Whitticase just been on the radio saying he thinks 185 would be a big score for them to chase
I'm a huge fan of Nixon. He is probably my favourite cricketer of his generation, but at the moment we are picking him AND Tom New and neither is really contributing with the bat. Nixon will tell you himself that he's not a number three and to use 2 places in the side up for two keepers, one of which will keep (to a mediocre standard) and both will bat, contributing maybe 20 between them, is not good enough. On the issue of a number 3 bat, I'd love to see Cobb given a run in the longer form of the game. Ackerman is beginning to look a big loss though.
No one can argue with Nixon's longetivity as a fine and competitive player - but I suspected at the end of last season that this season would be one too far. As for Ackerman - well it was entirely predictable that he would be a massive loss. It was never going to be likely for a county like Leicestershire to be able to buy a replacement for that class of batsman.
I totally agree about the wicketkeeper situation.
It should be one from Nixon, New or even Dixey. Not two of them.
Nico gets my vote - not in the best of form - but he has just returned from injury and I'm sure he has the character and ability to get amongst the runs once again.
Very interesting situation - it probably makes sense for Nixon to keep in the T20 partly because we aren't the most athletic fielding side and whilst Nixon appears super fit for his age- he isn't any longer an out- fielder who can be that flexibly deployed.
I'm sorry to say that I don't think that Tom New is a good enough cricketer to play regular first team county cricket (he's had plenty of time and opportunities to improve) - and Dixey looks like another decent second team player. I thought that Joel Pope was the most talented keeper - but he didn't grab his opportunity at Grace Road.
Pope's glove work was always highly rated but I don't think he would have ever cut it as a batsman. Although, he never really had that much of a chance at Grace Road, confined only to appearances in tour matches and meaningless Pro40 fixtures.
I noticed at the start of the season that he was included in the Unicorns squad but has been playing second fiddle to former Worcestershire 'keeper Josh Knappett ever since.
P | Pld | Pts | |
1 | Leicester | 46 | 97 |
2 | Ipswich | 46 | 96 |
3 | Leeds Utd | 46 | 90 |
4 | Southampton | 46 | 87 |
5 | West Brom | 46 | 75 |
6 | Norwich City | 46 | 73 |
7 | Hull City | 46 | 70 |
8 | Middlesbro | 46 | 69 |
9 | Coventry City | 46 | 64 |
10 | Preston | 46 | 63 |
11 | Bristol City | 46 | 62 |
12 | Cardiff City | 46 | 62 |
13 | Millwall | 46 | 59 |
14 | Swansea City | 46 | 57 |
15 | Watford | 46 | 56 |
16 | Sunderland | 46 | 56 |
17 | Stoke City | 46 | 56 |
18 | QPR | 46 | 56 |
19 | Blackburn | 46 | 53 |
20 | Sheffield W | 46 | 53 |
21 | Plymouth | 46 | 51 |
22 | Birmingham | 46 | 50 |
23 | Huddersfield | 46 | 45 |
24 | Rotherham Utd | 46 | 27 |