I wonder if we just showed up to this game badly prepared and disorganised (could be badly coached too). Though I didn't see us bowl trust that they bowled too short, wrong ends and the spinner has literally just got here. I saw some of the batting: Mousley looked like he wasn't concentrating, Hain and Wester sucked into a plan Yorkshire had consistently applied. There's time to turn it around - see if they adapt on the fly as the game goes on.

Yeah obvs Gleeson a T20 specialist, and it really showed today. Yates I agree should get a slap on the back for his start. It's obvious still he finds it hard to manoeuvre the ball around and hit into gaps so he's hitting out probably more than he's used to. Think he's added those aerial big straight drives to his locker. Fair play to him, as you say ITE it's unselfish.

This is the first Blast game I've seen this year. Thought Warks played well throughout. Definitely some things went awry in the field, some odd choices, some catches just missed. Soms could have been 30 runs shy on another day. Very good to watch the chase. My eight year old son, born and playing within Middlesex, was shouting for the "Bears team" all through the closing stages, got to be good.

It's probably mentioned already but the team has many non-T20 speacialists all through the team. Woakes and Barnard were too predictable with the ball which spreads Thompson and Gleeson too thinly. Similar with the spinners, expected too much of Mouse and Yates when really needed a specialist. Having said that, probably only Mousley, Smith and Davies who are T20 specialists in the team.

Webster gets a para on his own. I can see why someone mentioned he was chewing up balls early stages but that hitting makes it up. He was driving at length balls which most other players couldn't reach. Also very interested by the innovation of him bowling seam to right handers then spin to left. Plenty for batsmen to think over there.

An interesting comment on cricinfo: "Let's see how Duckett goes after controversially not playing in IPL and how Bethell goes after controversially playing in the IPL". I'm about 3/4 miles from Lords and it is showery with good spells of sunshine though something very wet brewing here and heading over to the home of cricket. Just make sure he doesn't get out I think is the order of the moment.

I might be wrong on timing and on exact diagnosis. It might be a cover for something else - but he definitely wasn't available for that part of last year and detailing of the injury seemed intentionally vague.

Andy wrote:

Tayls79 wrote:

Totally - was looking forward to that last year but as I recall that was just the point when he got ill...

Andy wrote:

If Simmons can be involved in the ODC it could be huge for his development.

I don't recall him being ill, not sure what happened with him. Can't remember.

Totally - was looking forward to that last year but as I recall that was just the point when he got ill...

Andy wrote:

If Simmons can be involved in the ODC it could be huge for his development.

I'm not sure about incomings, like others say we could do with a bat and a properly fast bowler, left arm so much the better, but lots of this is out of control...

... as for our own players I do wonder about Hamza. He has had first team and England rep experience and he seems to have done better with England. Seems to be on the fringes this year but has played a lot for the 2nds.

Simmons I think is a must-keep though - as he does seem fast and able to make things happen. I don't think he's that far behind. A sophomoric season last year when he was ill for a lot of it, young fast bowlers always seem to get stress fractures too, and is still 22. He's played every second team game I've looked at this year and seems he is being invested in. I see him in a long-term role similar to Booth.

Is that the first time we have ever dropped Davies?

I agree best use of Kai is at six. But he has been batting at 1 for the seconds and could slot straight in. It's not what we have ever asked him to do before though and think he is more natural down the order in any form of cricket.

What do you make of that? Taz bowled a full allocation and quite well, so you'd presume he will play Blast opener. Gilchrist and OHD also played and contributed. Are they expected to start? I know Dicky Gleeson is IPL but I wonder re Garton...

What rather obscures things with England is they don't pick England prospects on outputs. They pick on a load of intangible things like youth, potential, playing roles, leadership. In a word: #Vibes. Gets even more intangible when you think about the likes of Zak Crawley.

On outcomes, Mousley definitely isn't there. Neither was Bethell and he then got his first three top-flight centuries playing for England. Not saying Dan has the same potential, but I think England have identified something in him. Otherwise they wouldn't be picking him - even for the Lions.

Be interesting to find out what England's thoughts are re Mousley. I think it is fair to say he isn't expected to be an England test player so maybe the four day game is just for his leadership potential. Must be seen as a prospect for White Ball though and I think he fits in both senior squads, so you'd expect he is named in the limited overs Lions squads. Up until now (and still, maybe) I'd been supportive of our players in the Lions squads as it does elevate them and expose them to coaching and development higher up the pyramid. If he misses a whole block of the Blast for this, however, might reconsider that...

