***Official*** English Domestic Season 2008

[GIMH]

Don't know the figures, I guess the government's drive for academic qualifications probably does mean more stay on and receive incentives to do so. So noone learns a trade etc. But anyway, that's for another day and another thread

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

<3 Simon Jones.

 

[Richard]

What's with this <3 stuff recently?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Recently? What rock have you been living under?

 

[Richard]

Can't say I've ever taken note of you using it until, say, a month or so ago TBH.

 

[superkingdave]

Decent batting performance by us for once...mind you Chapple's a pretty handy no 9 (or ten in this game). Keeds is a legend, even if he is from France

Dissapointed for Smithy with his debut not going great for Leicestershire, and we have to endure Mahmood playing for us.

 

[Goughy]

And given cricket is still far more an upper-class sport than elsewhere, you'd think there'd be more further-educated (and, indeed, higher-educated) types in it than other sports.

In certain places that is true and in others it isnt. An oversimplifiaction to paint the sport as upper-class. In Yorkshire its roots are firmly and proudly working class.

 

[Langeveldt]

Test Cricket is doing fine here though, what is happening worldwide is pretty irrelevant when it comes to deciding whether we would be interested inw atching or not. As I say, I imagine it would get as many viewers as a domestic OD game

But who will England play in the future? Could be like the 1880's, just England v Australia every year

 

[wpdavid]

Welcome runs for Bell & Vaughan. Another failure for Shah this morning.

 

[Perm]

Bopara on 71* at the moment, I hope he can push on and convert it into a big century. Really can't see why people don't rate him as a batsman.

 

[Perm]

Welcome runs for Bell & Vaughan. Another failure for Shah this morning.

Strauss with twin-failures against Northants too, worth pointing out.

Much needed runs for Ian Bell though, against a fairly decent attack to boot. Who are the main challengers to the middle order spots that Bell and Collingwood could leave free? I'd assume that Owais Shah and Ed Joyce would be at the top of the list.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Strauss with twin-failures against Northants too, worth pointing out.

Much needed runs for Ian Bell though, against a fairly decent attack to boot. Who are the main challengers to the middle order spots that Bell and Collingwood could leave free? I'd assume that Owais Shah and Ed Joyce would be at the top of the list.

That's a pretty dire list then.

 

[Perm]

That's a pretty dire list then.

And who would you suggest?

 

[TheEpic]

Can I just note that Mahmood is bowling quite well this morning.

 

[Manee]

Definately, looking very steady at the crease on a dosile pitch. Flintoff is looking okay too, but bowling at 80mph, I suspect he is not 'bowling fit' yet. People will note the flatness of the pitch, but I'd be expecting Flintoff to average at closer 85mph if he were fully fit. This being said, his accuracy and bounce is very good.

 

[steds]

Flintoff's had no luck today.

 

[Perm]

Bopara on 71* at the moment, I hope he can push on and convert it into a big century. Really can't see why people don't rate him as a batsman.

And he was out the ball after I made this post.

 

[Richard]

In certain places that is true and in others it isnt. An oversimplifiaction to paint the sport as upper-class. In Yorkshire its roots are firmly and proudly working class.

Yep, and several other northern counties too.

I'd bet, though, that as far as A-List counties are concerned, it'd be overwhelmingly more rooted in upper-class than working-class. There's enough of it, indeed, for people to continue to spout outdated claptrap about it being biased towards southern and upper-class types.

 

[Richard]

Strauss with twin-failures against Northants too, worth pointing out.

Much needed runs for Ian Bell though, against a fairly decent attack to boot. Who are the main challengers to the middle order spots that Bell and Collingwood could leave free? I'd assume that Owais Shah and Ed Joyce would be at the top of the list.

They should be, but unfortunately I'd bet on Bopara being picked ahead of either.

Joyce should be spitting that Bopara has somehow got ahead of him, never mind staying ahead despite having already failed badly in Tests to date. And Shah, well, I've said more about that than anyone could wish to hear.

Bell's domestic form this year has been good, but this is the first time he's got a really big score.

 

[GIMH]

Yep, and several other northern counties too.

I'd bet, though, that as far as A-List counties are concerned, it'd be overwhelmingly more rooted in upper-class than working-class. There's enough of it, indeed, for people to continue to spout outdated claptrap about it being biased towards southern and upper-class types.

You don't class Lancs and Yorks as A-List?