2016 Hampshire Thread

[st_brendy]

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.

And fair play to him. Great knock. But he was up against Notts. You can't just keep on ignoring who the opposition are.

Anyway, back to our game. Rain currently scheduled from 3pm onwards. So if that is correct then we're looking at, what, 50 overs before then? If Yorkshire were really desperate for the win - a bit like we were last season when we set something up against them here - then I could maybe see them willing to risk the five points. But as it is, I'm struggling to see it. If they were to declare overnight, it would be massively in our favour to chase down 203 unless the rain was to come earlier than 3pm. Alternatively if they were to go out there and smash, say, 60 off 7 overs in the morning, then once you also knock off the two overs for change of innings, you're basically down to 40 overs and no-one can realistically expect to take 10 wickets in 40 overs, even on the dodgiest track around.

So long as the rain does indeed come (whether at 2pm or 3pm or 4pm), and then stay once it has arrived, then it's 99% a draw (not an awful result, especially if Middlesex can get enough play to bowl Warks out) and 1% a positive result (most likely in our favour) should Yorkshire decide to make a game of it.

[st_brendy]

Yorkshire declare with a lead of 297 (not sure why they bothered to bat on for one more over, scoring just three more runs, after Bresnan's wicket). In theory we have 72 overs to either score the runs or save the game, but the current forecast is suggesting that we might be lucky to even get 25 of those overs in.

[SaintPowelly]

Why aren't we trying to chase this?

[st_brendy]

Why aren't we trying to chase this?

Because the forecast is awful. We'd need to be going at about 8 an over from the start to chase this. Yorkshire batted on for far too long, although completely understandably in my view.

[SaintPowelly]

Why aren't we trying to chase this?

Because the forecast is awful. We'd need to be going at about 8 an over from the start to chase this. Yorkshire batted on for far too long, although completely understandably in my view.

Forecasts can change, we should be batting as if we have 70 overs.

[st_brendy]

Why aren't we trying to chase this?

Because the forecast is awful. We'd need to be going at about 8 an over from the start to chase this. Yorkshire batted on for far too long, although completely understandably in my view.

Forecasts can change, we should be batting as if we have 70 overs.

And severely risk getting bowled out, fine. I'd rather take the five points thanks. Going after Sidebottom and Brooks (not to mention Bresnan and Patterson) under overcast skies, on a pitch which has been doing a bit all game, seems a rather stupid idea to me. (And anyway, the majority of chases are manufactured by keeping wickets in hand and having a go at the back end. Not starting off like a train against the new ball)

Anyway, play is due to get under way at Edgbaston at 3.45. Can't see there being enough time for Middlesex to get 7 Warks wickets for us, but you never know.

[st_brendy]

Tea is at 4pm. If it doesn't start raining before then (and I suspect it's only about 20 mins away), then it surely will during the tea break. We just need to avoid another humdinger of a collapse first.

[st_brendy]

Yep. It's chucking it down here now, which means it should hit the Rose Bowl in 15 - 20 mins.

[st_brendy]

Early tea taken for bad light. I would imagine that that will be that. Even if the rain did somehow completely miss the ground, I can't see how the light is going to improve.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Raining here too.

Forecast was pretty spot on, predicting precipitation around 3/4pm.

Still hanging on to to our status by a piece of frayed cotton thread. Bit like last year.

[st_brendy]

Raining here too.

Forecast was pretty spot on, predicting precipitation around 3/4pm.

Still hanging on to to our status by a piece of frayed cotton thread. Bit like last year.

Yes, if we're being realistic we probably need to win both our last two games. One win and one draw might be enough, but only if one of Warks, Lancs and Durham have an awful finish.

The issue with needing to win two out of two games in cricket, is of course the threat of bad weather. Even the best sides can be denied the chance to do that if the weather gets in the way, let alone struggling sides like us.

[budgetmeansbudget]

I seem to remember that September was pretty decent weather wise last year. Having had an excellent July and August this year, I think we may be due for some rain in September, but we shall see.

[st_brendy]

Somerset v WARKS
Surrey v HANTS
Yorks v DURHAM
No game for Lancs

DURHAM v Surrey
LANCS v Middlesex
No game for Hants or Warks

HANTS v DURHAM
WARKS v LANCS

If we can somehow go to the Oval and beat the in-form Surrey, then depending on other results, it could well be a very exciting last week of the season given those two head-to-heads. But if we don't win at the Oval, there's every chance that we'll be relegated during that middle week off for us, and there'll be nothing on those two final week head-to-heads.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Actually looking at the forecast the weather looks good for our game against Surrey at the Oval next week.

Mind you with Surrey in good form I'm expecting a severe thrashing.

[st_brendy]

The 4th Warks wicket goes down. 29 overs for Middlesex to get 6 more, although I presume there is still a threat of the rain returning in that one.