2015 - Division 1 Discussion Thread

[LondonTiger]

First topic message reminder :

As pretty much every poster that follows County Cricket seems to be a Surrey fan I am sure the Division 2 discussions will be livelier.

Hopefully there are some followers of other counties to write a little bit about their team, but as a Yorkshire member it is them I shall concentrate on.

The start of the season will be an interesting one for us. Andrew Gale will miss the first fixture at Worcester as he completes his ban. Meanwhile the first 3 CC fixtures coincide with Englands tour of the WI meaning some unfamiliar faces will be featuring against Worcester, Notts and  the first home fixture against Warwickshire. With the County unlikely to see a great deal of Root and Ballance it is nor surprise that ewe have chosen to go down the batsman route as our overseas player - Aaron Finch returns as the main player, with Younus Khan deputising at the start of the season and Kane Williamson at the end. Glenn Maxwell makes up a quality group of players, joining for the T20s.


Squad:

Batsmen: Lyth, Lees, Gale (cpt), Finch (see above), Leaning, Root, Ballance
Keepers: Bairstow, Hodd
All Rounders: Rashid, Bresnan, Rhodes, Pyrah
Seamers: Plunkett, Brooks, Sidebottom, Patterson, Ashraf, Coad, Fisher
Spinners: Carver


Likely team for first match, away to Worcestershire:

Hodd, Lees, Leaning, Younus, Rhodes, Bresnan, Pyrah, Patterson, Sidebottom, Brooks, Carver.

Compared to the side likely to finish the season against Susses (injuries permitting):

Lyth, Lees, Williamson, Root, Ballance, Bairstow, Rashid, Bresnan, Plunkett, Sidebottom, Brooks.

[Mike Selig]

Great rearguard from Harris and Murtagh to earn us a scarcely deserved draw.

Really need to sort out these collapses, but good signs with Voges and Compton in amongst the runs.

[NickisBHAFC]

100-1 for Sussex. Some superb batting by Matt Machan this morning, hitting a quick 50.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Big partnership building between Hales and James Taylor for Notts - 164 so far.

Sussex continue to rattle along but have lost a few wickets. 274 -5.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Hales ton - outside contender for an ashes berth?

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Hales up to 201* including 34 fours and a six.

[NickisBHAFC]

Yeah superb from Alex Hales. 

Matt Machan hitting 135 as sussex finish on 345. Hopefully some early wickets tomorrow.

[jimbohammers]

Class from Hales!

[jimbohammers]

Darren Stevens up to his usual tricks. 50 with the bat and now 4-29 off 10 overs

[jimbohammers]

Lancashire with 4 'overseas' players in their team.

[packofwolves]

Maiden div1 half century for Richie Oliver this morning down at Hove. Easy to forget how little div1 experience there is in this Worcester side (only Mitchell, kervezee and Andrew of the 11 playing in this round).

[Mat]

101 for Oliver, and Kervezee just gone for 93. Andrew still there on 33 not out, having another decent all-round game. Hopefully him and Shantry can push us up to or above Sussex's 345

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Worcs building a useful lead with a 50+ 9th wicket partnership. They've come back well after Sussex set off at a cracking pace. (Though Andrew is out just this moment.)

[NickisBHAFC]

Thought our bowling attack would of done better today, but none the less 44 runs behind isn't the end of the world. Hopefully our batsman can actually have a good innings.

[packofwolves]

101 for Oliver, and Kervezee just gone for 93. Andrew still there on 33 not out, having another decent all-round game. Hopefully him and Shantry can push us up to or above Sussex's 345

We've had some pretty compelling evidence in the 5 days of FC cricket which Worcester have played so far this season of just how big an impact Gaz Andrew can make in that side. He's a genuine wicket taking option and his batting so far this season has been very useful.

[JDizzle]

Looks like Oliver has realised he isn't playing Birmingham League Div 2 anymore, and can't just try and hit every ball from ball 1 for four! Great knock.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Yorks with 8 wickets down have managed to crawl past Notts' first innings score of 428. Bit of a marathon innings which has so far lasted 143 overs.

