The Cricket Thread

So, 139 to win, or two sessions to bat. And bat. And bat.

 

Hannon-Dalby sees off Organ. I wonder if Warwickshire have offered Hampshire the value of the difference in prize money between second and third, so that Hampshire lose the match, ensuring that Warwickshire continue in Div 1 next season.

 

Personally, I hope Hants said: "Give us Sam Hain and we'll lose the match".

 

Holland now leaving one, that missed middle. It cartwheeled off stump, though.

 

Next season we should just save everyone some time and start our innings on 25-3 with Gubbins and Vince at the crease

 

Vince has decided that he doesn't need to take any further part in this, and skied one that was well caught. Four down now. Maybe it will rain...

 

Why do we always have to make things so tense?! That's the difference between the two sides at the top this year, I expect Surrey would have knocked this off by now for the loss of only 3 wickets

 

Oh dear, Yorks will not be happy with us. Never mind.

 

It's just a ploy to relegate Yorks after the Rafiq scandal.

 

Hampshire get third. Oh, and Bye Bye Yorkshire

 

Cheerio Yorkshire.

 

I watch very little county championship cricket, but watched that last session today. Great drama!

And SO refreshing to see players properly celebrating LBW decisions rather than half celebrating knowing DRS is on the way.

 

Hassan Azad released by Leics. I know, an outside bet, especially coming from a county at the other end of the spectrum at the moment, but his type of dogged defiance is exactly what we need at the top of the order (with some runs occasionally too, I know!). He averages 36.7 in first class, which isn't that bad for an opener, and had a very good 2019 season, although not so good since then. I know, it's clutching at straws a bit... Lots of decent options have come and gone in recent years, e.g. Compton, Slater, Hameed - perhaps we did try to sign them, we'll never know

 

Cracking first 3 overs for England. 50 - 0

 

Salt is peppering the ball to all parts.

 

Just a brief reflection on the County Championship season just finished and it is regarding Essex. A few years ago, Essex compalined about the pitch at Somerset for which Somerset were deducted points. As for the justice of that I do not know but I noticed that in the recent county championship game at Chelmesford between Essex and Lancashire both sides were skitteld for scores under 150, and in the second innings less than 100. Surely this suggests a sub standard pitch for which Essex should be deducted points? I hope so! And can Middlesex snare Harmer from them?

 

I mentioned this at the time. What else could explain 2 reasonably able county sides both collapsing twice, other than a substandard pitch?

 

I thought I would look at how D1 would have finished, if Strauss' proposed new scoring system (which I like by the way) had been in place this season:

1. Hants (40)
2. Surrey (37)
3. Lancs (36)
4. Essex (28)
5. Kent (21)
6. Somerset (19)
7. Northants (16)
8. Warks (13)
9. Yorks (11)
10. Gloucs (10)

Interestingly, it would have again transpired that Warks moved ahead of Yorks as a result of the final round of matches. But whereas in reality Gloucs were already relegated going into that final round, under Strauss' scoring they would have gone into their final match with still a chance of survival. Failing to score enough in their win vs Yorks, coupled with Warks' win, is what relegated them above.

All top seven sides picked up the maximum five points at least once.

 

England won by 67 runs

 

Does anyone have a stream for the England Australia game?