T20 is so volatile. Only 2 of our batters came off today and we still ended up posting 200. Think that's how it might be for us again this season, the top 6 all hard and someone will come off and get us a score.

Quite liked the team selection to be honest, I said in posts further up in the thread that I'm not sure Barnard is a guaranteed starter in this format.

Hain sensational, he just finds a way and he's starting to make the difficult stuff look easy. A proper 360 player who has genuine power now, he's gone up a level, the stint with Brisbane Heat was good for him.

Chuffed for Henry Brookes, sometimes he'll get pumped and look bad but he is wicket taker, he looked quick again tonight.

Benjamin was Benjamin, he's chancey and rides his luck but he runs hard and is powerful down the ground, he got us going.

Mousley was a nice bonus with the ball, darted it in at the left hander and was hard to get away, hope he continues to get chances to bowl.

Woakes looked sharp too, easy to forget how good a T20 bowler he is. That ball that got Shan Masood was amazing.

I do find T20 a bit hard going, music blasting, screaming over the tannoy etc and some really odd (really drunk I mean) behavior in the stands but it was excellent to see so many young people and families in attendance. Great stuff.

I'd be surprised if Mousley missed out.

I ain't got a clue though, I'm hopeless at predicting line ups in this format.

Is Barnard a certain starter? Was in and out of the Worcestershire T20 side at times, more often in and admittedly, and his record/stats in this format are mediocre.

Think it's one out of Brookes and Miles.

Can't see Bethell playing. Said when we signed him, do we really need Paul Stirling? For the sake of only 1 or 2 games I'd rather give one our younger guys, like Bethell, a go.

It would have been a bit tight of the ECB even by their standards if they kept Woakes out of Saturday considering the Test v Ireland doesn't start til June 1st.

Brookes is available. I'd be surprised if Bethell was bowling.

It's going to be an interesting team selection for sure. Particularly when Moeen and Maxwell become available. I'd have probably give Bethell a go at the top of the order rather than sign Stirling for the sake of the first game or 2 but we're here now.

Ed Barnard was in and out of the Worcestershire t20 side at times and his t20 stats are unremarkable. Is he a certain starter for us? He's in form.

I think Woakes will be available Saturday before joining the England squad.

At some point we'll have an abundance of spin options with Lintott, Briggs, Moeen, Maxwell and Mousley.

Is the door totally closed on Burgess in this format unless Davies gets injured? It probably shouldn't be.

Brookes or Miles? Can only see there being room for one.

I ain't got a clue really. The depth in our squad from a white ball perspective is incredible.

T20 time.

How do people see us lining up this year?

Nice one, cheers

I don't mind him on comms, there's much worse.

Won again. Very sporting pitch, said at the start of the day I wouldn't have fancied us chasing 150.

That partnership between Hassan and OHD was worth double. Essex will maybe think that that a mad half hour has cost them.

Another absorbing days cricket.

Snater and Bracewell were a bit loose initially after Cook and Porter and it allowed us to build a platform. Rhodes didn't exactly look great, he probably never will, but full credit to him for gutsing it out, he needed that. After lunch I think Essex probably got the luck they had lacked prior to the interval. Sam Cook is an interesting prospect, bowls slightly off the wrong foot and he can't be much quicker than 78mph or so but bowls a very tight line. Bracewell was fairly sharp, Porter likewise. Re. Burgess dismissal, to me, they seemed to be a slight bit of confusion over whether the ball carried? He definitely nicked it. Hassan and OHD, wow, that partnership has put the game massively in our favour, it really deflated Essex, at one point they had all 9 outfielders on the boundary. That boundary towards the Rae Bank is alarmingly short too. Also I think there is still this belief amongst cricket followers that once sides are 7 or 8 down then the innings should be wrapped up fairly quickly. Not so, there's not many rabbits around these days, most tailenders can handle themselves now and they have a couple of shots coupled with a sound defensive game. I still don't think the ball is swinging majorly, it was too cold for it today, but there is definitely some assistance off the pitch and maybe a hint of uneven bounce crept in in the final session.

Last word, Rushworth. I thought he'd struggle a little bit to be honest back in Div 1 having been in Div 2 for 6 or 7 seasons. I was wrong. I still thought he'd have his moments but not quite to this remarkable extent. He has this incredible ability to hit pads and gets great nip off the pitch. He gets so many LBW's and even the close/tight debatable ones seem to go his way every time.

Surely this game ends tomorrow? If not you'd have to assume Essex have staged an excellent counter attack and someone has played a big innings.

Cheers

Mousley looks a really nervous starter. Didn't look comfortable at all there.

Pitch is definitely offering assistance to the seamers. Versus Surrey the overheads were a big factor but this id say its the pitch this time.
Robinson remarked after Hampshire away that he wanted a bit of grass left on for Essex at home - and that's certainly what he's got here it seems.

Stunning from Burgess and not for the first time.

Rushworth top order wickets, 3 in an over, but how good was OHD?! Even before he got his first I was thinking it was criminal he didn't have any. His lines were immaculate and he consistently found good areas. Great penetrative bowling.

Did anyone notice the smoke wafting across the ground today?

Where can I read more about this Warwick Pool?

Do we think Woakes play at Lords no matter what due to his exceptional Test record on that ground?

Sort of didn't mind Hassan being rested for a game as he'd been a little bit looser than the others. Not that he'd been bowling poorly by any stretch.

Woakes has been bowling well though and you had the feeling he might be on the verge of getting a big haul of wickets. And we don't play again til Blast Off after this game.

It's probably not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things, just an observation.

Fingers crossed for better weather as this could be a great game.

To echo what has been previously said, how do they compare with other Div 1 openers?

That was a hammering. Good to lay a few ghosts to rest and get a win on a ground where we've taken some rough treatment down the years.

You Bears!

Sensational Rushworth, just doesn't bowl a bad delivery. So many dismissals in play when he's bowling.