The_Lickey_Banker wrote:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/57843984

It will be interesting to see what 'University players' Robinson is referring to, when he talks about giving youngsters a chance in the RLC ?

Benjamin etc?

I hope all the contracted lads get a good go before any potential triallists.

Dobell's match report would suggest that we're more likely to see Vihari back than Malan.

Well up for helping the developing world, no issue there.

Still don't see how entire squads going into self isolation and matches/comps getting called off because of a handful of positive cases aids the situation in the UK at this point though.

It's never going to be gone, we've got to learn to live with it now. Can't keep periodically locking down then reintroducing restrictions before relaxing them then reintroducing them again repeat ad nauseum, it's been over 16 months now.

I'm sympathetic to the concerns but we have vaccines that work, they are an incredible scientific feat, and a really successful vaccine rollout but it may aswell have been a shambles if we're gonna carry on like this.

Aware of all that. People are going to die. It's bad, but we've got a new thing out there to kill people. Some aren't vaccinated and vaccines aren't perfect, these ones are very good though. However we'll never stop it killing people, especially not the old and frail.

I don't want to come across as unsympathetic because obviously it's a terrible thing. It offed my missus' nan in the winter. I Iost 8 of my work colleagues, terrible stuff. We all wish it didn't exist, but we have to see the world as it is, not as we want it to be.

The number of dying might have a bit to go up yet but we were going to face this moment at some point. It will happen again in the winter too, no doubt. But what can we do, really? This thing is here now.

I wish we'd done what NZ had done, it's a national scandel that we didn't, but here we are.

When England lose, blame the County system.

When England win, praise the England set up.

Would imagine the flu has some 31 year olds in hospital too.

The NBA is 5 or so days away from completing its post season. That didnt get suspended or cancelled and they had numerous positive cases all 72 game season long. If a player tested positive he didn't play until he produced a negative test result. They didn't put entire squads into isolation, they just got on with it. No bio secure bubbles or anything.

I was an advocate of lockdowns and distancing last year but at this point, with a successful vaccine rollout in operation, we're being way too cautious over all this now.

Well we'll be in this scenario indefinitely for the 4 or 5 year or so then until we see zero Covid. Loads of people over the next few years are going to be in hospital with Covid, it's another virus that's come along. What happened in previous years when 10's of thousands died of the flu every winter? Nothing. Make it make sense.

Rename this the Covid Thread!

Praying for Scarborough away. If the season is still going...

Yates and Malan pumping their averages here.

OK 3 or 4 positive cases. Still daft. Don't happen in the workplace. Should be treated like any other virus now, we've been vaccinating since December. Enough.

Why, at this point, are squads having to all isolate if they have a positive case?!

BristolBear wrote:

I think he and Rashid are similar in regards to being more effective in white ball, but for different reasons.
Rashid lacks patience, he can’t bowl 3 or 4 overs on the same spot with his stock ball. He wants to try things.
I think Lintott lacks the control to do so, which is just part of being a wrist spinner, but you can get away with it more in whit ball because as you say, players can’t wait, they just go at everything.

This is spot on.

Re. Yates and Lamb. Them both getting a good bowl is great for their development. Yates has good control and bowls a really tight line. Lamb has less control but gets good dip and looked threatening enough to keep the batsmen on their toes.

The New Road pitch is strange, can be docile for hour after hour and then out of nowhere things can happen.

Re. the umpiring, there was a couple of odd decisions, Lamb's was iffy, looked like it may have been sliding down.

Nice to see us put up a total batting first, Malan and Sibley have been due and we had good contributions from Rhodes and Lamb, that was a good partnership this morning and allowed us to take control of the game.

I remember Matt Lamb making a ton for the 2's when he was about 14/15. Can't remember anyone that young doing it since until now. I could very well be wrong.

He's a medium pace swing bowler with a decent First Class record but hasn't bowled too much in limited overs. In CPL he'd often open the bowling but would rarely bowl his 4 overs, maybe just 2.

I feel Yates or Lamb miss out here. Maybe Pollock or Hose.

It's also game 10!!!

I think Bethell plays.

Reads to me like he's an addition as opposed to a replacement.

I just don't think England are very keen on Warwickshire players. Remember when they originally picked Rob Key etc over Bell initially. Look how long it took Woakes to get a proper go. Further back 1994 treble winning side, not one Warwickshire player made the Ashes tour that winter.

Now here we are again!

Hain's strike rate in T20 the past couple of years in around 140, thats elite.