James Allenby

[fox58]

http://www.leicestershireccc.co.uk/lc/News/Allenby-to-miss-Oval-trip

Been left out of the squad for Fridays match as he has not signed a new contract and it looks like he is on his way out of the club

 

[slyfox]

Been told to stay away from the club....he wanted a long term contract but was only offered 3 years...i dont no the ins and outs...but if they have told him to stay away i think the damage is done and his leicestershire career is finished!.

Its not often you see a player wanting to commit to a side for a long time,only to be told toget lost...i have a sneaky feeling leics will regret this.

 

[Hazzman]

My brother has told me it kicked off major. County offered a contract, Allenby's unhappy with it but he said a bit too much, he's apparently refusing to train or use the same changing rooms as the rest of the squad when he does. Bit of a blow because it looked like he was going to the next level and he's the kind of player that we could build a future or secure a future with.

 

[glyn]

This is a real blow, and I'm very annoyed (a) with his reaction and (b) with the inability of the club to compromise. I'd accept it if he was going because of a better offer, but if he wanted to stay this is a real shame. Sure there are two sides to the story though.

Real problems for the rest of the season, will they bring back Nixon or bring in Du Toit (who of course is English qualified, so not part of their figures.....)

 

[glyn]

Although, well done to the club for publishing something on the website to avoid the speculation, even if it isn't the full story

 

[CM]

It sounds like he was willing and eager to stay, he approached us for an extention but we didn't make any desperate attempt to keep him until he had already been speaking to other clubs.

We just have no savvy in trying to convince good players to stay and convincing good players to come to the club. I know we haven't got the biggest financial resources but we only have ourselves to blame for this. Allenby was always going to attract attention and I don't really blame him for leaving us in our current state.

I actually think we'll be ok with the departure. McDonald is a better player and I don't really think Allenby imposed himself on a game as much as he could do. Apart from T20 games, he never really put in MOM performances.

Nixon and Ackerman will go too, our two biggest earners. We really need to reinvest that into the squad and get some good openers and a few bowlers!

 

[Redditch Fox]

It's obvious that the club has to be managed on a tight financial rein just to keep going.

I don't see any immediate prospects of it being easy to keep hold of any player who other counties are that keen to sign.

Also, I suggest that we wait to see if Andrew MacDonald actually arrives at the start of next season before we get too excited.

 

[glyn]

Trivia about this Allenby situation is that, having got two wickets with successive balls just before Essex declared in the last match he will be on a hat-trick whenever he next plays a first-class match for whichever county!

Could be the longest spanning hat-trick in cricket history

 

[Jimmy Lad]

Has signed for Glamorgan on loan for rest of season and for next 3 seasons permanently.

Rather surprising move.

 

[Redditch Fox]

Has signed for Glamorgan on loan for rest of season and for next 3 seasons permanently.

Rather surprising move.

The state of Leicestershire CCC is so depressing that the mind tends to get dumbed but if you think about it this is a really depressing situation and a big reality check.

Glamorgan are fellow perennial strugglers but Allenby has allegedly rejected a similar tenure contract here to go there.

He has been been one of our better players especially in the shorter formats and is of the sort of age when he should be at the top of his game for the next few years.

As far as I know we are not signing 11 Andrew McDonald's for next season and I think it's about time that the county took a realistic look at how competitive we are likely to be over the next couple of seasons. The Chief Executive is banging on about his middle order batting for the next 2 or 3 seasons, but i wonder if he has noticed what has happened in the past when other counties notice that we have some promising home grown talent.

 

[glyn]

The state of Leicestershire CCC is so depressing that the mind tends to get dumbed but if you think about it this is a really depressing situation and a big reality check.

Glamorgan are fellow perennial strugglers but Allenby has allegedly rejected a similar tenure contract here to go there.

He has been been one of our better players especially in the shorter formats and is of the sort of age when he should be at the top of his game for the next few years.

As far as I know we are not signing 11 Andrew McDonald's for next season and I think it's about time that the county took a realistic look at how competitive we are likely to be over the next couple of seasons. The Chief Executive is banging on about his middle order batting for the next 2 or 3 seasons, but i wonder if he has noticed what has happened in the past when other counties notice that we have some promising home grown talent.

Agree with all that.

Whilst I backed the county at the start of the season to go for English qualified players instead of Kolpak journeymen it was clear even then we needed to sign one or two good county players to beef up the squad.

I notice the comments by David Smith about the middle order and he is right in that it does look a decent order - if Cobb can find form. But he doesn't mention the chasm that is the opening positions. So we really need a Stubbings or, as you suggest, Darren Maddy to give us more solidity alongside a Boyce, Smith or Thompson. Two young openers is just too soft.

 

[Redditch Fox]

I notice the comments by David Smith about the middle order and he is right in that it does look a decent order - if Cobb can find form. But he doesn't mention the chasm that is the opening positions. So we really need a Stubbings or, as you suggest, Darren Maddy to give us more solidity alongside a Boyce, Smith or Thompson. Two young openers is just too soft.

I would say that our young opening batters are currently of good minor counties standard. Boyce plays some nice shots but is living off his form when he first came into the side.

However, I think that the bowling is an even bigger concern. AJ is a classic county decent journeyman but both he and Henderson (if he plays as English qualified next year) are both towards the end of their careers. As I hinted unless we are going to get special dispensation to allow McDonald to bowl from both ends then it all looks a bit thin.

 

[glyn]

As if they have been reading this thread we are just about to sign james benning. Very good move for the top of the order i think

 

[fox58]

As if they have been reading this thread we are just about to sign james benning. Very good move for the top of the order i think

He has signed on loan for the remainder of the season with a view of making it permanent if it works out.

Apparently Glamorgan have paid a fee for Allenby in order for him to play this season, i assume we have done the same with Surrey

 

[Jimmy Lad]

As if they have been reading this thread we are just about to sign james benning. Very good move for the top of the order i think

With a first class batting average of 31 achieved on the flattest wicket in England (if not world!) then I'm not sure he is the answer to our batting problems!

 

[Redditch Fox]

With a first class batting average of 31 achieved on the flattest wicket in England (if not world!) then I'm not sure he is the answer to our batting problems!

Useful shorter format player, I think.

Without going into details - I would say tho' that had Allenby been around at the end of the season, that he would have been in a fair amount of demand whereas I doubt whether the same could be said of Benning.

So I think that the probability is that Leics have lost out on this process - as seems to be the case on most things that they touch these days.

 

[glyn]

With a first class batting average of 31 achieved on the flattest wicket in England (if not world!) then I'm not sure he is the answer to our batting problems!

True, but at one point he was fairly close to England selection in the one dayers. A change of scene can help - Vince Wells and Aftab Habib as examples for us, and Darren Stevens the other way - although you need a good team around you I suspect!

Anyway, I'd rather him than Boyce or Smith at the top of the order for the rest of the season.