I can’t see them changing the batting. So suspect Lamb stays out, and then Norwell in for Miles.

I suspect it will come down to if Norwell is fit and how we bowl as a unit. Need to take wickets with the new ball. Can’t keep letting sides get good opening partnerships.

There’s runs in the batting, we just need to turn those starts into big scores, and get a bit more luck in terms of some umpiring decisions that have done against us against Lancs and Somerset.

Here we go…..
Parkinson on a day 4 pitch is getting big turn. Rhodes and Burgess both got big turners. Need to really dig in now.

It’s interesting how in a year of big team and individual totals, the top 3 has really struggled, until Sibley this match. Hain has got in a few times and given it away, so no big scores from the top 4 until Sibley’s century in the 1st innings.
The first 2 matches the middle order bailed them out, and then couldn’t in the third.

Biggest improvement though will be getting Woakes and Norwell back next match. As every other England seamer has played for their county now apart from him, and Norwell made a big difference in that Essex match.

It doesn’t help that this year the balls seem to going softer faster and swinging less. So you’ve got to get early wickets.
Which makes it more annoying in our innings that Hain and Rhodes got out cheaply. Because those were the key overs. As after the first 30 overs, until the second new ball, that’s the time to build a big score.

This is looking disturbingly familiar. A big opening partnership putting us under the cosh.
Miles and McAndrew just don’t have the same level of control as OHD.
Really need Norwell back ASAP. We just don’t do enough damage with the new ball compared to other sides.

Briggs’ shot was a loose one, but I think Benjamin just missed a straight one, and Burgess definitely seemed to get a harsh one. Seemed to be going comfortably down leg.
But that can happen with the second new ball.

Of more concern is without Sibley’s runs, the other members of the top 5 scored 69 combined. You just won’t win enough like that, because you do need to factor in a good ball or a poor decision going against you. In this case, Benjamin and Burgess both looked good and playing it nicely, and that leaves you in a tough spot if they’re trying to make up for multiple failures higher up the order.

The Rhodes lack of runs is becoming more of an issue.
He didn’t have a good season last year with the bat, and it got glossed over a bit because he was doing so well with the ball, and his 100 at the end of the season.

But this season he’s been expensive with the ball and less of a wicket threat, so the lack of runs is more obvious.

I’ve heard there were some minor concerns about a niggle, but predominantly the S&C staff believe that he needs to be bowling fit, to prevent further injury.
They basically wanted a few overs under his belt to test him out, then a week to rest and some controlled overs on training before Northants. Rather than risk playing him; and have him breakdown mid-match.
I believe it was the Pop Welch approach, bowlers need to be bowling, that’s how they get fit and stay fit.

I’d love to see all the teams combined top 3 averages this season.
Davies, Sibley and Yates so far must be towards the bottom.
Was similar last year too, so rarely get a good start. Is 50/0 or 70/1 really too much to ask for?
It seems like the middle order is always exposed to a new ball and fresh bowlers with their tails up.

Bears win the toss and bat first. Lamb and Lintott miss out.
Lamb is an Injury absence, with a Hamstring injury apparently.
Chris Benjamin in at a ground he did well at last year.
One of Sibley, Davies or Yates really needs to step up and get a proper top order score.
Pressure is definitely starting to mount on Rhodes too, with pretty poor displays with Bat and Ball to start the season.

I wonder if they’d take a risk and play the extra spinner in Lintott, maybe leaving out Yates.
Old Trafford has traditionally taken spin, and as it stands, without Norwell the bowling really lacks a threat.
The batting was poor against Somerset, but I honestly believe the bowling was far more concerning. The batting has plenty of talent and has shown it can score runs. It was never a bat once pitch, that we made look like a road, and unless Norwell or Woakes are back or McAndrew really improves, it’s hard to see us taking enough wickets in tough conditions.

Definitely seems to be a couple of harsh decisions to Yates and Sibley.
Rhodes and Davies were very poor dismissals, and not the first time like that for either of them this year.
Overtons ball to Burgess was just a beauty, you get them sometimes.

What I would say, is that they seem to extracting a lot more movement in the air and off the pitch than our attack did. Which to me suggests whilst we’re definitely underperforming with the bat, they definitely over performed primarily due to some poor bowling. Not for the first time either this year, I wonder if we’re seeing the effects of no Pop Welch.

On McAndrew I believe he arrived at Edgbaston on the second day of the Essex match. So in the country just under a week.

I thought he was supposed to be a bit quicker, bowl a heavy ball, get some bounce, a bit like Norwell. But we’ll see how he pans out.

What doesn’t change is that in terms of available players, no way do I believe that he was the best possible bowler the club could acquire for the overseas position. I listed the calibre of players in an earlier comment, so I’d love to know want Farbrace was doing when all those other bowlers were signing deals elsewhere.

I’m sure it doesn’t help he’s just got off a plane, new conditions etc.
But how is it that there’s Abbas, Abbot, Afridi, Amir, Ali, Rauf, Paterson, Pattinson, Siddle, Henry and others all signed as overseas seam bowlers, we’ve ended uk with Nathan McAndrew? He very well prove me wrong, but it’s not a great start.

Farbrace seems to have a serious issue in terms of getting in consistent top quality overseas signings in red ball. 2 years in a row now he’s missed, despite a number of big international stars being willing to come play.

Exiled Bear wrote:

McAndrew in for Brookes the only change for the next match if Norwell is fit?

I don’t think he will be fit. Believe Robinson said the concussion protocol means he’ll definitely miss Somerset, but should be back afterwards as long as he meets the recovery criteria.

McAndrew for Norwell, and then potentially Miles for Brookes, as he definitely bowled better than Brookes in that second innings.

Andy wrote:

BristolBear wrote:

McGrath said at the end of today that Lawrence will only bat if absolutely necessary. Which you’d guess is a situation where they feel a realistic chance of saving the game.

After today, I wonder if Burgess has appeared on the England radar. Wouldn’t it be typical to find Ambrose’s long term replacement, only to go and lose him to England.

I wondered this too. Good job we have a few lads on the books who keep, Davies, Benjamin...

Worse now that apparently Foakes is not just concussed but may have damaged his shoulder.

McGrath said at the end of today that Lawrence will only bat if absolutely necessary. Which you’d guess is a situation where they feel a realistic chance of saving the game.

After today, I wonder if Burgess has appeared on the England radar. Wouldn’t it be typical to find Ambrose’s long term replacement, only to go and lose him to England.

They’re still saying Visa. But I have heard that he’s arriving this weekend. So hopefully ready for the next match.

On another note, anyone starting to worry about Rhodes? Apart from the Cook wicket, he’s been expensive with the ball both matches. And low scores too. After a pretty average season with the bat last year.

I think it’s more a reflection on how the attack was put together in that first match. OHD and Miles are similar in that both are swing bowlers, relying on line and length, but OHD is just able to do more, I expect due to his height. And Brookes whilst he can be wayward, he does have the pace, and that makes him a different option. And so Miles, who didn’t bowl well in that first match, lost out to Norwell who bowled well yesterday.

I suspect Brookes will lose out to McAndrew when he arrives. The interesting thing will be how long they can fight off the inevitable injuries, and what happens when Stone is fit.

I suppose it’s a reflection on the fact that this is probably the strongest squad I can remember the club having in some time. If you consider no second overseas, and for various reasons no Woakes, Stone, Mousley, Miles, Bethell, Lintott, Hose, Benjamin, Johal, E Brookes, Garret, and Sidebottom.