County Championship 2025.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Hants gonna lose. Sorry Powelly, Budget etc...

[budgetmeansbudget]

Yes it does look like it.

Relegation snatched from the jaws of safety.

Pretty much sums up our season, 2 finals where we had control at the beginning but gave the game away at the end.

We've clearly decided we ain't ever going to repeat 1973, so may aswell languish in the second tier.

What a dismal dismal couple of weeks.

I wish I was more bothered but cricket doesn't hold my attention for very long these days. 2019 hit a height that I'd never thought I'd see with England finally getting over the line in the 60 over, I mean 55 over, I mean 50 over world cup.

And now test cricket has been killed off by these shocking shorter formats, I say forget it, let the younger generation decide if they still want the game. Besides it's only the youth in India that's really interested anymore.

Anyway hope you are all well, Arthur, Durham, Sussex and the like.

[Arthur Crabtree]

And yourself.

Forecast ok tomorrow, so no one will be saved by the weather.

[Arthur Crabtree]

But Hants still have a faint glimmer of a sniff....

[Durhamfootman]

And I think we have to extend that to Peter Moores!

the data spreadsheet says not!

[captaincolly]

And I think we have to extend that to Peter Moores!

the data spreadsheet says not!

[Arthur Crabtree]

By my calculations... Durham could really have done with that batting point they nearly got.

[captaincolly]

By my calculations... Durham could really have done with that batting point they nearly got.

And against Essex we were 240/3 and only ended up with 2 batting points. Not to mention getting 1 bowling point against Worcestershire who started that game with 10 batting points from 12 games! We managed 9 wickets in 2 days.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Yes, but this was yesterday!

Durham seemed to get sucked in late in the day. I thought Yorks would go down. Though they still could, just about.

[captaincolly]

Yes, but this was yesterday!

Durham seemed to get sucked in late in the day. I thought Yorks would go down. Though they still could, just about.

It's happened too many times, just missing out on points that might prove crucial. Still, it's that one Hampshire wicket that should decide our fate- if Hampshire lose and Durham can't survive the day the ECB should impose a points deduction for gross incompetence!

[Arthur Crabtree]

Cloudy tomorrow, so might be a bowlers' day. But Durham should be ahead at some point, so won't have to bat the whole day.

[Durhamfootman]

Hampshire have lost.

Durham just need a draw. Batting now, 121 behind

I have no faith in them at all this season.... none

[Durhamfootman]

To give everyone an idea of how useless the recruitment was this year, we used 19 bowlers, not counting the batters who bowled a few overs here and there.

19!

We've had bowlers in on loan, bowlers from minor counties, bowlers supposedly only here for the T20 drafted in while they were waiting for the next T20 match

It's been a complete and total *modded* up from start to finish and everyone responsible for the situation got nice shiny new contracts a month ago

we've had 6 different bowlers drafted in for 1 game only.

Raine and Potts have bowled 800 overs between them which is almost exactly half of all the overs of seam that we've bowled altogether and they've missed 4 matches between them. Hardly surprising that they've both had their worst wicket returns in years, because we've had to flog them both into the ground all season long

Yet only Notts and Surrey have more batting points than us, so it doesn't take a genius to work out where to look to learn the lessons. If they still aren't sure they could ask me..... I've got a long list

[Durhamfootman]

Raine and Potts are supposed to be the bowlers who lead our line. Turns out they were the *modded* line

[andy]

And we finish with a 7 wicket victory! Charlie Allison with 2 huge sixes into the tom pierce upper stand!! Bang average season but at least we are safe and there are some positives....Walter opening the batting has worked, Charlie Allison's emergence in the middle order...Westley signing a 2 year extension and the ever green Jamie porter still taking wickets for fun!