[jimbohammers]

Close games everywhere...

Sussex just bowled out for 290, meaning Worcestershire need 246 to win.

Hampshire lead Warwickshire by 350 with 1 wicket remaining. Ervine with a century. Carberry making 81.

Lancashire lead Derbyshire by 337 with 1 wicket remaining.

[guildfordbat]

You should be well placed there, Jimbo. Warks will need to make the highest innings score of the match to win - never easy.

Meanwhile, Mat and Pack will be hoping that Worcs can keep calm and get a vital early Div One win. Wish them luck although feel Magoffin could spoil their party ....

[Mat]

101 for Oliver, and Kervezee just gone for 93. Andrew still there on 33 not out, having another decent all-round game. Hopefully him and Shantry can push us up to or above Sussex's 345

We've had some pretty compelling evidence in the 5 days of FC cricket which Worcester have played so far this season of just how big an impact Gaz Andrew can make in that side. He's a genuine wicket taking option and his batting so far this season has been very useful.

Certainly is. Looks like we've unearthed another all rounder in the form of Alexei Kervezee, 93 in the first innings now his very part time bowling got him 3-72, having only taken 2 wickets in his career previously! Good contribution from Senanayake with 4 wickets too, now for a nervous last 15 and day tomorrow during the run chase...

[jimbohammers]

You should be well placed there, Jimbo. Warks will need to make the highest innings score of the match to win - never easy.

.

You're right there Guildford, although will feel much more comfortable if we can pick up a couple of wickets tonight

[NickisBHAFC]

I'll be amazed if sussex avoid defeat against worcestshire

[guildfordbat]

You should be well placed there, Jimbo. Warks will need to make the highest innings score of the match to win - never easy.

Meanwhile, Mat and Pack will be hoping that Worcs can keep calm and get a vital early Div One win. Wish them luck although feel Magoffin could spoil their party ....

Only 1 Warks wicket down. You want another couple by lunch methinks, Jimbo.

Meanwhile, Worcs stuttering at 73/4 and still requiring another 174. Sussex in the box seats there.

[NickisBHAFC]

Great morning session at hove!

[guildfordbat]

Great morning session at hove!

Yep, I thought you were being too pessimistic last night about your chances. Just 3 wickets now required by Sussex whilst Worcs are still 120 short of the winning target. My money is definitely on the bowlers!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Worcs 9 wickets down now. Sussex closing in on a good victory.

But looks like a stalemate in Notts v Yorks.

Warks just lost their second wicket against Hants. At the moment they don't seem to be making much effort to chase victory. But that could still change.

[jimbohammers]

Very surprised by Worcestershire's collapse. They were 52-0 when i last checked

[guildfordbat]

A few lusty blows at the end but Worcs still end up losing to Sussex by 60 odd runs. I thought Magoffin might be the danger man. He picked up a couple but Shahzad was the star of the show with a fivefer.

[NickisBHAFC]

Like I said before the season started, our bowling attack is the best in the league and it will win us a lot to of games.

[guildfordbat]

... Warks just lost their second wicket against Hants.  At the moment they don't seem to be making much effort to chase victory. But that could still change.

Unfortunately for this game, nothing much changed and it petered out into a draw. Thought Warks would have been a bit more daring, seemingly instead happy to draw rather than risk losing. In line with previous posts from Jimbo, Hants' bowling seems more steady than threatening.

[jimbohammers]

Guildford We're going to really struggle to win matches this year. Bizarre that we left Chris Wood out of that game.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Century last wicket partnership (so far) for Sussex between Oliver Robinson (on his first class debut, batting at No 9) and Matthew Hobden. It's not just Surrey bowlers that sometimes have trouble dismissing the tail cheaply.  Robinson was sacked by Yorks last year for behavioural problems.

Partnership has now passed 150 with Robinson getting century and Hobden passing 50.

[guildfordbat]

Robinson now has a ton. I'm sure Nick called it!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

They have at last taken tea, at c1650 - still with 9 wickets down!  This is a record last wicket partnership for Sussex in first class cricket.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Another hundred for Alex hales today - he nearly has 600 first class runs already!!

