Rocky joins Middlesex

Badges wrote:Very very very very very disappointed in Stoneman.Thanks mate.

At age 34, would any professional cricketer really sign a one year contract if three years is on offer elsewhere? If I were his family, I'd be very very very very disappointed in them if they did that.

I seriously question whether there are any domestic cricketers of sufficient quality we could realistically poach from other counties. The club seems to have got itself into a bit of a pickle since 2018 - having to play almost every game with several players unavailable for various reasons, and struggling as a result. The same was true for Yorkshire a few years earlier, I recall, when they supplied half of the Test side.

Mind you, if we are to seriously challenge for the County Championship any time soon, the thing we need to spend money on is not new players, hotels, stands or conference facilities but relaying the square to put some pace back into the wicket.

When precisely does Stoneman's contract expire? I assume it wasn't mid-August.

Why do we always seem to let people go at the drop of the hat, rather than announce that they will move on at the end of the season? It isn't even as if he needs to relocate, so you can't argue immediate release is for compassionate reasons, like say Footitt.  

I get that the remaining championship cricket we have left this season isn't that important in the grand scheme of things, but we are a professional cricket club and this will weaken us to the advantage of our closest local rivals. Why are we such pussies in these situations?

If Alec Stewart were currently in Daniel Levy's shoes, he would probably drive Harry Kane up to Manchester personally to make sure he was with them in good time for the weekend.

IMHO we should only sign players who want to play for us.Players should sign contracts to play for Surrey CCC and nobody else with the obvious exception of England/International call ups.Hopefully Steel and Worrall fall into that category.

Outside that they would be free to make even more money (if they really need more) by playing in the various Mickey Mouse tournaments all over the place.

Is anyone seriously suggesting that the modern day player,especially those representing England,are short of dough? Do me a favour please.

Jackers wrote:When precisely does Stoneman's contract expire? I assume it wasn't mid-August.

Why do we always seem to let people go at the drop of the hat, rather than announce that they will move on at the end of the season? It isn't even as if he needs to relocate, so you can't argue immediate release is for compassionate reasons, like say Footitt.  

I get that the remaining championship cricket we have left this season isn't that important in the grand scheme of things, but we are a professional cricket club and this will weaken us to the advantage of our closest local rivals. Why are we such pussies in these situations?

If Alec Stewart were currently in Daniel Levy's shoes, he would probably drive Harry Kane up to Manchester personally to make sure he was with them in good time for the weekend.

It seems to be common practice now. Surrey got Overton early last year, didn't they? I think Cameron Steel was still under contract with Durham, though he was loaned to Hampshire before heading to The Oval. Not suggesting it in these cases but there can also be bad blood which makes an early parting of the ways desirable to both parties.

adelaide wrote:

Badges wrote:Very very very very very disappointed in Stoneman.Thanks mate.

At age 34, would any professional cricketer really sign a one year contract if three years is on offer elsewhere? If I were his family, I'd be very very very very disappointed in them if they did that.

Exactly this.

adelaide wrote:

Jackers wrote:When precisely does Stoneman's contract expire? I assume it wasn't mid-August.

Why do we always seem to let people go at the drop of the hat, rather than announce that they will move on at the end of the season? It isn't even as if he needs to relocate, so you can't argue immediate release is for compassionate reasons, like say Footitt.  

I get that the remaining championship cricket we have left this season isn't that important in the grand scheme of things, but we are a professional cricket club and this will weaken us to the advantage of our closest local rivals. Why are we such pussies in these situations?

If Alec Stewart were currently in Daniel Levy's shoes, he would probably drive Harry Kane up to Manchester personally to make sure he was with them in good time for the weekend.

It seems to be common practice now. Surrey got Overton early last year, didn't they? I think Cameron Steel was still under contract with Durham, though he was loaned to Hampshire before heading to The Oval. Not suggesting it in these cases but there can also be bad blood which makes an early parting of the ways desirable to both parties.

Actually, no: it was a source of some frustration for us that Somerset kept Jamie Overton for several rounds of championship cricket after it had been announced that he would be joining us, presumably because they still needed him during that period. I remember him doing well in those matches, while we were down to the bare bones. I believe he even missed the start of the T20 tournament before joining us in early September.

I don't blame Stoneman for accepting the security of a three-year contract: I do blame Surrey for letting him go immediately. We have to stop being soft touches.

