Mr Robinson has his say about this fixture:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/66660069
And we learn:: "Robinson hopes Chris Rushworth (hamstring) will prove his fitness but expects to be without Alex Davies in addition to Hasan Ali while Liam Norwell is unlikely to return this season."

What a disappointment with Norwell. Does the back injury put his career in doubt? He hasn't bowled a single ball this season. Doesn't sound good at all.

The Davies news caught my eye. Does this mean Hamza Shaikh will debut? Does Rhodes open? Does Barnard?!

There are a number of options to open, I believe Hamza will still be involved with Eng U19 games, so Rhodes, Bethell or Mousley would all be viable options. Some might even say an improvement on Davies!

Norwell's long term prospects must be in doubt. Will he ever get back to the level he was at before this injury? I sincerely hope so because he is such an asset when fit.
We really need to recruit a top quality batsman and front line bowler if we are to challenge next season. Possibly a spinner too.

It would be nice if we could get an overseas player in for the September games. A seamed wound be useful. Other counties seem to be doing so.

Interestingly Surrey will be without a lot of players for various reasons.
No overseas for us, nor Woakes, Davies and Norwell.
Surrey may be without Burns and Smith due to injury and England, and definitely without Pope, Sam Curran, Jacks, Atkinson; plus Latham, Roach & Abbott have all gone home. But they’ve signed a second overseas in Sai Sudharsan to join Worrall.

The scary thing is of course even with that list of absences, they’ve still got Sibley, Foakes, Tom Curran, 2 overseas, Overton and Clark. Plus some very good up and coming players like Lawes.

They also have Kemar Roach and a young Indian batsman, Sai Sudharsan until the end of the season. They aren't going short!

Yeah Roach is back. Sudharsen is a strange signing, only played 8 first class matches in his career thus far, no international cricket.

You have to wonder how some qualify for a work permit.

There is no point signing an overseas player, unless they significantly improve the team, otherwise the cost is better invested in developing our own players and coaches.

Agreed.

I think football changed how it all works, especially post-Brexit. It used to always be the rule that you had to be an international.
But now they bring in teens from Portugal, Spain. Brazil etc, they have to show they’d be playing or had played at an elite level.
So now with all these franchise tournaments in cricket counting as elite, anyone that’s played in one can basically qualify.

I'm not sure, apart from Kolpaks, that Brexit has changed much as there aren't that many EU cricketing nations. From a while back a third-country work permit criteria was that you had to prove that the permit holder had skills no-one domestically (or presumably under contract at the club, in a sporting context). So very easy to circumnavigate. I think there are examples of football and cricket failing this test but can't remember a name.

BristolBear wrote:

I think football changed how it all works, especially post-Brexit. It used to always be the rule that you had to be an international.
But now they bring in teens from Portugal, Spain. Brazil etc, they have to show they’d be playing or had played at an elite level.
So now with all these franchise tournaments in cricket counting as elite, anyone that’s played in one can basically qualify.

No Davies or Yates (ill) tomorrow.

Bethell and Norwell out for the season.

Benjamin in line to play.

Rushworth back. Braithwaite available.

Good to see the management have decided that a better opening partnership was needed.

I do wonder if the back injury, and illness are "Diplomatic" to avoid Robinson having to admit to dropping his favourites :-)

Don’t be ridiculous, he has been picked when not in form before so why would that change now? If it has been reported he has an injury then he has an injury. None of this conspiracy nonsense please.

Just hoping Roach doesn’t once again tear through us.
In white ball must wins we’ve been awful recently, but in the last couple of years we’ve been rather good at them in red ball. If we stand any chance it’s 4 must wins now.

Won the toss elected to bowl...

Brathwaite
Rhodes
Benjamin
Hain
Mousley
Barnard
Burgess
Briggs
Brookes
Rushworth
OHD

Surrey

Sibley
Burns
Patel
Smith
Foakes
Steel
Clark
Overton
Lawes
Roach
Worrall

I will say it now, hope I’m wrong, I have many eggs on my face, but cannot understand the decision to bowl!