The_Lickey_Banker
Member
We won the toss and chose to bat. Smale in for Bethell as the only change from yesterdays Friendly.
We are 187 for 3 after 16 overs. Norwell (7) and Lamb (32) opened. Chris Benjamin is 125 NO off 56 balls ! Ethan B got 18, Roshan Balaji is the other NO bat. Interestingly, Benjamin is Captain today - I would guess another contract might be in the offing (after Simmons) !?
The_Lickey_Banker wrote:
Highveld wrote:
Lost by 1 run, Velani making the most of his chance by scoring 62 off 54 balls, and was run out off the last ball.
Game 2 starts at 2:30
Van Vollenhoven left stranded by the Velani run out - but he finished on 32 NO. Although he only bowled 1 over today, he got 1 for 22 in the last game, with his 'leggies'. He has got to be worth a shout for at least a summer contract (before someone else snaps him up !) ? The same with Chris Benjamin - who got 24 earlier (batting at 3) - who has also got biggish scores and performed well behind the stumps ?
Let's see how they do later.
Later, in the second game today:-
Gloucester won the toss and elected to bat first. Henry Brookes and Velani are not playing, replaced by George Garrett and Roshan Balaji.
They are 89 for 7 off 14 overs. Van Vollenhoven has bowled his 4 overs - taking 3 for 20 ! He's down at 3 in the batting order, lets see how he does higher up.
Highveld wrote:
Lost by 1 run, Velani making the most of his chance by scoring 62 off 54 balls, and was run out off the last ball.
Game 2 starts at 2:30
Van Vollenhoven left stranded by the Velani run out - but he finished on 32 NO. Although he only bowled 1 over today, he got 1 for 22 in the last game, with his 'leggies'. He has got to be worth a shout for at least a summer contract (before someone else snaps him up !) ? The same with Chris Benjamin - who got 24 earlier (batting at 3) - who has also got biggish scores and performed well behind the stumps ?
Let's see how they do later.
The_Lickey_Banker wrote:
BristolBear wrote:
Did anyone ever find out what happened to Van Vollenhoven? Had a great knock then disappeared.
Benjamin out cheaply today as well, 2 off 4.
Interesting to see Lamb opening. If Malan doesn’t score today, is he the next option whilst Hose is injured?
Matt Lamb 85 NO off 59 balls. Got to be a good candidate for Hose's place, instead of Malan?
Another great win for us in the 2nd's T20. I think that's 8 wins from 8 games. 2 games left - I guess a Semi Final place is already booked.
As I said, Lamb 85 NO; others in double figures, were Sibley (26 off 14 balls), van Vollenhoven (18 off 11) and Norwell (23 off 19). We made 176 for 6.
We bowled Somerset out for 90 (in 17 overs). Wicket takers were OHD (2 for 7), Johal (3 for 6 - at last, decent figures this season), Bethell (2 for 6), van Vollenhoven (1 for 22) and Matty L (1 for 4 with his new 'leggies' !).
Apparently, van Vollenhoven has not been playing any cricket (for us or anybody else !), since his last game in mid May, but taking (and revising for !) exams. They're over now and I guess he'll be a regular in the 2nd's for a while. He certainly is justifying that selection - and promises much for the future (hopefully with us !).
Benjamin didn't do anything with the bat today (though has got some decent scores in recent games), but took 3 catches behind, to add to some fine performances behind the stumps, so he too is justifying a few more games to see if he's got it for backup Keeper.
BristolBear wrote:
Did anyone ever find out what happened to Van Vollenhoven? Had a great knock then disappeared.
Benjamin out cheaply today as well, 2 off 4.
Interesting to see Lamb opening. If Malan doesn’t score today, is he the next option whilst Hose is injured?
Matt Lamb 85 NO off 59 balls. Got to be a good candidate for Hose's place, instead of Malan?
Highveld wrote:
Another round of the SE T20 today, to be played at Moseley CC.
Expect to see some new faces in the squad, as the T20 specialists will be with the first team.
Lamb and Sibley opening. Van Vollenhoven in the side again. We're batting first.
Andy wrote:
Pollock
Hose
Hain
Mousley
Rhodes
Burgess
Brathwaite
Bresnan
Briggs
Lintott
Miles
Dan is unlikely to be in the team soon. He's having an atrocious season for the 2nds in the T20, often struggling to get into double figures. In 5 matches batting, his scores are 1, 13, 8, 48 and 10 - and outshone by most others in the batting lineup. It is possible he might get in, in place of a seam bowler - probably OHD - and play as a third spinner, but I can't see that.
As I've posted on a couple of SET20 Forum pages, Chris Benjamin is beginning to look a great prospect as a potential new (backup) Wicket Keeper / Batsman. He has already scored some big scores in the 2nd's (including a 95 NO), took 3 stumpings in two T20 matches and has taken 3 catches behind today. Kelley is a decent Keeper, but a poor bat (often going in at 9 or 10), Benjamin seems to know how to do both roles. It is early days (about 4 games in), but if he carries on as he has, I'm sure a contract might be in the offing. The only snag, could be the fact that he is South African born (Jo'burg, 1999), but I don't know if he has UK Passport status.
