County Championship 2017

First topic message reminder :

Not long to go now, just under a month!

Who are your picks for the title?
Who is going down?
Surprise team?
Most runs?
Most wickets?

Discuss here!

But it's raining, Jimbo!

Nooooooo the rain has arrived

Jimbo - the next hour or so could be remarkably tense for both teams, even with no cricket being played!

They get back on and Ervine cleans up the tail to give Hants the deserved win and send them top of the table.

Warks remaining a leading candidate for the drop. Fighting contributions from Trott, Ronnie and Singh but the rest seem a sorry bunch. Bell's quickfire 60 odd last night and today was not what the Bears needed in their situation. I'm sure there'll be calls for his head!

Meanwhile, enjoy tonight, Jimbo!

Cheers Guildford

Last 2 wickets fell to Ervine's 'offspin' - can't say I've seen him bowl that before. Usually a medium pacer

Poor capitulation by Warks - but Hants looking good at the moment.  Middlesex really need to win a match or two soon if they want to mount defence of their title.  But it's still very close.

Today's games:

Surrey vs Essex
Somerset vs Yorkshire
Lancashire vs Middlesex

Div 2:

Worcestershire vs Glamorgan
Northants vs Derbyshire
Leicestershire vs Sussex
Gloucestershire vs Notts

Kent vs Durham started yesterday... Durham are 318-5

Glamorgan beat Worcestershire, bit of a surprise that one.

Samit Patel 203 not out for Notts

A good game between Somerset and Yorkshire, should be a close one

Lancs on top vs Middlesex

Somerset preparing raging turners and then subsequently losing on said pitches because other teams all have better spinners will never not be funny to me

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Somerset preparing raging turners and then subsequently losing on said pitches because other teams all have better spinners will never not be funny to me

While this may usually be the case, Yorkshire definitely don't have better spinners than Somerset (with Rashid away with England). Sidebottom, Patterson and the very occasional off spin of Lyth have won them that game.

Great win for Yorkshire though with a depleted team and after Somerset only needed 20 more runs with 3 wickets left.

Today's games:

Middlesex vs Yorkshire
Lancashire vs Hampshire
Essex vs Warwickshire

Div 2
Worcestershire vs Kent
Notts vs Leicestershire
Durham vs Glamorgan

Yorkshire run out of patience with Jack Leaning - and give a debut to 18 yo Harry Brook. Very long tail for Yorkshire, and having lost the toss could be a long and hot day in the field.

Yeah, it is a good toss to win today.

Tiger, didn't leaning get a 50 the other day against Surrey? Rashid back for you guys, could be bowling a lot today!

In Div 2, Notts have a bowling line up of Ball, Broad, Fletcher and Pattinson. Good luck Leicestershire!

Middlesex 337-4 - Robson and Stirling with hundreds. Robson still going 152*

Hampshire 351-8 - A good recovery after being 38-3. Bailey with a 100.

Essex 236-5 - The reliable Jeetan Patel with 2 wickets. Bopara 84 not out

If Tiger's worries about Yorks' tail don't prove to be the case, the Lord's road could produce yet another draw.

Good recovery indeed by Jimbo's boys against Lancs. As well as Bailey's ton, more runs from Abbott - the Saffers' loss is Hants' gain. Interested to see 20 year old off spinner Brad Taylor is in their team (replacing Crane who is with the Lions) - saw him in a CC match against Surrey at the Oval about 3 years ago when he bowled tidily and got the wicket of Steve Davies.

Slow going by Essex but it may well still be enough against a Warks side who seem to have lost their mojo. Cook out in the 30s for the 4th time on the bounce - probably not significant but a bit odd. He looked totally in charge against the Surrey bowlers at Guildford last week before falling suddenly both times.

Guildford, re. Brad Taylor, he always stands out in the second xi. He's actually a very capable batsman too, was surprised to see him come in so late. Good to see him get a chance

I do seriously question Bell's captaincy of Warks. He's got available a young slow left armer Singh who took a sixfer in his last match and, although wicketless, bowled tidily enough yesterday. Bell doesn't give him the ball at all in today's first session but wastes 3 overs on Trott bowling, to add to the 4 he sent down yesterday.

LondonTiger wrote:Yorkshire run out of patience with Jack Leaning - and give a debut to 18 yo Harry Brook. Very long tail for Yorkshire, and having lost the toss could be a long and hot day in the field.

Tiger wasn't kidding! Yorks' numbers 6, 7, 8 and 9 come and go in their first dig for a total of 1 run.

Two days into the current round.

Looks like it could be a good and tight game at Old Trafford. Lancs 278/5 in response to Hants' 395. On a rare first team outing, a wicket for Hants' young off spinner Taylor to dine out on - Chanderpaul.

Meanwhile looking good for the home sides in the other 2 matches.

