BristolBear wrote:

The top 3 has been a huge problem all season. It’s the root of all our batting issues. It’s got to be up there as one of the weakest in the country.
Brathwaite got off a plane Saturday, so what were we expecting.
The rest of the season, Davies and Yates haven’t scored runs since the first couple of games I’m pretty sure. Both have been disappointing in red ball this season and last to differing degrees. Rhodes hasn’t looked up to it for the last 2 years either.
Inevitably Hain has done well and dug them out of trouble along with Mousley, Burgess and Barnard at different stages.
No one is asking or expecting 250 without loss every match. But those middle order players coming in at 150/2 after 40 overs would be such a difference. They’d be able to attack the bowling, have bowlers in second or third spells, an older ball.

But too often that top 3 is obliterated within the first 10 overs. So it’s 30 for 3 or 4 after 10, bowlers with a new ball, brimming with confidence in their first spells, tails up, catchers in, and our batsmen are on the back foot not playing their natural game.
And half the time Barnard and Burgess have bowled 20 overs and kept for 70+ overs and they’re back out there inside a session.
It’s set up for the middle order to fail. We need to invest in an overseas number 3 for next season.

Billy Godleman opening the batting for our Seconds today. I guess he's been released by Derbyshire - I wonder if their Batting Coach (one I. Bell) may have suggested we look at him. Belly would know our problems, with opening batsmen!

And Godleman was Captain at Derby last season. Rhodes watch out!?

Leics v Gloucs is one Semi Final.

Run rate should mean we finish ahead of Gloucester, no matter what our result against Sussex (and theirs against Durham). We're already well ahead of Worcester. So a home Semi Final is pretty certain.

PS Hope we don't have to play on that Pershore Road side wicket again!

Booth is in. Team:-
Yates
Barnard
Burgess
Rhodes
Shaikh
Smith
Ethan Brookes
Booth
Lintott
Miles
OHD

Glamorgan won the toss and put us in.

Andy wrote:

Yes I wonder where we stand here. H Brookes won't have played yet either, does he become available?

The 2 match missed rule might apply to Henry, but there's another requirement that is difficult to fulfill, given the Phoenix fixture list - players are not available if their Undead team is playing the same day. Phoenix matches clash with Warwickshire games until next week.

Davies didn't play for Southern Brave again last night, so as that's 2 matches out and Brave don't play on Monday, he could be available for us in the Gloucester game. It's up to Brave if they want to release him though.

The_Lickey_Banker wrote:

Bald_Reynard wrote:

Highveld wrote:

ECB regulations state that games should be played within the county, or at a venue with established links.

Kidderminster and Stourbridge are both in Worcestershire, so are not viable options, likewise I can't see Derbyshire agreeing to Warwickshire use their ground in Derby.

The only ground in Worcestershire that Warwickshire could legitimately use would be Barnt Green, which is a wonderful club ground, one of my favourites, and has an excellent wicket, however it does not have the facilities needed to host a first class or list A game.

The rule that a County has to have "established links", to move to a ground outside the County, clearly allows for us to have games in Staffordshire. We have a very close development relationship with Staffs. There must be loads of good quality grounds in the Black Country, or elsewhere. Staffs MC play in Stoke and Stone, I know Wolverhampton, Walsall and West Bromwich (Dartmouth) used to have great facilities - but its been many years since I've been, so don't know what they're like now. Thoughts?

This season Staffs NCCCA team has played at West Brom Dartmouth, Himley and Smethwick in the Black Country. Dartmouth is an ideal venue for the Bears. Great wicket, wonderful spectator & clubhouse facilities and a large captive, cricket loving 'audience' on the doorstep - and literally a mile from the Birmingham boundary! What caps it all, is the facilities there are so good, they've been chosen to host the NCCA Championship Final, in September.

WBD IS the obvious candidate for any Outground game.

While Dartmouth would probably be a wonderful venue for any 'Outground' games, West Brom is not really the ideal place, for 'taking Warwickshire games out of Brum' - it pretty much is in Birmingham (don't tell them that though - you know what Baggies fans think of that idea)! If Staffordshire is a possibility, perhaps further afield in the Black Country (Wolverhampton is an obvious location), or a decent ground further up the County (I seem to remember Stafford and Stone having good grounds and Knypersely near Stoke is regularly used for Staffs game - again, with a large cricket fan base available).

Highveld wrote:

ECB regulations state that games should be played within the county, or at a venue with established links.

Kidderminster and Stourbridge are both in Worcestershire, so are not viable options, likewise I can't see Derbyshire agreeing to Warwickshire use their ground in Derby.

The only ground in Worcestershire that Warwickshire could legitimately use would be Barnt Green, which is a wonderful club ground, one of my favourites, and has an excellent wicket, however it does not have the facilities needed to host a first class or list A game.

The rule that a County has to have "established links", to move to a ground outside the County, clearly allows for us to have games in Staffordshire. We have a very close development relationship with Staffs. There must be loads of good quality grounds in the Black Country, or elsewhere. Staffs MC play in Stoke and Stone, I know Wolverhampton, Walsall and West Bromwich (Dartmouth) used to have great facilities - but its been many years since I've been, so don't know what they're like now. Thoughts?

It's been a few years since I last went, but I remember Cov & North Warwicks as a lovely ground, a good wicket and decent spectator/visitor facilities.

Of course, Cov has a big population on tbe doorstep, starved of County Cricket for many years. And if Dan M was playing, that might bring a few more in!

BosworthBear wrote:

Needs better planning - but Nuneaton, Stratford, Kenilworth, Cov and North Warwicks, Rugby would all do the job and actually fulfil the function the Club is supposed to (its in the constitution) to take games around the County.

