GerryShedd
Super Moderator
Update:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-66811235
I can't see how the Council could possibly advance money to develop Edgbaston if, as the article says, all non-essenital spending has been stopped. I suspect that "there is no impact on our existing contractual arrangements and we are in discussions about future projects" means that the Club still has to pay back the £20 million that it owes and that the discussions about future projects will end quickly with the words "no chance."
Suddenly it's got a bit more interesting.
Maybe he wouldn't have played anyway; but Sam's chance of an England debut was foiled by the weather today.
Good to see Alex Thomson getting a new contract at Derbyshire who have been having a bit of a clear-out of players:
http://derbyshirecricket.blogspot.com/2023/09/thomson-signs-two-year-deal.html
BristolBear wrote:
Watching this I’m wondering why Murtagh is retiring.
He’s bowled some absolute beauties.
The balls to Barnard and Burgess were gorgeous. They’ve pitched in almost identical places, ones jagged back, the others moved away. Not just a little bit of movement either. Superb bowling.
I would think that Tim Murtagh is retiring because, at age 42, fast bowling is too much like hard work. Also, he already has a coaching role at Middlesex and presumably this will become his full-time role.
Anyway. whilst accepting that the Warwickshire upper order is badly mis-firing at the moment, it's absolutely right also to give credit for some excellent bowling.
I agree that the ECB have muddied the waters by introducing the slightly different format of The Hundred.
Whilst most people say that The Hundred has been reasonably successful in its third year, it has failed in the sense that no other country has picked up on it and T20 is still the go-to format everywhere.
I agree that getting the proposals agreed will be the major challenge for the ECB's Richard Gould. Using an analogy that his illustrious father would recognise, it is far from an open goal.
As part of the presentation ceremony for the One Day Cup Final, it was announced that Ed Barnard was the Player of the Tournament - very well deserved!
https://edgbaston.com/news/barnard-named-metro-bank-one-day-cup-player-of-the-year/
Yes, congratulations to Leicestershire!
Another Behind the Badge episode that tells an interesting story:
https://edgbaston.com/news/behind-the-badge-robin-french/
The Cricketer reports that ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould: "wants to replace The Hundred with a new 39-team T20 tournament involving the grounds of all the first-class and National Counties.
The alternative for English cricket is an expanded Hundred, taking in new teams from Durham and Somerset.
It has not been determined if the new sides in Gould's model would be named after their counties or the towns or cities in which they are based. They would be part-owned by the ECB, and part by private investors. It is not certain how much stake the counties will have in them.
This tournament would not incorporate the Blast, which would also continue to run in English cricket's congested programme."
From The Cricketer:
"Fans of the County Championship are set to be disappointed by the look of next year's schedule, meanwhile. There will not be many four-day matches in the heart of summer again.
The problem is that the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA takes up all but three days of June.
Therefore schedulers are planning to sandwich the Blast either side of The Hundred. In a switch from this year's model of playing the entire tournament in an eight-week block, the Blast group stage will be played before The Hundred begins, with the quarter-finals (probably) and Finals Day (definitely) returning to September.
The One-Day Cup will again be played alongside The Hundred, with the final at Trent Bridge on either September 7 or 28. This year there were two Championship rounds in June, and three in July, a distinct improvement on previous years. Red-ball fans will pray 2025 sees a return to that."
Mark Robinson says: " It obviously proved to be a thriller on a great wicket that had good carry and it did nip around a little bit when the overheads came in."
I thought that the pitch had a bit of life and carry when I was there on Sunday; and though others on here have said differently, I am inclined to bow to Mr. Robinson's opinion.
https://edgbaston.com/news/robinson-it-proved-to-be-a-thriller-on-a-great-wicket/
Ged Scott gives a balanced view of what happened, including quotes from the coaches:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/66788102
At the moment, it's a close contest as to who has been the least successful player named Brathwaite to play for the Bears.
Never in doubt (well, only a little!)
I think Northants are just desperate to get a win and are willing to risk defeat by setting a gettable target in the hope that the Bears will self destruct (which of course they may do).
Many thanks.
I think my birthday is finally over now and I can't cope with any more surprises!
Looks like a deal has been done to give both sides a chance of a win.