County Cricket

^^ To be fair, Root is the only one available, & no Tests until December, strangely a 36 year old Broad is playing for Notts. That makes less sense.

A real fight to keep above the water line!! It looked for all the world like Warwickshire had little room left, but they won't stop scrapping! (where was that all season long?? - nothing left to lose I guess??) At tea on the 3rd day Hampshire sit at 242 for 7 leading by 30. Should the last three wickets fall in a hurry (or even if they don't), Warwickshire will have a race on to set a tempting total (how much do Hants want 2nd in the championship). Meanwhile, at Headingley, Yorkshire still need 90 runs to win with 4 wickets in hand. What a climax?? of the type that should have the media at large all over it! If this was the ending to a Prem season in that other sport (??) they would indeed be all over it, and poor old Martin Tyler would be risking his health once again with another unhinged hysterical reaction.

The county game doesn't need fixing. It needs protecting from the very people that should have its' best interests at heart!

Well Yorkshire looked for a while, like they were going to be the final nail in Warwickshire's casket, but they ultimately fell away, leaving the door slightly ajar for the Bears, who in turn finally ended Hampshire's inns on 311 despite a defiant knock from Barker.

Not sure how Warwickshire can persuade the visitors to go for whatever total they are set, but at 62 for 2 and a lead of 23, a fascinating final day to the season awaits. It should be like the conclusion to an ashes contest, with spectators flooding to the gates. Sadly, we know it won't be that, but let us up a decent number recognise the significance and make it an atmosphere worthy of the day.

Assuming 96 overs tomorrow, maybe a target of 250 0f 65 would peek Hampshire's interest??

(24-09-2022 13:22 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  SKY are covering the Lancashire v Surrey match, Lancs a slim chance of a runners up spot, & maybe it was decided weeks back that this might have been a title decider. Although there's less prestige attached, the Div 2 race has more on it with any 2 from Notts, Middlesex & Glamorgan hunting down promotion.

Never doubted Lancs for a moment

^^ Hampshire require just one more point to finish as runners-up to Surrey, who got thrashed by Lancashire today, & only a Hampshire loss would hand the runners-up place to the Red Rose County. Hampshire may well win, but it wont be a risk all situation, if wickets fall early in the chase, they would surely call off the case, & take the points for a draw. The Bears don't really have many cards to play, & will have no other option than to throw the bat, quick runs are essential, i they get bowled out & the target is less than 200, then so be it. your right Hornball, they will need all of 2 seasons to take 10 wickets on what is, in effect, a day 2/3 pitch.

One session of the season remains, and Warwickshire are scrapping like hell!! When they fell over this morning - well short of an ideal target score it has to be said - I thought that they had finally handed their place in Div 1 to Yorkshire, but no!!! At tea, Hampshire sit at 78 for 5 needing another 61 runs to secure 2nd place! Hannon - Dalby and Norwell are bowling out of their skins to give their club every opportunity. I wonder are their chances of higher representation gone?? Maybe shouldn't be!!

One interesting point was raised in the comm box about Hampshire perhaps finishing second instead of winning the title if they go on to win today, and how 'unfortunate' they would be if that is the way it turned out! arguing that it was a quirk of the scoring system. Having looked at the table, I don't see it, with Hants having lost 2 more matches than Surrey, and - despite their run of victories - suffering two crucial losses at the back end of the season, they are where they deserve to be! The CC has spoken loud and clear about its' own worth. I hope the influencers are listening and hold the line in defending it!

In fact ''#holdtheline'' campaign starts here!!


It is a sad day today, as we (ok I) have to suffer 8 months of footie now until the new season starts up again. Ah well, I will get through somehow!

So Joe Root would rather play golf in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, instead of representing his County in a vital relegation match. Four rounds of golf in Scotland, or 4 days at Headingley. Disappointed

(29-09-2022 17:03 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  So Joe Root would rather play golf in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, instead of representing his County in a vital relegation match. Four rounds of golf in Scotland, or 4 days at Headingley. Disappointed

Only Disappointed Booms?? I might - if I had an allegiance to Yorkshire - be a bit more forceful than that!! I don't - by the way - have any allegiance to Hampshire or Warwickshire either!.......

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!

There is no sport on earth that provides this level of enthralling - edge of the seat - drama........simply none! For Norwell and Hannon Dalby (his contribution will be lost perhaps in the aftermath, when everyone is (rightly) reflecting on Norwell's sensational performance) to keep pushing themselves beyond the limit with that level of skill (and serious pace) at a point where it seemed they had little left, speaks so highly of them that mere cliched words do not cut it! I thought - as Hants crept and crept towards the line, that Warwickshire were actually waiting for mistakes, particularly after having grabbed the sixth wicket, when I believed that the field was a little too 'defensive' and was screaming at the tv (thankfully nobody heard or saw me) for a straight silly point to stop Wheal getting forward and allow Hannon Dalby to bowl a fuller length. They got there in the end though.

I loved one of the emailers asking where A Strauss was watching from! I know he will say that his remit was a wider one, but surely, he must see that driving a coach and horses through the championship will only do harm. The Head of the ECB appears to acknowledge that the county game has value beyond furnishing England with players (what the review is actually about in my view) I hope he will seek to secure an agreement that reflects that view, as it is a fact!

^^ OHD was the leading England qualified wicket taker in the Division 1 Championship, with 53 at 23.69, played all 14 matches, in an attack ravaged by injuries. He bowled with decent pace in his youth, before a back injury, he now operates at no more than 75-80 mph, but at 6-7 he is still effective. Yorkshire had plenty of quicks at the time, & couldn't guarantee him regular playing time, & released him.
Norwell has been plagued with injuries, including this season, but has decent pace. Gained an England Lions tour spot in Australia last winter after 49 Championship wickets, not too late to represent England, at 30, if he can stay fit.

(29-09-2022 17:41 )hornball Wrote:  

(29-09-2022 17:03 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  So Joe Root would rather play golf in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, instead of representing his County in a vital relegation match. Four rounds of golf in Scotland, or 4 days at Headingley. Disappointed

Only Disappointed Booms?? I might - if I had an allegiance to Yorkshire - be a bit more forceful than that!!

Finally Yorkshire get their first choice opening bowlers in a match for the first time this season, but lacked enough class batsman to compile an adequate total. Just one of Brook (107.44), Malan (66.0), Root (58.5) would've made the difference. These 3 occupy the top 3 Yorkshire batters, with Tattersall (48.0) next best, after these the rest average in the 30's & 20's.
I wonder if the England management will want Root to play any Division 2 Championship cricket next season, with the standard being so poor, they'll with more than likely just let him play golf instead.