The Cricket Thread 2015-16

Seen it now. Smith doesn't come out looking too good. His on field manner at the time was like a school kid desperate to win.

 

When you freeze frame it with the ball about 1 metre from Stokes, it is bang online to hit him. In that last tiny fraction of a second, he moves one way and the ball is travelling the other so in slow mo it looks slightly worse than it is. 100% defending himself.

They should field every ball in the next game by throwing it at Steve Smith and scream "howzat" if he even flinches. Prick.

Ps. Point of order Chilco. Stokes was the second English player to be it this way; first in a ODI

 

Not just Smith, all of them.

 

Us oldies will recall Tony Greig breaking the stumps on the last ball of the day in a match in the West Indies. He (rightly) claimed the ball was still live and that the batsman had walked before the umpire had called stumps. The decision was given as out, but the batsman re-appeared the next morning after Greig withdrew his appeal. Greig could have dug his heels in and refused and he would have been within his rights. But common sense prevailed. More recently, Dhoni recalled Ian Bell in not dissimilar circumstances. Smith was 100% right, and should feel 100% ashamed! He may know the laws of cricket, but has forgotten how it should be played. Prick, as the esteemed FLT says.

 

Watson has announced his retirement from test cricket. His return to Hampshire for next season moves ever closer.

 

Really?

 

He's said for years that he'd really like to return to us one day. And when he was interviewed at the Rose Bowl last week, he said it probably wouldn't be long until he was back here again.

It also fits in with us signing Topley. We're not going to sign Topley just to play him in limited overs cricket - he wants to play test cricket for England, but has only played two four day games for Essex this season. He'd have chosen a different county to us if we couldn't offer him regular four day cricket. So Topley takes one place in our four day bowling attack.

I would be amazed if we don't extend Fidel's contract, so that is surely a second place taken. Berg has easily done enough this season to take the third place (we've already extended his contract). And as next season progresses, and spin begins to play an increasing part, Crane will surely again feature heavily to take the fourth place.

So any overseas player is highly likely to be either a batter or an all-rounder. Certainly from June onwards, any way. Which just happens to be the time where Watson will be over his IPL stint. (With maybe a non-IPL seamer playing for us during April and May, when conditions over here are great for seamers and less so for Crane).

 

George Dobel believes Watson would be signed for limited overs cricket only:
http://www.espncricinfo.com/county-cricket-2015/content/story/918227.html

McLaren or Abbott possibles for four day cricket (and presumably as second t20 overseas player, alongside Watson). Or even both, if McLaren is happy to sign as a kolpak, as the article suggests (I presume his international career must now be a thing or the past - I certainly haven't noticed him playing for SA recently).

 

Watson and Topley added to the current one day squad would be awesome.

 

Topley, Wood, McLaren, Watson, Briggs, Dawson, Smith, plus Abbott for t20 cricket would be way too many options to try and get into the team. And that's without even mentioning Fidel, Berg and Crane.

An exceptionally nice problem to have, but probably only a realistic option if we had Surrey's finances.

 

Jonny Bairstow comes in for Jos Buttler for the last 3 ODI's. Probably the right decision: Buttler's batting hasn't been up to his normal standards lately.

 

If only the ODI series continued for just a few extra days! Depending on the ECB, we could end up taking on a Yorkshire side containing Bairstow, Plunkett, Rashid, Lyth, Balance, Bresnan, Sidebottom, Brooks and Finch, given that the last ODI finishes the day before our match vs Yorks.

Please rain that week.

At least the ECB have rested Root for the rest of the summer. That's something I guess. Christ, if Yorks had him available too...

 

England are about to win and there's no one here. Australia 167-8.

 

England win by 93 runs

 

England win by 93 runs

 

snap!

 

I was watching on my iPad with the football in the background on TV, so I couldn't post! Much better from England, with a couple of incredible catches.

 

A pathetic batting collapse from Hampshire.

 

From 133/2 to 227/9. What the hell are they doing? Bloody idiots.

 

Somerset 103-0..............