It says so much about our four day campaign that I think only Abbott, Brown and Gubbins are certain to start tomorrow from our 15 day squad. I assume that Albert, Fletcha, Orr, Barker and Fortuin will also start. And possibly Prest, Fuller and Wheal as the other three? But an XI of Orr, Middleton, Gubbins, Albert, Prest, Brown, Fuller, Fortuin, Barker, Abbott, Wheal would feel very light on batting. I don't know if this is a one-off four day appearance from Fortuin, or whether he'll be around for all three matches. But either way, it's a clear indication that he's in our thinking for finals day. I did raise the possibility a while back that Cartwright might get called back to Australia ahead of the start of their domestic season. It has already happened with some Aussies, but not all. I haven't heard anything about Cartwright specifically, and one assumes that he would like to play at finals day if possible, but until things are confirmed then it remains a possibility.
Oh great, I am sure that papers over the cracks. Typical England, play well in a dead game, when opposition is mentally on the plane home with the trophy
By my reckoning, the following players are - or could be - missing from finals day: Hants - Brevis, Dawson, Pretorius. Turner. Weatherley. Maybe Baker. Maybe Cartwright. Lancs - Buttler, Green, Mahmood, Salt, Wood. Maybe Turner. Northants - Maybe Breetzke. Maybe Pope. Somerset - Banton, Henry, Pretorius. Maybe Meredith. 16 September is the opening day of the Aussie season. Meredith is due to play on that day, with Pope starting on 20 September and then Cartwright and Turner on 21 September.
Dickson leaving Somerset for Glamorgan at the end of the season. I guess yesterday was a pretty special way to say goodbye to Taunton! With Northeast returning to Kent, it sounds like Glamorgan had the capacity to offer Dickson more money than rival counties.
I'll take that first session. Sure, it's another game where batting bonus points look a long way off, but ball has dominated for that session and I think Sussex will be disappointed to only have three wickets. We could have easily been six or seven down. Hopefully the conditions are just as favourable when Kyle comes to bowl.
It's about time that Ben Brown played a captain's knock, really need these two to stay together for a while.
Mind you we are playing Surrey in the final round so if we do end up meeting in the T20 Final on Saturday you may want to let us win....
A high scoring draw between Durham and Essex is probably the worst outcome for us in that game - a low scoring Essex win would have been my preference - so things haven't started well on that front. But still plenty of time.
It's a real shame because he clearly has great talent but without a strong mentality when batting it means little. He probably only needs a big innings to get him back on track but at the moment the team is carrying him.
