Key events
An early email, hello Will Unwin!
“In a week where it was confirmed Matt Parkinson and Danny Lamb will leave Lancs in the summer, I’m intrigued why the club has become pretty poor at A) helping academy graduates reach their potential
And B) retaining them. In recent seasons we’ve seen Hameed and Davies go, and now the latest two. We were pretty close to losing Mahmood this winter, too, so seems a big problem. We do have another hotel on the ground though…
Why do you think this is the situation at Lancs? We only ever get very vague reasoning from the club.”
I can’t pretend to have any special behind the scenes knowledge. In the case of Danny Lamb I think he wanted first-team cricket. With Parky, like Hameed, there seems to have been something of a breakdown in communication between both parties. Best, in such cases, for a clean break and a fresh start – but it doesn’t reflect too well on the club.
Kookaburra ball
Yes, this is one of the two rounds this summer which will features the Kookaburra ball – as recommended in the Strauss report. They are said to seam and swing less and generally be more helpful to the bowlers. I’m sure they’re very grateful.
So much to keep an eye on this round. Runaway favourites Surrey take on Lancashire – who announced the departure of Matt Parkinson to Kent at the end of the season. Meanwhile brother Callum is moving to Durham, as part of the bin-fire at Grace Road which also involved Paul Nixon being put on gardening leave and the departures of Colin Ackermann and Chris Wright.
Leicestershire chief exec Sean Jarvis, quoted on cricinfo said, that there had been “ a mess behind… every door I opened” since he joined in 2020.
“A lot of information has come to my attention over the past two months and as chief executive of this club, I’ll be investigating comments, allegations, all those sorts of things that have gone on.
“That’s what we’re trying to sort out. All these different fires that seem to be burning, we’re now starting to eradicate and we’re starting to put the proper infrastructure in place within this club. I know members were very upset and very unhappy with what’s gone on. I get that that is sport, but we are striving to develop this club.”
Fixtures
DIVISION ONE
Chelmsford: Essex v Warwickshire
Rose Bowl: Hampshire v Middlesex
County Ground: Northants v Kent
Taunton: Somerset v Nottinghamshire
The Oval: Surrey v Lancashire
DIVISION TWO
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Sussex
Grace Road: Leicestershire v Durham
New Road: Worcestersire v Derbyshire
Headingley: Yorkshire v Gloucestershire
Preamble
Good Sunday morning! Midsummer cricket is back – for a week. The clouds have arranged themselves prettily above Headingley this morning in preparation for this afternoon’s predicted cloudburst. And there are storm clouds ahead for English cricket generally with the publication on Tuesday of the long awaited ICEC’s Report examining the state of equity in cricket.
Yorkshire have won the toss and will bat. Their team includes Dan Moriarty, signed on a loan deal from Surrey, while Dom Bess plays for Warwickshire on a one-game loan. Round and round and round we go.