This is sad news. As UrsaMinor says, he did have a good innings and I was surprised just how long it was, never realised he was playing as early as the late 1950s. My best memory, inevitably given I am in my 40s, was when I was at a county game when was a spotty and awkward student and he was roaming around the members stands as President or CEO or other exalted position. He stopped for a decent enough chat and the "inclusive feel" the Guardian mentions about his leadership style was very evident in the way he listened for my opinions, limited that they were. Go well, MJK.

I'm confused as to whether those extra wickets this morning have helped us or not. We don't really want to have to bat out masses of overs do we? Perhaps not being economical while not overly threatening is the key to this pair in at the moment. I still think they have enough runs to be safe - but not sure we have short enough time to be assured of safety either.

No it isn't and no he hasn't.

A certain Andrew Hignell, Alastair has Multiple Sclerosis rather than Motor Neurone.

As you were!

Tayls79 wrote:

So the most interesting thing on that scorecard isn't so much our team (which we pretty much already knew) but the Glammy scorer AK Hignell. COuld that be Alistair Hignell the dual rugby and cricket pro? I think he had motor neurone disease, great if it is still him that he is still doing something.

So the most interesting thing on that scorecard isn't so much our team (which we pretty much already knew) but the Glammy scorer AK Hignell. COuld that be Alistair Hignell the dual rugby and cricket pro? I think he had motor neurone disease, great if it is still him that he is still doing something.

Jamie Smith at three would make sense, Rew has to keep there though, can't have a test keeper batting at three. Whether England make this much change though, I don't know. You never know with the current management.

The more you think about this the less it makes sense for Bethell to play the NZ test series. Not so much on the resting basis, he's only played half an IPL and hasn't batted long, but on the unclear prioritisation and the fact he hasn't played a red ball game since the Sydney test in January. If you look at the fixtures, there are three England tests v NZ in June, then it is straight into England white ball in July. There is space for one CC match in June, but it's so close against the test I can't see him playing in that red-ball game. Surely it makes sense for Bethell to sit out the NZ test series, concentrate on playing in the blast, then go into the the July England white ball games?

When the Pakistan test series comes up later in the year, he surely will have had time to prepare for tests. Overall, I just don't get any sense of a plan from England about what he does. I can understand it if he prioritises white ball, or prioritises it during parts of the year - but he can't be expected to perform in a test series against NZ (and he will be tested and expected to do well) with the preparation he's done. As Mikkyk says, there just seems a bit more thought going on about how Archer is prepared and prioritising. Bethell is still young and probably doesn't know what's best for himself, he needs advising and having decisions made for him

I mentioned it up this feed probably a year back, it's still unclear what Bethell is going to to specialise in in the game. And given the demands of cricket now prioristisation does need to happen at least some of the time.

... is in the test squad for Englands first squad, looks certain to play as either #3 or as opener.

Not sure how much time there is between the end of his involvement in IPL and this opening test but doesn't seem ideal preparation.

Are the selectors taking the approach that he just finds his way in tests and will have a good run eventually, a la Crawley, and the real focus is white ball, or is this just negligence? Does seem to be the epitome of the BazBall era though. And I hate that term.

I don't think they've been inconsistent. But they have been less than perfect and I think that's fine. We all know what the imperfect parts are and you can generally carry these over the season. I think the only squads that are stronger than us are Notts and Surrey and we need to compete well against Somerset so table is good for us. Most important that all the players keep working and getting more confident as that has been an issue in the past. Coming back from setbacks is good evidence of improving confidence and overcoming inconsistency.

On the whole I think this was OK, all div 1 games were draws and we got max bonus points so we strengthened our position. I admire the intent in going for the win by enforcing the follow on, just couldn't finish it off. Not being able to finish a side off is a familiar story but being aggressive going for the win is actually a welcome development from the not-to-distant past. It's getting better I would say...

So 85 runs in 24 overs this morning, almost exactly the 3.5 rpo they have scored the entire match. I don't think they will want to set us anything but it isn't that far away from that being the only outcome from this match that isn't a draw...