He has played 30 Tests
and 84 one-day internationals
and more often
than not looked head and
shoulders above the rest
of the West Indies bowling
attack.
Yet despite that record,
the arrival of Corey Collymore
seems to have left a lot
of Sussex supporters I spoke
to at Hove over the weekend
feeling distinctly underwhelmed.
I'm not sure why. True,
the 30-year-old is going to
need a few games to adjust to
English conditions and the
frenetic nature of the county
schedule.
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And he does not have the
raw pace that the player he
has replaced, Ryan Harris,
suggested he had in his allto-
brief spell with the
county.
His batting record is modest
to say the least and he
will not add a great deal to
Sussex in the field. But I
think Mark Robinson may
have pulled off a masterstroke
with Collymore.
Like Mushtaq Ahmed five
years ago, the Bajan arrives
for his first proper stint in
county cricket with a point
to prove.
The current West Indies
attack could not hold a candle
to the likes of Roberts,
Holding, Marshall, Garner
and Croft who terrorised
batsmen the world over during
the 1980s.
So, at 30, Collymore will
not feel that his days as a
Test bowler are behind him,
even though it is 11 months
since he made the last of his
30 appearances.
Collymore could bowl
himself back into contention
for next winter's high-profile
home series against England
with consistent performances
this summer, just as
Mushtaq did in 2003. Who
knows, he might boost his
own profile enough to take
some of the riches seemingly
on offer to less talented
bowlers in the Indian Premier
League.
The Harris fiasco left Sussex
short of seam-bowling
firepower, a diminishing
pool of potential replacements
and little time to sort
something out.
Collymore is a proven performer
(remember he is the
11th-best bowler in the world
according to the ICC rankings)
and more importantly
seems determined to make
the most of this chance.
Sussex have only offered
him a year initially but there
is every incentive for Collymore
to earn an extended
contract, not least because it
could give him the long-term
financial security denied to
those not playing for their
country back in the
Caribbean.
In an ideal world, Robinson
would love to have promoted
a fast bowler from the
Academy or trusted his
other seamers to do the job.
But the fact that Sussex
have had to recruit quick
bowlers from far and wide in
recent years tells you all you
need to know about the
dearth of bowlers in the system.
And as the three Championship
games have shown so
far, the current attack will
struggle to take 20 wickets,
even when Mushtaq Ahmed
is back to fitness.
Sussex have a pretty good
record in overseas recruitment
over recent years (even
the unheralded Johan van
der Wath won a couple of
one-day games) and by September,
I don't think anyone
will have cause to complain
about Collymore.
Posted by: Samba, West Sussex on 10:50am Thu 8 May 08
It's a shame that Sussex haven't decided to go with what they have (English qualified players) rather than down the Kolpak route.
Collymore is obviously a good bowler but nearing the end of his careeer (plagued with back problems) and is nothing more than medium paced these days.
Should have backed Liddle or Aga, with the experience of Lewry and Kirtley when fit.
Shame.
It's a shame that Sussex haven't decided to go with what they have (English qualified players) rather than down the Kolpak route.
Collymore is obviously a good bowler but nearing the end of his careeer (plagued with back problems) and is nothing more than medium paced these days.
Should have backed Liddle or Aga, with the experience of Lewry and Kirtley when fit.
Shame.
Im sure Corey Collymore will prove a usefull edition to our staff, if only because our stock was so low. However the time has come for the club to invest in quality and if that costs money so be it. The last time we made such an investment was for our captain Chris Adams. He was an established much sought after player and was not cheap but look at what he has achieved for our club in his time here. Each year we try to squeeze the playing budget and although in the end we were successful, last year we were nearly found out. With 3 experienced players leaving the staff last year and perhaps the same again this year we cannot expect to rely purely on our youth system, good though it is. If we want to remain at the top we will need to spend that money saved on 2 or 3 quality signings and blend them with the youngsters.
Im sure Corey Collymore will prove a usefull edition to our staff, if only because our stock was so low. However the time has come for the club to invest in quality and if that costs money so be it. The last time we made such an investment was for our captain Chris Adams. He was an established much sought after player and was not cheap but look at what he has achieved for our club in his time here. Each year we try to squeeze the playing budget and although in the end we were successful, last year we were nearly found out. With 3 experienced players leaving the staff last year and perhaps the same again this year we cannot expect to rely purely on our youth system, good though it is. If we want to remain at the top we will need to spend that money saved on 2 or 3 quality signings and blend them with the youngsters.
