The Cricket Thread

Good to see our slip catching has improved. Not that it could have got any worse.

 

How many times do we want to drop Hain? Three times, and they're getting easier each time.

 

It's strange as I don't recall either Prest or Albert dropping much before, certainly last season. I think it's probably a matter of confidence, which obviously falls when you drop a few.

 

Thankfully Hain failed to make the most of his numerous opportunities.

 

Abbott is as good as he's ever been.

 

Yep. And he deserves to be in a side much higher than one on the fringes of the bottom two.

The other bowlers this season - except for Hampton - have all be fine. But there's still a clear difference between them and Abbott, which I wouldn't be saying if Abbas was still in the team alongside him.

Alternatively, our batting problems (and probably fielding problems) could have been less if we'd signed an overseas batter to bat in the top four.

 

Happy with that lead. Now we need to make sure we bat well to put us in the position to win the match.

 

Finally Fletcha makes a 50. Well done.

Now double it up hopefully.

 

**** Saints, c'mon Hants!

 

@Saints_Alive , your support has done the trick - Hampshire have won by 89 runs

 

Is on the fringes of the top two high enough?

 

A great response to the Notts defeat. There are still areas to improve and I'd like to see Orr given a game, but I expect they'll stick with the same top 7 batters given the decent contributions from Middleton and Albert in the second innings.

Perhaps Baker in for Wheal, to give him a rest for the Sussex game, and have Turner open the bowling with Abbott?

 

Baker and Jack getting called up to the Lions should mean that they join Dawson in missing the start of the Blast - albeit I doubt Jack would have started anyway.

But on the flip side, Currie made his return for the 2nd XI last week, so he might be fit for the start of the Blast. And even if he isn't, we've still got Wood, Wheal and Turner as our three seamers. It's covering for Daws which would be a bigger problem than Baker. We might have to replace him with a batter, and go in with no front line spinner.

 

Robinson has been rested by Sussex. They're also without both their overseas players - Seales has joined up with the WI, and Hughes is on paternity leave.

If the weather plays ball, it's a great time to be playing them.

 

Vince's Karachi team were knocked out of the PSL tonight, so his tournament finishes a few days early. Gives him a tiny break ahead of the Blast next week.

 

Time for Stoneman to pack his bags.

 

H 43 - 2 Middleton gone for 34.

 

93 for 4 at lunch. Not terribly good

 

Our batting is the reason that it will be very difficult to win the CC this season imo, we simply don't pick up enough bonus points.