2016 Hampshire Thread

[st_brendy]

Wheater part of the squad for this game but out with illness again. Seems a bit odd.

Couldn't we have played Goodwin (was impressed the other night) instead of Smith given his latest form?

No way could we have dropped Smith. Far too much burden for Adams and Dawson to have carried by themselves. Smith might not be in great form, but we're already without Carberry, Vince, Ervine and Wheater. That's four of our top five!

That said, I'd still have seriously considered someone like Goodwin for this game. How on earth is Crane a replacement for Ervine/Wheater? He can't bat, and we've already got five front line bowlers (plus Smith). OK, if McManus and Andrew were both in any sort of form against the white ball lower down the order, then we could maybe get away with this long looking tail (although I'd still have been against it). But they're not.

If we lose early wickets, we are totally screwed. McLaren might be in form yes, but he's coming in at no.6! You can't expect a bowler who can bat to be able to score 40+ every game.

[st_brendy]

Big blow to lose Alsop there. Doesn't sound too dissimilar to yesterday's pitch at Taunton, so we could have done with Alsop replicating Abel's innings and just batting through for a safe 100. Plus with a frail batting line up, a collapse could be round the corner at any point.

250 could be a winnable score here (even though you'd like to target 270+).

[st_brendy]

Smith dropped in the deep on 23.

[st_brendy]

Another man gets in, and gets out. Ordinarily you'd say it supports the case for a difficult pitch, but it's been a story of our season, so it might just be us.

Either way, it increases the need for Smith to bat deep.

[Hampshire]

Time to accelerate.

[st_brendy]

Time to accelerate.

I'd see this Hogan over off, then accelerate for the last eight (I know Hogan will still have another three, but you can't just bat him right out).

[st_brendy]

It was time for him to have a go, but there was always that risk. Wagg and Hogan are decent bowlers, and Smith isn't known for his big hitting. Real shame though. Probably end any chance of 300.

[Hampshire]

I'm dreadful with these kind of; does anyone know what happens to our qualification likelihood if we win today and only get 1 point from Tuesday? Forecast looks ok for he afternoon at the moment but a lot of dodgy weather around.

[st_brendy]

I know I keep on saying it, but we really need to do everything as a club to get McLaren to agree to comeback as a kolpak next year. What a signing that would be, with bat and ball, across all three formats.

[st_brendy]

I'm dreadful with these kind of; does anyone know what happens to our qualification likelihood if we win today and only get 1 point from Tuesday? Forecast looks ok for he afternoon at the moment but a lot of dodgy weather around.

We would need Kent to either lose today (unlikely) or on Tuesday. (Or have a tie or rain off on Tuesday, but only if we can overtake their NRR today - unlikely).

We would also need a positive result between Middlesex and Surrey on Tuesday (ie no tie or rain off), OR for Middlesex to lose today (possible), OR for Surrey to lose tomorrow, OR for both of Surrey's games tomorrow and Tuesday to be ties or no results, OR for Essex to lose today and lose again on Tuesday.

The above would see us overtake Glamorgan, Kent and either Middlesex or Surrey, and finish 4th with 9 points.

[st_brendy]

YES!!!

[haggishants]

Well done Liam. Now make sure we win the match! I think it's amazing that after such a dire season so far Hants are in with a chance of the quarters in this comp.
Is it too late to have another escape in the CC?

[st_brendy]

First and foremost, it's about getting the two points and taking the fight to the last round of matches. Of course it is.

But if the wicket is as slow as they say, and there is some turn and some movement with the new ball, then with this score on the board the opportunity of really improving our NRR should not be ignored. There is still every chance that qualification will come down to NRR, and right now we're right at the back of the queue.

[st_brendy]

Well done Liam. Now make sure we win the match! I think it's amazing that after such a dire season so far Hants are in with a chance of the quarters in this comp.
Is it too late to have another escape in the CC?

I do attribute somewhat us squeezing through to the t20 and one-day QFs last year as helping our CC turnaround. Confidence and form, to a degree, was regained. Could yet be the same again this season, if we qualify this week.

[st_brendy]

What a start. That possibility of a big win is on.