2014 Hampshire Thread

[SaintPowelly]

Hampshire Cricket @hantscricket · 9m

Morning all! Today is day 1 of Hampshire's #LVCC match v @EssexCricket at Colchester. Unfortunately the rain is expected to delay the start.

[SaintPowelly]

UPDATE: Start delayed due to a wet outfield, Essex v Hampshire at Colchester

[st_brendy]

At least one game too early to start considering the prospect of rain resulting in both sides trying to contrive a result - with four games to come after this one, Essex are not quite yet in a must-win position. Particularly given the fact that the last thing they can afford right now is to lose this game to us - our lead over them would be extended to around 50 - 55 points. There's not way they'd be able to close that over four games.

A 30 - 35 points difference though over four games is just, just do-able.

[budgetmeansbudget]

No play before lunch, marvellous.

[st_brendy]

Worcs at home to Leicester. Unless rain intervenes, I'll be surprised by anything other than a Worcs win in that one. Ajmal at home to the worst side in the division.

[Centuryclub]

No play before lunch, marvellous.

Typical! The weather in Dorset is incredibly hot & extremely humid - 25 degrees atm outside.

The Hampshire Handbook & a couple of yesterday's papers have got in a right confusion - they have the match today as a T20 game! In the HH I can't work out where they've also gone wrong as they have 16 CC matches on the fixture list as well!

[Centuryclub]

Worcs 133-0.

BUT - will they end up doing a Derbyshire or a Northants?

[SaintPowelly]

2:45 inspection, can't see us getting any play today.

[SaintPowelly]

Mitchell has passed 1k runs for the season, and will probably overtake Vince.

[st_brendy]

Worcs 133-0.

BUT - will they end up doing a Derbyshire or a Northants?

If they don't manage to get Ajmal back next season, then yes they will end up following those two (should they go up).

I'm not aware that they have the finances to strengthen substantially. (Unlike Yorkshire for example, who I think brought in Brooks and Plunkett following their promotion a couple of years ago, allowing them to take 20 wickets and kick on in D1. Middlesex did something slightly similar with Denly and Harris I think).

[SaintPowelly]

No play today, stumps called.

[captaincolly]

Worcs 133-0.

BUT - will they end up doing a Derbyshire or a Northants?

If they don't manage to get Ajmal back next season, then yes they will end up following those two (should they go up).

I'm not aware that they have the finances to strengthen substantially. (Unlike Yorkshire for example, who I think brought in Brooks and Plunkett following their promotion a couple of years ago, allowing them to take 20 wickets and kick on in D1. Middlesex did something slightly similar with Denly and Harris I think).

They seem to yo-yo between the divisions. Haven't checked the stats but think they have had a lot of relegation/promotion cycles.

[st_brendy]

Wonder if that might see us decide to change the make up of our team - not that there are too many alternative options available to us.

Assuming Dawson is fit enough to bowl, an attack of Rimmington, Tommo, Coles and Briggs supplemented by Ervine and Dawson is arguably unnecessary for a three day game. Likewise, the only realistic way of forcing a win inside three days is to bat once, and bat big.

If we suddenly called up Maxwell in place of Rimmington, or Gatting in place of Briggs, I wouldn't be surprised.

[st_brendy]

Worcs 133-0.

BUT - will they end up doing a Derbyshire or a Northants?

If they don't manage to get Ajmal back next season, then yes they will end up following those two (should they go up).

I'm not aware that they have the finances to strengthen substantially. (Unlike Yorkshire for example, who I think brought in Brooks and Plunkett following their promotion a couple of years ago, allowing them to take 20 wickets and kick on in D1. Middlesex did something slightly similar with Denly and Harris I think).

They seem to yo-yo between the divisions. Haven't checked the stats but think they have had a lot of relegation/promotion cycles.

And that's when they had Alan Richardson taking 10,000 wickets a season. They don't even have that now.

[captaincolly]

Yeah, Richardson is a massive loss.