***Official*** English Domestic Season 2008

[four_or_six]

Awesome wicket-keeping display here from Foster.

 

[BoyBrumby]

It was a lovely bit of work from Foster. His keeping has improved so much from when he was first called to the colours in India. Looks a better keeper than Ambrose for my money.

Horrible miss from Chambers there tho. Too long to think about it.

 

[stumpski]

Lancashire have not yet offered Cork a new contract and told him that he is free to talk to other counties. Two unnamed counties have already made formal approaches.

That should be good news for either Hogg and Smith.

TBH I'd probably prefer him to retire at the end of this season. I'd hate to see him go on too long and become a bit-part player for whichever county he ends-up signing for. However, whoever he joins, I hope they're a county which typically prepares seaming wickets. Worcestershire would be a decent choice.

Yeah, he's already a regular in the Sky studios so he may as well carry on down that road. Give it a couple more years though, and Surrey will want to sign him for the Twenty20.

 

[stumpski]

61 needed off the last six overs by Essex. Tidy stuff by Tredwell there.

 

[four_or_six]

Come on RTD. Come on.

 

[BoyBrumby]

31 off the last 3. If Foster & RTD bat for the majority you'd say Essex are favourites from here. Should be a good finish.

EDIT: Ha. Bollox. Foster middles a length ball but straight down van Jaarsveld's throat.

 

[stumpski]

Just four off the over, it's turning the holders' way ...

 

[BoyBrumby]

20 off the last needed.

Super death bowling from Arafat & Mahmood, it must be said.

& a run-out off the first ball. 19 off 5; Essex gone for all money.

 

[stumpski]

Only sixes will do now.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Fair play to Kent. Better team on paper & on the day. Held their nerve more when it mattered.

The ICL's Kemp & Mahmood make the Champions League then. Imagine the BCCI are overjoyed...

 

[PY]

The ICL's Kemp & Mahmood make the Champions League then. Imagine the BCCI are overjoyed...

Uh-oh...

 

[Scaly piscine]

Yea I'm hoping even more that Durham win, just to make a mockery of the Champions League.

 

[stumpski]

Yea I'm hoping even more that Durham win, just to make a mockery of the Champions League.

AWTA. Would make things interesting ...

Notice that Godleman is listed by Sky as a leg-spin bowler - he's sent down five overs in his career, none of them in limited-overs cricket.


Edit: good to see that Surrey won't be ending the season empty-handed, we've won the one that matters ...

 

[stumpski]

Strauss has been pulled from this game, I gather. I know he's just played back-to-back Tests, but he wasn't bowling, and you'd think an eight day gap between Tests would allow him to play one or two 20-over games. Durham have both their England (and centrally contracted) players present.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Well done Durham, make Udal look good ffs.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Chanderpaul had better not get out shortly after wasting so much time to get in when we bat right down.

 

[stumpski]

He can't have played much Twenty20 anyway, was he even in the West Indies squad for last year's World Cup? Wouldn't be my first choice, for all his other qualities.

 

[Goughy]

Without wanting to sound hopelessly out of touch, when did Udal leave Hamps? Was it amicable?

 

[Scaly piscine]

Yea Chanders has a rubbish Twenty20 record. Just bogs the innings down getting in, then gets out.

 

[stumpski]

Without wanting to sound hopelessly out of touch, when did Udal leave Hamps? Was it amicable?

End of last season; he retired initially, then was persuaded to join Middlesex. Not sure who was behind that, Ed Smith maybe?


Starting to look like a sub-150 target here.