zaremba
Cricketer Of The Year
Just back from Hove where I managed to catch the first 2 sessions before I had to repair to London to bathe the baby and apply aftersun to my sunburnt face.
Interesting team selections by both teams. On a pitch tinged with a bit of green, both sides decided to play left-arm spinners in Keedy and t'other Tom Smith.
Chapple and particularly Anderson bowled well with the new ball, but were unable to make an early breakthrough in slightly hazy conditions which later gave way to glorious sunshine for the rest of the day. Chris Nash never looked like he'd hang around for too long and was dismissed for 23. Mike Yardy ground his way to 17 by lunch in partnership with debutant Ed Joyce who was much more fluent.
Pre-season reports have suggested that Saj Mahmood has discovered an ability to bowl with accuracy and consistency. It cannot have been Saj Mahmood, therefore, that came on first change to bowl perhaps the worst spell of fast bowling I've seen in recent years. He was comically bad, totally unthreatening save for the possibility that he might accidentally produce a yorker at random which might surprise a batsman accustomed to a hopeless mixture of misdirected deliveries well wide of either side of the wicket.
Anderson however bowled with pace and his second spell was even better than his first. Tom Smith (Lancs) bowled steadily but didn't look particularly threatening.
Yardy's gusty but ugly effort eventually ended after lunch. Goodwin got out cheaply, running the ball off the face of the bat to be superbly caught by Ashwell Prince at 3rd slip. Prior got out to a truly hideous waft to a rising ball outside off stump. Luke Wright, batting 2 places too high at number 6, looked like a number 11 on amphetamines and was lucky to survive till tea. I see that he was dismissed shortly after I left. Joyce and RMJ then steadied the ship and batted to the close.
Along with Anderson, Ed Joyce was the player of the day. He is in with a chance of a debut hundred tomorrow and he was by far Sussex's best player. Although he doesn't look to dominate the bowling, and lost his fluency altogether for a period just after lunch, he looks a player of real class. Potentially a great signing by Sussex, and potentially a great move for him to reawaken his career.
Interesting team selections by both teams. On a pitch tinged with a bit of green, both sides decided to play left-arm spinners in Keedy and t'other Tom Smith.
Chapple and particularly Anderson bowled well with the new ball, but were unable to make an early breakthrough in slightly hazy conditions which later gave way to glorious sunshine for the rest of the day. Chris Nash never looked like he'd hang around for too long and was dismissed for 23. Mike Yardy ground his way to 17 by lunch in partnership with debutant Ed Joyce who was much more fluent.
Pre-season reports have suggested that Saj Mahmood has discovered an ability to bowl with accuracy and consistency. It cannot have been Saj Mahmood, therefore, that came on first change to bowl perhaps the worst spell of fast bowling I've seen in recent years. He was comically bad, totally unthreatening save for the possibility that he might accidentally produce a yorker at random which might surprise a batsman accustomed to a hopeless mixture of misdirected deliveries well wide of either side of the wicket.
Anderson however bowled with pace and his second spell was even better than his first. Tom Smith (Lancs) bowled steadily but didn't look particularly threatening.
Yardy's gusty but ugly effort eventually ended after lunch. Goodwin got out cheaply, running the ball off the face of the bat to be superbly caught by Ashwell Prince at 3rd slip. Prior got out to a truly hideous waft to a rising ball outside off stump. Luke Wright, batting 2 places too high at number 6, looked like a number 11 on amphetamines and was lucky to survive till tea. I see that he was dismissed shortly after I left. Joyce and RMJ then steadied the ship and batted to the close.
Along with Anderson, Ed Joyce was the player of the day. He is in with a chance of a debut hundred tomorrow and he was by far Sussex's best player. Although he doesn't look to dominate the bowling, and lost his fluency altogether for a period just after lunch, he looks a player of real class. Potentially a great signing by Sussex, and potentially a great move for him to reawaken his career.
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