What’s happened to Johal? He looked very promising at the end of last year, and now he’s disappeared.
I would like to think the club will get clear of relegation in the next few matches, and then allow the likes of Johal and Simmons a couple of chances in the last couple of CC matches.

I also hope they give OHD some time off over the 50 over comp, so he can be firing on all cylinders for the CC. Because his loss would be catastrophic.

We’ve kept Davies. In fact we signed him knowing he was being investigated and likely banned for similar tweets.

On Robinson, I feel like he’s been made a scape goat. He was perfectly fit for years for Sussex and took at lot of wickets in all formats. England get hold of him, and he’s got injury issues suddenly. Same with Archer, same with Mahmood, Rolland-Jones, Woakes, the list goes on and it’s a pretty damning pattern.
Perhaps he didn’t understand the difference in fitness required for test cricket, but the ECB need to take responsibility for that too. I suspect it’s more a case of an easy story off the back of one interview, rather than a pattern of behaviour.

Personally I’d have no issue with the club signing Robinson, and I think with him plus Barnard, and I suspect a bowling overseas, you’d be able to rotate Norwell more and give OHD some more rest, whilst still allowing Brookes, Miles and Garret to fight for a place.

I think the fact he’s Farbrace’s step-son would probably be a bigger issue. And you’d think that’s just an issue they’d both prefer to steer clear of.

Lamb had a great start to the season, no doubt, I think he’s a good player and hope the club come to their senses and he stays.
But in the last 3 matches he’s batted 5 times and has a high score of 37, averaging just under 13. So he’s clearly out of form. So of the batsmen, he or Benjamin would be the ones on the hot seat. (Rhodes won’t be considered for the obvious reason). But Benjamin has had only a couple of chances, so you’d think Lamb more likely to make way for Hain.

Comparing any overseas to Vihari is like saying Messi is amazing because he’s better than a conference South player. Compare McAndrew to like for like, players like Siddle, Harmer, Abbott or Abbas, and he comes up a long way short. Whilst he won’t be dropped, he’s not exactly setting the world on fire either.

I think there comes a point where second XI cricket can only tell you so much. I suspect both Bethell and Brookes are at the awkward stage where they are probably better than a lot of the younger players they’ll face there, but aren’t quite there in terms of beating out the players above them for a first XI spot.

It’s about balancing the immediate needs against those of of the future. For me, I think we all know come next year Yates is opening when Sibley goes. So whilst his performances haven’t demanded selection, long term there’s probably more benefit in trying to get him back in form. For Brookes his time will come in the 50 over comp, and for Bethell it’s about taking his chance when it comes next time. He had half the T20’s and the Northants game and didn’t produce enough to keep his place.
It’s difficult, but Yates produced in some big moments last year. And for me, I think that should have earned him a bit of loyalty in terms of where he is in the selection pecking order. Hopefully getting dropped will have given him the kick he needs. But Robinson will make the final call.

Interesting news creeping out of Sussex. The club is shopping Ollie Robinson around. He has 1 more year left on his deal after this season, but they are willing to loan him out to a club willing to pay his wages, in a similar way to Rossington to Essex this year.

Robinson is apparently the most expensive player at Sussex, and an amicable split seems likely and preferable for both. Robinson wants to be at a big county in Div 1 to win his England place back. And for Sussex his lack of availability due to either England or fitness, plus him potentially missing out on a central contract due to his injury hit year means it makes a great deal of financial sense to let him leave.

I wonder if the bears might have a try for him, considering his relationship with Farbrace, he’s got friends in the squad in Briggs and Burgess. And has played England Lions with Hain.
If he can stay fit he’d be a superb signing as long as it wasn’t another Woakes situation where he was never seen.

