Season updates thread

[hodge]

First topic message reminder :

I just thought for anyone who is playing this season that we could have a thread where people give updates on how their season is going both personally and for their team if they are interested?

As I said in another thread I have what are apparantly my university's first every cricket games thursday and friday this week and i'm captaining the side, no pressure there We have Newport cricket clubs midweek team on thursday and face UWE 2nd XI on friday who a freind of mine is captain so we have a little wager on the outcome of the game. Loser has to buy the winner a drink for every club 2nd XI game we both play in Again no pressure there!

Anyways good luck to everyone for this season, unless somehow in some strange case you end up playing against me!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Attritional stuff now as the draw just beginning to come into play as possible outcome. (Only tho if Middlesex lost a number of early wickets which forced them to defend.)  Minimum overs remaining 47, with the lead 229.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

[wrong thread]

[Corporalhumblebucket]

wrong thread again!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Wrong thread again...

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Wrong thread again....!

[Pete C (Kiwireddevil)]

Foakes takes single off first ball of new over!   Not a good idea imho!

Erm, wrong thread Corporal?

[guildfordbat]

Yep, good luck, Pete. Valley End is just up the road from my gaff Guildford Towers. A bit of a yoyo side, being regularly promoted to and relegated from the Surrey Championship. Mind you, that's the top level here before full-time County cricket. Some of their players were on the books at Surrey and Middlesex - hopefully, they won't be featuring on Sunday although it might be best to try and get your numbers fully up!

We're in Guildford this weekend mate, playing Sanford Arms CC

Unfortunately for us we only had 10 men, while Valley End's first XI were rained off on Saturday so 2-3 of them opted to play against us yesterday. We got put in on a pitch that their 2nds defended 80 on on Saturday. It was green enough for plenty of swing, and soft enough that the odd ball was stopping, meaning we struggled through to 101 all out in 40 overs - I carried my bat for 32 not out, after struggling in the early overs (I was on 7 at drinks ) then not getting much strike at the end. Only 2 others made double figures.

We started OK with the ball, knocking over both openers early, before their giant of a #3 started depositing balls into the treetops on the boundary, and knocking off the last 70 runs in 6 overs

Hi Pete - just worked my way through all the Corporal's deleted posts to find this one from you.

Given you were a man short and Valley End had 2-3 first teamers playing, an 8 wicket defeat isn't the end of the world! Congrats on your own contribution as well.

I don't know Sanford Arms but suspect you'll find them a pretty social and bit gentler opposition. Good luck again!

[Pete C (Kiwireddevil)]

Our rather dismal start to the season with the bat continued this week - all out for 90, including yours truly for a duck as I played down the wrong line to an inswinger, plumb LBW. At least the weather was nice, and a cracking location in Aston Rowant, Oxfordshire.

We were playing Sir Tim Rice's Heartaches, who provided a superb afternoon tea at least before knocking off the runs. We're still yet to dismiss their opening bat in about 6 years of trying (we did beat them last year by keeping him off strike when they needed 10 off the last over)

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Not quite as bad as me leaving one that hit clattered halfway up middle and off stump this weekend Pete - didn't even swing or anything, I just didn't play a shot!

But...our young 13 year old Norfolk leg spinner took the ridiculous figures of 2.5-2-1-6

Yes 6 wickets for 1 run off 2.5 overs. The first two were admittedly long hops hit straight to square leg, but the next four were magnificent. One googly between bat and pad, one leggie that was caught at slip and the final one bowled the batsman round his legs. I do enjoy playing for our 4th team with all these youngsters, we're very lucky to have such a strong youth section

[JDizzle]

Had a decent start to the season, cracked 20 league wickets at less than 8 and over 120 runs already and we are sitting fourth. Can't complain.

The biggest issue we are facing in our league at the moment is the amount of concessions. The season is 7 weeks old and there have been 20 conceded games across all leagues already - this is not a new problem, it has been getting steadily worse over the last few seasons. Pretty depressing stuff!

[Pete C (Kiwireddevil)]

Had a decent start to the season, cracked 20 league wickets at less than 8 and over 120 runs already and we are sitting fourth. Can't complain.

