Somerset have been let off the hook here. 216/9. Wicket seems fairly flat now and the ball isn't doing much, but the ball is 65 overs old.

Siraj has 4/38 now. Need to get Gregory out. 141/8.

Siraj is next level and just what the bowling attack needs. However, that over by Briggs with 3 successive 6's was really poor. We need to mop up the tail quickly and not let a dominant position slip by.

Good start, but rain soon fell. Surprised that Somerset decided to bat in these conditions. Good for Siraj to get the early wicket. Is Norwell not fit?

I would like to see Ashley Giles back at Edgbaston. He is a true Bear who'd hopefully bring back some stability.

Well, Henry Brookes really starred for Birmingham Phoenix tonight: 5 wickets in a stunning victory over Southern Brave. Will Smeed also hit the first hundred in the hundred for Phoenix! Amazing power hitting....

That was abysmal bowling at the end. Matt Mason, as the bowling coach has been useless. He's nowhere near as good as Graeme Welch. You have to question the decision making by the club's management. To me, Allan Donald should've got the role.

Management have been shocking this summer. How to destroy a Division 1 Championship winning team in 10 months......

A collapse this last half-hour. Some questionable umpiring. They really need to introduce DRS for all games. McAndrew really needs to protect the tail.

So, after being out all season, Woakes will now undergo surgery on his knee. If it goes well he'll miss up to 6 weeks, so that's effectively it for the season. A big disappointment.

Best days cricket for sometime. Dare we say the Bears could win this!?
Hain superb again. If he was playing for one of the Southern Counties he'd be called up for England.......

Get Allan Donald in as the bowling coach. A true bear through and through. The current coach hasn't progressed some decent bowlers this year, get rid!

Watch Olly enjoy injury free cricket at Notts now we've got him fit.....
Where are the replacements?

I think McAndrew needs to play at Surrey. He's been a bit better than some of the team lately.

Malc wrote:

Team for Surrey?

Sibley
Yates
Rhodes
Hain
Hose
Lamb
Burgess
Stone
Norwell
Pandya
OHD

I think the overseas recruitment since Jeets retired has been poor. We need a much higher calibre of player. Obviously there's the conundrum of possible international call ups during the season. However, take Glamorgan for instance, they've managed to recruit Aussie Marnus Labuschagne for a number of seasons now. We should be aiming at that level of player.

I think too many of our senior bowlers are injured. Not a single appearance from Woakes or Stone. Norwell has barely played through one injury after another. Apart from last season, Norwell has missed an awful lot of games since he joined from Gloucester. Oh for a Jeetan Patel! I also think losing Welch and Bresnan had had a big impact. Matt Mason doesn't impress me as bowling coach either.

What a difference from September 2021. Champions and looking to dominate for a few years......and now? Probable relegation. A disgrace.

51/3. Hain gone for 16. The weather last night looked like it might end in a draw today. You can't rely on these forecasts! I'll be amazed if we save this.....even more so if we can somehow win it! Kent's new bowler Saini now has 7 wickets in this match.....

The same problems week in week out. We can see Benjamin isn't a number three, but our management haven't got a clue. This team is totally bereft of any confidence. Due to the poor weather forecast tomorrow, we'll likely get an undeserved draw against one of the worst teams in Division One.