The deal comes days after Steve Adshead was released and is a quality signing that will add much value to the squad, albeit not the most forward-thinking move.
35-year-old Batty, who described the move to link up with John Bracewell and Jack Russell as an "exciting opportunity", is a quality cricketer who will fill the hole that Glos have at the top of the order, and his attributes, particularly in one-day cricket, are cause for excitement.
John Bracewell described the signing as "the missing link between the first and second divisions" and claimed his versatility in the batting line up will give Glos "great flexibility for all competitions".
Batty, who has spent his entire career at Surrey, played 179 first-class matches for the Oval-based club averaging 34.05; his 20 hundreds made him the leading Surrey wicketkeeper-batsman by some distance. He will bring the valuable experience of winning championships in 1999 and 2002 and the Sunday League and Twenty20 Cup in 2003.
Many hoping for a younger signing, such as ex-Hampshire Tom Burrows, will be disappointed, but Batty was a signing that could be afforded and is able to come into the side and provide a major impact while working with the younger wicketkeepers in the squad and aiding their development.
Official report: www.gloscricket.co.uk
Your usual balanced, informative comment.
ReplyDeleteWell done, as ever, Snowy! I agree. Experience and versality trump youthful promise at this stage of Glos revival from the basement of Division 2.
Please explain why a 20,000 stadium is of benefit for possibly one big cricket event a year! I must be missing something!
Clarence Square
Well, a 20,000-capacity ground ensures international cricket for the future and provides opportunity to bid for more major matches (test matches; T20 finals day etc) all of which can generate more revenue.
ReplyDeletePlus the revamp will vastly benefit Nevil Road's standing as a C&B venue.
I would have said Batty was a good 2 in 1 signing - a vastly experienced wicket keeper and a very solid presence in the top order on an as-and-when basis where we were so badly lacking last season.
ReplyDeleteLet's not worry about "younger signings" or the future too soon, he could easily have 4-5 years in him. Look at Alec Stewart!
Snowy:
ReplyDelete1. How much is the 20,000 stadium projected cost?
2. What is the average attendance at a) Championship match; b) One day match c) T/20 slog fest ?
3. Who would use the stadium and its facilities :
a) outside of the cricket season; b) when Glos are playing away.
4. How many actually County match "playing days" are there in a year?
5. What revenue generation is anticipated for Glos CCC other than match receipts?
Clarence Square
They're questions for the club not me Clarence, but I would say those questions can be asked to any of the clubs that have developed their grounds in recent times (Glamorgan, Hampshire, Warwickshire proposing to) and their answer would be that, in the long-run, it generates more revenue, players want to play cricket there and people want to watch cricket there.
ReplyDeleteIt's the only way Glos can stay in business by redeveloping, let alone progressing. However, I would point to Kent and Sussex as extremely successful sides that have no more of a set up than Glos do.