The biggest issue we are facing in our league at the moment is the amount of concessions. The season is 7 weeks old and there have been 20 conceded games across all leagues already - this is not a new problem, it has been getting steadily worse over the last few seasons. Pretty depressing stuff!

Ouch.

At Village level, we had 3 games cancelled last season due to the oppos not being able to field a team. In our 3 matches to date this season (we only play a dozen or so games spread across the season so not every week) we've fielded 10 players twice (in one of those the oppo also had 10) & on Saturday our 11th man was an Icelandic mate of our club captain who'd never held a bat before (in fairness he properly middled the ball he got out to, more than I can say).

Anecdotally the teams we play say player recruitment is getting harder - possibly the impact of no cricket on free to air TV finally filtering through to adult ranks?

[Pete C (Kiwireddevil)]

4 games done for the season, and 4 losses - our bowling has been fair, batting and fielding a bit lacking.

I arrived at the ground at 13.55 (trains mutter mutter) & got told to pad up & go in to face 1st ball at 14:00 - our other opener for the day normally bats 8 so I was a bit apprehensive to say the least.

As expected, other opener & #3 went cheaply though both hung around a while against tight bowling on a flat but slow deck - I'd crept through to 7* by the 1st drinks break after 12 overs, & we were 5 down pretty quickly after. I managed accelerate a little later on (added 50 with our #7, but getting out slogging in the 35th over for 39 was too slow . And I was utterly exhausted come time to field too after 3 hours in the middle in the heat - there were a couple of half-chances that came near me at slip that I might've at least gotten a hand to on a good day

Our 124/8 was far too little, especially after our opening bowlers were just the right pace to get smashed (admittedly with a few potential chances going just wide of fielders) & the oppo got there in 15 overs 3 down.

Worryingly my 39 is the highest score posted by any of our bats this season, & we've only had 1 score over 30 in each of our matches. It's the first time the captain-on-the-day hasn't top-scored too (he was a DNB at #11)

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Not quite as bad as me leaving one that hit clattered halfway up middle and off stump this weekend Pete - didn't even swing or anything, I just didn't play a shot!

But...our young 13 year old Norfolk leg spinner took the ridiculous figures of 2.5-2-1-6

Yes 6 wickets for 1 run off 2.5 overs. The first two were admittedly long hops hit straight to square leg, but the next four were magnificent. One googly between bat and pad, one leggie that was caught at slip and the final one bowled the batsman round his legs. I do enjoy playing for our 4th team with all these youngsters, we're very lucky to have such a strong youth section

An update on this - our 13 year old leggie has since taken two more five fors, and today played for our 3rd XI, and took 5-23 off 9 overs - don't think he'll be playing for us again!

Our 4th team are going well (team I play in), we've won 4 of our last 5, and are now 4th in the league following promotion last year. I am going well personally, I made 74 off 66 opening in the one game we lost (Chasing 330 off 45 overs, my opening partner got 22 off 81 balls - he hasn't played since!), and today I made 94. Unaware I was on such score, I came down the wicket and missed a hoik off the spinner and was stumped. Gutted, but we won by 80 runs, and the second top score in the match was 33 by their #6, so I'm pleased!

[guildfordbat]

Olly - well done, mate. Take your bat when next at the Oval.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

I am going well personally, I made 74 off 66 opening in the one game we lost (Chasing 330 off 45 overs, my opening partner got 22 off 81 balls - he hasn't played since!), and today I made 94. Unaware I was on such score, I came down the wicket and missed a hoik off the spinner and was stumped. Gutted, but we won by 80 runs, and the second top score in the match was 33 by their #6, so I'm pleased!

You're not a moonlighting Olly Pope are you?

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Olly - well done, mate. Take your bat when next at the Oval.

Averaging 38.73 this season if I include my pre season friendly 52 not out (which I do because a red inker is always good for the average )

[alfie]

Sounds like a fine run of form , Olly . Keep it going

[Pete C (Kiwireddevil)]

Olly - well done, mate. Take your bat when next at the Oval.

Averaging 38.73 this season if I include my pre season friendly 52 not out (which I do because a red inker is always good for the average )

Nice one.

