Norwell back playing - for the 2nds today in a 50 Over game.

Toss uncontested, we're in the field and LN has opened the bowling, with a fit again Miles.

Team:-
Amir Khan
Ethan Brookes
Kai Smith
Chris Benjamin (Captain & Keeper)
Michael Booth
Jake Lintott
Craig Miles
Liam Norwell
Manraj Johal
Theo Wylie
Che Simmons

Academy All Rounder, Isaac Mohammed, who scored a double century earlier in the week, for Warwickshire Under 18's, is in the SACA team.

George isn't doing much better for Kent. 12 overs, 0 for 53, so far.

We bowled Northants out for 237. Yadvinder Singh (Moseley CC) took 4 for 40 (off 17.4), Johal, 3 for 46 (off 17) and a wicket apiece for Croom & Briggs (just in the bowling lineup).

Ethan Brookes & Lintott (not bowling) opening the batting. Remaining lineup:-
Kai Smith
Benjamin (Captain & Keeper)
Bethell
Daniyal Khan
Yusuf Khalil
Miles
Johal
Simmons
Josh Croom.

Ethan B on 48NO, when rain came (we're on 113 for 2). Jake and Kai both out in the 20's

And is MHN Saleem, the Afghan International Fast bowler?

Does anyone know if SJD Bell, is Solomon Bell, the ex-Durham batsman?

Those well known spin twins - Mousley & Moeen!!

Just as we were slagging off Moeen for his batting, his bowling turns the cards - 3 for 14 at the moment!

meashambear wrote:

I am pretty lost for words tbh

5 down and 9 overs to go and Benjamin tries to sweep for 6 and gets caught, a few balls after Mousley tries a ridiculous shot in front of his stumps.

We desperately need to drop Benjamin.

meashambear wrote:

meashambear wrote:

And now Davies out with a ridiculous shot

What the hell are these batsmen thinking?

You would think that Moeen & Maxwell have something to do with this.

Two of the most sought after T20 players on the planet and both have been completely abject

Yep, the consequences of being 'parachuted' into an English season so soon after the IPL - with no practice or acclimatision.

meashambear wrote:

Moeen poor again. Terrible choice of shot. He seems to think that he can just whack everything into the stands with little respect for the pace, line or length of the delivery, or the bowler.

That is 4 failures with the bat now at a strike rate of around 100. Anyone else would expect to be dropped.

Well, he won't be playing again in the T20 this season - sorted!

Exiled Bear wrote:

The_Lickey_Banker wrote:

Yates and Hasan are back in tonight - for Woakes and Brookes.

It’s Barnard who is in for one of them - Yates played the last match.

Oh yes, silly me!

We won the toss and elected to bat.

Yates and Hasan are back in tonight - for Woakes and Brookes. A spin heavy attack?!

We won the toss and put Glamorgan in. Had them in loads of trouble at 71 for 6, but a big 7th wicket stand of 95, helped them to 183 for 9.

Simmons got absolutely belted - 2 overs for 42 (!) and the Captain, while getting 2 wickets, also went for over 11 an over.

Good figures for Croom (3 for 29) and Garrett (2 for 28), off their 4 overs and young Ali did well (1 for 24 off his 4). Johal got the other wicket (for 26 off 3).

Mainly the normal 2nds team out today at Portland Road, for Glamorgan, but with a couple of interesting (new and fairly new) additions:-
Rhodes
Ethan B
Shaikh
Zen Malik
Theo Wylie
Maddy
Simmons
Josh Croom
Johal
Garrett
Ali

Zen Malik is a batsman (and part time leggie) from Stoke, who has turned out for Staffs, Worcester 2nds (last season) and Leicester 2nds, this. No big scores in either Seconds team, but considered to be a good prospect.

Josh Croom, I've talked about before. A genuine all rounder / spinner, with good figures with bat and ball at Minor Counties level for Wiltshire and Hampshire 2nds. He's in the Brum League this season for Berkswell.

Theo Wylie, I've also mentioned before. Very young, but another good all round prospect.

Exiled Bear wrote:

14 man squad:

Davies (c)
Benjamin
Briggs
Ali
Brookes
Bethell
Barnard
Hain
Lintott
Miles
Mousley
Woakes
Yates
Stirling

Brookes, Bethell and Mousley to miss out? Or do we Brookes to be a fifth seamer, or the fourth in place of Miles?

Given the performances in the 3 Seconds T20 games this week, I think Briggs, Brookes & Benjamin will miss out.

We'll go with one frontline spinner (Lintott), with backup from Mousley (who has been used as the first change bowler) - Briggs did nothing in his two 2nds games. Bethell has done more than Benjamin in all the 2nds games this season (red & white ball). Brookes will only come in when Woakes goes off to England.

See my reports on the two 2nd's T20 games v Northants, for suggestions on how performances today might affect Blast selection.

On the batting front, Yates, Davies and Hain more than justified their Blast places. Mousley probably did enough to support his claim (with bat and ball actually). If Bethell was already 'pencilled in', he did enough today to confirm his place. Benjamin probably helped his cause a bit with his characteristic bash (42 from 17 balls), though that's the first decent performance from him in the 2nds this season.

As regards the bowlers today, the stand out performance (and one that will pretty much have guaranteed him playing most of the Blast) was Hassan Ali's 5 wickets for 14 runs off 4 overs. However, today raised some questions over others. Miles' being hit for 10 an over and Henry B, 9 an over (both for 1 wicket), raised concerns - and I thought Miles was a shoo in for the Blast this weekend (Brookes for when Woakes leaves). And OHD - despite his distinct Number 11 batting - would 3 for 26 (off 3 overs) be enough to bring him in as the extra seamer (assuming Barnard's place is safe)?

Whatever - I'm sure the three 2nds T20 games this week, will be of some help in Blast selection.

We got home - by 3 wickets in the end - reaching 152 in 13 overs! That was mainly down to Benjamin (at last!) getting 42 off 17 balls. Ably abetted by Ethan Brookes (25 off 13), Bethell (28 off 16) and the Captain (23 off 17).

I doubt those scores will make much difference to the selection for the Blast though. If Bethell was already 'pencilled in', he'd still be there, if not, he wont! And the same applies for Benjamin.

We bowled them out for 151, which is pretty good, considering they were 67 for 2 off 6 overs and 92 for 3 off 9.

Pick of the bowlers were Simmons (4 for 35 off his 4 overs), OHD (3 for 26 off 4) and Johal (2 for 20 off 3). Miles took the other wicket, but he was expensive (3 overs for 30 runs).

Young Theo Wylie got caned a bit (2 overs for 24) and the Captain didn't do much (2 overs for 15). Benjamin and Bethell took a couple of catches.

On the basis of that, I'd say Miles is not a shoo in for the Blast. We'll have to find out how Jacob Bethell does with the bat, to see if he might get an early Blast game. He is opening now with Ethan B.

Bethell and Miles are in the 2nds team for this afternoon's T20 game against Northants at Portland Road. Rhodes, Benjamin and OHD also in - but the remainder are 'regular' 2nds players.

It will be interesting to see how those 5 perform - with a place or two up for grabs in early Blast matches (eg Woakes will be disappearing soon).