Overseas Pro / Jesse Ryder

[nat]

I might also add ...
...

How can anyone say that the Friday night T20 'experiment' has been a failure? It has only been running for one season!

It should be reviewed after 4-5 seasons as per current ECB plans.

[Topperssnr]

Ok then which County/Regional Side or T20 Franchise will have the first retractable roof? Huge amounts of money but will guarantee matches stay on without rain and bad light? Someone will in the next 10/15 years I reckon.

[nat]

Ok then which County/Regional Side or T20 Franchise will have the first retractable roof? Huge amounts of money but will guarantee matches stay on without rain and bad light? Someone will in the next 10/15 years I reckon.

Yep Lords and the Oval at least. Then throw in the 'old' Olympic stadium (WHU)... plus Cardiff (must!), Headingley, Old Trafford and Edgbaston. Someone should tap up the Getty foundation for the funds to build the roofs. Maybe Mr Mick Jagger could set aside some funds in his will!

[Andy]

Ridiculous. Sport in this country is based upon either city/town or county. In Aussie it is City or state. Their states are equivalent to our county.

Yorks & Lancky to merge? Give me strength. The problem with English cricket is no one plays it outside of the posh schools and it's not on terrestrial TV.

[Valentines Park]

The Oval needs to deal with the pigeon infestation before they start thinking about retractable roofs.

[IlfordEagle]

I don't think large Franchises are the answer & I for one am not watching Essex with Kent/Surrey ever!!
It may well work in Australia but it will mean cricket only being played in approx 10 towns/cities in England & in certain areas there will be no 1st class cricket at all.

[essexfan548]

I agree. I still support Essex even though I don't live there anymore. I do not want to see them joining with Middlesex, Kent or Surrey thank you ...

When I lived in Sussex I had absolutely no inclination to join them at all! 

[Valentines Park]

in certain areas there will be no 1st class cricket at all.

There's next to no 1st class cricket in Chelmsford as it is.

[Daren Mootoo]

Ok, so going back to the original topic and on the reasonable assumption we could be exposed on the bowling front, which overseas player would we like to see Essex sign, particularly for T20, this summer?

[nat]

Ok, so going back to the original topic and on the reasonable assumption we could be exposed on the bowling front, which overseas player would we like to see Essex sign, particularly for T20, this summer?

Shakib Al Hasan

[frank21]

Would the pitch turn early season to justify him, jesse will surely recover by mid season? Otherwise a good call

[IlfordEagle]

Shakib's compatriot Tamim Iqbal might be worth a punt, a hard hitting opener capable of fast scoring (important for a good start in T20), if not then any half decent unsigned Aussie or Kiwi as they are usually good VFM.

[Daren Mootoo]

We've got the ball rolling with good suggestions. Kiwis have always been successful at Chelmsford and Shaun Tait was a good addition a couple of years back. I also wonder about Sri Lankans that might be available, given their national team's T20 prowess...

[jimmy]

Good discussion albeit off the topic.

We are still a fairly parochial country (thankfully!) so I don't think a franchise system would work - heaven forbid a Middx/Essex team!!!!

Toppers-snr - you may well be correct that the future of professional (and probably all) cricket is T20. If that is the case then it ceases to be 'cricket' in my view. Might as well call it baseball.

that's an insult to baseball, a game that values tradition far more than cricket apparently does these days. It used to be said baseball was to cricket what draughts is to chess, with T20 that has been reversed. Give me the major leagues over the big bash any day.

[honkytonk]

is ryder missing the start of the season? If so i would take guptil, darren bravo, mohammed hafeez, chris lynn (ipl?), pete forrest.  if we are talking about t20 i would go for a bowler (assuming ryder is fit and playing). Kemar roach, jason bheirendorf, junaid khan, trent boult, marchant de lange