GerryShedd
Super Moderator
Sitting in the sun at Lord’s with Warwickshire 200-1. What could be better?
PS - if you still want that scorecard Paulbear I will see if I can get one.
I was pleased to see that Glamorgan gave Rikki Clarke a good send-off:
https://www.guerillacricket.com/news/1570,video-rikki-clarke-receives-emotional-guard-honour-ahead-last-county-championship-appearance
Yes, sorry to see Chopra retire:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/essex-opener-varun-chopra-retires-from-cricket-1279924?ex_cid=OTC-RSS
Although he had a good career, I can't help but feel that he never reached his full potential.
Let us not forget the Old Bear who has retired from Test cricket today:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/moeen-ali-retires-from-test-cricket-i-was-wasted-but-in-a-good-way-1279828
A few quotes from Will Rhodes and Mark Robinson here:
https://deepextracover.com/2021/09/are-warwickshire-up-for-the-challenge-of-the-bob-willis-trophy-final/
I agree that it would be entirely logical to change the name back now that Birmingham Phoenix exists as an entity. But logic doesn't always win the argument and I suspect that there are 20 million reasons why the name Birmingham won't be dropped - as in the £20 million that the Club owes to Birmingham City Council.
I don't think it's been announced yet but Holder is not in the squad for Lord's - supposedly, he had/has a shoulder niggle. One or both of Miles and Norwell might not play depending on how well they have recovered from the Somerset game. I would think Johal is a near certainty to play instead of Woakes who is definitely unavailable.
Andy wrote:
Ah ok, cheers
As for you getting the time off work, I sense that you might have a cold coming on. You don't want to pass it on to others so a day in the open air may be just what you need.
Preview from the Lancashire perspective:
https://cricket.lancashirecricket.co.uk/news/2021-news/match-preview-lancashire-v-warwickshire/
I think there may be a sense of anti-climax for both teams.
Weighing up the options:
https://deepextracover.com/2021/09/the-red-ball-returns-who-will-be-county-champions/
Whilst waiting to see what has happened to his application for a job at the ECB, George writes an interesting article:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/george-dobell-ecb-hypocrisy-and-double-standards-in-pakistan-tour-cancellation-could-lose-them-friends-1278788
Here's my preview of the match:
https://deepextracover.com/2021/09/lvcc-match-preview-warwickshire-v-somerset/
paulbear wrote:
Cannot see why they won't let him play because if he decided to take up his IPL contract, he would be playing and doing lots of travelling anyway.
It's never wise to apply logic when trying to understand what the ECB are doing. From what I understand, Chris was originally only going to be allowed to play in one of the two last games but the pressure was put on by the club to allow him to play in both.
From that, I would guess if the Bears finish in the top two and get to play in the Bob Willis Trophy final next week at Lord's Chris Woakes will miss out, which will be a shame.
From what Will Rhodes was saying today, I can't see Bresnan missing out - but you never know.
With nothing to play for, Somerset might have played a weakened team but it doesn't look like it:
https://www.somersetcountycc.co.uk/news/first-xi/county-championship-preview-warwickshire-v-somerset/
According to Will Rhodes, Danny Briggs is fit again. He developed a neck problem on the way up to Headingley - one of the more bizarre injuries in an injury-full season for the Bears.
Chris Woakes is available, though Will Rhodes says that the Club had to lean heavily on the ECB to let him play.
Although the Bears (other than Hugh and Carmen) weren't there, I think we should give credit to the Club for organising another fantastic Finals Day.
And maybe there is some consolation for the Bears in having been beaten in the Quarter Final by Kent, the eventual winners.
Congratulations to Sam Billings and his victorious team, especially to Jordan Cox for his match-winning innings plus two catches - the one that was disallowed and the one that he doesn't get credit for in the scorebook because he parried the ball back when he was seemingly hovering in the air behind the boundary.
You may not want to listen to the whole of this interview with the Pears' Chairman - he seems a little too pleased with himself for my liking. But I did find interesting his views on The Hundred (from about 21 minutes and 30 seconds in) - in simple terms, he says that if you throw enough money and marketing at a tournament, it will succeed; and he wishes that the ECB would properly promote all forms of cricket rather than putting nearly all their eggs in one basket:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42B6NNvtADQ