Lancashire's season review 2016. (First post)

This will be a very brief review of how Lancashire's season has gone. I'll start first with the County Championship. This was Lancashire's first season in Division 1 after promotion, finishing second, in Division 2 in 2015. The core of the team was near enough the same as the previous season. Ashley Giles said the team was made of "10 home grown players" recently. The team was without James Faulkner, returning to international duty from the previous season. Lancashire had signed international bowler Neil Wagner as a replacement and Lancashire got off to a good start, recording three wins, one draw and one loss by May. This saw Lancashire top of the table. A good start. At this period, the t20 blast and 50 over competition were starting and Lancashire returned to defend their t20 title and push on with the white ball in fifty over cricket.

Lancashire saw a poor start really limit their chances of qualifying for the quarter finals in the t20. They ended up finishing fifth, falling one point short of qualification. Poor. Really poor. Lancashire were current holders at the time and boasted regular appearances in not just quarter finals in the t20 blast, but in finals day too. I don't know about other Lancashire supporters but I was left really disappointed. They looked short with the bat, with Croft and Brown not performing as well as the previous year and I felt Lancashire really missed Faulkner's influence too. How good was the moral from 2015 with winning the t20 blast for the first time and getting promoted?? Disappeared this season and I fear for next season too, judging from the words of chief Ashley Giles and his insistence on sticking with the same team. 

Lancashire performed how they always perform with the 50 over competition, poor. They could do a lot better but I always feel like the team aren't aggressive enough and don't believe in their ability. 300 runs is a good score for county level, you need to be somewhere near to that score. Lancashire failed to make 300 runs once. they reached 296 against Warwickshire in the first match and won the match. They lost against Northants with Northants setting 287 to win. You notice the scores needed to win a match? Lancashire had a match rained off at Blackpool, scoring well too. This, for me, saw the end of Lancashire's chances in one day cricket for this season. I didn't have a massive problem with Lancashire in 50 over cricket, I just wanted to see a little bit more from the team. Sharper bowling and more aggressive batting. Nothing a good signing or 2 could not iron out for next season. Lancashire's performance in the T20, however, was a long way off being their best. They need a couple of permanent signings, someone for the middle order and someone in the higher order. Hameed has performed well in the championship but he isn't a one day player. Peterson is good four day cricket player and 50 over one too. He played regularly for the twenty over cricket too, he's ok to build the team around in t20 but with Brown and Croft so disappointing, we simply didn't score enough runs in the close matches. I'd give Brown some time this winter to train and work hard. Could he not work on his ability abroad?? Smith too, he did not look the same pre-injury. 

Lancashire concluded the season yesterday in the CC. They avoided relegation, just. Durham chased down Hampshire total and saw Lancashire stay up, even though they suffered a hammering defeat to relegation rivals Warwickshire at Edgbaston. Lancashire couldn't even post a score of over 200 in that match. This pretty much summarises Lancashire's CC season in my opinion. They were ok with the ball, nothing spectacular but not the worst by any means. Players like Jarvis, Buck, Clark, Kerrigan all took wickets and did ok. Lancashire's early form, however, was largely due to Anderson's influence and the settling of Wagner. These players were not replaced by the start of summer. Giles insisted on home players and chances. Players like Parkinson and Mahmood were used instead. By the end of the one day season in England, it saw Lancashire fall from challenging for the title into mid table. I could accept mid table after Lancashire's yoyo performances in the last five years since winning the championship in 2011. But the decline continued right until the last game!

Lancashire finished third bottom, Hampshire and Nottinghamshire were relegated and Lancashire stayed up. I would have been delighted with not being relegated back to division 2 at the start of the season. Lancashire have been relegated the previous two seasons we spent in division 1, back in 2012 and 2014. I'm hoping Lancashire can push on again next year and return some form from five years ago and performances to match 2015 form for the t20 blast. I am being realistic. In my opinion, Lancashire should be challenging for the title, we are a county boasted with history and silverware in cricket. We are one of the largest counties for population and therefore should be producing a lot of players with the strength of the Lancashire leagues. I want to see more, from grass roots upwards. If Surrey, Somerset, Yorkshire, Middlesex and others can push, challenge and produce, why can't we?? These other counties missed their international players but they have a firm set of players who perform. Something Lancashire didn't do this season. If that continues they will be relegated next season. They won't have success. So i'll look to the coach and his staff to sort Lancashire's problems out. Lets hope Giles recognises the need for batters and some international players. Having Anderson for 3 games and Butler for 1 and injuries don't help. I'm all for promoting players but surely players need to earn promotions? Lancashire seem to just gift starts to players because their squad is so big. Get rid of players, loan youngsters, use the second xi's and narrow Lancashire's team down so we can sign some players that are good enough. The team, right now, isn't good enough. That has reflected this season and will reflect again next season. 

Change Lancashire. Change the team and mentality and work from there and see what happens. It is better than just waiting for the inevitable with the same old same old. Show some fight. Please.