Hogg and Reece earn MCC slot.

It has been announced that Kyle Hogg and Luis Reece will feature in the Marylebone Cricket Club's squad as part of the T20 tournament in Abu Dhabi.

Lancashire's player and young player of the season had an incredibly successful 2013 and will play alongside ex-Lancashire legend Muttiah Muralitharan in a squad led by Indian batsman, Virinder Sehwag. 

The Lancashire men will also be playing against some of their fellow teammates, as well as Durham, Sussex and a Fly Emirates XI.

The annual champions four-day match will follow this tournament.

Predominantly a championship bowler, Hogg's absence in this warm-up tournament will allow Lancashire to trial a few other players, whilst the opening bowler continues to get vital practice.

However, with Stephen Moore's move to Derbyshire, it will be interesting to see how Reece plays in a limited overs fixture and shine a light on his potential to open in limited overs matches for Lancashire. 

Hogg was one of three Lancashire players to reach fifty wickets for the season, a feat also reached by skipper Glen Chapple and England debutant Simon Kerrigan, finishing the season with 60 Championship wickets at an average of just 18.42 runs per victim.

Hogg was trumped by Michael Hogan and Alan Richardson, with both men claiming more wickets in Division Two, but Hogg proved to be a vital part of Lancashire's return to the first division, with a number of key performances against promotion contenders, Northamptonshire. 

After a difficult start to the season, Luis Reece initiated himself as a regular in the first eleven, securing the uncertain role of opener alongside Paul Horton after several opening combinations were trailed. 

Reece proved to be one of the emerging talents from last season, scoring eight half-centuries, accumulating 722 runs from just 16 innings. 

Despite failing to make a maiden century for the Red Rose county, his average of 55.54 shot him towards the top of of the batting averages, along with Horton and Simon Katich, who finished top of the averages.

MCC squad travelling to Abu Dhabi: Virender Sehwag (India, capt), Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka, capt), Sam Robson (Middlesex), Luis Reece (Lancashire), Daniel Bell-Drummond (Kent), Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire), Prasanna Jayawardene (Sri Lanka), Ollie Rayner (Middlesex), Andre Adams (Nottinghamshire), Harry Gurney (Nottinghamshire), Kyle Hogg (Lancashire), Monty Panesar (Essex).

The tournament begins on 21st March and, as always, reports and news of the tournament can be found here.

County Cricket- Week One - Overseas players and Lions success.

Surrey secure KP for T20 competition.

Pietersen set for Surrey return.

After a period of uncertainty for the former England batsman, Kevin Pietersen has secured an extension to his time at Surrey, with a deal which will see him primarily feature in the Natwest T20 Blast competition.

Once the news emerged that the ECB had sacked Pietersen, debate over his future was as much of a grey area as the decision to sack him in the first place.

One of the most flamboyant players in the game of late, Pietersen had a number of options including the IPL, KFC Big Bash and even perhaps retirement, but his return to county cricket will keep him in the game beyond his international career, which has taken a sour twist of late.

Surrey won the inaugural T20 competition and have reached finals day on four other occasions, but since 2003 have been unable to add to their initial success, making Pietersen's presence a vital part of their bid for silverware.

The top-order batsman also made it apparent to his Twitter following that: "This is a T20 contract, but I can play in the County Championship too," which would give him an important role to play at Surrey, following their relegation last season.

The Director of Cricket Alec Stewart said “We are delighted to have agreed terms with Kevin, and to have a player of his ability at the Kia Oval.

"Unsurprisingly there was a great deal of interest in Kevin from around the world, but he has made it very clear that he wants to play at Surrey and it is not only good news for the Club but for the domestic game in this country. 

"We are now looking forward to watching him in the middle, scoring a bucket load of runs for Surrey.”

Similarly elated by the decision, Kevin Pietersen added “I’m absolutely delighted to have agreed terms with Surrey and am thoroughly looking forward to playing my cricket for the Club this summer.

“I’ve had some of my best moments in cricket at the Kia Oval and I’m really excited at the prospect of getting back out there playing in what will hopefully be a brilliant summer for us all at Surrey.”

Turbulent spells at Nottinghamshire, Hampshire and most recently with the England squad have led many to believe that his disruptive attitude is detrimental to the rest of the team, but this remains to be seen at Surrey.

