2016 Hampshire Thread

[st_brendy]

The third day has gone really badly.

We should be able to bat for a draw, but there's a fair chance we'll capitulate tomorrow and lose.

Yep. Pretty much nail on head. You fear for us tomorrow, when actually the play today shouldn't give us any reason to.

[haggishants]

Checking the scores I thought for a brief moment that Somerset had set us a gettable target ... then remembered they've only had their 1st innings! So we need to survive 54 overs now for a draw (94/1 at the mo).

[budgetmeansbudget]

Two centuries for Slug, has to rate as our MVP over the last ten years or so.

[st_brendy]

A slightly wasted week in that there is now one less game to close the gap. But the important thing is that we didn't lose ground. I still think we need two more wins though, and I can't see Yorkshire next week being one of them (although if ever there is a time to play them, I guess it's when Root, Bairstow, Rashid, Plunkett and Willey are with the ODI squad).

[st_brendy]

Been a while since I looked at our stats, so:

BATTING

McLaren 62.63 (Six 50s, Zero 100s)
Ervine 52.57 (Three 50s, Three 100s)
Wheater 47.17 (Three 50s, Two 100s)

Adams 37.65 (Seven 50s, Zero 100s)
McManus 36.12 (One 50, One 100)
Alsop 34.40 (Five 50s, Zero 100s)
Dawson 33.43 (Four 50s, One 100)
Vince 32.00 (Zero 50s, One 100)
Berg 30.00 (One 50, Zero 100s)

Carberry 29.35 (One 50, One 100)
Smith 28.39 (Two 50s, One 100)

BOWLING

Carter 15.20 (5 wickets)

Tomlinson 34.50 (14 wickets)
McLaren 35.39 (28 wickets)
Best 39.57 (14 wickets)

Crane 43.96 (26 wickets)
Berg 47.20 (10 wickets)
Dawson 47.58 (12 wickets)
Wheal 53.00 (7 wickets)
Andrew 57.83 (6 wickets)

I did say that Tommo was harshly treated by Benks.

[st_brendy]

Two dropped slip catches already.

[st_brendy]

OK-ish first session. Four down would have been great, but I'll accept three. Sun is starting to come out though, which could be problematic. Can't really let Yorkshire get to tea at 200-3 or something like that.

I see that Essex aren't even bothering to play Wheater!

[st_brendy]

Berg in particular in bowling some top stuff. Beating the bat regularly.

The worry is that if we can do this, Sidebottom, Brooks and co can do it. And probably do it better.

[st_brendy]

One point closer to Durham, two points close to Lancs. For now.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Typical last wicket partnership blues.

I guess the only positive is that the weather looks better tomorrow and reduces the overs we have to bat tonight.

[haggishants]

Last 5 wickets for 23 runs.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Last 5 wickets for 23 runs.

If you want to stay up, you have to have more fight than that pathetic capitulation.

[st_brendy]

Last 5 wickets for 23 runs.

If you want to stay up, you have to have more fight than that pathetic capitulation.

Really? We have three absolute no.11s in the team. Then the three guys above them, are all batting one place too high (we replaced a batter - Dawson or Ervine, can't remember - with Crane about seven games ago, and never reverted back!). And they were up against the best bowling partnership in the country. The moment one of Vince and Ervine got out, there was always the chance of this. It's completely understandable in my book (what is not understandable, is why we keep on going into games a batter light).

That said, it cannot be denied that the collapse has probably cost us this game. And as a consequence, we almost certainly need to win both our final two games now to stay up. Our only hope is a forecast which is beginning to look a tad dodgy for Saturday.

[st_brendy]

I'd also point out that Warks collapsed from 122-2 to 172 all out. We're not the only ones. And there is a reason why Middlesex and Yorkshire are in the top two!

It may only be one single, solitary batting point which we picked up over Warks, but it's still something. One point closer.

[budgetmeansbudget]

That said, it cannot be denied that the collapse has probably cost us this game. And as a consequence, we almost certainly need to win both our final two games now to stay up. Our only hope is a forecast which is beginning to look a tad dodgy for Saturday.

Not to mention the terrible weather on Friday.

Looks like we'll get out of this game with a lucky draw now, especially as it looks like more rain after lunch tomorrow.

Still stand by my comments about the collapse. Yorkshire or not, there wasn't alot of fight in the late order, which used to be such a feature of this team in the not too distant past. The tail might be poor, but that doesn't mean they just submit. Get out in the nets and improve yourselves. Onions is shite, but managed his best score today when the team was in trouble.