A different sort of situation
With Warwickshire's fortunes fading, comparisons are being drawn with their collapse in the second half of 2007 but, interviewed yesterday by George from the Post and myself, Ashley Giles asserted that the Bears' loss of momentum this season is "a different sort of fading" to last year. He is right, of course. This time last year the Bears had been well and truly stuffed at Scarborough and looked a dispirited rabble. This time round, they are second in the championship, still unbeaten in four-day cricket and look what they are - a work in progress which over-achieved early in the summer and is far from a world-beating unit but, in first-class cricket, fights hard and digs in even when second best over a number of sessions.
This morning, I found myself reflecting on another difference from last year. Twelve months ago, notwithstanding the bizarre loyalty of Neil Houghton and John Claughton (stemming from their crass refusal to admit to a terrible mistake) Mark Greatbatch was, in job terms, a dead man walking while George and I went quietly, diligently about our work. A year on, Ashley's job is secure. The director of cricket is here to stay. But, as has become widely known, the Post & Mail cricket reporters find themelves operating under the Sword of Damocles.
Funny old game. Not funny in a side-splittingly humorous sort of way, though.
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Brian Halford
Brian Halford’s look at Edgbaston.
Not funny at all and we will do our best to let the newspaper group know how we feel.
Yes its really shocking for the both of you as well as county cricket in general. Like Jane I'll do what I can to help.
Sword of Damocles
Have I missed something? Surely both publications can't be considering axing the best double act since Morecombe and Wise.
I’m not going to have that…………………….please clarify.
Our batting still looks a concern to me. I think we have plenty of options on the bowling front even though I question Botha’s role in the championship team. I went to Worcester on Sunday to see Durham, different class to us I’m afraid to see. Plenty of home talent on view as well as the overseas element.
Where are all our young players other than Richard Johnson ?
I saw Brian May score yet another century on Saturday against Harbourne. That must be 6/7 100’s this year!! Give him a trial on a KOLPAK basis
Worrying Brian ! Hope all goes ok ........
On another front, I have concluded that whilst the Bears cupboard is still fairly empty, Maddy's captaincy is becomeing questionable. The playing with the bowlers overs strange - the last few overs being given to Trott, Carter and Growenwald who were goinfg for a few and more, let Surrey get those additional and crucial runs.
That is indeed the case, Beattie.
Trinity Mirror wasnt to concentrate on Villa, Blues and Albion, not cricket.
None of us should accept that without a big fight.
They must be out of their minds.
That is indeed the case, Beattie.
Trinity Mirror want to concentrate on Albion, Blues and Villa and, basically, leave cricket to fend for itself.
They must be out of their minds. They clearly have no idea what huge assets they are messing with.
None of us should accept this.
Worrying times for all cricket fans in brum. Cricket's problem has always been that it doesn't have the non-stop hype thats behind football so the large number of us that can't get to cricket matches but follow them avidly get overlooked.
Is there a press release to this effect ?
Readership would be effected greatly I'd imagine. A number who sit in the ladies stand would not buy either publications without comprehensive cricket coverage.
What a daft idea. The two of you are the only people reporting on WCCC in any regular capacity. Not only that but given the size of the club surely the local newspapers have a duty to report on it.
Concentrating on the football coverage is a nonsense, as it is usually dire. Definately a case of quantity over quality (probably the exact opposite of the cricket coverage). "Ahead of tonight's big game against the big club, the reserve left back says "there's no doubt the big club are the club to beat and tonight's game is a big game." or "manager of club says transfer talk is just talk about transfers, and until there are transfers it is just talk. Before going on to talk about some transfers that are as yet, just talk." Give me a break.
Should there be some kind of campaign to retain the quality local cricket coverage? I think so.
Raggy/Beattie there's a thread about this on the general section of www.bearsfans.org which might help with a campaign.
From what I gather this isn't necessarily a move designed to concentrate on football rather than cricket (they do that already!)
I think it's more Trinity Mirror's crass response to years of their mismanagement of the aforementioned newspapers.
Just like when they folded the Sports Argus, snuffing out years of history in one stroke, without actually looking into ways to adapt the paper to the changing times.
Decimating the sports desk staff is the latest grave error on their part - how is that supposed to provide better coverage of any sport, football or cricket?
And yet while the fatcats responsible for all the mistakes stay in their jobs, the likes of Brian, George and the other reporters are the ones left worrying about the future.
It might be pertinent to observe that Warwickshire, as far as I am aware, have more "season-ticket holders" than at least one of the football clubs that so dominate the sports output of the newspapers. And many of those can't attend all the time because they're at work. So they would really appreciate extra coverage of the game in which they clearly have sufficient interest to have paid for the right to attend, even when they can't. So the last thing you would do, logically, is stop reporting on that and concentrate on something that already has saturation coverage.
Or maybe not. Sad state of affairs. Good luck, Brian and George.