With Somerset in the market for a speedster who is in the top bracket for speed and wickets, who are the decent punts over the winter? The seasonal AGMs are round the corner and doubtless the management will get polite grilling on this very topic  – though I suspect they’ll only be able to mention the players they were offered or would have liked to have signed. Kabir Ali and Simon Jones have both gone to Hants and there are other counties looking to bolster their attacks with Middx apparently about to announce a double swoop having made pace their priority this winter.

So, here’s my food for thought, ignoring conveniently the small issue of who’s in contract and for how long, what they earn, likelihood of them coming….etc!

Matthew Hoggard (free) - 43 Championship wickets for Yorkshire and a surprise he was released. Not in the express pace category but well worth approaching. Suspect he’ll go to Middx or Leics.

Steve Kirby (Glos) - 64 wickets in Div2  – Stayed down with Glos but happy there.

David Lucas (Northants) – 58 wickets and just failed to get his county up so….

WILD PUNT….

Alex Tudor (Surrey) – Not given too much cricket in an awful Surrey season and when he played, he was, er, annihiliated. Four wickets at an average of over 100

Charlie Shreck (Notts) – An anonymous season after his 2008 was crammed with wickets (58) – swap one title contender for another?

 

Or else…..

i) Charl is cryogenically frozen over the winter (or come to Yorkshire) and emerges feeling like a 21 year old again and ready for 300 overs in 2010.
ii) David Stiff continues where he left off in 2009
iii) Ben Phillips cranks it up and passes 40+ wickets
iv) Murali Kartik gets 97 wickets at 11.63 meaning there’s only the odd couple here and there for anyone else