Martin Van Jaarsveld

[Jimmy Lad]

Has signed for LCCC from Kent on 2 year deal.

Although he is 37 I still think he has a couple of good years in him & will hopefully add that bit of steel that our middle order which has sadly been lacking in recent seasons. Kent are in financial meltdown, as are we, so I wonder if we are asking too much to knick any more players from them? Darren Stevens anyone?

Question is will he be lining up with James Taylor next season???? I sincerely hope so.

Add to that, Abdul Razzaq has re-signed for the T20 campaign. Hats off to the county for capturing him as he was courted by other counties. It would have been great if he could have played as our overseas for the full season. I wonder whether we can afford to have one this year or indeed a 2nd overseas for the T20???

 

[Ian Marshall]

Has signed for LCCC from Kent on 2 year deal.

Although he is 37 I still think he has a couple of good years in him & will hopefully add that bit of steel that our middle order which has sadly been lacking in recent seasons. Kent are in financial meltdown, as are we, so I wonder if we are asking too much to knick any more players from them? Darren Stevens anyone?

Question is will he be lining up with James Taylor next season???? I sincerely hope so.

Add to that, Abdul Razzaq has re-signed for the T20 campaign. Hats off to the county for capturing him as he was courted by other counties. It would have been great if he could have played as our overseas for the full season. I wonder whether we can afford to have one this year or indeed a 2nd overseas for the T20???

I know a few people who know him well - not going to divulge who they are but close friends as well as some who deal in the business/sponsorship/endorsmeent areas with him.

His body is shot. We'll do well to get many games out of him. He really didn't want to leave Kent but they just shut the door on him.

The financial meltdown stuff is a little overstated. They have kept most of the players they really wanted to. Got a decent amount of money from selling off a wedge of land recently.

Agreed in general things are hardly rosy there though.

MvJ has ability though and we do need a middle order batsman. Its hardly inspiring stuff though.

 

[glyn]

Mercury also says we have agreed new deals with Malik (good news), White (OK news) and.....Boyce (on his fielding in T20?) and have offered new deals to Dixey, Eckersley (good) and Rob Taylor (good).

No news about J.Taylor suggests we know how that is going to end.

 

[CM]

Well, signing a 37 year old south african on a three year deal isn't ideal. I think it is a bit of a gamble. Although we are crying out for some mid order stability and there isn't much else out there. Will give him the benefit of the doubt.

Malik, White, Dixey, Eckersley, Rob Taylor, yeah, not complaining about any of those. Boyce must have some dirt on someone to get another contract though.

Would like to see us sign Akhil Patel if possible, notice he was released by Notts. Lot of potential there.

 

[glyn]

Got a feeling he always scored runs against us, so that's one positive with him joining us!

 

[Redditch Fox]

At least Van Jaarsveld is a quality player - and even at 37 a change of county should provide him with a new challenge. Lack of quality in all departments except the spinners is the big problem and with finance limited things are not likely to improve dramatically. I'm afraid Hoggard is a diminishing asset and we may have given him an expensive season too many in respect of 2012. Obviously the James Taylor situation looks ominous and I'm struggling to think of compelling reasons why he would choose to stay - especially with the disappointments he will have had re England selections at the end of the season.

 

[CM]

First Class, List A and T20 against us. Not too shabby.

Leicestershire 4 6 2 292 146 73.00 1 1
Leicestershire 7 7 3 233 69* 58.25 0 3
Leicestershire 2 2 1 138 75 138.00 0 2

 

[glyn]

Further confirmed signings

Eckersley (2 years)
Dixey (1 year)
Rob Taylor (summer contract, still at Loughboro Uni at start of summer)

 

[Redditch Fox]

Further confirmed signings

Eckersley (2 years)
Dixey (1 year)
Rob Taylor (summer contract, still at Loughboro Uni at start of summer)

Eckersley looks like a batsman/ wicketkeeper who really wants to do well. Not a particularly fluent shot maker but looks highly motivated.

Not so sure about Dixey making the grade.

As for Rob Taylor - anyone half-decent who bowls left arm seam and can also bat has a real chance.

 

[spionfox]

Eckersley looks like a batsman/ wicketkeeper who really wants to do well.

Does he 'eckaslike.




sorry.....

 

[Ian Marshall]

I would really hope that Dixey is here as backup only...

 

[Redditch Fox]

I would really hope that Dixey is here as backup only...

Yep - no use these days unless you are a keeper/ batter and his batting track record is not much better than tail ended class.

I also thought his keeping was slightly untidy.

 

[4-4-2]

RL just reporting that MVJ is going to retire rather than come to Leicestershire.

 

[CM]

His body is shot. We'll do well to get many games out of him. He really didn't want to leave Kent but they just shut the door on him.

Well it looks like you were bang on, we didn't even get a game out of him

 

[Ian Marshall]

Middle order looks very very fragile now then, especially with Taylor on his way.

Need a dependable run maker (and crease occupier) for the middle order.

From what I've heard its probably for the best anyway and I wouldn't be surprised if he simply failed whatever medical was in place.

 

[Redditch Fox]

Middle order looks very very fragile now then, especially with Taylor on his way.

Based on our current strength - minus Taylor, I would say that this is the weakest batting line up we have had whilst I have been watching Leics (and this takes me back to when Charlie Palmer was captain!). James Taylor's departure will also weaken the fielding - which was already somewhat rocky. Given that we finished a poor bottom of the Championship and more or less as bad in the CB40, I would have thought that we needed at least two quality batters to make any progress.

 

[glyn]

Based on our current strength - minus Taylor, I would say that this is the weakest batting line up we have had whilst I have been watching Leics (and this takes me back to when Charlie Palmer was captain!). James Taylor's departure will also weaken the fielding - which was already somewhat rocky. Given that we finished a poor bottom of the Championship and more or less as bad in the CB40, I would have thought that we needed at least two quality batters to make any progress.

It is truly worrying how bad we could be next season.