Andy wrote:

Have to stick with Bethell and Yates as spinners long term. If/when they become consistent threats, whilst already being good top order batters, it completely transforms our side and allows us to play an extra batter or extra seamer. There will be growing pains along the way but we have to think long term on this. This is the way to go.

This specialist spinner business is nonsense when, with all due to respect to the lad, Danny Briggs is that specialist spinner.

Whilst it's great they're giving Bethell & Yates an extensive runout (for the long term future of the club), it must be depressing for Lintott. He gets a CC chance while Briggs is injured, gets 3 overs, takes a wicket (on a pitch and in conditions made for him) - and then has no other opportunities to stake a long term red ball claim.

FarmerPalmer wrote:

I’d bring in those three for hain mousley and possible bethell. Time robbo made some tough decisions.

I agree with you FP. I think Mousley & Bethell have had enough opportunities (for now - they will be back). Hassan is obvious, but Benjamin & Lintott deserve a (few) chance(s).

ajones1328 wrote:

The awful second innings performance has cost us this game. I think it's time to give Benjamin a go in the side over Mouseley. Worth him trying to find some from in the Blast.

I (partly) agree over Benjamin - another one who Management feel can only play Limited Over cricket. I've seen him play well (sometimes' brilliantly) in Seconds Championship games - varying his attack & defence, far better than he used to and now judging pace & width pretty well. Its just that occasional 'rush of blood to the head' which can be his downfall. However, he does deserve far more red ball opportunities than he's been given.

The same point applies even more to Lintott. As I've said above, he has been shabbily treated by Management. 2 CC games in 3 years. He Captains the Seconds Championship team so well, he has developed a formidable armoury in his 'bowling locker' and can bat well. Just because he's regarded as a T20 specialist, he gets so overlooked in other forms of the game. He deserves so much more. That case is even stronger, given the decline of Briggs in red ball cricket - and the fact that he is the only alternative (experienced) front line spinner we have.

So, yes, Benjamin and Lintott should be given more opportunities (plural!) - possibly at the expense of Mousley & Bethell - their days will surely come again.

How can you lose a game having won the toss and having a First Innings lead of 235 (and so, the Follow On option)?! We can!

I seem to recall another recent game this happened (but can't remember which one?).

You're right, Streetly, BIG questions need to be asked - mainly about team selection (no front line spinner on a well known turning wicket) and the Captain/Management decision on the F/O, but also ANOTHER batting collapse.

Andy wrote:

I'm not sure what difference Danny Briggs would have made here to be honest.

I agree. I think Danny's 'red ball days' with us are numbered (though still offers something in limited over games). Although, many on here disagree with me, I do think Jake Lintott deserves a go in CC cricket. I've seen him a lot in Seconds Championship games and he rarely lets the Club down - always getting wickets (in all sorts of conditions and against some good batsmen) and is a valuable lower order bat (and an astute Captain). Last season he turned out in one CC match and took 3 for 68 and got a 78, but in his 3 seasons with us, he's only been given 2 games.

I wonder what would have happened if we'd enforced the follow on and bamboozled a few Essex guys with Jake's wrist spin on that turning wicket (especially the lower order batsmen).

BosworthBear wrote:

We got this one wrong given the short period there was tonight. Should have enforced the follow on.

Just got to hope we can get another 50 or so now.

Yep. I'm not a 'told you so' guy, but ...... !

The_Lickey_Banker wrote:

Why do we so rarely enforce a follow on?! Given the state of the wicket, I would have thought a FO was a no brainer (emphasised by Davies going so early).

3 gone now. Despite what many on here say, I do think no FO was a mistake.

Why do we so rarely enforce a follow on?! Given the state of the wicket, I would have thought a FO was a no brainer (emphasised by Davies going so early).

GerryShedd wrote:

I’ve ordered a poster of Che off the internet but, to be honest, it looks nothing like him.

Its the beard and wearing that square cap and a jungle camouflage T shirt, that throws you off a bit!

(VERY) early days, but who said the Development squad can't produce seam bowlers now?! I think I did!

Inside-edge wrote:

As debut spells go that was pretty impressive

6-2-10-3

Blimey, he's not got anywhere near those figures in 4 years playing for the Seconds! Just shows you what 'being fired up' by a First Team appearance can do!

Andy wrote:

He's probably worth a punt. Lancashire signed Will Williams like this, he was playing club in the UK then signed for Lancs mid season, and he turned out to be a good pick up. This lad does indeed have a modest record though. It is very difficult to pick up decent overseas players at the moment to be fair, like we've all said.

I'd have probably given Liam Guthrie, currently playing in the 2's, a go instead. He has a bit more pedigree, come through an extremely strong WA pathway in Aus and took a 6fer for QLD in the Sheffield Shield only a couple of months ago, he's also a left armer who i know definitely bowls high 80's.

Rae looks like a Gavin Larsen signing.

Didn't know this about Zaman Akhtar, we are becoming an increasingly odd run club though, who seems to miss out on talent right under our noses quite a lot.

I wish Michael Rae well though, hope he's quick, we're crying out for a bit of pace. Jamal looks like a bit of a trundler let's be honest.

With Guthrie turning out for the Seconds this week, I was half expecting him to get a short term contract and be called up for the Firsts. He looks a better bet than Rae (and that left arm option we seem to be desperate to bring in - so many in the Seconds team at the moment). I agree Larsen appears to be preferring his Kiwi mates.

