Bears' poor start

[Welsh_Saddler]

The cricket season is in full swing, and Warwickshire evidently have some catching up to do. Their first Championship Division One game against Surrey ended up being a Surrey win by an innings, and in today's game at home to Yorkshire the Bears are currently 98 for 7 ............

:(

[boringteacher]

An ageing team - weakened from last year by Chopra/Evans (?) leaving and the certain season-long absence of Woakes.

Still a decent bowling attack, but Bell/Trott are going to have to score lots this year or I fear for them in the championship (though they will still be strong in the one day competitions)

[Ancient Moaner]

Yawn...............................sorry, paint drying scenario has more appeal. :roll: :wink:

[PT]

The decision to bowl at The Oval was scandalous. Reminds me of Hussein's call in Brisbane in 2002. The conservative " I don't think we're good enough" call. The difference is that England were indeed vastly inferior to the Aussies back then whereas the Edgbaston dream team of Bell, Giles and Troughton have been talking up Championship credentials all Winter. I assume all three of them had a say in the toss at The Oval.

Of course Warwickshire are now behind in every respect and the oft over used word "momentum" is travelling in the wrong direction for them already.

[leics_saddler]

The batting has been abysmal for 2-3 years now. They've had more than long enough to address this issue now, so I'm afraid the argument put forward by Ashley Giles that 'it's not like football, you can't just get new players' won't wash.

Chopra leaving was of no consequence anyway, as he has done so little for the last two years. In any case neither he nor Evans have been replaced. Too many batsmen at Warwickshire have been coasting for years and little has been done to address the issue of the top order cave-in that occurs over and over again. It goes beyond complacency to keep doing the same thing for this length of time. Too often it's left to Barker, Clarke or Ambrose to dig them out of some mess.

Nasser Hussain was only a poor captain because he couldn't win the toss. Warwickshire not only are bad at winning the toss, they then hand the initiative to the other team when they finally win the toss. Perhaps, they need to be seriously threatened with relegation to shake them out of their Villa-esque decline and self-delusion.

[PT]

Good job I don't get as wound up about the cricket. Otherwise I'd be all over social media contributing to "Giles out" threads. Season has been an unmitigated disaster. Going down.

[El_Nombre]

Yawn...............................sorry, paint drying scenario has more appeal. :roll: :wink:

And yet you took time out of your busy schedule to come here and post that.

[shrewsbury saddler]

Yawn...............................sorry, paint drying scenario has more appeal. :roll: :wink:

And yet you took time out of your busy schedule to come here and post that.

Quite.

[Over The Moon]

Good job I don't get as wound up about the cricket. Otherwise I'd be all over social media contributing to "Giles out" threads. Season has been an unmitigated disaster. Going down.

The writing was on the wall with the bears over the last couple of seasons, resulting with near relegation last year.

I suppose winning the T20 and the one day cup, papered over the cracks of a ageing championship side. Especially with the loss of Evans and more importantly Chopra and never replacing them this season, I wouldn't blame Giles altogether, Sam Hain has gone from being on the verge of the England squad a couple of seasons ago to as a Warwick member friend of mine says 'a walking wicket' under the coaching of Jimmy Troughton, I think the trouble sometimes is too many Warwick old boys in the backroom staff.

Giles makes a vaild point in the attached article, about cricket not being like football, where you can't just come in and buy six new players, cricket just doesn't work like that, it takes time and he has only come back less than 12 months ago from Lancs.

http://www.stratford-herald.com/69211-g ... blems.html

[Over The Moon]

The decision to bowl at The Oval was scandalous. Reminds me of Hussein's call in Brisbane in 2002. The conservative " I don't think we're good enough" call. The difference is that England were indeed vastly inferior to the Aussies back then whereas the Edgbaston dream team of Bell, Giles and Troughton have been talking up Championship credentials all Winter. I assume all three of them had a say in the toss at The Oval.

Of course Warwickshire are now behind in every respect and the oft over used word "momentum" is travelling in the wrong direction for them already.

Yes that Oval toss was very strange, I don't think Ian Bell is captain material and is effecting his form.

[tinned]

The decision to bowl at The Oval was scandalous. Reminds me of Hussein's call in Brisbane in 2002. The conservative " I don't think we're good enough" call. The difference is that England were indeed vastly inferior to the Aussies back then whereas the Edgbaston dream team of Bell, Giles and Troughton have been talking up Championship credentials all Winter. I assume all three of them had a say in the toss at The Oval.

Of course Warwickshire are now behind in every respect and the oft over used word "momentum" is travelling in the wrong direction for them already.

Yes that Oval toss was very strange, I don't think Ian Bell is captain material and is effecting his form.

Post about Walsall or risk a ban!

[Over The Moon]

The decision to bowl at The Oval was scandalous. Reminds me of Hussein's call in Brisbane in 2002. The conservative " I don't think we're good enough" call. The difference is that England were indeed vastly inferior to the Aussies back then whereas the Edgbaston dream team of Bell, Giles and Troughton have been talking up Championship credentials all Winter. I assume all three of them had a say in the toss at The Oval.

Of course Warwickshire are now behind in every respect and the oft over used word "momentum" is travelling in the wrong direction for them already.

Yes that Oval toss was very strange, I don't think Ian Bell is captain material and is effecting his form.

Post about Walsall or risk a ban!

It's the cricket season :D :D

[leics_saddler]

Although they managed to make a competitive game of it, today's loss will be psychologically crushing to the players that care.
The two sides above them have both won, one at Warwickshire's expense.

I realise that Porterfield has only come in to replace Westwood, but 3 runs and a catch in five days isn't going to cut it.
Only Trott emerges with any real credit from the match for making the one substantial innings.
Lamb shows promise, but as has been said, look where Hain is now from where he was.
Bell's lack of form is a complete mystery, how he can believe that England might need him is utter delusion.

The difference this year is that the bowlers can no longer paper over the abysmal batting.
Woakes is firmly in the England team. Barker and Wright have been superb for years but not now.
Again there are some promising youngsters, but relegation is really calling now.
Perhaps a real clearout can follow as well.

[Welsh_Saddler]

Living in South Wales, even at this stage of the season I'm already anticipating seeing Warwickshire at Cardiff next season (unless Glamorgan do something stupid like getting promoted!!!) :roll:

[PT]

Warwicks win a game! Still nailed on to be relegated but a convincing last two days gives us hope.

Bell needs to stop coming out with Whitneyisms and concentrate on the two big jobs he's got. His batting has gone to pot and his captaincy has been pretty woeful too.