Mikkyk wrote:

Good win, the team is starting to take shape but still a few things need to sort out.

Mousley seems a bit out of form with bat (strangely) and ball.

Lintott is struggling too.

Good to see Garton do well and hope he can maintain it. The two Alis and Briggs the only consistent bowlers.

I agree about Jake, he is struggling in the Blast. He has bowled better in 2nds red ball this season (but never gets a chance for the 1sts). After 4 games, I'd rest him, perhaps give Taz a chance (if he's fit, he picked up a little niggle a couple of weeks ago).
Dan M does need a couple more games to get his (Blast) eye in (again, he's been doing better in red ball recently). At least Rob Yates showed last week for the 2nds, that he got some white ball form back - and I'm sure he'd come in, if Mousley doesn't pick up.
I'm pleased for George - 5 catches, as well as a couple of good overs. And Briggs is bowling MUCH better than he has for the 2nds. It's very strange that players are doing better now, in formats they've not shown form this season.

Somerset all out for 129, a win by 89 runs.
Wonderful bowling from the Bears, particularly Adam Sylvester, who clearly has sorted out some of his demons from the Blast game on Saturday - 3 overs , 3 for 11 !
Dan M also took 3 wickets (for 25 runs in his 3 overs), Taz Ali, 2 wickets for 22 (3.2 overs) and 1 apiece for Garton (18 runs, off 3 overs) and Simmons (an expensive 35 runs, off 3 overs). Bamber did just have 1 over - for 16 runs ! 2 catches behind the stumps for Kai Smith.
On the basis of this game, I'd say Yates must be a shoo in for Friday's Blast match (but who for?) and Smith could well be keeping. Can't see Bamber forcing his way in (or Sylvester being given another chance) and so the expensive, but effective Simmons, will probably play.

And Jani got a quick 34 (off 24 balls), in a 117 stand for the first wicket with Yates, in 10 overs, so he might not be far away from a Blast game.
Somerset already 3 down - 2 wickets for Mousley, 1 for Sylvester. Sylvester, first change, already looking more effective than Garton & Bamber, opening (Bamber, 16 runs off his first over - not far off, what Sylvester was hit for in his last Blast game!).

ExiledBrummie wrote:

So has Dan pulled out of the Lions game starting Friday I assume?

Probably not, I guess he's just been released for this 2nds game.
I forgot he should be playing for the Lions on Friday, so almost certainly won't be available for the Blast game, as I suggested.

KingofSpain wrote:

Century for Yates so that will do him the world of good!

Yep, a really well played, quick century as well. And a quick 42NO from Kai. Both very promising for the Blast.

Another, pretty much full strength, team:-

Yates (Captain)
Jani
Mousley
Shaikh
Smith (Keeper)
Garton
Dandy
Taz Ali
Bamber
Simmons
Sylvester.

Interesting that Kai is keeping (rather than Dandy) and Bamber is playing. I would'nt be surprised if 6 of that side (Yates, Mousley, Shaikh, Garton, Simmons & Bamber and Smith, keeping), might be in contention for the Blast on Friday.

Somerset won the toss and chose to bowl.

Isaac already turning out for Worcester 2nds - he got 11, opening the batting against Somerset. As the Pears are in our 2nd's T20 group, no doubt he'll be playing against us - and will score loads! Only the start of a long career, scoring heavily for Worcester!?

Andy wrote:

Some of the individual performances from younger players in the 2's have been encouraging this season.

Yes, Jani looks a real find - I wonder whether signing him on a 1 year contract, might have precipitated Isaac to look elsewhere. Though, more likely, it was only us offering 1 year contracts to our youngsters (Worcester gave IM a 3 year).
Similarly, Sylvester has done well for the SECONDS, obviously way short of 1st team quality at the moment. On the other side of the coin, Simmons has had a poor year for the 2nds, but seems to turn it on when playing for the First team.
One to look out for, if he gets more opportunities for us, is Thilan Walallawita. An off spinner, ex-Middlesex 1st team, who has shown a fair bit of potential. He also turns out for the South Asian team.
We all know Dandy & Blakemore have shown a lot of promise and are quite likely to join last year's recruits from the 2nds - Shaikh, Booth, Malik, Kai Smith & Taz Ali, but Theo Wylie hasn't done much this season.

Andy wrote:

Omaris Khan from the u18's I think. Don't forget Dandy's knock either, that got us going.

