Surrey v Essex CC at Whitgift

To my utter disgust, Jason Roy has been dropped from the squad for tomorrow's CC game against Essex at Whitgift. Pietersen comes in whilst Roy is now playing for the seconds down at Taunton.

The twelve man squad is:
Hyphen (captain), Maynard, Ramps, Pietersen, de Bruyn, Davies (wicket keeper), Schofield, Batty, Arafat, Tremlett, Meaker and The Viscount.

It seems safe to assume that Schofield or the Viscount will be the one to miss out. That is in spite of Arafat currently having just five CC wickets and a bowling average in excess of 84.

Adams has said that Maynard will open in place of Roy.

Roy should be in there ahead of Schofield!!! AAAAAAAAAAA

Schofield cannot take wickets in four day cricket we all know that, now there is an argument that he has proven his place with the bat but to be honest I would rather have a promising youngster who has made a good start to the season in even if he has got less runs than Schofield. I'm mind boggled

Guildford can you believe I work shifts of 6 days on and 4 days off, I live a stones throw from Whitgift and all five days cricket are on my six days unbelievable!

Anyway lets get back to back wins, have we done that in ther last five years???

How very frustrating for not only us, but Roy as well. I can't see Pietersen doing particularly well because he couldn't care less about county cricket. He'll be happy with 30 odd. Maynard has been doing really well in the lower order so lets have him opening then shall we? Not impressed at all by this decision.

Hopefully we can push on from the last game and get another win, but I am not too hopeful.

Carrot - am I right in thinking you work at a nearby zoo? If so, can't you catch a bit of cricket by taking some of the animals for a walk round the outfield?!

Edit: this post might have made some sense if I hadn't thought Depressed's post was from Carrot! Apologies!

In a very small defence of Arafat, He was rubbish against Glamorgan and Northants, but against Middlesex he got three of our ten wickets and they were batsman number 1,2 and 3 and against Leicestershire he got a couple of wickets and I was listening to the second innings on the radio where he had one dropped catch and beat the outside edge numerous times.

I know not a great start but enough there in the last game to warrant another match I think, especially with Meaker setting the county scene on fire at the other end.

Team could have been

Hyphen (captain), Roy, Ramps Pieterson, De Bryun, Maynard, Davies, Batty, Arafat, Tremlett, Meaker.

That batting line up looks division 1 standard to me!!!!!!!!

Depressed - you make a good and fair point about Arafat. I'm just very grumpy about some being automatically selected on the basis of old reputations whilst a player like Roy brimming with form and enthusiasm is immediately seen by Adams as dispensable.

Your team has enormous batting strength although it's probably a bowler light, particularly if the four you've chosen don't all fire from the off. I would instead pick the Viscount and ask Pietersen to show his committment to the county game by taking on twelfth man duties!

To be fair, regardless of who opens a middle order of Ramps/De bruyn/KP/Davies should be good enough to get big runs against anyone so I think we're better off having the 5th bowler. Just massively irritating that it had to be Roy who missed out.

come on essex!!!!!!!!!

What sort of signal does that send out to young J-Roy??!!
They should tell Pietersen to open if he's so bloódy good! but I'm sure he'll be able to select his batting position!
Fume Fume

One thing's for sure, he'll need to get one hell of a big score to get the fans on his side.

cricketfan - should be a good match, are you confident about Essex's chances? I think Surrey have a good chance of winning personally but this whole Pietersen thing has the ability to jeopardise our good form.

i think essex have a superb chance

Cricketfan - I've just noticed that you are a West Ham supporter like Surrey's Corporal and Goochie. I do hope the three of you weren't sharing a table and causing all that trouble at the Grosvenor last night ....

Just returned from patrol. I looked first at official Surrey website for the team news. Immediate reaction was similar to most of the posts above. I really do think Roy should have kept his place.

If it is considered essential for some reason to play Pieterson I would have preferred to rest de Bruyn, He is doing well but he is mid 30s I recall and so does not need encouraging and bringing on in the same way as Roy. He could perfectly well be rested for the occasional match. Don't agree with the idea of turning Maynard into another opener.

Guildford - my usual haunts are the barracks rather than palaces of bling and WAGs and super injunctions....

Maybe Chris Adams could manage West Ham? He would be good at the post match conference. I can hear him now: "Carlton Cole may have missed a couple of sitters but he is immense in the changing room..."

In turn maybe Avram Grant could fill the ensuing vacancy at Surrey. He could be a soul mate for Depressed...?

This match is arguably our biggest challenge of the season so far.

I agree about some of the comments on the batting line-up - there is some seriously big scores packed in there.

