Cricket

[Busaholic]

Yet another series of draws in D2. Why is the County Championship, the only domestic cricket which counts, being played in early April just to accommodate cretin cricket in the summer? The sport is run by barmpots who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

And why are some games being played with the Kookaburra ball, which helped Gloucestershire bat day 4 out yesterday, and others with the Dukes ball?

All games in the last round in both divisions were played with the Kookaburra.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

I often wonder how the better-organised County Cricket teams not only have a large membership who pay their annual subscriptions, but also use their ground area to host large events of different types.

I wish Lancashire would build a proper stand instead of that cramped temporary monstrosity (stand D) which looks worryingly flimsy to me. Presumably its there so they can remove it to make space for pop concert stages. But surely there would be room for the "turns" at the opposite Brian Statham Way end?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Women's ODI series

South Africa ... 301-5 (50 overs)
Laura Wolvaardt (captain and opener) 184 not out (4 x 6 and 23 x 4)

Sri Lanka ... 305-4 (44.3 overs)
Chamari Athapaththu (captain and opener) 195 not out (5 x 6 and 26 x 4)

 

[HST43257]

Fascinating times in the IPL in the past couple of weeks. There seem to be a few pinch-hitters making crazy quick scores and it’s quite astounding. Not sure about how much of it is to do with groundstaff laying out roads to bat on, but the scores are amazing.

Yesterday, Travis Head and Abishek Sharma made 131-0 off 6.1 overs. That unlikely opening partnership for Sunrisers Hyderabad has led them to make scores up in the 270-280 region at times I think. Aussie new boy Jake Fraser-McGurk has come into the Delhi Capitals side and has started his IPL with a bang. In the match yesterday against SRH he scored 65 (18), following 55 (35) and 20 (10), and we saw him do it even more in the Big Bash this year (and not to mention is 100 (29) in a 50 over game to take the List A world record) so he certainly has a future in the short format. Phil Salt and Sunil Narine have also done amazingly for Kolkata Night Riders with some good knocks from the top of the order, including a couple of career best scores for age 35 Narine.

But what I’m really getting at is: Phil Salt is surely destined for an opening spot alongside Jos Buttler at the T20 World Cup? In the match taking place as I write he’s made 48 (14), and there’s been several other good scores he’s made quickly in this competition. We know that Stokes has made himself unavailable, Bairstow is out of form, Jacks isn’t doing amazingly with RCB and Sam Curran has been making decent scores in the Punjab middle order. So if we say Buttler and Salt open, what does the rest of the England T20 batting lineup look like? I’ve seen many hints saying Jamie Overton may have a chance, which is exciting. With Malan seemingly out of the setup, could Sam Curran take the no.3 spot and have Bairstow/Jacks fighting for no.4?

Lineup (subs) something like this: Buttler, Salt, SCurran, Bairstow, Brook, Livingstone, Moeen, JOverton, Rashid, MWood, Topley (Jacks, Ahmed, Woakes, Archer)

That’d give 8 batters and 7 bowlers in the starting XI, so the balance is good.

Your own thoughts/predictions?

 

[Howardh]

I wish Lancashire would build a proper stand instead of that cramped temporary monstrosity (stand D) which looks worryingly flimsy to me. Presumably its there so they can remove it to make space for pop concert stages. But surely there would be room for the "turns" at the opposite Brian Statham Way end?

Yes, that's exactly the reason, pop concerts, and doesn't help to stop the wind on a windy day!

As for Lancashire's efforts v Essex, I have no words. Well, none I could use on here.

 

[Busaholic]

Amid all these County Championship centuries, record scores and so on, an interesting record that hardly got any attention happened in the recent match at Taunton, played with the Dukes ball as well. Joe Clarke, playing as wicketkeeper for Notts as well as no. 3 batter, made 213 not out in their second innings. That is the highest score by a wicketkeeper in the second innings of any c.c. match.