What a humiliating night to be a Northants fan
Getting wrecked by England's best spinners.What a humiliating night to be a Northants fan
I'm not sure whether the worst thing is that Northants finished the game with a Net Run Rate of -7.813, or that that side is genuinely somewhere near Northants' best T20 XI. If I were to try to pick one from the entire squad, I don't know that I could go much different. The only definite first-choice players missing were Ricardo Vasconcelos (presumably not fully fit or something) and Jimmy Neesham (evidently not in the country). Graeme White too probably, but one can see why Heldreich was picked over him.Getting wrecked by England's best spinners.
I'm surprised Munsey doesn't get picked up more often especially as he'd be classed as a local player. Although, I've just checked and he's probably in the US for World Cricket League with Scotland against the US which starts tomorrow.I'm not sure whether the worst thing is that Northants finished the game with a Net Run Rate of -7.813, or that that side is genuinely somewhere near Northants' best T20 XI. If I were to try to pick one from the entire squad, I don't know that I could go much different. The only definite first-choice players missing were Ricardo Vasconcelos (presumably not fully fit or something) and Jimmy Neesham (evidently not in the country). Graeme White too probably, but one can see why Heldreich was picked over him.
If I were to try to turn that Northants team into a decent T20 XI, I'd need to do some recruitment.
Those three TBCs are obviously issues, and I think the quickest way to deal with it would be to look for loan or summer signings. The shortlist for players I'd try to go after would be:
- Chris Lynn - yeah, he can stay
- Ricardo Vasconcelos - should definitely be playing as an accumulator, but for whatever reason he isn't
- TBC
- TBC
- Josh Cobb - very useful powerplay stock spinner, probably nosebleed territory at number three though
- Jimmy Neesham - performs best in a late-overs hitting role; can bowl too of course
- Rob Keogh - an excellent middle-overs stock spinner and the best fielder in county cricket. Can bat a bit
- Luke Procter - tore up 2nd XI T20 last year but has a poor record in the Blast. Might be good in a firefighter role, and his tricky variations with the ball can be handy
- TBC
- Graeme White or Freddie Heldreich - depends what kind of bowler you want in your side; the risky wicket-taker or the experienced stock bowler
- Ben Sanderson - a very handy top-and-tail bowler; he's accurate and his low arm-slot makes it difficult to pick up his lengths
Number Three - powerplay hitter- Dan Lincoln - highly rated as a big hitter, but has never quite cracked county cricket yet. Try him with a summer contract
- George Munsey - one of the best hitters in the world, but not from a fashionable nation; he's also been around the Northants setup before
Number Four - dynamic accumulator/crisis man- Josh Bohannon (loan) - this is quite left-field given how poor his T20 record is, but I'd be considering him as a crisis man at number four
- Rory Burns (loan) - another poor T20 record, but if he's good enough to score Test hundreds surely he also squeeze in at number four
Attacking fast bowler - ideally with more pace than anyone else Northants has- Tom Barber - he's done the rounds of county second teams, but how many free agent bowlers can send down his kind of left-arm gas?
- Richard Gleeson - he offers real pace, and is familiar with the environment at Northants
Ah well that explains this year then. Still baffling the rest of the timeI'm surprised Munsey doesn't get picked up more often especially as he'd be classed as a local player. Although, I've just checked and he's probably in the US for World Cricket League with Scotland against the US which starts tomorrow.
Nor would I normally but if we're looking for short term loan signings options are very limitedI wouldn't want to sign Burns or Bohannon to be honest. I'd rather have players to hit me out of a crisis.
Ha! I put this in the England thread earlier, feel free to delete it and we'll mock him here instead.After missing the First Class XI match with a stiff back, Ollie Robinson now has covid.
Add that to the infected tooth and food poisoning he had a fortnight ago.
Predictably enough, Mo’s Rapids trump ‘em.Buttler and Salt opening up for Lancashire in a run chase.