Unfortunately we've become too short sighted and obsessed with Edgbaston including branding.

And Stratford certainly didn't cost a fortune because controversially it was underwritten by the Warwickshire taxpayer.

In the days when Griff and Coton held an annual fixture it always had Warwickshire's highest attendance of the season - which used to be listed in the Annual Report.

Completely agree either you BB. The Club has been shocking in its use of 'Out of Town' grounds in recent years. I think the odd Limited Overs game at Rugby School is all we've had.

I remember going to many matches in Cov (Courtaulds and Cov & N Warwicks) and Nuneaton - and as you say, Griff & Coton was a wonderfully well attended game. Happy days, but there is no reason not to have some matches around the COUNTY - even if it is just the 50 Over competition. Personally, I'd love at least one CC game out of Brum - Middlesex, Surrey, Lancashire and Yorkshire all seem to manage it.

ajones1328 wrote:

Off the top of my head

Rhodes
Barnard
Yates
Burgess
E Brookes (first team ish)
Miles
OHD
Rushworth
Lintott

Basically not many, like to think we'd bring in at least one overseas.

Has Jake Lintott not been selected for the Undead this season? Last year I thought he played in quite a few Southern Braves games.

paulbear wrote:

Should we really be surprised? Every year. Why bother to finish top when it makes no difference. I always agreed with Neil Carter who thought sides finishing top should go straight to finals day but instead you have to play a side who scrape into 4th place and get to knock you out in a one-off game. but seriously, another poor batting display on a wicket where 180 looked good. Too many batsmen giving outfield catching practice and yet another overseas 'Star' who didn't shine, not one fifty to show all campaign. All the turning up, hoping for a place to park somewhere and watch us play well to get through and what I hoped would be a successful finals day only to see 4 other teams going to OUR ground to have their day in the sun.

Completely agree with you PB (and Neil Carter), Group Winners should go straight to the Semi's and 2nds and 3rds in each Group should play off for the remaining two SF places.

Maxwell was another Overseas 'waste of space'. Benjamin should be nowhere near a place in the team (anyway we probably won't see him again for the 1sts this season). Davies is a crap keeper (what a miss that catch was!) - it should be Burgess. OHD is no T20 bowler.

The only players who showed ability last night were Sam and Jake, though Henry B did better than I expected.

https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#m917c248f-8fb1-47f9-b56e-e36a2cc01f4c

Team as expected. 4 front line bowlers (I think you have to count Henry B and OHD - although their recent T20 record isn't great!) plus Maxwell & Mousley. Sam H back.

We lost the toss and were put in!

Bald_Reynard wrote:

13 man Squad:-
Rhodes
Hassan Ali
Barnard
Bess (!)
Bethell
Henry Brookes
Burgess
Davies
OHD
Lintott
Mousley
Rushworth
Yates

I wonder who will be left out - a spinner like Lintott, a seamer like Brookes (who has been pretty rubbish - for us - for a while now), or a batsman like Bethell ?

Well I was a little bit right - 2 seamers - but I wouldn't have predicted OHD.

Bald_Reynard wrote:

13 man Squad:-
Rhodes
Hassan Ali
Barnard
Bess (!)
Bethell
Henry Brookes
Burgess
Davies
OHD
Lintott
Mousley
Rushworth
Yates

I wonder who will be left out - a spinner like Lintott, a seamer like Brookes (who has been pretty rubbish - for us - for a while now), or a batsman like Bethell ?

T20 for Bess would be good. He looked the pick of the Yorkie bowlers on Thursday and no slouch with the bat.

13 man Squad:-
Rhodes
Hassan Ali
Barnard
Bess (!)
Bethell
Henry Brookes
Burgess
Davies
OHD
Lintott
Mousley
Rushworth
Yates

I wonder who will be left out - a spinner like Lintott, a seamer like Brookes (who has been pretty rubbish - for us - for a while now), or a batsman like Bethell ?

I was there last night, my first T20 in years.
Impressions:-
1) A deserved win, but it should never had been that close.
2) Some very strange bowling selections by Davies. Taking bowlers off / swapping ends when they were doing well, not bowling the better guys for their full quota - and of course -
3) Letting Henry B bowl more than 1 over when he was clearly a liability - and letting him anywhere near the last over. The guy clearly hasn't got it, in any form of the game, after SO many opportunities.
4) Nice to see CW's still 'has it'..
5) Wonderful bowling by our best spinner (far far better than the 'front line' Briggs & Lintott). DM's bowling was a revelation to me - the paciest spinner I've seen for a long time. And unlucky getting out, when his batting looked very promising
6) Patience from Yates was good, Benjamin rode his luck, but at least took his chances.
7) Maxwell was very so so, bowling and batting.
8) Why is Bethell batting so low? His recent record deserves him to go in at latest 2 higher. And WHAT A CATCH he took - up there with some of the best I've ever seen.

All in all, I'm so glad I went - with my son, who has never followed in his Dad's footsteps for love of cricket, but has now been quite enthused by it all - and even was crying out "You Bears" with me at the end!

Bald_Reynard wrote:

13 man squad:-
Rhodes
Hassan
Barnard
Benjamin
Briggs
Henry Brookes
Burgess
Davies
Hain
OHD
Mousley
Rushworth
Yates

I suppose Benjamin and Brookes will be left out?
Good, Burgess is back, even if its just for red ball.

As expected - Benjamin and Brookes left out.
We won the toss and chose to bat.

13 man squad:-
Rhodes
Hassan
Barnard
Benjamin
Briggs
Henry Brookes
Burgess
Davies
Hain
OHD
Mousley
Rushworth
Yates

I suppose Benjamin and Brookes will be left out?
Good, Burgess is back, even if its just for red ball.