England with a commanding lead at lunch. 390 ahead with 6 wickets in hand. A quick google search shows that the highest successful 4th innings run chase in test matches at Lords, is 342, which the Windies chased down with 9 wickets to spare, in 1984.
3 matches left and it’s all to play for. Somerset have a slim chance of going equal top next week if we beat Surrey and get maximum points and they get none. Hampshire are by no means out of the running, but we both need Surrey to falter in the last games. Let’s hope it goes to the last round of matches and the weather stays fair.
I just hope that the Somerset v Hampshire game has more riding on it than deciding second place. Zero batting points for anyone at Taunton would probably launch a public inquest, maybe even questions asked in Parliament.
Gus Atkinson has become just the third English cricketer to score a century and get a five-fer in the same test. Tony Greig and Sir Ian Botham (5 times for Beefy) being the other two. Joe Root, with a ton in each innings, must’ve wondering what more he needs to do to get the MOTM award.
It will be interesting to see what pitch you prepare if Surrey do choke and the winner has a realistic shot of winning the title. Presumably the pitch against Durham aided spin, particularly in the 3rd and 4th innings of the match. That obviously suits you with Leach and Vaughan but on the other hand we've got the top wicket taking spinner in the country! Plus Organ who's more than useful himself.
Absolutely. It’s a real conundrum. The ground staff at Taunton still have nightmares about the points deduction a few years back, so have generally prepared a road, for the first 2 or 3 days anyway, as the scores made by both teams there denote. Despite Leach and Vaughan, and possibly Bashir, being available, I’m fairly confident we’ll only have one spinner in the XI. Don’t forget we have Overton, Gregory, Aldridge, Green, and now Brett Randell, all competing for places in the seam attack.
Weatherley gets a new contract for next year, no mention of it being white ball only. Although Giles White's quotation only talks about him being a valued member of our T20 team middle order!
Young and fast. No other reason. I wouldn't have him anywhere near the team personally, but I guess it's something of a free hit given that the series is won. I doubt he'd be starting if it was 1-1 rather than 2-0.
Surrey and Somerset were always big favourites to win their QFs. Sussex had a much tougher task vs Lancs, so well done to them. The difficult one of the four QFs on paper, to make the clean sweep, was always likely to be tomorrow. Gloucs will be big underdogs at Edgbaston. The north just doesn't have the same depth as the south.
