County Championship 2016 - Division One

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Discussion thread.

Winners?
Relegation?
Most runs?
Most wickets?
Breakthrough player?

Notts collapsing - 7 down now. Momentum is strongly with Hants.

Now 2 wickets in an over for Crane!

Good news for Surrey, Corp

Jimbo - as Surrey know to our cost Chris Read can be a very stubborn batsman, but with 26 overs to go that should be enough to dismiss Tahir and the no 11!

Well done to Jimbo's men! A few hairy moments today during that big Notts partnership...but a vital win for Hants.

Corp

Wheal with 6 wickets, Crane with 3. Good to see 2 youngsters performing

jimbohammers wrote:Corp

Wheal with 6 wickets, Crane with 3. Good to see 2 youngsters performing

Hants still firmly in relegation zone - but no longer cast adrift from possible safety.  A very bad day for Notts - who seem to underperforming badly considering the resources at their disposal.

So, Middlesex in the driving seat. But they sit out the next round of matches (next Tuesday) while Yorks could make up most of the ground if they beat out of form Notts at Scarborough.

Surrey have played more matches than all other teams in Div 1 and will be hoping to consolidate their improved chances of survival at home to mid table Lancs, while Hants (looking to move up towards the mid table pack) are away to Somerset who still have an outside chance of the title.

Durham v Warks is something of a lower mid table clash - both sides should be safe enough, but if they have a poor couple of matches and maybe some bad luck with the weather they just might get sucked into relegation difficulties.

One Div 1 player really making a mark this season is Lancashire's Hameed.  He scored centuries in both innings against Yorks.  Aged 19, he is the youngest player to score centuries in both innings of an English first class match.

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:One Div 1 player really making a mark this season is Lancashire's Hameed.  He scored centuries in both innings against Yorks.  Aged 19, he is the youngest player to score centuries in both innings of an English first class match.

Hameed was just pipped to 1000 runs in D1 by Keaton Jennings, who also has big runs against Yorkshire this season. By all accounts Hameed has looked compact and organised and shown the ability to bat for long periods of time.

This years CC is a bit of a farce with the number of completed games...only 24 of 53 so far in D1 and 21 of 53 in D2.

Its not inconceivable that both table toppers will only have 5 wins to their names from 16 fixtures. Its also notable that the current top 2 in Div 1 have amongst the worst completion records (Middlesex only getting results in 1/3 of their games so far).

Last season there was only 21 draws in the entire Div 1 season, that has already been well surpased with more than a third of games to play.

Its not even like the weather has been that bad this summer, has it just been pure bad luck the rain has aligned with the CC schedule?
Is there an issue with flat pitches to get 4 days in, is it just a dearth of decent bowlers, or is the CC just brimming with class batting talent? What the dickens is going on?

Scores at lunch:

Yorkshire 97-6 vs Notts - Mullaney 3 wickets

Lancs 79-2 vs Surrey - Curran + Meaker with a wicket each. Livingstone rebuilding on 29

Hampshire 93-4 vs Somerset - Spin introduced very early with ball reportedly turning sideways already...

Durham 59-2 - Barker with figures of 11 overs, 6 maidens, 9 runs, 2 wickets

The Hoddfather left unbeaten on 96 as Yorkshire bowled out for 282. If you had offered me that when they were 51-6 I would have bitten your hand off.

LondonTiger wrote:The Hoddfather left unbeaten on 96 as Yorkshire bowled out for 282. If you had offered me that when they were 51-6 I would have bitten your hand off.

This match may help illustrate possible answer to your question a few days ago about number of draws, LT.  Notts chose to bowl without their being a toss - and immediately had Yorks in deep trouble. This was at an "out" ground.  It could be that, in general, counties are taking care to produce good pitches otherwise they will simply find themselves put in to bat.

Anyway, a good recovery by Yorks and I think Notts - who badly need a win - may well be disappointed by their position at the end of play.

Scarborough is normally a decent wicket - but today was not helped by having been under covers for 3 days due to rain. Usually something in the morning for bowlers due to tide and the sea fog.

Oh and our typically inept top order display

LondonTiger wrote:Oh and our typically inept top order display

My hot tip for Div 1 batsman, Leaning, is currently averaging 18 for the season...

Good recovery by Hants against Somerset at 281 - 6. Likely to struggle to get more than three batting points. 

Slow going at Durham with home side dismissed for 207 and Warks on 25 -1 in reply.

Surrey had a solid day against Lancs finishing on 50 - 0 in reply to Lancs 287.

Probably have a much clearer idea after Day 2 as to which sides may have a significant advantge. It will certainly be a scorcher in many parts of the country.

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:

LondonTiger wrote:Oh and our typically inept top order display

My hot tip for Div 1 batsman, Leaning, is currently averaging 18 for the season...

