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colinc · 29-07-2010, 11:19 PM

Hi Paul,
Just bought and finished reading your book (having previously read it cover to cover in bookshops) - a great read which brought back happy memories of that golden age for Warwickshire in the mid-90s.

So what's your view on how best to recapture that attacking spirit, innovation and team ethic? Is it a lost cause under the current defensive coach and captain or can they change their ways? Should we go for Andy Moles if Ashley can't change his mindset?

Thanks in advance

boltonboy · 30-07-2010, 04:33 PM

That’s a really difficult question to answer but here goes ……..

Comparing a golden period like the early to mid 90`s with the position the
team finds itself in in 2010 is potentially leading me down the track of “in
my day”. I believe this comparison should be avoided. Just for one, check the history of the sport – no ones achieved what we did, period. So, I’ll take the option of stating the following.

The nuclease of the treble and double winning team had played a lot of
cricket together prior to us achieving what we did. The education included
losing quite a lot of games, including ones we should have won, and then,
just occasionally we surprised a few when everything fell into place, which
led to winning a few fixtures in between those losses. In a way we became
sick of the losing side of our development.

I also would say that every one of the guys I played with had shed tears of
frustration at some stage in this ongoing education because we knew we could
up a gear, and it wasn’t happening, yet! Talk about bollockings! We were
certainly familiar with those. But, mostly they were constructive.

In 1993 when we won the Nat West we actually finished very low down in the
championship (exact position unknown of the top of my head) as that summer
we had a lot of injuries, particularly to our bowling attack. To make
matters more difficult for us we lost AD to the South African tour of Sri
Lanka mid summer, immediately after out NW ¼ final victory at Headingly. I
think that the fact we went to Taunton (semi) and won, and then beat Sussex in the final without him taught us a lot. In a way it engrained the belief that we were up for a fight even without our big gun. Another thing we learned in that final was we could chase down any total by achieving a record run chase. Remember there was no Amiss, Kallicharan etc. So we were turning a corner. People forget that we were tipped off the night prior to this Lords final that unless we were victorious we were going to lose Woolmer as our coach as a few knobs at committee lever had pretty much lost faith. So, when I read or hear that Ash could perhaps be the wrong man for the job, you may want to “Bear” that in mind.

1994 – Vastly more confident and with little fear of failure.

If you take the above on board and add the arrival of one BC Lara then we
were potentially very dangerous, and most certainly worth watching. Most importantly I recon we knew that and fancied taking on anyone. In losing
just 4 games in the complete 1994 summer (inc 3 on the bounce) I think it
showed how much we wanted to compete, day in day out, and that we knew we
were good. Obviously we did a double the following season (95) making it 6 trophies in 24 months. I’m not alone in thinking that the club has hidden away from that success as comparisons with what’s happened since only highlight the good old days.

The key to what we did in this era was we grasped the initiative, stared the
opposition in the face and quite literally said “come on then”. I hope that
doesn’t sound arrogant, but, when push comes to shove, do you want to be a
winner, or, carry on being what you’ve always been! At the time of writing
it is a state of mind which is probably a complete contrast to our present
Bears side. Don’t give them flack, but have an opinion by all means.

Ashleigh Giles has his support coaches in Dougie and Pop Welch but there is
a massive hurdle to be jumped just yet. No one likes looking over their
shoulder and it appears that is the common thought pattern as we speak...
Inspiration is the key as no one person can do it all. Trust.

Mad Brummie · 30-07-2010, 08:02 PM

Thanks Paul

Fondly recall those days I do. That opening day of the season against Glamorgan, Twose's double ton and Lara playing cricket from a different dimension and the rest that followed...

The closest team I can see in this current era to that side is Durham. Been up there a couple of times and also seen their 2nds and they have that air of 'arrogance' about them. I don't think it would be too wide of the mark to say Durham saw what we achieved in the 1990's and sought to emulate those achievements. They put into place a plan (mid to late 1990's) that has taken 10 to 15 years to bear fruition and now have proper bowlers and proper batsmen with that hunger and desire coming through the ranks year after year.

**Paul** · 30-07-2010, 08:14 PM

(30-07-2010 08:02 PM)Mad Brummie Wrote: Thanks Paul

Fondly recall those days I do. That opening day of the season against Glamorgan, Twose's double ton and Lara playing cricket from a different dimension and the rest that followed...

The closest team I can see in this current era to that side is Durham. Been up there a couple of times and also seen their 2nds and they have that air of 'arrogance' about them. I don't think it would be too wide of the mark to say Durham saw what we achieved in the 1990's and sought to emulate those achievements. They put into place a plan (mid to late 1990's) that has taken 10 to 15 years to bear fruition and now have proper bowlers and proper batsmen with that hunger and desire coming through the ranks year after year.

Yes I saw that at Moseley with their seconds although their appealing was a little over the top.

boltonboy · 30-07-2010, 09:06 PM

Many thanks - i spoke at a dinner in Durham soon after Durham had started winning trophies and sat next to Geoff Cook the head coach. Great bloke doing a fantastic job. Sport in the north east is a religion in its self and Cookie got a squad to buy into a vision where they eventually believed they could take on any one and come up trumps. It helps if you have people like Steve Harmison knocking around to potentially take peoples heads off, and, when Otis went up there and joined Harmy with the new ball they raise the bar some what in terms of understanding the game and what gives you an edge. Another thing they`ve been good at is clever signings from other counties and having an eye on the ball regarding talent from overseas. We should note that they managed to pull these things off at a time where there was a fortune being spent developing the Riverside Stadium!
Durham have adapted well to the absense of Paul Collingwood, and in a way its a lesson the Bears can look at as obviously no Bell and no Trott leaves a big hole at the moment. Durham couldnt win a game of bingo in their early years but they never gave up because they believed there was enough local talent from which they could take advantage of and offer career options to. Durhams scouting system played a major part in that.