Radlett Wednesday

Steel not returning suggests McKerr could be batting as high as 7 on Sunday. Yikes.

It's also an issue of exceeding the salary cap which might be used up anyway by now. We started with a squad of 25 I think, how many extra batsmen do you need 3,4,5, more? Sorry but you can't plan a season like that on guesses and presumptions.

any competent business plans ahead, you must match your resources to match your commitments. If you don’t you fail.

Unlike Sunday (frazzled from a family BBQ!), I hope that this comes across as fair and balanced.

The youngsters and squad players who have played today and represented the club throughout the competition deserve great credit for doing their best against stronger, more experienced squads. Majid may - repeat may - be a find. Ryan Patel stepped up today and made it a semblance of a contest. It is hard to draw conclusions about whether young Ben Geddes is captaincy material but he sure as hell deserves credit for putting his hand up with the resources available to him.

The competition is deeply unsatisfactory. I don't like handicap tournaments. I can accept Alec Stewart taking the view that we should just " go with what we have" only because we are prioritising the championship this season. In another season I would find it hard to swallow that we did not try to bring in an overseas player to add a semblance of class and experience.

I hope that Alec has got in Thommo's ear behind closed doors and implored him to make room in the calendar to restore this to a competition in which our best one-day players are available to us, always with room for a promising youngster like Majid to be introduced. That would be good for cricket, and especially for Surrey. We cannot and should not be uncompetitive in any competition.

According to Will Macpherson of the Standard, Ryan Patel is expected to sign a new contract amid interest from other counties. Good news if it comes off.

Cee Gee wrote:According to Will Macpherson of the Standard, Ryan Patel is expected to sign a new contract amid interest from other counties. Good news if it comes off.

Thanks, Cee Gee. Good news indeed. Particularly as Macpherson is usually on the money (as you know).

Alex! wrote:This Radlett outfield is ridiculous

What is a bit ridiculous is expecting anything different from any outground after this extended hot dry spell. The Radlett outfield is fast and a bit uneven even when grassy but you just have to put up with it.

Hope you enjoyed the stream. Gus Fraser has a laconic way of putting Kevin Hand's eternal optimism in its place. Alan Coleman reporting that Steel was OK but shaken up, and wishing him a speedy recovery, was a nice touch too near the end.

Years ago I remember someone writing in a Spurs fanzine that such and such a youth player was very promising and that we wished him good luck when he was eventually transferred to Norwich City. In the same vein, I wish Majid all the best not getting selected by Batty for the CC and T20! Seriously, it's very hard to judge how he might do in the CC because the good ball in one day cricket (a single out to deep cover) would be a bad ball in the CC (four through cover).

Patel kept the outcome uncertain for a long time and batted beautifully (but Simpson would have caught that edge before he got going!). Other than Lawes nobody really stayed with him for long. Barnwell batted nicely at the end but what I don't get - if this is seen as a development exercise by Surrey - is why he didn't get a single over. Maybe that fuelled his batting...

I also don't get why it is possible to get a keeper in from a local club but not a batsman or two on a very short term contract.

It was a pleasure (for once) to be able to listen to the commentary all day without muting it.Former Surrey bowlers Tim Murtagh and Mike Selvey were very good as was Alan Coleman.Angus Fraser was brilliant - and totally realistic in his observations.

Fraser told us that Surrey and Yorkshire are the two biggest Counties which we already knew of course!How sad then that we couldn't even field a full compliment of players once Dunn had to leave and Steel got injured.It really does beggar belief.

Well I would presume they would have considered batsmen from local clubs and perhaps thought there weren't any good enough. I don't know, but what I do know is there is no point in going on about it. Maybe Burns can play a couple of games but if not there you go.

Rory Burns,Captain of Surrey CCC playing a game for Surrey ? Surely not.

Matthew Breetzke, a batsman currently playing for Ashtead would do nicely IMHO.

guildfordbat wrote:

Cee Gee wrote:According to Will Macpherson of the Standard, Ryan Patel is expected to sign a new contract amid interest from other counties. Good news if it comes off.

Thanks, Cee Gee. Good news indeed. Particularly as Macpherson is usually on the money (as you know).

Which is interesting because Stewie even said he’s in contract anyway.

Badges wrote:Matthew Breetzke, a batsman currently playing for Ashtead would do nicely IMHO.

As would a player I’ve seen personally this year, Marcus Caprano-Wint. Bats and bowls. Took 6-20 vs Oxford Uni this year.

