Definitely no Stone and Sibley, as all England players go into their team “bubble” on Thursday, but it’s not a bubble as we’ve seen previously. So players can theoretically come into and out of it this time.

I’d love Woakes to come in but I just can’t see it. For whatever reason the ECB will say no, which is ludicrous. He’d provide great balance for the side, but I’m not optimistic.

If no Woakes, and Miles still possibly injured, we might see Brookes coming in.

I think at the start of the season if we’d have been offered a win and a draw against Essex we’d have run off without looking back.
For me missing out on a win against Derby because of the rain is a major annoyance. That extra 8 points makes the table look very different.
Also, the new 8 points for a draw rule is pretty rubbish. Worcestershire and Essex should both be a place or 2 back, it’s rewarding time lost to rain or very flat pitches.

It’s bowling like this that makes me feel Rhodes should move down the order. Yates will have to open anyway when Sibley goes to England. If they bring Mousley in to open, have Malan at 3, Hain 4 and Rhodes 5. I think he’d be more likely to bowl himself, and also be more likely to score runs.

Whilst it’s raining, I’m going to ask the question I suspect many are thinking. What are the club going to do about Rhodes? Can’t drop him after making him captain. But the top order is an issue. Too often we’re 50/3 or worse. They need a reliable opening partnership.
He’s yet to get a 50, only Averaging 16. Everyone knows the talent is there, but I wonder if when Sibley goes, opening with Mousley and Yates, move Rhodes to 4 or 5, and allow him to bowl more.

The more I watch, the more the decision to bat seems odd. It’s clearly tough to bat. No one ever looks comfortable, runs are very hard to come buy. Outfield is definitely slow.
Burgess and Bresnan looked like they were doing well, until Burgess seemed to have misjudged a cutter.

Interesting choice to bat first, considering the weather and recent rain, also every other side who won the toss this week chose to bowl.
Both Robinson and Farbrace have mentioned first innings runs this week, so I wonder if this was a decision that was more about making a statement than the conditions.

Andy wrote:

It's not the XI I'd have picked, but we move...

I suspect you like I would have gone with the extra batsman?
I can only think they see Bresnan as a genuine contributor with the bat at 7. And that Burgess is able to keep and bat at 6.
I’d like to see what Bresnan does end up contributing with the bat over the season, but also how many other keepers around the counties bat at 6 or higher. All our opposition so far have the keeper at 7.

The wonky camera is awful. Also, this live stream makes the one at Edgbaston look like sky sports.

Sibley comes in for Lamb. Interesting that Sibley opens with Rhodes, rather than Yates. Thought Rhodes could do with dropping down to 3 or 4.

So no Woakes for us, as apparently ECB said no to all players coming back from the IPL. But Billings is in Kent’s squad.......
Interesting.

It’s an odd situation, no one has performed awfully, everyone has contributed in some way. Yet you’d say very few have performed so well as to have guaranteed a place.
I think you’ve got 6 guaranteed players, not all for performance reasons either. Both Yates and Burgess for recent centuries, plus being wicket keeper. Sibley because of his ability. Malan as overseas. Stone as the out and out best bowler. And Rhodes as captain. The other 5 spots are a free for all, of players that have done ok but not great.
I’m sure Robinson sees it differently, but that’s how it appears from a distance.

How foolish we all were to think that we might see Woakes actually play for his county.
Got to assume Sibley comes in, so do they drop a batsman or a bowler? If it were me, I’d drop Miles, give yourself an extra batsman against Harmer. But I suspect it will be one of Hain or Lamb.

Interesting no Pollock this time, but Alex Thomson is back. The new keeper, seems to have not scored runs anywhere. Suggests the end for Dan Lincolns trial I suspect.

He wanted teams to bat longer, have players to be able to bat long test match style innings.
Which a lot of the time means a draw is most likely.
But also forgets that bowling is a rather large part of the sport too.

I’d drop Lamb if Sibley is fit. I think it would be very harsh, but in my opinion he needs to do more. He seems to do ok without doing great. A couple of 50’s are nice, but at 5 he needs to be putting pressure on the opposition, and making big match winning contributions. Hain is also a much better fielder.
I suspect Woakes will come in for Stone, even after the weeks rest, the ECB will be protective of him. They won’t want him injured just before the series.
I think we risk undervaluing Bresnan too. I think he’s a bit off the pace bowling wise at the moment. But it’s his attitude that is most important. He knows how to win matches, without him and his leadership (let alone his work on scoreboard) we don’t beat Essex or Notts.

GerryShedd wrote:

I'm assuming that both sides will be accepting that it's going to be a draw today and are just playing for the points available - no declarations or joke bowling to set up a target as in the "good" old days.

I think the 8 points for a draw has killed all that. Which is a shame. And also deeply annoying as at the end of this we’ll be on almost identical points with Worcestershire despite us winning 2 and them none.
Bonus points also badly effecting us. We don’t score enough runs and we let other sides score too many. This morning being a prime example, got a couple of wickets, took the new ball and then bowled very poorly.

I suspect he’d come in for one of Norwell or Stone depending on fitness and ECB orders.

I’m expecting a wash out tomorrow, which is a shame because I suspect with 4 days we could get a positive result. Got very unlucky today with the ball passing the outside edge so often.

Very well batted by Burgess. I liked the way he battled, he earned every run. He hit some lovely looking shots too and managed the tail really well.
One thing I think we might have overlooked is the influence of Malan in this innings. We didn’t immediately go from 20-1 to 30-2 like we’ve seen a lot recently. Getting to 100-2 even with the mini collapse of Hain and Lamb afterwards means there’s a platform for the rest that we haven’t seen too often for this season or last.

I’ve got the Bears slightly ahead. If you win the toss and bowl you want the side out for under 250 at the end of the day, which obviously isn’t the case. But it’s not a huge score either. Yates was excellent, Malan looked good, Burgess looked excellent as well.