At Lord's, Middlesex well on top as Yorks crumble in their first dig. Even in this heat, expect Middlesex to enforce the follow on tomorrow - they mucked up by not doing so when they had the chance in a game earlier in the season and are still getting flak.

At the People's Republic of Chelmsford, Warks are already batting for a draw in their first innings and have lost their openers. No wickets yet for Wagner but 10 economical overs on the bounce in the heat of the final session - I liked the way he kept charging in at Guildford last week. No doubt about it, Essex are a good and committed team.

Middlesex beat Yorkshire in 3 days. Rayner cleaning up the tail.

Lancs pile on the runs vs Hampshire. Vilas double hundred, was dropped twice in the first over of the day!

Warks digging in vs Essex. Jeetan Patel 52 not out to go with his 4 wickets in the first innings.

In Div 2:

Notts comfortably beat Leicestershire in 3 days. Not the most surprising result of the year.

Close game between Worcestershire and Kent. Should be a good final day.

Durham on top vs Glamorgan

Middx bt Yorks by an innings. How the Tykes must hate facing the London county. How many defeats is that over the last few seasons ?
   Saw the first day's play when Robson and Stirling got 100s. Impressed with Coad who looked sharp. This will kickstart Middx's season after a slow start.

Day/night cricket with a pink ball...

Div One:

Yorkshire vs Surrey
Warwickshire vs Lancashire
Hampshire vs Somerset
Essex vs Middlesex

Div 2:

Sussex vs Gloucestershire
Notts vs Kent
Northants vs Leicestershire
Glamorgan vs Derbyshire
Durham vs Worcestershire

Norrthants are 77-2. Duckett is 66 not out!! He's hit 15 fours already

Warwickshire's Lee Ian Westwood retires with immediate effect http://www.espncricinfo.com/county-cricket-2017/content/story/1106184.html?CMP=chrome

Probably concentrating on his golf career, Pete

Meanwhile Hants declare on 211-9. Yes you read that right. No injury or anything. Somerset have to face 6 overs tonight. Clever or stupid?

Stupid
Somerset finish 18-0.


Surrey going well vs Yorkshire. Sanga in the runs again. Unbelievable player.

Another old timer in the runs again, Chanderpaul 100 vs Warks. Class is permanent!

A good day for Essex. Harmer continues his form with the ball. Amir with 2 on debut too.

Essex looking very strong at the close on 106 - 0 in reply to Middlesex's 246.

Hants will be disappointed to have only one batting point against Somerset, reaching only 211 after a first wicket partnership of 84. Surrey notched up a useful total of 374 - 6 against Yorks, tho the latter are fielding a pretty strong batting line up of their own. Lancs 273 against Warks who have lost an early wicket in reply..

jimbohammers wrote:Meanwhile Hants declare on 211-9. Yes you read that right. No injury or anything. Somerset have to face 6 overs tonight. Clever or stupid?

I could understand if Surrey occasionally declared 9 wickets down if last man in was Footitt, as he rarely seems to last more than an over or so! For Hants, Abbott is a very useful batsman, tho Weal is a bit limited? But agree it seems odd to declare when you've only just passed 200.

jimbohammers wrote:Probably concentrating on his golf career, Pete

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:

jimbohammers wrote:Meanwhile Hants declare on 211-9. Yes you read that right. No injury or anything. Somerset have to face 6 overs tonight. Clever or stupid?

I could understand if Surrey occasionally declared 9 wickets down if last man in was Footitt, as he rarely seems to last more than an over or so! For Hants, Abbott is a very useful batsman, tho Weal is a bit limited?  But agree it seems odd to declare when you've only just passed 200.

I wouldn't have declared 9 down on day one with only 200 on the board as George Bailey did but I could understand it. If Hants were keen to try and quickly even the match position up, their best chance was to take one or even two wickets last night. They would just about have achieved parity if Somerset were resuming today at 12/1 and definitely so if the Cidermen were 10/2. However, as we know, the gamble didn't pay off and no wickets fell.

My (rather miserly) view is that you need more than 200 runs to win a CC match and that it's where you are at the end of day four that is key, not day one. Thus, I wouldn't have declared and instead have tried to eke out a few more runs last night and if possible into today (as said, Abbott is no mug with the bat and is in good recent form). The way things worked out backs up my approach. However, that still doesn't mean Bailey was wrong to try what he did.

Although Footitt is a dreadful number 11 as the Corporal suggests, I remember Alec Stewart talking about Surrey's 2013 tail - ''When we went 6 down, it was a case of start the mower!''

Looks like they may get a full day's play in Warks v Lancs. Warks grinding along at 93 -3 off 42 overs.

