Yates/Barnard
Davies
Mo
Hain
Benjamin
Kai
Garton
Briggs
Lintott
Rae
Gleeson

It's not a terrible team for a semi final, though I think Rae is probably not qualified. Key man's probably Hain but don't know how far away he actually is.

Where does the suggestion come from Malc? I know cricinfo did a piece a while back to say it was a possibility, pair of them haven't done much since until this red ball game where they both got a knock. Of course, I rule nothing out with this England selection, Bethell probably gets in on dyed mullet vibes.

Thanks mate

I was sort of guessing that amount. I reckon 40-50 more runs and 12-15 more overs batting makes the game safe. Really can't see Somerset chasing down a big target again - none of their batsmen I've seen on this game look in good touch. I think we also need the win. Getting through the season without one would be a poor look, we still can't influence the teams around us and we're very well placed here. But I do agree we shouldn't gamble a declaration.

Exiled Bear wrote:

Tayls79 wrote:

I think we need 70-80 overs. We've struggled to bowl teams out this year and the rumour was Rushworth was a bit out of condition yesterday. How many overs is it last day? As Paul says, if they want to win (and Worcs are well placed so we could with one) I think it's a ten over smash around tomorrow AM?

96 overs on the final day. Minus 2 for the change of innings of course (unless this happens over lunch)

I think we need 70-80 overs. We've struggled to bowl teams out this year and the rumour was Rushworth was a bit out of condition yesterday. How many overs is it last day? As Paul says, if they want to win (and Worcs are well placed so we could with one) I think it's a ten over smash around tomorrow AM?

To get the ironometer up even further, looks like Worcester is better forecast then Birmingham. Looks a good possibility Worcester out-point us this round and we go behind them, both Notts and Lancs face defeat so a draw not the worst result to move ahead of them.

GerryShedd wrote:

Ironically, it looks as though the only ground where it isn't raining is Manchester (oh,and Scarborough).

Did the bowlers collective 50 from 42 balls fire them up for their bowling duties? Albeit just watching numbers on cricinfo was quite good fun.

This is also true. Three 30s I think. But his performances for England A and county select in red ball have. I think he's more of a red ball player.

BristolBear wrote:

I think Shaikh is an excellent talent. But his performances in the ODC have definitely not demanded his selection. His time will come next season when Rhodes leaves.
But what makes it worse is that once again we’re a bowler short, in a season when we can’t bowl teams out.

Agree that some red ball would be good for Hamza seeing as he's played well in long format games this summer. I'd say good chance for him but that Somerset side looks very strong with bat and ball. Seems they have recruited well, and that they have developed their own players too.

Totally agree, that's my penultimate sentence really. If 100 is simply a massive money making exercise with only exposure for itself, then it's failed cricket in the country. There will be some who don't care about this, and that's the danger.

LeicesterExile wrote:

It's alright to claim the Hundread has attracted newcomers to the game. However has it or has it just attracted people to the Hundread and once the games in their area have finished they go off to something else to provide an evening's entertainment? If these newcomers are not going on the watch some T20 or CC then this isolated tournament has failed.

The 100's data presentation yesterday (Done by them, not the BBC) wasn't a great piece of communication, and I speak as a communications manager of usually financial data. It didn't include comparative data of attendance and TV, which was crucial, but did with data of the women's game. Consensus seems to be the men's was attendance/tv was down.

In any case, the real issue is whether the 100 is meeting its goals or not. As Terry says I think it is broadly improving visibility of the women's game, attracting new supporters and making money for both men and women's games. As we're all long term supporters of cricket we just have to ignore it. And that's fine, I can do that.

Dark clouds are really the sell off of the 100 franchises. This could see money leached out of the game and out of the UK. I personally like the metro bank just the way it is. If the sell off ends with a massive firework jamboree 100 fuelled by US and Indian cash while good metro bank teams like Leicestershire and Gloucestershire go bust, then it's failed that competition, the CC and pathways in the UK. I think it will take 5-10 years to find out.

