According to Cricinfo, Yorkshire has played 33 matches this season, winning only 9, losing 15 and drawing 9. As Stu noted, Yorkshire have ONE WIN in their last 15 matches in all competitions. (This must be one of the worst streaks in the county's history.)

The wheels seem to have come off since we were beaten by Somerset by 4 wickets in the CC in June after taking a 77 run first innings lead.

What has happened since then? What can we change to right a badly listing ship? Given the current squad, and the fact we are playing without an overseas player and so many of our front-line players are not producing (Bresnan, Rashid, and McGrath, in particular) what if anything can we change to at least avoid the disaster of demotion? Or, is demotion now inevitable?

PS The newspapers and media in Australia are still having a go at England and their shambolic performance in the 4th Test.

AJ - Sydney, Oz

so there's no point in us worrying anymore, we just have to accept the inevitable now

I agree with Loiner. We have to stumble along, struggle along and maybe even freefall along until the end of the season. We then have to take a bluddie big axe and chop a lot of things down! New coaches, new captain, new ideas. The only way to make Yorkshire the best again is to get away from the mentality that Yorkshire is best. We need an overseas player who is available all summer (not too easy to find, granted) an experienced county player who is preferably captaincy material and a new outside coach and backroom staff that are not tarnished with everything that's gone on before. It might cost money but, we've had the ashes test, stop work on the pavillion if needs be but lets build a team fit for success and not just a ground.

It's too bad Moxon/Regan couldn't have been more proactive in Rana's absence. Other teams sign stand-in players when their overseas man has other commitments or they have significant injuries. Lancashire for instance, have just taken Tom Lungley on loan from Derbyshire to help after several key injuries to their bowlers. He's a useful bowler and in better nick than chronic under-performers like Bresnan and Naved.

Yorkshire fiddle, while other teams show initiative and leadership. If we go down this season, it won't be just the players who are to blame.

Although I wholeheartedly agree with the above posts, there is the problem of contracts, which could scupper our hopes of a drastic overhaul. What with the building of the new pavillion, the club is not in a position to flash the cash as much as other counties, meaning it could be hard to pay off the remainder of a player's contract, who have been signed on long deals as of last winter, such as:

"Anthony McGrath has signed a new three year contract with the Yorkshire County Cricket Club. The new contract, which begins in March 2009, sees 1st XI captain Anthony commit his future to the White Rose county until September 2011."

"Steve Patterson has committed his future to Yorkshire by signing a 2-year deal which will continue his career at the Club until the end of the 2010 season."

"Richard Pyrah has signed a contract extension at the Club which will see him stay at Headingley Carnegie at least until the end of the 2010 season."

I think it was proved last winter that we are unwilling or unable to splash the cash around. Balancing the books seems more important than balancing the team. A very good theory if the team can balance itself but plainly it can't.This winter could be interesting because the same winter tactics can't be tried this time.

Call me an old fuddy duddy ... but I don't want to go down the line of signing every Tom, Dick or Harry. Lancs keep telling us that they develop talent yet again sign up someone else's talent ... just like Notts appear to be signing every opener in the country.

I would have been for signing a Rana replacement ... mainly to 'lift' the team. The problem is finding anyone good who's available as there are so many tours/camps etc atm.

I'll again say that Yorks don't have a bad team ... its just that we're playing badly.

Do we have anyone at the club whose specific job is to look for overseas players? if we do he's the first one that should go in my opinion

Actually the solution is relatively straightforward

We need to take wickets, catch catches and score some runs, all of the players in the current squad have shown that they can do that this season.

Maybe if the concentrated on the simple things rather than the ominous losing streak and looming relegation.

^^^^^^^^^

Well said Sir. The problems (apart from the odd mistake) isn't the players but that they aren't playing anywhere near their potential. Yes we've stuggled against some counties .... but with the help of a bit of bad wather we've actually drawn those games ... if everyone can perfrom together we could easily win any of our remaining games .... the BUT is how to acheive the previous sentence

Moxon seems to be grasping at straws.

I wish Moxon, McGrath and the other teams members who seem to be constantly chirping to the media and making silly pronouncements would just be quiet and concentrate on winning. Besides the Tykes have about as much to do with the Aussies as Leeds United does to Man U.

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/Moxon-looks-to-the-Australians.5541337.jp