I am not a fatalist, more a realist. I disagree with some comments that certain named players are not good enough. I think we have a core of around it dozen players who can compete at this level, but all of them will have days when they succeed, others when they flop. It is the way of professional sport, no one succeeds all the time.
Mark Watt got hammered last night, much as Mattie McKiernan did at Taunton last year. Yet I have seen that happen to better bowlers than both of them. One night doesn’t make them bad. bowlers, any more than a five wicket haul would make them world beaters. For that kind of status, sustained performance is essential.
I think we are light in batting with the eleven that has taken the field, but also, as I have written before and said on radio, need to factor in that we have played the two best teams in the group in our opening fixtures.
For what it is worth, I would like to see an extra batter accommodated, when we have bowling options elsewhere in the eleven that are not being utilised. I don’t think Haider Ali is an opening bat and would prefer to see him come in down the order, where his ability to clear the boundary would be an asset.
Likewise, I disagree that George Scrimshaw has become a bad bowler. At his pace, any variant on line and length will be punished, while even good balls that take the edge are likely to go for four. You don’t get selection for England Lions without talent, but last night was the antithesis of his performance at Taunton, a small ground where he got it right.
For what it is worth, I would be inclined to go with this side in the next game:
Wood/Came
Reece
Madsen
du Plooy
Ali
Donald
Dal (if fit to bowl)
Chappell
Watt
Scrimshaw
Khan
If Dal is fit to bowl, he could share the fifth bowler duties with Reece and Madsen. If he isn’t, then McKiernan should play. But for me that is the strongest side for this format that we have at the moment.
Ali and Donald are powerful players who can clear the boundaries and have proven track records to show this. Logically, you would want them coming in when the fielders are out. When the field is in, during the opening overs, both Wood and Came can fulfil requirements.
But outside of this group there aren’t many options. You could leave out Ali and play Lakmal, but that lengthens a tail that is already too long and also leaves the field less athletic.
There is no need to panic. I would agree with the comment that outside of the two teams we have played so far, Durham and Birmingham look the strongest in the group. Our games against them, besides the necessity of winning against perceived weaker sides, will determine whether we progress from the group stage.
For me, this is still a squad in transition. I suspect we will see a number of departures at the end of the season, because after the euphoria of last year and the impact of his personality and coaching nous on a new staff, Mickey Arthur will now see that several players have reached the ceiling of their ability.
For all of them, the rest of the competition – indeed the rest of the season – is an opportunity to show that they can go further.
Otherwise, the close season will see considerable change and 2024 will be when supporters can give the Roman-style thumbs up or thumbs down to progress.
