Won't particularly miss Pretorius and Brevis TBH when they go off to play for SA. Good players but Pretorius is a liability behind the stumps and they've both constantly thrown their wickets away. Wonder who we're getting in as replacements.
All we had to do was bat sensibly and we would have cruised that. 140 would have been plenty. Disgusted with that batting display.
It's one of those times where I hate to be right. After about 8 or 9 balls of the match, I thought 145 would be decent score. And nothing I saw in the remaining 38 and a bit overs changed my mind. I just can't understand how so many of our batters - professional cricketers - didn't see it.
Glamorgan's NRR drops by 0.208 Our NRR drops by 0.149 Middlesex's NRR drops by 0.534 Kent's NRR increases by 0.389. It's been their night. And only a Harmer cameo prevented an ever greater increase in their NRR.
Middlesex not even close. When comparing the two teams, only Williamson would make the Surrey team. The rest of the Middlesex line-up would not make Surrey's third team. Men against Boys!! Just to illustrate the chasm that there is between these two - Surrey's batters hit 10 sixes, while Middlesex's collective hit none!!
This call to put India in to bat first is looking worse with every passing minute. I do think this England side try to be too clever at times. It's a great wicket, in good conditions yet they choose not to bat because of 4th innings average scores.
Stoneman and Albert both dropped, but Prest retains his place. Varma will obviously come in, and I presume that Orr will open with Middleton. So a top seven of something like: Middleton, Orr, Gubbins, Varma, Brown, Dawson, Prest. No Wheal, so I assume he's injured. His absence, coupled with Currie's availability, means that we've a few different choices for which three bowlers will join Abbott. I think I might go with Currie, Turner and Jack. But I'd have no problem with Fuller. I don't think I'd go with Organ. The fact that this is one of the games with the kookaburra ball should strengthen the case for Turner and Jack, rather than just one of them.
I did say there were a few different combinations regarding which three bowlers will join Kyle (and Liam). But I wasn't expecting the combination which we've ultimately chosen. Feels like we're once again trying to compensate for a weak batting unit by batting deep.
I'm fine with it. Organ is a must pick at Chelmsford. Putting a lot of faith in Jack though - if he gets hit around the park we haven't got many other seam options to turn to. We could have done with winning the toss as well.
Former England and Gloucestershire legend “Syd” Lawrence has died at the age of 61. He was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease last year. He was the first black cricketer born in Britain to play for England. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/c07d973k0zzo RIP Syd
