I’m starting to find the Hain situation a bit odd.
I assume him playing in this is to get some match play in after 3 weeks off.
I’ve heard various rumours of why he’s not playing, none substantiatee, but do find it odd he’s been off for so long, but has been around to sub field, play second xi etc.

Judging by the fact the ball appeared to seam and spin more as the innings went on, I’m hoping this pitch becomes a lot harder to bat on as the match goes on.
Would love it to start gripping as we do have 4 spinners in the line up.

In hindsight it looks poor.
But if Bethell and Ali don’t throw their wickets away, you could make the argument, it’s far better to push for 500-550, accept missing the 400 bonus point to keep Hampshire out there and try only bat once.

As it is, unless we see more OHD and Burgess miracle partnerships reaching that sort of score is going to be very tough.

It’s interesting how the captaincy really drags some players down.
Don’t have to look further than Rhodes performances the last year or 2. Root and Cook both struggled.
Yet others seem to thrive under the extra responsibility.

The openers stability is definitely welcome after a lot of inconsistency.
What’s clear is moving to 3, really messed with Yates and it took some time to rebuild that confidence.
Davies has seemingly stopped getting himself out, last couple of years he was getting a start then playing a stupid shot.

Odd thought popped into my head, but I feel really sorry for Bethell and Burgess. At least the other batters got to bat on this pitch.
They didn’t even get a chance to bat. And now they’re pretty much specialist fielders. Bethell seems to end up under the lid a fair bit. And Burgess’ thighs must be on fire. Keeping for 2 and a half days, lots of it up to the wicket, no thanks.

Not to make excuses for them, but feel like Durham are learning the lessons most of the others teams learned in round 1.
They were like the bears last week, very wayward and wasteful early on. By the time they fixed it, the ball had gone soft and now they’re fighting an up hill battle, against set batsmen, on a good deck, with a soft ball and tired bowlers.
Bears need to keep them out there for most of tomorrow. With this ball, think weight of runs & using that tiredness from the field is the best way to try earn a win.

I know I sound like a broken record but this really does come down to planning and the club putting together a balanced squad.

We’ve spent the last 2-3 years concentrating on T20 recruitment.
Barnard only really planned successful red ball recruit? Got lucky with Rushworth forcing his way out of Durham. It was a late winter signing so I can’t imagine they were going to recruit a bowler otherwise.
Seem determined to rely on Norwell despite only ever having 1 fully fit season for us.
And as tricky as overseas signings have become, use 2 that are planned out and proven quality. Not a project squad player from a trial. We’ve gone backwards as other clubs go past purely down to recruitment. And we know there’s money, they just don’t spend it right.

Very interesting that even batsmen like Libby are coming out and criticising the kookaburra ball choice.

I’d understand it a lot more in July or August, you’ve got hard pitches, good weather, likely to turn. That’s when you develop you’re 90mph bowlers. Sure footing, good bounce and carry, potentially some reverse.
Expecting someone who puts in the effort like Mark Wood does, to charge in on those run ups in April and bowl 90mph and not get hurt is ludicrous.

Again just seems like poor planning by the club. I know they expected Hassan Ali and Hain to be available, but that’s less of an issue if you have a second overseas. And if you’ve recruited another front line bowler because let’s be honest Norwell can’t be relied upon anymore, he’s a luxury if you can get him for a few games, and OHD & Rushworth fine operators though they are, don’t have too many more seasons left in their legs.

paulbear wrote:

Wish the forecast had proved right. Met office had it raining from 2pm and maybe keeping the players inside for a few hours but with the way Worcestershire have scored here, we might have to bat for longer than we would like. No doubt our batsmen will need to do some 'Getting In' as BristolBear keeps saying, even more so now. Getting in helps but Burgess leaving a big gap between bat and pad, no amount of being in for ages can stop you getting bowled like that.

But if you’re in you don’t do that…. Your foot movement is better, you commit more, your hands and eyes react faster.

My point seems to have been missed. It isn’t that what Burgess did was good. But you bat differently early in your innings, your hands, feet, head, all adapt as you learn the pitch and the bowling.
Which is why, when you’ve done that hardest bit, you need to make it count. Which is why the Rhodes, Yates and Davies dismissals are far worse.

Yeah, the batting is definitely the secondary issue.
Saw it a couple of times last year, we can look toothless without Norwell and Ali.
But never seen OHD and Rushworth spray it around this much. This was supposed to be our strength.

