Really? I am a cricket noob (in terms of following it) but why is that? There are 9 teams in the south group surely everyone plays everyone twice?
That's a bit ****, it must come down to luck of the draw then if you are playing the terrible team twice compared to someone else only playing them once. Have Glos played Hampshire twice? They were proper ****
Not sure, but you’re absolutely right. There’s also the matter of rained-off games, for which each side gets a point. Glamorgan, for example, have 4 out of their 5 points from washouts!
Used to be the case that everyone played each twice. But it was decided that it lead to too many games (both for players and for fans). 16 games did drag to be fair, especially when almost half of the sides qualify anyway. They wanted to reduce even down even further than 14, but the smaller counties wouldn't have it. They need home t20 matches for revenue. And as it happens, Hants, Gloucs and Surrey are in the same mini group of three who only play each other once. That's fixed in place each year.
Delport is having one of his nights. Good stuff. (Although we don't want Essex doing something stupid and getting about 240). Out now.
Good luck... Essex fans must be wetting themselves, seeing how big Somerset and Glamorgan have gone (and a solid score themselves). They are arguably favourites for 4th place now.
Neither us nor Middlesex have any realistic chance here (meaning that Kent or Essex will join Somerset), but you'd probably say that Middlesex have a slightly better chance than us - despite needing 10 more runs - simply because ABDV could go mad.
Somerset set Middlesex an astonishing 227 with some sumptuous hitting from skipper Abell who gets a ton from 47 balls.