https://edgbaston.com/news/bears-sign-indian-international-manav-suthar-on-short-term-deal/

I like this signing. Shows ambition.

Pipes has passed away, aged 56, due to ill health. Very sad news.

Amazing run chase. What a player Big Beau is when he gets going. Mousley terrific, especially the take down of their young seamer in the crucial penultimate over.
A very mixed bowling effort. We had them under control but some inexplicable choices by the captain handed them that huge total. We signed Thompson as a death bowler but instead he gave Mousley another over which went for 20+, the Yates over wasn't necessary. Having said that, a lot of aerial shots fell just short of our fielders, and Barnard had Herman pinned right in front when he was on about 30. Poor umpiring.
Now to go and win all of our remaining games!

From June 1st players out of contract this year can speak to other counties. Someone on twitter has put together a list of all the counties and the players who would be available. It may be an opportunity to add to our ranks.
There are some talented players who we should be looking at recruiting: Ben McKinney, Charlie Allison, Jordan Cox, Tom Banton are some of the batting names. Josh Bohannon would bolster any middle order. We should be interested in spinners such as Tom Hartley, Liam Patterson-White or Zafar Gohar, and replacing some of our ageing attack with young potential like Josh Hull, Mitch Stanley, Henry Crocombe or James Minto, who would surely benefit from working with Pop Welch.

In terms of the Bears staff, Rob Yates is the key player coming towards the end of his contract, and decisions will need to be made on Zen Malik, Hamza Sheikh, Che Simmons and Theo Wylie. Barker only signed for this season. Garton will be off the books too, I expect he will return to Sussex.

Lots for the management to consider.

Its interesting to see players who have been playing in the Blast using the seconds to have extra time in the middle. Northants had a few doing that, Worcester had a couple in there, OHD and Kai for the Bears... others (Davies for one) are conspicuous by their absence.

Look at Saif Zaib at Northants. Dropped for a poor run of scores, plays seconds and scores 76 not out plus 2/20 with the ball. No sign of Davies. Maybe playing second XI cricket is beneath him?

At last Davies has been dropped. Hallelujah.

Malik is in the squad. Man in form. Surprised that Gilchrist is preferred to Bamber as the extra bowler.

Malik 73 off 40. He has made a case for selection in the first XI.

Second XI match at Cheltenham College.

80 for Zen Malik in the Bears 236. Surprisingly, none of the out of form players have made themselves available to get some extra match practice.

https://live.nvplay.com/ecb/?tab=m_scorecard#m21bb2a3d-6bf7-45df-a847-043605fadd8e

Finger injury. Requires assessment.

Apparently Garton picked up a "stress related back injury" during the pre-season back in March (not communicated by the club again) and is "rehabilitating". I doubt we will see him again. I expect he will continue to collect his bumper salary for the last year of his juicy contract and then go back fully fit to Sussex next year.

Looks like Gilchrist or OHD for the final bowling spot and either Jani or Sheikh as the batter?

No sign of Garton in the squad. He must be having a long weekend at home in Brighton.

A fantastic win after a poor first innings total. OHD has still got it. Nice to have some early season optimism.

Jani is scoring tons of runs for the seconds. He must be knocking on the door. I want Malik to do well but he isn't getting scores. Davies should be the first to be dropped in any case. Dismal form.

I have said for some time that we are desperate for quality top order batters. We won't win anything with the current top three. This should have been addressed in the winter but we just keep signing more seam bowlers.

ajones1328 wrote:

Top order fails yet again

Needed to address this in the winter. Fingers crossed for middle order revival

Nail on the head. We have been desperate for a quality top order batsman for some years now. I really want Mousley to do well but a Marcus Harris type is what we need.

paulbear wrote:

Farrell does appear to have a good reading of the game, seems to know about the players she's commentating on and I do think she is a genuine lover of county cricket.

I really like her knowledge and enthusiasm. I'd prefer her to most. The dreadful heavy-breather Clive Eakin has resurfaced on the stream. I had hoped he would have packed it in last season but it looks like we will have to endure his banality for another year.

Garton pretending to be a red ball cricketer for one game a season so he can go home for the weekend is an absolute joke.