He's the living example of the phrase "celebrate what he can do rather than what he can't" and as ITE says there is a lot he can do. The club seem to be able to re-habilitate one bowler per season and if it is Garton for next year then he ticks the missing left armer position, the quick bowler and the useful runs at eight category. It's easy to see why they invest in him - but indeed the selectors must have a point at which they decide to pull the plug if the output doesn't improve. He's due a chance and he has never played first team red ball for us.

I can remember, though can't now find, some talk after he got dropped from the Test side, that he had lots of feedback and needed to go back to FC cricket and prove his case to come back, that was about six to nine months ago. I would say the status quo is he won't get picked, but if he plays well in FC he might be called up for injury or whatever. For us, I think that's good, he will be motivated. Some other England fans will grumble I bet. I think this is OK but not sure Beau Webster should be given this privilege as a likely Aussie test starter. Warks really would be acclimatising an England opponent in this scenario.

Back to Weatherald, he was actually playing Div 1 for Leicester earlier in the season and he had some good scores. Might already be ready in UK conditions.

Managed to catch five wickets today yet missed the crucial last one for a kids fun run. As UrsaMinor says above I didn't see us as title winners and I thought our attack was unbalanced but boy were they useful in September. I guess I didn't really believe until after the Notts game when they suddenly started nailing the big games and the big moments. Massive, because I think this could change things in all formats and for all squad players.

As ajones said at start of play, been concentrating largely on our game, but seems Yorkshire are as per the last round with a top-order fold combined with a rear-gard action by George Hill. Somerset just looks like the players have agreed on a draw from the scorecard. Dan Lawrence opening the bowling for Surrey? It's only a tea-time look though, it's hard to look beyond our own game now seeing how far advanced it is.

I took a look at Sam Hain's recent scores in the last game and he is right up there, comms were saying he'd got frustrated about his lack of recent century bearing in mind his form - might have been relief pouring out.

True,

It's closer than I thought. But that analysis assumes we're going to lose...

I won't say any more because of the jinxing risks involved,

mad wrote:

Notts aren't out of it at all. If they get 1 batting point, bowl Yorkshire out and win their game that gets them to 208. We lead currently sat on 206. If we get to 300 that'll put us on 208 and Notts cannot then overtake us. They can pull up level but we'd stay above them on head to head

Could do with Olly Stone missing a straight one first thing tomorrow and then 207 is the magic number

Agree, it's a good position to be in. I have a feeling in my waters that the batting point (I think we can only realistically get one) is important but I don't know why.

We can see that Somerset are behind and need to get five wickets in 14 overs to get their full load of bowling BPs. Newish ball and an early start though ... who knows. If Surrey do get 125 more runs though, I think Somerset are out of the game anyhow. Terry's point about Somerset not feeling they can win is interesting, from looking at the scorecard I concur.

Notts seem to have had another collapse and they seem out of it for now, like us 1 batting BP seems the limit they can get and that's not enough for them.

Yeah he was a guest to the T20 comms box for a game earlier this season and this precise point about humble was made.

They addressed him as being "too self deprecating" and asked him how his training was going about remediating this, to his answer:

"Yeah it's going really well"

Which I thought was a very self-aware answer!

GerryShedd wrote:

There's a fascinating interview with Bamber on The Cricketer website. He comes over as extremely humble as well as being very thoughtful about his career.

That margin was pretty huge in the end, 185 runs. As Paul mentioned earlier, Soms can't get a century stand rearguard all the time and it didn't happen second innings. Top order was bad both games. I guess still in our nature to be nervous about Sussex ticking off these runs...

A big win here, can remember a few seconds wins over Notts this season, hopefully we're on the up now. I see no Garton in this game, probably makes sense though hope no step back from his injury. Be interested to see him next year.

This is just the cost of getting that feed for free - the home team pays for it.

The Warks commentators aren't dead-in-the-middle neutral either - the T20 team especially. I think they're easy to ignore or not to take seriously.

KingofSpain wrote:

Solbear wrote:

KingofSpain wrote:

BosworthBear wrote:

Even by the standards of county cricket commentators this Essex old boy is eccentric!

The Essex old bloke was a very strange character. It was almost as if he didn't realise he was commentating on the match. When I tuned in he failed to mention numerous boundaries and missed some of the dismissals. Oddball. Thankfully the excellent Mike Taylor bailed him out.

I think his name is Dick Davies and that yesterday was his last day before retirement. Definitely an oddball but better than the irritating and pompous chap from Somerset who doesn’t even pretend to be unbiased, several times today he referred to Somerset as ‘us’ or ‘we’.

The Somerset bloke is insufferable. There are others on the circuit who are just as irritating, Mark Church of Surrey Millionaires being another who gets on my wick.

