paulbear wrote:

I did see a few empties during the first semi when I watched the highlights unless it was that Hampshire and Notts fans hadn't arrived yet.

there's always a few empties with late arrivers/ SF1 losers who head home (Yorkshire fans seem to 'distinguish' themselves in this regard)

I think we need to bear in mind that the majority of tickets are sold to- dare I say it- casual fans, people who go to Finals Day every year in the same way they may go to a single test day each year (i know several groups who do either or both of these things), I'm pretty sure actual county fans have a minority of the allocation

Mikkyk wrote:

Highveld wrote:

A higher level role and closer to home and family, seems a sensible move for him,

Also, looking at some of the batting performances and averages this season, his coaching isn't working with some of our players.

On the flipside to that Yates has had his most productive season for a while and Mousley you could probably say the same for too, especially in T20.

really good point on Yates his T20 game has really kicked on this year and Mousley has looked better than ever too, good points

LeicesterExile wrote:

OHD cashed in at the death - strike rate of 400 !!!!!!!!!

haha great minds i bet he will be full of that in the dressing room

cjav1874 wrote:

Deceleration looks like it’ll leave us under par. Scores but no big contribution and no one there to “cash in” at the death. Will need to bowl well.

I always thought OHD had a potential 'finishers' role in him and his late blizzard of boundaries merely confirms what I always knew

i hope he's banging Westwood's door down to put him up the order after that 'entertaining cameo'

cjav1874 wrote:

Surprised to see Wylie batting 3 but will always support one of our own being given a proper opportunity.

exactly, thats what this comp should (within reason) be for, give him plenty of time to settle in and build an innings, much better than him coming in and trying to manage a total/bat with the tail or whatevr

Highveld wrote:

What did Albert say about doing the same thing and expecting different results?

you're definitely the expert on infinite repetition of the same thing

cjav1874 wrote:

just can’t see how Garton goes from being a batter only to being able to bowl 10 in a match.

even if fitness does allow it would be interesting to see what happens if he goes for 8s off his first 3, doesn't look like we have the bowling resources to hide him?

Andy wrote:

I cant believe anyone would advocate picking Garton as a specialist batter over any of the actual, you know, specialist batters.

on current evidence i definitely feel like there is space to think about him in the potential 'attacking T20 opener' role in the future, i think it would suit his mentality well**** and he can definitely strike a cricket ball, he wouldn't be the first left handed big hitting all rounder to have success for us in that role.... like you say I'm not sure I'd indulge my curiosity to the extent of picking him over people who are already somewhat proven and need the top level overs at the crease under their belt, or to increase their confidence, like jani or malik. if i was picking him there I might even have him instead of Yates who is a known quantity and whose inclusion we won't learn anything much from, albeit that would potentially sacrifice success in the comp for an experiment.

*** to clarify: he seems mentally frail and sending him out up top to just have a go without consequences would possibly free him up. malik definitely seems to have benefitted from being given that role.

jeez its a tough crowd on here! Malik got 99 in a t20 only weeks ago and had a pretty good T20 campaign overall, has a brilliant match-winning first class century in a record chase to his name, and it was only a 50 the other day that (finally) qualified him for another look this tournament? will he be considered to have finally broken through and proven himself when England call him up, I wonder?! (joke)

The_Lickey_Banker wrote:

Andy wrote:

cjav1874 wrote:

Yates Malik Shaikh Hain Davies Jani Smith Booth Ali Bamber OHD?

Yates and Jani make the 6th bowling option.

Still looks a bowler light to me?

As I pointed out (above) Lintott is a possibility, as is a fit (?) Barker.

CJAV did mention Booth, but as far as I know, he's still injured. And I can't see Malik playing - but I can see Garton (as a batsman). I think Gilchrist is likely to be in the mix, as well.

It will be very interesting to see the make up of the 2nds 50 over Friendly v Notts, tomorrow. The lineup and performances could be a real indication of a likely MBC team next Tuesday. Keep track of that game tomorrow (11.00 start).

why not Malik, out of interest? it seems the perfect opportunity to give him the chance to capitalise on the successful breakthrough season in T20 for him, seems weird to replace him with a left field choice who's never batted in the top 6 in first team cricket, am i missing something?

it would be great to see jake back not least because, as has been suggested elsewhere, without him we seem to be light on experienced, front line spin options. He adds a solidity to the batting lineup nowadays too if he's at 8/9 in the order

GerryShedd wrote:

Piran Holloway now involved in house building in Western Australia.