Normally I’d completely agree. But I think there’s 3 things to consider here that are abnormal.
1- Sibley is off, why not let Yates go back to opening where he is a long term option. If we accept we’re not winning the league this year, I don’t think we’re in relegation trouble. I’d plan ahead.
2- As a very young man, he (in my opinion) is currently the only person this year who’s been dropped for poor form. So if you’re him, it must be crushing to see so many others being given backing, and him being dropped.
I appreciate he had his chance to show form, but that argument works for everyone else too. And I think he’s almost a sacrificial lamb at this stage, a token gesture of a player dropped for form, as it’s easier to drop Yates, then it would be Davies, McAndrew or Lamb. I also feel that he should have more credit in the bank than someone like Bethell based on proven performances last year, rather than Bethells on pure potential.
3 - He bowls, and did well last year and took some decent wickets. And in a game where it’s going to be 35 degrees and feel like 40, another bowling option would be helpful.

Will never happen but I’d get Yates in for Davies, for his bowling. Hain back for Benjamin. Keep Mousley again for his bowling and being in either Bethell or Ethan Brookes for Lamb.
Then tell Danny Briggs to get his act together, and take advantage of a dry pitch.
If possible Norwell back too for Garrett.

Get plenty of bowling in and try bat first and keep them out in the heat all day.

I’m surprised that Hose and Hain both struggled. Technically they’re both pretty strong and have good intent. Hose’s dismissal was a shame because he just picked out the man.

I’m less surprised by Lintott, I think a lot of his success has come from him bowling with an unusual and rare style. Which isn't going to work at international level because players are better, and will eventually get worked out over time domestically as players are more used to it and there’s more work on tape to study.

For me, in isolation, I don’t think any one contract or decision made by the club is that bad. However, when you look at the timing and comparisons it looks rather poor and inconsistent.

Whilst Hose and Stone may not be being considered for red ball, they should be offered equal terms to someone like Lintott. That disparity seems very odd, especially considering both Hose and Stone want to play red ball, but Lintott doesn’t seem to be fussed.

Again the Bethell extension, he’s left school, but surely the club are intelligent enough to plan that into the contract. Different terms for the last 2 years, rather than a whole new contract, more money but no sign of performance yet.

For the overseas, what a mess, three years in a row with poor overseas options. Can’t be a 4th, watching Abbott, Abbas, Harmer, McDermott you can see the impact they have.

Yates is just in a down year, there’s more video on him, still studying I believe, and been moved around the order. I think he’ll come back. But he’s just very feast or famine, 100’s or nothing at all.

Finally, there seems to be a number of players who next season will be in their final year. Including the 3 players carrying the red ball team OHD, Hain and Burgess. The club needs to get those sorted. But I have a nasty feeling we’re going to lose at least 1 of them.

For someone who has previously spoken great sense, that quote is a true shocker.

The club knew Woakes, Stone and Bresnan were not going to be around. Woakes was either going to be with England or injured, Stones injury was well known early and Bresnan retired. Plus everyone knows Norwell is notoriously injury prone. So why did the club spend absurd money on Davies, Brathwaite, Stirling, McAndrew, Bethell’s unnecessary extension, and the insane price they’re paying Lintott for one format (a full contract compared to the white ball only being offered to Hose & Stone)? Why not bring in some high quality and consistent performing players and overseas who play multiple formats? It really does seem like the county get taken for a ride when it comes to overseas and the money they often pay new signings of late.

In terms of the points, I don’t necessarily think it’s about the ability to take first innings wickets more the strike rate and average. So teams do eventually get out to us, but not until they’ve scored at 4 an over and put a score of 400 plus on the board.
Then come second innings when this year the pitches have seemed to flatten out, we struggle to take wickets and can’t stem the flow of runs. The Lancashire match being a perfect example. Factor in Briggs has been poor this season, and hasn’t been a threat in the second innings, and it’s easy to see why we struggle to get 20 wickets.

It’s that we’re allowing a disproportionate amount of runs, at a high run rate, meaning our batsmen not only need to score more, but take time out the game as well.

Streetly_Bear wrote:

Did Davies get in an argument with our or their supporters?

I made the assumption it was their supporters.
He’d clearly responded to something they said after he dropped it. I’d assumed it would be their supporters giving him some stick about an easy drop. Responding to it got a very audible “oooh” from the supporters and just seemed to attract more comments.
I’d like to think he would be smart enough to not have a go at his own supporters.

