So what are you going to do Bosworth Bear? Have you printed the letter produced by Lancs Action Group? Are you going to ask members to sign today?

I’m pleased he isn’t, but how is Michael Burgess not in the 16.4 tournament when players with less experience, less skill and less ‘end result’ are? Absolutely baffling....which in a way sums up the 16.4!

Highveld wrote:

Did anyone here go to the game? What was the atmosphere like? how were the facilities?

Should we continue with these games? Ideally they would all be played at the NCCA counties ground as part of an efford to spread the game around the country.

Yes, I went. It was a good day. Cheshire did very well to get the game on at 12.15. Good wicket, flat outfield, decent crowd. Not sure what you mean by facilities - there were lots of toilets!, food and drink were available and the car park was adjacent to the pavilion. They also produced a match programme which incorporated a scorecard.

Should these games continue? Yes, they should and they should then progress to become part of the knockout stage of the 50 over competition.

Reabank wrote:

Anybody else signed this?

Yes

Well.....thanks for all the replies. I think Marner became the groundsman at OT in later years.

Warwickshire beat Lancashire at OT in the 1964 semi final. Due to their behaviour, 2 Lancashire players were released from their contracts. Also, according to Wisden, both sides were barracked as they left the field.

Anyone know what happened?

....and then he’s joining Notts!

Team for Surrey?

Sibley
Yates
Rhodes
Hain
Hose
Lamb
Burgess
Stone
Norwell
Pandya
OHD

About 40 mins after the game finished there was a very long conversation in the middle between Farbrace and Gary Barwell. I’m not suggesting it was acrimonious, but I do hope the groundstaff aren’t being made scapegoats. They were obviously asked to produce ‘a result wicket’ and they did.

The difference between the 2 sides? Overseas players? Our injury list? Confidence? Is the dressing room happy? If I was Farbrace I’d be asking a lot of people questions - starting with Robinson.

Yes, I was there today. As I posted yesterday, I think the current 2nd XI would give the first team a run for their money. You’ve mentioned the bowling and I agree, there seems to be a shocking lack of confidence. Also, I’d question why Yates can’t get in the team; why Benjamin is batting at 3; why Davies is opening/playing; why is Sibley playing?

Also, why did Graeme Welsh leave? Do Hampshire really offer him more of an opportunity? Really.

Where’s the leadership? Poor Will Rhodes has been totally deskilled by the current regime. Is Mark Robinson Mr Motivator? Matt Mason didn’t even turn up for the first quarter of the season. It just smells like something is wrong. But I haven’t really got any answers...apart from, ‘let’s get behind them’.

However, let’s hope a bit of inspiration can be installed tonight!

Is it me, or does anyone one else think the 2nd XI at Notts is a stronger XI than the team playing Kent? I know it’s only cricket, but I do wonder what’s going on behind the scenes.

...has been released. IPL (which has lost 35% of its TV viewers) will last 4 months! Also the only ECB tournament included in the plan is The Hundred. No mention of The Blast at all. WOW!!!! I do wonder how the guardians of our game (including county chairs and CEOs) sleep at night.

Highveld, Are you assuming that Miles and Brookes are fit? Or are you certain?

To be fair, Northants only scored quickly due to the lighting quick outfield. If the ball didn’t go directly to the fielder it became a boundary. I lost count of how many edges flashed through for 4. Yesterday the outfield was very slow paced.

I’m not sure today was as bad as people are intimating.

If the stumps had been removed from the lush green strip, it would have been impossible to pick out today’s track; the wind blowing from the pavilion end was ridiculously strong all day; the incredibly fast outfield was like glass, and was also very uneven; the track was as flat as a freshly laid M6.

Let’s wait until both teams have batted and PS Craig Miles took the catch of the century!

Unfortunately I think Stirling has changed the dynamic. His whole demeanour seems to say, ‘I don’t care’.

I’m not sure about the conditions not being challenging. The cloud hardly lifted all day, Yorkshire were aggressive throughout and there was a particular spell from Hall and Revis with the new ball which had Hain on his back as well as the pair of them bobbing and weaving like boxers for about 15 minutes. Yorkshire were up for this but perhaps made the mistake of starting the day believing - as their crowd did - that the result was in no doubt.

The Yorkshire players were welcomed onto the pitch this morning as a team that had already won. Odd really. However, this was one of the best day’s cricket I’ve witnessed for quite a while....maybe since last September!!

I watched open mouthed as Davies smashed Thompson for 8 in the first over, only to see him caught at mid on a few balls later. Pathetic really. However, I thought Rob Y batted responsibly before falling to a slower ball.

I think the CC break has come at the right time for Davies, otherwise he’d be dropped.

I can’t make up my mind about McAndrew - quick and aggressive, but oh so expensive. Still, I suppose this is what the coaching staff get paid to put right. However, I always thought the overseas player was brought in to be the experienced leader?

I understand what you say about the toss, however, the forecast was for the cloud to lift, which it did.... but not until the 4 wickets had fallen. This morning was very chilly and the ball was flying all over the place, the afternoon was T-shirt and shorts weather under blue skies.

The overhead conditions will still have a big say in this game.

An club email newsletter was sent out several weeks ago. Essex, Lancs and someone else!