If we’d bowled just averagely, we’d have had a lead after the first innings.

Fast thinking that with no overseas, no Hain, no Norwell, and this bowling performance, I’d snatch your hand off for a draw right now. As it looks like all but the Essex/Notts game will be a draw. Yeah it’s against a team we should beat but better that than lose.

Problem is that’s part of getting in. Picking it isn’t as easy. And he played with a straight bat. Checked the drive. It wasn’t some huge swing across the line or a hook. Just down the wrong line and not enough foot movement. That’s arguably the same issues he’d have if he just tried to defend it.
And you can’t just block it for 20 balls and be in. Doesn’t work like that. Need to get the timing playing some shots. Not saying it was good by any means. But I’ve always got sympathy for a batsman getting out like that early on, more so than Davies, Yates and Rhodes.
That’s why going away from what’s working as a set batter is confusing.

On the Booth signing. We seem to be the only side other than Middlesex (who can’t afford one due to sanctions I believe), playing without a recognised, traditional overseas. I know they expected Hassan Ali to be available but if clubs with much lower income like Sussex and Essex can afford 2 high class overseas, can’t see why we?

The “he tried something” when set is just excusing him of any responsibility though. When you’re in, timing it well, don’t change anything. Keep going. Cash in.
Burgess played down the wrong line, early in his innings. It happens to every batsman.
A overseas batsman would be ideal. We need a player to show how to cash in consistently and take responsibility. I can’t understand signing Booth if he’s playing as an overseas, as that prevents us playing him and a batting overseas if we’ve already signed Hassan Ali. Also will we not be playing 2 T20 overseas if he plays T20?
Seems a strange decision.

Not an ideal start to the day, but I think some perspective needed.
Brand new ball, starting again on a new day, bowlers rested overnight, gloomy and overcast. Worst case scenario. Everything was in the bowlers favour.
Far bigger issues with the dismissals of Yates, Davies, Rhodes and Bethell. They’d got through, got set, and threw it away. When you get in, go big, hundreds win matches not the 20’s to 60’s our top order too often specialise in.
The first session bowling being at least average would have meant we’d have a lead now.
So Mousley and Burgess getting out this morning to a brand new ball, that happens. It will always happen. There are much bigger issues.
We need to bowl well now. Can’t bowl as poorly as we did before.

A good day all round. Thought we were going to have one of those endings when Bethell ran himself out. Was preparing myself for Burgess then Briggs coming in for the last 4 overs in the gloom and getting Jaffa’s.

Feel like we should be level now. We gave away 50-60 runs with some shocking bowling, then immediately very defensive fields in the first 2 sessions.

Pitch seems too good for a result unless Worcs collapse, so time will tell.

I think you could make the argument for a batsman or a bowler.
But for a second overseas, they have to be worth the money and GUARANTEED to perform. If you look around a lot of counties there seems to be overseas signed because they’re overseas. Not because they’re particularly good. Seems to be a lot of second rate Australians getting deals.
If you can’t get a player good enough to contribute worth his salary, play a talented youngster, save that money for better domestic recruitment.

Definitely agree that the bowling might be undone by a lack of depth. If Norwell does get injured again, you rely entirely on Hassan to be the point of difference. If he’s not there, then OHD, Rushworth, Miles, Barnard all relatively similar in that they rely on swing and consistency to take wickets. Fantastic bowlers but as we saw at times last year, if conditions don’t suit them, wickets can be hard to come by.

Impossible to tell from pre-season. But looks like Yates might be struggling to keep his opening spot for T20.
Burgess played all 3, and played well. Benjamin and Barnard both opened with Davies, Davies didn’t keep at all, Mousley and Hain to come in.

Way too early prediction might be:
Benjamin/Barnard
Davies
Hain
Moeen
Mousley
Burgess/Bethell
Barnard/Benjamin
Garton
Hassan
Briggs
Gleeson

1 thing I’ve noticed last year and definitely in the build up to the new season is how much the club’s social media and content has improved.
Showing net & coaching sessions, interviews with players, helmet cams for batsmen, funny videos. Been really impressed with the improvement.

Let’s hope they’ve learned from previous experience.
Outgrounds are fantastic when done right. Look at Cheltenham, Liverpool, Guildford, Arundel. But shocking if done poorly.