I like the last para of Bristol's comment above. With a massive Somerset exception the teams that have done well have kept a core side and not lost that many to franchise and reps. Any side that has lost players has become unbalanced and that's been the case with us even though we won most of our games.

Death bowling has never been great, our new ball bowling is much better, and we haven't got many batters who move the ball into space and keep things ticking over. On the whole I think we did pretty well and several players improved their reputations.

One small thing about today. Lintott had a bad day with the ball, was coming out all wrong most of the time and he did get beat up a bit. He came on at ~70/4 and they recovered a bit from there.

Watched as much of it as I could with laptop on knees while working today, as everyone says one of the great long burn chases, possibly as much fun to see the win as the Natwest final in '93.

I'm not too surprised about Smith as I've seen this season he's played very, very well. Only saw Surrey live, but he moved the ball around well there. Perhaps only him and Benjamin did in that game, and he's got a contribution in every game he's batted in this year. One of the commentators mentioned today that Rhodes had calmed him down a lot, indeed, a lot of those contributions this year were ended by an unwise shot. In other words, looked great until he got out. It's a good challenge for him to cut out and hopefully is easily fixed.

Yates and Hamza are at the crease in Worcester with 75 to get to beat SL. Knock them off early, buy some undies en route and they could be at Cardiff nice and easy for Sunday. Be good to see Kai at five or six on Sunday. Who moves to accommodate that?

Watching Kai and Rhodes I don't think it's the young players so much... Kai could improve just a little by hitting spaces but he looks like he has confidence, energy and overall a good one day player. It was the same as he played at Rugby v Surrey.

Ha. I'm minded to agree at 14/2. With Wylie and Malik gone though, it does align with the sentiment that the two keepers Barnard and Rhodes need to do the work.

I'm not sure what's up with Hain. He hasn't played the last couple of games and I heard a rumour he did a hammy. But I can't source said rumour now.

KingofSpain wrote:

We will do well to win with the batting resources we have left. Maybe Zen Malik will announce himself on the big stage.
The whole farce with the franchise cricket continues. We cannot get Hain back from Team Trent yet they allow Hampshire to field John Turner in their quarter final.

Honestly can't see any of the Warks players in the white ball squad. Bethell and Mouse have hardly scored a run since that Cricinfo article said it would happen. Hain seems to have disappeared. However, you never quite know with England. They always could pick someone purely on 'vibes' and Bethell does have a mullet.

Wolfy wrote:

Tayls79 wrote:

Thanks for the reminder Terry. Saw this earlier and was intrigued to look up his recent red ball scores. If you disregard his Metro Bank scores he's in some nick. Anyone consider he's worth coming into the CC side before the end of the summer? Who would he replace in what's now an oddly very settled top six.

Bethell might need replacing if he is with the England white ball squad as is expected.

Thanks for the reminder Terry. Saw this earlier and was intrigued to look up his recent red ball scores. If you disregard his Metro Bank scores he's in some nick. Anyone consider he's worth coming into the CC side before the end of the summer? Who would he replace in what's now an oddly very settled top six.

At least one of Davies, Hain (is he even fit?) Plus the three Brum players as a package will be available by Friday. Whether they do or not, or whether they should, I dont know. What's definitely true is today was a weak batting performance and we only lost by 12 runs.

Devon_Bear wrote:

If Birmingham Phoenix lose tomorrow night's match, they will be out of The Hundred. Could Ali, Bethall or Mousley possibly play on Friday?

I'm a once a yearer and personally thought my one day there, in the game Warks won, was great so remove myself from the debate on it. One logical point to add, it makes sense to have out ground days at the same place, there's bound to be economies of scale that way. Rugby was marketed as a festival, albeit in a soft way. Maybe it's Stratford festival next year (real ale tent please).

To the competition, I think there's two truisms to it. If you have players called up, you're at a disadvantage (we did) and if you break up a winning side, even, in theory, to strengthen it, you lose cohesion (we have and shouldn't consider recalling Alex Davies).

Ha. So after all that a home quarter in the end. Avoided Hampshire...

GerryShedd wrote:

Yes, confirmed by Worcestershire- match to be played at Edgbaston on Friday.