Hants seemed to be improving each season, but that’s stopped now, too much emphasis on the commercials and not enough on the team?
We've gone from Vince and Abbas, to Stoneman and Hampton. I wouldn't look any further than that. We've seen it before with Saints. If you replace quality with rubbish, then expect to suffer.
Yes, we all admit that the batting isn't up to the required standard (and has been light even with Vince for the past several years). We've currently got too many more inexperienced players who are still in that 'showing promise' stage but need to turn the odd decent start into consistent runs, including centuries. That applies to Middleton, Prest and Albert. I think the criticism of the squad planning is a little unjustified. You can see why they picked up Stoneman, he was worth a punt on a 1 year contract. We've been crying out for an opener so we go ahead and sign one. He also ticks the experienced pro box; however, unfortunately, it has proved to be the case that his best days are now behind him. It's frustrating we missed out on solid pro options like Hameed (although he was woefully out of form at the time he left Lancs) and Slater before him. Perhaps we tried to sign them and they chose to go elsewhere, I've no idea. The one area where we have missed a trick is not getting an overseas batter in to replace Vince. Again, Hampton didn't work out but, to be fair, he was an emergency 3rd choice pick after we missed out on Neser and Edwards, he wasn't a marquee signing from the outset or anything. It's disappointing but it's a very competitive division this year and I've already resigned myself with being happy with a solid mid-table finish. We'll see what happens in the second block of the Championship.
Very impressive. Losing well inside three days, by nine wickets, at home, after winning the toss, against a depleted Sussex side. That might be a new low. Even the bowlers have to look at themselves this time. How on earth did we manage to concede a partnership of 173 on that wicket, I don't know. Sure, if we could catch it would have been a partnership of zero - but that doesn't excuse the 173 runs which then followed. That partnership was the match.
In better news, Brevis will be arriving next week in great form from the IPL. He's just finished his final batting innings, to end with an impressive average of 38 at an even more impressive strike rate of 180. Sure, those numbers need to be taken with a pinch of salt given how batter friendly the IPL is. But they still stack up very favourably against other batters - only Pooran and David have both a better average and strike rate. Vince, Brevis, Pretorius. Even Howell and Weatherley. It's going to be nice to spend the next month watching a very different set of batters.
Somerset need 91 to win with 7 wickets (including the two opening batsmen) and 5 sessions left. Work that one out.
The bottom end of Division Two could look really impressive at the conclusion of the current round of matches with Lancashire and Middlesex propping up the rest.
Somerset win by 7 wickets as their opening pair are given a batting demonstration by Tom Abell and Tom Lammonby. 3 wins in a row now, and the late return of Matt Henry with 7 wickets proving crucial.
Ah, Hants have brought in cover for Dawson. Spin bowling allrounder Bjorn Fortuin will join for 3 games while Dawson is away.
But at least we've used the (temporary) vacant second overseas slot wisely this time. Rather than waste it on some randomer. Sure, losing Pretorius for four games is a blow - both as an opener and a keeper - but that blow is greatly softened by recruiting Fortuin in his place, to cover for Daws. Based on the 13 man squad named, my guess is that it's between Wheal and Currie for one place (to join Wood and Turner). And then maybe Prest as the other one to miss out. It seems an odd thing to say, given he's been a fixture in the side for two years now. But he's in no sort of form, as a batter or a fielder - and without Pretorius, the likelihood of Orr (as opener) and Albert (as keeper) both starting must be quite high.