Omaris, of course. I've never seen him, but a friend saw him play for K&D, said he was a real batting talent - and only 16.

I didn't forget OD's knock, which was pretty important, at a time when we were really struggling, but when he was out, we still needed 60 runs from 6 overs.

The_Lickey_Banker wrote:

Mikkyk wrote:

Do we know who O Khan is?

I think it must be Osman Khan, a 20 year old right hand bat and off spinner, who has played for Austria (?!) in an international T20 and the European Cricket Championship.

Whoever he is, he pretty much won a game that was spiralling beyond us (only chasing 166) - with a quickfire 32 (from 23 balls) - helped by Simmons & Bamber - when we were 110 for 6, with 6 overs left.

Mikkyk wrote:

Do we know who O Khan is?

I think it must be Osman Khan, a 20 year old right hand bat and off spinner, who has played for Austria (?!) in an international T20 and the European Cricket Championship.

Crazy, how have we let Isaac get away?! For 2 years he's been the pick of the Academy team, the U 18's and last year & this, the 2nds. A very talented opening bat, decent bowler. The Pears have done it again, taken one of our most promising players (to join Ethan Brookes). Management should be ashamed

Just Ali in for Yates then. Crazy. I know I've been impressed with Sylvester at 2nds level, but this is a huge step up for him. I've no idea why Bamber isn't getting a shout. And has Yates been dropped / 'rested', or is injured ? If the former, I would have thought bringing Mo Ali in for Sylvester would have been another option - we've got 3 seamers already, the extra spinner would be good and it certainly lengthens the batting.

GerryShedd wrote:

He's not exactly in the Colin Milburn or Mike Gatting zone though, for a quick bowler, he certainly looks as if he could lose a pound or two. But you could have said the same about Merv Hughes and he didn't do too badly.
He does look to have potential, which makes it more surprising that none of the other counties that he has played for have snapped him up.

Yep, especially as he's now 25 - a bit old to start as a First team seamer.
You're right, he is a bit 'beefy' (a la Merv H & the other beefy guy, whose name escapes me!), but pace isn't his bag, he does move it around a fair bit and tends to hit 'hot spots' on a regular basis.

Inside-edge wrote:

Signed on a one year deal after impressing in the 2’s.

https://edgbaston.com/news/warwickshire-sign-seamer-sylvester-after-trial-success/

https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/adam-sylvester-1258306

Great, he's had a cracking season. I've been very impressed in the three 2nd's matches I've seen him play. This is what I said out about him, after seeing him play in the first match (Yorkshire Friendly):-

"Adam Sylvester had a good season with Kent 2nd's last year and previously played for Worcestershire & Derbyshire 2nd's (turning out for Derby 1st's in one CC game against Glamorgan, in 2022 - strange he played against them, he's a Glamorgan lad !) ? A right arm seamer".

Inside-edge wrote:

Interesting to see Latham with the gloves.

And a VERY quick 55, won the match for us. Mind you, good bowling from Garton (3 wickets), 2 wickets (very cheaply) for Lintott and a wicket apiece for Sylvester, Yates & Miles.

Yep, pretty much a 1st team T20 lineup, just Sylvester unlikely to play on Friday (though he has been doing very well for the 2nds this season). I guess uncertainties about Smith, Shaikh and Miles, but they are possibles. As we play 2 spinners normally, I'd expect Briggs to be back (plus Lintott).

Dan might not have done much with the bat, but his bowling is making a difference. Very economical - 15 overs, 2 for 46 at the moment.

ajones1328 wrote:

Hoping the pitch offers a lot more than the previous game

Ideally there's something in the pitch for the spinners and Ali can play.

Out of the squad I'd probably have Smith and Rushworth missing out. I can imagine the bowlers will be feeling it still so an extra bowler will help.

Spot on - Smith & Rushworth do miss out. Simmons and Ali play.
Hampshire won the toss and chose to bat.

BosworthBear wrote:

Bald_Reynard wrote:

13 man squad:-

Taz Ali
Bamber
Barnard
Hain
OHD
Latham
Malik
Miles
Mousley
Simmons
Smith
Webster
Yates

You’ve missed out Davies

Be obliged if anybody can tell me which three miss out!

Hope to be WFP tomorrow!

Ooh, yes, sorry everybody. So a 14 man squad, 3 to miss out. Obviously, it'll be Hain or Malik, but as for the bowlers, 1 of Ali, Miles or Simmons - seam or spin and if seam, which?!