In reading the various comments about Kai Smith's keeping, the thought that occurs to me is that, when it comes to having good hands, that's something that keepers have (if at all) very young. I'm sure that there's lots of technical skills you can learn. But by the time you're 18 or so, I think you either have those good hands or you don't - and it seems that Kai, now 21, probably doesn't.

I could be wrong (and hope that I am).

i feel like you're right, at least for the most part, but at the same time i have a nagging memory of a couple of wicketkeeper-batsmen who tangibly improved their keeping well into their 20s. Matt Prior definitely being one (his keeping was supposedly a weakness when he first came into the England team and he was pretty neat by the time he retired) and, as I recall it at least, Michael Burgess wasn't initially known as the excellent gloveman he became known as during his tenure in our side.

Ianbaz wrote:

It's bizarre, isn't it. I think one of the few things most Cricket fans agree on, is that Key is out of his depth, and should have been the first person out the door. Pension him off to Sky. Nobody is going to take any new regime seriously, whilst he's still in post.

indeed. dislikeable player, dislikeable TV pundit, dislikeable and incompetent MD.

Andy wrote:

That's not the first time Kai Smith has come in with us in strife and got us out of a hole.

Yeah he's done it 3 or 4 times in the ODC, including the brilliant ton in the QF against Worcs, Rugby and Taunton last year to name 2 more

My feeling is the circumstances suited him today with the low required RR, at this point I feel the tempo of a 50 over game suits his game best. Under those circumstances he's shown an excellent ability to get himself in and accelerate at the right time. Today will do his confidence the world of good, still think we should play him higher up the order in the ODC. Other than Malik, of the fringe batsmen he has shown the most tangible promise so far so he's the dude we should try to give max overs at the crease IMO

Solbear wrote:

I read on a Leics CCC forum that Ben Cox is heading in our direction next season. This could of course be spurious and frankly, I hope it is because signing another keeper in his mid 30s doesn’t make a lot of sense, unless he’s going to add significantly to our batting line up. I’m not sure Cox ticks that box.

I've got a lot of time for Cox, he's a good cricketer who was instrumental in the Pears Finals day win (50s in both games as i recall it) and a key part of their successful team at the time. That was nearly a decade ago, though, which makes this a very strange move. As you suggest, even at his best he was a number 6/7 in the batting lineup.

Tayls79 wrote:

Enjoyed watching the chase. Feel a bit bad saying Barnard should be switched out seeing him bat there as he clearly shouldn't play the next game injured. Think Mouse got just a bit lucky with that last over, if Neesham had kept it down he would have closed the over out but quality he was able to take advantage of it, two opportunistic balls, hit them both for six. There's skill in that.

I didn't watch us in the field - but seems it was a case of slow bowling wins it, for our innings too. I presume Webster's over was seam up?

Webster bowled 2 or 3 seam up in the PP and switched to offies mid over

Glamorgans 2 overseas bowlers had a mare in the last couple of overs, 18 runs off full tosses and Mousley missed out on another one off McAndrew. You need better than that from your overseas

good lord above. he had some very explosive cameos in the T20 last year but, my word. not sure if I would open with him in the ODC if it got in the way of the development of a Malik or Kai Smith, we will need to find a replacement opener for Barnard but I'd imagine that would be malik?

agree 100% Tayls. I quite like watching Garton field just to see the Trebuchet he is packing for a throwing arm.

along with another chance to see Taz Ali, being able to see Kai for hopefully more extended periods is what I am most looking forward to in the ODC which I feel like it can't come soon enough now

Tayls79 wrote:
Re our chat on Garton on the 2XI feed yesterday, might we worth subbing him in for Barnard on Sunday and see if he can open and maybe bowl a few overs with a view to the Metro Bank.

yeah I'd think about this too albeit as EB is captain i think unlikely. on his poor batting form in isolation he'd very much be a candidate to be dropped. there's not the same groundswell of calls for that on here compared to how it is with some other players, curious, is that.