ajones1328 wrote:

Mattmike66 wrote:

No news on team news from club ,poor showing .
Thought we had turned corner ,but failure to acknowledge match v Surrey is very poor .

Yates
Davies
Mousley
Hain
Zen
Barnard
[Smith]
Gilchrist
Booth
Bamber
[Taz Ali]

My side ?

I think Young is available so I'd say he will come in at 3 for Mousley. Also reckon OHD will play instead of Gilchrist.

So, Young in for Smith and OHD for Taz.

Team:-
Burle
Lintott (Captain)
Jani
Shaikh
Nahal
Dandy
Wylie
Simmons
Miles (probably his last game for us)
Sylvester
Blakemore
Brett Hutchinson (bowling) - 18 year old left arm seamer released by Durham, after a couple of seasons in their 2nd team.

Notts won the toss and put us in.

Rayb wrote:

The game was won. Bowl a decent length and they wouldn’t have got near it, every time we dropped short we got carted over the boundary. Even Gleeson in his brilliant spell dropped short on one occasion and got the same treatment, the Garton over was awful, just awful, as bad as the decision to throw him the ball. Simon Doull commented that all we needed to do was bowl fast and full! Lots of chatter on here re: Davies, the defence always leap to his batting. Quite rightly, given his highlights and given his ridiculous dismissals, together with his lack the discipline, there is obviously room for debate and disagreement. That said his captaincy and leadership is woeful and will never change.

As BR points out, yesterday was the best example of a man with such poor Captaincy skills, he should never be near the job again. Can't fault his batting, certainly in recent weeks and his keeping is OK, but that third responsibility should go elsewhere in 2026.

The way he rotated his bowlers at Taunton, was a complete disaster and the obvious panic of a single 13 run over by Lintott, throwing any tactical plan (if he had one?!) out of the window, shows he hasn't got the nous to be Captain - in red or white ball.

As to who should take over, I would have said Barnard, but he hasn't impressed in the Metro Cup, so I guess, it might have to be a new guy. Perhaps that overseas spinner, which is the most obvious recruitment priority this autumn?

Rain meant only one innings (ours) was possible, but we made 241 for 6 off 19.1 overs - incredible considering we were 199 for 5 off 18 (so, 42 in the last over and a bit !) Kai put on 40 in 17 balls (with 4 sixes) and Hamza, 28 in 13 (with 3 sixes) - I guess 7 sixes in the 7 balls bowled, unless there were some extras ! As said above, Davies got a quick 50 off 19 balls and Yates, 72 off 35, before retiring out.
At least the batsmen got a good 'eye in', ready for Saturday ! I imagine, 9 of the team in the batting lineup today will be playing at Taunton, plus Lintott (who was originally in the starting XI, presumably for some bowling practice) and Gleeson - for Miles & OHD.
If they decide not to have 2 wrist spinners in the QF (as a few on here have speculated), I can see Lintott playing rather than Taz, because he knows Taunton well and took 5 wickets there, in the recent 50 over game.

Craig could well be playing his last game for us today, in the Seconds T20 Friendly against the South Asian XI, though I guess he might have a last, farewell, appearance in the final 2nds Championship match against Notts, starting on the 8th.

Whilst not 'wowing' in his time with us, there is no doubt, he always gave of his best and was a valuable member of the squad. Can't fault him for effort and dedication to the cause. It's true he never fulfilled the potential he had when moving from Gloucestershire; perhaps Gerry is right, our bowling Coaches may well have let him down a bit.

GerryShedd wrote:

He's coming on loan for the last three Championship games:
https://edgbaston.com/news/gilchrist-moves-to-wccc-on-loan/

With Gilchrist coming in for the last 3 Championship games, Miles will probably be playing his last match for us, in the final Seconds game, away at Notts, starting Monday 8th.

GerryShedd wrote:

He's coming on loan for the last three Championship games:
https://edgbaston.com/news/gilchrist-moves-to-wccc-on-loan/

I will be interesting to see how him and Will Young will do.

A 50 from Davies and 85 (from 50 balls) from Yates. Rain after 18 overs, with us on 199 for 5. Barnard came in for Lintott and batted at 5.

The rain will probably mean we'll only play the one game today.

Pretty much what could be a lineup for the Somerset QF:-

Davies (Captain & Keeper)
Yates
Mousley
Hain
Smith
Shaikh
Lintott
Briggs
Miles
Garton
OHD

Barnard & Gleeson are the only notable absentees and I think they'd be at Taunton, in place of Miles (probably playing his last game for us?) and OHD.

Highveld wrote:

Seems Mousley is batting right now!
Usual format for 2nd team games is a side of 12 with 11 batting and fielding, I'd expect the OHD or sylvester wont bat.

