When I saw the double header a few weeks back, I thought Derbyshire's bowling was awful and no better than 2nd XI county standard. I have not changed my mind about that but as I have said on so many occasions on these pages, we have this habit of lowering our standards sometimes when we play sides like this. They got 20 too many and why Brookes was thought of as the bowler to bowl at the end might mean that Ali hasn't seen him bowl at the end of an innings before.

Vince had some chances in all formats and froze too often on good batting strips. As for Lawrence, the shot I saw him play in this seasons CC fixture was atrocious. He took a mighty heave at a ball, schoolboy style, missed it by miles and almost fell over doing it, whilst his side were in desperation to save the game. If the Australians saw him playing like that they would beg England to play him

They have done this to him for the last 10 years in O.D.I's and Tests. What I would hate is him not knowing if he is playing or not and just hanging around the team and missing games for Warwickshire just because the selectors are not sure if they want to play him or not. He is after all, a professional who wants to play cricket and maybe he is on the last 3-4 years of a career which has seen him play very little first-class cricket in the last 8 years due to being messed about. Why bother to name him only to take a risk on a rookie who if he has a bad few days, could be the difference between a win and a loss - Is that the sort of thing we want to see before an Ashes series crammed into the season before August.

Here I am sitting down in sunny Halesowen expecting at this time to be usually making my way out of the ground. That was not exactly part of the plan and after losing the toss, I was expecting a decent Lancs score and then their spinners to do some damage but they were lucky it wasn't a 10wicket win as we threw our wickets away. On one hand the club will be very pleased but an accountant would say, "All those people going out of the ground early, how many of them would buy an expensive £5 beer". Some great catches and drops but we will take that and now for a cold inexpensive beer in my own garden. Enjoy the rest of your Bank Holiday everyone.

Burgess, 48 off 28 balls for Sussex after they were in trouble at 56-4, chasing 149. That's what happens when someone has a point to prove.

So then GerryShedd, it was Roy Walker was it , aha. I did always wonder where he went on those periods away from 'Catchphrase' but as a member for 34 seasons, I do not remember him at all unless he played around the early 70's before I really took an interest in cricket. I will have to look up his record.

I'll guess at Rankin or Porterfield but that is a stab in the dark as I have no idea of date/context/countries/year, etc.

It makes you wonder if someone will step up if Hain has a bad day. He seems to have very few of them these days, he is absolute 'Diamond' of a player. Maxwell is one of these well travelled players who seems to be able to conjure a boundary from nothing, seemingly able to hit a ball into an impossible gap from a difficult situation whilst appearing to not hit the ball that hard. What a signing.

The usual Stirling/Davies effect coming home to roost yet again.

That seems to be fairly lenient and it could have been worse. He always did have a reputation of being a bit mouthy in a sort of 'The Class Clown' way so it might have been inevitable that at some point he would be involved in this saga.

What a way to shoot ourselves in the foot once again. Burgess is a really keeper and the fact that in these modern times, he can bat as well, does help us on another level. To mess him about, if that is what is happening, is a big mistake.

What the council appear to forget, we have a fair few fans/supporters/members who like football and the thought that any of the Villa, Wolves, Coventry, W.B.A., etc fans would shout the word 'Birmingham' is very remote. That appears to be why the Yorkshire 'The Hundread' brand didn't want to call themselves 'Leeds' as they knew all other towns/cities in Yorkshire would not turn up to watch a side called Leeds. Strange that the Manchester-based side have actually called themselves 'Manchester'. I would love to know how many members around Lancashire who come from anywhere else in the county, have stayed away because of this.

BosworthBear, I could not agree more. It is after all, 'County Cricket' and not anything to do with 'Cities'. Having said that, I always refer to us as Warwickshire and always will and have never shouted out 'Birmingham' or made the mistake of using that name. Either way, thanks to Hain and Benj, we got a score way above what we thought and the bowling although ragged towards the end, was good. The usual array of so-called fans to ruin part of the day, cannot understand how people who keep going out to get drinks/toilet can't take their rubbish with them instead of sitting with it all around them and then kicked under seats and it is as much families as anyone else.

I would not have pencilled him in for a Test anyway. Bowling a few 4 over spells in each game is nothing to having to be in the field for a while and being called on to bowl maybe 3 spells a day. He would need to get through a CC game to really stake his claim. His best years should be now but I fear we will see less of him in Tests unless something unbelievable happens.

GerryShedd wrote:

Ah, yes, the 1991 allegations were made by Don Topley who played in those matches and was commentating at Edgbaston this week.
Mind you, Topley is allegedly not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Those who heard Geoff Miller speak at the Cricket Society last winter will recall him telling the story of how Topley was bowling in a match. As he started to walk back to his mark part way through an over, he asked the umpire: "How many balls?" "Three" was the answer. He got back to his mark but, instead of running in, he walked all the way back to the umpire and said: "Is that three gone or three to come?"
Anyway, the allegations were never proved and, 32 years on, we don't hold grudges (well, not too much!)

Difficult to prove but then both umpires had umpired the previous days Sunday League game and could see the way it was all going. When the 3rd innings declaration came, Holder and Dudleston stood and looked at each other with Dudleston giving it the 'double Teapot' in a 'You are not serious about a target like that' scenario. I do hold that grudge and if you consider when Essex were struggling to buy their ground, Warwickshire gave them an interest free loan. That game as much as anything, gave the ECB food for thought about having 2 games involving the same 2 sides, running into each other and soon after the practice was stopped. Cannot see any reason why Topley should make up that story and I don't think any Essex/Lancashire players, at the time, came out in incredulity to pour scorn on the comment.

At least their tail having a wag, gave us a bit more of a day rather than when they were 7 down, I had visions of it being over before lunch. Another win though and if you consider we won only 2 CC games last season, this seems more like it. Let us hope that Middlesex can hang on v Surrey but I doubt it. The bowling is not a worry but the batting might be as the season goes on but good to see the skipper get a few. A few words said when Yates got out as Essex didn't like catch he took to end the innings. Tough, I didn't particularly like how Essex and Lancashire 'Swapped Wins' in a couple of Sunday League/CC games in 1991 to deny us the title so a catch they didn't like is just tough.

With the way Lawrence was wafting about like a schoolboy. it is debatable as to whether or not he deserves to still be in after way he played. great days entertainment, we looked so comfortable before lunch and that last wicket stand was superb and although it sounds like hindsight, I had a feeling about Hassan and his batting and fancied him for a good 30 but he went beyond. I feel we can get 2 more before they wipe off the deficit and feel it could be over tomorrow anyway.

Could have done without losing 2 wickets overnight but a chance for the skipper to get a few. 300 would be nice but I would be happy with 250.

So far this season, we are running out of things to say about Rushworth and I cannot think of any more words to describe what has become an incredible signing.

If Curran plays then it is a backward step for England, cannot see how someone who can't win games in the CC can be considered a Test standard allrounder.