Last weekend I filled in for one of our regular rivals (our Saturday game had been cancelled due to lack of numbers, & they were short on the Sunday). Turned up and got asked to wicket-keep in a 40 over match. That's the longest stint of keeping I've ever done, & it was a hot day - was sore for most of last week, & the bruises on my forearms from standing up to the spinners (I lost track of a few down leg behind the batsman) are still fading. We lost 3 fielders to injury along the way (broken finger, strained shoulder, & pulled hamstring) - but we borrowed a couple of local lads to bat for us from the home team's Saturday side, and they nearly got up up to the 270 we needed.

I got sent in to open our reply after tea, and made a very tired 4. Which is definitely not going onto my average for the season

[guildfordbat]

Pete - getting sent in to open after keeping on a hot day for 40 overs, the most you've ever done. It's right to ensure the guest player is involved but not to kill the guy off!

[Pete C (Kiwireddevil)]

Pete - getting sent in to open after keeping on a hot day for 40 overs, the most you've ever done. It's right to ensure the guest player is involved but not to kill the guy off!

That thought did cross my mind as I trudged off Guildford

5 games played this season, and I've kept wicket for 3 of them. And I haven't managed to get a bowl yet either. May have to look at changing my job description ...

[wisden]

Found some form with bat so far this year...scored 1 century and 2 half centuries...averaging 62 after 8 games

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Not quite as bad as me leaving one that hit clattered halfway up middle and off stump this weekend Pete - didn't even swing or anything, I just didn't play a shot!

But...our young 13 year old Norfolk leg spinner took the ridiculous figures of 2.5-2-1-6

Yes 6 wickets for 1 run off 2.5 overs. The first two were admittedly long hops hit straight to square leg, but the next four were magnificent. One googly between bat and pad, one leggie that was caught at slip and the final one bowled the batsman round his legs. I do enjoy playing for our 4th team with all these youngsters, we're very lucky to have such a strong youth section

An update on this - our 13 year old leggie has since taken two more five fors, and today played for our 3rd XI, and took 5-23 off 9 overs - don't think he'll be playing for us again!

Our 4th team are going well (team I play in), we've won 4 of our last 5, and are now 4th in the league following promotion last year. I am going well personally, I made 74 off 66 opening in the one game we lost (Chasing 330 off 45 overs, my opening partner got 22 off 81 balls - he hasn't played since!), and today I made 94. Unaware I was on such score, I came down the wicket and missed a hoik off the spinner and was stumped. Gutted, but we won by 80 runs, and the second top score in the match was 33 by their #6, so I'm pleased!

In the past two weeks I've scored 2, and yesterday I scored 91 - two extremes! The 2 I stupidly tried to cut a ball from off stump, which ended up bowling me and yesterday I was caught on the fence trying to push the rate up!

We've had two close losses - the first game where I scored 2 we lost by 3 runs chasing 205, and yesterday we lost by 1 wicket defending 194, and dropped the final wicket twice for victory....annoying to say the least!

I am now top run scorer in the division however (http://norfolkcl.play-cricket.com/website/web_pages/862 - link here, division is Division 3 east) with 413 runs in 12 innings at an average of 34.42 with 4 half centuries. Going well this year, and weirdly I am playing better away from home where we usually play on uncovered village hall wickets rather than our home Norfolk cricket prepared pitch!! Maybe I need to concentrate at home better....

Speaking of Norfolk cricket - they are currently playing Bedfordshire in the minor counties championship, and a certain Monty Panesar is playing for Bedfordshire. I will be going down tomorrow afternoon weather permitting to see him bowl, he should enjoy our home ground as it is usually prepared for spinners...

[Pete C (Kiwireddevil)]

We had our annual "Festival" game yesterday - 2 teams assembled from players off our regular/occasionals lists, & played 2 T15s where everyone had to bowl at least 1 over across the 2 matches, and max. 5 overs across both. And the batting orders were reversed for match 2.

Managed 2 overs 1 maiden 0-5 in my first competitive bowl of the season, then kept wicket in our 2nd fielding stint, 1 catch, 1 stumping. Was run out for 4 in my only bat though.

