.

 

[glyn]

Brilliant, first wicket down and it was through a run out!

Obviously the Essex openers decided to share the runs with the middle order.

 

[Lako42]

We really are terrible. Essex ffs!!

 

[Notsport2]

Masters has already got going, not fast, fast but he takes wickets by bucket loads and another who Leicestershire didn't hold onto.

 

[Ian Marshall]

Masters has already got going, not fast, fast but he takes wickets by bucket loads and another who Leicestershire didn't hold onto.

I played against him last season and one of my friends, who is a good bat to be fair, took him to pieces. He finished with pretty abysmal figures.

Batted well though.

 

[Redditch Fox]

We've reached the point of no sort of credibility either in performance or in the statements made by the club.

A couple of weeks ago the head coach maintained that we were going to make a serious effort in the remaining Championship games with a view to winning a decent proportion of them - since then we have been more or less outplayed on each day of games.

 

[Notsport2]

I played against him last season and one of my friends, who is a good bat to be fair, took him to pieces. He finished with pretty abysmal figures.

Batted well though.

If your friend can take Masters apart then he must be professional standard because there are few in county cricket that take Masters apart he is one of the most economical bowlers on the scene.

 

[glyn]

Masters has already got going, not fast, fast but he takes wickets by bucket loads and another who Leicestershire didn't hold onto.

I'm sure there was lots of smoke and mirrors but if I recall Masters did have family reasons for moving South.

 

[Redditch Fox]

I'm sure there was lots of smoke and mirrors but if I recall Masters did have family reasons for moving South.

I'm sure you are correct.

Masters was probably an unavoidable loss as was Luke Wright - but Jimmy Allenby? (not treated too well), Gurney? (not utilised properly) to which could be added several highly promising younger players particularly seam bowlers & wicket keepers who never achieved their potential within the Leics coaching system.

 

[glyn]

Didn't want to jinx it earlier, but a very good partnership between Thornely and Boyce today. Unfortunately Masters has come out with the new ball and got them both, he now has all five wickets so far!

Another ton for Thornely, he really has become a useful part of the team.

I hope we get past the follow on mark and declare so that they might set a target tomorrow morning.

 

[Notsport2]

Didn't want to jinx it earlier, but a very good partnership between Thornely and Boyce today. Unfortunately Masters has come out with the new ball and got them both, he now has all five wickets so far!

Another ton for Thornely, he really has become a useful part of the team.

According to todays summary on Cricinfo, Thornely has been given a two year contract. I would say Boyce has a better record than Smith, as opener but he seems to be much better suited to the middle order.

 

[Ian Marshall]

If your friend can take Masters apart then he must be professional standard because there are few in county cricket that take Masters apart he is one of the most economical bowlers on the scene.

I can assure you he's not a professional, although he is very good.

He trained with Kent for a bit I think. His problem has always been keeping fit. He keeps wicket to a very high standard. His batting technique is also sound, but he doesn't tend to make big runs very often.

I'm not knocking Masters as a bowler and in fact I rate him highly. I've had a beer with him a few times, although I doubt he'd remember me, as he has given a bit of basic coaching/advice to some of the lads who play at our club.

Quite a few of the guys I play with could probably have played at a higher standard but the usual mixture of injuries, face not fitting, not knowing the right people and other priorities in life tend to conspire against them.

I played with and against Matt Coles (Kent) for Simon Cusden (Kent) for a while and you could see they had a the raw attributes, but the Kent coaching brought both on in leaps and bounds. Coles looks a completely different player now, and much better for it.

Anyway, it is very possible for a batsman to take a bowling attack to pieces, even if the bowler is supposedly much better. Just last week we lost a game because a self proclaimed 'slogger' got his eye in and just tee'd off. He usually makes zero or close to it, but every dog has his day and similarly every bowler has a bad day.