He played for a couple of years for Essex 2nd's, but never really got near their 1st's (though they did have a few Keepers on the books) and was at Durham MCCU, but again, never pulled up many daisies there (but being at Durham Uni of course, might indicate or help his residential status). Perhaps he's matured a bit now though and/or got some decent Coaching (with gloves and bat) - and Frosty / Trotty might have helped recently ? We desperately need a promising back up to Burgess - Benjamin could be that. And I'm sure it might help, that our Director of Cricket was a Keeper as well - and could spot the skills needed !
Solbear wrote:
Another very convincing win with particularly good contributions from Bethell and Benjamin. Very nice to see Woakes bowling again too.
They both seem the real deal. Bethell is already on a contract of course, but I really feel we've found a good wicketkeeper / batsman prospect in Chris Benjamin. He's been around a bit already and did get near the Essex 1st team, but never really pushed for a place with them (mind you, they have had a few back up keepers at Chelmsford recently). If he continues in the vein he's started with our 2nd's (with gloves and bat), I see a contract in the offing. He certainly offers more already with the bat than Kelley.
Team for ECG today:-
Lamb, Burgess, Malan, Bethell, Ethan B, Benjamin (Wk), Norwell, Woakes (Cap), Sidebottom, Garrett and OHD.
Highveld wrote:
Members of the Barnt Green club have been allowed to watch their Birmingham league games,
It might be worth emails worcestershire as it's their home game.
That would be great. 2 matches as well. I'll email them. Thanks.
It was close in the end - Glamorgan got to 189 for 7 in their 20. Mainly down to an impressive 107 from Selman. Brathwaite was clearly MotM - taking 4 wickets for 27 in his 4 overs. Other wicket takers were Jake Lintott (2 for 32 in 4) and Ethan Brookes (1 for 32 in 4).
We got a cracking score (put in by Glamorgan) - 202 for 6 off the 20 overs. Brathwaite, in his first match for us, got 116 off 54 balls (8x4, 10x6) !
Solbear wrote:
After losing both T20s to Glamorgan last week, let’s hope for better things today.
Wonder what happened to the South African who played a few weeks ago and along with Henry B won a game we should have lost. I expected to see his name appear regularly after that but apparently not.
Seconds seem pretty poor this year overall, maybe the sunny weather will change their fortunes!
I agree Sol. Kiel van Vollenhoven's (and Henry B's) performance against Derbyshire in that hastily arranged T20 Friendly was nothing short of amazing - and he hasn't been back with our 2nds since. I have looked out for his name at other places (as I guess he's looking for a County contract) - but nothing. Perhaps we've said we'll consider him for a white ball contract (at least to start) - and this is the first scheduled T20 for the 2nd's. It would be good to see he's included today.
It will also be interesting to see who will be keeping wicket today. Clearly they don't think Kelley's batting is up to it.
FarmerPalmer wrote:
Good news, any way to catch the scores?
The link for the scores for the Glamorgan T20 game with Jake in are below:-
https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/#m6bf724a5-d5cd-4daf-ab73-dba2fb1352d0
The usual link for Live scores is:-
We lost the first T20 game by 6 wickets. No one really stood out batting - Chris Benjamin top scorer on 24. And only took 4 Welsh wickets - 2 for Lintott and 2 for Simmons.
As said above, Henry Brookes picked up an injury in the first match (I don't know how bad), so was left out for the second. Also out in the second game is Jake Lintott - again, I don't know the reason. They have been replaced by George Furrer and Greg Willows. Greg is a decent right hand bat who has played regularly for Gloucester 2nd's and did play one First Class game for the County in 2019, against Australia A. Interestingly, his Club side is Clevedon, where Jake Lintott has been Captain for a couple of years (so I guess, a recommendation from him ?).
We're not doing any better in the second T20. Glamorgan made 178 for 4 in their 20 overs (2 wickets for Simmons, 1 for Johal & Balaji). We're on 89 for 5 after 12 overs - Dan M top scorer at the moment on 40.
The_Lickey_Banker wrote:
We made 132 for 9 in our 20 overs. We're bowling now - Dan Mousley (!) and Henry Brookes opening.
Henry Brookes went off injured after 2 balls in his first over - Che Simmons finished it.
Glamorgan now 59 for 2 after 7 overs - a wicket apiece for Che Simmons and Jake Lintott.
We made 132 for 9 in our 20 overs. We're bowling now - Dan Mousley (!) and Henry Brookes opening.
Now Queens, Taunton, are on half term holiday, Jake is available for us. He's contracted to play until the end of the season - in CC and RLC as well as T20. He makes his season debut for the 2nd's in their two T20 Friendlies against Glamorgan at Newport today (and would have been playing in the scheduled 4 day Championship game there, if it hadn't been called off). I'm really looking forward to seeing how he does in all formats - his Left Arm Wrist Spin (we can't say 'China...' any more !) is fairly unique in the modern game.
Bald Reynard guessed right - Brookes and Mousley are out - both playing for the 2nd's at Newport, in the (rescheduled) two T20 Friendlies.
We lost the toss and are batting. Rhodes (again !) and Yates opening, but making heavy weather of it - 13 for 0 off 7 overs !