Olympian2 wrote:

adelaide wrote:

Badges wrote:Very very very very very disappointed in Stoneman.Thanks mate.

At age 34, would any professional cricketer really sign a one year contract if three years is on offer elsewhere? If I were his family, I'd be very very very very disappointed in them if they did that.

Exactly this.

And again.

If we wanted Stoneman to stay, the contract offer should have reflected that. He would have been a fool to sign a one year deal with us when a three year contract was on offer nearby - and he's not, either on or off the pitch.

I note the comments since my earlier post about Steel and Geddes. Whilst I hope that at least one of these unproven players can step up and show considerable worth, there can be no denying that the squad is now noticeably weaker following Stoneman's departure.

I don't think there is an obvious in house solution to our championship openers problem for next season.   Jacks and Geddes are promising players, but white ball specialists so opening with either would be a gamble.   Patel looks to have gone up a level since his Guildford innings though he has only faced a white ball and weakened attacks so there is no way to be sure. Steel is unproven, his record is not impressive.

Burns will be with England probably, we have to plan with that likely absence in mind, so we need two batsmen who can open.   I think we should look round the counties, also South Africa for someone with a UK passport to see if we can come up with a player.   We should also bring in a class opener as an overseas player.  Ideally whoever is signed would be available for the whole summer, but that is probably wishful thinking.

I think i'm missing something here!Ididn't realise Surrey had offered only a 1 year contract.How long do people think it should've been after these figures in FC Cricket over the past 2 seasons?

Mark Stoneman  FC average   2020 = 13.25          2021 = 31.53

He left Durham with a first class average of 33.01.He leaves Surrey after 5 years of the benefit of batting at The Oval,with an average of 33.98.He doesn't bowl and is not the greatest fielder.


Middlesex must be off their nut.If Stoneman plays for them for 3 years in all formats i will pour a bottle of sauce (HP) on The Cricket Paper and eat it.

Best of luck to Stoneman. I do not blame him for leaving our club is such a shambles at the moment, Just surprised that Middlesex could afford his salary.

Badges wrote:I think i'm missing something here!Ididn't realise Surrey had offered only a 1 year contract.How long do people think it should've been after these figures in FC Cricket over the past 2 seasons?

Mark Stoneman  FC average   2020 = 13.25          2021 = 31.53

He left Durham with a first class average of 33.01.He leaves Surrey after 5 years of the benefit of batting at The Oval,with an average of 33.98.He doesn't bowl and is not the greatest fielder.


Middlesex must be off their nut.If Stoneman plays for them for 3 years in all formats i will pour a bottle of sauce (HP) on The Cricket Paper and eat it.

It’s difficult to argue with any of this, but I think the point is that he’s better than what we currently have and seeing as he’s likely to be available the whole season for all county comps, it makes him more valuable.

optimistnot wrote:Best of luck to Stoneman. I do not blame him for leaving our club is such a shambles at the moment, Just surprised that Middlesex could afford his salary.

Gubbins and Harris gone or going (Harris quite possibly back to Glamorgan for September). Rumours that Finn isn't signing a new deal either.

It is also possible that 3 years at a lower salary still looks better than 1 year on a higher one.

I wouldn't expect him to get into most T20 line-ups - but Middlesex's T20 tail often starts at Number 5 or thereabouts.


Adelaide

I see Sam Northeast has now joined Notts on loan and is leaving Hampshire at the end of the season. I’ve no idea what’s going on with him but I’d be surprised if there was a better domestic batsman available to sign for next season.

Or possibly a bigger trouble maker ?

Badges wrote:Or possibly a bigger trouble maker ?

Possibly! We’ve got history of signing those too.

3 ball duck on debut. Ah.

Shame

And a duck in the second innings ....

Bowled first ball. 0 and 0. Four balls faced in the match. He really is a shadow of the player we signed. Well done England.

It get's better

Doesn’t fit the narrative of course but Rocky has just got a ton.

Cee Gee wrote:Doesn’t fit the narrative of course but Rocky has just got a ton.

And he ended with 174. Did feel some were a bit quick to write his cricketing obituary.

Makes one wonder why he never got the best out of him.

Seems strange that both Borthwick and Stoneman have instant success when leaving the Oval. Doesn’t say much for the culture at Surrey!