We were put in (yesterday) by Notts and made 388 all out. A(nother) ton for Benjamin, 82 from Ismael Mohammed (off 82 balls, continuing his good form), 72 from Hamza S and 59 from Kai Smith. Tom Hinley made a quickfire 31 (off 25 balls) going in at 9. At Tea today we had Notts on 61 for 3, with 2 wickets for Guthrie and 1 for Garlick. Hishaam Khan & Ollie Sutton (making it 3 left arm seamers playing, with Guthrie) bowled very economically.

A few interesting additions to the team at Nottingham today:

Tom Hinley - a left arm spinner who had one CC appearance for Sussex (and came through the Development squads at Hove)
Hishaam Khan - a left arm seamer who's has played for Leicestershire & Kent Seconds, but most recently has been a regular in the Staffs MC team
Most interestingly, Liam Guthrie - a 27 year old Aussie, left arm fast bowler, who has many First Class & One Day appearances for Western Australia (and came through their Development squads), Tasmania & Hobart and this (Aussie) summer, for Queensland & Brisbane.

KingofSpain wrote:

Bears racked up 591. Kai Smith 170 not out off 192 balls. He is another talent set for a breakthrough year.

We went on this morning to reach 636 for 9 dec - mainly to see Kai Smith to his double ton (200 NO) - a 339 lead. So, it seem(s/ed) a likely innings win, but Glamorgan are now 126 for 1 (33 overs) - with that man, Zen Malik again, on 63 NO, a 102 run stand with Asa Tribe.

Glamorgan won the toss and chose to bat. They made 297 (with Zen Malik - who turned out for us in 2023 - getting 134 off 219 balls). 4 wickets for Captain Lintott (for 47, off 12 overs), 2 for Simmons (for 41), Toole (for 58) and 1 apiece for Ollie Sutton (for 43) & Jake Garlick (for 37). Miles and Mohammed also bowled (no wickets, but very economically).

Matt Burton, who's played a match for us this season, is playing for Glamorgan.

It looks likely that Sam will be playing for the First team again in the Surrey game (starting on Friday 10th). He's not been selected for the Seconds match at Portland Road today.

Just one change from the Sussex game - Theo Wylie in for Sam Hain. 2 left arm seamers again - Toole & Sutton. Garlick in as a bowler.

Just been away, so missed the Sussex game. I noticed that there was one new player drafted in with First team experience - Ray Toole, ex-Durham (a County cap for 1 appearance), Central Districts / Stags (around 50 appearances in the NZ Plunkett Shield, the 50 over Ford Trophy and the Twenty20) & Essex (a couple of outings in the T20) - a(nother) left arm seamer. Born in South Africa, I'm pretty sure he's not English qualified.

As well as the batting performances Highveld describes, some decent bowling, with a particularly good return from Ismael Mohammed (7 for 113 in the match).

Solbear wrote:

Great to see that Sam Hain is in the team for the delayed match against Lancs; hopefully a positive sign that he may be back in action for the first team soon ... although if the top three keep going the way they are his presence may not be necessary! Interesting too to see that two Flintoffs are playing for Lancs:

https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_summary#m95fcca02-3916-4fad-bd22-aa9c50cf3edf

As well as Sam Hain playing, we've got 2 youngsters in, who've played for Worcester 2nds this season. Ollie Sutton (a left arm seamer) and Ismail Mohammed (a very promising batsman, who has also played for the South Asian team - and us last season). They're in for Nikki Gorantla (who got a ton against Essex) and Matt Burton.

The_Lickey_Banker wrote:

They've actually made a start this morning (at both grounds) ! Seconds team:-

Hamza Shaikh
Amir Khan
Chris Benjamin (Keeper - one of 3 in the team !)
Nikhil Gorantla (RB - played a few 2nds games for us last year, from Essex 2nds & Cambridgeshire)
Kai Smith
Theo Wylie
George Maddy
Jake Lintott (Captain)
Che Simmons
Jacob Garlick (RB, RM - from the Academy)
Tom Davis (RB, RM - from Kent 2nds)
Matt Burton (LB, RM - from Worcester, Hampshire 2nds & Wiltshire)

Essex won the toss, choes to bat and are currently 69 for 3 (a wicket apiece for Burton, Simmons and Davis - all clean bowled)

https://edgbaston.com/fixtures/second-xi/warwickshire-vs-essex-15-april-2024/#match-match-reports

We lost by just 28 runs. A pretty good report on the County site.

5 stand out batsmen - Nikki Gorantla got a ton in the 2nd innings, Benjamin and Lintott got 50's in the 1st. Hamza Shaikh and Amir Khan got decent scores in both innings.

As for bowlers, one of the new lads, Tom Davis got a 5 for 75 in the 2nd innings (8 for 118 in the match). He was the stand out bowler - but there were creditable figures for Matt Burton (4 for 112 in tbe match). Simmons did alright in the 1st innings (3 for 72), but was tonked (no wickets) in the 2nd. Captain Lintott just bowled himself in the 2nd (2 for 57) - presumably under instructions from Robbo, to give the youngsters a long bowl. Young Theo Wylie didn't get much of a look in though (1 for 6) and Jake Garlick wasn't used much (2 for 57).