Alex Davies could be back...

Bowling first. Alex Davies is in for Kai Smith.

Just been sent a pic from the ground. It’s another pitch on the extremity with a silly boundary.

Edgbaston is exhausted. All so avoidable!

Is it the same wicket as Thursday or slightly less close to the boundary?

Same as Friday.

Is this a fresh pitch? I think I read it was. If so it's very 2 paced...

Bedingham has played a superb knock, 'a Sam Hain'. Very difficult to defend the short boundary at the end then.

Could be an interesting chase this one. I guess somewhere there's a run rate calculation to meet. But I think the only way to approach this is not to throw the hands at everything and risk being bowled out for 200. Which we're seeing.

Bit of a strange one but I really don’t understand why they didn’t keep running on the last ball.

The keeper removed a bail after we had made the ground. He then ran off to celebrate. I really don’t see what was to stop us completing the second run.

About as good a loss as you can get.
A decent chase, almost 0 Net Run Rate damage, probably learnt a good lesson about using a 6th bowler to allow more flexibility at the death, because the last 5 overs of their innings were the difference.
Hopefully that’s the bump in the road, get back to it with a win against a poor Sussex team, and onto the semi finals.

Run rate should mean we finish ahead of Gloucester, no matter what our result against Sussex (and theirs against Durham). We're already well ahead of Worcester. So a home Semi Final is pretty certain.

PS Hope we don't have to play on that Pershore Road side wicket again!

Feel sorry for Barnard, he's played an epic knock there.

All credit to the competition but still too close to tell what's going to happen. Worcs played out now and we really shouldn't drop our NRR as low as theirs though with this statement. and of course with Gloucs, you can't easily see what NRR means in tangible run terms. Looks like Hampshire could top the other group, which I think is good and means we should avoid them in the semis, they have a big psychological hold on us in knock outs.

The other facet now is selection with more 100 players coming back all the time. An issue is how many should come back and my tentative answer here is no more than present. Anyone who has played a part in the 100 should sit it out in my view, partially because they will destabilise a successful team but partially because of a moral 'cup-tied' sense of balance. Already think its a shame Kai Smith and Hamza have dropped out, both have made good contributions.

Kent and Lancashire both declined to use their Hundred players when they became available for last year's final. I think?

I think anyone who hasn't played in the groups shouldn't play the knockouts.

BosworthBear, I totally agree as it is the keepers choice to do this but Lancashire did it last year in the T20 final and were told the ball was dead as soon as the keeper removed the bails despite the fact that after the first run, the batsman had made his ground at the keepers end. It is a daft rule and Lancashire were still trying to argue their point to the umpire whilst Hampshire were celebrating. I think the umpires got it wrong seeing as you can still take a run after an attempted stumping has been ruled not out and the stumps are broken. I think we should have been able to do it also in the 2012 final v Hampshire (Why is it always them involved in controversial cup wins) when Hampshire's keeper chose to break the stumps with Carter still in his ground. Either way, I still wonder why Durham didn't play with the same sort of intensity in their other games, they might be in a better position. I think they were lucky on the 4th ball of the last over, that looked too high both from my view at the side of the pitch and looking at it again on You Tube.

That would be a good rule. I think the case in question was one team stuck with their seconds and one team brought players back. But I can't remember if it was this year or last.

Andy wrote:

Kent and Lancashire both declined to use their Hundred players when they became available for last year's final. I think?

I think anyone who hasn't played in the groups shouldn't play the knockouts.

Think I 2021 Durham brought the Hundreds lads in for the final but Glamorgan stuck with the lads whod played throughout the One Day Cup. I could be wrong though, apologies if i am.

The ODC continues to produce tight finishes. It is such a great competition.
Barnard deserved to be on the winning side but it wasn't too be.
Of the 16.4 cohort, Davies understandably looked rusty, Bethall is such a joy to watch but is frustrating when he gets himself out, H Brookes as always too many four balls and his wickets come at a high price.
Why didn't Rhodes bowl? I'm never confident in Miles being economical. Norwell would be a game changer if we can get him on the field..Any news on him?

Andy wrote:

Kent and Lancashire both declined to use their Hundred players when they became available for last year's final. I think?

I think anyone who hasn't played in the groups shouldn't play the knockouts.

Kent made a big thing of it. Lancs said they'd pick their strongest available side. From.the Cricinfo report of the 2022 Final

Kent omitted their septet as a deliberate show of faith to those who had taken them to the final. Lancashire had no such compunction, but lost three to England, Liam Livingstone to injury and omitted their spinners Matt Parkinson and Tom Hartley.