The Endof Days Report Part 1
By Grockle
November 3 2008
Rosey has done his so I thought I'd do mine. It'll come in bits over the next month or so and is personal opinion only so please disagree if you feel the need - it makes winter more interesting. Expectations too high? Performances too flakey? Wrong priorities? Too much pressure? Too little money? Money spent in the wrong places? Soooooo many questions, so few answers.
November 3 2008
Rosey has done his so I thought I'd do mine. It'll come in bits over the next month or so and is personal opinion only so please disagree if you feel the need - it makes winter more interesting. Expectations too high? Performances too flakey? Wrong priorities? Too much pressure? Too little money? Money spent in the wrong places? Soooooo many questions, so few answers.
We were the Championship favourites with so many pundits. We probably would have won it the year before had we been in the higher division. The feelings within the camp were upbeat, the plans were in place and the players felt they had the weapons in the armoury to do the job.
The initial view was; international top notch opening batsman paired with a bright up and coming Somerset pro with a big bat. A hard but fair captain with a formidable reputation at first change and in charge of a rejuvenated squad of players. A really bright prospect at four who was going to be knocking on the door of the National squad by the end of 2008 if things went well. A fromidable and under-rated (out of the county) allrounder at 5 who could devastate an attack and produce slow ball spells that could turn games in one dayers and sessions in four dayers. At number 6 a pace allrounder who was being viewed as one of the best (if not the best) allrounders in the country. A good bowling performance in tandem with the batting prowess we already knew about and we could have two players in a national squad.
That was because our young English keeper still needed to finish his qualification process before he looked for international recognition. The number eight would have a while to wait but if he could spin his county to victory like he had in the last game of the 2007 season then his country would be calling sooner than expected.
Our pace attack? Well with three "English" players pushing for the number 9 spot (although one was Welsh really) and that player backing up one of the most feared pace attacks in domestic cricket with a living legend paired with a Somersetian South African who had found a new lease of life on the Taunton wicket how could we fail? An English side with one international as captain - surely this was the year for glory?
So? How did we end up with a regular side that included the captain at number 2, a kolpak batsman as a regular at number 3, a middle order where no one knew if our two allrounders would get a game, no place for our spinning prospect in most games, a sidelined legend and a predominently South African pace attack with no other pace bowler getting a fair run in the firsts?
Where was the one day form that saw us finish as runners up in 2007? After no real show in the 50 over event we managed to stay in the first division by the skin of our teeth using a scratch spin heavy side of poorly performing players but including one Alfonso Thomas - not in the early equations at all that man. Who would have predicted that a fully fit Ian Blackwell would not represent Somerset in any Pro40 games?
The damp squib that was the 20/20 campaign was well attended in a cramped developing stadium. But we managed to perform even worse here than in the whole day events with no direction or plan it seemed from the sidelines and heaven knows where we would have been if our front two batsmen hadn't played out of their skins more than once...especially Marcus Trescothick.
The Championship was the jewel though and we were in with a real chance there. A chance to make club history. It started so well but we couldn;t keep up the momentum, or it was dissapaited by other events, Whichever way we ended up fourth and really were probably lucky to be there.
Why? Does this add up to a bad season? What does it mean for the future? Will we ever be in the same position at the start of a season again? Has our strength gone or will we be the same force in 2008.
I'll have a think and try and give my view on the answers in Part 2
.....same time same channel...... meanwhile posters can add their own fourpenneth on the forum.
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The Endof Days Report Part 1
Posted by: Grockles.com (IP Logged)
Date: 03/11/2008 22:11
The Endof Days Report Part 1
Re: The Endof Days Report Part 1
Posted by: Big Jim (IP Logged)
Date: 03/11/2008 23:10
An excellent start Grockle,there is a lot to discuss.
In brief and in response to your opening shot here is my point of view.
The CC was the priority,I think we all knew that.
It was generally believed we would be competitive in the different one day formats and that if we were in with a good shout of winning one of them make a push to try and be successful in that sphere.
Things seemed to go well in the first half of the season,a lot of us and people from outside the region thought we'd win the big one.
Then we had the bad weather.
Things seemed to get murky and the bright lights which had illuminated our fortunes seemed to dim somewhat.
The rest sadly is history and unless we're told officially we'll never know why.
I think something pretty bad went on behind the scenes.
The harmony and unity which had been ever present seemed to vanish.
Performances suffered and it was obvious to all,or most that there was something seriously wrong.
The dropping of Blackwell from the Pro 40 was shocking.
Whatever had gone on should have been dealt with in a professional manner and should not have effected selection policy.
We must always take the field with the strongest side available.
It was obvious we weren't.
Our performances in the second half of the CC season began to suffer as a result.
Whilst there were good individual performances there just wasn't that cohesiveness that had been an integral part of our gameplay for the past two seasons.
I personally don't think expectations were too high.
We had the firepower and momentum to win the CC,of that I am positive.
Whatever happened,and I am not blaming any one individual,had a very damaging effect on the team and the team's morale.
