Is playing, and bowling, for Harborne CC against Berkswell CC in the Birmingham League today.

Probably the worst time wasn't it. You look back, the things you'd hear about him etc, he was a very flawed and unpleasant man. We had some exceptional cricketers too around that time, all very frustrating.

Well yes that is indeed the question, that's how discussions around team selections work id imagine.

Ah yes Greatbatch, who thought Ian Westwood had the greater potential than Ian Bell. Bad times.

Gus Atkinson was made available for Surrey last week Surrey but opted to put him in the 2's reasoning that as he'd not really played for much red ball cricket he'd be undercooked for County Championship level competition. Maybe we do the same with Bethell, he's hardly set the world alight in his Blast appearances nor when he played for us v Somerset this season?

Why are people talking as though there might be a chance Zen Malik or Kai Smith might be getting dropped? Since each player made their respective first class debuts this season they've missed 1 game each. They're both regularly part of our first XI even prior to last weeks exploits. Mousley was yer fill in guy for Hain. Wonder if he gets dropped? Like I said in the Worcestershire thread, the selection headache comes if Hain AND Bethell become available.

I'd say Mousley misses out as Zen got the nod over him for Sussex anyway. Or a bowler misses out. The conundrum comes if Hain plays and the ECB release Bethell to play!

Wow, wow, wow.

You know, i got there this morning, beautiful weather, Edgbaston looking amazing and thought "if we can get through the first hour unscathed you never know, why not..." but did I really believe it? Well teams were doing this sort of thing to us last season, Essex away then Somerset away for example, we did it away at Durham in April so it can be done...

Thought Worcestershire were good first up, quick and accurate, but Zen and Mousley stood up to it really well. Mousley didn't score a run for about half hour at one point whilst he nd Zen weathered a bit of a barrage but then he seemed to click into gear, I honestly thought he looked certain for his first Warwickshire ton so to get out so tamely, once again, felt so frustrating. He played the first over from the spinner really well, orthodox sweep for 4 to move the man, then reverse sweep for the single, next over from the spinner reverse sweep straight to the man on the 45, such poor cricket after a lovely innings that set us up.

Malik, played second fiddle to Mousley, then seemed to immediately click into gear once Dan got out and take charge dominating the partnership with Webster before and after lunch through til tea. Very much a front foot player he lacks a touch of power and timing off the back foot but its no biggie. Very solid in defence and a total chanceless knock until he got out. Loved it when he danced down the track to loft Foreman for 6, then next ball he anticipated the spinner darting the ball in faster to avoid a repeat so he hung back and cut him for 4. Great batting.

When we got to about 230 for 3 you saw the Worcestershire shoulders slumping.

Webster looks an excellent batter, extremely dependable, and you get the sense he's never really gonna be out of form for long if he has a bad score or 2. Gets squared up a touch but he ticks over as he milks the spinner and has power against the quicker bowlers, able to pull the short ball flat along the deck. I'd like to see more of him in a Bears shirt. Was delighted to see him get a deserved ton.

Lovely little cameos from Barnard and particularly Smith. Smith has proved he can make tough runs and is strong square of the wicket.

Someone on the Dollery balcony shouted at Taylor "Keep this up and you might get to play for us next season if yer lucky!" incredibly patronising and embarrassing I thought, next ball out, thought it was a fair enough reaction from Taylor, he hardly went over the top. Still 80 odd runs needed at the time, looked like game on.

Big picture we have different batters putting their hands up each game. If one guy fails another will perform. Yates, Latham, Davies, Barney and Hain made runs v Sussex for example, Smith, Zen (hugely), Webster and Mousley made them here. We've chased almost 400 without Hain and Latham for goodness sake. People slate our batting but for me they're bailing the bowlers out quite a bit this season...

I say it again, we were losing games like this under Robbo. Under Westwood we've actually done a few comebacks on teams and won a couple, he's got us fighting at least.

4th in the table, imagine if we got over the line v Worcestershire at New Rd?! Extra 8 points

A great day at Edgbaston and a famous, memorable win that nobody there will ever forget. Felt lucky to be there. What a shame it is that we don't play at Edgbaston again until August 26th. That's just not right :(

Webster, Mousley and Malik made their seasons highest scores today under pressure in a huge run chase, what a shame these scores won't count towards their season averages, or will they?! I can't tell...lol

Dan Mousley has chucked a ton away there.

Not a terrible gloveman either.

Don't know if we've covered this elsewhere but I'm hearing he's out for the season with a stress fracture.

Do these runs count towards people's season averages? I don't know anymore...

Dog of a ball weren't it. Floodlights taking affect now...

Davies walking off then looked a broken man.

I probably looked a broken man sat in the stands watching him tbf...

Oh Davies...

ajones1328 wrote:

1st over...

If you take out Yates do we have an opener to replace ?

Not sure a lad who made 93 in the previous game is in drop territory yet...he's definitely in patchy form though and needs to show some consistency...not sure what he could have done about that ball though...

Feel for Yates there, that has kept awfully low, you don't expect that from the new ball.

Why are Worcestershire taking their own time out of the game here?!

Why isn't the leggie on at the tail ender?

BosworthBear wrote:

Andy wrote:

6 down...is the door ajar?!

7 down now. Not certain this is a good thing. They were batting so slowly I think they would have found a declaration difficult.

Yeah don't think they knew whether to stick or twist after lunch.

Etahn Brookes looks brilliant, the difference between the 2 sides thus far, 11 sixes in the match. I think.

Well done Mark Robinson for not giving this lad a chance whatsoever.