That's a useful preview. Interesting about the spin bowling, it seems a real area of comparative advantage this year. Took a look at the table after today's results and it's definitely taken shape. But I still can't work out what guarantees home semi and knockout. I think winning this plus one of the two remaining Rugby games should get the home semi. Would be ideal to get it done with a game to spare, like to see Wylie and Simmons get a chance before the group is up, might need them later.

Was me and Sibley wad masterful at it today. Another one of those things you don't notice unless you're at the ground was how effortless he made it look. Just nudged the ball into gaps and ran slowly. I can see how he has the energy for those mega long knocks.

WRT Rugby, was a great venue. Awesome looking trees and building everywhere, I dat in the shade of an oak tree. I remember we debated it last year but it couldn't be too much or too expensive to organise. Burger vans, beer van, portaloos bring your own chair. Perfect until you get a rainy day.

BristolBear wrote:

Sibleys innings really goes to show that in 50 over cricket, if you have someone to bat around, who stays near 100 strike rate, you always stand a chance.
He was let down by the likes of Foakes, Steel, Burns who didn’t deliver.
We’ve seen Barnard do that for us previously. Burgess did it for Benjamin today.
But as someone mentioned earlier, it does require an ability to manipulate the field and pick up 1’s and 2’s without getting bogged down.

I think we're a touch behind. It's playing quite slow, spinners are doing well as are the more medium seamers. It was Surrey's quicker bowlers that went for runs, only time the ball came onto the bat well. We didn't work the ball into the gaps all that well, no idea how good Surrey are at this with their line up.

KingofSpain wrote:

Chris Benjamin where have you been!? A score at lomg last.
What do we think is the par score on this ground?

Slightly frustrating progress. It's not a terror pitch but slightly stodgy. Outfield is a touch slow and lost three batsmen when set. Some things you don't notice on the stream is the difference between the batsmen at nurdling the ball into space. Yates couldn't really do it at all, Hamza started well but got a bit bogged down while Burgess seems to do it well. Guess it's the point of this competition...

Looking forward to my first (and probably only) game live this season. First time been to a home out ground, relatively easy to get to from London.

Given our problems with knockout games it was good to guts out a tight one. To reply to an earlier post, the last time we won by one wicket was the same game last year. Interesting to see run rate go down in the game, of course we take the win. Also good that there were solid contributions from all the young lads (with Hamza from the last game). Hopefully Simmons and Wylie get a chance soon as well.

That makes more sense. Must have been a cricinfo glitch

Odd looking side with Michael Rae in for Miles. Theo Wylie doesn't appear in the team either. So is that:

Yates
Barnard
Rhodes
Hamza
Burgess
Benjamin
Kai Smith
Lintott
Taz Ali
Rae
OHD

I think we need the extra bat in Kai Smith and Benjamin play, shame we couldn't get Wylie in somehow.

Yup. This is the point of the competition for me. The young lads showing what they can do. It seemed stupid to moan about it after the Essex game, but none of the academy players scored any runs or took any wickets. So nice to see this change.

Andy wrote:

Outstanding performance. Incredible effort to roll a side on their own patch who only 2 days ago made 360 odd.

Good to see Hamza get a few.

Concur with the sentiment of all the posts so far. One thing I think has definitely happened this third year is the transience of it all has become clear. Manchester team this evening was just journeyman county team, I think Bears T20 team would beat them easily. But it was hard to see them as a team. Maybe this is what purpose it will have. A massively saccharine billboard and if the kids like it, then sign up to your local county. But you won't support a 100 team long term. I live in London north of the Thames. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to support Birmingham or the Lords team. But I definitely don't care.

Was Kai Smith in the squad for Essex? I know he didn't play. Hope he does here alongside Benjamin. Seems a bizarre thing to say after the Essex chase but would prefer one more batsman. I think seven bowled against Essex and that doesn't include Theo Wylie.

Andy wrote:

Different kind of test for us tomorrow, Leicestershire haven't lost many players to the other comp and have two decent overseas players in there line up so can put out some strong XI's. Chris Wright is back.

Just read the preview, really hope Yates and Burgess pass their fitness tests.

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.