County Championship Division 1 Thread 2016

[Arthur Crabtree]

I hope they don't go for such a cheap scam. Middx are trying to transfer their own anxiety onto Yorkshire, while pretending it's nothing to do with them. Yorks might not win the title, but at least they would have their dignity.

[sussexpob]

the question is, what can Yorkshire realistically target as a winnable total?

Half of me thinks Yorkshire at this point might be better to have a horror first hour after tea, and hope Middlesex are tempted with an earlier declaration. In my view its better to bat a slightly bigger run per over total if you get more overs.... bigger leeway for the odd bad over.

At this pace its 180-200 in a session to win.
Expect Middlesex to throw the bat the last hour, so more likely 250 in a session.
Give Middlesex a lead of 250 10 overs before tea by purposefully bolwing dross with boundaries uncovered, Middlesex might be confident in the total to defend, and take the extra 10 overs to bowl.

Maybe thats just me. But as Yorkshires coach I would be telling the captain to have 5 slips and 2 gullies in, and asking my bowlers to put it on scoring lengths. Let Middlesex make 150 runs in mega quick time and start to think about declaring

[sussexpob]

I hope they don't go for such a cheap scam. Middx are trying to transfer their own anxiety onto Yorkshire, while pretending it's nothing to do with them. Yorks might not win the title, but at least they would have their dignity.

I think that sounds like sour grapes, AC.

Middlesex couldnt have hope to play this any better once Yorkshire made 390.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I hope they don't go for such a cheap scam. Middx are trying to transfer their own anxiety onto Yorkshire, while pretending it's nothing to do with them. Yorks might not win the title, but at least they would have their dignity.

I think that sounds like sour grapes, AC.

Middlesex couldnt have hope to play this any better once Yorkshire made 390.

They could have batted at 3-4 an over and got into a lead last night. They have batted as if playing for a draw. Yorks haven't been good enough to get them out a second time (typical Lord's pitch?) so haven't done enough to win. A draw is a fair result. Maybe Yorks could have declared at 350, with hindsight batting on has made the draw more likely, but this has compounded by Middx's ultra cautious approach.

[Arthur Crabtree]

It's also true that Yorks aren't good enough to score 200 in 20 overs. But few teams are- on an old pitch with no restrictions.

[sussexpob]

They lost two batters at the top for ducks, and yesterday had they gone at it they could have been all out by now. I think they had to attempt to bat out the lead with minimum further loss. The only criticism I guess was that they didnt get the lead with 2 down and move on quicker from there, but doing so would only have got them in the situation where they were giving probably a slight higher target, but far more overs for Yorkshire to do it.

As I said though. 60 overs left, Yorkshire really want the next 20 to go at 8 and have 40 overs to bat out a total and back themselves to score 250......

Put the part timers on and get some long hops going. I really think Yorkshire need to encourage Middlesex to come out their cages.

[sussexpob]

It's also true that Yorks aren't good enough to score 200 in 20 overs. But few teams are- on an old pitch with no restrictions.

About 1999 I remember Chris Lewis and Leicestershire chasing down something like that at the end of a game.

[sussexpob]

At the moment though, I do think the ECB might want to investigate whether Eskinazi has received any payments from Somerset CCC...

[Arthur Crabtree]

They might have consolidated for a few overs. but they closed down for the rest of the day taking 40 overs out of a squeezed game. They didn't take any risks, but seem to think Yorks will be willing to have a bet on a gun with five bullets in the chamber. Well, looks like Middx were happy with a draw. They can have one. No charge.

[sussexpob]

It's also true that Yorks aren't good enough to score 200 in 20 overs. But few teams are- on an old pitch with no restrictions.

About 1999 I remember Chris Lewis and Leicestershire chasing down something like that at the end of a game.

There it is... actually 1998

http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Score ... 66152.html

Leicestershire scored 204 off 19 overs to win with 5 balls to spare...... Chris Lewis scored 77 from 33 balls, and Wells scored 55 off the same.

[Arthur Crabtree]

It's also true that Yorks aren't good enough to score 200 in 20 overs. But few teams are- on an old pitch with no restrictions.

About 1999 I remember Chris Lewis and Leicestershire chasing down something like that at the end of a game.

I did say only five bullets in the gun.

[sussexpob]

Having said all of the above, this period after lunch is now just becoming puzzling.... 15 off the last 10 overs!!!

Have Middlesex literally decided with 7 wickets left that they are happier for Somerset to win then them try to force a result.

[Arthur Crabtree]

One run off 31 ball for Eskinazi. Maybe Middx are just going to bat out the draw anyway. But if they do that, they will be open to criticism that they just gave up. If they set Yorks an ungettable total, they might be convince some that it was Yorks who didn't try.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Hard to believe Somerset have never won the County Championship.


Especially in the 70s when they had all those great players.

Most counties had great players then though, as nearly every test player of any note had an apprenticeship in the English game.

Somerset had some other good players to add to Viv, Joel and Beefy but never quite got over the line...

Kent, Essex, Middlesex and Notts always seemed to be that step ahead...

I think you mean Hants instead of Notts!

We should have won the title two years in a row in 73 and 74. We had stunning overseas players in our ranks, Barry Richards, Gordon Greenidge and Andy Roberts to name but three.

[sussexpob]

to be quite frank, this is an utterly piss poor effort fro Middlesex. I understood the caution before lunch, but they have gone nowhere after and are taking loads of time out the game....

What are they doing?