I think we can still be competitive in the CC next season but I believe our chances of winning it are not as good as last season.
My biggest fear is that our pace attack is now "senior"at best.
Can they withstand another full season of hard graft against the very best?
Our back up is as strong as ever,as long as they are used properly.
The under bowling of Trigger was baffling.
Maybe his injury prevented him from being used as some would have liked.
Blackie is a classy spinner though no match winner and with the likes of Turner,Steffan,Alfonso,Big Ben waiting in the wings we have enough ammunition to go to war with.
Michael Munday remains something of an enigma.
If he can perform like we know he can he could actually make all the difference.
It is however a huge if.
I'll stop now.
This was supposed to be brief.
In brief and in response to your opening shot here is my point of view.
The CC was the priority,I think we all knew that.
It was generally believed we would be competitive in the different one day formats and that if we were in with a good shout of winning one of them make a push to try and be successful in that sphere.
Things seemed to go well in the first half of the season,a lot of us and people from outside the region thought we'd win the big one.
Then we had the bad weather.
Things seemed to get murky and the bright lights which had illuminated our fortunes seemed to dim somewhat.
The rest sadly is history and unless we're told officially we'll never know why.
I think something pretty bad went on behind the scenes.
The harmony and unity which had been ever present seemed to vanish.
Performances suffered and it was obvious to all,or most that there was something seriously wrong.
The dropping of Blackwell from the Pro 40 was shocking.
Whatever had gone on should have been dealt with in a professional manner and should not have effected selection policy.
We must always take the field with the strongest side available.
It was obvious we weren't.
Our performances in the second half of the CC season began to suffer as a result.
Whilst there were good individual performances there just wasn't that cohesiveness that had been an integral part of our gameplay for the past two seasons.
I personally don't think expectations were too high.
We had the firepower and momentum to win the CC,of that I am positive.
Whatever happened,and I am not blaming any one individual,had a very damaging effect on the team and the team's morale.
I think we can still be competitive in the CC next season but I believe our chances of winning it are not as good as last season.
My biggest fear is that our pace attack is now "senior"at best.
Can they withstand another full season of hard graft against the very best?
Our back up is as strong as ever,as long as they are used properly.
The under bowling of Trigger was baffling.
Maybe his injury prevented him from being used as some would have liked.
Blackie is a classy spinner though no match winner and with the likes of Turner,Steffan,Alfonso,Big Ben waiting in the wings we have enough ammunition to go to war with.
Michael Munday remains something of an enigma.
If he can perform like we know he can he could actually make all the difference.
It is however a huge if.
I'll stop now.
This was supposed to be brief.
Re: The Endof Days Report Part 1
Posted by: Grizzzly (IP Logged)
Date: 04/11/2008 02:16
Seems to me that it was all about momentum, drive, desire & cohesive teamwork, all of which we lost in copious volumes after the wretched 20/20 competition.
We still have potential in the top half of the side, but the bottom half is beginning to look distinctly long in the tooth.
As a lifetime supporter, I honestly felt that this was our best chance (ever ?) to win the Championship & the way things stand at the moment - at least ahead of any unexpectedly positive winter trading - I just can't see us getting close in the forseeable future.
It really hurts to say so, but I just detest the way that the leadership of Jason Langer seems to have degenerated into an egotistical battle with other players (& management ?), highlighted by a multitude of negative undercurrents surrounding selection policy & on field strategy. His off field public relations have hardly helped, i.e declining to give any interviews unless we win !
I'm not convinced that Brian Rose's recent somewhat stroppy comments at the Taunton area AGM (as reported by Grockle), reflect his true feelings, or whether he is speaking by proxy for Justin. Either way, I find myself wishing to move beyond JL's time as Captain, to a more constructive and cohesive management style. Meantime, I think we will struggle to overcome our largely self imposed problems.
I sincerely hope I am completely and utterly wrong.
Grizzzly
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008:11:04:02:27:59 by Grizzzly.
We still have potential in the top half of the side, but the bottom half is beginning to look distinctly long in the tooth.
As a lifetime supporter, I honestly felt that this was our best chance (ever ?) to win the Championship & the way things stand at the moment - at least ahead of any unexpectedly positive winter trading - I just can't see us getting close in the forseeable future.
It really hurts to say so, but I just detest the way that the leadership of Jason Langer seems to have degenerated into an egotistical battle with other players (& management ?), highlighted by a multitude of negative undercurrents surrounding selection policy & on field strategy. His off field public relations have hardly helped, i.e declining to give any interviews unless we win !
I'm not convinced that Brian Rose's recent somewhat stroppy comments at the Taunton area AGM (as reported by Grockle), reflect his true feelings, or whether he is speaking by proxy for Justin. Either way, I find myself wishing to move beyond JL's time as Captain, to a more constructive and cohesive management style. Meantime, I think we will struggle to overcome our largely self imposed problems.
I sincerely hope I am completely and utterly wrong.
Grizzzly
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008:11:04:02:27:59 by Grizzzly.
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