New DoC 2025 .

[kingstonj1]

Huggins is excellent and has great credentials ...according to some on here...despite lack of young batsmen developing for years.

[dazedpenguin]

We'll need another new coach as well to replace Mick Lewis. Not going to lie, it tells a stark story when McGrath is happy to poach the bowling coach, but leave the batting coach here at Essex. Speaks volumes..

I'd be delighted to see Chris Silverwood back. Maybe he could persuade Kamindu Mendis to come to Essex.

I wonder if Richard Dawson is one of the other candidates, he has just left his role as an England white ball coach.

Has Mick Lewis definitely gone to Yorkshire? That's disappointing if so, although given Beard and Allison didn't progress during his tenure and a big name Aussie bowler hasn't made their way to Essex, so his time at the club hasn't been that successful.

[Crisp]

We'll need another new coach as well to replace Mick Lewis. Not going to lie, it tells a stark story when McGrath is happy to poach the bowling coach, but leave the batting coach here at Essex. Speaks volumes..

I'd be delighted to see Chris Silverwood back. Maybe he could persuade Kamindu Mendis to come to Essex.

I wonder if Richard Dawson is one of the other candidates, he has just left his role as an England white ball coach.

Has Mick Lewis definitely gone to Yorkshire? That's disappointing if so, although given Beard and Allison didn't progress during his tenure and a big name Aussie bowler hasn't made their way to Essex, so his time at the club hasn't been that successful.

I disagree, both Porter especially and Cook continually praise Lewis for there constant improvement and Snater continues to impress, he took them preseason to Australia for the last 3 years and that's why we hit the ground running .
If you think that Beard ever had talent then I scratch my head, and nobody else got anything special from him.
I do think that Allison will be missed and may be a ship that has sailed, but did the club do enough to persuade him to stay, the Coach has known that he has been going for the last 4 months, who else in the club put there hands up and told Ben that he had a future with the club?

[kingstonj1]

Ben has had plenty of chances and not kicked on. Appreciate not his forte but was awful in the ODC when he really should have been a stand out with bat and ball.

A change of scenery may make him.

[SirChef26]

Dobell reported it so I assume it will be right. Think Lewis has done well personally. The biggest impact he has made has been with the Kookaburra ball. I have no doubt that Porter and Cook doing so well with the Kookaburra ball despite their limited pace has been down to Lewis. As you said, he has also given us access to good facilities in Melbourne through winter due to his Victoria connections.

DP makes a good point regarding overseas connections. You would hope being an international head coach has helped CS foster relationships with a top player or two.

[dazedpenguin]

I disagree, both Porter especially and Cook continually praise Lewis for there constant improvement and Snater continues to impress, he took them preseason to Australia for the last 3 years and that's why we hit the ground running .
If you think that Beard ever had talent then I scratch my head, and nobody else got anything special from him.
I do think that Allison will be missed and may be a ship that has sailed, but did the club do enough to persuade him to stay, the Coach has known that he has been going for the last 4 months, who else in the club put there hands up and told Ben that he had a future with the club?

That's a very good point, I was more focused on the bowlers coming through, but the consistency and improvement of the main 3 bowlers has been notable. And come to think of it the improvement in Jamal Richards too. I was being unjustly harsh on Mick Lewis.

I do think Beard had talent and that was evident in his early performances. I think it's harsh to say otherwise. Obviously it didn't go well in the last few seasons, but he did have a good start to his career.

[Andy]

Cook and Porter were finished articles whilst Snater is ok but not a massive improvement.  It may be that Mick is a coach that helps the better bowlers, but in three years we?ve not had any seamer breakthrough to challenge those three aforementioned. Of course there?s always nat?

[nat]

Cook and Porter were finished articles whilst Snater is ok but not a massive improvement.  It may be that Mick is a coach that helps the better bowlers, but in three years we?ve not had any seamer breakthrough to challenge those three aforementioned. Of course there?s always nat?

Indeed. My coaching skills are somewhat unique. Well that's what I tell the courts.

