Would be interesting to hear what the truth is with Kai Smith. It seems Benjamin has replaced him wheres I would opine he needs to be in addition to him. Shame if it was just a straight replacement....

Makes sense with Simmons and hope to see him later in the comp.

The_Lickey_Banker wrote:

KingofSpain wrote:

T Ali
Barnard
Benjamin
Booth
Burgess
Hannon-Dalby
Lintott
Miles
Rhodes
Shaikh
Wylie
Yates

The big news is that Barnard has been appointed captain with Yates as vice captain.
Simmons is ill and Smith's broken hand not fully recovered.

Kai Smith is playing for the Bears Under 18's in the 3 day match against Gloucester today. He got a 50.

Thanks for that link up the feed, useful to see the academy players who are in the frame. I think this is a variation on discussions we've had on the season in that I think we are missing one seamer and a specialist middle order bat. We seem well stocked for spinners and keepers.

To Andy's point, I don't think we will see Simmons and Booth play in the same team this year (wayward) and I hope we don't see Lintott and OHD (Or any of the veteran red ball seamers, just isn’t looking to the future). All of which I think means we see Benjamin at some stage this year in middle to lower order.

It's why I like this competition though, it's a real look to the future.

I like the look of that. In the best way, I hope we see less of Lintott in that he gets one of the remaining 100 slots. Also, would like to see Wylie and Taz do the spin bowling. Edward Batchelor I've never heard of. Can anyone fill me in?

I don't think Lintott has a gig yet either - but there seems to be slots still available do he could get a team yet. Probably need a separate thread now for 50 over cup speculation now...

Devon_Bear wrote:

GerryShedd wrote:

Regarding Chris Benjamin, there is only so much a coach can do to help someone who is totally out of form. It's not a matter of technique, more an inability to time the ball and (probably) a major lack of confidence.
What was most surprising to me was the decision to promote him to Sam Hain's slot at number four. If (for whatever reason) he was to be preferred to Burgess as keeper, I would have thought that he would have been hidden somewhere in the lower middle order.
Am I right in thinking that he is no longer in the Birmingham Phoenix squad for The Hundred this year? If so, that may mean that he will play in the 50 over competition.

Birmingham Phoenix squad:
Chris Woakes, Tim Southee (o), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Ben Duckett, Benny Howell, Adam Milne (o), Jamie Smith, Louis Kimber, Sean Abbott (o), Tom Helm, James Fuller, Dan Mousley, Jacob Bethell, Aneurin Donald, Rishi Patel.

No Benjamin then, but a tasty looking squad!

I don't think Lintott has a gig yet either - but there seems to be slots still available do he could get a team yet. Probably need a separate thread now for 50 over cup speculation now...

Devon_Bear wrote:

GerryShedd wrote:

Regarding Chris Benjamin, there is only so much a coach can do to help someone who is totally out of form. It's not a matter of technique, more an inability to time the ball and (probably) a major lack of confidence.
What was most surprising to me was the decision to promote him to Sam Hain's slot at number four. If (for whatever reason) he was to be preferred to Burgess as keeper, I would have thought that he would have been hidden somewhere in the lower middle order.
Am I right in thinking that he is no longer in the Birmingham Phoenix squad for The Hundred this year? If so, that may mean that he will play in the 50 over competition.

Birmingham Phoenix squad:
Chris Woakes, Tim Southee (o), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Ben Duckett, Benny Howell, Adam Milne (o), Jamie Smith, Louis Kimber, Sean Abbott (o), Tom Helm, James Fuller, Dan Mousley, Jacob Bethell, Aneurin Donald, Rishi Patel.

No Benjamin then, but a tasty looking squad!

I know mate. Don't get it at all re Benjamin and it must be actively damaging him to keep on sending him out there. Even with the break, I can't see Burgess replacing him though.

BristolBear wrote:

Tayls79 wrote:

Best outcome from the evening possible for Warwickshire. If we had to play Essex I'm convinced they would lose to them.

Interesting to note Lancs now have to travel after losing to Northants and Durham snuck in, so little harsh for Leics.

I was interested to see those proposed XIs on the Northants feed. Agree with the ones without OHD and Burgess in them. The former I don't think is a T20 player anymore, too predictable, and Burgess just hasn't played T20 for so long now I don't think he could make an instant impact. Which he would need to do in a quarter final.

I think the issue of coming in cold and needing to make an instant impact is sort of irrelevant because of the huge break. The quarter finals aren’t until the first week of September.
There’s 2 rounds of championship cricket between the end of the Hundred and 1 day cup, and the quarter finals.
Everyone comes in cold. That’s why the quarters will be a lot more of a lottery, it’s not just the best side, it’s the side who gets back into T20 rhythm the quickest.
But specifically on Burgess, I just look at him as a player, compare him to Benjamin and I cannot for the life of me understand why you’d pick Benjamin over Burgess. He can’t do any worse, the likelihood is that he’ll do better. He played T20 last season for Sussex. Outperformed all our players except Hain and Yates. For whatever reason Robinson just does not want him, it’s bizarre.

Best outcome from the evening possible for Warwickshire. If we had to play Essex I'm convinced they would lose to them.

Interesting to note Lancs now have to travel after losing to Northants and Durham snuck in, so little harsh for Leics.

I was interested to see those proposed XIs on the Northants feed. Agree with the ones without OHD and Burgess in them. The former I don't think is a T20 player anymore, too predictable, and Burgess just hasn't played T20 for so long now I don't think he could make an instant impact. Which he would need to do in a quarter final.
BristolBear wrote:

Man for man we’re definitely stronger.
But De Lange is a top bowler when on form.
They’ve also got a couple of very dangerous batsmen who can score heavily.