He has seemed almost paralysed by fear in CC. Recent innings in limited overs stuff seemed to have freed him up - but.......


An example of the struggles of our top order:

In 12 completed innings the top 5 wickets have contributed 2000 runs, the bottom 5 wickets 1700 and on 6 occasions the bottom 5 scored more than the top 5.

Hampshire got their 3rd batting point.
Warwickshire slow but steady.
Surrey head towards a ton opening stand.
Notss do 10 runs better than Yorkshire and lose their 6th wicket on 61.

Notts bowled out for 94 - a deficit of 188. Yorkshire elect not to enforce the follow on. As batting is usually rather easy after the first hour (as Hodd and Rafiq showed yesterday) that is not a surprise.

At lunch:

Surrey 150-0 as they look to bat big and ensure they only bat once.
Warks 115-2 trail durham by 92
Somerset 40-0 looking to chase down Hampshire's 338
Yorkshire score 2 for no loss in single over available to extend lead to 190.

Yorks 388 ahead of Notts with 6 wickets left.  No batting points for Notts.  Looks like only rain can save Notts from another defeat.

Somerset trail Hants by 81 with 5 wickets left.  Reportedly the pitch is taking some spin.

Surrey have a useful but not decisive advantage over Lancs (first innings lead of 67 with 4 wickets left)

Warks have ground out a first innings lead of 108 over Durham, and still with three wickets left.

At Lunch:

Yorkshire need 9 more wickets, Notts 448 runs. Wether not good for after tea today, but looking good for tomorrow.
Surrey close to a 200 run lead as Sam Curran falls just short of a maide first class hundred.

No play at Chester-le-Street and limited play at Taunton

Yorks captured three Notts wickets before rain halted play for the day.  They are very likely to win that one, although Notts could possibly hang on for the draw if they bat very much better than first time round.

The best Hants can aim for now is a draw against Somerset as the latter have established a first innings lead of almost 200.  Hants must have fallen apart as they conceded 67 runs in the last 5 overs of the days' play.

Surrey had an excellent day and look likely to win their match against Lancs fairly early tomorrow.

With loss of play to rain it looks likely that Warks and Durham will draw. although Durham could lose if they bat badly enough.

Surrey's win takes them to second in the table. Lots of caveats over that, but should mean their top flight status is secure.

Stunning 8th wicket partnership for Somerset. 217 runs in 214 balls.

Notts implode again, all out for 146, following their 94.  Really poor. But well done Yorks who have very much put their title prospects back on track.

Looking very much like the other two Div 1 matches will end in draws.  If so, that won't change things much at the bottom, other than further strengthening Notts' position as odds on favourite for relegation.  Hants would still remain the most likely candidate for the other spot.

The two remaining matches finished as tame draws as Durham and Hants mounted stubborn 4th innings resistance.

I would say that, realistically, the title race is down to three teams, Middlesex, Yorks, Somerset on 173, 168 and 151 points, each having 4 matches still to play.

In the penultimate round of matches (starting 12 Sept) Yorks are at home to Somerset, and in the final round (starting 20 Sept) Middlesex are at home to Yorks.

Various other teams could in theory take the title, but it seems unlikey that all of Middlesex, Yorks and Somerset would all play badly.

Some important games starting today:

Warwickshire vs Middlesex
Lancashire vs Somerset
Hampshire vs Yorkshire
Durham vs Notts

Lunch update:

Warwickshire vs Middlesex = Middlesex 77/2 - they were 6-2 so good comeback.

Lancashire vs Somerset = Somerset 69/0

Hampshire vs Yorkshire = Yorkshire 90/3 - Lehman and Gale rebuilding

Durham vs Notts = Durham 115/1 - Stoneman 49 not out, with Borthwick 20 not out

Durham / Notts match rattling on.  Durham all out 244 (only 1 batting point) with Notts in trouble early, on 29 - 2.

Somerset on 214 - 1 off 67 overs digging in for a big score against Lancs. Abell has a century.

Middlesex faltering on 205 - 7, as Poysden the Warks leg spinners takes four wickets. (None so far for Patel who wrecked Somerset's hopes in the 50 overs cup earlier this week.)

Yorks innings holed below the waterline on 230 - 8 against Hants, with 5 wickets for "ice" Berg.

After mid innings collapse, Somerset are reasserting their dominance against Lancs with a huge partnership between Trego and Ryan Davies which is now approaching 200.  Somerset on 479 - 7.

Warks 72 - 2 in reply to Middlesex 242 - so that one is fairly even. 

Yorks fighting back against Hants.  After reaching 281 (with aid of last wicket parntership of nearly 50) Yorks now have Hants at 68 - 3.  Hants are without Wheater (see separaet thread on transfers) and Dawson.

