Well, if the Glamorgan "effort" was "embarrassingly rubbish" then I don't even know where to begin to describe THAT tonight!
The best way I can think to describe it is to think back 20 years to the Nat West trophy first round when a minor counties side would play a first class county and remember the gulf in class between the two sides!
I think we all knew that we would be poor in this T20 competition, but I don't think many thought we would be so utterly and completely atrocious, arguably the worst T20 side ever that Essex have had.
No arguably about it, we absolutely are, not to mention the worst side of all 18 counties. Paul Walter, who would struggle to get into any other team in the country is batting at four, whilst our overseas bats at 6. Tom Westley, arguably the least aggressive player in the team opens the batting. You wouldn't find a club cricketer scared of bowling at Westley in the powerplay. Harmer bats at 7, when you could argue that he shouldn't even be batting at 8. He also takes up a valuable overseas spot, but we're stuck as he's so important to us in red ball that we can't afford to piss him off and risk him going elsewhere. Lawrence isn't going to magically repair anything (I assume he's taken a week off having had pretty much no time off since Christmas)
Worst thing is, I don't see anything from the young kids that suggests they'll become gun limited overs players in the future. Plom may have a little something about him, but only a little something.
Whoever is making the decisions clearly has absolutely no idea on how to set up a T20 side in the modern era. It's certainly no coincidence that none of the players (or coaches for that matter) have been picked recruited by a hundred franchise. At this point, I think we need to consider a specialist T20 coach.
A word on Sussex though, I'm very impressed by them at the moment. A thriving academy producing plenty of top young cricketers far superior to our current crop of kids. Also cracking on with their ground development while we boast about a new gate! Right now, they are doing everything that we should be doing!
Your post evokes more similarities with how Essex have gone about several aspects of T20, going back a long way, Alex. In particular, how they have never really learnt lessons and yet continue to ignore all advice and just do what they've always done, a continuum.
When the competition began and for several seasons hence, the Club had no clue how to approach the competition and as a consequence were regularly embarrassed by teams who had a coherent plan and approach.
The timidity and inability to upset *star* players, can be traced back to the start of the competition with deification of the likes of Irani, Grayson, Gough et al., and more recently with the likes of Oais Shah. Remember Grayson, when coach, telling us how he would have to make
tough decisions on team selections, which was always code for; 'I'll drop young so and so, (who had just happened to make a big impact) to make room for my half-fit, and quarter engaged mate'.
I have a strong inclination that Essex's approach to T20 this season, as much reflects that such small numbers are permitted to attend matches. So as the Club cannot make their usual profit level from the competition, they have consequently downgraded it in importance and priority. As noted above, the strategic approach remains very much unchanged!
