So realistically need to bat until tea tomorrow, bit of rain would help, and that should get a draw.

The Blast defeat was gutting for a couple of reasons and the most immediate here is it's meant the end of the season. Looks like Lancashire have all the momentum for relegation so don't think we really need to fight to avoid that. With it being the end of the season it's also pretty obvious the team has played below its' ability more often than at it or beyond it. And that's depressing. As others have said I think the batting is nearly there. If Simmons does properly break through next season that's one fast bowler and comes down to OS recruitment for another.

Ah, some major differences in the wealth distribution. 38% to non-hosts, which is nowhere near as much of an issue as 1%, which would be an outrage. The Grumbler doesn't have a source, presumably it was presented at Essex AGM and they just took a note of it. Could be a mistake, could have been specific to different modelled circumstances in the MCC v Essex sitn. I've tried to link to the tweet below, have to see if it works. Where all this money comes from and what price will be extracted for it I won't get into.

To the wider debate, it's not clear where this split of the 49% ultimately goes, but you strongly suspect it's not going to favour smaller counties. That's where the influencable bit comes though. Looks like the sale we can't stop but where the money goes can be.

You can see a dystopian conclusion where Edgbaston holds 38,000 and is never filled. While Leicestershire and Gloucs have gone bust and the eight franchises fill even more of the calendar.

As to when this happens I guess it's AGM 2025. I'm willing to do something about it, bit I'm not a Warks member and I live in West London, not far from Lords. As a Finance Communications manager I can do stuff though.

https://x.com/The_Grumbler/status/1831075486522372558

Reabank wrote:

Another attempt to get the link to work.
https://substack.com/@richardbentley2/p-147203084

Ah, some major differences in the wealth distribution. 38% to non-hosts, which is nowhere near as much of an issue as 1%, which would be an outrage. The Grumbler doesn't have a source, presumably it was presented at Essex AGM and they just took a note of it. Could be a mistake, could have been specific to different modelled circumstances in the MCC v Essex sitn. I've tried to link to the tweet below, have to see if it works. Where all this money comes from and what price will be extracted for it I won't get into.

To the wider debate, it's not clear where this split of the 49% ultimately goes, but you strongly suspect it's not going to favour smaller counties. That's where the influencable bit comes though. Looks like the sale we can't stop but where the money goes can be.

You can see a dystopian conclusion where Edgbaston holds 38,000 and is never filled. While Leicestershire and Gloucs have gone bust and the eight franchises fill even more of the calendar.

As to when this happens I guess it's AGM 2025. I'm willing to do something about it, bit I'm not a Warks member and I live in West London, not far from Lords. As a Finance Communications manager I candour stuff though.

https://x.com/The_Grumbler/status/1831075486522372558

Reabank wrote:

Another attempt to get the link to work.
https://substack.com/@richardbentley2/p-147203084

Saw an interesting update to this on Twiiter from an account called "The Grumbler".

They were at Essex AGM and was announced that Essex had rejected the sale of the 100 franchises in full. Apparently 5 or 6 other counties are similar. It then says it doesnt matter, as the ECB isnt asking for approval, irs just advisory and they will do what they want. They go on to say the sale of the 49% share would net the hosting county (ie Warks) by about 100 times more than the other counties.

Seems an astonishing figure and one that definitely answers that question of whether the wealth will be distributed. Seems anyone who is not the ECB can't really influence anything.

On this thread, Terry and Reabank both articulate what Warks members could do - but all that could produce would be a WCCC recommendation or stated position as far as I can see.

My read of both those articles was it's a very likely scenario that seemingly still raised a whole load of questions about liability. I see Pakistan's point of view about handing him over fit and him then getting injured so Warwicks have to pay for rehab. Perhaps it was brought into sharper focus by finance issues with PCB. However I don't see anything in this that binds him to Warks after that rehab is complete. More we just have to pay and treat him.

Yeah, seems Lancashire are now the favourites to go down with Kent. A week ago I remember saying we needed a win v Somerset and although I still think that was true at the time, you can see we now have the same win/loss/draw as Notts but are 16 points ahead, most of which are batting bonus points. Seems you can get somewhere racking up huge first innings scores under Kookabura and drawing games. Just will never be more than mid table.

His contract has some stipulation for play-as-you-play for red ball as I recall. I was noodling this when Mouseley and Bethell got called up (and of course Mo didn't). There's one CC game when both are away he could play that would be a lifesaver. I don't know if he's got it in him to play a lot of red ball, having said that, can't see him playing all the CC run-in and Mousley will be back after this one game.

white-lightning wrote:

When Moeen signed his white ball contract, I thought he said he would be open to some red ball cricket, if required? If so, as England have dropped him he could solve the spinner role?

Seems like an eventful morning. I notice from cricinfo there have been two fives hit as well. Scoring rate has been high. Have Kent been getting out while trying to sustain a quick pace?

Yates/Barnard
Davies
Mo
Hain
Benjamin
Kai
Garton
Briggs
Lintott
Rae
Gleeson

It's not a terrible team for a semi final, though I think Rae is probably not qualified. Key man's probably Hain but don't know how far away he actually is.