RE: Roy; I understand all your frustrations, but it is quite hard to fit into this line-up, with the only debatable place (in my opinion) being that of Mr Wine Gums (Maynard). Pietersen is unlikely to be around for much longer, giving Roy his chance.

I really hope this idea of opening with "swashbuckling" players pays off, as it seems the only weak point in the batting.

I am looking forward to a good match that Surrey can win, but it will undoubtedly be tough.

...

Tremlett has a wicket 15/1!

An excellent start and end to the session ruined by Mr Cook and Mr Extras in the middle. Hard to be too annoyed about one of Englands best batsmen getting runs but we need to keep taking wickets an get them for under 300 ideally, seeing as we put them in to bat. Essex's batting line up on paper looks quite weak but that doesn't really mean much with Surrey bowling!

Tibor - I agree with what you say about Roy by as was said before I think de Bruyn could have been rested to allow for Roy to continue developing.

Understandable that Pietersen comes in for Roy - but shame as latter is in great form. Linley in for Dernbach - is Dernbach injured ?

Lions duty I believe.

Oh and once again we have let a partnership get away from us after we looked to be on top. 221/3 at tea, no idea what the pitch is like though.

Hi folks,

I heard Churchy say the wicket had a bit of a green top. That together with the overcast conditions should have helped our seamers and must have clinched Hyphen's decision to field.

I know all sessions are important but a particularly vital one coming up. A couple of quick wickets and we would look in an ok position. However, if we draw a blank wickets wise in the whole session then the game has really got away from us ....

Well, one quick wicket already - taken perhaps surprisingly by de Bruyn ....

275 - 5 as Arafat bowls Walker. Top five all gone. Can we get them all out for under 330?

As Carrot commented, we've gifted them a load of extras - over 40 so far ....

318-6 at the close. Definitely advantage Essex as we put them in to bat but we're not out of it yet. Keep them under 400 and match it then we have a chance but I have a very bad feeling a Surrey collapse might be on the cards tomorrow.

318 - 6 at the close. Hmmm, finding it hard to form a view of that.

Not bad but disappointed that again we didn't really force things home when we had the upper hand and irritated by conceding 49 extras in the day (loads of no balls is unacceptable).

No stand out bowler although all seem to have been there or thereabouts.

We need to polish them off early in the morning (so often I've said that already this season) and then all the batsmen need to show they deserve their place ....

Welcome on board Dulwich - I was born in the eastern part of that fine part of London

Dernbach was selected for the Lions team.

I'm hoping Meaker will clean bowl a few of the tail enders as he has done in recent matches....

Dulwich - a warm welcome from me too. Sorry I missed you sneaking in earlier.

Interesting point about Dernbach. He's in the twelve man squad for the Lions game starting tomorrow. If he doesn't make the eleven (and it looks like a bowler will miss out), could he then motor down to Whitgift and replace Viscount for the remainder of our game? Don't know the rules on this ....

Morning all

Never mind the clatter of wickets, it's the clatter of ball on boundary board! 350 up now, I think we'll be batting for a draw when we get it!
Well batted extras as well.........50 up now!

Hi Goochie,

I see that Dernbach is playing for the Lions (Briggs misses out) so my anorak question of last night falls away.

350 up as you say. We never seem to get the last 4 or 5 wickets for 20 or 30 runs. Annoying - and the amount of extras maddening!

I've never been to Whitgift. Understand it is a small ground. Napier could do some damage if we are not careful ....

Hi Guildford

We've got rid of one of them, but we don't want a repeat of the mighty Cambridge batting display, I'd get Batty on and try and tempt Napier out now

Good to see Dernbach selected, it can only do his confidence good (unless he gets carted all over the ground!)

We need to be batting before lunch, with KP getting that ton he owes us!

Goochie - good point about putting Batty up against Napier. Always a chance of a stumping.

Have to test some rock salt now. Back in an hour ....

I only come on here for the interesting and varied people - a salt miner, a corporal, manic depressive, Wolves supporter (grrrrrr!.........why did I mention the footy again!)

400 up now, I wonder if Essex will declare when Napier gets his ton....................or extras reach the same landmark!

Just the 22 off the over as Napier moves into and out of the 'nervous' nineties!

I rejoin things just before lunch as Napier takes 28 off a Batty over!

490 - 8.

Oh dear. And to think that at 275 - 5 I wondered if we could get them all out for 330 ....

Napier's highest ever score. Standard. It's laughable how predictable it is that we will be completely inept at finishing an innings off. Fair to say I'm very peed off, I'd be surprised if we avoid a follow on here tbh.

Absolutely pathetic - 190 for their 9th wicket, we need 399 just to avoid the follow on. Lets' see if we've've got any bottle with our 'strong' batting line up, or will it be another meek surrender ala Middlesex..................I know what my money's on!!

