On our way to Christchurch after a couple of weeks touring this wonderful country. Can't wait to see one of our own make his debut.

Of course - I was at there as well! 🫢 But other than that?

Am I right in thinking we have not won a game of knockout cricket since 2015? Happy to be disproved by any of the site Stattos! 😀

Dreadful in house commentary again though. Don't the counties that do this realise what an amateurish and one-eyed image they project when they do this.

GerryShedd wrote:

With the start of the Blast imminent, I have to say that what I wrote back last November is still my opinion - having a day that launches the tournament after it has started is daft; and I pity those Bears finishing at Durham late on Friday evening and then having to play again at Edgbaston the following afternoon.

Probably the same geniuses who scheduled an international T20 on an ultimately, rain ruined Tuesday evening the day after a bank holiday Monday. A day when other than remaining days of CC games there was little or no elite sport being played anywhere in the country.

GerryShedd wrote:

Melinda Farrell was quite rightly getting some praise on here for her commentaries recently. I'm sure she will be proud that she has now achieved the ultimate recognition - being featured on Private Eye's Commentatorballs for saying (allegedly): "There's a TV installed in the men's Portaloos so that you can watch the live stream."

Couldn't agree less. I think Ms Farrell is a terrible addition to WMs output. Shrill, self-regarding and repetitive compared to the understated expertise of Richard Wilford, Mike Taylor and Clive Ekyn. I get that she's a credible print journalist but she's a terrible addition to the county's live stream.

Unfortunately this is one of 2 Luddites who's called it a day.

Faced with 42% of our CC cricket this year being played by the end of April and long periods at Edgbaston in the following months bereft of anything meaningful to watch we reluctantly decided to give up our membership of 34 years.

It was a painful decision for us but I suspect TPTB aren't shedding any tears at a couple more 60+ members walking away.

We've put the money we've saved towards a nice break in May and we'll be dialling in our support via the live feeds this year.

Yes you're right Andy my mistake - it was Strauss in 2010/11 - Cook captained 3 consecutive home Ashes wins I think. Doesn't detract though!

Officially retired. Seems like a throwback to a bygone age now but what a player. Doubt we'll see his like again. Thanks for the memories - particularly captaining an Ashes winning team in Australia. A proper legend and a true gent.

My thoughts exactly Terry. Since the Section 114 announcement I'd been wondering about whether the appointed govt administrators would call in the existing £20m loan. To expect a further £32m to be advanced from a bankrupt entity is fanciful to say the least.

I remember back in the early 90s we had become serial chokers in one day cup quarters and semis - although nothing as bad as the last 2 Blast QFs and today's debacle. The catalyst for change was when the Woolmer/Reeve partnership was put in place. We then went on an unprecedented 3 year winning streak which has never been bettered. For me the Robinson/Rhodes/Davies axis just isn't getting the best from the players. I've been to 6 ODC games this year and always felt that the batting was flaky and prone to collapse and that certain bowlers just keep repeating the same errors hoping for different results- Einstein's definition of madness. I'm not a knee jerk "let's get rid" type supporter but it's been 8 summers since we last won a one day trophy. The CC & BWT wins in 2021 we're great but we simply haven't moved forward since then. Ask yourself what a Sam Hain-less team would be like and I suspect you'd be pretty pessimistic. Time for a change.

Delighted with the result and qualification but do we really think that staging a game at this level with such a ridiculously short boundary on one side does us any credit. This all feeds into the outground discussion elsewhere.

There's simply to great a volume of cricket being played on the square now for Gary Barwell and the team to cope with. Surely we should be alleviating the pressure on them by considering taking a couple of games on the road.

To me it appears farcical to see boundary riders fielding next to the square leg umpire.

Generic ECB List A 50 over guidelines state there has to be a minimum 10 overs per side for there to be a result. So they could probably go as late as 5pm to actually get a game on. And being white ball I assume floodlights could be used so no issues there. I'm hopeful a game will be played if they can get the surface dry. Typically it looks like our nearest rivals in the group are probably going to get a full day's play in.

You'd have to have a heart of stone not to laugh wouldn't you?! Hundred crowds this year are experiencing what us "proper" cricket fans are forced to endure during our CC windows in April, May and September. Cold, rain, wind and curtailed play. Re: Charlie Dagnall and his fellow hyperventilating commentators - they're making a very nice living themselves freelancing their wares around the franchises so hardly surprising that they extoll this competition's virtues at every opportunity.

He fielded as a sub last night then was subbed himself after getting injured fielding on the boundary. So not sure whether that counts as participation or not. TBH I'd be pretty surprised to see anyone being released - the conditions are onerous to say the least.

First time I've felt quite resentful on finals day. Seems perverse that the 2 other white ball comps played over a shorter period guarantee the group winners a semi-final place whilst the only reward for group winners in this comp is the same as coming 2nd i.e a home QF. Not suggesting we'd have gone on to win it but I'm finding it very hard to maintain any interest in an all south finals day brought about by the current format.

On to Old Trafford. 2 changes for me Tongue for Robinson and I think they've got confront the Bairstow situation. Lacking form and bereft of confidence with the gloves - has to be Foakes.

Takes a Bear to win it!

I like any of these options. It does seem as though we now have a legacy qualification method tied to a broadcast deal that Sky has gone cool on. If they could find a way of keeping 4 qualification games whilst rewarding the group winners with automatic progression to finals day I think they'd find little resistance.

Some good points on this thread.

Worth pointing out that both of the other white ball comps offer automatic qualification to semi-final/final to the group winner with play-offs between 2nd and 3rd.

Given that Sky now only broadcast 2 Q/Fs from the Blast what would be lost other than 1 qualification spot from a group of 9?

Not sour grapes but it does seem perverse that a successful campaign that puts you top by a stretch can be derailed by one sketchy performance.