So what is going on, quite a few people had said Worcestershire game was Moeen's last game? I saw no official announcement I must admit...

GerryShedd wrote:

Interesting that Somerset are not supporting the proposed reduction in Blast games and are supporting the only option on the table that retains 14 County Championship games.

Fair play to them.

Bore draw. Still think the oppo have shown a better seam attack than ours again though. That pitch had pace and carry and our lads looked a bit pedestrian compared to theirs. All our batters got time at the crease which is good.

A word on Rocky. I've enjoyed him the past 2 games, clearly a very skillful and thoughtful cricketer. How good is it to see an overseas player show genuine enthusiasm for the game and his team. He gives plenty of encouragement to his teammates and genuinely seems to appreciate the opportunity he has been given here. He's enjoying himself. Was impressed watching him observe and study the pitch conditions during intervals and breaks too. He clearly loves it.

Yes kookaburra being used in alls games this round.

Yeah it's drifting a bit. Would imagine Sussex will have us batting again this evening.

Didn't notice that. Garton was about though.

Think Sussex hung on in there really well, especially as it looked like Hain and Barnard were getting on top. It's a fairly flat pitch but it has some pace and bounce in it. Crocombe and Sandhu looked sharp and Robinson's probably a bit quicker than our guys too. Carson gets good dip and is a genuine threat to left handers but looked like a pie bowler at right handers. Bizarre.

Would have been interested to see how Simmons got on here with a pitch that might have aided his pace and hostility as opposed to pudding pitch he gets at Edgbaston. Short ball at the body seemed to work today at times.

Yates looked good, particularly through the offside (catch to dismiss him was a stunner) and the skipper looked in good touch too. Latham's innings was painful, he's not really looked in nick at all to be fair but he finds a way to hang around. Zen got a good one but I'm surprised Mousley didn't play off the back of his Lions performances. Hain and Barnard showed that you really can cash in against the old Kookaburra ball as it goes soft.

Rapid outfield with fairly short boundaries.

Lovely day at Hove today with a large, enthusiastic and knowledgeable crowd in which created a nice atmosphere. My first visit to this ground. Exciting.

Also saw Jofra Archer on a scooter.

KingofSpain wrote:

Still no squad or preview from the club. Total lack of communication. The club media operation has been getting progressively worse over the past few years since Tom Rawlings left. I hope the players remember there is a game on.

They have been unusually bad the past few weeks in particular.

Goodness me...

We are now reported as being "frontrunners" to sign the England man...

Hard to say at the moment, games a while away. Kookaburra again? Think any changes probably do come on the bowling side of things. Would think Bamber plays, Rocky plays you'd assume? OHD only has 9 wickets from 9 innings @ 45 (imagine if Craig Miles returned those figures?), you'd back him to come good eventually but does Rushworth come back in for him? Che, just don't know, he's the only one who has pace, goes at 5 an over though. Thought Taz was unlucky not to play v Somerset.

Latham as captain, isn't he away playing for NZ very soon? So we'd make him captain for 2 or 3 weeks then what? Is that ideal? He could keep though maybe...

Hove normally pretty flat and fast scoring. Warm weather forecast. Decent team Sussex, batting heavy and hard to beat.

Never been Hove before, can't wait.

That Bethell dismissal, imagine if Alex Davies did that?!

That from Leach to dismiss Yates then turned a long way.

He's gone?

paulbear wrote:

Not sure it's a nailed on draw, Somerset can easily get 100 very quickly tomorrow and we could be chasing 350-360 in 75 overs. Felt for Hain after grafting for so long and then getting out before tea but thought Rocky played well.

Yeah tomorrow could be a good test of character for us. Somerset are hugely experienced.

BristolBear wrote:
> On Smith, I don’t think his selection is simply a case of “is his keeping good enough”. His batting needs work too.

He’s one of a number of players in CC for us who are undoubtedly talented, but lack consistency.
Davies, Yates, Bethell, Mousley, Smith, Simmons, Booth, Shaikh, all fall into that category. For some of them, it’s due to their age. But it’s hard to consistently win, if you’re not consistent in your performances.
And consistency doesn’t always mean just in stats, but in how they play, not giving their wickets away, if they’re not taking wickets then don’t go for runs.

No I agree which is why I said if he isn't gonna keep he shouldn't be in the side. Definitely got potential, I'm in favour of him, but since Durham away he hasn't really made any runs.

Re. Keepers, ironically James Rew has just dropped Kai Smith.

I wouldn't swap our batters for theirs either but that just emphasises the gulf in quality of the 2 bowling attacks. This pitch just doesn't look as flat as our bowlers made it look! As a unit Somerset have got that bit more pace, a bit more menace and have swung it a bit more. Somerset had some rash dismissals too, probably even more rash, the difference was though we'd given them so many freebies until then.

I don't think Somerset have been any worse or better than us in the field, generally.

Yep, people take aim at the batters but to echo what others are saying, not for the first time this season we're just not bowling as well as out opposition have. Be it individually or as a unit. You look at the bowlers man for man, there's are better than ours. Hampshire game stood out as being similar to a degree where the opposition bowlers just made better use of the conditions than ours did.

Tayls79 wrote:

Did anyone see how young Kai went with the gloves over Somerset's innings? I know Andy said something along the lines of a bit untidy before, has there been any move on that? After so many overs in the field, good to see Davies play a patient and long knock, some validation that he wasn't burnt out keeping.

He was OK Tayls, still has a long way to go though. Needs to get upto the stumps quicker (Davies has improved loads at this to be fair, sorry forum) and gather on the bounce better but he stood upto to OHD well which is an improvement so going in the direction.

As much as I like Kai, having been to watch a lot of us in person in April/May, I understood why they took the gloves off him at one point. He wasn't having a shocker but he wasn't 'quite' there and there was a couple of drops. I'd have no issue with him keeping the gloves as I like to see young players getting opportunities.

If he doesn't keep though, I don't think he should be in the XI, 4day or Blast.

Edit, to say he kept better on day 2 than day 1.