How are you doing?

[the_trademarc]

I'm struggling to find time to play at all, so shattered! But in my current save I'm into 2015 with Australia, and we're in trouble! Bowlers get plundered, batsmen collapse. Watson makes 80's and 90's a lot.

I'm using a defensive tactic to just remain competitive instead of dominating until some of the younger kids develop and can resurrect the Green and Gold.

It all sounds so so familiar.......

[Sureshot]

Great idea for a thread! Kent are a nightmare to control - a couple of injuries and it is virtually impossible to win a single game!

If Key or Davies fall over I'm going to have an interesting few games! In situations like this I always try out youngsters, particularly in T20 and when you get the inevitable dead rubbers in the other formats.

DVDDD - Yeah, Yorkshire are strong when England aren't playing, can't wait to see Ballance being given a go in real life.

[Dick Van Dykes Disco Dog]

SA are not that busy in the months May-Sept so he is around most of the time. Only when SA tour England is it really a problem and maybe the occasional other tournament, but I have Pujara as a back up.

Good plan ... I try to check out who is touring and when before going for overseas players - didnt always and paid the price many a time !!

[Graham_5000]

How many games do you manage to get out of Amla each season ?
Or maybe a better question is how many does he miss with SA tours etc ?

SA are not that busy in the months May-Sept so he is around most of the time. Only when SA tour England is it really a problem and maybe the occasional other tournament, but I have Pujara as a back up.

[Dick Van Dykes Disco Dog]

Great idea for a thread! Kent are a nightmare to control - a couple of injuries and it is virtually impossible to win a single game!

I am in 2017 in my Somerset and England FC only game and I ride high in the rankings with England (1st in tests). I have won the County Championship with Somerset once (in 2016) and been a runner up too (2014). Buttler and Kieswetter bully bowlers from positions 6 and 7, whilst Hildreth, Compton, a regen and Amla (I re-signed him for 2 seasons on the trot) provide solidity at the top.

The test rankings in my game are currently:

1 England
2 Australia
3 India
4 Pakistan
5 Sri Lanka
6 South Africa
7 West Indies
8 New Zealand
9 Bangladesh
10 Zimbabwe

India have a couple of great regens, my England team is doing well, and South Africa has fallen from glory to 6th!

How many games do you manage to get out of Amla each season ?
Or maybe a better question is how many does he miss with SA tours etc ?

[Graham_5000]

A general update thread for those who aren't able to commit to a story thread.

Am current doing a Kent save, I generally mix up who I play with each season, thought they looked a challenge and yup, they are!

4 decent bowlers in Davies, Coles, Shreck and Tredwell, but the back up bowlers are a bit nothing, Tredwell hasn't started the season well (hello real life!). Batting is really struggling, brought in Borgas, just about the best overseas I could afford. He's doing meh, Nash is struggling (like, averaging single figures), but Blake and Key are doing well.

Playing all formats, first season will be consolidation and work out which of the youngsters are worth keeping.

Great idea for a thread! Kent are a nightmare to control - a couple of injuries and it is virtually impossible to win a single game!

I am in 2017 in my Somerset and England FC only game and I ride high in the rankings with England (1st in tests). I have won the County Championship with Somerset once (in 2016) and been a runner up too (2014). Buttler and Kieswetter bully bowlers from positions 6 and 7, whilst Hildreth, Compton, a regen and Amla (I re-signed him for 2 seasons on the trot) provide solidity at the top.

The test rankings in my game are currently:

1 England
2 Australia
3 India
4 Pakistan
5 Sri Lanka
6 South Africa
7 West Indies
8 New Zealand
9 Bangladesh
10 Zimbabwe

India have a couple of great regens, my England team is doing well, and South Africa has fallen from glory to 6th!

[Dick Van Dykes Disco Dog]

A general update thread for those who aren't able to commit to a story thread.

Am current doing a Kent save, I generally mix up who I play with each season, thought they looked a challenge and yup, they are!

4 decent bowlers in Davies, Coles, Shreck and Tredwell, but the back up bowlers are a bit nothing, Tredwell hasn't started the season well (hello real life!). Batting is really struggling, brought in Borgas, just about the best overseas I could afford. He's doing meh, Nash is struggling (like, averaging single figures), but Blake and Key are doing well.

Playing all formats, first season will be consolidation and work out which of the youngsters are worth keeping.

I think it's the second season where you get to really stamp your authority on the team as you have to pretty much go with what you have in terms of overseas players and the squad in general.
(exception seems to be Yorkshire who at the beginning of the game didnt have any overseas or T20-only guys at all)
It's a bit like taking over a football team after the transfer deadline !

Trying a Yorkshire save and have won 1, drawn 1, lost 1 in the County Championship so far.
Brought in Robin Peterson (South African SLA all rounder) as my overseas player with Vettori as reserve (he's off doing his IPL stuff at the moment so couldn't justify him being the main overseas pick), plus Ian Moran (cheap as chips !!!) and Obus Pienaar as my 20/20 specialists.

I've gone with 3 spinners and 4 seamers
Slow left arm Peterson, the legspin of Adil Rashid plus the offspin of Azeem Rafiq and all 3 have chipped in with quite a few wickets - predominatly during the 2nd innings.

Plunkett and Sidebottom are doing well but first my change pairing of Bresnan and new signing Kevin O'Brien have been a bit quiet.

The batsmen have all done well with Root and Ballance being amazing. Jaques and Bairstow chipping away as well.

As the team has allrounders batting down until no.9 these guys regularly contributes 50s ... as soon as they don't I think I'd be focred to bring in another batsman - Gale, Sayers or Lyth maybe.

When the one day games kick in I normally rest Plunket and bring in Pyrah whose medium pace has done some damage so far.

International call ups expected so will see how good the depth really is in the Yorkshire squad ...

Really enjoying the game guys - cheers

[Sureshot]

A general update thread for those who aren't able to commit to a story thread.

Am current doing a Kent save, I generally mix up who I play with each season, thought they looked a challenge and yup, they are!

4 decent bowlers in Davies, Coles, Shreck and Tredwell, but the back up bowlers are a bit nothing, Tredwell hasn't started the season well (hello real life!). Batting is really struggling, brought in Borgas, just about the best overseas I could afford. He's doing meh, Nash is struggling (like, averaging single figures), but Blake and Key are doing well.

Playing all formats, first season will be consolidation and work out which of the youngsters are worth keeping.