Author Topic: County Cricket 2024 (Read 5096 times)

Wowbagger · « **Reply #100 on:** 28 April, 2024, 09:42:20 am »

The forecast for Chester-le-Street is rain until 4pm with a maximum temperature of 7°C. That’s like asking people to play cricket in January.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #101 on:** 28 April, 2024, 02:28:13 pm »

The only play so far has been at Kidderminster & Bristol.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #102 on:** 28 April, 2024, 06:22:47 pm »

Hampshire capitulating as expected. 93-5, needing another 115 to make Surrey bat again. No play in Chester-le-Street.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #103 on:** 29 April, 2024, 10:36:37 am »

A full day's play expected in Chester-le-Street - provided the ground isn't waterlogged, of course. Cloudy, but 5°C higher than yesterday's temperatures. Essex's plan ought to be to knock up another 150 to 200 before lunch and then declare, to have any hope of winning. Odds must be firmly in favour of a draw.

I doubt that Surrey will need more than 1 session to take the necessary 5 Hampshire wickets. Hants will do well to make them bat again.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #104 on:** 29 April, 2024, 01:21:40 pm »

And Surrey win by an innings & 11 runs so are currently top of the table. I think Essex will get maximum batting points from this match - if I've understood the rules correctly - so assuming they draw, they will still be 2 points clear of Surrey. In the unlikely event of Essex winning...

Essex are 92 ahead at lunch. They'll need to try to bat for another hour I reckon.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #105 on:** 29 April, 2024, 01:58:57 pm »

Essex clearly going for quick runs - two consecutive run-outs, which was a shame for Browne as he was on 184.

Peter · « **Reply #106 on:** 29 April, 2024, 01:59:27 pm »

I think if Essex are going to score this slowly all season, they could well bore their way to the title.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #107 on:** 29 April, 2024, 02:07:53 pm »

Pah! Go and wash your mouth out! It was responsible batting!

Meanwhile Essex were all out for 488 which means Durham need 130 to make Essex bat again. Could be a difficult afternoon for them.

Peter · « **Reply #108 on:** 29 April, 2024, 02:11:17 pm »

I think I've come to expect slightly more with the beach ball. But definitely a match Essex could still win ...

Wowbagger · « **Reply #109 on:** 29 April, 2024, 02:29:44 pm »

Durham 1 down... but I can't fond out how many overs are left. Neither the Graun nor the Beeb seem to show that, and it's an important part of the equation.

The Graun say that Middlesex have set Glos 331 off 58 overs, and that innings started at about the same time as Durham's.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #110 on:** 29 April, 2024, 03:01:44 pm »

I suppose Essex, to win this afternoon, will need to take a wicket roughly every 5 overs. A tall order.

CrazyEnglishTriathlete · « **Reply #111 on:** 29 April, 2024, 03:27:47 pm »

Quote from: Wowbagger on 28 April, 2024, 09:42:20 am

The forecast for Chester-le-Street is rain until 4pm with a maximum temperature of 7°C. That’s like asking people to play cricket in January.

I have been time-travelling back to January on my bicycle quite a bit in the last couple of weeks. Discovering that modern aerodynamic clothing with modern aerodynamic zips is utterly useless when your hands are too cold to fasten the tiny little zip. Wonder if cricketers have similar problems.

CrazyEnglishTriathlete · « **Reply #112 on:** 29 April, 2024, 03:58:25 pm »

Lees and Ackermann are old hands who know how to shut things down

Peter · « **Reply #113 on:** 29 April, 2024, 05:11:06 pm »

I like the fact that they agree the draw with the home side 1 ahead! Two pretty evenly matched sides, though I think if we'd have had 4 full days, Essex would have been favourites.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #114 on:** 29 April, 2024, 06:17:20 pm »

I keep forgetting the bonus point rules. Apparently you only get your batting points in the first 110 overs, hence Essex only got 14 points for that match.

Peter · « **Reply #115 on:** 29 April, 2024, 11:55:50 pm »

Quite right, too! Thoroughly outplayed by a cunning Durham side ...

Wowbagger · « **Reply #116 on:** 03 May, 2024, 08:48:09 pm »

Only 5 matches today, two of those in the first division.

Essex looked as though reality was catching up with them when Somerset skittled them or 156. But then Somerset were bowled out for 128 (5 apiece for Cook and Porter). Essex are 6-0 at the close of Day 1, so there ought to be a result. It's a good job it was being played at Taunton as there would have been no play at Chelmsford today.

That lead of 34 could be very useful in a low-scoring game. It looks dry for the next 3 days so hopefully Essex can bad all day tomorrow and set Somerset a high score for the last innings.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #117 on:** 03 May, 2024, 10:29:02 pm »

Somerset v Essex highlights, day 1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEJ5NOcN9rk&ab_channel=EssexCricketTV

An awful lot of batsmen caught in the slips there, implying helpful movement for the seamers.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #118 on:** 04 May, 2024, 11:36:06 am »

Wickets still tumbling…

Wowbagger · « **Reply #119 on:** 04 May, 2024, 12:49:22 pm »

...but Essex building what could be an invaluable lead in a low-scoring game. 83-4, 111 ahead.

Anyone scoring a 50 could prove a match-winner.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #120 on:** 04 May, 2024, 02:17:56 pm »

“The pitch is greener than the Notts game! There was torrential rain down here Wednesday and Thursday, which means it was damper too. It’s still moving around a bit but they usually get easier for batting. Good job it’s not spinning or we’d be on course for a points reduction.”

Quote from Graun, source Vic Marks

I note that 5 of Essex’s runs come from a penalty. I wonder if that is because the ball hit a unworn helmet?

Wowbagger · « **Reply #121 on:** 04 May, 2024, 05:49:45 pm »

Looking like a win for Somerset now... 45 needed, 6 wickets needed.

CrazyEnglishTriathlete · « **Reply #122 on:** 04 May, 2024, 07:01:46 pm »

What on earth were Lancashire doing this morning? All out for 92. That's about 400 short of a par score against Kent's bowling in the last two seasons. I didn't notice until earlier as I was watching the Giro and distracted by the Green Army getting the goal they needed to stay up, oddly enough against Hull, which is another place I have lived.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #123 on:** 05 May, 2024, 12:55:36 pm »

Well, that wasn't what was wanted, a 2-day loss. Well done Somerset - I don't think the pitch was up to standard, but no-one can control the weather. Vic Marks suggested it would become truer as it dried out, so it was a good toss to win. So it appeared. The clincher was the 75-run partnership for the first wicket in Somerset's second innings. If Essex had had another 20 or 30 runs to bowl at, then I reckon they could well have won.

Kent ought to beat Lancs, given that there's a day to go, but they don't want Lancs setting them too stiff a target. I feel a bit sorry for Lancs - they seem to have become a weaker side this season: last year, and the year before, Essex and Lancs seemed to be well-matched, with a win a piece, and I think Lancs were the only team to beat Surrey last year. This year they simply haven't got going. Essex beat them with the greatest of ease a few weeks back.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #124 on:** 05 May, 2024, 04:03:17 pm »

Whoops - Lancs seem to be digging in well. Kent will need to bat with circumspection tomorrow, given that the Lancs lead is now 151 and they still have 3 wickets left. Both the not-out batsmen are well-set, being on 57 and 25 respectively.