Pietersen's Surrey and former England team mate, Chris Tremlett had this to say:

Certainly, his destructive capabilities will make him one-to-watch this season, and if he lives up to expectation he will, as Tremlett mentions, be giving the opposition much to think about.

His International T20 record speaks volumes, with 1,176 runs in 37 appearances for England at an average of 37.93.

Pietersen was, in many ways, one of the pioneers and remains to be a key figure in the shortest format of the game. His potential to hit the ball, combined with his ability to play his 'switch-hit' shot make him one of the most entertaining players to watch when he is on form.

KP exit key to England's recovery?

It has been a long time coming, but Kevin Pietersen has finally parted company with the international squad following the decision that he would not be a part of the ODI or T20 series for England's tour of the West Indies.

The reason I say it has been a 'long time' coming is because both his form and his attitude has led to an inevitable, self-inflicted consequence of failing to perform, whilst simultaneously believing that he is, as has been proven on a number of occasions throughout his career, above the rest of the team.

Pietersen's turbulent career has been forecast from a very early stage, with his disruptive nature spanning as far back as 1999 when he was a member of the KwaZula Natal team in his native country of South Africa.

After facing omission from this team due to what he believed to be a quota-based decision, rather than merit, Pietersen's anger can be identified by his comments regrading the captain of the national team, Greame Smith, referring to him as, "an absolute muppet, childish and strange."

Before his career had even begun, he had established himself as a controversial player, but a talented player in equal measure. 

Nasser Hussain spotted his potential and recommended that he sign for an English county and, in 2001, he made his debut for Nottinghamshire, scoring his maiden first-class century against Loughborough UCCE.

Pietersen seemed to keep his head down for a while and his reduced notoriety did not seem to impact his scoring, as he made over 1,200 runs in his first season averaging 57.95. In the following season he scored four consecutive centuries and his potential as Test player was on the rise every time he played.

Due to his performance in the 2003 season, Pietersen was selected for ECB national academy tour of India, but back at home, matters were taking a sour twist.

With Pietersen's career on the rise, Nottinghamshire's relegation and 'poor pitches' at the time led to Pietersen requesting a move to another county, causing the captain at the time, Jason Gallian to brake some of his equipment, saying that "if he doesn't want to play for Notts he can...", well he wasn't happy.

Here, Pietersen seems to have been unjustified for using what was, and remains, a Test match venue as a poor batting surface, as an excuse for becoming part of a team who were set to play in the second division.

Made to honour the final year of his contract, Pietersen made an immediate move to Hampshire, under the captaincy of Shane Warne.

His signing was, however, redundant from Hampshire's point of view, as Pietersen remained a key player for the national squad for many years to come and due to his central contract, the South-Coast outfit only acquired his services on 26 occasions in his six-year spell with the club.  

A much lighter reasoning for his departure from Hampshire, the birth of his son, meant that the top-order batsman would move to Surrey and if he started to complain about The Oval as a batting surface then, clearly, he was not destined to be a groundsmen after retiring. 

Pietersen had to endure a large amount of criticism when he returned to South Africa with the England squad, but was able to silence his critics with a number of impressive batting displays. 

At one stage his ODI average was a staggering 234.00, but his true calling would be in Test cricket and the historic return of of the Ashes into English hands.

By scoring 158, Pietersen allowed the fifth and final Test to end in a draw leading to euphoric celebration, under the notion that he was, rightly, one of a number of heroes. 

Pietersen continued to dominate for England and in 2010 guided England to victory in the World ICC Twenty20, averaging 62.00 and was named player of the series. 

This purple patch may well have heightened a pre-existing arrogance, but when a player is, or rather was, as good as Pietersen, it is hard to criticise, that is of course, if they continue to be world-class. 

Unfortunately for KP his form dipped and England, and the ECB for that matter, were left with a tough decision, one which is still yet to be fully explained, but one which was perhaps justified in light of past and recent events. 

Former England coach - Peter Moores. 

Pietersen retired from limited overs cricket, stating that the next generation of cricketers should be given the opportunity, but this did not stop him from accepting a highly-payed role on three separate occasions in the Indian Premier League, but who could blame him?

