Solbear wrote:

Andy wrote:

I know, its just been an unbelievable drop off, 3rd highest run scorer in the division in 2024 and named in the PCA team of the year, our highest run scorer in the Blast in 2025...to this. Its remarkable.

And, sadly, some supporters have revelled in his demise.

Very fair points Andy. I can’t help feeling for Davies at the moment, nobody goes out to bat wanting or intending to fail but that is what is happening every time he takes guard. He should certainly be dropped for his sake as much as anyone else’s, his confidence and mental health must be taking an absolute battering. The club owe him a duty of care and for this reason as much as his terrible run of form, he should now be ‘rested’ for the remainder of the season to give
Kai a chance and to safeguard Davies’s wellbeing.

I also think that it’s in everyone’s interests for him to move on at the end of the season - if another club want him I should imagine he’d jump at the prospect of a fresh start somewhere else.

absolutely this

I'd be prepared to give Malik a T20-only contract based on his results in that format, I felt his tryout as the free-scoring opener went pretty well with only one failure IIRC, but agree an all-format deal for him and Garton especially seems generous to say the least. The contract for Jani also seems a little generous based on his output being entirely in one format as I recall it.

Andy wrote:

Left armer too. Still eligible for the u16's. Already in Dorridge first XI. Definitely one to watch.

I think I saw him play against my mate's kid about 4 years ago, if its who i am thinking of (name rings a bell and it was definitely dorridge) he bowled at quite a lick for his age and stature, beautiful action, both smooth and whippy somehow, it just seemed like he must have came out of the womb bowling

Flintoff especially and Singh showed some real promise the other day, no surprise they were both firing again (Flintoff especially, again).

well he's got a real challenge to manage a long-ish tail with 20 overs to go....

Wolfy wrote:

Andy wrote:

Fair play to Vansh, I was fairly critical of him after the Somerset game, since then he's scored well.

This form won’t go unnoticed by other counties. We need to get his signed up for next season and beyond.

yeah second game on the trot where he seems to be playing on a different surface to everyone else, very impressive.

Davies is doing that thing Troughton used to do when he was in bad form, visibly showing irritation at himself after the ball didn't go where he wanted. The exact opposite of leaving the last delivery in the past and going onto the next ball with a clear mind. You can't play well if you're having a minor tantrum at yourself every other delivery. Any runs he's getting he's getting them in spite of himself. That boundary off the free hit was the only free shot I can recall him playing

Need 40 off 45 with Davies 31 off43, I feel like Booth has to play a main role here because Davies hasn't had a sniff of going at a run a ball all day

Barnard back to the forum's favourite format? i am struggling to keep up

paulbear wrote:

Always liked Will, stayed very humble when we won the title in 2021, no showboating or fist-pumping histrionics, those 4 days v Somerset when I was FORCED to take a long 'Sickie' in scorching sunshine and watched us gradually come out on top, I will not forget and I hope he can keep going. Strange how he has prospered more for Durham in One-Day games seeing as we always appeared reluctant to play him in T20's.

not that reluctant to play him- he played 35 T20 games between 2019 and 2021, that's virtually every game in that period. its just that he wasn't a very good batsmen in T20 cricket. Hain got more runs in the 2024 season alone than Rhodes got in 4. Rhodes' SR was under 130 for us, batting at that rate will lose your team a lot of games nowadays.

on the evidence of his time with us 50ovs suited him far batter, so good form in the 50ovs nowadays wouldn't come as that much of a surprise or contradiction. some players' games never quite adapt to T20 even as they show themselves to be good or competent at 50 over batting. Sibley would be another example

Besides, for the T20 games Rhodes wasn't being selected for, I don't think he was next cab off the rank if we had dropped say Benjamin. Both Burgess and Barnard were being left out of the T20 lineup at the time and they both are demonstrably better T20/white ball batsmen

Andy wrote:
, even some IPL stuff which is weird.

not sure if this has always been a thing but i'd guess the IPL stuff is because we hosted an England - India game this summer and they were looking to cash in on the majority-Indian spectators that day?

