5 batsmen failed to get 30 runs. Just not good enough when Davies can manage it.

Sorry RayB we are going to have to agree to differ!! I take your point about not giving the oppo a lifeline when they are down. What gave them the lifeline was not the decision to not enforce the follow on, it was the dreadful batting performance in the second innings. I only saw two wickets fall - Davies and Barnard and both were truly wasteful.
Had we enforced the follow on and they got their heads down and built up a 200+ lead we could have been in a save the match situation on the 4th day. It was reasonable to assume on day three we would build a lead of over 400 and it would have been Essex having to pick themselves up to save the match.
All down to our second innings.

One question,though. Could things have been different if Briggs and/or Lintott been selected?

Not enforcing the follow on was, in my opinion, the right decision. We should then have batted them out the game a=by getting a lead well in excess of 400 with a day and half to getting the 10 2nd innings wickets.

Looked at the replays over and over and I am confinced Critchley was out

Superb performance - now let's bat them out of the game and declare around tea tomorrow

Gerry - brilliant timing

Right now who was saying or thinking we have not got a decent bowling attack and thought Essex would be tearing us apart?

I just hope the last 4 wickets don't let them escape.

Simple fact in pretty well all sport - the stars are paid far too much. The result of this is two fold. Clubs seek sponsorship/advertising to cover this cost and suddenly the sponsorship ceases and/or advertising reduces. The other is the cost of admission goes up to such an extent that the average supporter stays away leaving behind the prawn sandwich corporate attendees which again starts to reduce when companies feel the financial squeeze.
My local rugby club (purely amateur) has advised they can get tickets for England v All Blacks next November - cost £149 - others are over £100. Similar happenings in cricket. Football pays its players way too much and that bubble will eventually burst.
Until reality is applied to sport's wages bill things will just get worse.

paulbear wrote:

Just had a look at the Met Office forecast and Sunday looks to be be the worst as far as rain goes but the temperatures look awful as well. Anyone going, do not put away your big coats away yet, they could be needed.

Last sentence - replace could with will !!!!!!!!!!!!

Well the afternoon certainly brought a turn a round. Now let's finish 'em off after tea and get a valuable lead

Andy wrote:

Not exactly riveting stuff is it...

225/1 and they can just about manage 2.5 runs an over!!

I was being tongue firmly in cheek following comments over past year or two on this forum. It looks so far that being captain suits Davies - how many times in cricket does becoming captain affect a batsman's game. I know a swallow (or even 2) does not make a summer but this is a great start to the season.

If Davies and Yates aren't careful we will come to expect a century opening partnership every time. When the first wicket falls below a ton certain members will start moaning about the captain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BosworthBear wrote:

I've raised this a couple of times at AGMs and told them its an easy PR and marketing win. The present lot just grin which is an improvement on some of their predecessors.

They seemed to drop the B word as soon as Hundred was introduced.

One memory from last season was the tense game against Essex when the whole crowd was chanting "Warwickshire la la la" at the crucial stage of the match.

Has the crowd ever chanted "Birmingham la la la" ? I think at the end of the day it has been a useless piece of marketing that served no purpose.

Ended the day right on top. Will it stay dry enough to give us time to get 8 wickets?

A scoreline like that in a day reminds me of the Lara season (we forget the 2nd time!)

To think we lost the toss!! Great start to Davies' reign as captain.

UrsaMinor wrote:

I received an insight into the future of the 18 counties in my email this week. At one time, I was a member of Somerset and they still send me promotional material. This week's was an invitation to book for a number of "exciting" events that they are planning this year. These appeared to consist of a DJ session featuring Craig Charles and a succession of shows by tribute acts. A bit naff, I thought, but then I realised that they have to find something to do with their cricket ground. They are not a venue for The Undead so the ground will be virtually unused throughout the summer. Better look for something other than cricket.
Once the administrators get the smell of money in their nostrils, those of us who care about quality or (God help me!) tradition might as well pack up and find something else to do. I've seen the future and it's coming sooner than we might like.

Oh, and by the way, I see England are now bottom of the World Test Championship league table. Really working this slogball, innit?

My penultimate sentence and your final sentence says it all.

He might be right in that members insisting on , in the main, the county championship will kill the game. However, their pursuance of the fast buck and sinking all in to the money spinners like The Hundred will definitely kill the game of cricket by changing it out of all recognition. What will they do when the public and TV get bored with the repetitiveness of The Hundred?
The big money spinner in the UK is the Test Matches. Continual reduction in the amount of CC played combined with the ever increasing slog cricket will reduce the quality of test cricket which in turn will reduce its attraction.
Those running the game need to be very careful what they wish for.

The Hundread could create massive damage to the real game of cricket if allowed to continue unchecked

At least no-one was hurt unlike at Stone cricket ground.