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!

Wise after the event? I did talk Derby up after they beat us and question Notts credentials at the time.

Bit of a big game this all of a sudden, top half of the group has closed right up, Derby won again, Leicester might be sniffing an outside chance after beating Notts (the Yardstick apparently). If we lose tomorrow we will be under pressure.

Really great comp the Blast is. Don't let the smug stattos on social media tell you otherwise.

Will Rhodes added to the squad for tomorrow.

Really interesting point. I'm not sure Robinson and Farbrace necessarily see eye to eye all the time. I don't think there's necessarily any cause for concern but i do wonder who or what is driving some of the ideas behind team selection. Recent recruitment has been patchy at best. Davies, McAndrew, Stirling, Brathwaite (he looks a faded force now) and further back Vihari, Malan and Holder have or had all struggled quite a bit game after game but none seems or seemed to be under pressure for his place. I just get the impression that if your a new signing you will walk straight into the team and play regardless.

There are good players who are not getting the faintest look in at all here. Particularly in the T20 format. It looks a closed shop.

I think in 4day cricket you get given time, that's fair enough (but some get given A LOT of time) but in t20 where you look at players giving you an instant impact it probably wouldn't hurt to shake it up a bit more. Other counties do it.

We seem to have a plan A but plan B seems to be do plan A but better.

Notts have all these matchwinners but they can't seem to win any matches. Only made the 1/4's last year, so did we. I mean if they're the yardstick...yes we beat them twice, we should beat them twice but that don't mean you automatically beat Derby. It just doesn't work like that. County Cricket is competitive and the Blast is such a good comp because anyone can more or less beat anyone on any given day.

Yes I remember that with Steve Elworthy, he got dropped a few times, even got dropped for the Sunday League game against us!