That Davies drop just about summed up his signing. Gets in an argument with the crowd, lots of noise and attention but minimal actual performance.

Need to hear from Robinson, Farbrace and Rhodes after this. It’s the same old people performing, and we’ve just seen what happens when we rely too heavily on a few. No Hain and Burgess gets a Jaffa early in the first innings and we’re under par. OHD gets a 5er but minimal help elsewhere and Hampshire score about 100 more than they really should have, considering they were 250-7 and scored 360.

I think the departure of Bresnan has had a bigger impact than we thought. As a character and leader he really was hugely valuable, but he also chimed in with wickets and runs at key times.

The other thing to me seems to be a huge change in priority this year.
T20 seems to have been given the most importance, clear to see by the way players are managed, the signings, the selections, and that really does seem to have alienated some players as I’ve said in the contracts thread, and caused a bit of a split.

But I do think the bowling currently is a bigger issue than the batting. OHD averages 20 with the ball, the next best is McAndrew at over 40! And it just gets worse from there. So whilst we aren’t scoring as many runs as other sides, I suspect often it’s more to do with us allowing them more runs, than it is us not scoring as many as we should.

Pop Welch is definitely a major factor. I don’t think it’s any surprise that his going has coincided with the bowlers breaking down more and not performing as well. If the rumours are true that he didn’t want to work with Robinson, that’s very damning.

I’m also wondering why the player and coach interviews have stopped this season or are a lot less frequent. Most clubs hear from at least one player after each day, and from the coach and captain after every match. We’re lucky if we get 1 interview the whole match.

I really can’t understand the strategy here. Just letting Hampshire dictate everything. I get batting time and not taking unnecessary risks is part of that. But they can’t have 5 people round the bat if they’re worried about chasing a decent total, and having to keep the runs down.
Instead we’ve barely played a shot in anger, and letting them dominate and do as they wish.

I think the club allowing Hain to play for the ECB shows their priorities this year.
When they chose the XI to play New Zealand they said no to Hain going but yes to Sibley and Burgess as it clashed with the T20’s. (No-one knew at the time that Burgess wasn’t being considered for T20, but it makes sense now).
Clearly showing what they prioritised this year.

Also makes sense with how earlier they rested Hain and Briggs for a Championship match but they played all T20’s. It’s a really poor approach to take in defending a championship.

It’s a squad with some flashy names and big contracts being carried by 4 players: Hain, Burgess, OHD and Hose. Players who probably aren’t on the biggest contracts and have been at the club a while. All 4 are in the final or penultimate year of their contracts.

Looks like it could be one of those days.
Bowling hasn’t been expensive but still allowed too many easy runs. Limited threat from the seamers, Briggs has offered no threat.
Wonder why Mousley hasn’t been given a bowl.

paulbear wrote:

Davies is going to have to watch how he gets out and what shots to play. After that absolute shocker of a dismissal in the T20 QF, the management might eventually run out of patience with him. A great start and unless we get a lot of early wickets, we could be chasing the game and yes Lilly, you are right, this has been a season that I will file under 'Urrrgh!'.

If only it were so. But I have the awful feeling that Davies could crap in Robinsons hat and he’d still be the first name on the team sheet.
Last year we had a real team comes first atmosphere, seemingly led by Bresnan. This year it really is a collection of individuals, those in favour and those who are expendable.

You can accept wickets like Rhodes, Burgess and Mousley. Early in their innings, a good bowler, and sometimes you just get a good ball before you’re in.
But Davies, Lamb and Benjamin were just poor shot selection. Davies had no need to try play that shot. Then huge misjudgements from Lamb and Benjamin. If we give away half our wickets, we shouldn’t be surprised if we end up like this. Previously Hain and Burgess have dug us out but one isn’t playing and one got a great ball early on.

Who’s that batting in the Dom Sibley mask this morning? Never seen him bat like this before. Minimal risk, but putting anything full or wide away.