Anyone else who was at Hove notice Michael Booth bowling as part of the pre-match practice on the ground. Suggests he is pretty close to being available for selection?

So Hasan Ali's availability for us has been reduced by him being centrally contracted by the PCB (again)

To paraphrase Highveld paraphrasing Oscar Wilde "To lose a player to Central Contracting once is unfortunate, to lose him twice smacks of incompetence"

I know the PCB is a bit chaotic but we just seem to fall for the same reassurances which then turn out not to be solid time after time......

UrsaMinor wrote:

I'll swap them Bethell and Mousley for Chris Woakes. Is that a deal?

I doubt very much that Woakes would be available for finals day if we get there, as under a central contract and ECB may well want to rest him ahead of Pakistan tour (assuming he is selected).

Mo, on the other hand, should be available,

I saw it on Twitter from BBC Newcastle cricket commentator Martin Emerson. “CR has left Durham for personal reasons and is free to move elsewhere. I believe Edgbaston is his likely destination” or words to that effect.

If the Strauss review were to be agreed with a Division 1 of 6 teams in 2024, then Division 2 in 2023 might not be a bad place to be on the assumption that the 2024 division will be made up of the top 5 from the 2023 division 1 and the champions of division 2….

Signed by Warwickshire from Lancs on a 3 year contract. Looks a good signing.

I understand Mayer didn’t play as he returned an inconclusive COVID test. Unlikely he would have made enough of a difference to change the result though. He has to retake the test today I think

Not playing tonight in the firsts Blast game again I see despite a couple of 2nd XI T20s whereas I see Mo played for the Pears yesterday. Anyone know what’s up - I thought we’d get a good few games out of him following his return and before the India series as he builds up fitness

Squad for the Leeds/Bradford game doesn't include either Norwell or Stone. Are they injured does anyone know?