I agree Paul. I only mentioned the Friday T20 - Sunday 1st day of CC because players have avoided starting at 11am after an evening game the night before! Pluse players complaining of too much cricket. Yet they have the energy to chase the dollar around the world. But yes cricket should be played on Saturday and Sunday on alternate weeks.
Funny how players were never burned out when there was no limited overs cricket and they played 6 days a week bowling 120 overs a day! At a time when the fitness levels were much lower and dietry needs were met in pint glasses!

The ECB want a successful test side yet places restrictions on playing that format of the game.
In a short season of really 5 months (April to August) we have 4 different formats of the game - c/c, 50 over, 20 over and 16.4 over.
Football with its 8 month season has one format and just 3 competitions - league, FA cup and League cup (whatwever it's called these days).
Therein lies crickets problem.
Cricket would get a much better following if it had county cricket played throughout the season alongside T20 - in the same way cc played alongside the 40 over game back in the 90s. There would be room for a knockout competition similar to the old B&H or Gillette cup. The public needs to know when games are on so needs to be set days = eg Friday night T20 followed by county cricket starting on Sundays.

Well we really did our best to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. In those last 5 overs we only needed to knock the ball around for singles and 4s - definitely no need for 6s. In that context I thought Garton was perhaps playing the supporting role to Hain who was scoring steadily and sensibly.
Looked a good crowd.

On the subject of timing your "peak" it will be interesting to see how Northants progress - have they peaked too soon or have they the talent to just keep on performing.

I can understand Garton not being brought on to bowl the final over. He has been hammered in earlier games coming on near the death. If that had happened again last night his confidence would really have been demolished. No, he should have been used in the early overs - 6 off the first was not a bad return - and in doing so would have left a couple of other bowlers with a spare over available. That would have given the captain a choice depending on what was needed. Another alternative it would have given and that would be not to have used Hassan for 4 overs when he was clearly not on form. Is that the problem with Davies, totally inflexible when it comes to a game plan?

It all came down to a partnership we couldn't break until it was too late and then it took a run out. We had a couple of attempts for a six falling just short of the ropes. Can't criticise a defeat off the last ball.

It all came down to a partnership we couldn't break until it was too late and then it took a run out. We had a couple of attempts for a six falling just short of the ropes. Can't criticise a defeat off the last ball.

Well after that slow start that was some partnership that really up the run rate. Then 67 in the final 5 overs with Moeen getting a good knock. But why did he refuse a single in the final over as if his partner was a tail ender.

With some decent bowling we should win this.

37/1 off first 6 - slow start.

Another Starmer "success" story.

I do not think this win was down to poor opposition. Excellent batting by our tailenders created a decent score to defend. The bowling in the main was excellent with what looked like good fielding (dropped catches excepted!). Being one of Moeen's critics I will say his bowling was probably the turning point in the game. His first 2 overs slowed the batsmen down and they never really recovered.

It was such a good win Gerry said it twice!!!!!!!

Agree about Moeen. But Smith has annoyed me. 7 overs for him to show what he can do and yet like the others has simply thrown his wicket away

ITE7376 wrote:

Mo is a concern though, and I'm not sure if his heart is really still in it.

that has been a concern for me ever since his return.

Ever since his return he has looked to me as someone playing out the few years before retirement. I might be wrong but it's how his body language appears to me.
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Those extra 3 weeks are when the weather is usually much colder being early April (or is it March) and well in to September. I joined in 1994 and the format then was very spectator friendly in its set up. I resigned a few years ago because of the combination of the changing format and parking problems.

When the 100 novelty wears off, as it will, and viewing figures reduce the TV companies will drop it like a stone. What annoys me is BBC have 4 TV channels so why do they need a game they can slot in between other programmes? BBC4 is not used until 7pm so why don't they have cricket at the week end - the Blast on a Sunday afternoon finishing before 7pm would fit a treat. In the week they could have the 4 day game with limited commentary costing very little. That way the 16.4 could be confined to the WPB allowing more room for the format that has lasted over 100 years.

Administrator - can we please have an up/down tick facility? Posts 17 and 18 made me laugh.

About the game - that hat trick celebration was so great to see - as was said what would he have done if it became 4 in a row.

Not bad in the power play - Bears 60-0 Falcons 41-4.

I eventually made contact at the end of 6th over. Good to see Garton succeed at the end of the innings. A pretty decent score in the end.

Is there a live stream for this game?

Didn't know Airfix made models that had to be on the top shelf - damn another missed opportunity.