Just too much to say about this team.
But what does it for me is the attitude they play with. They clearly love being a team, they pull together in the hardest moments, and fight through adversity every time.
Be it the run chase against Essex, finding a way to win against Notts twice, the win against Yorkshire away, and now this almost miraculous win against Somerset. They have a bloody minded drive to win.

Not sure my ticker can withstand this if it goes right to the death.

I think they’re hoping it’ll spin. But it just seems too flat. I know they needed 4 batting points. But it just seems to be getting flatter and flatter.

Seems easier to bat on the longer the day goes. Let’s hope Woakes or Norwell does what Overton did this morning. Sends down a few jaffers, use the new ball and that the pitch was undercover all night, and finish up early. Bat most of the day. Bat at a good pace, try get a 250/300 lead and put them in, and hope Briggs can get some grip on a day 4 pitch.

Briggs gets capped today.
He’s got to be the best signing of the year.
Excellent in the T20. Bowled well when given the platform and a conducive pitch. Gives good control. And has chipped in with good runs a few times now.

Interesting to see Burgess got capped today.
Suggests he is very much a big part of future plans for the club.

I think they’ll go for it. Even in the last couple of overs in the day, Burgess and Hain were looking to score rather than see out the day. So there’s obviously intent.

Ideally get the 350 and win. If not, get the win, and hope Lancs don’t get 350, but they beat Hampshire.

Yates is very much feast or famine. That’s just how he is currently as a young player. He’ll learn but it’s what we’ve all come to expect.

I think we’d be the happiest team currently. Put in 80-1, whilst Hampshire are 4 down and Notts 3 down for lower scores.
Interesting thing will be if we score 350, get 4 batting points and Hampshire were to get none. We’d win, if we won, no matter what Hampshire did if they won, and I’d find it hard to believe Lancs would get 5 batting points at an out ground in Lancashire in September.

I’d like to assume so.
If there’s not, I’m sure Tom Harrison will donate some of his bonus.

Rumours coming out of Sussex are that Aaron Thomason is being released.
The gossip suggests that it’s potentially due to a disciplinary issue. Which makes sense as apparently he was key for the first half of the year; and then suddenly disappeared, even playing minor counties at one point.

Great bowling performance.
But for me, Burgess was the difference between the 2 sides.
106 run win, he scored 103 runs in total. Outperformed any other batsman on both sides. Overhead conditions, and the early pitch were very bowler friendly, and he applied himself and scored like no one else.

Davies definitely comes straight in, but I'd argue Burgess has out performed him this year, so I don't think he comes in as a keeper.
Burgess is about 20 or 40 runs down on him on the season. But he's also faced better teams, considering Durham and Essex are the 2 teams at the top of Div 2, and both Derby and Worcestershire have good attacks, but can't bat. Whereas Davies has had the joy of batting at Sussex and Canterbury small grounds, usually flatter pitches, and against a weak Sussex, Kent and Glamorgan attacks.
Plus Burgess has done it keeping wicket, and been arguably the best pure gloveman in the County Championship this year.
Davies has been able to just play as a pure batsman, which means he should be scoring plenty more.

I'd say in this team against Yorkshire now, he comes in for Benjamin, who just doesn't seem suited to 4 day cricket unless it is very flat,. Then you'd say Yates back in for Woakes who'll be with England, a top batting overseas for probably Lamb, Briggs for Bethell, and then it's a toss up for the seam bowlers when Stone, OHD and Brookes are all back fit.
But with a rested, rebooted Sibley, Rhodes finding form with the bat, fewer bowler injuries, and an overseas that pulls their weight, that's a serious team, with strength in depth.

It appears Vilas is giving up the gloves. They’ve had Lavelle keep too this year.
In my mind it’s sort of proof his move isn’t really about keeping. Because he could stay and keep if he wanted. It appears he wants to be the main man with the bat, and won’t be with Salt around.
Though his batting has gone off a cliff recently, a pair in the last match, only got 3 in this one. He’ll fit right in with our top order.

I have a feeling Furrer will be back. By all accounts he was massively rated, and 2 freak injuries have stopped them seeing him bowl a ball in anger.
They keep him around the first team squad, and he’s always doing 12th man duty.
I wonder if they’ll bring him back on a pay per play basis, so they’re not overly invested but get a chance to see him play.
I’d like to keep Carver but I feel like you’d be paying him to be the third choice red ball spinner and fourth choice T20 spinner. Also, you know his ceiling, might as well try give a shot to someone who’s perhaps not reached their potential yet.

I must say he is my favourite cricket journalist, just ahead of Atherton. George writes with crickets best interests at heart with genuine logic and reason, and a great sense of integrity. Today the integrity part is even more crucial, as you get ex players willing to say and do anything to get a job in a franchise competition and get paid, even if it hurts the game.

Hain, Lamb, and Benjamin in 2 innings have scored a combined total of 28 runs. Include Rhodes and that total rises to a mighty 63.
So with 8 opportunities, 4 of our top 5 have scored a total of 63 runs.
Include Sibley, the entire top 5 in 2 innings scored 109.
To put that in perspective Burgess scored 103 by himself.
Hopefully Bresnan, Miles and then Norwell can get a lead beyond 200.

Yeah the last 2 overs from Miles were unplayable. A couple you could just watch the keeper and cordons reaction, and know they were serious deliveries.

It’s Yorkshire, in September, at the end of the day, you’d be surprised if the bat dominated. But Burgess and Balance have shown the others that there is a better way to play.

I think it’s a bit of conditions and poor batting. Headingley with clouds on the first day is notoriously tough. Ask India a week or 2 ago, and even the Ben Stokes miracle came off the back of being ripped through in a poor first innings.
The ball was definitely moving, not just in the air but off the pitch, so conditions were tough. Even to the point the bounce was a little uneven. Also their bowlers are just perfectly suited for those conditions, and they’ve exploited them well all season.
But also technically we struggled, hard hands, not sure where our off stump was, getting caught on the crease, issues you see most touring teams have when they come over here not used to a swinging, seaming ball.

Thought Burgess was superb, wanted to get down the pitch to negate the swing, but played the ball with soft hands under his eyes, knowing in those conditions you will edge it, so make sure it goes wide or doesn’t carry. Then attacked when it was just Norwell left.

Briggs, Yates and Holder miss out. Woakes, Bresnan and Bethell in.

Can only assume injury or illness for Briggs and Yates. Thought Briggs bowled well last match, just needed some support at the other end.

Woakes for Holder I’d say. Straight swap, obviously a top bowler, but also makes the tail significantly shorter, as it’s only Miles and Norwell who are true tailenders.
Lie and say he’s injured; or do whatever is needed to save Holders pride, but don’t play him just because they’ve paid far too much for him.
Also I think it’s time for Rhodes to score some runs, can’t have your number 4/5 barely contribute with the bat all year.. Or if he is far more of an all rounder now, move him to 7 and have Lamb and Burgess go 5&6.