Excellent win. Shame Surrey look like they're going to win but I said I'd be ok with us matching Surrey's result this round - Surrey had the easier fixture. Interestingly both clubs play Northants next - us first while Surrey have the week off then the other way round. Right way round IMO as it gives us the chance to put pressure on Surrey and go top of the CC. Still all to play for.
Great win, but it's becoming much harder to catch Surrey. We need them to either lose 1 or draw 2 whilst we win all 3. Yorks at home and Lancs are tricky fixtures for them, on paper, but this should have been a day when we got one of those 2 Surrey draws secured.
Solid win. Shame about Warks' batting - it could have been a thrilling 320 from 65 or something, rather than a straight forward 250 from 80 - but hey, that's why Surrey are top. I don't see them failing to win the title, but at least we're giving it our all. Real shame that we don't have the opportunity to play them at the Bowl this season.
They've still got to play Lancs at Old Trafford. They're in the driving seat but given we have Northants and Kent, both at the Bowl, next it's far from over.
The only issue I have, with any/all of the remaining fixtures, is that they are 'relegated' to September, so matches are very likely to be weather-dependent, and affected by bad light. Still, if Surrey have to play in the far-distant northern outpost of Manchester, and Hampshire are playing in Southampton, we're more likely to benefit from better weather. Does anyone know if floodlights can be used to extend available playing time in County Championship matches? I don't mean being able to play more than the expected 90-ish overs each day, just the ability to switch on the lights to make it possible to fit all required overs into an otherwise light-affected day
Worcs have made a very good signing in Hose. Good to see an ever increasing number a decent players moving from test ground counties to non-test ground counties. (The opposite is still very much happening, but at least it's less of a one way path now. It's almost as if the non-test ground counties have got themselves a new revenue stream in the past year...)
Gubbins, Donald, Prest, Middleton, Albert, Organ, Holland, Kelly, Currie, Campbell, Turner was our batting order vs Dorset. Made 274-9. Assuming that we do play Abbott in the 50 over comp, this would suggest that Kelly and Campbell (of whom I know nothing) are fighting over one place. So what they do with the ball up next could decide that.
Roy's horrible summer comes to an end. I still think he's good enough to play international cricket. But he's somewhat a victim of his own success, in that there are now so many county openers who have followed what he and Hales started. Buttler and Bairstow are, of course, special. But if you compare Roy to, say, Jacks or Smeed or Salt, is there really much difference?
St Brendy I went to the match this afternoon and have to say it was a dreadful England performance. South Africa were on the hook after the power play but recovered to make 191 which England seemingly had no interest in matching. I would also add that this was a roll-over ticket allocation for me from 2020 as I did not get through the ballot last year. I enjoy cricket although not an expert even if I find it sufficiently interesting to have become a member. For me, this afternoon was a poor experience as I was sat right at the front in Row A and had a security steward blocking my view for much of the game. Got to say that the front row seats and pitch level give a poor perspective of the game. England's performance was woeful with Bairstow ony playing singles. First time i have seen an England T20 match live and i felt this afternoon was a damp squib.
