That last session took the gloss off of what has been a great match for us so far. Not so much in terms of Durham now probably avoiding the FO - I doubt we'd have enforced it anyway; batting last on a turning pitch, with the pressure of a run chase to survive hardly sounds appealing, even if that chase is only 120 - but more that our lead continues to be eaten into, and we're now having to go into day three with the match still only in its second innings. Obviously Warks fighting back excellently against Lancs hasn't been great news for us today either. These two can bat (quite clearly), and Onions has been in decent batting form recently (Rushworth is nothing to comment on though). If you go with a negative viewpoint and say that it takes us a whole session to bowl Durham out tomorrow, and we come away with an 90 run read, then realistically I would suggest that leaves us having to score something like 250 in 60 overs. Declare with a lead of 340, and have five overs at them tomorrow night and then all of day four. Not ideal - 130 overs to bowl them out with a 430 lead would be much nicer than 100 overs to bowl them out with a lead of 340 (which is where we could have been if we're bowled them out tonight) - but still a really good to win from. Not that scoring 250 from 60 overs would be straight forward, however.
If Hampshire win and Lancashire or Warwickshire lose, then Hampshire survive. I do not know what the forecast is today but I was in Reading earlier in the week and although there was no rain on Tuesday, the light was awful. And Reading is not too far from Southampton or Lords so the light may well determine the outcome the matches there. It means seeing plenty of spin. My hunch is that Somerset win the title, with bad light winning the day at Lords and the Rose Bowl.
Where are the Somerset players in the England test and one day quads? Oh, the selectors spent all summer at the Oval induced by the magnificence of Ansari and Batty!!
Hmm, this rain really needs to go away. Fast. (There's no rain showing on the forecast, which makes it even more frustrating)
If it is not rain, then bad light will intervene. Yorkshire in the lead now against Middlesex. That is Middlesex's chances of a win gone, Need bad light and rain there, and good weather over in Taunton for Somerset to get the title. Over 400 in front. Come on Somerset!!!
They won't stop for bad light unless they really have to. The umpires will show common sense. And it's stopped raining in Hedge End.
It happened to Middlesex against Lancashire last week, and earlier this week on the first day against Yorkshire when they went off an hour ahead of the scheduled close of play. And at this time of year, it is quite likely.
And besides, I think all cricket fans would love Somerset to get the title at the expense of Yorkshire and Middlesex, and if bad light intervenes at Lords again, that is great if it helps the Somerset cause.
Play to start at 12:40. 16 overs lost so half a session which isn't too bad. Must take the last 3 wickets quickly.
Given the change of innings though, 80 overs is actually only 78 overs - or potentially 76 overs, if we do still manage to get into a position where we can declare before the close. Possibly even less still, if bad light comes into it. But unless we take these three wickets in double quick time, I'd suggest that are pre-close declaration from us is unlikely now. I think we need at least 60 overs of batting. If a Vince or a Ervine will tuck in, then maybe 50 overs will be sufficient, but I think that is very unlikely. And as I type, you can potentially bin all of that. It's started raining in Soton again...
This blighted Hampshire hopes of back to back titles in the 1970s. It rained on Hampshire's last two matches and allowed Worcestershire to take the title. Now it could blight Hampshire's bid to stay up!!! On other matters, surely a lead of 450 is sufficient to risk bowling out Nottinghamshire on a turning wicket. Maybe they'll go to lunch and chance that it will stay fair for 5 sessions. Yorkshire fighting like crazy so if the worse happens, let's hope Middlesex deny them a full quota of batting bonus points.
Hope Middlesex are very obdurate in their second innings because they are not going to win this match. Lots of dropped catches this morning. Is God a Yorkshireman?
