The Cricket Thread 2015-16

I said I didn't think I liked the sound of 304 off 96 overs. A run rate of basically only three per over, on an always good Rose Bowl wicket, should rarely be a problem, and hence Yorkshire for me were heavy favourites right from the off. But I find it hard to criticise Vince and Benks and White too much for accepting it, given that Yorkshire wouldn't budge on that offer.

The only saving grace is Somerset. Their batting today has given us the smallest chance next week, thanks to it keeping Sussex down to just one bowling point. If we win next week, and Sussex lose, we'll almost certainly survive (we would also need to match, or beat, Sussex's bonus point - but given they'd have lost and we'd have won, that would be a highly likely outcome). But anything other than that is D2.

 

Sussex are also away to.......Yorkshire. With Rashid. With Bairstow. With Sidebottom.

 

Hope you stay up, if the worst did happen you would surely be favourites to go back up.

Division 2 is quite poor in comparison. No disrespect to any county and there are some very good players but most teams (especially Kent) struggle for consistency in the 4 day game. Hants have the depth to walk div 2 and still do well in the shorter formats

Good luck whatever

 

Yet the London Royal Cup final is being contested by two Division 2 teams whilst the Twenty20 was won by another Division 2 team. Interesting that the stronger Division 1 teams have been rather poor in the shorter format of the game this season yet the bulk of players in England's touring parties are from Division 1 teams.

 

Very true mate, this cricket stuff makes nearly as much sense as football.

 

Notts 39/3. Fidel with all three wickets. Yorkshire 28/1 against Sussex.

 

Good start for Hants at Notts, Fidel has taken three early wickets having put Notts in. Notts are currently 41/3.

Edit curse you Tom...you posted as I was typing...

 

Good start. Weather looks ok in Nottingham. Its peeing down where I am.

 

Lunch - Notts 95/3, Yorkshire 106/2.

 

Notts 340 all out. Not bad but we need to bat well. Yorkshire close on 241/7 against Sussex. Big day tomorrow.

 

Oh dear. With 1 over to survive Jimmy edges Broad to the keeper first ball. Hants 0/1 at stumps.

Oh no my bad it was Stevenson so not so bad.

 

It infuriates the hell out of me, how many sides refuse to open with a nightwatchman but yet are happy to bring one in during the first over should a wicket fall. Why is protecting the no.3 any more important than protecting the no.1? So good on us for opening with one. A shame he failed to see out of the over, of course, but at least it meant it wasn't Adams or Carberry back in the hutch.

But still, you'd expect Broad to continue to cause damage tomorrow.

 

And this Cricket thread is unstickied [unstuck.?] rather timely [ta Chilco] as the Autumnal Equinox is today. Am I alone in my impression that it wasn't a summer to write home about.? It neither scorched nor washed us away with endless floods. So much for weather extremes. The temperature is below average currently though, which is sodding annoying because I like it hot, even if it is a tad humid. Anyway, just for today the Sun gives us approximately equal amounts of appearance and disappearance, although twilight and dawn ensures we still have more light in the sky than dark, for a couple of weeks or more. Depends on the amount of cloud cover. I need that Indian Summer.

 

Jeez Sussex bowled out for 248, meaning Hants need at least 250 and not 300 to stay alive.

 

Actually, it is now the case that if Hampshire win and Sussex lose Hampshire will stay up. They will be level on points but as Hampshire will have lost fewer games this will place them ahead of Sussex.

 

Tail is wagging

 

Both games will surely produce results so Hants short term aim is to get as near to 340 as possible.

 

An unbeaten 80 run partnership between Berg and McLaren could not have come at a better time. From 203/8 to 283/8.

 

Guess I am.

 

Stumps. Hampshire 298/8. Massive credit to Berg and McLaren.