County Cricket

Not looking overly promising for Day 1 of the Champo match between Yorkshire & Leicestershire at Headingley. The local forecast suggests a solid block of rain with heavy showers from 7pm tonight for 12 hours, & a 50% chance of rain throughout the playing hours.

The outfield was deemed unplayable on Day 2 of the friendly fixture against Durham on Monday. Despite good drainage there's only so much it can take.

This is already shaping up like last season with so many days lost. Cramming half of the principle competition into the rainy season suggests that the administrators don't actually hold it in the highest regard as The Hundred.

(04-04-2024 13:03 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  Not looking overly promising for Day 1 of the Champo match between Yorkshire & Leicestershire at Headingley. The local forecast suggests a solid block of rain with heavy showers from 7pm tonight for 12 hours, & a 50% chance of rain throughout the playing hours.

The outfield was deemed unplayable on Day 2 of the friendly fixture against Durham on Monday. Despite good drainage there's only so much it can take.

This is already shaping up like last season with so many days lost. Cramming half of the principle competition into the rainy season suggests that the administrators don't actually hold it in the highest regard as The Hundred.

The eve of the season, and - yes - the inevitable weather discussion! To your second point Booms, It has been clear for some time, that the Championship isn't among the top priorities, is more than just a suggestion, but through their actions, the ECB have long since confirmed it! If only the County game as a whole had the potential for becoming the 'premier League' of cricket, its own entity! I think some counties see the same benefit, and through their own 'investments' are seeking to become independent of the ECB dividend - I do not see it as a hand out as I have said before. They need to be supported in their endeavours! For those that are purely England/Ashes followers, how do they see their team prospering in the absence of a stable domestic structure bringing through players?? Ironically - and despite the brickbats - the county structure has done rather well in that regard! Never receiving the thanks/recognition/praise of course

Div 1
Durham v Hampshire, Lancashire v Surrey & Kent v Somerset suffered a wash-out with no play possible on day 1.

Worcestershire 316-7 v Warwickshire

Essex 244-9 v Nottinghamshire

Div 2
Derbyshire v Gloucestershire no play on day one.

Leicestershire 164-5 v Yorkshire

Northamptonshire 95-2 v Sussex

Glamorgan 370-3 v Middlesex

Such a shame that due to weather so many of the first round of matches look destined to be draws given time taken out due to rain .
Looks to me like only two matches have realistic potential for a positive result heading into the final day.

Hold the front page.
If the weather holds there is the possibility of a dramatic finish to the match at Hove........

Only the one positive result as Essex rolled over Notts for 80 to complete a 254 run victory. Sam Cook had remarkable figures of 14-10-14-6 & match figures on 10-73 with a hattrick in the 1st innings, he's been on the England radar for some time & this wont harm his chances as the less helpful Kookaburra ball has been used as an experiment for the 1st 2 rounds & then 2 more rounds later in the season.

Generally speaking wickets have been harder to come by when play has allowed. Both Durham & Derbyshire had no play at all.

Sam Northeast broke the 1st class record at Lords as his 335 no eclipsed the 333 that Gooch made against India in 1990.

As the Yorkshire game was heading for a draw there was some entertainment on offer with a run a ball century from Lyth in his 19th season, & Brook looked in sublime form with an unbeaten ton from just 69 balls.

Not sure what happened at Old Trafford as Lancashire were dismissed for 202, with Surrey's part time spinners Lawrence & Steel sharing 9 wickets .

(08-04-2024 18:12 )Boomerangutangangbang Wrote:  Only the one positive result as Essex rolled over Notts for 80 to complete a 254 run victory. Sam Cook had remarkable figures of 14-10-14-6 & match figures on 10-73 with a hattrick in the 1st innings, he's been on the England radar for some time & this wont harm his chances as the less helpful Kookaburra ball has been used as an experiment for the 1st 2 rounds & then 2 more rounds later in the season.

Generally speaking wickets have been harder to come by when play has allowed. Both Durham & Derbyshire had no play at all.

Sam Northeast broke the 1st class record at Lords as his 335 no eclipsed the 333 that Gooch made against India in 1990.

As the Yorkshire game was heading for a draw there was some entertainment on offer with a run a ball century from Lyth in his 19th season, & Brook looked in sublime form with an unbeaten ton from just 69 balls.

Not sure what happened at Old Trafford as Lancashire were dismissed for 202, with Surrey's part time spinners Lawrence & Steel sharing 9 wickets .

Incredible scenes at Trent Bridge Booms! Did not see that capitulation from the home side coming at all. From the limited amount I saw of this match while I chose (and prayed for death) to watch the Middlesex V Glamorgan (slow train to china - more on that to come sorry folks) match, it appeared to me that the track wasn't a nightmare surface, so I wonder whether it changed out of sight, or did S. Cook just bowl a 'worldy' spell of bowling?? particularly given the 'Kook'??.

I guess the afore mentioned Cook kind of gave an answer to this next set of observations, but at Lords (no devine intervention for those of us watching - and I am an advocate of attritional cricket) I don't think that the bowlers would have had a price if the ball had been loaded with TNT of getting the oppo batters out! Bamber early doors showed that maybe the contest could be on, but the Kookaburra has an extremely limited life span, and apart from a few near misses, the bowlers just got the benefit of putting countless miles in to their legs and nothing else. If Hamza was toiling relatively speaking, it tells you all you need to know! Bamber and carlson combined were the principle wicket takers with a combined 6 for the match! Either Cook made it clear to England just what qualities he has, and they spoke loudly, or he had the 'benefit' of a track that - at least - gave something back to him for the work he put in?? I am not sure A) This is altogether the brand of cricket that will sell, and/or B) you can necessariy look at the runs stacked up by individual batters here, and make any sort of considered conclusion around their journey to an England call up! In terms of S Northeast yes, he has proven himself before, and not always on dead tracks, and still hasn't got a gig?? Higgins on the other hand, and he too has scored decent runs before now including at least one double, and his ave is mid thirties so not too shabby, but how much stock can be put in to a knock like this as a barometer??

Overall, great to be back, and roll on the season as a whole with hopefully better contests.

Round Two starts tomorrow with Surrey V Somerset looking like a tasty proposition! I hope that it doesn't take the patience of a saint like the match at Lords last week! Glamorgan/Derbyshire and Leicestershire/Sussex maybe also standout games. Decent weather please!!

A game of two halves at the Oval! It appeared that Somerset were settling in for a substantial knock up to lunch, and then Atkinson entered the arena along side Clark. A questionable run out (in the sense that the run was ambitious at best??) and the house of cards tumbled down! Interesting 3 days ahead if the weather cooperates!!

All the second round of matches had good amounts of play on day one. Hoorah .