The Cricket Thread

Depends on what they make of Best's fitness I guess. One three day game is surely nowhere near enough to get him fully up to speed (just look at how bad Fidel was when he was thrown in, unfit, last season for his first game - but ultimately, given enough game time, he came very good), but they might decide that if he's say, 70% there, then that's enough. I get the impression from Giles' comments that Best is playing. (And there's no logical reason to play him, but drop one of McLaren, Wood or Tommo for Crane).

Weather looks good, so we could well have a toss rather than Middlesex choosing to bowl. (Also good weather at the moment for Tues and Weds, but bad tomorrow).

 

No toss, Middlesex choose to field.

 

Mason Crane plays.

Adams, Carberry, Vince, Smith, Dawson, Wheater, Mclaren, Wood, Best, Crane, Tomlinson.

 

No Ervine, despite being declared fit? Ouch, back to having a long tail.

Maybe his finger just didn't feel right this morning.

 

Decent day for Hants. Voges is out for the rest of the game so we only need to take 18 wickets. Weather forecast suggests it should stay dry until 3 or so. Good chance to win our first game of the season.

 

Really hope that Voges doesn't become another cricket casualty. Being struck on the head with a cricket ball can be lethal.

 

He's back at the hotel tonight, so that has to be taken as a positive.

Shame about the late wickets.

 

Looks like Fidel is done for the season: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/36192543

Solid draw today. Yet another injury though; Wood again.

 

We've signed Gareth Andrew (ex-Worcs) on a match-by-match basis. He goes straight into the 13 man squad for the Lancs match (given that Wood has joined the injury list).

Andrew himself has had all sorts of injury problems over the last couple of years, hence no longer being with Worcs. But on his day he's a decent bowler, and can hit the ball seriously hard. I'd rate his batting better than Wood's. I'm really happy with the signing.

Ervine is still missing with injury, so it may be that Andrew comes in for Crane (Crane being Ervine's replacement for the Middlesex) game. Partly depends if Dawson it fit enough to bowl again or not. I wouldn't want to go into a game at Old Trafford, even in early May, with only Smith as a spin option.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Andrew signing turns out to be very similar to the Berg signing. Picking up an experienced bowler (who can bat), who is unattached due to injury issues, who duly performs with bat and ball for us - before then succumbing to the next injury of theirs.

 

He could be a terrific signing.

 

We've chosen to have a toss, and have won it. So we're batting. Andrew comes straight into the XI, in place of the injured Wood. Crane keeping his place suggests to me that Dawson still can't bowl (although equally it could be because we have doubts over Andrew and Best both being able to complete sizeable numbers of overs).

Could find Jimmy bowling to Vince, ahead of the test squad being announced in a few days.

 

Run out for a duck, in front of Bayliss.

 

34/4. What a superb decision to bat first.

 

And no Ervine, leaving us a batsman light. We can't continue to rely on McLaren to score lower order runs. He is not an out and out no.7.

It's the pathetic run rate that I have more of an issue with than the four wickets. If we were 90-4 at this stage rather than 40-4, I'd still be very hopeful of making 200+.

 

5 down before lunch. Woeful batting.

 

All out for 109 .......

 

Welcome to Hampshire Gareth Andrew. One delivery, one wicket.

First good thing of the day for us.

 

Hants will do well to come out of this one with a draw...What happened to that Irish bowler that we signed?

 

Just read the day's scorecard and we are going to have to bat out of our skins for the next two days, it looks odds on a Lancs win.
Must've been a good effort from Tino, but Andrew only bowled 11 overs all innings......lack of fitness maybe?

 

Have other lovers of the great game spotted a double century at Glamorgan for Worcester's Brett D'Oliveira? First time a grandfather, a father and son have each scored a double century for the same County. Comes hard on the heels of his maiden century against Essex last week. Any connection to the great man catches my eye. Sad that neither grandad or dad have witnessed it.

I was in Capetown a couple of years ago. Dolly is still a national hero for many, and rightly so. Great man and lovely cricketer. Good to see the family name is still around.