I agree about the need to invest in quality particularly in the seam bowling department. I think it is crucial we sign two new ball bowlers next season if we are to remain at the top. If three capped players were to leave this season I would also sign an experienced opener.
I'm not convinced Lewry, Kirtley or Collymore are the answer to Sussex's current seam bowling problems.
Jonboy - the budget hasn't been squeezed but as players like Wright, Hodd and Nash become more established so the wages they command increases. The size of the staff has increased from 18 to 21 in the last two seasons. Mushtaq, Goodwin and Rana were other big money signings made since Adams signed.
Will Adkin is the only player due to graduate from the Academy this season. It is far from certain he will be offered a contract. Do we need another unproven seamer when we already have Wright, Liddle and Aga? It maybe that no one comes up from 2XI / Academy this season. I would rather wait a year and promote Matt Machan and Luke Wells, two extremly promising left-handed batsmen, instead.
I agree about the need to invest in quality particularly in the seam bowling department. I think it is crucial we sign two new ball bowlers next season if we are to remain at the top. If three capped players were to leave this season I would also sign an experienced opener.
I'm not convinced Lewry, Kirtley or Collymore are the answer to Sussex's current seam bowling problems.
Jonboy - the budget hasn't been squeezed but as players like Wright, Hodd and Nash become more established so the wages they command increases. The size of the staff has increased from 18 to 21 in the last two seasons. Mushtaq, Goodwin and Rana were other big money signings made since Adams signed.
Will Adkin is the only player due to graduate from the Academy this season. It is far from certain he will be offered a contract. Do we need another unproven seamer when we already have Wright, Liddle and Aga? It maybe that no one comes up from 2XI / Academy this season. I would rather wait a year and promote Matt Machan and Luke Wells, two extremly promising left-handed batsmen, instead.
I agree about the need to invest in quality particularly in the seam bowling department. I think it is crucial we sign two new ball bowlers next season if we are to remain at the top. If three capped players were to leave this season I would also sign an experienced opener.
I'm not convinced Lewry, Kirtley or Collymore are the answer to Sussex's current seam bowling problems.
Jonboy - the budget hasn't been squeezed but as players like Wright, Hodd and Nash become more established so the wages they command increases. The size of the staff has increased from 18 to 21 in the last two seasons. Mushtaq, Goodwin and Rana were other big money signings made since Adams signed.
Will Adkin is the only player due to graduate from the Academy this season. It is far from certain he will be offered a contract. Do we need another unproven seamer when we already have Wright, Liddle and Aga? It maybe that no one comes up from 2XI / Academy this season. I would rather wait a year and promote Matt Machan and Luke Wells, two extremly promising left-handed batsmen, instead.
I agree about the need to invest in quality particularly in the seam bowling department. I think it is crucial we sign two new ball bowlers next season if we are to remain at the top. If three capped players were to leave this season I would also sign an experienced opener.
I'm not convinced Lewry, Kirtley or Collymore are the answer to Sussex's current seam bowling problems.
Jonboy - the budget hasn't been squeezed but as players like Wright, Hodd and Nash become more established so the wages they command increases. The size of the staff has increased from 18 to 21 in the last two seasons. Mushtaq, Goodwin and Rana were other big money signings made since Adams signed.
Will Adkin is the only player due to graduate from the Academy this season. It is far from certain he will be offered a contract. Do we need another unproven seamer when we already have Wright, Liddle and Aga? It maybe that no one comes up from 2XI / Academy this season. I would rather wait a year and promote Matt Machan and Luke Wells, two extremly promising left-handed batsmen, instead.
I agree about the need to invest in quality particularly in the seam bowling department. We need two new ball bowlers before next season if we are to remain at the top. If three capped players were to leave this season I would also sign an experienced opener.
I'm not convinced Lewry, Kirtley or Collymore are the answer to Sussex's current seam bowling problems.
Jonboy - the budget hasn't been squeezed but as players like Wright, Hodd and Nash become more established so the wages they command increases. The size of the staff has also increased from 18 to 21 in the last two seasons. Mushtaq, Goodwin and Rana were other big signings made since Adams.
