The Cricket Thread 2015-16

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They blatantly prepared a pitch like that because their batting was the weakest on paper and it gave them the best chance. Obviously that backfired but Vince really had to battle and he's the type of player who should be producing boundaries on a regular basis and he wasn't. It was an awful pitch.

Cant agree with your accusation at all - I think your a blatant moaner Tom !
 
The pitch was a complete joke. It was so dry that a ton of dust spat up every time a spinner landed it in the right place. This is not just because Hampshire lost. I made the trip up to see some great entertainment and what I got was a pitch that was far far too bowler friendly and it was a complete struggle to bat on. It seemed to get better for the final but for the two semi's the pitch was a joke. No one wants to see 130 play 120 or whatever. Warwickshire are a disgrace. People came from all over the country to see one of the best days in the cricket calendar and they produce that piece of ****.

The expectation of a poor pitch was probably the main reason why I never had any intention of paying £60-ish plus travel money to go up there.

Yesterday was not a one off. The Edgbaston pitch is regularly poor these days. Two years ago we limped to about 130, and Surrey only just limped past it in their chase. And the Champions Trophy final that same year (I think) was awful between us and India. The Indian spinners just had a field day.

If what some people in the media say is correct, then one reason is because the new drainage there is simply too good. It just sucks all the moisture out of the surface. Warwickshire aren't idiots when they sign up Jeetan Patel as the overseas player every year now.

Where is Finals Day next season? Oh yes, Edgbaston again.
 
I know you're joking but I'm not going over the top. The Sky commentators and pundits said the same thing.

Ha ha cmon Tom admit it you are a moaner - but a good moaner !
Seriously though thats your opinion and that of others and thats fair enough, but for me all teams had to play on the same pitch and thats the end of it. T20 may be all about smashing the ball for 6 but it is good to see the bowlers in the game as well - i like to see a wicket as well as a 6 myself. Whatever, i think the best team out of the 4 won the competition whatever the pitch was like - and thats from a long time Hants supporter.
 
Ha ha cmon Tom admit it you are a moaner - but a good moaner !
Seriously though thats your opinion and that of others and thats fair enough, but for me all teams had to play on the same pitch and thats the end of it. T20 may be all about smashing the ball for 6 but it is good to see the bowlers in the game as well - i like to see a wicket as well as a 6 myself. Whatever, i think the best team out of the 4 won the competition whatever the pitch was like - and thats from a long time Hants supporter.
I agree that the best team won on the day but Finals Day should be full of 4's and 6's with a par score of 160 with every game. You bat well you get 180+.
 
I accept it was the same for all teams but the balance between bat and ball was clearly badly wrong. 4 scores under 140 tells a poor story entertainment wise.
 
I accept it was the same for all teams but the balance between bat and ball was clearly badly wrong. 4 scores under 140 tells a poor story entertainment wise.

As ive said in my exchange with Tom above, i see it differently and dont think it as 'badly wrong'. The only team to get bowled out was Hants, the only team not to hit a 6 was Hants. The only team not to make any form of respectable score was Hants, not one of our batters could stay with Vince who did well otherwise it could have been really embarrassing. I found it entertaining when wickets were falling as well as seeing good batters in form hit the required runs, in all 3 games. Just a pity we failed so miserably, but thats life Jim.
 
Seems like forever since our last four day game, but here is tomorrow's squad: Michael Carberry, Jimmy Adams, Will Smith, James Vince, Sean Ervine, Joe Gatting, Adam Wheater, Liam Dawson, Gareth Berg, Mason Crane, Fidel Edwards, James Tomlinson, Ryan Stevenson, Ryan McLaren.

Stevenson is a young bowling all-rounder, who has impressed this season in local cricket (for Devon, I think). Bowls a bit quick, and gives it a bit of a whack, I understand. But there's surely no way that he'll start tomorrow - the game is far too important to take a risk on him.

On that basis, and assuming that McLaren will slot straight in for Bird, then there are two selection issues:

One, Ervine is fit again. But in four limited overs matches, he hasn't yet scored any real runs. So do we recall him to the side, and if so then who for? Adams was the stand out candidate after our last four day game, but has his 50 over form saved him for at least one more game? Dawson hasn't yet scored any four day runs since his return from Essex, and given that two spinners wont be necessary away to Durham, he is surely also a candidate. But it's possible that we might well just not recall Ervine.

Two, as I mentioned above, we don't need two spinners at the Riverside. But Crane's form has been excellent, and Dawson can only really be dropped if it is Ervine who replaces him - our tail would be too long again if we replaced Dawson with Tommo. So do we stick with Crane, or as a one-off horses-for-courses selection pick, do we go for Tommo rather than Crane?
 
Seems like forever since our last four day game, but here is tomorrow's squad: Michael Carberry, Jimmy Adams, Will Smith, James Vince, Sean Ervine, Joe Gatting, Adam Wheater, Liam Dawson, Gareth Berg, Mason Crane, Fidel Edwards, James Tomlinson, Ryan Stevenson, Ryan McLaren.

Stevenson is a young bowling all-rounder, who has impressed this season in local cricket (for Devon, I think). Bowls a bit quick, and gives it a bit of a whack, I understand. But there's surely no way that he'll start tomorrow - the game is far too important to take a risk on him.

On that basis, and assuming that McLaren will slot straight in for Bird, then there are two selection issues:

One, Ervine is fit again. But in four limited overs matches, he hasn't yet scored any real runs. So do we recall him to the side, and if so then who for? Adams was the stand out candidate after our last four day game, but has his 50 over form saved him for at least one more game? Dawson hasn't yet scored any four day runs since his return from Essex, and given that two spinners wont be necessary away to Durham, he is surely also a candidate. But it's possible that we might well just not recall Ervine.

Two, as I mentioned above, we don't need two spinners at the Riverside. But Crane's form has been excellent, and Dawson can only really be dropped if it is Ervine who replaces him - our tail would be too long again if we replaced Dawson with Tommo. So do we stick with Crane, or as a one-off horses-for-courses selection pick, do we go for Tommo rather than Crane?
Stick with Crane IMO. Seamers can be Edwards, Berg, McClaren and Ervine can bowl as well. Ervine should be recalled IMO as he will score quickly if he stays in which is always a good thing.
 
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