Somerset have great online coverage, we should provide the same quality.

Watched 5 mins and the crowd attendance doesn't look impressive.

Andy wrote:

Just had a quick gander. We've both used 18 players. Hain averages more than any Surrey player this season. Yates averages more than Sibley, Davies is averaging more than Burns.

A different player seems to do something exceptional every game though, something match winning. One week Abbott, the next week Worrall etc.

Our tail is a little bit like once we're 6 or 7 down we're all out sharpish. Look at our last 3 championship games, G. Stewart, Bailey and TRJ have all come in against us down the order at no.9 and done some damage. Can't expect that from OHD, Rushworth etc but i wouldnt swap those 2.

It's odd comparing us to Surrey. We don't have the financial clout to attract the best players like they do and we don't produce enough quality players through out pathway like they do consistently.

And as I said, Hain has been carrying us. I wasn't comparing our financial muscle to Surrey merely stating the benefit of competion for places and we can build a squad that is based on competition, we certainly have the capability to do so.

All in all, losing to Middlesex the way we did is really poor and I'd like to see tweaks to the size if we play so poorly in our next red ball game.

Andy wrote:

I bet us and Surrey have used the same amount of players this season in the Championship. Roughly.

Difference between us and Surrey performance wise this season is that they get way more runs from their lower order than we do. JOverton, Abbott, Clark, Lawes etc are all decent run getters down the list, a different one puts theyre hand up each game.

They get quality overseas players in too all season.

Id imagine their batters averages aren't too much different to ours. I've gone out on limb there though admittedly.

Probably have used same number of players ..but odd comparison as you don't change a winning side!

Andy wrote:

You've lost me here. Mediocre this season?

Who, outside of the XI who played here, could have made a difference to the outcome of this game had they been selected instead? Considering we lost an absolutely enormous toss Tuesday morning.

You say players can come back from being dropped, they can also come back from a bad performance.

Where did I say mediocre this season ? That was a mediocre performance. Its been a average season so far.

As I mentioned in my first post, the issue we have is squad depth. Hence the issue we have is that we can't replace people easily. Surrey have a big squad and can replace players struggling for form if required. Someone like Davies (in my opinion) would benefit from competition.

I do think our Batsmen have been fairly mediocre. Hain has carried our red ball and white ball side all season.

I have zero criticism of our bowlers I think we've had a great attack for years.

Losing to a fairly poor side in virtually two days and people are questioning some of the players/management. I would not call that overreacting, its not accepting average performances.

Successful teams don't accept mediocrity. Dropping a player or two isn't a big issue, they can come back from it.

Andy wrote:

I wasn't aware we were having such a poor season.

Not sure we're all saying it's been poor, I think it has been pretty average like last season. Hence looking for ways to improve.

We don't have the squad depth to make changes when required, need healthy competition.

Rayb wrote:

We don’t have many squad options and I’m not sure that many of our first team regulars are that bad. I do think however that we need a far more robust attitude to our four day cricket, our bowlers and more importantly our captain and coach, need to realise that having the opposition 7 down does not mean they are all out! In addition our batters need to spend more time with a batting coach who impresses on them that 20/30 is not enough.

Sometimes I think we do so well with the new ball it makes our lower order bowling look poor, I just think we lack a bit of pace and sometimes other teams bat all the way down and have abit of grit

Totally agree about the batting.

Highveld wrote:

A lot of the problems this season have been caused by the poor starts from the opening batsmen, with very very few exceptions.
However their mediocraty was rewarded by giving them full county caps when they were not deserved.

Have to agree although youd have to add Rhodes in to. Rhodes dissmisal second innings was awful.

Barnard bowled well in very favourable conditions as you would expect.

If he's batting at 6 he's in the side for his batting more than his bowling

Merely stating it would be good tor Bethell to get a good run of games and think that should be elsewhere.

Just like to see more fight.

Davies for one..Barnard has done little as a batting all rounder. Bethell needs a loan in a Division 2 side

When the going gets tough, we crumble.

Not that we have the squad depth but some of these players need dropping

Back to our Day 1 batting

Very eventful day but poor quality pitch and some awful batting.

Need better pitches than what we've seen today if we want to produce quality players.

Who knows how tomorrow will go, here hoping for some partnerships and bat for the day..unlikely after today !

Enjoying some quality batting

Shame it's the other side.

BosworthBear wrote:

If we bowl our way back into it we are likely to be docked points - Catch 22.

And I'd suggest we deserve it

Points deduction for a shocking pitch

Flight from Dublin at 8am this morning..should have booked a return for this evening..lucky to get two full days at this rate

What a woeful start, surely has to be down to a very poor pitch

Off the top of my head

Rhodes
Barnard
Yates
Burgess
E Brookes (first team ish)
Miles
OHD
Rushworth
Lintott

Basically not many, like to think we'd bring in at least one overseas.

Very dissapointing, felt like not enough experience heads in the side and with OHD bowling the last over it demonstrates a lack of depth

H Brookes..Benjamin and Maxwell were very dissapointing and we are far too reliant on Hain

Group stage seems bit pointless when the top side after 14 games doesn't get to Finals day.