Author Topic: County Cricket 2024 (Read 3986 times)

Wowbagger · « **Reply #25 on:** 07 April, 2024, 02:45:39 pm »

Definitely Nott's morning but Essex seem to be making a game of it. 5 wickets left, 148 ahead and they could do with at least another 100 runs.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #26 on:** 07 April, 2024, 06:24:46 pm »

Essex 329-8 at the close - a slightly curtailed day, presumably due to rain. I'd say Essex got the better of it by quite some way. The forecast tomorrow is for mostly dry weather, so I'd expect it not to be drawn.

It seemed that runs were much easier to come by for the Essex lower orders than the upper echelons today. Who knows how it will play out tomorrow?

Wowbagger · « **Reply #27 on:** 12 April, 2024, 07:59:33 pm »

A pretty good day for Essex v Kent. But the Durham bowlers were rally put to the sword.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #28 on:** 13 April, 2024, 09:08:23 pm »

And now a very good day for Kent v Essex.

When teams find pitches difficult to bat on, sometimes umpires report the home county to the TCCB for sanctions. Have they ever done this when a pitch is so flat that the bowlers have no chance?

CrazyEnglishTriathlete · « **Reply #29 on:** 13 April, 2024, 09:49:41 pm »

If Kent can get to 245-1 in the first innings - then the experiment with the Kookaburra Ball has proved something - we will need more than 4 days for most teams to get a result. Over the last 2 years we've struggled to make 245 all out in the first innings. Although it is nice to see Daniel Bell-Drummond getting back to back centuries.

Peter · « **Reply #30 on:** 13 April, 2024, 10:48:13 pm »

Yes, I've been wondering about this, too. It's looking like Warwickshire may have misjudged the situation against Durham by batting on for 700 or so and then finding that Durham can bat, too. Warwickshire could still win but they may need help from the weather. Some crazy scores in the first couple of rounds.

Thinking about Wow's inference that umpires don't report pitches which offer no help to the bowler, I can't think of an umpire who is an ex-bowler. I suppose there might have been one but nobody springs to mind.

CrazyEnglishTriathlete · « **Reply #31 on:** 14 April, 2024, 02:48:42 pm »

I thought the same - that umpires were typically batsmen, so I had a look at those standing in the current County Championship matches. There were slightly more batsmen than bowlers, and some all-rounders - but the following were all known for their bowling rather than their batting:

Alex Wharf
Martin Saggers
Richard Illingworth
Peter Hartley
James Middlebrook
Tom Lungley

So perhaps things are now changing. Alex Wharf and Richard Illingworth have both umpired at international level

Salvatore · « **Reply #32 on:** 14 April, 2024, 03:33:07 pm »

Neil Mallender was the one who occurred to me. I don't know if he is still umpiring.

A lot blame for the high scores is being placed not on the pitches but but the ball. The Kookaburra being used this season doesn't doesn't give as much help to pace bowlers as the Dukes, according to the pundits I've heard.

Peter · « **Reply #33 on:** 14 April, 2024, 05:03:44 pm »

Yes, apparently it swings in the first 20 overs or so then spends the rest of the time being damaged by the seats.

Peter · « **Reply #34 on:** 14 April, 2024, 05:53:44 pm »

Oh dear, hush my mouth. Durham already a wicket down needing to bat all day to avoid an innings defeat. There would be "a hush in the close" if it wasn't an away match.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #35 on:** 14 April, 2024, 05:58:58 pm »

There is probably a hush anyway. County matches attract tiny “crowds”.

Essex seem to be trying to get a result ve Kent. Hopefully will have a lead of 300 tonight and declare after 30 minutes’ slogging tomorrow.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #36 on:** 14 April, 2024, 06:42:53 pm »

Well, this last session has been very fruitful for Essex, leading by 374 and still in play. Jordan Cox has 116 of 89 deliveries. The forecast for tomorrow is for showers, so probably a draw.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #37 on:** 14 April, 2024, 06:47:29 pm »

https://www.bristol247.com/sport/cricket/enjoying-cricket-free-tea/
Free cricket after tea. I live about a mile and a half away. I'm not really into cricket, but well, maybe I should give it a go.

