The Cricket Thread

[Paddingtonwolf]

Northampton isn’t North. The ground is sixty miles from London

 

[Tony Towner]

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Well perhaps you could enlighten me on whatever the point actually was. I'm sure it was really interesting.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Lawrence has flunked this audition hard. Might not even tour at this rate.

 

[Stan Hullis]

Pope needs a good innings, he's in horrible form as well.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Well perhaps you could enlighten me on whatever the point actually was. I'm sure it was really interesting.

The point is that of the last four Finals Days (including this one), of the 15 qualified teams, 13 have been from the South Group (will be 14 out of 16 if Gloucestershire win at Edgbaston tonight, which could easily happen). That's an unsettling ratio, one that's been going on too long to be just a bit of a freak run.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Surprising as well. I know Durham are in fairly low ebb, but Lancashire, Yorkshire and Notts should usually be fairly strong.

The North / South split doesnt seem to make it seem riotously unfair in terms of the teams each side of the ECB maintained border, so maybe the south teams and coaches are taking the blast more seriously?

Somerset take it VERY FUCKING SERIOUSLY as they have been completely cut out of the clownshow hundred and have to give their players away to it from the 50 over side. So the Blast is hugely important to them as a club.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Surrey have resources that dwarf every other county (plus probably the most fertile catchment area for Academy players) which doesn't help matters.

Notts have Moores in charge which isn't a good thing, it's probably the weakest Yorkshire team in 25 years or more and Lancs have been a bin fire for a couple of years at least now.

 

[Stan Hullis]

Yes Moores is the main problem - the Notts squad is actually decent.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Presumably Surrey catchment area butts up against Hampshire and Sussex? I'm assuming North of Oxford street is basically Middlesex and Essex territory. But there is nothing to stop Surrey hoovering up a big chunk of the M4 corridor before you bump into Somerset and Gloucestershire territory. Certainly as far as say halfway between Oxford and Swindon should still be Surrey pick up as Berkshire and Wiltshire are minor counties (albeit often quite decent)

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Fee-paying schools and where they're located is a bigger driver...

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Oh yes - not just the battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton, the County Championship was too...

 

[ROVERT47]

Lawrence has flunked this audition hard. Might not even tour at this rate.

Love it when he bowls, one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

An oddly tortured innings by Root this afternoon (considering the form he's been in) but Pope has redressed the balance and got his ton.

Think play could be sporadic throughout looking at the forecasts. We've done well to get as much in today as we have, it looked ominously grim around 2pm.

 

[Tony Towner]

On the T20 discussion the none Test grounds sides in the South seem to keep their best players for longer than those in the North. Anyone has a decent season at Northants, Leics or Worcs and they are off. Doesn't seem to happen with the same regularity at Sussex, Somerset and Essex which makes for a stronger league.
Doesn't explain why the teams that pick them up fail at the 1/4 final stage other than not being battle tested.

All that said having the knockout stage nearly 2 months after the group has finished almost makes it a separate competition, but I won't go there again

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

You also now have the farce whereby Sussex and Surrey (not that I shed any tears for the latter) won't have their best XI available for Finals Day because it's in the middle of an England T20I series.

 

[Tony Towner]

You also now have the farce whereby Sussex and Surrey (not that I shed any tears for the latter) won't have their best XI available for Finals Day because it's in the middle of an England T20I series.

Warwickshire (sic) wouldn't have Mousley or Bethell either when they'd expect to given it's their first call up and are young up and coming players who've come through the system.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Mark Wood won't be on the Pak/NZ tours

 

[Tony Towner]

Another ¼ final bottle job. For a team that probably over invests in the format, it's pathetic really.
4/4 for the South

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Poor management of the chase, I love Sam Hain but a terrible shot.