Will Adkin is the only player due to graduate from the Academy this season. It is far from certain he will be offered a contract as do we need another unproven seamer when we have Wright, Aga and Liddle? It maybe that no one comes up from 2XI / Academy this season. I would rather wait a year and promote Matt Machan and Luke Wells, two extremely promising left-handed batsmen, instead.
I agree about the need to invest in quality particularly in the seam bowling department. We need two new ball bowlers before next season if we are to remain at the top. If three capped players were to leave this season I would also sign an experienced opener.
I'm not convinced Lewry, Kirtley or Collymore are the answer to Sussex's current seam bowling problems.
Jonboy - the budget hasn't been squeezed but as players like Wright, Hodd and Nash become more established so the wages they command increases. The size of the staff has also increased from 18 to 21 in the last two seasons. Mushtaq, Goodwin and Rana were other big signings made since Adams.
Will Adkin is the only player due to graduate from the Academy this season. It is far from certain he will be offered a contract as do we need another unproven seamer when we have Wright, Aga and Liddle? It maybe that no one comes up from 2XI / Academy this season. I would rather wait a year and promote Matt Machan and Luke Wells, two extremely promising left-handed batsmen, instead.
I agree about the need to invest in quality particularly in the seam bowling department. We need two new ball bowlers before next season if we are to remain at the top. If three capped players were to leave this season I would also sign an experienced opener.
I'm not convinced Lewry, Kirtley or Collymore are the answer to Sussex's current seam bowling problems.
Jonboy - the budget hasn't been squeezed but as players like Wright, Hodd and Nash become more established so the wages they command increases. The size of the staff has also increased from 18 to 21 in the last two seasons. Mushtaq, Goodwin and Rana were other big signings made since Adams.
Will Adkin is the only player due to graduate from the Academy this season. It is far from certain he will be offered a contract as do we need another unproven seamer when we have Wright, Aga and Liddle? It maybe that no one comes up from 2XI / Academy this season. I would rather wait a year and promote Matt Machan and Luke Wells, two extremely promising left-handed batsmen, instead.
I agree about the need to invest in quality particularly in the seam bowling department. We need two new ball bowlers before next season if we are to remain at the top. If three capped players were to leave this season I would also sign an experienced opener.
I'm not convinced Lewry, Kirtley or Collymore are the answer to Sussex's current seam bowling problems.
Jonboy - the budget hasn't been squeezed but as players like Wright, Hodd and Nash become more established so the wages they command increases. The size of the staff has also increased from 18 to 21 in the last two seasons. Mushtaq, Goodwin and Rana were other big signings made since Adams.
Will Adkin is the only player due to graduate from the Academy this season. It is far from certain he will be offered a contract as do we need another unproven seamer when we have Wright, Aga and Liddle? It maybe that no one comes up from 2XI / Academy this season. I would rather wait a year and promote Matt Machan and Luke Wells, two extremely promising left-handed batsmen, instead.
I agree about the need to invest in quality particularly in the seam bowling department. We need two new ball bowlers before next season if we are to remain at the top. If three capped players were to leave this season I would also sign an experienced opener.
I'm not convinced Lewry, Kirtley or Collymore are the answer to Sussex's current seam bowling problems.
Jonboy - the budget hasn't been squeezed but as players like Wright, Hodd and Nash become more established so the wages they command increases. The size of the staff has also increased from 18 to 21 in the last two seasons. Mushtaq, Goodwin and Rana were other big signings made since Adams.
Will Adkin is the only player due to graduate from the Academy this season. It is far from certain he will be offered a contract as do we need another unproven seamer when we have Wright, Aga and Liddle? It maybe that no one comes up from 2XI / Academy this season. I would rather wait a year and promote Matt Machan and Luke Wells, two extremely promising left-handed batsmen, instead.
I agree about the need to invest in quality particularly in the seam bowling department. We need two new ball bowlers before next season if we are to remain at the top. If three capped players were to leave this season I would also sign an experienced opener.
I'm not convinced Lewry, Kirtley or Collymore are the answer to Sussex's current seam bowling problems.
Jonboy - the budget hasn't been squeezed but as players like Wright, Hodd and Nash become more established so the wages they command increases. The size of the staff has also increased from 18 to 21 in the last two seasons. Mushtaq, Goodwin and Rana were other big signings made since Adams.