[guildfordbat]

As you might expect given the overcast conditions, most teams upon winning the toss today chose to field. Rather surprisingly, no bowling side has made a real killing. The team who looked most like doing so were Durham before Robinson and Hobden got going.

[NickisBHAFC]

Ollie Robinson and Matt Hobden writing there names in Sussex history with a quite remarkable final wicket partnership. 

Durham 100-1. That batting was so crucial from them both though, really has saved the day.

[jimbohammers]

Bit of a mess at Hampshire. Sign Jackson Bird to play the first half of the season. Missed all of the last yrar at Northants through injury and now injured without playing a single game for us! Now looking to get Fidel Edwards in earlier and in for our next game vs Yorkshire. Not good!

Hales with another 100 today.

Hildreth 187 for Somerset

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Hales certainly in magnificent form.  

Don't know whether the *Hildreth for England* bandwagon has been permanently parked in the garage but he is still a mighty good batsman on his day.

[NickisBHAFC]

Ollie Robinson, England player in 2 years time.

[jimbohammers]

Nick, is he the guy that got sacked from Yorkshire because of a terrible attitude?

[jimbohammers]

Martin Guptill is good at cricket. Currently 195* off 164 balls with 8 sixes

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Derbyshire scored 487 runs today whilst Gloucestershire dropped at least 6 catches. Ouch

[NickisBHAFC]

Durham look on course to beat us.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Durham look on course to beat us.

Quite likely - but if Sussex have best bowling attack in Div 1 they might yet make Durham panic.

[NickisBHAFC]

No Mills or Anyon. Bowling attack is far from it's best.

[Mat]

Excellent first win of the season for Worcs, bowling Somerset out for 90 second time round to win by an innings, on the back of some excellent late order batting from Ben Cox and another of JDizzle's local rivals Joe Leach--who added 2 wickets this morning to the 95 he got batting at number 8 yesterday.

Stand out performer was Charlie Morris, 5 wickets in the first innings followed by 4 in the second, with Shantry finishing things off with the last four wickets today. It's been a promising start to the season, I know we lost the first two games but we did get into some good positions, nice to take advantage of that this time around.

[JDizzle]

Excellent first win of the season for Worcs, bowling Somerset out for 90 second time round to win by an innings, on the back of some excellent late order batting from Ben Cox and another of JDizzle's local rivals Joe Leach--who added 2 wickets this morning to the 95 he got batting at number 8 yesterday.

Stand out performer was Charlie Morris, 5 wickets in the first innings followed by 4 in the second, with Shantry finishing things off with the last four wickets today. It's been a promising start to the season, I know we lost the first two games but we did get into some good positions, nice to take advantage of that this time around.

Would be nice if Worcs started producing their own players and stopped nicking Shropshire's though.

Bit suprised Leach had been left out so far this year, seemed to do well in his chances towards the end of last year. In the CC especially. Important innings for Cox too, Joe Clarke is banging on the door (Two Birmingham League centuries and one Minor Counties 100 already this year)!

Worrying times for Somerset though. Looking like a long season for the West Country boys.

[NickisBHAFC]

First trip to hove this summer, enjoyable day

Yardy has put on 20 stone
The sun was shining
Sussex giving Middlesex a fantastic help in hand by giving them over 60 extra runs
Matt Hobden has a shambolic run up

Enjoyable day

[LondonTiger]

Been a decent return for England's non playing tourists (barring Plunkett of course, dropped for being a plonker).

Composed 50 in the first innings for Lyth and now but now out in the second. Has he done enough to put pressure on the selectors?
Sublime ton for Bairstow, who will however be annoyed at being dismissed soon after.
And finally Rashid, snared Carberry before cleaning up the tail.

[jimbohammers]

Yorkshire in control vs us. Bairstow impressing in the match.
Another fight for a draw for Hants.

Tight game between Sussex and Middlesex. Middlesex just on top now after taking 2 quick wickets to get rid of Yardy and Wright

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