This situation is why we signed Whiteley. Not to come in when we're down 3 or 4 down after 9 overs. But when we want/need him to finish the game off. So over to you Ross...
Derby will have no chance at Taunton if Lancs can get these six last runs. Derby will have a tiny, tiny chance at home to Essex.
I'd say Lancs v Essex is the hardest QF to call, unless the ECB allow Lancs to be at full strength. But that's incredibly unlikely to happen. Brook, Root, Bairstow, Willey, Malan. Jordan, Roy, S Curran, Foakes, Pope, Topley. Livingstone, Buttler, Parkinson, Gleeson, Salt C Overton Tuesday: last day of test match Wednesday: Surrey v Yorks Thursday: England v India t20 & Birm v Hants Friday: Lancs v Essex Saturday: England v India t20 & Somerset v Derby Root, Bairstow and Overton are all only in the ODI squad - and Pope and Foakes aren't in either squad. But will the ECB let any of the four test players appear, just a day after the test match? My guess is that only Overton of those five non-t20 players will be available. There's also the start of the Ireland v NZ series on Sunday. Stirling and Allen are both affected by that I think. But given that they're scheduled to play on Wednesday and Thursday respectively, and Dublin is hardly the other side of the world, I presume both will be available.
So 7 of the 8 quater finalists in the T20 play in the first division county championship. Is there a big divide opening up between the better teams in Division 1 and the rest, not only in 4 day cricket but in the shorter formats? My beloved Middlesex have yet again excelled themselves in mediocrity in the T20. Well doen to Hampshire are such an awful start.
Sam Hain called up to the Lions squad, so looks like Warks will be without him for our next CC match.
https://not606.com/threads/the-cricket-thread.326952/page-406#post-13142908 While it took a couple years, putting me in charge of the England test squad was objectively the right call and you're all welcome.
When Alex Lees scores a 50 at more than a run a ball then you know McCullum has got the players playing with freedom and confidence!
Chasing 274 in 4+ sessions with all wickets standing sounds eminently achievable, as opposed to the initial target.
I always enjoy it when the bowling team have the ball changed and then the first two deliveries with the replacement ball get hit to the boundary. 2 or 3 overs later and they want the ball changed again.
Andy Zaltzman, the scorer on the BBC's Test Match Special radio commentary team, has checked, and there have been nine changes of ball in this match
