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!

Division One here we come!! (For a season, probably)

Raining at Taunton as Ian Bell does his best to try to keep Middx up. Hants will need comfortably the highest score of the match to win in the fourth innings and winning from there is rare.

A last wicket stand of 54 must be making Jimbo go bananas! Look bleak for Hants - they need Ashes man Vince to come good...

In Div 2 - as Mat posts the Pears are already up - a great achievement for them, the Tom Kohler Cadmore derby with Yorkshire next season promises to be tasty....

Northants still on course to beat Leics but Notts seem to be well on their way to securing a draw against Sussex which means they will go up

Warwickshire ultimately all out for 186, with the last wicket adding 59. Hampshire need to chase 259, comfortably the highest score of the match.

The BBC reporting that Notts are all but promoted as they have passed the follow-on target. The only problem with that is they haven't as this is a 4 day game not a Test match. Really poor quality reporting!

EDIT: They've finally twigged and have sheepishly changed the updates to say "Notts closing in on follow-on target"

dummy_half wrote:Warwickshire ultimately all out for 186, with the last wicket adding 59. Hampshire need to chase 259, comfortably the highest score of the match.

That's going to be very tough for Hants, particularly if Patel finds rhythm. Their best chance of avoiding the drop might now rest with more rain tomorrow at Taunton denying Somerset the win.

Notts staging a great fightback, have now got to 460, with a 50 partnership for the last wicket. Still not entirely out of the woods, but you'd have to say a draw is now favourite. Still trail Sussex's first innings total by about 100, but surely have taken enough time out of the game to make it impossible for Sussex to declare and set them a tricky chase tomorrow.

I will just reiterate - Notts were 65-5 and 500 behind roughly this time yesterday.

Cricinfo reporting Matt Maynard will leave Somerset at the end of the season

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Cricinfo reporting Matt Maynard will leave Somerset at the end of the season

Not overly surprised. From what I've heard, the Somerset locals have never taken to him. That and being in relegation trouble ain't good for anyone's job prospects.

About as good a day as could realistically hoped.

Northants should chase down a win at Leicester so need Sussex to be enterprising in chasing a result in a meaningless game.

GSC wrote:About as good a day as could realistically hoped.

Northants should chase down a win at Leicester so need Sussex to be enterprising in chasing a result in a meaningless game.

GSC - hope I'm wrong but I can see Sussex batting until 4.20 and then both sides shaking hands on the draw. If Sussex do decide to have a bowl at Notts, I doubt it'll be much more than a token effort. Notts aren't going to risk anything on going for the win when the draw suits them fine and Sussex know that.

Yeah Notts will happily let Sussex go as long as they want to, and would guess their main priority tomorrow will be holding the run rate down.

Unless Sussex really feel like setting a tempting target, I can't see there being enough time to force a result on a pitch that's seen so many runs already

As expected from day 2 of this match, Middlesex have only the slightest chance of saving the match against Somerset - I think we can be fairly confident that Somerset will have ensured there has been no tactical leakage in the covers during yesterday's rain to prevent play today.

In contrast Hants do retain a modest - but not at all unrealistic - chance of pulling off a win against Warks.  OK they do need to score the highest total in the match and their batting has been horribly fragile of late - but needing 238 with 9 wickets left? I still stand by my assessment after end of day 2 that it's 65/35 in Warks favour.

Not surprised rheres a delayed start in Leicester, rained pretty heavily last night.

Delayed start at Hove too, Notts won't care one bit.

GSC wrote:Not surprised rheres a delayed start in Leicester, rained pretty heavily last night.

Delayed start at Hove too, Notts won't care one bit.

Pretty much all over now - would take a miracle for Notts to lose from this position!

Another inspection at 11.30 due to wet outfield. Suspect no play this morning.

Early lunch taken at 12 with an inspection at 12.15.

Supposedly it's pretty damp around the run up areas. Time running out for Northants.

7 down at Taunton. Simpson and Stirling have both gone now. Just Harris and a very ordinary tail (Finn at 9, higher than he has ever normally batted) left.

Meanwhile, play is just underway in Brum but 16 overs wiped off the day (time and overs are not made up on day 4). With 9 wickets left, Hants need 239 more for victory but don't actually have to win to stay up. Jimbo - if your boys can block out 480 balls, you're saved!

Middlesex collapse pretty tamely and lose to Somerset

Sussex Notts to resume at 1pm.

88 runs the lead, Northants really need Sussex to set a tempter

67 overs to play

Hants doing well so far on 63 - 1. Runs required now dipped just below 200. And a draw could come into the equation with "only" about 66 overs left, if they decide to just block out Patel.

Middx all out and relegated unless Hampshire get bowled out. Middx's problems began when they boneheadedly failed to enforce the follow-on against Essex at Lord's earlier in the season.
   Injuries, call-ups (Lions, Ireland etc) and sheer poor form have put them in this position. Personally, I'm rather looking forward to seeing the more-positive cricket that is usually played in Div 2 rather than the fear-of-relegation stuff too often served up in Div 1.

Jeetan Patel getting 'quite a bit of turn and bounce' according to Kevan James on BBCSolent which is worrying !

Call the pitch inspector in

65 overs in which to get the runs or hold out, Jimbo.

If and when the Bears bowl bad balls, Hants should hit 'em. You don't want to get to the last session with Patel bowling and able to have 9 men around the bat. However, don't do anything too rash either*. The draw will more than do Hants and guarantee safety.

