LeicesterExile wrote:

GerryShedd wrote:

I enjoyed my two days in Canterbury (days one and two) and thought it was a great performance from the Bears. Matt Walker, the Kent coach, gave his team a real roasting for their batting on the first day and at least they battled harder on day three.
The last time I was in Canterbury was in 1971 when the Bears played a Gillette Cup semi-final and they organised a day trip that involved flying from Birmingham to Manston. Unfortunately, it rained and the game wasn't finished on our day there. The next day on a damp pitch, Derek Underwood was unplayable and the Bears lost.
Anyway, Canterbury is a lovely city - prettier even than Birmingham - and I really liked the ground so I hope to go there again and not leave it another 52 years.

Did they replace the tree that died and if so is did they plant it inside the boundary rope?
The replacement lime tree is outside the boundary but seems to be flourishing.

Interesting that Somerset are fielding almost a second team against Hampshire while their T20 team played a practice match yesterday to prepare for Finals Day - and it looks like they might win the 4 day game.

I enjoyed my two days in Canterbury (days one and two) and thought it was a great performance from the Bears. Matt Walker, the Kent coach, gave his team a real roasting for their batting on the first day and at least they battled harder on day three.
The last time I was in Canterbury was in 1971 when the Bears played a Gillette Cup semi-final and they organised a day trip that involved flying from Birmingham to Manston. Unfortunately, it rained and the game wasn't finished on our day there. The next day on a damp pitch, Derek Underwood was unplayable and the Bears lost.
Anyway, Canterbury is a lovely city - prettier even than Birmingham - and I really liked the ground so I hope to go there again and not leave it another 52 years.

It’s still a great batting pitch so getting another nine wickets could be a long, hard slog.
Do we know why Maxwell didn’t come out to field last night? His bowling might be needed.

Congratulations to Rob Yates.

Barnard played an awful little innings - lucky to get nought.
Anyone think Maxwell might find himself playing for Australia at Old Trafford as an off spinning all rounder?

I was so surprised to see Maxwell there that I hadn't spotted Sam was missing.
Surely he can't have been called up by England?

I think his move to Yorkshire was a big mistake - a bit like Josh Poysden a few years ago.

Yes, Moeen and Chris Woakes both played their parts. Let's hope for fine weather at Old Trafford and another exciting match.
Test cricket is not too bad, is it?

Well, here's a surprise - Maxwell to play:
https://edgbaston.com/fixtures/first-xi/kent-vs-warwickshire-11-june-2023/#match-match-previews

The posts above show that it's possible to come up with a formula that:

• rewards the top teams in each group
• keeps as many teams as possible in with a chance for as long as possible
• allows for enough games at the knock-out stages to please fans and the TV companies
  All we need to do now is persuade the ECB to implement these ideas.

You get given your county cap before a big game - and then get out for 0. I guess that's the game of cricket:
https://edgbaston.com/news/yates-receives-county-cap-from-michael-powell/

I think my mention of a plot against the Bears was just me dealing with my own paranoid fears - as Joseph Heller said in Catch-22, “Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you.”

I thought the point of central contracts was that it gave the England set-up control over the contracted players ahead of the counties. That's why centrally contracted players only get to play for their counties when released by England.
Dan Lawrence and Chris Woakes differ not just in that Woakes is centrally contracted and Lawrence isn't but also in that Woakes is a bowler carrying a long term knee injury and Lawrence is a fit (as far as I know) batter. That is bound to produce different outcomes.
I agree that, in making decisions about whether or not to rel4ease a player to a county, the prime consideration is what is thought to be good for the England team, not the county or the player. What I don't think, however, is that there is a secret plot specifically against the Bears.

Coop wrote:

Mood not helped by seeing Dan Lawrence substituting at Headingley today, some Yorkshire rookie yesterday, allowing him to play last night. It stinks.
Not sure what the problem is here - Dan Lawrence doesn't (I think) have a central contract so Essex are his employer.

This article by Liam Norwell is well worth a read:
https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/3569214/liam-norwell-finds-perspective-during-injury-layoff

Looks like an all-South Group Finals Day.

Mark Robinson talked up Maxwell before the quarter final:
"From back in my Sussex days when I had Mushtaq Ahmed, I haven't had a better overseas player than Maxi," Robinson told BBC Radio WM.
"In terms of what he gives back to the group which never goes on the scoresheet.
"On practice days he's an assistant coach and all that wealth of experience from franchise cricket . . . he just gives back so much, tirelessly."

On that basis, maybe he should have been hired as a coach and someone else given the chance to score runs.

I agree with most of what others have said.
The Bears innings was as slow to get going as the traffic queue leaving Cannon Hill Park last night.
The loss of Danny Briggs shouldn't be underestimated - he is as good at strangling the batting in mid-innings as Jeetan Patel used to be.
For what it's worth, my report on the match is here:
https://deepextracover.com/2023/07/vitality-blast-quarter-final-bears-v-essex-eagles-edgbaston-stadium/

Not too many surprises in the squad:
Alex Davies (C)
Ed Barnard
Chris Benjamin
Jacob Bethell
Ethan Brookes
Henry Brookes
Dominic Drakes
Sam Hain
Olly Hannon-Dalby
Jake Lintott
Glenn Maxwell
Dan Mousley
Will Rhodes
Rob Yates