Congrats Chilcs, fully deserved victory for Somerset and we can't win them all. We will just have to get our revenge in the County Championship.. It was a superb competition overall for Hants just bad timing for the final.
Dawson and Woods had to be replaced in the batting by Rashid and Archer....allowable because it was a warm up match.
And what utter and complete nonsense that this was the last one day final at the home of cricket. Somebody has to knock some sense into the ECB over this, it’s just ridiculous l
Cut his hand. Hardly life-threatening. Apparently he'd have been fine to bat, if we hadn't decided to take absolutely no risks with any slight injury.
I can see it from both sides of the coin. Yes aiming for a Trent Bridge final is certainly not the same as aiming for a Lords final. But does a development competition (which is what it will be as from next season) really warrant such a show piece stage? It might well be the MCC aren't interested in hosting such a match.
Why change from the 50 over game at all? Why go for a format even shorter than T20? I honestly don’t understand why they have to change such a popular format.
It's not so much that they're changing the format (aside from banning overseas players). More that they've decided to play the 100 at the same time, and therefore the best domestic players will choose to play the 100 rather than the one-day competition. Whether the 100 is needed is another question. As is whether it's right to keep all three existing competitions, such that we then have four. As is whether it's right that it clashes with the one-day competition (as opposed to, for example, the county championship), in the event that all three existing competitions should indeed be kept. In relation to the second and third questions, I've quite open to debate. But in relation to the first question, if the ECB truly believe that it will bring more money into the game, then I'm quite happy to give it the benefit of the doubt and see how it goes. Ultimately what the future holds, who knows. The only thing I'm predicting right now is that in, say, five years time we won't still have all four competitions.
Of course whilst such a clash remains in place, some players will never play one-day cricket again in their careers - ie those who are good enough to get picked for the 100, but not good enough to play ODI cricket for England (or can't be selected due to being kolpak etc). Northeast, Rilee, Gregory, and others. Today might have been their final bow.
As a one day limited overs format, 50 overs a side takes some beating IMO. It is the most pure battle between bat and ball of shortened cricket there is and the story of a match unfolds throughout the day, often with many twists and turns and tactics and the weather and pitch play a big part in proceedings. For the stats fans it is way more interesting than shorter versions with individual and team records achievable more readily and building an innings is more subtle and nuanced than just the wham bam thank you mam style of T20. A day out at the Cricket should remain an experience and an event and I fear that something will be lost in a shorter version.
I totally agree with you. Playing in a one-day final at Lords used to be the highlight of many player and fan dream. Like the FA Cup, it was at the end of the season, which used to be at the beginning of September. Regarding today, I read that there were only just over 15,000 there for what should be one of the highlights of the season. Fancy having England v Australia in Southampton at the same time as Hampshire were playing at Lords. Which match should Hampshire cricket fans atttend? Altogether, not great planning.
New Zealand v India went almost unnoticed today. very comfortable for the Kiwis. I feel they´ll progress a long way and very few people will take any notice of them until ….. they play England in the knock out stage.They will be very dangerous.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/c...mount-favourites-England-ahead-World-Cup.html Reports of injuries to England players just at the wrong time. Wood pulled up half way through his bowling action yesterday....worrying as he returns from injury. Morgan has a fractured finger and talks of Archer turning his ankle. Not sure about significance of latter....he did it whilst fielding, but then was scampering around at the end....surely he wouldn't have been risked by batting in a warm up match (pretty much lost by that point) if the injury is significant.
Double blow. Abbott injured, and Weatherley fit. (How did we determine that it should be Donald to miss out, rather than Weatherley or Soames?!)