Where does the suggestion come from Malc? I know cricinfo did a piece a while back to say it was a possibility, pair of them haven't done much since until this red ball game where they both got a knock. Of course, I rule nothing out with this England selection, Bethell probably gets in on dyed mullet vibes.

Thanks mate

I was sort of guessing that amount. I reckon 40-50 more runs and 12-15 more overs batting makes the game safe. Really can't see Somerset chasing down a big target again - none of their batsmen I've seen on this game look in good touch. I think we also need the win. Getting through the season without one would be a poor look, we still can't influence the teams around us and we're very well placed here. But I do agree we shouldn't gamble a declaration.

Exiled Bear wrote:

Tayls79 wrote:

I think we need 70-80 overs. We've struggled to bowl teams out this year and the rumour was Rushworth was a bit out of condition yesterday. How many overs is it last day? As Paul says, if they want to win (and Worcs are well placed so we could with one) I think it's a ten over smash around tomorrow AM?

96 overs on the final day. Minus 2 for the change of innings of course (unless this happens over lunch)

I think we need 70-80 overs. We've struggled to bowl teams out this year and the rumour was Rushworth was a bit out of condition yesterday. How many overs is it last day? As Paul says, if they want to win (and Worcs are well placed so we could with one) I think it's a ten over smash around tomorrow AM?

To get the ironometer up even further, looks like Worcester is better forecast then Birmingham. Looks a good possibility Worcester out-point us this round and we go behind them, both Notts and Lancs face defeat so a draw not the worst result to move ahead of them.

GerryShedd wrote:

Ironically, it looks as though the only ground where it isn't raining is Manchester (oh,and Scarborough).

Did the bowlers collective 50 from 42 balls fire them up for their bowling duties? Albeit just watching numbers on cricinfo was quite good fun.

This is also true. Three 30s I think. But his performances for England A and county select in red ball have. I think he's more of a red ball player.

BristolBear wrote:

I think Shaikh is an excellent talent. But his performances in the ODC have definitely not demanded his selection. His time will come next season when Rhodes leaves.
But what makes it worse is that once again we’re a bowler short, in a season when we can’t bowl teams out.

Agree that some red ball would be good for Hamza seeing as he's played well in long format games this summer. I'd say good chance for him but that Somerset side looks very strong with bat and ball. Seems they have recruited well, and that they have developed their own players too.

Totally agree, that's my penultimate sentence really. If 100 is simply a massive money making exercise with only exposure for itself, then it's failed cricket in the country. There will be some who don't care about this, and that's the danger.

LeicesterExile wrote:

It's alright to claim the Hundread has attracted newcomers to the game. However has it or has it just attracted people to the Hundread and once the games in their area have finished they go off to something else to provide an evening's entertainment? If these newcomers are not going on the watch some T20 or CC then this isolated tournament has failed.

The 100's data presentation yesterday (Done by them, not the BBC) wasn't a great piece of communication, and I speak as a communications manager of usually financial data. It didn't include comparative data of attendance and TV, which was crucial, but did with data of the women's game. Consensus seems to be the men's was attendance/tv was down.

In any case, the real issue is whether the 100 is meeting its goals or not. As Terry says I think it is broadly improving visibility of the women's game, attracting new supporters and making money for both men and women's games. As we're all long term supporters of cricket we just have to ignore it. And that's fine, I can do that.

Dark clouds are really the sell off of the 100 franchises. This could see money leached out of the game and out of the UK. I personally like the metro bank just the way it is. If the sell off ends with a massive firework jamboree 100 fuelled by US and Indian cash while good metro bank teams like Leicestershire and Gloucestershire go bust, then it's failed that competition, the CC and pathways in the UK. I think it will take 5-10 years to find out.

I like the last para of Bristol's comment above. With a massive Somerset exception the teams that have done well have kept a core side and not lost that many to franchise and reps. Any side that has lost players has become unbalanced and that's been the case with us even though we won most of our games.

Death bowling has never been great, our new ball bowling is much better, and we haven't got many batters who move the ball into space and keep things ticking over. On the whole I think we did pretty well and several players improved their reputations.

One small thing about today. Lintott had a bad day with the ball, was coming out all wrong most of the time and he did get beat up a bit. He came on at ~70/4 and they recovered a bit from there.

Watched as much of it as I could with laptop on knees while working today, as everyone says one of the great long burn chases, possibly as much fun to see the win as the Natwest final in '93.

I'm not too surprised about Smith as I've seen this season he's played very, very well. Only saw Surrey live, but he moved the ball around well there. Perhaps only him and Benjamin did in that game, and he's got a contribution in every game he's batted in this year. One of the commentators mentioned today that Rhodes had calmed him down a lot, indeed, a lot of those contributions this year were ended by an unwise shot. In other words, looked great until he got out. It's a good challenge for him to cut out and hopefully is easily fixed.

Yates and Hamza are at the crease in Worcester with 75 to get to beat SL. Knock them off early, buy some undies en route and they could be at Cardiff nice and easy for Sunday. Be good to see Kai at five or six on Sunday. Who moves to accommodate that?