Amazing to think that Crane, Holland Wood took 2-60 off 12 overs, and we still conceded 177 with a ball to spare. If a side was 60-2 after 12, chasing 177, you wouldn't give them a hope of getting there. (The main positive is that our NRR hasn't been damaged. Our only hope is to pray that we still get Vince and Afridi for most the group stage, and that in the meantime we limit the damage as much as we can. Essex only won two of the first 10 games last season, and went onto win the thing! It's always been how you finish, rather than how you start.)
And I'm not questioning his place in the team. Other than when we have a completely fully available squad - and it's rare that any side has that - he gets into our XI in t20. But never as someone who should be bowling in the PP. He's a lower order hitter, who offers a couple of overs outside the PP if someone of the first five guys is going for a few. Pick Wheal and him bowl a couple in the PP. Or pick Organ and use him to adopt the regular tactic of trying to hide the first over with part-time spin. Don't pick Currie to bowl one over, not bat, and force yourself into bowling Fuller in the PP.
Christ, there was another tie in our group, this time between Surrey and Essex. We've all now played two games, and our narrow defeat today is the only one with a positive result!
It didn't help that of our five catches, we dropped three of them. Granted, all three were (apparently) difficult. But stunning catching is part of what t20 is. And, as is always the case, when you're weakened in the batting and/or bowling, you need to be special in the field to help go some way to compensate.
Not sure what I think about Munsey yet - although still very early days, of course. He can clearly give the ball a whack, and he easily gets into our weakened batting line-up. But if we had Vince, Rilee, Donald and Dawson all available? I'd be a lot less sure. Everything so far from him has been 0, 4, 6 or out. That's fine if it comes with a lot of 4s and 6s. But he chews up so many dot balls that his strike-rate for us so far is less than 100. Northeast becomes the third man to give it away, as I type. Getting nervous now.
I was fine with Holland being funky vs Sussex, because we needed big runs. But here, he just needs singles. Like that.
Jumps us up to 3rd - but still outside the qualifying spots, because we're the worst of the 3rd placed sides. It's very close to being a must win for Surrey against us on Thursday. I see that they have Amla available now.
