The Cricket Thread

Match called off. What a shocker. Could have called that at 10am this morning.

 

I was staggered by the decision as it had rained all day. I was checking regularly throughout the afternoon for an update but the initial inspection was carried out at 1.15 and they did not check the pitch again until after the gates had opened. Given the forecast, a decision could have been made earlier as I don't think that it was ever going to be feasible with the storm predicted for the evening. Waste of an evening for me when I had loads to do plus I got a puncture driving home!

 

Fidel Edwards has taken 3 wickets in an over for Birmingham Bears.

 

Hampshire (17.0 overs) 124 - for 5 wickets

 

Hampshire finished 145-5 and Kent are 2-1 after the first over.

 

Northeast cost us the game with his awfully slow batting.

 

Those last 3 overs of Hampshire's innings were really poor. We should have been able to post 160. And why did Fuller come in ahead of Morris?

 

Given how tough it is to get out of the south group, to lose to a Kent side short of Denly, Billings and Kuhn is nothing short of horrific. We desperately needed to pick up two points there. Of their 11 players today, I reckon a maximum of four would get into our 11.

As for the match itself, it was clear early on that anything in excess of 135 would give us a real chance, given that the pitch was a right dog (not the groundsmen fault, having to go with a used pitch from the world cup). So I was pretty content with 145 - although with the platform which Vince and Northeast set well for us, we probably should have got up to 155 or even 160. Just one boundary Fuller, Morris and Dawson combined (and with McManus left sat on the side unused). Those last three or four overs from us were a right mess.

But nevertheless, like I say I was content with 145. And against 10 of those 11 Kent players, it was enough to beat them. But yet again, not for the first, Blake wins a game for Kent at the Rose Bowl by himself. God I'm sick of him. Whilst he was at the crease, I was never comfortable - even though we were arguably in front of Kent for almost their entire run chase.

 

Fidel in instead Wood and we win today?....ignore me i'm just being a bit mischievious.

 

Can't believe we lost that one!

 

Finch vs ABDV tonight

 

England are 36-3 v Ireland. Interesting.

 

The post Alastair Cook era of english test cricket - can we have that white ball back??

 

E 42 - 6 13 Overs

 

E 67 - 9 20.1 overs

 

Ireland 138-5
Olly Stone takes 2 wickets.

 

anyone bought a ticket for the 3rd or 4th day?

 

Good toss to win. Sussex have an excellent bowling attack, but a questionable batting line-up beyond the openers. Therefore much better than we know what we need to score before we start batting - especially because it might be lower than would normally be the case.

PS. Leach really should be facing this one over at Lords.

 

What a freak of a wicket.

 

Rashid taking Abbott to the cleaners.