Looking at the two squads I firmly believe Hampshire can take Yorkshire. No Root, Bairstow, Rashid, Sidebottom, Brooks or Plunkett.
Assuming all the players come through it unscathed.... I wonder if they'll be playing footy before the match?.
Or Willey. And a now retied Gale. Gary Ballance (Captain), Tim Bresnan, Ben Coad, Peter Handscomb, Andrew Hodd (Wicketkeeper), Jack Leaning, Alex Lees, Adam Lyth, Steven Patterson, Azeem Rafiq, Will Rhodes, Josh Shaw, James Wainman. That is as weak a Yorkshire squad as you could ever wish to face. If Fidel passes his fitness test in the morning, then yeah, absolutely we're in with a chance of winning. I like to think my cricket knowledge is decent, but I've never heard of Wainman before.
Before a ball is bowled, you probably take getting them out for 273 (especially given that on paper, their batting is stronger than their bowling in this game). At 110-2, you definitely take getting them out for 273. At 152-7, getting them out for 273 is a major disappointment. Opening day prediction: like Tommo before him last season, Adams won't see out the season in our first team. He'll be moved aside after a few games, won't be seen again in the season, and will retire. Oh, and now Vince is out too. Welcome back to the new season...
We actually won that day. Not as much as Yorkshire won day one, but still. Thank you Kyle. Only complaint we can really have about our bowling in this match was the Balance-Patterson partnership. Take away those 100 runs, and we are in with an excellent shout of winning this. But of course you can't. And besides, to just focus on that partnership would be letting the batters of the hook. As much as that partnership is the reason behind this significant run case of ours, so is being is being 75-8. In fact, the latter is much the greater reason in my view. Even if we'd managed to just get 200, we'd at least be looking at a 250 run chase. 320 on a wicket that has seen 30 wickets fall inside two days? I'd give us a one-in-ten chance. The most important thing was not losing a wicket in those opening four overs. Turning to tomorrow, given that it is all about wickets rather than runs (over the course of two whole days, you can block your way to 320 if you're not bowled out), I'd be looking at take it in 5 overs spells. Keep on looking to next through the next 5 over spell without losing a wicket.
The keywords are discipline and patience, I think that the batsmen in the first innings were guilty of complacency and not giving a young bowler enough respect. If a pair of batsmen can get in then they have a chance, but I think it needs 1 player to bat through and score a big hundred.
I did think it was Handscomb who fielded at gully in the first innings. I was going by the Yorkshire commentator saying Leaning.
Quite possible that not a single one of the six games will go to the fourth day. Depends largely on how well Essex bat when it comes to it (and/or how long Lancs bat on for).
Don't want to get too excited just yet, but we'll rarely get a better to chance to beat Yorkshire or finally start the season with a win. Long way to go yet still though.
You don't want to be critical because of this start, but getting caught on the boundary during this run chase...