Andy wrote:

Re. Surrey, that Josh Blake looks a good player, the only one that really looked like threatening us. Another keeper/batter they've got!

yeah he looks like a player

MalmesburyBear wrote:

Our fielding was outstanding - we are blessed to have two excellent fielders in Garton and Yates. Kai, Jake and Zen were very good as well today, ensuring one’s didn't become two’s.

Our running between wickets was also excellent with numerous two’s, particularly in the last 10 overs. Be interesting to see the breakdown of runs by each side - I’m pretty sure we will have more two’s.

yeah good point we ran a load of twos

GerryShedd wrote:

Another Old Bear doing well:
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/sport/wicketkeeper-earns-high-praise-343228/

always good to see an ex bear do well, though I would never have predicted his biggest successes coming against the red ball

MalmesburyBear wrote:

Being wise after the event is rather easy.

This season we had one of best T20 squads in years - the team could have been:
Davis; Bethell; Webster; Hain; Mousley; Barnard; Garton; Woakes; Thomson; Gleeson; Tariq.

Unfortunately Davis’ form fell off a cliff, Garton was injured and Bethell/ Mousley/ Gleeson were playing elsewhere through little fault of our own.

I know there are names in the team that various posters dislike, but the simple fact is that they are (or have been) regular participants in international or national T20 competitions.

With regard to the 50 over competition the loss of Barnard and Hain in the batting and Booth and Gilchrist in the bowling has knocked a big hole in the team, along with Taz losing his form. However, letting Hamzha leave early seems a bit of an own goal, as does the failure to recruit an overseas, knowing that Booth was injured.

I join the despair at the lack of information from the club regarding availability of players - who knows the fitness status of half a dozen of our players? When will Garton be able to bowl? What has happened to Barker? When will Booth, Gilchrist and Simmons be fit? Are Lintott and Wylie dropped or playing? Who knows…….

excellent post IMO

paulbear wrote:

I did see a few empties during the first semi when I watched the highlights unless it was that Hampshire and Notts fans hadn't arrived yet.

there's always a few empties with late arrivers/ SF1 losers who head home (Yorkshire fans seem to 'distinguish' themselves in this regard)

I think we need to bear in mind that the majority of tickets are sold to- dare I say it- casual fans, people who go to Finals Day every year in the same way they may go to a single test day each year (i know several groups who do either or both of these things), I'm pretty sure actual county fans have a minority of the allocation

Mikkyk wrote:

Highveld wrote:

A higher level role and closer to home and family, seems a sensible move for him,

Also, looking at some of the batting performances and averages this season, his coaching isn't working with some of our players.

On the flipside to that Yates has had his most productive season for a while and Mousley you could probably say the same for too, especially in T20.

really good point on Yates his T20 game has really kicked on this year and Mousley has looked better than ever too, good points

LeicesterExile wrote:

OHD cashed in at the death - strike rate of 400 !!!!!!!!!

haha great minds i bet he will be full of that in the dressing room

cjav1874 wrote:

Deceleration looks like it’ll leave us under par. Scores but no big contribution and no one there to “cash in” at the death. Will need to bowl well.

I always thought OHD had a potential 'finishers' role in him and his late blizzard of boundaries merely confirms what I always knew

i hope he's banging Westwood's door down to put him up the order after that 'entertaining cameo'

cjav1874 wrote:

Surprised to see Wylie batting 3 but will always support one of our own being given a proper opportunity.

exactly, thats what this comp should (within reason) be for, give him plenty of time to settle in and build an innings, much better than him coming in and trying to manage a total/bat with the tail or whatevr

Highveld wrote:

What did Albert say about doing the same thing and expecting different results?

you're definitely the expert on infinite repetition of the same thing