The Cricket Thread

Three centuries in three matches from Hants players. All very different centuries, but each very, very memorable. All wowzers.

How the hell did we get up to 271.

 

What an astonishing recovery. Bloody brilliant from Bailey.

 

Look, it may still prove to be 50, 60, 70 runs below par. But who cares. We have got something to really bowl at. Get Roy early, and there is every chance we can win this.

And at least if we do lose, at least the NRR swing will hopefully be minimal.

If we win this game, for me that would more than make up for losing the Glamorgan game. (Winning from our position of 89-7 is harder than winning from Glamorgan's position, in my view)

 

Well that's Roy out early.

 

Back-to-back balls from Fidel that go four 4, but should have been wickets. A missed run-out with Stoneman half-way up the pitch, but the ball overthrown by Berg for 4. Followed by Rilee running in too far off the rope, and the ball going over for him for four.

As I said the other day, our fielding this season - every aspect of it - has been awful.

 

That said, I suspect we may not see Fidel with the white ball again this season. His pace simply leads to too many boundaries.

 

In terms of NRR:

Was:
Hants +0.129
Surrey -0.137

Now:
Surrey +0.101
Hants -0.109

If my calculations are correct, we need about an 80 run swing on Wednesday (in addition to the basic position of us winning and Surrey losing). So for example, a circa 40 run win for us and a circa 40 run defeat for Surrey (if batting first - obviously different if batting second, where you don't win/lose by runs).

Pretty unlikely I would suggest, but not impossible. Let down by death bowling, and a lack of middle order, in this competition.

 

Hampshire re-sign Afridi for the T20. That fills a gap very nicely. So at full strength our T20 will be: Vince, Carberry, Rossouw, Ervine, Dawson, Afridi, McManus, Abbott, Wood, Crane, Topley. Should be a team very capable of reaching Finals Day. Oh **** I left Bailey out! So I would put him in for Wood or Crane.

 

Thats a hell of an explosive batting line up, the chances of all of them missing out is minimal. I would drop Crane from that line up having other spin option already.

Got some decent back up too in Alsop, Adams and Wheal

 

Disgraceful batting from Hants. Woeful collapse.

 

Poor shots from Vince and Rilee, but fundamentally the ball doing all sorts. No surprise, given the weather.

What on earth we were doing picking Crane ahead of Topley, I have no idea. My jaw dropped at the "toss",

 

32/6. Jesus Christ.

 

Phew, 7 down. We can finally get Abbott to continue being a one-man team.

 

34/7. Humiliating.

 

Why don't you sign for them and be a PL ref as well ? you are such an expert in every aspect .. twat !

 

So it's not humiliating? They are professional players and no professional team should be 34/7. And don't call me a twat.

 

A bit OTT there Jasper!..., shouldn't be calling people a twat just for having a strong opinion.
McManus bailing us out again, he's becoming Nick Pothaslike.

 

The difference between the white ball and the red ball with McManus is huge. When it comes to the Championship, he is turning into a little gem with the bat.

 

There must be a case for playing Alsop as WK in the T20 Blast matches.

 

Now 50/4 following on. Embarrassing.