The last time we played Essex in the SF at Finals days, we spent the week immediately beforehand playing a four day match at Taunton. We shipped 412 to leave us with a heavy first innings deficit. But we salvaged a draw (thanks largely due to a lot of overs being lost to rain on the first two days), then beat Essex in SF, and then of course won the cup against Somerset.
Narine has a busy few days ahead of him. He's currently in USA, ready to play in the opening game of the Major League Cricket competition - which begins 1.30am our time, on Friday morning (playing for the LA Riders). He then plans to be back in the UK for Surrey's SF (2.30pm on Saturday) and the final if they qualify (6.45pm on Saturday). And then plans to be back in the USA for LA's second match (9.30pm our time, on Sunday). Interestingly, Daniel Sams' team are also involved in the opening game, but it doesn't sounds like he's following Narine's lead. I think he's remained in the UK ahead of Final Day, and will only fly out to the US afterwards.
There's also a very narrow window between the final of the MLC competition (1.30am our time on Monday 31 July) and the opening game of the 100 (6.30pm our time on Tuesday 1 August). From what I can tell, the players involved in both competitions are: Roy, Narine, David, Wiese, Rashid Khan, Allen, Shahdab Khan, Rauf, Klaasen, Parnell, Conway, Sams, Phillips, Milne. Plus Fleming as coach.
I'd imagine the US cricket league are rolling out some luxury jets for them to sleep on. No way will they want their star names absent for the first game. I find it funny that Narine already plays in essentially every franchise cricket league every year bar maybe the big bash? He's a very well travelled man!
80-5 Should someone point out to Liam Dawson that just because Somerset recovered from 89-5 to 500 ao, it doesn’t follow that Hampshire will?
I see that Jamie Overton is back bowling again - I think for the first time since his injury. It's presumably too soon to think about an England recall for him, for either of the remaining two Ashes tests. But I wonder if he might bowl the odd over at Finals Day? (Not that he's a particularly good white ball bowler.)
