**Official** County Cricket 2018

[S.Kennedy]

Yes but ……

I'm with those who are hugely dubious about runs scored in D2. I suppose if someone was averaging about 80 I might be interested. And Bell is 36.

I would actually pick Vince for the next test. Maybe he's gone away and worked on his game; his average this season is way higher than his career average.

He was also good in the RLC (226@56.50) and Blast (580@48.33/139.09) which is split zonally north/south.

 

[Jack1]

50 and counting for Burns. He’s hunting 1000 runs down for the season, almost there.

 

[Jack1]

Yes but ……

I'm with those who are hugely dubious about runs scored in D2. I suppose if someone was averaging about 80 I might be interested. And Bell is 36.

I would actually pick Vince for the next test. Maybe he's gone away and worked on his game; his average this season is way higher than his career average.

I consider D2 runs to basically be irrelevant for test selection unless the player is averaging an enormous amount. The amount of runs Burns has made in CC1 would be enough to give him a strong shout if he played in CC2. The fact he’s made them with the captaincy in Cc1 makes him an enormous shout. Vince is a good player, but I’m highly sceptical about giving him enough chance. He getting close now though from weight of runs and form.

 

[SeamUp]

Moeen with a hundred in a T20 and a few days later in The County Championship.

Worcs hurting Yorks badly.

 

[SeamUp]

50 and counting for Burns. He’s hunting 1000 runs down for the season, almost there.

Reminds me of Ashwell Prince. Crunched down stance and movement of the bat even too.

https://twitter.com/surreycricket/status/1021347847810273281

 

[wpdavid]

50 and counting for Burns. He’s hunting 1000 runs down for the season, almost there.

And bowled by the debutant Bohannan for 70. Bugger, we didn't need that. Another wicket tonight and Lancashire will really fancy their chances.

 

[S.Kennedy]

I honestly don't think there is as big a discrepancy between division one runs and division two runs as people (and the ECB) make out. Bowlers such as Matt Henry, Tim Murtagh, Jofra Archer, Mohammad Abbas, Chris Rushworth, Ishant Sharma are all about at a ''division one'' level (or higher in the case of the test bowlers). Zak Chappell, Ben Raine and Ryan Sidebottom (the Anglo-Aussie Warks one) seem to be at that level also. Wood, Woakes and Stokes also (whenever available). There will always be two teams who by default were formally in division one - one of them won the entire championship two seasons' ago! The success of Essex in 2017, and to a lesser extent Notts this season, demonstrate that the gap is not so wide, and that it is quite possible to get promoted and not simply yo-yo back but go on to the pinnacle (in Essex's case).

The gap between division 1 and (currently) your Kents, Essexes, Sussexes - only one of which will get promoted alongside Warks - is not so big.

 

[S.Kennedy]

A lot of interesting permutations in the championship.

- Hants are on course to wallop Notts
- Worcs and Somerset are probably going to beat the Tykes and Essex
- Moneybags v Lanky very evenly balanced.

In division two the most interesting match is Leicestershire v Kent, both promotion prospects, which is very evenly balanced. Both will also be hoping Sussex only walk away with a draw v Derby.

 

[cpr]

Talking of D2 runs, I wouldn't fancy this Lancashire side to score many more at that level either. I'll be surprised if we stay up this season. It really pains me to say that Clark is going to be missed....

Has anyone watched much of Olly Stone this year? Was a bit of hype around him as a youngster, and not many bowlers can go as fast as he can. Stats seem to suggest he's having a decent season, and he's still pretty young too.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Ian Bell wouldn't be making any runs in division 2 if he had carried his 2015-17 form into division 2. I'm convinced.

 

[wpdavid]

The gap between division 1 and (currently) your Kents, Essexes, Sussexes - only one of which will get promoted alongside Warks - is not so big.

Apart from Essex already being in D1, that may be true, but that still leaves seven D2 sides who are pretty weak. I don't think you get the freebies in D1 that are available from more than half of D2.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Aussie Ryan Sidebottom is indeed a quality bowler, ugly action but swings it both ways at a decent clip. Shame his brother plays for Collingwood

 

[CasMcG24]

Aussie Ryan Sidebottom is indeed a quality bowler, ugly action but swings it both ways at a decent clip. Shame his brother plays for Collingwood

But not consistent enough to play at any decent level and to that he is no spring chicken but are you suggesting late career high?

Pies... In third behind the best team in the world x x x x

 

[GoodAreasShane]

But not consistent enough to play at any decent level and to that he is no spring chicken but are you suggesting late career high?

Pies... In third behind the best team in the world x x x x

His failure to make it into the Victorian team regularly was as much down to injuries as anything else. Dead right about inconsistency though, he can be prone to go AWOL for a day on occasion

 

[vic_orthdox]

He had a bunch of injuries while he was on a Victorian contract. He's quick, but doesn't really have a lot of "tricks" for limited overs cricket. Glad to see him doing well for Warwickshire, he's a ripping bloke.

I like his action FWIW, he just does it all so easily - lot of force goes through that front foot, which has caused a few of his injury issues in the past. A bit like Gerard Denton.

 

[vic_orthdox]

His failure to make it into the Victorian team regularly was as much down to injuries as anything else. Dead right about inconsistency though, he can be prone to go AWOL for a day on occasion

Guess the other thing is that Victoria always preferred a holding bowler as their third quick/first change - a McKay, Hastings type who could build pressure at the MCG. Sidebottom works best as a strike bowler, there to take wickets but will go for a few runs. It's why Jake Haberfield, in spite of absolute tearing apart Premier Cricket, never got a consistent run - he'd leak a boundary an over trying to get the ball up there to swing it.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Apart from Essex already being in D1, that may be true, but that still leaves seven D2 sides who are pretty weak. I don't think you get the freebies in D1 that are available from more than half of D2.

Well Durham are a division one team who would have never been in division one but for penalties, and Middlesex are a division 1 (champion 2016) side whose arsehole seems to have completely fallen out!

 

[Jack1]

Moeen with a hundred in a T20 and a few days later in The County Championship.

Worcs hurting Yorks badly.

Moeen is surely close now especially with Bairstow out and Buttler being atrocious so far in series.

 

[Jack1]

Reminds me of Ashwell Prince. Crunched down stance and movement of the bat even too.

https://twitter.com/surreycricket/status/1021347847810273281

Doesn’t matter what you look like, just what the scoreboard says. Everyone bats differently. Just look at Smith’s technique and average etc

 

[S.Kennedy]

Nice little victory for Durham.

Now have Leicestershire v Kent on. Leicestershire need a few more runs than this I feel. Kent could chase this down.