[Oldhasbeen]

Sad to see Mick L go, even if he has had  limited success in developing our younger bowlers - but maybe the simple truth is that most of them weren't good enough and wouldn't have done better under a different coach. It will be interesting to see how Ben A does elsewhere, with a different coach - but "different" doesn't always mean "better".
As for why he's leaving - more money? Relationship with Maggs? Lure of the Yorkie countryside or beer? Something else? I'll be interested to know.
And for all the moaning about Tom Huggins on this board, we've got more young batsmen on the fringe of the first team than bowlers (Charlie A and Benks, for a kick off). If he was as bad a coach as some have posited, Maggs would have booted him out years ago. unless you think Maggs is an idiot, of course.

[Andy]

Sad to see Mick L go, even if he has had  limited success in developing our younger bowlers - but maybe the simple truth is that most of them weren't good enough and wouldn't have done better under a different coach. It will be interesting to see how Ben A does elsewhere, with a different coach - but "different" doesn't always mean "better".
As for why he's leaving - more money? Relationship with Maggs? Lure of the Yorkie countryside or beer? Something else? I'll be interested to know.
And for all the moaning about Tom Huggins on this board, we've got more young batsmen on the fringe of the first team than bowlers (Charlie A and Benks, for a kick off). If he was as bad a coach as some have posited, Maggs would have booted him out years ago. unless you think Maggs is an idiot, of course.

Arguably Maggs himself inherited the core of the team that won the 2019/20 trophies.  We haven?t been such a good side since. Still, whilst I prefer continuity, having a shake up in 2016 was beneficial for the club.

[SirChef26]

This squad has definitely underachieved since 2020. Best spinner in the country and best new ball partnership, Alastair Cook opening the batting, no England availability problems. To not win another title has been a real letdown.

It's harder these days with opponents now well accustomed to playing Harmer and my thoughts on the current captain are known. It actually annoys me that he hasn't quit on his own accord after four years and no titles, that stinks of selfishness. I think we miss Tendo more than we realise as well, not just his captaincy but also his close fielding to Harmer. The key things I want from a new coach is good overseas contacts, visually improving the skills of young players and a red ball mentality that sees us willing to risk defeat in order to win.

It will be very interesting to see how both us and Yorkshire go next year. They've got a very good batting line-up with Root and/or Bairstow likely to be available across the season. That bowling attack is weak though, although Jack White is a good signing.

[nat]

This squad has definitely underachieved since 2020. Best spinner in the country and best new ball partnership, Alastair Cook opening the batting, no England availability problems. To not win another title has been a real letdown.

It's harder these days with opponents now well accustomed to playing Harmer and my thoughts on the current captain are known. It actually annoys me that he hasn't quit on his own accord after four years and no titles, that stinks of selfishness. I think we miss Tendo more than we realise as well, not just his captaincy but also his close fielding to Harmer. The key things I want from a new coach is good overseas contacts, visually improving the skills of young players and a red ball mentality that sees us willing to risk defeat in order to win.

It will be very interesting to see how both us and Yorkshire go next year. They've got a very good batting line-up with Root and/or Bairstow likely to be available across the season. That bowling attack is weak though, although Jack White is a good signing.

I think we've overachieved in the last few years. Cook (snr) was in decline for several years, Browne has often been a walking wicket, Harmer has declined in the last couple of years, Porter has been in/out, the batting line-up has often been wafer thin.

A combination of my boy's bowling, home pitches and poor quality opposition has covered up our weaknesses.

[Andy]

Whether under or over achieving, recent seasons have promised much but we are a side that has stagnated whilst others have rebuilt.  A couple of seasons ago we were doing quite well in 50 over cricket with inexperienced youngsters who looked promising like Benkenstein and slightly older (Richards). The next generation didn?t come through, reminiscent of the ?we?ve got a great set of youngsters in the seconds? that we were fobbed off with in the 1990s and 2000s.

[kingstonj1]

Sad to see Mick L go, even if he has had  limited success in developing our younger bowlers - but maybe the simple truth is that most of them weren't good enough and wouldn't have done better under a different coach. It will be interesting to see how Ben A does elsewhere, with a different coach - but "different" doesn't always mean "better".
As for why he's leaving - more money? Relationship with Maggs? Lure of the Yorkie countryside or beer? Something else? I'll be interested to know.
And for all the moaning about Tom Huggins on this board, we've got more young batsmen on the fringe of the first team than bowlers (Charlie A and Benks, for a kick off). If he was as bad a coach as some have posited, Maggs would have booted him out years ago. unless you think Maggs is an idiot, of course.

And those before C A and LB?

[honkytonk]

Looks like Silverwood has got the gig