Be interesting how Trott plays this now, particular given there's a batting point 15 runs away and a new ball 3 overs away.
What is the bloody point of having an international standard bowler in your team if you don't use him?
He gave the new ball to Salisbury for Christ's sake. And now it's tea. Bailey has royally screwed up.
Brendy, why did he not give the new ball to either Abbott or Berg? OK, I understand at first you want to keep them back for the 2nd innings but when it came apparent we were struggling to get the last wicket YOU BRING YOUR BEST BOWLER BACK!!!!!!!
Assuming that Abbott isn't injured, the only reason I can think is that we're slightly fed up with having to constantly rely on Abbott. Bailey was possibly laying a marker down for the other bowlers, saying "look, it's a number 11. We shouldn't need to have to be turning back to Abbott. You earn your corn by finishing this off yourselves". Either way it has backfired. Abbott has to open after Tea, even if it is just for two overs. If it wasn't for the poor weather tomorrow, I think the issue of saving Abbott for the second innings would be out of the window now. Because I would absolutely be batting on now. Try and smash 150 tonight. Trott has helped Warks eat far too much into our lead. But given that the weather is poor tomorrow, we still have to enforce the FO.
Agree with both of you guys. I get the initial idea of saving Abbott for the start of the second innings but after a while you have to bring him on.
It's also a very short evening session ahead of us. 24 overs, to be reduced to 22 in the event that we do indeed get this 10th wicket. Throw in the fact that at least one over will be used up in getting this 10th wicket, and we're looking at a maximum of 21 overs of 2nd innings bowling. Probably less. And Abbott won't bowl more than probably seven of those (maximum) 21.
Forecast for tomorrow currently has solid rain from 3pm. That is also roughly the same time that Warks will pull level with our score, if they are still batting. So unless the forecast improves, we are effectively still needing to bowl Warks out before the reach our score. Something like 70 overs of bowling - 21 of which are tonight, as I say. I think we need three wickets tonight as a minimum.