The score across the 2 matches was 1-1, so we had a bowl-off - all 11 players from each side getting 1 ball at an open wicket. Which finished 0-0! Good afternoon tea, and post-match bbq though

[Corporalhumblebucket]

The score across the 2 matches was 1-1, so we had a bowl-off - all 11 players from each side getting 1 ball at an open wicket. Which finished 0-0! Good afternoon tea, and post-match bbq though

[alfie]

Forgive me for being a bit happy tonight but I've managed to get back on the field today for only the second time this season (nagging back/leg pain has had me struggling for months ; sometimes nearly giving up. Costing me a small fortune in physio's fees etc too)
Nothing special ; eight over spell , couple of wickets , in a losing cause ; but at least it gives me hope of playing semi-regularly this year : and hopefully fixing the problem completely so my new boots don't go to waste

Stiff tonight but at least I can still walk...which is better than my previous attempt a month ago. Onwards and upwards !

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Great stuff Alfie - fingers crossed this is the first step of many positive ones!

[guildfordbat]

Yeah, well done, Alfie. In any form of the game, a couple of wickets is always a proper return.

[alfie]

Thanks chaps

Walking normally again now , just 24 hours later ...so reasonably optimistic for next week and the after Christmas part of the season.

But I'd better let Bayliss know he will have to look elsewhere for net bowlers this Boxing Day

[alfie]

This topic seems to have been all but abandoned ...nothing from anyone this (northern) summer ?

But I have to report that just three months and three days after a hip replacement I was delighted to bowl ten overs today - albeit with limited success (1 early wicket followed by a few dropped catches and a few too many boundaries  conceded ) But definitely a start.

Still can't really run.  Physio said I'd likely be able to bowl much sooner than regaining full running movement so hopefully will come in time - a bit embarrassing tottering after the ball in the outfield ! Still that's what the young kids in the team are for

We lost. But there were some positives from the young ones...

Happy to be back on the field

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Glad to hear you’re on the mend Alfie - and still able to play the beautiful game! Not much posting from me this summer, combination of work and niggling injuries meant my season never really got going, a high score of 86 with the bat the only real headline!

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Reviving this thread...started our season on Sunday, I am captain of the 4th XI this year...and it was a struggle to get a side together with kids at school and other sports happening, but we got 10 together and had the most Norfolk league match of all time

https://horsford.play-cricket.com/website/results/4812400

The youngsters bowled really well, which is good...because they didn't do bugger all with the bat! Pitch was very wet, up and down...but I batted nicely as the scorecard reflects, bit annoyed I got out in the manner I did (tried to Kane Williamson run down to third and directed it straight to slip!). Have been hitting it well in the nets, so hoping for a good year

Anybody else get out there this weekend?

[JDizzle]

I’ve played twice now - two league games by some miracle as cricket in Wales was only ‘legalised’ for last weekend, but we were away in Week 1.

Couple of 20s with the bat, felt generally in decent nick which was weird given my lack of netting and not had much luck with the ball despite bowling pretty well.

One win and one loss so far, and we are in a weird spot where we are very reliant on 4/5 players and if they play well we win and if they don’t we lose.

[king_carlos]

I'm in a strange position currently where I've scored lots of runs against my new club but yet to score more than 5 for them against another side!  

We played a handful of intersquad warm-up games to get match sharp and in every game I got runs and felt great. A low score of 48 and 3 fifties after which we retired out.

Then in our two matches against other clubs (still friendlies at this stage) I got out for 5 and 3. Neither particularly good balls either to be honest. The 5 was a bit of a 'Darren Stevens 4 ball trick' where on outswing bowler had the keeper up to the stumps to pin me to the crease, he bowled three outswingers then a straight ball that trapped me LBW. A good bit of bowling but the ball that got me was a bit overpitched to be honest. I just planted my foot too far across and played all around it. Had I just delayed my footwork and played with the full face of the bat it was probably an easy punch down the ground. Infuriatingly tame way to get out.

Opening the batting again tomorrow so hopefully I can finally get some runs against another clubs bowlers.

[guildfordbat]

Don't worry, Carlos. Class will tell.

[king_carlos]

Looking outside I fear the weather will tell sadly, Guildford. Monsoon season seems to have just hit Edinburgh. I'm working a few mins work from the ground as well so if we're bearing the brunt of it so's the square!

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Yeah we’ve succumbed to the weather today unsurprisingly!

[king_carlos]

Yeah we’ve succumbed to the weather today unsurprisingly!