His fall out with the current Lancashire coach, Peter Moores, came as a result of Pietersen questioning Moores's coaching methods but, as a Lancashire fan, it would be unfair for me to weigh in on this particular issue. 

Suffice to say that a popular expression emerged amongst the Lancashire faithful: "There's no 'I' in 'Team' but there is in 'Pietersen'...."

A pattern emerged under the recently departed Andy Flower, who was uncertain if he could carry on coaching England as long as Pietersen remained a part of the international set-up. 

His form has taken a serious hit in recent years and a reoccurring knee injury has meant that Pietersen has not been able to give as much as he previously could, leaving those in charge with a disruptive player, who was injured and failing to deliver on a consistent basis.

It took a long time for people to come to this realisation because of how good he can be. Even if he came-off once in every ten innings, people were prepared to allow him to continue, for the promise of seeing an explosive display once in a while. 

One has to feel a little sympathetic for his situation, as his return to county cricket may be hindered by Surrey not being able to pay his wages, now that he is no longer contracted to the ECB. 

However, with a large amount of money, a family in London and his international career behind him, the reality of the situation leads me to believe that he may not return to county cricket and if he does it won't be for very long, with the possibility of a career in television being a realistic target for this cricketing icon. 

The ECB's decision, whilst vague in certain aspects, was a 'unanimous decision' and it is therefore difficult to argue that his exit was a strange, or at least, sudden decision. 

Pietersen, like so many before him, has however been a scapegoat after England's horrific tour of Australia, but with four Ashes victories on his CV he can defend the case that he has given more than enough to the game. 

England's misery prolonged after T20 loss.

Bopara's efforts were in vain as England suffered another defeat at the hands of Australia. 

If this were a boxing match, the referee would have called time a while ago now, but when you commit yourself to a tour, no such luxury exists.

England's woes down-under seem to have lasted a lifetime, with Australia emerging comprehensive victors in whichever format of the game is put in front of them.

Yesterday's T20 match, whilst somewhat trivial, served only to increase this misery with England suffering a 13-run defeat, a margin which would have been much larger were it not for Ravi Bopara's efforts, who recorded the fastest half-century by and England player in an International T20.

Selection has been a major talking point over the past few weeks. In hindsight, it is fair to say that a number of players in the England squad have failed to deliver and that major changes need to be made, assuming the players are available to do so.

Using the shortest form of the game as an example, England do not seem to have acknowledged the players who are waiting in the wings. Of course, the recent emergence of Chris Jordan would suggest otherwise, but even he is a player who might benefit from more time in county cricket.

In order to get my point across I will throw Ben Stokes' name in to the frame. One of the rare highlights of this tour, Stokes has exceeded expectations and almost certainly secured a future with the England set-up due to his all-round potential.

However, in Durham's title-winning season, the 22-year-old averaged just 27.95 with the bat, an average which was beaten in both limited overs campaigns.

I am therefore confused as to why Stokes was not in yesterday's squad, along with a number of players better suited to the game than Joe Root, including Michael Carberry, James Vince, or Scott Borthwick.

If Stokes is being rested then I am worried for the rest of our squad who are, in the majority, much older than him.

T20 captain Stuart Broad defended this omission stating that: "Ben has been a form player, but in T20 over the last 18 months we've done some wonderful things."

Consistency is an important thing in sport but we'll reassess; when you lose games you've got to find a way to win." 

The latter half of his statement suggests that Stokes may be included in the second T20 match but the expression 'too little too late' comes to mind. 

In many ways, watching Aaron Finch bat yesterday reminded me of a boxing match. But at least boxing has a weight system to match opponents of a similar calibre.

England's slow start with the bat proved costly, but with three Big Bash batsmen at the top of the order, a fast start ought to have been on the cards.

As a result, the efforts of Bopara were in vain, with the Essex all-rounder striking boundaries and simultaneously increasing the required run rate.

Having said all of that, T20 is trivial, in the wider context of this tour and the England camp know that losing the Ashes in the manner they did effectively ended the tour before a box of white balls could be opened.

Parry included in provisional t20 squad.

Parry missed a number of games last year with a broken-arm.

