It's 29 overs left for Hampshire to survive. What a (brilliant and) frustrating game cricket is: if Organ and Abbott had just continued to knock it around for another 30 runs or so, they'd have both got their hundreds and the follow-on would have been avoided. We could then all have been delighted for Kyle to have rediscovered his batting talent and finally scored a first-class century, done a bit of bowling and have a draw pretty much secured all day today. However, we miss the follow-on target and then bat in our usual ropey fashion and are left grimly clinging on to avoid a defeat that will leave everyone feeling a bit down ahead of Finals Day. It's especially frustrating as Surrey are finally showing signs of being a little bit vulnerable, not just thrashing everyone, and we're in no position now to take advantage. Will this finally be the game where they admit defeat with Weatherley as a red ball player? I thought we'd moved on from that but Organ's poor form got him back in again. It's got to be time for a Middleton & Holland opening combo with either Prest, Albert or Donald at 7 if they go with the 1 spinner in Dawson only.
There's no excuse for it not to be. He has to go. Holland, Donald, Prest and Albert must all be in the dressing room, wondering how the club can justify picking Weatherley ahead of them. And that can't be good. I wouldn't blame them if they were looking to get a move somewhere else.
Can’t stop with the questions me If we’re all out after 10 overs, do they get 2 or are they lost to the change in batting, so it’s over
There's 15 overs left from now (to make 103 total in the innings) but they can play until 6pm so if they bowl lots of spin they could get a few more than that in, possibly. I don't think you lose 2 overs for a change of innings in the last hour and a minimum of 16 overs have to be bowled in that last hour.
The loss of two overs for a change of innings isn't relevant for the final hour. It's a minimum of 16 overs for the final hour, end of story.
I'm still not fussed in the slightest as to whether we draw this or not. Which is making following this final hour somewhat surreal, because ordinarily a finish this tight would have me on the edge of my seat. Not here though.
Somerset aren't competing with us though so denying them the win doesn't really matter. It will annoy Chilcs though.
It is better, yes. But in the grand scheme of things, I can't get too excited about if we end the season in 3rd or 6th. The only positions which matter are 1st, 9th and 10th. (At a stretch you could maybe say 2nd. That's still half-decent prize money, as I recall.)
An honourable draw, I’d say. Really pleased at the performances by the 19 year old trio of Rew, Bashir, and Ogbourne. Has a first class side ever fielded 3 19 year olds before?
Sunday's forecast is looking better (tomorrow still looks bad). So it might yet be the case that the winner is decided on the field, rather than with an indoor bowl-off.
A very bad one to lose. But at least McDermott is back. Essex's batting is based around their top order. They've scored more runs than any other side in the powerplay, and invariably do their run scoring more in the first half than in the second half. So a shortened run chase would be perfect for them - and that's even before throwing in the point that DL will so often favour the chasing side.
Vince needs to score a total of 21 runs today (or tomorrow) to lift his season tally up to the 3rd best seasonal tally ever in the Blast, which is currently held by Jason Roy in 2014. He's already the holder of the 1st and 2nd best seasonal tallies (in 2015 and 2022). If he scores 22 runs, he'll overtake his 2022 tally. If he scores 54, he'll overtake his 2015 tally.
