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Latest News: County in for Aussie all rounder

Only 15 days now until the season officially starts for the County when we entertain Loughborough UCCE at Grace Road. The Foxes first 'proper' fixture is on the 15th April when local rivals Northamptonshire make the short journey north for the opening Championship fixture. Our first limited overs fixture is at Trent Bridge as we play Nottinghamshire in Group A of the Friends Provident Trophy.

Hopefully we can get off to winning start in all three!

Up the County!

Pre-season in full swing (3/4/2009)

Leicestershire entertain Warwickshire for a 50 over a side match today for their opening pre season game of the season. The Foxes also have upcoming friendlies versus Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Surrey over the next week as they prepare for their opening first class fixture against Loughborough UCCE on Saturday 11th April.

The County though are still awaiting the return of their South African trio of HD Ackerman, Boeta Dippenaar and Claude Henderson and their overseas star Iain O'Brien. Ackerman is due to return to the UK at the weekend and Dippenaar and Henderson are expected to arrive within the next week. Henderson has been in superb form in South Africa for the Cape Cobras and just yesterday calimed seasonal best figures of 7-64 in the first innings against Warriors in the Supersport series. New Zealander O'Brien should arrive in time to make his debut in the opening Championship fixture as he is currently playing for his country in their home test series versus India and the 32 year old has just claimed his 50th test wicket.

McDonald signs for 2010 (3/4/09)

Leicestershire have a finally agreed a contract with Australian all rounder Andrew McDonald, who has signed a contract for the 2010 season and the 27 year old is expected to be named vice captain upon his arrival next year.

David Smith, Leicestershire's Chief Executive, recently revealed that the County turned down the chance to take on an Aussie all rounder for 2009 (presumably McDonald) as the club would not employ a player from the country during an Ashes summer. In a recent article published on cricinfo.com Smith revealed "I wouldn't sign an Australian before an Ashes series," he told Cricinfo. "It's certainly not something that would be reciprocated. We had a chance to sign an Australian allrounder but we chose not to do so. We have an obligation to English cricket."

I think Mr Smith needs to get his priorities right. Who pays his wages? His priorities should be with Leicestershire CCC and not with English cricket. Earlier in the same article, Foxes chairman Neil Davidson voiced an alternative view to his colleague, "Counties are entitled to employ overseas players, so I think it's a bit jingoistic to suggest they shouldn't be playing," he said. "I think the current row might be as a result of the management chaos in the England team. We don't have a permanent coach, and the team has performed badly ever since the Moores-Pietersen row. I think those are the issues the ECB should be concentrating on, rather than criticising counties who happen to employ Australians as overseas players."

I agree with Mr Davidson entirely. Might it have been an idea for the two members of the Grace Road heirarchy to get their heads together before issuing such opposing statements in the media?

Cricinfo Article

County offer for Aussie all rounder (26/3/2009)

Leicestershire have offered a contract to current Australian International all rounder Andrew McDonald for the 2010 season.

The 27 year old, who made his test debut in Sydney versus South Africa in January, has also been offered the vice captaincy at Grace Road. 'Ronnie' McDonald's career stats are certainly impressive, averaging 36 with the bat and 29 with the ball in first class cricket and if he signs on for the County it will give fans something to look forward to already for 2010. The Foxes have had some fantastic Aussie overseas players in recent years, most notably Brad Hodge, Chris Rogers and Dan Marsh but the foreign signings in the last couple of years have been very uninspiring. Now though, with the recent signing of current New Zealand star Iain O'Brien and the possible future signing of McDonald, the quality of overseas signings now seems to have been addressed.

Andrew McDonald Career Stats

New Zealand bowler signs (17/3/2009)

Leicestershire have completed the signing of New Zealand fast bowler Iain O'Brien for the first half of the 2009 season.

The 32 year old, who is currently playing for his country in the their test series versus India, will be available from the start of the season for 8 Championship matches and 13 one-day fixtures. O'Brien replaces last years overseas player Boeta Dippenaar who has re-negotiated his contract with the County so that he now becomes a Kolpak player.

The signing of O'Brien will no doubt signal the end of the Foxes new signings for 2009 and he will form a very new pace attack with the County after the controversial depature of Garnett Kruger and the big loss of the popular Dillon du Preez.

Iain O'Brien Profile

Smith gets his chance at Lords

Leicester born batsmen Greg Smith makes his Championship debut for Leicestershire today against Middlesex at Lords. The 19 year old has been in simply sensational form for both the second team and with England U19's and is set to open the batting with Matt Boyce. Smith's one County appearance so far was back in June when he scored a debut century in a 3 day match versus Bradford/Leeds UCCE.

Smith comes into the side at the expense of overseas player Boeta Dippenaar who has had a dreadful season and after this decision by the management to leave him out of the side, surely means the County will be looking elsewhere next season for a quality overseas player and rightly so.

Smith is not the only teenager in the side as recently turned 18 Josh Cobb retains his place after some recent gritty knocks and 18 year old batsman James Taylor is also set to figure.

HD Ackerman will return to the side after being bizarrely left out of recent one day matches and needs only 80 runs to reach the 1,000 first class runs milestone for the season. Nadeem Malik, the Foxes leading wicket taker in the Championship with 38 wickets, will be hoping to hit the 50 wicket barrier by the end of his impressive first season at Grace Road.

Squad:

Matt Boyce, Greg Smith, HD Ackerman, Jimmy Allenby, Paul Nixon (wkt/capt), Josh Cobb, James Taylor, Johan Malcolm-Hansen, Dillon du Preez, Claude Henderson, Nadeem Malik, Garnett Kruger.