The Cricket Thread 2015-16

Mason Crane you beauty! 2 wickets in an over, Chopra and Trott. Huge wickets! 78/3.

 

Crane gets a third wicket - 86/4 now.

 

Crane again!!!! Ambrose out for a duck and it's 86/5!

 

How old is he?...18?...have Hants unearthed the new Warney?

 

Yep, he's only 18. The good thing is he looks good in all three forms of the game! Surely he's got an England future.

 

With Warney's Hants connections, we should get him to coach Crane and teach him some of his famed deliveries.

 

99/6! Edwards gets his second wicket.

 

Woakes nicks behind. 105/7.

 

Come on Hants

 

This line up is looking pretty strong now, just need to get Slug back in the middle order and 4th seamer.

 

Whilst Adams, Vince and Dawson continue to not be able to buy a run in this format, I think we're some way from being able to consider it as being strong. But as Durham in particular have shown for years now (including this season), not being able to score runs is not necessarily an issue if you can wickets for fun. If Adams fails in the second innings, then for me it is him who makes way for Ervine for our next four day game (so long as Ervine is fit for it, as is expected). Whilst I despise Gatting in limited overs cricket, there's little justification for dropping him from our four day team at the moment.

With Crane taking wickets, and us finally being able to field Bird and Fidel together, our bowling attack looks stronger than it has for years. Probably the best since 2009, when we had the likes of Cork, Tremlett and Tahir.

Tahir came from nowhere with his leg spin to save us in 2008. Might Crane do the same in 2015?

 

Make that 105-8

 

I know you've now got to consider the possibility of them failing to get to the FO target, but I think we'd be stupid to enforce on. Bird and Fidel have done a lot of bowling in this innings, so doubt would benefit from a rest. Crane has taken four wickets on day two, so just think what he might do on day four if given the chance. And our batting is so frail, that even if we were set a chase of just 120, you would worry.

Meanwhile Worcs are 2 down, still 52 behind. And hopefully Sussex will be bowled out shortly.

 

We won't enforce the follow on. There's 2 full days left and with a 150 lead or so we could bat until tea tomorrow and get a 400 run lead or so.

 

Take a bow Crane.

 

Take a bow Fidel.

 

Well, that was a good last couple of hours! Well done Fidel, well done Mason!

 

And Adams possibly plays his last shot of our four day season. Maybe even his last ever shot in division one.

 

Forecast currently not looking too good for tomorrow. Look to score at 4 per over for 40 overs today (or even better, 5 per over for 30 overs), and then pull out with a 400 lead.

 

We could do with Vince being at the crease for most of the innings. A - so he gets runs and B - he'll score quickly.