Libby (98*) is holding Notts reply together (213 - 4) in reply to Durham's 244. Vital opportunity for Notts to take a big lead and revive their flagging Div1 survival campaign.

Must admit I think it's a bit off for Wheater to be going on loan to Essex at a time when Hants have a modest but not completely unrealistic hope of avoiding relegation.  Don't know whether Jimbo agrees?

Hi Corp,

Wheater is a very good batsman, his talent isn't in doubt, his attitude on the other hand...
When Benkenstein was still coach he came out publicly and said that he wasn't impressed with his attitude behind the stumps and that he'd only get in the team as a batsman. He was important for us, he scores quickly and can go big but with Vince left out by England it kind of makes sense.
They rate youngster McManus, he's a very good keeper, just needs experience and to contribute some runs. Hopefully he'll get the whole of next season to cement his place.

Meanwhile we go from 199-4 to 222 all out

Both Yorks and Middlesex showing resilience in current matches - emerging from longish periods when they were on the backfoot to take up a strong position near the end of Day 2.  I guess that's a good indication of why they're at or near the top of the table.

Meanwhile, relegation threatened Notts on top in their match at Durham. Imran Tahir with 1/1 from his 2 overs tonight, keep expecting him to get a sackful. If Notts can win that and go on, several counties will be looking over their shoulder.

What has really annoyed me is Liam Dawson not being released by England. He's missed 2 county championship games and he has played no cricket for England at all, just carrying the drinks. He's a massive player for us, bowls, bats and a very good fielder.

Warwickshire's collapse yesterday followed rather a contentious run-out.

Rain on the south coast has maybe hampered Yorkshires chances of keeping up with Middlesex.

Durham back in the game, if not yet on top, at home to Notts. Nightwatchman Onions still there at lunch and needs just one more run for a maiden 50.

There's a fair chance that all four Div 1 matches will end as draws, as rain spreads from the west tomorrow. Some matches may get play during the morning, but seems unlikely there will be enough anywhere for a team to force a result. (I suppose it's possible that Warks may implode very quickly and lose against Middlesex on a turning pitch at Birmingham.)

A full set of draws will of course deepen the relegation concerns of Notts and Hants - while leaving the position largely unchanged near the top as between Middlesex, Yorks and Somerset.

As expected.  Lancs/Somerset already drawn.  No start yet in any of the Div 1 matches except at Southampton where Yorks have declared against Hants.

Rain/bad light reached Southampton now, so that will finish in a draw.  Durham / Notts rained off, and so drawn.

Meanwhile the rain cleared through in Birmingham, allowing a couple of hours play there.  Middlesex pressing for victory on a turning pitch with Warks on 95 - 4.  Ian Bell digging in.

With three rounds left we return to 10:30 starts and probably mainly uncontested tosses.

It will now take something stunning for Notts and Hants (with two matches each left) to avoid relegation. Hants coul dput some pressure on Durham by beating Surrey I guess.

Weather will again play a key role. and currently does not look too bad a forecast.

Yorkshire have been told that neither Root nor YJB are available for the remainder of the season. Not surprised about the Root decision, but surprised and saddened by the Bairstow one.

Jonny has not batted much since the test series ended and perhaps could have done with the game-time, and does not have a central contract. ECB will therefore have to pay compensation which will keep our accountants happy I guess.

Three of the four away teams chose an uncontested toss, but perhaps have not quite gained the inroads they would have hoped for in the first 10 overs.

LondonTiger wrote:Three of the four away teams chose an uncontested toss, but perhaps have not quite gained the inroads they would have hoped for in the first 10 overs.

In contrast, Somerset won the toss and chose to bat against Warks but have crashed to 75 - 9.  Barker (4 wickets) Wright (2) and Clarke (3) doing the damage.  Ironic that Somerset were the only side in all 7 matches (across both Divisions) where there was a toss.

Of the batting sides in Div 1 only Yorks have got away to a really strong start (110 - 1).  Notts are on 74 - 3 and Surrey on 93 - 2 (with Sanga having gone), so both Middlesex and Hants will probably feel they have done OK in the morning session.

Somerset fighting back against Warks - taken 3 wickets in two overs, including Bell for golden duck.  Warks now 68 - 4 in reply to Somerset's 95.  Sounds like the pitch isn't up to much!

At tea Yorkshire have reached 223-3. Will be pleased to have one batting point in the bag and a decent position, but need to capitalise in the final session.

As it is Middlesex have two bowling points and will hope to bowl Notts out after tea.

Youthful off break bowler, Dominic Bess, currently has 5 wickets for 17 playing for Somerset against Warks.  Warks have staggered along to 107 - 8 in reply to 95.