The Cricket Thread

Glam 131 ao, Som 1st innings lead 165.

Craig Overton 5-38

 

How Phil Salt is still there, I'm not quite sure. Dropped, countless balls passing the edge. As early as the first over, he inside edged just past his stumps.

 

C'mon Hants another couple of quick wickets and we could pull this around.

 

Really good lengthy accurate and economical spell from Holland.

 

I can sit here and not get too down at the batting and bowling not being good enough. But the poor catching is incredibly disappointing. I think we've dropped six catches in one and a bit innings.

 

Except for his first ball, which was a total pie, Crane has bowled really well this innings. That wicket is the bare minimum he's deserved.

If only Northeast had a second slip in earlier - although maybe understandable, given that we don't really have the runs to play with.

 

What on earth has Salt just done?!

 

Get in, the spinners breaking through big time.

 

He got lucky the ball before too.

 

Adds to me theory that Dawson might replace a seamer (either Dale or Fuller) rather than a batter.

 

Let's nick another one tonight.

 

His whole innings has been lucky.

Sadly, I suspect it has won them the game. Even now, we need about 170 to win.

 

2 wickets had just fallen, it's near the close. 99% of batsmen would shut up shop and see it out. Fortunately for us Salt falls into the 1% who don't.

 

Third time lucky in that over.

 

245 to win is probably about 80 too many. Sussex will kick themselves if they don't win this. But if Northeast can make a century, then who knows.

 

We're screwed now.

 

Somerset 210-3 at lunch, lead by 375, Tom Abell on 90 no.

I imagine we’ll declare half an hour before tea with 4 and a bit sessions to bowl them out. Would be good to see Captain Tom get his century first though, he only managed one in the whole of last season.

 

Robinson was in the 12 man test squad only two weeks. He's far too good for D2 batting line-ups, let alone a glorified second XI batting line-up. He deserves to be in D1.

He's also less under-cooked than the rest - due to his time in the 55 man England squad, meaning that he returned to training earlier than any other bowler in this game other than Crane. Plus of course, as a bowler, he gets multiple lives. If a Northeast or a Brown play one under-cooked poor shot, they're most likely walking off the pitch. If Robinson bowls one under-cooked poor ball, he goes back and bowls his next.

On the face of it, bowling a side out of 176 and 221 is a really good effort. Especially with a weakened attack. But realistically, to win the game, it needed to be 150 maximum both times. Had we held all our catches, it probably would have been.

 

In the least surprising news ever, Topley will miss the final ODI due to injury.

 

Somerset declare on 290-8 after a bit of a clatter of wickets. Abell out for a wonderful 119. Glam need 456 in 140 overs.