I think it’ll be Mousley out for Woakes.
Lowest scorer with the bat. Plus even in the very short time he was at the crease he didn’t look comfortable. Everything looked a bit frenetic.
He didn’t bowl either.

I must admit I thought this season the club might send Mousley out on loan as they did with Bethell. He hasn’t taken his few opportunities to nail down a place in the side in the last 2/3 seasons. Meaning he hasn’t been able to kick on as hoped in red ball.

The obvious drop out for Woakes if its like for like would be Barnard, but I don’t see that. It’s either got to be a bowler, so OHD, Bethell or Rushworth, or a batsman which probably means based on scores Mousley or Yates.
I don't see the bowlers being dropped, and with no opening replacement other than Rhodes, I suspect Mousley.

I haven’t been following the stream today. Who’d he drop?

From what I’ve read from Somerset fans, it appears that the club knew they had a drainage issue. But instead of dealing with it immediately after last season, they waited until this year. The heavy rain and lack of sunlight stopped the grass growing on the dug up part of the outfield. It also meant the ground staff weren’t able to pay due attention to other areas of the outfield.
It’s been wet everywhere, if they can get a game on at Cardiff, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to at Taunton. And if they’re able to be playing at Worcester this month, considering it is literally feet under water for much of the winter, Taunton has no excuse.
But if some of the rumours I’ve seen from Somerset fans are true, that the whole match is going to be called off, despite bright sunshine all 4 days, that’s a serious failure by Somerset and definitely fine worthy.

UrsaMinor I’ve just seen the interview you’re talking about. Deeply disappointing. Has the feel of a club trying to make their case of why they shouldn’t get fined for an unfit outfield. And despite their forced optimism, I can’t help but come away thinking that the morning session will be a write off no matter what tomorrow.

13 man squad announced
Rhodes
Ali
Barnard
Benjamin
Bethell
Brookes
Burgess
Davies
Hain
OHD
Mousley
Rushworth
Yates

Norwell has a back issue apparently. Briggs still has a dodgy knee. No centrally contracted England seamers for any team round 1, so no Woakes.

I reckon Benjamin and Brookes to miss out from that 13.

Some useful runs for Davies, Mousley and Bethell.
You can tell it’s pre-season, some real rustiness on both sides.
Not sure the 45 overs a side is a big help, but it’s better than nothing. And looking around the country, I’m glad the Bears went on tour. I know other teams stayed at home, I’ve seen Sussex have had all practice matches rained off so far and their only full warm up match looks likely to be against a university side.

2 openers whose form last year was pretty atrocious is definitely the most worrying aspect of this side. You need top order runs to win. It’s a strong middle order in theory. But if 1-3 aren’t contributing, it starts becoming a lot harder.

I can’t believe Rhodes got a choice. I suspect it was decided for him. Otherwise there’s no way he doesn’t choose someone like Hain, OHD, even Barnard or Briggs. All senior county players with excellent temperaments and consistent performers. I even think when Rhodes was unavailable for a couple of matches in the 1 day cup Burgess captained the last couple of years.

Again it’s just another confusing choice. And you’ve got to wonder what’s driving it because Davies hasn’t performed, he’s got well documented character flaws, he wasn’t a captain for Lancashire where you’d have thought after 10 years there he might have been given that chance. Robinsons fascination, bordering on obsession with Davies seems rather quite bizarre to me.

Not sure what Robinsons love affair with Davies is. How can you reward such mediocrity?
I’d wager this will be Burgess’ last year with the club, if I were him I wouldn’t stick around if it’s clear it’s not about performances. Suspect he’d have plenty of suitors.

I’m not sure Bethell has the skills yet as a championship bowler. He can be quite expensive. But how he develops as a bowler this year and next might give a clue to how this side will look for years to come.

I do hope your feeling of Davies keeping and Burgess not playing isn’t proved true. If it comes to pass, it’ll be a clear sign that it’s a personal issue between Robinson and Burgess, and isn’t to do with actual performances. Which is pretty weak for a head coach and the opposite of how it should work, but it wouldn’t surprise me either as Robinson has shown this with other players and coaches.

I think we’ll end up with:
Yates
Davies
Rhodes
Hain
Barnard
Burgess
Woakes
Briggs
Norwell
Rushworth
OHD

With Ali to come in when he arrives, and then an extra bat, maybe Mousley or Bethell, when Woakes is unavailable.

After the 1st 2 day match against Yorkshire, seems like the same issues with batting as last year.
Lose 3 or 4 wickets early, middle order digs the top order out of trouble. Assume they’ll put a write up on the edgbaston website, but there’s this one on Yorkshire’s https://yorkshireccc.com/news/view/10519/edwards-shines-on-impressive-yorkshire-bowling-day

It’s the perfect length of contract for him. Get his one score, and then moves on before he is just taking up a place.

I couldn’t see any comment as to why he’s leaving. As you’ve mentioned, I really hope it was mutual and Brian has something lined up. If it was change for changes sake, that’s rather disappointing. I understand county cricket media is changing, with the streaming, social media etc, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for someone with Brian’s knowledge and skills.

Just seen Farbrace has signed McAndrew again at Sussex. Obviously he saw something we didn’t.
Feel like Hassan Ali is a clear improvement.

I wonder if it’s about money.
As club captain you’ve got to think Rhodes is on north of £100k. Plus he plays all 3 formats, and has no franchise gigs so he’ll ask for more.
Whereas Lintott, only really plays T20, and probably makes more from franchise tournaments than from Warwickshire. So he’s probably happier signing for less, and has lots of freedom from the club. So makes sense for the club to keep him if he’s cheap enough.

Will Rhodes signs an extension.
Interestingly it’s only a 1 year extension. I wonder if that’s all he was willing to sign, or all the club was willing to offer.

With this dragging on for so long, I assume Robinson is the one now tasked with choosing overseas’, and dealing with all the nonsense that comes with it. As well as all the other contract negotiations that go on this time of year for players in their last year.
Not exactly what you want your coach doing, especially as the team will be on their preseason tour come February or March.

They need the right person, but they also need to hurry up and get it sorted asap.

Both strike me as odd candidates, especially considering the club has approached them.
I wonder if the role isn’t as popular as the club expected.
Silverwood did well as a coach, but hasn’t been a DoC as far as I’m aware. Plus I imagine Sri Lanka would want some compensation which is never ideal.
Irani wasn’t just unpopular over the alcohol accusations if memory serves me right. Plus whilst Essex did well during his reign, I’m not sure how much he contributed, and how much was good timing, considering they had a great crop of home grown youngsters on the squad when he took up his position, plus they had a lot of Alastair Cook after he stepped down from England.

Excellent news.
I hope they just let him play and don’t limit his overs or pick what matches he can and can’t play.

I do wonder if this has come from a realisation from Woakes that he’s maybe fallen down the pecking order a bit, and needs to perform.
With Robinson and Wood now ahead of him. Plus Archer will be fit this summer. Obviously Anderson and Broad. And there’s plenty of long term absences who are going to be healthy, lingering around the squad like the Currans, Overtons, Mahmood, Stone, Cook. Seems like there’s going to be some interesting selections to be made with the seamers for England this summer.