Thin pickings elsewhere in Div 1. Essex were due to resume batting about now - but it's raining again there. I reckon that's it for the day in the Hants/Somerset match at Southampton with continuous rain forecast. Surrey may get to resume their innings at 1700 - if there's no more rain.

Umeed who is an opener for Warks is 93 not out off 320 balls. Strike rate of 29.
Hope he gets out on 99

jimbohammers wrote:Umeed who is an opener for Warks is 93 not out off 320 balls. Strike rate of 29.
Hope he gets out on 99

And people wonder why county championship games are poorly attended...how dour must that have been to watch for the Warks faithful!

Warks eventually reached 259 - 7 off 109 overs. That keeps them well in the match - tho a haul of only two batting points is not ideal considering their lowly position in the table.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:

jimbohammers wrote:Umeed who is an opener for Warks is 93 not out off 320 balls. Strike rate of 29.
Hope he gets out on 99

And people wonder why county championship games are poorly attended...how dour must that have been to watch for the Warks faithful!

I don't know anything of the conditions at Edgbaston yesterday or how Lancs were bowling but I'm inclined to be a lot more generous towards Umeed. He's a young guy trying to make his way in the game and playing for a team near rock bottom which always makes it so much harder. Whilst not denying the Warks faithful would have liked a bit more in the way of action, I feel they would still have appreciated and valued his fight and determination which is in marked contrast to so many of his senior colleagues this season.

As a result of Umeed's efforts, Warks should get a first innings lead which has been a rarity for them recently. Due to the weather, there may not be enough time for a positive result to be achieved and, yes, Warks have only bagged 2 batting points but that still doesn't mean his approach was wrong. If he had tried to crack on, he may have got out much sooner and the Bears might have folded for less than 250, forfeiting a second batting point and a first innings lead in the process.

That all said, I fully accept his type of knock won't get new punters flooding in. However, without meaning to be at all snotty about it, t20 would probably be far more their cup of tea. There's absolutely nothing wrong with them preferring that. However, for me at least, part of the attraction of CC cricket is it being at times a game of patience.

EDIT AND PS: Just seen George Dobell's cricinfo report which is in a similar vein to my post albeit far better written and humorous.

Guildford's mate, Steve Davies has just got a duck. Not in the best of form since joining from Surrey...

jimbohammers wrote:Guildford's mate, Steve Davies has just got a duck. Not in the best of form since joining from Surrey...

Just saw that a few minutes ago. It's been a good week already for me and that sure didn't change it!

Massive first wicket stand by Essex means they get 5 batting points and Middlesex fail to get even one bowling point - fairly unusual I'd have thought in an innings lasting at least 110 overs.

Somerset crumbling badly against Hants before rain stops play with Somerset on 135 - 8.  Steve Davies not the only  Somerset batsman to fail!  Just looking at some of the Somerset batting averages in the cc this season there's a lot of disappointing ones:
Trescothick 26.08
Hildreth 22.73
Peter Trego 20.50
Steve Davies 18.40
Tom Abell 17.10

Hampshire declare, setting Somerset 161 to win off 30 overs... Mmmm

jimbohammers wrote:Hampshire declare, setting Somerset 161 to win off 30 overs... Mmmm

That's not a very big target!!

And not very many overs for Hants to pickup 10 wickets...strange declaration. Saying that Somerset are 2 down after 5 overs!!

16 year old Hamidullah Qadri takes 6 wickets in his first class debut, including a five for in the second innings to lead Derbyshire to a good victory in Cardiff over Glamorgan.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:16 year old Hamidullah Qadri takes 6 wickets in his first class debut, including a five for in the second innings to lead Derbyshire to a good victory in Cardiff over Glamorgan.

Reading a little more into Qadri it appears he is an English qualified Afghan refugee. What a story!

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:

jimbohammers wrote:Hampshire declare, setting Somerset 161 to win off 30 overs... Mmmm

  That's not a very big target!!

Just seen this. This declaration by Hants (their second one in the match and the first caused some surprise) has to be in Somerset's favour. Just push for the target and shut up shop if you go, say, 5 down too soon - Somerset are no great shakes with the bat but even they should be able to do that.

Meanwhile, Middlesex battling to hold out against Essex's Harmer who has taken all 5 of their wickets to fall so far second dig.

Corp, Olly, Guildford - that's why i find it strange from our point of view, surely if there is going to be any result (other than a draw) it will be Somerset winning? As Guildford says, go at it hard then if the total is looking unlikely then just see it out?

We don't cover Div Two much here but a cracking game coming to a conclusion at Northants where Leics need 49 more to win with 20 overs to go but only 3 wickets left. Ackerman with a ton and Surrey loanee Pillans biffing away at the crease ....

Steven Davies has at last found a bit of batting form - 36* off 30 balls.  If he keeps going like that then the batsmen at the other end won't actually need to do anything heroic....