Game completely hinged on two separate three-over periods in the first innings. The first was us at fault. Northeast, Rilee and Munro all trying to put Briggs into the stands, but getting caught on the boundary. In close succession to each other. The second wasn't our fault, it was Sussex's ability. Their death bowling, especially from Archer, was too good. Every ball was on our toes, or around our ears. Going at a million miles an hour, or zero miles an hour. One single boundary is all we managed from those three. I suspected we were 20 runs light at the half way stage, and as it transpired we were more like 30 runs light. Those above six overs go our way, and we get those 30 runs, no problem. Of course it doesn't help when you bowl their best batsmen, and the umpire's don't give him out. But we'd still have been light on runs. I'm not going to have a go at the batters though; that Sussex bowling attack is one of the best this competition has ever seen. It's why we had to go after Wiese's overs, and we did just that. I'd have loved 170 against that attack, and it still wouldn't have been enough.
Abbott dropped. Ryan Stevenson plays his first first-team game since, I think, 2015. (He possibly might have played in 2016; I might be getting my years merged together. But in my head he was injured throughout 2016, and not selected throughout 2017)
Losing to Sussex isn't a disaster. Losing to Kent wouldn't be a disaster. Come the end of the group stage, I'm expecting both to be in the top four. It's the sides who finish outside the top four who we need to be beating. But losing our opening three games would look very bad on paper, and leave us with catching up to do. It also risks damaging the confidence of the players, whilst boosting the confidence of our future opponents. I definitely don't think losing tonight would be doom and gloom, but realistically we would have to win at least two of our following three, and possibly all three (home and away to Middlesex, plus away to Essex). Hopefully though we can get points on the board tonight.
Yes and I still do. But when he bowls this expensively you look for other options. Munro's bowled 1 over in the tournament and took a wicket. Surely worth a try.
If one of the top four makes a 100, we could get 211. But 98 times out of 100 we would fail to chase them. And probably quite badly. I'm going for a 78 run defeat.
Hampshire are playing stupid cricket. You don't need to ****ing slog Denly from the first over. ****ing clowns.
Yes. And he was dropped twice from skiers, played and missed at a whole number of balls, top edged two safe, and edged at least a couple into his body when trying to put the ball into the stands. It was an ugly, ugly innings. His low RR wasn't intentional from him!
