I thought Finals Day was a good day overall, as usual. However, I did get a bit bored part-way through each match as they did drag on a bit. I started to feel that around 16.4 overs, that was enough for me. Also felt the Hampshire side was missing something to make it more watchable, perhaps we could have put in a few players from Sussex, Warwickshire and a couple of other counties?!
Seriously though, I felt much more invested in saturday's action than any of the Hundred stuff and just those extra 3.2 overs per innings makes for a much more nuanced and tactical game IMO. If The Hundred attracts more kids to the game then that's great but I hope that it does not sound the death knell for the future of T20 cricket.
It's a 3 year, white ball contract. He'll certainly improve our T20 team. We've certainly lacked the player who can hit 6's for fun at the back end of an innings.
Yes, good signing for T20 team and hopefully we'll have Donald back next year too. However, doubt we'll get to see him in 50 over team for reasons we won't get into again here now! Can be a bit hit and miss, literally, but a good squad addition. Still need a solid Championship top 3 player, fingers crossed for that. Hopefully the Irani Essex argument will carry on and Mr Cook will decide to open for us for 2 or 3 years instead (very unlikely I know).
Yeah no chance of that. Although Whiteley said playing at the Ageas Bowl in the Hundred played a big part in him signing for Hants.
Donald, Whiteley and a couple of overseas players would certainly give us a stronger t20 XI than the one we put out on Saturday. In theory there's Gubbins too - but with a career t20 average down in the mid-teens, I can't see him making the team any time soon. For example: Overseas keeper, Donald, Vince, Weatherley, Overseas all-rounder, Whiteley, Dawson, Fuller/Currie, Wood, Crane, Wheal
We don't yet know if the 50 over competition will clash with the 100 next year. So it could yet be that Whiteley is available to play both white ball formats for us. All we know for sure right now - ignoring all the rumour, speculation and suggestion - is that the 100 will be played slightly later next year, to avoid clashing with the Commonwealth games (with the KO stages of the t20 played before the 100 rather than after).
Given we've named Crane in the team, I'm not unhappy that they've put us in. Really need one of the top 3 at least to make a score though.
Damn, I was hoping we'd be bowling first - I am always extremely nervous watching us bat in the Championship. We need to put 300 on the board ideally if they reckon it's going to start spinning later. Assuming it does, I hope they don't forget about Gubbins' handy leg breaks, to supplement Dawson, Crane and Organ. It would be nice if the top order got us off to a solid start rather than being 100-5 (or worse) and forcing the bowlers to play catch-up for us throughout the rest of the game.
Little bit harsh! Although, yes, his form has dropped off a bit in recent weeks. Alsop's figures don't look great, but he didn't seem to do too much wrong with his dismissal. Got to try to get up as close to 250 as we can, commentators saying that it's typical September bowler-friendly conditions
