What a fab win. Atmosphere was brilliant even when we were way down in first section of bowling. Brilliant Hants.
Dog of a pitch, so 140 was always likely to be a very good score. Just like it was between about 2011 and 2014. The difference (other than having a very different bowling line-up now) is the way we went about getting that 140. We got that horrendously wrong, and it's not a strategy I would advocate. Score the runs in the powerplay, and then see your way through the remaining 14 overs. That's how we used to do it, and how I suggest it should be done. Don't limp along at 5.5 an over, and then get saved by some Fuller fireworks at the end - thanks in part to some pretty rank death bowling. Talk about putting all our eggs in one basket! We got away with that big time. On another day, when Dawson walks off at 94-6, that's 115 or 120 all out. But once we got to 140, Dawson's accuracy and guile, and Ellis' changes of pace, just suited that wicket perfectly. (Yet again Ellis was so unfortunate not to get more wickets.) Unfortunately, despite bowling a handful of good balls, I still think Crane is miles away from his best form. His figures today would be good for a flat one at Taunton, but not for that wicket tonight. Basically conceded double what Dawson and Smith each went for, and with fewer wickets. It's not certain yet, but there's a decent chance that our QF will be away to Birmingham. I think they've passed 200 in seven of their 13 games! (And at least one of the other six was rain reduced.) They could utterly destroy Crane on that sort of form. I've said before that I hate a long tail with Ellis at 8, so regardless of our QF opponent I would almost certainly be returning to either Albert or Donald. And maybe put them in at 5, with Whiteley dropping to 7. (The caveat to that is that if it is away to Birmingham, will the match be at Edgbaston and what sort of wicket will it be if it is there? The test match doesn't finish until Tuesday, and then they have an ODI four days later. Hardly ideal for squeezing in a t20 on either Wednesday or Friday. They're also presumably trying to get a fresh wicket ready for Finals Day the following weekend.)
Agree with all of that. Maybe our best hope is to win Sunday & maybe get a better draw - long shot tho. Mason is key for us & them; whoever they are.
Yeah, big long shot. I'd be surprised if Essex slipped up tomorrow night vs Glamorgan. They're bang in form and will be desperate to try and get second. Us beating Sussex, and Somerset losing to Surrey, on Sunday is certainly possible. But even if it happened, it would need a sizeable (but not impossible) NRR swing. And although Birmingham and Lancs play each other, Lancs would have to win by a big distance to overturn that NRR gap.
TBH it's quite an achievement we've qualified with one game to spare given we lost our first 4 games! And as we saw last year against Notts, anything can happen when you get to the knockout stages. The important thing is we're through.
