The Cricket Thread

Top win.

And now I can relax about the Glamorgan run chase. I don't mind who wins that, because we benefit either way. I would have totally been Team Somerset if we'd lost.

 

Essex heading to victory is a blow.

If Somerset win, the two of them will each have one foot in the QFs.

 

At least it proves that Surrey are beatable if we happen to play them later.

 

That's the weird thing with the schedule this season. Finals Day is the day before the third (and final) ODI vs India. So the likes of Roy, Curran and Topley might not be available again for Surrey, depending on what view the ECB take. But on the flip side, Pope, Foakes and Overton will all be freed of test cricket.

 

Yep, a straight fight between us and Gloucs. If we beat them at the Bowl, we're through. If we don't, it goes down to the final game. Simple as that.

Sussex are mathematically out (which could help us in our final match). And Glamorgan are essentially out - their one and only path is Gloucs beat us, then they beat Essex, then Middlesex beat Gloucs, then Sussex beat us, then they beat Kent; in which case it would come down to NRR between us, Gloucs and Glamorgan.

 

Only just realised that we didn't concede a single extra. Impressive and, I would suggest, rare.

 

Looking at the way the Vitality Blast has unfolded, it would appear that the only Division 2 side from the Championship to reach the QFs could be Derbyshire Falcons. Hampshire have done really well after that awful start while my beloved Middlesex went into rapid reverse after winning the first three. How a county wilth their resources and catchment area can be so awful beggars belief? Very average bowling atttack that needs helpful conditions to bowl out opposition sides as the attack lacks real penetration and match winners. Whilst the batting has improved in the Championship, they were brutally exposed by the potency of the Nottinghamshire pace attack.

Looking at how the domestic season unfolds, it will be interesting to see who can make headway in the One-day cup as I suppose many sides will lose players to the Hundred, tests and ODis. Shouldn't effect Middlesex too much so perhaps there is a chance? ......Nah!!

 

I guess we have the same question over Weatherley as we did two weeks ago. Although this time, I'm more decided: I would leave out Organ.

Holland bowled enough overs against Yorks (and with enough success too), to mean that I think I'd keep him.

 

Boom! Well done Barks.

 

What a start!

 

Have England ever used 3 different wicket keepers in the same match before?

 

Good question !

 

Checked the BBC , I thought you were talking about the Test match

 

It looked a bizarre decision an hour ago when Kent choose to bowl first at the Oval. 10 overs later, not surprisingly, it still does.

 

We've used four before once.

And I imagine we've used three quite a few times. (It'll just be that the guy who temporarily does in between the original keeper departing and the replacement keeper arriving will rarely have been a proper keeper himself, as was the case with Bairstow).

 

BOOM!

 

So that's 3 of Essex's best batsmen back in the hutch with only 16 on the board.

 

I see one bookie is offering 8/1 for Surrey to win the CC and i'm definitely tempted by that. The best odds i've seen for Hants is only 7/4...

 

But the only reason Billings was allowed to replace Foakes was because Ben tested positive for Covid, not because of his injury. It's not that long since subs were first allowed at all.

 

Looks a bit better now.