Lancashire's left-arm spinner, Stephen Parry, was one of the surprising inclusions for England's provisional ICC World T20 squad alongside Harry Gurney of Nottinghamshire.

Parry missed a number of matches in the 2013 season due to a broken-arm, but has continued to be a reliable figure in Lancashire's one-day squad, as has Simon Kerrigan, who achieved an Ashes call-up last summer.

Prior to his untimely injury, Parry appeared to be heading for another successful season with the club, claiming his first five-wicket-haul against Surrey in May, but was struck on his bowling arm during a net session at Northamptonshire soon after.

With 63 wickets in 56 Twenty20 matches, Parry has proven his capability as a spinner at county level and as England search for a new spinner, he gives the selectors something to think about if he continues to perform.

The selection also includes the recently acquired Jos Buttler, who has been playing in the third instalment of the Australian Big Bash for Melbourne Renegades, as well as England's recent one-day series with Australia.

Full squad: Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire, capt), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Gary Ballance (Yorkshire), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Scott Borthwick (Durham), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Danny Briggs (Hampshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Michael Carberry (Hampshire), Jade Dernbach (Surrey), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Harry Gurney (Nottinghamshire), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Craig Kieswetter (Somerset), Michael Lumb (Nottinghamshire), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Graham Onions (Durham), Steven Parry (Lancashire), Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire), Kevin Pietersen (Surrey), Boyd Rankin (Warwickshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), James Taylor (Nottinghamshire), James Tredwell (Kent), James Vince (Hampshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Luke Wright (Sussex).

Lancashire targeting memorable anniversary.

Moores prior to Lancashire's t20 quarter final versus Hampshire. 

The 2013 season proved to be a memorable one for Lancashire, winning the Division Two title with conviction, but the Red Rose County are hoping that their 150^th anniversary will mark further silverware in limited overs cricket after a series of near-misses in recent years.

In last seasons FLt20 campaign the Lightning met their match at the Ageas Bowl and, in a thrilling quarter-final, were eliminated by the narrowest of margins as Michael Carberry’s century led Hampshire to a one-run victory.

Further disappointment came in 2012 in the YB40 competition, as Lancashire were beaten at home by Warwickshire in the semi-finals, subsequently missing out on a trip to Lords.

Despite having one of the best t20 records in the country, winning the most games (62) since the tournaments introduction, Lancashire have never managed to win the campaign in its ten-year history.

Hampshire have also won 62 matches since 2003, but have managed to win the tournament twice in 2010 and 2012, reaching finals-day on four consecutive occasions.

But, speaking at the clubs 150^th anniversary forum, Coach, Peter Moores, made it clear that he hopes this season will fulfil the clubs potential.

Lancashire celebrate after winning the Division Two Title.

“We've got very close to winning a trophy during the last couple of years. We've been in quarter-finals, semi-finals and Finals Days, but we haven't managed to get over the line. I think that's a real goal for us this year.

The lads have won a couple of things, and you get used to winning. It's a habit. Getting promoted was fantastic, but winning it was even better because you get to know that out of the nine teams you were the best, which is really important.”

But, in spite of the club’s anniversary, Moores insists that he will be treating this season like any other campaign.

“It would be lovely to win a trophy with it being the 150th year, but it doesn't really make any difference for us. I think we are on our journey, on which we have won the Championship once and won another trophy - the Division Two title last year.”

With Lancashire achieving success in the Championship in recent seasons, Moore is also hoping that their confidence can be replicated into other forms of the game.

Stephen Moore departure leaves a void in
 Lancashire's batting line-up for the 2014 season.

“We want to be really competitive in Division One next season, and we also want to take that next step forward in one-day cricket if we can.

Lancashire’s ambitions may well be vindicated especially due to  the acquisition of Jos Buttler which Moores believes will give the squad a boost.

“Jos Buttler, and players like him, can hit a ball like never before. It's an ability that is crucial in the one-day game.”

However, the recent departure of opening batsman, Stephen Moore, who was the clubs top-scorer in the t20 format last season, leaves a gap at the top of the order for one-day fixtures. 

The balance between experience and youth at the club is something that has worked very well in recent seasons and Lancashire will be aiming to extend their success beyond the Championship in 2014.