Yeah I think the weather isn't going to influence the Somerset game that much, it's so advanced already and the forecast, whichever one we look at, isn't solid rain, it's just the chance of a shower. With two wickets down already though, you have to think it is in Yorks hands.

Notts path to victory now seems to be to ger a lead of 200-250 and set Sussex 60 overs in which to get them. Whether Sussex are interested in taking that or not I don't know, 4th would seem the best Sussex can get?

Yeah I just watched two overs and it was glorious sunshine and the 66 over-old ball was doing nothing. I would say Somerset not in a terrible position given this.

Agree with this Andy. Has been a big step forward. What I've liked the look of the last few weeks is they've done it when it matters. This wasn't something that could be said when we lost all those white ball QFs in the Robinson years and it's something that applies to all formats. Attacking that target, when we were all nervous about it, is a prime example.

To the race in general, Notts look behind now and they seem to be struggling to bowl sides out again. Didn't realise Pennington was missing so puts a lot on Stone. As to Somerset, have to respect them for their part in a great chase.

Andy wrote:

Back onto us, credit to Ian Westwood in all this. People are very quick to slag him off sometimes I feel, so important to give him his dues when things go right. We've improved our 4day cricket so much under his stewardship, and just think of all the senior players he lost before he'd even started (Rhodes, Burgess, Rushworth etc). I think people forget just how bad we were under Robinson, and getting worse, during 2024 (remember Essex at home? A proper 'downing of the tools' from the players). Westwood has us fighting and then some, even last season, its been a remarkable upturn in fortunes.

A true Bear.

I'm dreading looking at the card now, seems this is very much the County Championship crunch day. Yorkshire are not helping us at all, even that match is advanced enough that a day and a half of solid rain from now doesn't mean it will be drawn-off.

Right, 57 is a significant lead. 17 or whatever it was last night wouldn't have been. Other games are going well from our PoV. Notts finishing on 240 was quite significant I thought and if Yorks can finish off Soms that would be better still.

Definitely quite evenly poised. I think Notts are in the strongest position though, only one who can still realistically get a batting BP - though it could be that is the best pitch around.

cjav1874 wrote:

Quite delicately poised in all games. Ours feels quite in the balance but we’re probably in the most dominant position of all the challengers.

Might not even get a lead here... And if you look around the grounds no-one has had a good innings with the bat in Div 1.

I watched 3-4 overs just to see what was going on in a quieter period at work and saw maybe three chances, one dropped catch and two actual wickets. Bowling well, but also a few of the Essex bats weren't that great, bit loose, but un-cordinated so multiple factors. Elgar looked to be gutsing it out but also now gone...

Big test for the "win when it matters" mentality here, if we can keep going here when everyone's playing at the same standard then I think we're taking big steps forward.

I agree with this almost entirely. The original quote does seem to say interest (from everywhere) is cooling in Cox so maybe it's not likely anymore, however I think the club has already put some of the pieces in place. The debate about Davies is as much an opening bat problem as a keeper problem, indeed it's more of an opening bat problem as we know there aren't significant issues with his keeping.

That is, and had been, mitigated by the signings of opening batsmen as O/S players with the Aussie Weatherald coming in next season, might well be very smart, and I think Mousley has just about done enough for a second season as number three. Latham or Young would be fine in this regard too.

Bald_Reynard wrote:

Highveld wrote:

Do we want/need someone to come is as the number one keeper, or an experienced player who can help to develop and mentor Kai, and be ready to take over the gloves if needed. Which I feel would be the best option, unless we were able to sign an absolute top level keeper who would fill the role for the next 6-8 years. The wisket keeping ability must be given top priority over any batting ability.

The costs involved, and the character of the person would be different for both roles.

If the club goes for the first option, it should be prepared to have to find a second keeper as well, as there would no point a player staying with teh club if his path to the first team was effectively blocked.

How any new signing will fit into the team atmosphere should be considered too, the players spend long periods of tiem together, would it be sensible to sign some who would be a negative influence on the team culture, and who's presence would harm the performance and development of the team, and players overall.

While I do believe Kai could have what it takes to be a good Keeper, he's not there yet (though he is as a Batsman). I think he needs a year or two specialist coaching (we might need to go outside, as we have no Keeping, or indeed, Fielding, Coach on the staff) to get there.

In my opinion, that's where Ben Cox could come in. He'll be 35 next season (and has had a few injury breaks while at Grace Road), so would probably do a good job for a couple of years, pending Kai's emergence (or otherwise) in that role. I reckon he'd be a good addition to the squad, has a good batting record and coukd well help Kai develop as a 'gloveman'. He also would be (sort of) coming home, as he is a West Midlands lad.