***Official*** English Domestic Season 2014

[grecian]

You know that stuff I generally say about Vaughan knowing nowt, and to not take it seriously. Well ignore that.

Lewis Gregory looks like another young player with a bright future.... #Natwestblast

 

[theegyptian]

Kinda surprised that Gregory is playing today with the 4 day game starting tomorrow given how well he's bowled in that - and how little he has bowled regularly throughout his career. Possibly rested tomorrow.

Gloucestershire impressively bad as normal.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Trego goes for 1 from 4.

Kies playing a bit of a lone hand for the Cidermen, after he sawed off Tres, anyway.

Looking in great touch tho, but.

& I think "medium fast" is a wee bit generous to Azhar nowadays.

 

[grecian]

What a depressing weekend this has been, lost tons of money, and Dernbach plays in a win against us, with an injury to Lewis.

 

[theegyptian]

A win for the good guys.

 

[theegyptian]

Gloucestershire with the good stuff. Kent 2-4

 

[Pothas]

Not great from Hampshire today, loads of people getting in but nobody making a big score. 300-8 probably not all that good on what sounds like an excellent pitch.

 

[theegyptian]

Curran as suspected looked a very decent prospect today. Another off the African conveyor belt.

Jesse picking up a couple of cheap wickets for a weak looking Essex. Given the weak looking bowling I'd guess they'd be pretty happy with Worcs getting 290.

Always some weird looking scores once the T20 and 4 day stuff are put together with the players having to adjust day to day from the different formats.

 

[FBU]

Kinda surprised that Gregory is playing today with the 4 day game starting tomorrow given how well he's bowled in that - and how little he has bowled regularly throughout his career. Possibly rested tomorrow.

Gloucestershire impressively bad as normal.

It looked like Gregory has a hamstring problem so it might be a long rest.

 

[King Pietersen]

Kent going well. Were 2-4 at one point, when Nash got out. Stumbled to 33/6 at close of play. Wonder how many they'll manage this morning.

 

[Jarquis]

Something quite amusing about watching Grecian fanboi over a Plymouthian

 

[grecian]

Something quite amusing about watching Grecian fanboi over a Plymouthian

Unfortunately many great Exeter (Shaun Taylor, Scott Hiley) players have had the misfortune to be born in that hell-hole, it's just something I've inured myself to. Can't help where you're dragged kicking-and-screaming into the World.

Still don't seem to be doing too badly without him.

 

[Watson33]

Worcs are in a good position in this game. Would fancy us to defend 200, especially with Panesar getting 4 wickets second time round and Ajmal's 6 in the first dig. Shows it must be turning and Ajmal should have a field day tomorrow (hopefully!).

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Monty might be bowling himself into the test team, going well so far and has the experience to do it.

Durham having a shocker this season, couldn't even beat Northants and not looked like winning any other game so far. Another poor batting display this week and they under pressure. They must have watched the Yorkshire and Lancashire title defences.

As for division 2 it is good to see Nathan Buck finally producing some decent performances as he looked a real prospect in his under 19 world cup but done little since. The Worcestershire/Essex game is a cracker and Gloucestershire look like winning if weather stays good enough.

 

[theegyptian]

Be disappointing for English cricket if Worcester get promoted again imo. Terrible squad and terrible wicket (as slow and low as you are going to get in professional cricket). Unless of course Ajmal plays a season again next year in which case they would be competitive but that doesn't seem very likely.

Then again I wouldn't say any of the squads apart from Hampshire currently would have a good chance of competing in div 1 if promoted.

Foster fails again with a total of 4 runs in the game. Fine keeper but isn't good enough to bat 7 in international cricket. Is an international number 8. Couldn't have Stokes at 6 and Foster and 7. Foster, Roderick and Cox have all contributed some brilliant catches or stumpings this week.


Gloucestershire really trolling Kent by batting on way past the normal.

 

[Watson33]

Be disappointing for English cricket if Worcester get promoted again imo. Terrible squad and terrible wicket (as slow and low as you are going to get in professional cricket). Unless of course Ajmal plays a season again next year in which case they would be competitive but that doesn't seem very likely.

Then again I wouldn't say any of the squads apart from Hampshire currently would have a good chance of competing in div 1 if promoted.

Foster fails again with a total of 4 runs in the game. Fine keeper but isn't good enough to bat 7 in international cricket. Is an international number 8. Couldn't have Stokes at 6 and Foster and 7. Foster, Roderick and Cox have all contributed some brilliant catches or stumpings this week.

Fully agree with you there, but why not Stokes at 7 and Foster at 8?

Cook, Robson, Compton, Bell, Ballance, Ali, Stokes, Foster, Broad, Anderson, Finn.

 

[WorcsRoyal]

Ajmal

 

[King Pietersen]

Fully agree with you there, but why not Stokes at 7 and Foster at 8?

Cook, Robson, Compton, Bell, Ballance, Ali, Stokes, Foster, Broad, Anderson, Finn.

I like that team a lot! Be tempted to go for Root ahead of Compton, and either play him at 3, or Bell at 3 with Root at 4, but other than that I'd be more than happy to see that side turn out for the First Test. Won't happen though, Foster doesn't seem particularly highly regarded within the England set-up, despite being far and away the best keeper in the country for the last 5 years.

 

[theegyptian]

I'd be more inclined to go down the Foster route in ODI and T20 cricket than test cricket if I was to go down that path (which I probably wouldn't). The test batting is going to be sufficiently weak already without further weakening it by selecting a very average bat who at 34 has little time to improve and adjust before the inevitable falling of standards and retirement/dropping . Also a lot of Foster's brilliant keeping upto the stumps is redundant in test cricket with the quicker bowlers and faster wickets. Moreso in ODI and T20 cricket his skills behind the stumps would be useful. Been able to keep upto the stumps to Bopara (and Bresnan) and the spinners. Buttler's keeping upto the stumps is poor and Buttler with his good fielding and batting would still warrant a place in the side as a bat alone.

 

[grecian]

Yeah, I would love him to play, but he won't.

Anyway, I really think Montys done enough to play this year, his form in Domestic cricket hasn't been brilliant over the last few seaons, but he's really seemed to buckle down this year, and hopefully, that means his problems are over.