Back to the day - here are my reflections:
https://deepextracover.com/2023/05/blast-off/

BosworthBear wrote:

I always feel a bit alienated in T20 due to the Birmingham Bears shambles.

But delicious to hear Nasser Hussain, Mike Atherton, Shan Masood, Sam Hain and Steven Finn all refer to a great “Warwickshire” victory.

Surely now is the time to correct the historic wrong and play as Warwickshire again? Such an easy win for the Club! That’s our name, our identity and our heritage!

Although it's only a halfway house, it does seem that the Club has dropped the Birmingham title and just refers now to The Bears. Maybe the Warwickshire name will creep back in.

There may be a clue in the second team playing a T20 game against Gloucestershire today at Portland Road:
Yates, Davies*†, Mousley, Benjamin, Bethell, Burgess, Woakes, Hasan Ali, Lintott, Miles, Barnard
The Gloucestershire team looks much more like a genuine second team.
Link here:
https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/#m8a3a6321-b906-41e9-bd33-00ea651fe5ea_~scorecard

It seems that ex-Warwickshire captain Heath Streak is extremely ill:
https://circleofcricket.com/category/Latest_news/84600/zimbabwe-legend-heath-streak-critically-ill-with-stage-4-cancer

Ah, yes, the 1991 allegations were made by Don Topley who played in those matches and was commentating at Edgbaston this week.
Mind you, Topley is allegedly not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Those who heard Geoff Miller speak at the Cricket Society last winter will recall him telling the story of how Topley was bowling in a match. As he started to walk back to his mark part way through an over, he asked the umpire: "How many balls?" "Three" was the answer. He got back to his mark but, instead of running in, he walked all the way back to the umpire and said: "Is that three gone or three to come?"
Anyway, the allegations were never proved and, 32 years on, we don't hold grudges (well, not too much!)

Andy wrote:

Where can I read more about this Warwick Pool?
Sorry to come late to answering this.
Leslie Duckworth's "The Story of Warwickshire Cricket" (published 1974) has a chapter entitled "Pool of Plenty" which describes this.
He says that, up to the end of 1972, the Pool (started in 1953 and run by the Supporters Association) had raised £2 million for cricket as a whole including £1m on building projects at Edgbaston and £400k given to help other clubs. New Zealander Ray Hitchcock was involved in organising it but the husband and wife team of David Blakemore and Winifred Crook were largely responsible for its success. Winifred was allegedly approached by a famous football manager to run their pool but replied: "Mr ---, I play for Warwickshire."
Also - see the last part of this article:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/152469.html

Here's my report from today:
https://deepextracover.com/2023/05/warwickshire-ccc-vs-essex-cc-day-three-report/

We don't really know the state of Chris Woakes' dodgy knee. I suspect he'll never again be 100% fit for bowling.

Still top of the table now that the other matches are finished:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/county-championship-division-one-2023-1347099/points-table-standings
Rob Yates may have been a bit in and out with his batting so far but he seems able to catch anything at first slip.

paulbear wrote:

Please let us take this wicket as hearing Emily Windsor say 'Frew' and 'Fings' instead of 'Through' and 'Things' is driving me mad.

I thought the Windsor family were busy with other events this weekend.
She could have said: "'Fings Ain't What They Used To Be' was a successful musical in the 1960s, according to tennis commentator Frew McMillan."

Sorry to see Barnard missing his hundred but I'm sure he'll make one soon.

Oh, no, you've sussed out who I really am.
I'm off to roll the pitch for Thursday. But there'll be so little bounce that Michael Burgess had better have steel toe-caps on his boots.

I agree that 10 overs or so are likely before a declaration. I hope that Barnard gets his hundred.

You maintained that silence for all of 20 minutes!
I bow to Mr Robinson!

No play today but should be easy tomorrow. Last day of last season, Hampshire needed 139 to win and lost. We are already 135 ahead so only a boundary or so needed and then declare.
Or maybe not!

I guess we'll just have to disagree on this one - and next time I bump into George, I'll berate him for his opinion.
"Low and slow and get lower and slower" is a classic definition of a bad pitch - to get a top rating, which the Edgbaston pitches regularly receive, they need to meet the ECB requirement of "Good carry and/or bounce throughout the match."
And let's also remember that Gary and his team won the Grounds Management Association Professional Cricket Grounds Team of the Year award last season.
I truly don't remember any players talking about slow and low pitches at Edgbaston but am more than willing to have examples pointed out.
As for hybrid pitches, Edgbaston has been at the forefront of developing these but I think there are restrictions on their use in first-class and Test matches at the moment.
Anyway, I am happy (well, sort of) to be proved wrong on any of the above and/or to be labelled a grumpy old man.

I think Gary Barwell was quite right to get uppity because the Edgbaston pitches constantly get high ratings for both county and international matches; and having a reasonable amount of pace and carry is a key part of that.

I think that represents a really good day's work against a strong team - well done to them!
I agree that the forecast suggests that tomorrow may be a wash-out. But, as I said in my preview, there are lies, damned lies and weather forecasts.

So it's either going to rain or it isn't. I think the forecasters have covered all bases there.

Derbyshire seem to be scoring all right on the pitch so that makes Henry's effort seem all the better.