Badges wrote:Matthew Breetzke, a batsman currently playing for Ashtead would do nicely IMHO.

Send Batty the details!

But you know we have players contracted to Surrey all playing in a franchise competition that has nothing to do with Surrey, the County Game, Members subscriptions or indeed much else apart from junk food and beer sales. I would suggest you can't or shouldn't have it both ways. Surrey or County first.

Chinaman wrote:

Badges wrote:Matthew Breetzke, a batsman currently playing for Ashtead would do nicely IMHO.

Send Batty the details!

But you know we have players contracted to Surrey all playing in a franchise competition that has nothing to do with Surrey, the County Game, Members subscriptions or indeed much else apart from junk food and beer sales. I would suggest you can't or shouldn't have it both ways. Surrey or County first.

I'll ask him if he knows about him next time i see Gareth Batty.

RB wrote:

guildfordbat wrote:

Cee Gee wrote:According to Will Macpherson of the Standard, Ryan Patel is expected to sign a new contract amid interest from other counties. Good news if it comes off.

Thanks, Cee Gee. Good news indeed. Particularly as Macpherson is usually on the money (as you know).

Which is interesting because Stewie even said he’s in contract anyway.

Well that’s interesting interesting. It has been widely reported that Patel is out of contract this season. I’ve seen it in the Cricketer mag too. Clearly they may all be wrong, but either way good news. The most recent reference in the press I can find is both Jacks and Patel signing new contracts in August 2021. In typical Surrey fashion they didn’t disclose the length.

I see a lad called Sheridan Gumbs scored 259 no to break
the record for the Academy. Play him in our next 50 over game.

Badges wrote:It was a pleasure (for once) to be able to listen to the commentary all day without muting it.Former Surrey bowlers Tim Murtagh and Mike Selvey were very good as was Alan Coleman.Angus Fraser was brilliant - and totally realistic in his observations.

And I didn't hear either Coleman or Fraser coming out with the usual rollocks about "executing our skills"!

Steve wrote:I see a lad called Sheridan Gumbs scored 259 no to break
the record for the Academy. Play him in our next 50 over game.

Never mind the unbeaten 250, the lad deserves a place for his name alone.

I doubt Barnwell upset. he batted well yesterday and he obviously enjoyed hitting those sixes.

Is it true we literally didn't have anyone available to deputise for Steel as a concussion replacement? Someone mentioned coaches acting as twelfth man earlier. (Batty, Arafat?) Club cricketers and youngsters aren't necessarily available to fulfil those sorts of duties on a weekday but that sounds desperate. Of course, but for the salary cap I'm sure Surrey could afford to recruit better for these contingencies.

Pink Panther wrote:Is it true we literally didn't have anyone available to deputise for Steel as a concussion replacement? Someone mentioned coaches acting as twelfth man earlier. (Batty, Arafat?) Club cricketers and youngsters aren't necessarily available to fulfil those sorts of duties on a weekday but that sounds desperate. Of course, but for the salary cap I'm sure Surrey could afford to recruit better for these contingencies.

Matt Spriegel was acting as twelfth man but you have to be registered as a player to do more than field, which may carry a cost but, perhaps more importantly, demands a degree of foresight.

What evidence is there that the salary cap is in any way relevant to our inability to muster 12 cricketers at Radlett? It sounds like an all-too-convenient excuse. Remember that some of our first-choice players are on central con-tricks, and that we are currently filling just two of our three overseas slots. I have no idea how Surrey's overseas contracts work: are we really paying Amla and (especially) Roach to take a whole month of gardening leave in August? I very much doubt it.

Well the thing is we don't know the ins and outs of our salary cap, but as I've already said earlier we had a squad of 25, how many more do we want? Well clearly now some batsmen, but you can't plan for every eventuality back in March unless finance is unlimited, which it isn't.

Badges wrote:It was a pleasure (for once) to be able to listen to the commentary all day without muting it.Former Surrey bowlers Tim Murtagh and Mike Selvey were very good as was Alan Coleman.Angus Fraser was brilliant - and totally realistic in his observations.

Fraser told us that Surrey and Yorkshire are the two biggest Counties which we already knew of course!How sad then that we couldn't even field a full compliment of players once Dunn had to leave and Steel got injured.It really does beggar belief.

Selvey said on Twitter that Majid was as good as any spinner he’s seen this season.