Play it 5 overs at a time. Just 13 of them to go.

* For using up a bit more time when hanging on for a draw, one of my old teammates would try to smack the ball into some bushes just beyond a part of the boundary - not always recommended!

Guildford, are you available to give the team a quick phone call ? Haha

--
On the BBC website there is a 'pick your county championship team of the season' so... Let's give it a go.

As a Middlesex man I am trying to summon faith in the ability of the Warwickshire bowlers to - for once - not grab defeat from the jaws of victory

If we go down I guess it's our own fault. But if Hampshire manage to dodge a bullet two years in a row I suggest they all put their seasons earnings into the lottery...

Mine would be:

Mitchell (Worcestershire)
Stoneman (Surrey)
Denly (Kent)
Sanga 'the king' (Surrey)
Lawrence (Essex)
Patel (Notts)
Foakes (Surrey)
Archer (Sussex)
Harmer (Essex)
Abbott (Hants)
Porter (Essex)

No doubt I've left a couple out that should be there

2 quick wickets. Noooooo

Time for Vince to show why he's on the plane

Vince still in but Hants now four down. Hope for Middx yet.

Bailey departs reverse sweeping for a duck. Suspect there may be one of two words said about that one...

Somersets pitch traded graded as below average so no points deduction

Meanwhile Northants are steadily creeping home at Leics, needing another 125 with 9 wickets left.

Luke Wells has opened up at Sussex like he plans to set a target.

GSC wrote:Bailey departs reverse sweeping for a duck. Suspect there may be one of two words said about that one...

Somersets pitch traded graded as below average so no points deduction

From afar, that seems fair enough about the Somerset pitch. It was giving a lot of turn which might amount to too much too soon for some. However, Somerset made the best part of 500 runs for 19 wickets. The ECB are effectively saying, ''Keep your points but mind how you go in future''.

Middlesex were unfortunate that Rayner was out injured but that's all part of a Championship season and nothing to do with Somerset. Given it was obvious that the track was going to aid spin, Middlesex would almost certainly have been better off including Sowter alongside Patel (who ended on the losing side despite a match twelvefer!) rather than three seamers.

Meanwhile, I can't get through on the phone to Edgbaston, Jimbo! Your batsmen must be giving you kittens.

Dawson has dropped anchor. Not sure its the best choice, might be quicker to knock the runs off than block out

GSC wrote:Dawson has dropped anchor. Not sure its the best choice, might be quicker to knock the runs off than block out

Difficult balance for Dawson and 3 of his teammates getting out soon after lunch hasn't exactly helped! As long as he's there, he's doing the right thing. Hants really need to get to tea with no further losses. 5 down then and it'll be tough for them. 6 down at tea and I reckon champagne corks will be popping in Middlesex tonight ....

So it is Vince (lucky to be on the plane to Oz) and Dawson (who should be on the plane , IMHO ) to try and save Hampshire...I suspect once this stand is broken things might happen quickly ?

Can't see them going for the runs . Too far . Too risky.

Might be a tense last few hours

Looks like Hants will lose wickets in "clumps" - like Surrey said when they lost all 10 for less than 100!

Nervy times - but will Les Dawson have the last laugh?  Still 50 overs to go. Tbh difficult to see Hants lasting that long by just prodding.  But asking rate only a bit above 3 an over. Warks of course failed to bowl out Yorks in the second innings when they had them on the ropes in the last match- but this is a more demanding task for the batting side. And the pressure on the batting side is much greater.

Extras playing a useful hand for Hants atm. 20 so far.

alfie wrote:So it is Vince (lucky to be on the plane to Oz) and Dawson (who should be on the plane , IMHO )to try and save Hampshire...I suspect once this stand is broken things might happen quickly ?

Can't see them going for the runs . Too far . Too risky.

Might be a tense last few hours

Surfing the net today, I wonder if he still might be.

?

What have you heard , guildford ? Added to squad ? Or do you mean Lions ...I'd imagine that is likely ?

He's just completed his pilot's licence with Qantas?

Going well for Hants this late afternoon - should be able to see out the draw now you'd think

1 might bring a few, be some nerves around

Alfie - I'm not sure that Stokes is nailed on to make the Ashes trip now. If he doesn't and they want someone who can bat and bowl ...

Only speculation on my part and Dawson still wouldn't be favourite in my book to replace Stokes in the squad but I've probably read and certainly written dafter things on here.

Failing that, Dawson will surely make the Lions squad. Maybe even as captain.

Hmm. If Stokes were out I'd be adding two players.

The extra top order bat they probably need anyway ...and another pace bowler - maybe Plunkett ? With an eye to an attack of Anderson Broad Woakes + one . And the all rounders moving up one spot. Can't see a second spinner as a serious option for the XI.

Still hoping that all won't be necessary. Though I've already had to gag over an excessively self righteous article in the Sydney Morning Herald so am braced for a lot of hypocritical b/s in the local press from now until the Ashes is over...

Hants survive to tea with only 4 down. The win seems to have gone out of the window as far as Hants are concerned and I can understand that. The loss of those 3 wickets soon after lunch changed the dynamics.

Patel with rather remarkable figures of 18-10-18-2. However, Warks and Middlesex would be more than happy to double the size of those last two figures now.

Unless Warks can squeeze an extra one in, there are now 33 overs for Hants to survive. Less than 200 balls, Jimbo - you can do that! Sorry, Alfie!