Our forecast for tomorrow is slightly better but when 'showers' have come over the last few days they've done damage. It's been sunshine then deluge. I'm not optimistic!

[JDizzle]

Yeah we’ve succumbed to the weather today unsurprisingly!

0 games even started in the entirety of Shropshire today I believe. Wet.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Had an interesting week last week...unfortunately we couldn't raise a side for the 4th XI and had to call off...and suddenly a 2s player called off on Friday night, so I was roped into playing 2nd XI cricket - didn't quite realise it was an hour and a half away, and be there for 10:30am despite it raining...

It rained until 3pm, we started at 4pm with a 30 over a side game. Fielded first, we kept them to 151 all out (I took one catch, didn't embarrass myself in the field).
The chase was weird...we were 61-0 off 10 overs, and I thought I wouldn't be needed batting at 8...but we got to a situation where I was heading in with four overs to go and 29 runs needed to win, with only 4 wickets left.
Not my usual situation...and I didn't do myself any glory missing as I was 1 off 6 balls heading into the penultimate over, we were 133-6, soon to be 133-7.
Fortunately because I was so awful my first few balls, the opponents wanted to not run me (well fortunate from my point of view)...as I got myself down the strikers end and hit two cover drives for four in the two final balls of the over, to leave us needing 6 off the last, which we just about got by hitting the winning run off the final ball, and I ended up 11*.

Home at 10:30pm, never has my bed called so much after a day.

Think I'll stick to the 4s from here on https://horsford.play-cricket.com/website/results/4789859

[king_carlos]

Great stuff, Olly. Horsford are a top club to be involved with. Have you been playing with them long?

My diabolical start to the season with the bat continued on Saturday and yesterday evening in my first T20 for my new club. I was especially furious last night as we were playing an a really good astro pitch with some pace onto the bat. All weather wickets get knocked as grass is ideally what we want but at this time of year in Scotland I'd take a well maintained all weather wicket over an absolute minefield off a grass wicket such as our challenge on Saturday that had been underwater earlier in the week. In the groundsman's words, "I could have grown rice on this three days ago".

After 4 failures in a row opening the batting I've finally been dropped down a side for the weekend. It's not a result I'm surprised by in anyway given my form but slightly miffed at the batsman I've been left out for to be honest. I was expecting to be dropped for a talented junior with a great attitude getting runs in the team below but have been replaced by a player who should be in the 1st XI but who has a rubbish attitude so he's been picked in the 2nds as a warning to him for his attitude and a somewhat condescending two finger salute to the junior that has been training twice a week and scoring runs but will continue opening for the 3rd XI with me for company this weekend. Balancing how to deal with a very talented but fairly lazy player is hardly a unique problem to our club though of course!

We'll be playing a University XI on an Edinburgh Uni wicket at the weekend as well which should be a fun challenge for the mix of seniors and juniors in our 3rd XI. The Uni sides playing on Saturdays tend to field well and have lots of bowling options but often only have a couple of gun bats, below that lots of guys who like a swing so it's usually a low scoring but eventful spectacle in the grand tradition of village cricket!

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Great stuff, Olly. Horsford are a top club to be involved with. Have you been playing with them long?

Been with them since I was 9 Carlos, which was the 2004 summer (I got hooked on cricket in summer 2003 when Graeme Smith scored a bazillion runs for SA over here). Missed the odd year because I had to work on Saturdays, but been playing mainly ever since. Very lucky to be playing there and involved in captaining one of the sides, I am good enough to play 3s but I said I’d run the 4th team a year or two back when they needed someone to do that (I believe I am all time 4th team run scorer now, after many many years).

For anyone sad enough you can see my “profile” on the link below - missing quite a lot of youth scorebooks and one year of 4s, which means my overall runs are a few short, but better for my average they're not there! Hoping to crack the top 30 all time run scorers at the club this year...

https://horsford.play-cricket.com/player_stats/batting/4986545?rule_type_id=179

On a more sombre note, a week or two back we lost Darin Goodrum, well known in Norfolk cricket (dad to my mate Max who we played youth cricket with). Darin played for a few clubs and was a gun bat back in the day (still was tbf), and an absolutely avid Leeds fan who went to every home and most away games with Max. Unfortunately died in his sleep unexpectedly aged 55 - just awful news.

