Didn't realise Rawlings had left, that's a shame.

Welchy would have stayed if he could have been left to do the job as he saw fit and not have people meddling.

Besides when you remember people like Allan Donald, Dale Steyn and Shaun Tait all applied for the job but we ended up with Matt Mason...that needs explaining.

There was off field stuff going on away from cricket that meant Barker had to leave. Apparently.

I admit i actually thought the time was right to move him on from a cricketing perspective, he was poor in 2017 and i felt he'd struggle back in Div 1 after helping us to promotion in 2018. He looked like he'd lost a yard, lost a bit of nip.

Good job they don't consult me on recruitment and player retention etc as he's done amazingly well at Hampshire!

I actually think he's a different bowler now to how he was when he played for us. Doesn't seem to swing it as much but finds great areas consistently and if there is anything in the pitch he will exploit it. Just a brilliant county bowler who knows the pitches/batters etc. He's better with the old ball now.

Davies and Benjamin not entirely convincing here but their still there...

Definitely rings true. Some players are certainly being prioritised over others. New signings come straight into the side and generally perform poorly but keep getting picked regardless. It's nothing new. The club does have this tendency to look outside and sign from other counties as opposed to develop its own current talent too. Matt Lamb was part of the side that won the Championship, is a regular in the 4 day side, has performed pretty well but hasn't been offered a new deal? That's crazy. I can totally see Hose and Stone's point, they should be offered full contacts as they are long serving players and have also performed well. There are players within the squad who have performed less well but have the security of a long term contract. Somethings not adding up.

Look at Bethell, signed a 3 year contract last year, then gets a 3 year extension last week. Good young player, huge upside, but let's be honest his performances haven't warranted that at the moment. It's great that he's being backed but there are others who deserve that kind of backing too.

And in the meantime we're seemingly letting 3 senior players, who have performed well, walk away.

It definitely seems as though the current management set up has its favourites and if your face doesn't fit...

Somerset are major media darlings.

Nice one.

Tough one this...

Have Hampshire won 10 out of their last 11 now?

Agree with all that, I'm a huge fan of his, I've said further up I can see him captaining the Blast side.

But we've already got 2 batters in our squad who are finger spinners.

He'll certainly bat in the top 4 so I expect our overseas players to be a gun opener and a left arm quick.

Still nice he's come home and all that but...we kinda don't need him.

He'll bat in the top 4 and be 3rd spin option.

This makes Dan Mousley's improving spin redundant though.

It's a bit of a strange signing. Due to his involvement in the Hundred he'll likely only play in the Blast.

Agree with you both. Umpiring tonight was a disgrace.

Gutted for Brookes, he bowled alright tonight but he's shit the bed at the end there.

Reading between the lines he's gonna captain us in the Blast.

Very biased. But nowhere near as bad as the Somerset commentary and stream, goodness me!

Vihari deserves credit for his knock in the 2nd innings v Essex at home, was crucial and we wouldn't have won that game with it. He looked very committed that day.

He was much better signing than Malan who only made runs on that featherbed pitch at New Road. And by all accounts he was a bit of a git in the dressing room.

How good was Dan Mousley?! Such a clean hitter with brilliant footwork and great hands through the ball.

And here we are signing players like Moeen Ali who might potentially block his path to a regular first team place...

He's a solid player tbf

I feel Sibley leaving has been on the cards for a while. That contract offer was on the table for a long time.

I agree that Lamb should definitely be kept on, he's improved and is now one of better 4day batters and he was highest scorer in last seasons RLODC. Bit weird that he's so far into the last year of his contract and there's nothing seemingly offered to him at the moment.

Hose is tricky, he's well down the pecking order for red ball cricket. He got given a good opportunity across 2018 and 2019 too and just didn't deliver. He's also a bit older than I few of the other batters.

Sidebottom and Garrett may well be gone I'm afraid. Garrett might get another year or 2. Johal has overtook him though.

ExiledBrummie wrote:

Very enjoyable watch. Agree with others though, am particularly fed up of seeing Miles bowl half trackers. Maybe Woakes will be able to play if we make the QF stage. Mousley for Yates, and Rhodes for Stirling are other options, especially as that increases the bowling options.

The thing about half trackers is weird, all bowlers seem to be doing it too. Guys bowling 79mph just kissing the surface halfway down and disappearing into the stands. Can't set fields for that.

Maybe works to get batters out caught on grounds with big boundaries square of the wicket like Old Trafford.

Anything is gettable these days. Everyone just comes in and tees off. The needle has really moved now. Even at 3 down you still felt as though it was gettable, there was still enough boundary balls coming down. Bowlers just have no margin for error at all. Even good balls are going out the park. Batters are going deep in their crease and smashing yorkers for six.

You've gotta take wickets regularly, it's the only way to stop the scoring rates. Be it T20 or 50 over cricket.

How do you bowl at the likes of Hose and Benjamin in that mood?! Unstoppable.

I actually feel comfortable with us chasing. And I'm not used to that feeling with us!