Fidel was immense for Hampshire in 2015, and was largely the reason for them staying in Division One. It's hard to put into words just how impressive he was. He bowled with sheer pace that frightened batsmen. IIRC, his strike rate was around 30 for the season.
He was also really beloved by his teammates, with the match against Yorkshire really epitomising the effort he gave all season. He kept asking for the ball and steaming in even when he was absolutely knackered. He earned this contract on the back of his heroics in 2015.ย
I read earlier in the week that Ryan McLaren has signed for Lancashire for next year. This is a huge blow. For my money, he was Hampshire's best player last year.
I grew up on the doorstep of Dean Park, so was fortunate to have seen the likes of Richards, Greenidge, Marshall, Roberts et al. I still recall with great amazement the match against Somerset pitting Maco against Big Bird. Garner took 11 wickets in the match, leaving Somerset requiring 80-odd runs to win. Marshall was a like a man possessed, bowling 20 or so overs unchanged in tandem with Trevor Jesty, the two of them rolling Somerset out for 72.
The 70s, 80s (and even the early 90s to a lesser extent) were the glory days of county cricket with some unbelievable overseas players on show. Sadly, those days are long gone, and county cricket (and the kids today) are poorer for it. There is something to be said for getting to see the games absolute best up close and personal. And as much as I like the Rose Bowl, I sure do miss Dean Park.
[quote author=dillinger10 link=topic=106965.msg719706#msg719706 date=1478971327]
Sadly, those days are long gone, and county cricket (and the kids today) are poorer for it. There is something to be said for getting to see the games absolute best up close and personal.
[/quote]
This is what WICB is saying about our 18 T20 players in Foreign Leagues.
The regional contests and indeed the kids, are poorer for it .
It is a shame that four day cricket has suffered. Given the sheer volume of both international cricket and T20 cricket around the world, the best players are no longer playing four day matches. England's best Test batsman, Joe Root, played 2 county championship matches for Yorkshire. Moeen Ali played 3. Bairstow - England's leading Test run scorer this calendar year - played 4. The same number of matches as Broad and Anderson.
As you point out ketch, the same thing happened in the Regional 4 day tournament with DM Bravo playing just 1 match, Shannon Gabriel 2, Blackwood 4. And so on. Same thing with the Sheffield Shield. The best players don't play. This is bad for the development of the younger players and fans alike.