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/tributes-to-norfolk-cricketer-darin-goodrum-7941368

[Mind the windows Tino.]

This is a nice thread.

The local team I play for (3's these days as my 40+ body can't cope with anything better) have lost all 3 of our league games to to the weather. Such a disappointment. We played 3 pre-season games and got them all completed, then the minute the league starts, we can't get through a Saturday.

We managed to get one cup game in which we won and have played a couple of interclub 20/20 games mid week but Saturday's have been a wash out.

Looks better this Saturday though with some light rain forecast around 18:00 so hopeful we will get a full game in. We are starting an hour earlier to be safe.

My pre-season form was patchy. Some runs and some wickets but not in the same game. Appears I can only manage one side of the equation at the moment.

[king_carlos]

I hate cricket. It's a stupid sport and none of us should play it.

[JDizzle]

I hate cricket. It's a stupid sport and none of us should play it.

Fairly sure I’ll never play it again with the weather at this rate. Rained off Thursday, rained off today. Please stop raining.

[king_carlos]

Third ball duck as we were bowled out for 76 chasing 96 to win. Diabolical. Can I have your rain please JD?

[JDizzle]

It was so frustrating today too - sun was out all afternoon but the ground was just so wet we had no chance to play.

I’ve been there Carlos... we once had a season where didn’t make 100 till it was close to June.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Mixed day for me - 4s called off due to rain, no proper covers on our pitch means it’s fairly fooked at the moment.

Got a late call upto the 3s as their captain injured himself at work this morning. We batted first, were 19-7 (!) at one point, managed to get ourselves upto 88 (I got 15, playing nicely before I clothed a slightly below waist high full toss to square leg...)
We lost by 6 wickets but had them at 50-4 and dropped two catches before they got to 55. Take them, different game...

[Mind the windows Tino.]

We got a game in on Saturday.....just.

There was rain forecast for later in the afternoon so the oppo won the toss and batted, presumably thinking the conditions would become more difficult (sun was out when the toss was made) but we rolled them over relatively cheaply for 136 all out.

We then made an absolute hash of chasing it down and were 20 odd for 4 at one point. We were thankful for our numbers 5 (our no 5 hit 4 consecutive 6's at one point. Hitting absolute bombs) and 6 who had a very good partnership and got us to within 10 runs before another few wickets fell. I went in to bat at 8 which is probably a place or two lower than I can bat (likewise with our no 9 so we had a long ish batting lineup) and I was 1 n.o when the rain came in. It got really heavy, really quickly and despite the opposition moaning, the umpires sent us off. We waited 30 minutes as per the rules and by that point, there were puddles all over the outfield. We were ahead on run rate so took the 30 points and went home early.

I took a couple of wickets and had an absolute stonewall LBW turned down but happy with the win.

We have only played one game out of 4 due to the weather but sit second in the league as everyone has basically had most games washed out.

[JDizzle]

Good stuff Tino and Olly... good to hear some people managed to get a game in!

We have a Hundred game tomorrow. Which as no-one has seen it on TV and how it works in the pro game yet, could be absolute anarchy.

[guildfordbat]

We got a game in on Saturday.....just.

There was rain forecast for later in the afternoon so the oppo won the toss and batted, presumably thinking the conditions would become more difficult (sun was out when the toss was made) but we rolled them over relatively cheaply for 136 all out.

We then made an absolute hash of chasing it down and were 20 odd for 4 at one point. We were thankful for our numbers 5 (our no 5 hit 4 consecutive 6's at one point. Hitting absolute bombs) and 6 who had a very good partnership and got us to within 10 runs before another few wickets fell. I went in to bat at 8 which is probably a place or two lower than I can bat (likewise with our no 9 so we had a long ish batting lineup) and I was 1 n.o when the rain came in. It got really heavy, really quickly and despite the opposition moaning, the umpires sent us off. We waited 30 minutes as per the rules and by that point, there were puddles all over the outfield. We were ahead on run rate so took the 30 points and went home early.

I took a couple of wickets and had an absolute stonewall LBW turned down but happy with the win.

We have only played one game out of 4 due to the weather but sit second in the league as everyone has basically had most games washed out.

Tino - a couple of wickets is a proper return. Two is massively more than one. Always suggests you've been in a real contest and held your own.

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