CAMRAMan · « **Reply #38 on:** 14 April, 2024, 06:49:57 pm »

Follow on enforced at Edgbaston and two wickets snaffled by close, however I suspect not one ball will be bowled tomorrow, so it'll probably fizzle out to a draw.

Peter · « **Reply #39 on:** 14 April, 2024, 08:08:08 pm »

Yes, always a danger when you are too greedy for runs!

CrazyEnglishTriathlete · « **Reply #40 on:** 14 April, 2024, 08:34:13 pm »

Kent will need the weather to save them. Rain or a very cold wind to neutralise Simon Harmer's spin and hope that the Kookaburra does die after 20 overs. Hopefully Essex will have a good run this season.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #41 on:** 14 April, 2024, 10:21:15 pm »

I’m rather torn to be honest. My county loyalty has always been with Essex and when I first watched them in the late 1960s, they were perpetual underdogs, so poor that their scoreboards was an old furniture van that had been painted matt black and used to travel about to each of their grounds - Chelmsford, Southend, Leyton, Colchester, Ilford. Then suddenly in 1979 they won a trophy - two actually - and it was a great time to watch their matches.

Then, I lost interest around the time the county championship became 2 divisions and cricket disappeared from mainstream television, rekindling my interest when I retired. I discovered in my absence that Essex has been the most successful post-war county, and continues to impress. From what I have read, they are now amongst the wealthiest of counties and it is this wealth shared by a very limited number of sides that ruins the sport as a spectacle.

So yes, because they are Essex, I want them to win, but will probably raise only two cheers rather than three when they do.

CrazyEnglishTriathlete · « **Reply #42 on:** 15 April, 2024, 06:42:53 am »

I seem to remember reading somewhere that they managed to win the County Championship on a squad of 13 players, which is a far cry from the revolving door of guest overseas players who drop in to play a few matches and then jet off somewhere else.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #43 on:** 15 April, 2024, 11:03:04 am »

Quote

“Essex were, and still are, a great county to play for,” said Trevor Bailey, a cricketer who remained loyal to his county when it was so skint that members were encouraged to give the county their Green Shield stamps, the income from which helped pay the players.

From https://www.thecricketpaper.com/features-and-columns/2584/county-archives-essex-1979/

Wowbagger · « **Reply #44 on:** 15 April, 2024, 02:58:38 pm »

Kent 4 wickets down in 18 overs. Meanwhile, Somerset’s lower orders are doing a decent job of trying to thwart Surrey.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #45 on:** 15 April, 2024, 04:36:01 pm »

Joe and Jaydn Denny are keeping Essex out for the moment. I don’t recall an uncle-nephew partnership in first class cricket before.

CrazyEnglishTriathlete · « **Reply #46 on:** 15 April, 2024, 04:59:15 pm »

Quote from: Wowbagger on 15 April, 2024, 04:36:01 pm

Joe and Jaydn Denny are keeping Essex out for the moment. I don’t recall an uncle-nephew partnership in first class cricket before.

That is definitely an Ask Steven question for Cricinfo

Peter · « **Reply #47 on:** 15 April, 2024, 05:05:53 pm »

And Durham have batted out the draw, thanks to a 150 from Potts, their opening ... bowler, who went in as night watchman. All results were possible until pretty late on.

Further to an earlier conversation about umpires who used to be bowlers, I just noticed Richard Illingworth was standing in this game!

Wowbagger · « **Reply #48 on:** 15 April, 2024, 05:44:09 pm »

Somerset were eventually all out, leaving Surrey chasing 209. They are 90 without loss after 8 overs. Essex, meanwhile, need 3 more wickets.

That’s a shortcoming of the BBC site: so far as I can see, it doesn’t show how many overs are left.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #49 on:** 15 April, 2024, 05:52:52 pm »

The Graun is more forthcoming. Raining in Chelmsford but otherwise Essex have 6 overs in which to take 3 wickets. Surrey need another 104 off 9 ish overs. Both likely draws, I think.