Good start from these two, they need to go on and make fifties each at least.

come on napier what an innings

Blimey - Mr Napier must have been going some. Still good start fom Surrey - might need to bat all day just to avoid the follow on.

Well Mr H-B has responded well with a quick century of his own, just need himself and KP to still be there tomorrow!

277 - 4 at close.

Hyphen going very well and still there on 148. Shame for him that his knock was overshadowed by Napier's wonderful innings.

If we hadn't lost two late wickets (did we really need a nightwatchman and, if so, why not Viscount as previously?), I would have said a draw was certain. Now there's a bit of doubt and worry.

By the way, I'm claiming phrophecy of the day for this post at 11: 29 this morning -
'Understand it [Whitgift] is a small ground. Napier could do a bit of damage if we are not careful ....'

Others can try for that accolade whilst I'm away until Monday.

Well played Hyphen, a fantastic captains innings, but we need to kick on again in the morning. I think the cardinal sin of today wasn't Napier getting his massive score but letting their number 9 get 34. Meaker's figures remained very respectable during the onslaught which is impressive. Looks like it was much more of a batting pitch than we first though and with Davies still to come we should be confident of avoiding the follow on but this is Surrey we're talking about. Can't believe Ramps failed though, drop him!

Just got in from patrol.....Incredible mayhem today! I wonder whether Napier will be charged with endangering spectators.

We really missed the Dernbach slower ball today. That might have succeeded where the plan to tempt Napier with Batty's mystery ball proved a tad expensive. Well batted Hyphen - he was overdue to come off soon.

Hopefully Hyphen's 27 boundaries will have prevented Cricketfan going into complete melt down over Essex's performance...

As a Surrey fan, I'm embarrassed that Surrey allowed Napier to slog wildly and get 196.

On the plus, really fine knock from the skipper, I hope he goes on to get 200-300 odd.

Greetings sonic, I think we all hope that! Personally my hope is purely that we avoid the follow on and manage to safely draw this game that has gone out of our reach thanks to Napier's knock. It might just be one of those innings where the bowlers are powerless to prevent it, especially on such a small ground. It is extremely annoying how in every game it seems there is either one massive innings or partnership that takes the game away from us when it seems we are on top. I know we ourselves have done it to other teams but it does seem to happen in every single game!

Tait is now not coming for the T20. I reckon this could be a good thing as is can spray it and not having him could enable us to get in a decent spinner.

Carrotdude wrote:Greetings sonic, I think we all hope that! Personally my hope is purely that we avoid the follow on and manage to safely draw this game that has gone out of our reach thanks to Napier's knock. It might just be one of those innings where the bowlers are powerless to prevent it, especially on such a small ground. It is extremely annoying how in every game it seems there is either one massive innings or partnership that takes the game away from us when it seems we are on top. I know we ourselves have done it to other teams but it does seem to happen in every single game!

The thing that gets me is, we have International quality bowlers - Tremlett, Arafat, Batty all though the latter 2 aren't world beaters, they should have some sort of plan against a rampant batsman.

If Rory gets going tomorrow, then Zander can definitely bat long and Davies gives the ball a serious hit, so fingers crossed we avoid the follow on.

jbd349 wrote:Tait is now not coming for the T20. I reckon this could be a good thing as is can spray it and not having him could enable us to get in a decent spinner.

someone like Ajmal would be seriously good. the guy is unhittable at times.

Sonic - I think it is stretching a point to think of Batty as an international quality bowler (even though he did briefly get into the England team some years ago, where it was quickly realised this was not the place for him!) Until today he had done better than most Surrey supporters expected this season. But even at his best he can hardly be regarded as much more than a decent member of a Div 2 bowling line up...

As mentioned above I think we badly missed Dernbach today. He can be expensive at times. But he has the variety and the disguised slower ball that will usually get a wicket or two when batsmen are on the rampage.

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:Sonic - I think it is stretching a point to think of Batty as an international quality bowler (even though he did briefly get into the England team some years ago, where it was quickly realised this was not the place for him!) Until today he had done better than most Surrey supporters expected this season. But even at his best he can hardly be regarded as much more than a decent member of a Div 2 bowling line up...

As mentioned above I think we badly missed Dernbach today. He can be expensive at times. But he has the variety and the disguised slower ball that will usually get a wicket or two when batsmen are on the rampage.

Sorry looking back I gave Batty a much higher rating than he deserves

What we miss is a high quality spinner. Batty and Schofield aren't every likely to run through a side!

Jade was certainly missed, he seems to have the ability to make the breakthrough when Surrey really need it.