You're right, Highveld, Yates has been added to the batting lineup, in place of Sylvester. Mousley has come in at 3. The fact remains though, that management obviously feel Yates needs more batting time, to be ready for Taunton.
We've foregone our 1st innings, to make it a single innings game. Yates & Mousley going pretty well at the moment. Chasing 323 to win, we're currently 75 for 1, off 18 overs.

The_Lickey_Banker wrote:

We've got a 2 day (red ball) Friendly against the South Asian team starting today at Portland Road. A pretty strong lineup:-
Mousley
Malik (Captain)
Shaikh
Jani
Wylie
Dandy
Booth
Bamber
Taz Ali
OHD
Sylvester
Toss uncontested, we're bowling first.

There are also two T20 games arranged against South Asia, at Portland Road, on Wednesday - presumably to get a few who haven't played for a while (Mousley etc) up to speed for possible selection in the QF against Somerset on Saturday.

Mousley bowled yesterday, but has been withdrawn from the batting lineup, to be replaced by Yates. I guess, management feel Yates needs more batting time, to be ready for Taunton on Saturday. If Mousley is to play in the QF, I guess it will be primarily as a bowler and he'll bat well down the order.

Selections for the two 2nds T20 games against South Asia tomorrow, will be very interesting. A good indicator of who might start in the QF?

We've got a 2 day (red ball) Friendly against the South Asian team starting today at Portland Road. A pretty strong lineup:-
Mousley
Malik (Captain)
Shaikh
Jani
Wylie
Dandy
Booth
Bamber
Taz Ali
OHD
Sylvester
Toss uncontested, we're bowling first.

There are also two T20 games arranged against South Asia, at Portland Road, on Wednesday - presumably to get a few who haven't played for a while (Mousley etc) up to speed for possible selection in the QF against Somerset on Saturday.

Wow, Jake with the bat this time (ably assisted by Kai and Vaansh of course). After Hamza went and needing over 100 with only 13 overs to go, I didn't believe we'd do it.
I think I said (in the Middlesex thread) that Jake deserves to be in the 1st team, as much for his batting, as his bowling. It's nice to get an opinion right, occasionally!

Our decision to bowl is going well, isn't it?!
Once again, we seem to have made the wrong call on the toss.

Wow, Jake has certainly paid back for his recall. He does have it in him - and on his day (which, given his inherent skill, doesn't happen enough), he can be unplayable. At 157 for 3 after just 32 overs, Middlesex were all set for getting near 300 - until the 'Taunton Teaser' got to work!

Middlesex won the toss and chose to bat.

GerryShedd wrote:

Time for Hamza Shaikh and Zan Malik to come to the party.

Yep, I think Hamza was in 'last chance saloon' on Wednesday and his 5 runs could well have led to 'the swinging door being shut'. My solution would be to bring Jake L back. As pointed out above, he's had a great run of batting form for the 2nds recently, even opening (with a 122). That and the option of his (intermittent, admittedly) 'cunning' left arm spin, could bring more weight to the team, than Hamza's batting form for us this year (though he did do well in red ball for England U19's).

I think Zen's 21 and the fact that he has had a good record in the Championship this season (together with the option of his decent leg spin), gives him the right for at least one more Metro outing.

paulbear wrote:

Joking apart, really good win, get the net run/rate up a bit and Taz is having fun. Also a mention to Sylvester, pity he was taken off, he was really enjoying himself and was really tidy, barely a bad ball from his 5 overs.

Sylvester has come on SO much since that (very premature) 1st team debut. As I pointed out above, he was the stand out bowler in the 2nds T20 series and has continued in that vein in the 2nds Championship.
A great example of someone who has worked (hard) on his weaknesses and with the help of Stuart Barnes has really progressed in the time he's been with us. He's even lost a bit of beef!
I think, with a close season with our Fitness guys and some more technical coaching, he could develop into a decent seam bowler, he certainly has the potential.

The_Lickey_Banker wrote:

ExiledBrummie wrote:

Can't see that we have any batting back ups so have to stick with those picked.

Hopefully Sylvester has improved since the T20!!

Lintott has been opening the batting for the 2nds, so he could get straight back in. Also, there are a couple of decent young batsmen, who have been in form this season for the 2nds.

As for Sylvester, he was one of the key men who helped bowl us to the 2nd's Trophy, so he deserves another chance for the 1st team and this call up.

Gekis & Nahal have got centuries for the 2nds recently, averaging 40+ and Lintott, now opening, is averaging 67, with a 122 top score.
In the 2nds T20 competition, Sylvester took 18 wickets (playing in all 9 matches) at an average of 10.83 and an economy rate of 7.22.

ExiledBrummie wrote:

Can't see that we have any batting back ups so have to stick with those picked.

Hopefully Sylvester has improved since the T20!!

Lintott has been opening the batting for the 2nds, so he could get straight back in. Also, there are a couple of decent young batsmen, who have been in form this season for the 2nds.

As for Sylvester, he was one of the key men who helped bowl us to the 2nd's Trophy, so he deserves another chance for the 1st team and this call up.