*Official* English Domestic Cricket 2012

[grecian]

Diasappointing, at least we showed some fight, but to be beaten by the worst overseas player ever, is a bit gutting.

 

[marc71178]

Jeets - WAG.

 

[Cabinet96]

Some really enthralling games today then. Full credit to Warwickshire and Middlesex.

Indeed, and with Lewis going well at the other end.

 

[theegyptian]

been away for a bit but brilliant victory for Gloucestershire today. Beating Hampshire who are promotion favourites having lost easily last week is a great performance.

If you look at the Gloucestershire team, Marshall and A Gidman apart(who incidentally i both hate because they are the most annoying batsman ever- look good do nothing) before the start of last season none of the other players had even been heard of by cricket fans.

Last season was a great effort by Glos but without Taylor and Lewis in particular this season will probably be tougher and I'm happy they got a victory under their belts early to boost confidence.

Hampshire on the other hand need serious reinforcements in the bowling. I mean where is the seam bowling attack? relying on kabir ali to ever be fit again seems fanciful. Plenty of strength and depth in batting but this defeat must raise questions about the ability of Hampshire to take wickets quick enough to get promoted.

 

[Jacknife]

James Anyon was hugely impressive last season, bowled aggressively with good pace. Many of the bowlers can register around 140kph in games shown on Sky, but they are generally LO games, whether they can maintain these speeds throughout the day in a CC game I'm not so sure. They are capable of cranking it up for a spell or two though.

I remember seeing Anyon bowl a few years ago and I'm sure he used to be low 80's at best. must have had the Craig White treatment.

Been a really interesting round of games, bit of everything's happened.

 

[Manee]

There needs to be another Craig White. All rounder with inexplicable speed.

 

[zaremba]

Don't know about speed, but Chris Lewis found the coke pretty hard to explain

 

[Manee]

Don't know about speed, but Chris Lewis found the coke pretty hard to explain

 

[Pothas]

been away for a bit but brilliant victory for Gloucestershire today. Beating Hampshire who are promotion favourites having lost easily last week is a great performance.

If you look at the Gloucestershire team, Marshall and A Gidman apart(who incidentally i both hate because they are the most annoying batsman ever- look good do nothing) before the start of last season none of the other players had even been heard of by cricket fans.

Last season was a great effort by Glos but without Taylor and Lewis in particular this season will probably be tougher and I'm happy they got a victory under their belts early to boost confidence.

Hampshire on the other hand need serious reinforcements in the bowling. I mean where is the seam bowling attack? relying on kabir ali to ever be fit again seems fanciful. Plenty of strength and depth in batting but this defeat must raise questions about the ability of Hampshire to take wickets quick enough to get promoted.

Yeah the bowling is a real worry, have lacked the attack to win games on a regular basis for a long while but they lost because the established batsmen (Katich aside) contributed **** all. One massive positive is Bates and Wood going so well with the bat, shame they could not hold on for a draw.

It is early days and I think Dimi, Griffiths (if he ever gets fit) and Tomlinson all who missed this game for various reasons could be reasonably effective in this division but they will need the batsmen to get the runs.

 

[MW1304]

Yeah the bowling is a real worry, have lacked the attack to win games on a regular basis for a long while but they lost because the established batsmen (Katich aside) contributed **** all. One massive positive is Bates and Wood going so well with the bat, shame they could not hold on for a draw.

It is early days and I think Dimi, Griffiths (if he ever gets fit) and Tomlinson all who missed this game for various reasons could be reasonably effective in this division but they will need the batsmen to get the runs.

What are the hopes for Bates as a batsman? Only ever seen him in limited overs matches where he's been pretty hopeless thus far. Still young, I guess.

 

[Pothas]

What are the hopes for Bates as a batsman? Only ever seen him in limited overs matches where he's been pretty hopeless thus far. Still young, I guess.

He never really gets a chance in limited overs, comes in right down the order which does not suit him at all. Ive not seen him bat in 4 day cricket yet but reports seems to suggest he has some promise, is a terrific keeper so if he is good enough to bat 7 in the long run then I would be more than happy.

 

[chris.hinton]

Good to see Warwick win

 

[Neil Pickup]

He never really gets a chance in limited overs, comes in right down the order which does not suit him at all. Ive not seen him bat in 4 day cricket yet but reports seems to suggest he has some promise, is a terrific keeper so if he is good enough to bat 7 in the long run then I would be more than happy.

He has a couple of centuries for Hants Academy in the Southern Premier League, where he opened, so that bodes reasonably well.

 

[Pothas]

Pleased he has been given a chance, I understood why they went for James Foster but pleased they failed. He will get at least a year now to prove he has potential at least and he has made an excellent start.

 

[Woodster]

On the Bates issue, I understand his batting was the reason Hants had their doubts about his effectiveness as a keeper/batsman in CC cricket, while his keeping skills appear in little doubt. So that knock on the final day will do his confidence a world of good and hopefully a base he can build on.

 

[Woodster]

I have a lot of time for what Chris Adams has achieved in his career, as a cricketer, a captain and now as a head coach, but I'm not too impressed by his constant moaning about the Lords pitch in Surrey's recent game against Middlesex. He suggests maybe the request came from the director of cricket at Middlesex to produce a soft pitch that favours bowling, so what if it did ? Fancy not preparing a pitch to Surrey's liking and trying to ensure conditions favour the home side instead! Outrageous.

You encounter all different types of pitches throughout a Championship season, here Surrey came across a pitch that helped the bowling side and made batting difficult, it was the same for both sides and the better sides overcome these things as best they can. Adams would have come across much better, imo, if he recognised the fact that Middlesex just about held the upper hand in combating conditions while his own team came a cropper both with the tactics they employed as batsmen and their technique in overcoming the challenges.

 

[marc71178]

Yes, WAC.

Am I correct in thinking that Mick Hunt is actually employed by the MCC rather than Middlesex so prepares the pitches based on what they tell him?

Hoping Surrey fail miserably this season, far too overhyped a side.

 

[Biryani Pillow]

Had it not been Lords penalty points may well have been on the menu.

With it having been a rather dry spring there's no way such a pitch should have appeared in an FC match - even in a wet spring you'd be surprised.

 

[Jacknife]

Yes, WAC.

Am I correct in thinking that Mick Hunt is actually employed by the MCC rather than Middlesex so prepares the pitches based on what they tell him?

Hoping Surrey fail miserably this season, far too overhyped a side.

Yes that's my understanding and it's been spoke about before that Middlesex is the only team that don't control what pitches they prepare, like you say it's the MCC.

 

[Cabinet96]

I think it's ironic that Lords prepare road after road, which has seen more draws than results in tests in recent years, gets **** all slack for it but then does when there's a pitch that finally helps the bowlers.