I would say this is worth a read re our group stage/T20 season so far: https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/t20-blast-quarter-final-forget-bazball-adam-hose-is-leading-edgbaston-bearsball-revolution-1323364

ExiledBrummie wrote:

Sky are already showing a T20 International game.

Yeah, which explains why they didn't initially schedule a game for the Thursday and put two on the Friday. Sky doesn't rule for once!

BristolBear wrote:

With the Sibley news today, who else’s contract is up, and may be a potential departure?

As far as I’m aware it’s:
Sibley (gone)
> Stone
Hose
Lamb
Sidebottom
Garrett
Furrer.

Both Hose and Stones apparently both have only been offered white ball only. With Hose potentially following Pollock down to Worcestershire to play some red ball.
Have also heard Sidebottom may be signing for Derbyshire.

These would be the three I would keep on the list provided. Stone has been streets ahead of any other pace bowler in the Blast, and perhaps white ball only is the answer to his injury problems.

It's a funny one with Hose because does he really need to play red ball from his sake? He's had a Hundred contract for two years in a row now, and based on Blast form this season I would expect he will continue to get a Hundred contract. He could potentially pick up some other T20 gigs elsewhere and therefore not need a red ball contract anywhere anyway.

Credit where credit is due, the club have done a great job to arrange a home quarter final, on a day that wasn't originally scheduled to have any quarter final. Definitely preferable to playing at Leicester and definitely preferable to playing well.

Am also pleasantly surprised members are allowed in free, perhaps not expecting a big crowd due to it being on a Thursday rather than Fri/Sat?

Is McAndrew not available for this the RL then?

He was a great captain for Worcestershire in their T20 successes - can only see positives in him replacing Brathwaite in that role.

It does mean a lot of spinners but too many is better than not enough!

Might be a good thing we can't play the quarter final at home based on current away batting form!

Might be a good thing we can't play the quarter final at home based on current away batting form!

It's also interesting that after the Lancs game, Rhodes said he would rather take risks to win a game than to draw it.

Very much batting for the draw atm!

I wonder if the Stokes comments will have any affect on our approach for the rest of the season.

Whilst that is true, Stone and Woakes have pretty much not be available for red ball for a few seasons with their England commitments, so we kind of have to assume they won't be available.

That means the only one really missing of the quicks is Norwell, and it seems when he's missing we really struggle - he has that little bit of extra zip and is more consistent.

The big thing for me is the lack of consistency with the seam attack. Too many bad balls - wide, short or both - and a good over is often followed by a bad one. Something isn't working with the seamers, be that ability, coaching or plans.

I still don't think that OHD, Miles, Brookes and McAndrew is a bad seam attack but so far this season they have proved to be.

Bowling not performing again, and runs leaking at quite a rate again.

I said it a couple of games ago but in the games we play the opposition score so much faster than we do.

That was very fun, as I said after the other game if we had good openers we would be lethal.

Watching Hose is an absolute pleasure - he's always looked like he's had the potential to be very good but looked like he might never realise it.

Great to win in front of a big crowd, Mousley looked like he really enjoyed it and has to stay in the team. Does Stirling come back in for Yates? Stirling and Brathwaite look like the two weakest players at the moment!

Another worthwhile trip... the away days are definitely better than the home games this season.

And I think the away grounds are better suited to our batting, as some of the sixes tonight would've been boundary catches at Edgbaston.

Agree with pretty much everything else said on here. We're desperately short in the bowling, and still can't find any openers. If we sorted those we'd be unbeatable!

Very much relying on Hain, Hose and Benjamin. Must be the strongest 3-5 in the competition based on current form?

And said the same about Sanderson - could've put more pressure on us/potentially got a wicket.

It was also noticeable both teams only used 5 bowlers so meant they were forced to bowl Heildrich for a fourth.

Sterling has to be dropped.

I said before the game same XI - obviously wasn't possible with the Briggs injury but that made it even more strange to drop Mousley when he could've replaced Briggs as the second spinner!

That Brathwaite decision was appalling. The umpire must have had it in for him for some reason.

Glad I went to that! Some unbelievable hitting.

I think that is the fastest outfield I have ever seen. The ball races and never seems to slow down.

Has to be same XI Sunday surely.

One thing I would say is Lancs need work on their attempted run outs.

They missed countless direct hit opportunities which would have curtailed our progress.

Anyone know why Lancs were given 5 penalty runs?

There was a moment when he was in the middle earlier and I thought surely he must have thought he would have played for England by now.

And I think he must be very close now.

I really enjoyed his innings today, had a few appeals against him but stood strong throughout, gave it back to the bowlers and played some lovely shots.

Congratulations to him, and I think he will be a miss for us based on our form with the ball so far in CC.

Based purely on his form for us though I must say I am a little surprised.

Exiled Bear wrote:

I'm not very impressed with the Durham commentary. They made out that Benjamin had cheated by stopping the ball when touching the rope, but you could clearly see on the stream that it was fine.

Agree and I thought exactly the same.

He also claimed that Hose edged one to the boundary when he cut it for four!