GerryShedd wrote:

Regarding the pitch, George Dobell in The Cricketer says:
"Well, it wasn't perfect. It barely deteriorated and clearly favoured batters over bowlers, as many pitches at Edgbaston have in recent times. But it wasn't as bad as some might suggest. There was some carry; there was, at least, movement in the air. There was a little spin, albeit too slow to bother batters.
Maybe the English game has an issue with pitches like this, though. It may well be marked 'good' by the umpires, but good in what sense? It didn't provide an even battle between bat and ball. It didn't provide great entertainment. It was only 'good' in the sense that there was no uneven bounce. Maybe we need to set the bat a bit higher than this.
To be fair, neither side played a specialist spinner. And neither side had an outright fast bowler, with Simmons showing what might have been had there been one on show. It is generally accepted that county cricket conditions have long favoured fast-medium seamers who then experience little joy at Test level. Well, surfaces like this might encourage the aggressive spin and fast bowling that is required in Test cricket. The balance wasn't perfect here, but pitches like this might even help the English game in the long run. "

I think this is an interesting take on pitches in general. The answer is to find that balance between a result pitch and real test of skill for both batters and bowlers.

Booth has a stress facture of his ankle, according to The Cricketer.

It will do Mousley good to go away and score some runs in the seconds.
Surrey Millionaires selection policy js erratic. In comes Jason Roy for his first red ball game in five years, and Dan Worrall is omitted.
Sounds like a short boundary on the Hollies side and a decent pitch.

The IPL has been suspended and the English players are flying home. We might yet get to see Bethell in a Bears shirt this season.

Is it possible for Davies to take the gloves and enable us to play an extra batsman? I would like either Ali or Simmons to play, depending on conditions. Miles has never been good enough for division one cricket.

Fantastic win at Headingley. Lots of contributions from 1 to 11. Obviously Barnard's all round performance, Bamber's wickets and Webster's match defining knock are at the forefront but they all gave something to the cause. This is what Westwood has brought in with his leadership, he has as many wins in a month as Robinson achieved in the past two years.
Pleased for Malik showing he has the mettle for first class cricket. Latham for Sheikh further strengthens us for Surrey.

A great effort from the bowlers.
I was critical of Booth but he has really shown his abilities since the first game. Mike Taylor compared him to Heath Streak, and he could be a great asset for years to come.
I thought Bamber would be a superb signing and he is the real deal. It shows the benefit of recruiting young and hungry bowlers rather than old stagers like Rushworth, who hasn't provided value for money all.
Time for the batsmen to step up and get us over thr lime tomorrow.

An excellent win after a sporting declaration fro Durham to make a game of it.
I was critical of Booth after the previous match but he stood up here with bat and ball. Special mentions to Barnard, Smith and Bamber for showing great character under pressure.
Obviously we need more runs from the middle order and more threat with the ball, but this win will give confidence to Westwood and the team.

Solid start. A draw pitch. Some good contributions.

Similar to last season we need to find ways to consistently be able to take 20 wickets. Booth hasn't impressed at all. Miles isn't good enough. Rushworth is always injured. Hopefully when OHD is fit and Woakes and Webster are available we will have a much stronger attack.

Come on You Bears! A coach we can all get behind and the beginnings of a new team. Welcome to the new cricket season...

Robinson has pitched up at Sussex, working as a coach for the next two months.

No mention of whether he is on a white ball only deal. It seems a waste that we have a left arm fast bowler on the books not playing Championship cricket.

Clearly Robinson was waiting for some sort of payout or settlement on his contract. He wouldn't walk. After three successive home T20 quarter final defeats, two one day cup semi final defeats and only one championship win last season he had to go.
Looking to the future, if Jimmy Troughton comes in as director of cricket with Bell as batting coach, and Frosty back in the mower, it feels like we're getting the band back together.

Good. This should have happened months ago. I wish Robinson well, but he wasn't the man to deliver success.

I really like Hassan and he is a great addition to the squad.

Robinson is back among the quotes so I guess we are stuck with him for another season of mediocrity.

Jason Gillespie is available after resigning from Pakistan. Whatever happened to the end of season review anyway? Three months later and still nothing. Meanwhile we have a lame duck head coach effectively still in post.

I've got no doubt that Jimmy T would act quickly to do whatever is right for the club to be successful, starting with a new head coach and recruiting some good players.

One positive of Bethell getting a central contract is that it means another salary saving to go into our recruitment pot.

Troughton did OK as head coach for us but I think DoC would suit him really well. He may even be able to persuade Bell or Trott to come in to replace Robinson.