Will Adkin is the only player due to graduate from the Academy this season. It is far from certain he will be offered a contract as do we need another unproven seamer when we have Wright, Aga and Liddle? It maybe that no one comes up from 2XI / Academy this season. I would rather wait a year and promote Matt Machan and Luke Wells, two extremely promising left-handed batsmen, instead.
Martyn my frustration is that we should be adding that quality now. All successful sides do this. I think the club is guilty of resting on its laurels a bit here. We needed to recruit a couple of quality players this year but didnt. If as is perfectly feasable, we lose Adams, Mushtaq, Collymore, Lewry and Kirtley this year we will find ourselves having to replace 8 top class players. If we manage to replace half of those through our youth system, and its a big if,it still leaves us needing to bring in 4 top quality players from elsewear and thats simply not realistic in one closed season. Looking at what we have coming through, yes Aga and Liddle have potential, but that is all it is. Where are the 5-6-7 wicket hauls in the seconds? In the 4 day game I personally dont feel they are ready to carry our attack. There really does not seem to be the forward planning, the thinking ahead. It is such a shame because we have come so far and now we seem to be letting it slip away.
Martyn my frustration is that we should be adding that quality now. All successful sides do this. I think the club is guilty of resting on its laurels a bit here. We needed to recruit a couple of quality players this year but didnt. If as is perfectly feasable, we lose Adams, Mushtaq, Collymore, Lewry and Kirtley this year we will find ourselves having to replace 8 top class players. If we manage to replace half of those through our youth system, and its a big if,it still leaves us needing to bring in 4 top quality players from elsewear and thats simply not realistic in one closed season. Looking at what we have coming through, yes Aga and Liddle have potential, but that is all it is. Where are the 5-6-7 wicket hauls in the seconds? In the 4 day game I personally dont feel they are ready to carry our attack. There really does not seem to be the forward planning, the thinking ahead. It is such a shame because we have come so far and now we seem to be letting it slip away.
Jonboy - We can't sign anyone now, as it is mid-season. There is no way we will sign eight top class players this winter. We don't need them anyway!
Of the five players you mention Adams and Mushtaq are under contract until 2009.
Were these five to leave I would replace them as follows:
ADAMS: with an experienced opener as we have middle order batsmen on the staff and in the Academy.
MUSHTAQ: With an overseas seamer, Arafat would be my first choice. In Rayner, Smith and Beer we have three spinners on the staff.
LEWRY & KIRTLEY: I would sign two new ball bowlers. One the overseas player previously mentioned and the other a top domestic bowler.
COLLYMORE: Would depend on who else was released. If all four leave I would look for a promising seamer. If only Lewry and Kirtley leave I would sign an experienced opener.
We won't replace half of those through our youth system, as Adkin is the only player to graduate from the Academy this year although there are four next year. Of these Machan and Wells have what it takes to make it.
This team has peaked and is starting to break up. A new team will emerge and exciting times are ahead because most of the players coming through are homegrown.
Jonboy - We can't sign anyone now, as it is mid-season. There is no way we will sign eight top class players this winter. We don't need them anyway!
Of the five players you mention Adams and Mushtaq are under contract until 2009.
Were these five to leave I would replace them as follows:
ADAMS: with an experienced opener as we have middle order batsmen on the staff and in the Academy.
MUSHTAQ: With an overseas seamer, Arafat would be my first choice. In Rayner, Smith and Beer we have three spinners on the staff.
LEWRY & KIRTLEY: I would sign two new ball bowlers. One the overseas player previously mentioned and the other a top domestic bowler.
COLLYMORE: Would depend on who else was released. If all four leave I would look for a promising seamer. If only Lewry and Kirtley leave I would sign an experienced opener.
We won't replace half of those through our youth system, as Adkin is the only player to graduate from the Academy this year although there are four next year. Of these Machan and Wells have what it takes to make it.
This team has peaked and is starting to break up. A new team will emerge and exciting times are ahead because most of the players coming through are homegrown.
24 year old South African left arm seamer Lonwabo Tsotsobe is due to play for our 2XI this week. He has 114 wickets @ 22 from 29 first class games and look a much better proposition than Collymore or Liddle.
24 year old South African left arm seamer Lonwabo Tsotsobe is due to play for our 2XI this week. He has 114 wickets @ 22 from 29 first class games and look a much better proposition than Collymore or Liddle.
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