Essex: Prichard stays positive over end of empire (23 Aug 1998)
WHEN Graham Gooch ended the most successful career in English cricket, Essex were riding high in the championship and seemingly set to continue a golden age that had seen them secure six first-class titles in 13 years
23-Aug-1998
23 August 1998
Prichard stays positive over end of empire
By Paul Newman
WHEN Graham Gooch ended the most successful career in English
cricket, Essex were riding high in the championship and seemingly
set to continue a golden age that had seen them secure six
first-class titles in 13 years. Now, just 13 months on, they have
won only three more four-day games and are rooted at the bottom
of the table that counts.
True, since the colossus turned his attention to selecting
England teams rather than carrying the nation's batting, Essex
have won two cups and top the AXA League with just four matches
remaining.
But two crushing championship defeats by an innings within a week
- the second, more emphatic coming on Friday at their once
impregnable Colchester fortress - have heightened the first-class
decline of the most prominent domestic force of the last 20
years. It will need a Herculean effort to stop Essex from
claiming only their second wooden spoon.
It is too simplistic to blame solely the departure of Gooch for a
situation which is likely to see their young team 'emulate' Doug
Insole's 1950 bottom-placers, and it is fair to say that the
mitigating circumstances, headed by a debilitating injury list,
are many.
Then, also, there was captain Paul Prichard's pre-season pledge
to give youth its head while promising a one-day trophy or two to
satisfy the short-term demands of a success-spoiled membership -
a pretty accurate prognosis. It is just that he did not quite
expect to see his side slip so far so quickly.
"Any club would like to win two trophies in a year and we very
much hope to do that," said Prichard ahead of today's league
match at Colchester against Gloucestershire, when both he and
Stuart Law will return from injury. "But, to be honest, it would
be tarnished if we finish bottom. It's not where we want to be
and I can understand why some of our members have complained.
They are entitled to be angry but I can assure them it's not
through any lack of effort or passion on the part of the
players." For Prichard, the longest-serving county captain in the
country, the agony has been enhanced by his inability to do much
about the fall throughout the season. A serious shin injury ruled
him out at the outset and, after six weeks of "playing in pain"
on his return, he was forced on to the sidelines again, just
hobbling back into action on Sundays along with Ashley Cowan,
another long-term injury victim. All in all, it makes Prichard's
Gold Award-winning 92 in the Benson and Hedges Cup final against
Leicestershire, compiled throughout with a smile on his face, all
the more commendable.
"Pain-killers got me through," he said, "but now it is properly
rested and I hope to play for the rest of the season. It's been
difficult. I had to decide when I was first injured whether to
come to the ground every day and be a vocal presence or keep my
distance and let the lads make their own decisions. I took the
latter option and I'm sure everybody will be stronger for the
experience. You have to believe in youth and I like the look of
our future, but that doesn't make the present any easier.
"The trouble has been that our youngsters have gained
opportunities in circumstances that I didn't want, but on the
whole they have shown that they are able to play the game at this
level."
To that end, Stephen Peters, Ian Flanagan, Graham Napier, Tim
Hodgson and Jamie Grove will all be given enhanced responsibilty
again next year alongside the likes of Ronnie Irani (averaging 92
with the bat and 18 with the ball on Sundays) and Mark Ilott, who
have carried a huge burden.
Consequently, Prichard insists there will be no panic-induced
plunges into the 'transfer market' during the winter, even though
Essex left themselves short of bowling cover by last week
releasing Neil Williams, Darren Cousins and Danny Wilson. "If
someone we fancy becomes available we'll go for him and there are
one or two areas we must look at, but we're not going to grab
just anybody," said Prichard.
Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)