If we play our best team, and if our players play to their ability, I’d be confident of beating Gloucs.

Should be a good atmosphere too, Bristol isn’t far down the M5, the top of Gloucestershire is no more than an hour away. So expect they’ll bring some fans.

Interested to see the Warks players at junior international level. Saw the clips of Flintoff but nothing of Hamza - the shame of the fact Hamza top scored! Hopefully he's free for the 50 over comp. Like to see him locked into the 4 or 5 slot for the tournament.

GerryShedd wrote:

Looks like Hamza has captained England to victory against Sri Lanka. I didn't see any of his hundred; but I did see yesterday morning's play at Cheltenham - and was massively impressed by Rocky Flintoff, still only 16 but playing like a veteran and becoming the youngest player ever to score a century for England under-19s/

Didn't know this rule, but makes perfect sense to stop teams snapping up gun players for two days work. Given this rule, is there anyone potentially crucial/useful we have who's only played one game? Hassan, Yates etc?

Inside-edge wrote:

LeicesterExile wrote:

While it is good to stick with a winning team it might be a good idea to bring in a couple who have not featured throughout just in case injury etc forces a change upon us at quarter and final days.

Yes, good point. I believe a player has to have played at least 2 group stage games to be eligible for selection in the finals rounds.

Mousley has had a lot to learn in the last few years. Last year was focusing on white ball bowling, this year red ball batting. He's clearly settled on his role now and starting to get some results. He's still young and hope he can keep going as a multiformat cricketer.

Of wider interest. Is anyone looking at the South group with anticipation? Could easily be Essex at home in the quarters. Let's see how far we've come from last year...

Bizarrely I'm not too disappointed with this, perhaps mainly because the declaration meant we were at least trying to go for the win. We couldn't break Soms down with the ball today because the bowlers are injured and otherwise quite old. We knew this already. We also already knew raw firepower with the bat is something we don't have tons of. So we're left with long term trends again that we aren't going to fix mid-season.

Bizarrely I'm not too disappointed with this, perhaps mainly because the declaration meant we were at least trying to go for the win. We couldn't break Soms down with the ball today because the bowlers are injured and otherwise quite old. We knew this already. We also already knew raw firepower with the bat is something we don't have tons of. So we're left with long term trends again that we aren't going to fix mid-season.

Think they need to win tomorrow. Another draw, a team below us winning then a break of a couple of weeks makes things harder still. Plus we can eat up the defecit with Som in the table. If we bat on it just chews up time. I can't see them getting 4 and quarter runs an over last innings.

On the season more generally, it's quite crucial too. I can live with being below Surrey and Essex, to an extent Hants given their spending, but we're going backwards fast if we finish behind Durham, Notts or Somerset.

Think it needs a full day plus maybe 15 overs to bowl them out again so what's that? 65 odd overs? Could get 225 or so in that time... rain seems OK from BBC forecast. Seems Notts are, shall we say, up against it against a point-to-prove Anderson at Old Trafford.

Anyone know what's going on there? Seems very little rain from BBC radar. Any repeat of the shenanigans last year when they used their outfield as a ploughed field to sow vegetables or owt?

I'm not sure how valid this is, no health professional will be gassing about his patients mental state like this. What I do think is expected is for people to gossip about though and it comes from a logical place. He probably misses all this season now and that will be two full seasons out. It would be rare for an employee anywhere to take two full years off sick. It must have created a terrible mental state for him in that he loses his livelihood once his contract expires. FWIW ai read somewhere it was a chronic condition in whatever part of his body. Couldn't see that it's anything else but career ending.

KingofSpain wrote:

Spot on Andy. I heard from within the club that Norwell's issues are as much mental as physical. He just doesn't trust his body to get through a game. For me, he has to go at the end of the season along with Miles and Rushworth. Let's get some young fit bowlers in.

Don't know if Moeen comes into the Blast after the T20 world cup, if he does I reckon he bats top six for the rest of the season block. Mousley has done nothing wrong with the ball so far, but would like Mo to take some of his overs too. Let the lad focus on his batting. Other than that I don't think much needs to change. I don't think it's in anyone's interests to have Benjamin struggle for six more games.

meashambear wrote:

Not been on for a while but a couple of things to mention on out T20 so far:

1. Our bowling attack is really on point with lots of flexibility, options and threat.
2. It is really nice to see home grown/youth playing key parts with Yates, Haine, Mousley & Bethell in particular of late.
3. I am worried that our batting is not deep enough when we come up against better attacks and that we over rely on Hain, Mousley & Bethel for the bulk of runs. Barnard needs to play in place of Benjamin, giving us another bowling option and with so many all rounders available we could put in another batsman (Burgess?) if we get through to the knockout stages.

Title of the thread still holds true. When he comes back from T20 WC does he play for us in the rest of the Blast? Is he still a Warks player? Or a free agent going from contract to contract?

Interesting that Garton and Gleeson both look crock. That's a winter of recruitment burnt up if they're both injured. Interesting point on Mousley. I think he's clearly got the ability to be a destructive bat in this tournament but seems the club are giving him more and more to do with the ball. That must be affecting his batting - he's still young.

There was an game earlier this season with a similar scenario(can't remember against who) where the risk appetite seemed to be to set 300 in 75 overs - which I think is probably just between those two positions of save the game first then trying to nick it. Its about right to my mind but if we got them out for 150 odd first innings we could be a bit more aggressive.