2008 Season

(one-dayers only; 'cause it's too depressing to write the news of Championship matches!!)

**The shire storm to opening game victory in the Friends Provident Trophy, beating Worcester by 7 wickets.
**Glos slump to defeat at the Rose Bowl via Duckworth Lewis, despite racking up 350-5 in 50 overs.
**A trip to the new Swalec Stadium sees the Glaws get their second one-day win in 2008 with a thumping 6 wicket win over Glamorgan.
**Winter and "the shire" flag are there to see it!!
**A fantastic 140 from Craig Spearman helps the shire to chase down 290 to beat Somerset at Bristol.
**In a game reduced to 20-overs, The Shire chase down 144 to win to beat Hampshire at Bristol.
**Washouts against Somerset and Worcester ensure glos qualify for the FPT 1/4 finals.
**The dirty Yorkshire scum beat The Shire at Bristol to move into the semi-finals.
**Winter and the flag saw the game, the glos didn't bat well enough and Yorks were never under pressure.

**The glos get off to the worst possible start to the Twenty20 Cup with a humilating 9 wicket defeat at Worcester.
**Winter and the flag saw a batting display that had potential to post a large total, but wickets fell at bad times.
**They also saw a bowling display that defied belief at how absolutely dreadful it was. Absolutely embarrassing.
**The shire tie their first home twenty20 match against Warwickshire. A game they most certainly should have won slipped away, as Anthony Ireland was removed from the attack for bowling 2 beamers.
**Northants comfortably beat the shire in the Father's Day fixture.
**The flag was their as very uninteligent batting left too much pressure on the middle/lower order and the glaaaws went down by 27 runs.
**The misery continues for the shire as Northants complete the double in Milton Keynes. A 110-run 5th wicket stand steers them to a 6-wicket win.
**Further bad news for the glaaaaaaws as Alex Gidman is ruled out of the remainder of the Twenty20 period with an ankle injury.

**Craig Spearman's injury against Northants requires surgery and he looks likely to miss the rest of the season.

**The shire sign AJ Harris on loan from Notts. The 34-year-old took 49 wickets in Notts County Championship winning 2005 season.
**26-year-old David Wigley also signs on loan from Northants, as the shire see games at Cardiff and the big derby at Taunton washed out.
**Wigley made his Twenty20 debut against the shire in 2004. He makes the glaaaaws his fourth county.

**Club stalwart Bryan "Bomber" Wells dies aged 77. See posted article.

**Despite new faces and a 4-day break from cricket, glos lose again, this time at Edgbaston as Warwickshire claim an 8-wicket victory.
**Winter was glad he was on holiday as the shire are bowled out for a measly 131 - Chris Taylor's 66 from 60 balls the top score.
**THE SHIRE WIN!! A decent all-round performance see the glos break their Twenty20 duck with a 7-wicket win over Glamorgan.
**Ian Fisher claims 3-20 as glammy are restricted to just 130-6 and Will Poterfield's 62 lead the reply as glaaaaws got home with 8 balls to spare.
**The misery returns for the shire as they are bundled out for just 93 in reply to Worcester's 152-8.
**Winter was glad he was playing cricket as, despite having Wocester 10-2 with Hick and Solanki back in the hutch, and then 91-6, the glos let Worcs slip.
**The glaaaws top order fail again. Only 4 reach double figures as the shire lose by 59 runs.
**A miserable Twenty20 campaign ends in a miserable evening with the home derby against Somerset abandoned without a ball being bowled.
**The shire finish bottom of the Midland/West division - their worst ever finish in the history of the competition.

**JOHN BRACEWELL IS TO RETURN AS DIRECTOR OF CRICKET NEXT YEAR!!
**The shire release Will Rudge, Ian Fisher, Mark Hardinges and Carl Greenidge for next season.
**The shire offer a trial to 19-year-old Nottingham-born Ian Saxelby. He will make his debut against Middlesex at Bristol.

**The shire's first pro40 match of 2008 at Old Trafford is abandoned 2hrs before the start of play!

**Following discussions, Carl Greenidge is released from the remainder of his contract.
**After another farce of a Championship match, the shire bring in another loanee - Oliver Newby - from Lancashire. The 23-year-old took 18 Championship wickets last season and is on loan for the entire Cheltenham festival.
**ALEX GIDMAN commits his future to the shire by signing a new contract. He said he was "very excited about working with John Bracewell again".
**Tom Richardson described Gidman as a "very important part of the team both now and in the future".
**STEVE KIRBY also commits his future to the shire by penning a new deal. He also sights the return of John Bracewell as an influencial factor: "I am still massively ambitious to play for England and I feel he can help me continue to improve."

**The shire lose to Notts by 9 runs via Duckworth-Lewis in their second pro40 match, at Cheltenham.
**Winter witnessed an improved bowling display - particularly from Will Rudge - but then failings once again in the top order batting contributed to falling behind the D/L rate once the rain arrived.
**The shire's 3rd pro40 - against Sussex - is washed out without a ball being bowled.
**THE GLOS WIN!! A dramatic penultimate-ball 2-wicket win over Hampshire in the final Cheltenham festival fixture gives the shire their first win since mid-June!
**Despite being set a formidable 237 to win in 35 overs, Marcus North's 56 from 52 ballls set up the outgoing Mark Hardinges to smash two sixes and then a four off the penultimate ball to give the shire victory!!

**STEVE SNELL becomes the latest player to commit their future to the shire by penning a new three year deal. He commented that he was "very much looking forward to John Bracewell's input as Coach".
**JACK RUSSEL described Snell as "having the world as his oyster" should he continue to work hard at his game.
**STEVE KIRBY gains an England Lions call up for the forthcoming matches against South Africa at Grace Road and Derby.
**RICHARD DAWSON, the former Yorkshire and England off-spinner has signed for the shire ahead of their championship match against Glamorgan. The 28 year-old was out of contract.

**The glos pull off an unbelievable win against rivals Somerset in the pro40 at Taunton.
**Despite a second-wicket stand of 302 - in which Marcus Trescothick made a brilliant 184 - Mark Hardinges' 80 not out steered the shire ahead of the D/L score when rain called a halt to the match.

**MARCUS NORTH has returned to Australia ahead of his Australia A tour to India.
**The shire have signed Tazmanian bowler Brendan Drew on a short-term deal.

**The glos keep their pro40 title hopes alive by beating Middlesex by three wickets at Bristol.
**After Steve Kirby had taken 4-27 to restrict the visitors to 183-9 in 40 overs, the shire stumbled along in the middle overs but Hamish Marshall smashed 102 from 97 balls to steer the shire home with eight balls to spare.

**RICHARD DAWSON has signed a two-year contract with the shire.

**Glos lose by 21 runs against Worcester in a crunch pro40 match at New Road.
**Steve Davies 119 helps Worcester to 316-5 and despite a quickfire start from Marshall and Ali in a 92-run opening stand, regular wickets saw the shire fall behind the asking rate and they fell short despite a brilliant 79 from 61 balls from Chris Taylor.

**The shire are rolled over by Durham in their final po40 match.
**ALEX GIDMAN is run-out first ball as glos are shot out for just 119 - despite being 62-1.
**And despite Steve Kirby's 3-28, Michael DiVenuto's 52 not out, sees Durham stride home with 13 overs to spare.

**A disappointing end to a poor season for the shire. The final match told the story of the season - a distinct lack of runs from a seemingly talented batting line up; and poor back-up bowling.