Reads like the same playbook. Infantino hadn't got all the preparatory schmoozing done in time though so he's been caught out.
There is a difference in that he's "providing incentives" to national associations who don't own the players (unlike the counties in cricket). I imagine the clubs would have torpedoed expansion anyway.

Unless the hearing of Umpires at club level is a lot better than their eyesight, I'm surprised they could hear anything!

We were very poor today in comparison with a weak Somerset XI. With no experienced batters or fit bowlers in reserve, it's hard to see it getting any better.

Presumably the Media team are too busy being "Edgbaston" to worry about Warwickshire County Cricket Club.
There's quite an extensive preview on the Somerset site. They seem to think Kai Smith has been hard done by this year.

Seems the ECB are not fishing in a particularly well stocked pond. No surprise that Flower thinks he has better options. The personality clashes between Langer, Key and captain-to-be Brook could be explosive. Maybe IJLT is a viable option.

Sad news. Unquestionably the best all-rounder. I remember watching him bowl to Keith Fletcher in one of the Rest of the World versus England matches at Edgbaston. Fletcher couldn't lay a bat on it and I wondered how anyone ever scored runs at Test level. I could go on for ages, he was very special.

That's being naughty to suggest that Mr Shedd would have seen Tiger Smith keeping in a serious game. I do, though, wonder if he saw Dick Spooner? I never did (A.C. was my first Warwickshire keeper) and I'm wondering how good he was.
Your reference to the top 10 Warwickshire keepers has prompted my query. Apart from Ambrose, Burgess, Piper and Murray I can't think of many more undoubtedly good ones. I can think of a few dodgy ones, though.

Should have gone immediately after the Ashes. Fun to begin with but Bazball is well past its sell by date.

GerryShedd wrote:

Hardest hitters - from a totally different era, (Lord) Ted Dexter.

Tim Groenewald used to give it an almighty whack. Unfortunately it usually went straight up in the air.

Probably does. Phenomenal player but the time had come. His body is creaking and the team he built is falling in a heap. So long, Ben, and thanks.
McCullum next?

This was the first time I'd seen Gilchrist in the flesh. I thought he did ok - especially as he was given the less favored end - but there's something about his action that suggests he could find another yard of pace. He's got a fast arm but I'm not sure he's getting the most out of his body action.
Any thoughts?

There's rain on the way.

ITE7376 wrote:

from what I saw Rew jr has an interestingly different style to the elder Rew- much more bottom-handed? Rew elder looks very classical from what I have seen, jr looks a bit more like say Jonny Bairstow?

I'm being deliberately facetious but don't you think there's a more obvious reason why their batting styles might look different?

I don't think we did an awful lot wrong today. I wondered about more attacking fields to begin with but, to be fair, I don't recall a chance that would have been snaffled by a third slip or a silly point. The pitch seems to have gone dead under a baking sun.
This could well end up drawn unless Overton and Baby Rew lose interest and give it away. We should be able to bat out what remains of tomorrow.

When you realize that Dan Mousley has played more representative cricket than Sam Hain, you really do wonder what the England selectors have been smoking for the last few years.

With only one more CC game before late August we're not in a position to do much experimenting. Bringing one of the kids in for one game is a hiding to nothing. Smith to open and Davies down the order at the expense of Malik sounds ok but we shouldn't do much more.
Use the One Day Cup to give Shaikh and Vansh a run in the side then see if they're ready for the rest of the CC.

In my time watching the Bears we've had some truly great batsmen and some truly great bowlers. With all due respect to Tim Ambrose and Deryck Murray, I don't think we've had a truly great wicket-keeper. Piper was perhaps the closest we've come and the fact that he was so highly rated by those with whom he played speaks volumes. Sad for him to go so young.

The England management said they would learn from the Ashes debacle but do we think they have? There's a new opener (good) but then signs of the same mistakes coming through. A number 3 (Bethell) who arrives with no red ball preparation; a wicket-keeper who isn't a wicket-keeper; a spinner who remains inexperienced and can't get a contract with a Division 1 County; and a seam attack that is a little same-y and has two players (Robinson, Stokes) whose fitness is wobbly.
The first Test looks like it will be rain affected so we may not learn a lot. If Bethell's talent can overcome the lack of practice and they can stop Harry Brook throwing his wicket away, we may get away with it. Still, it looks rather like more of the same and hope for the best.

I'd take Bohannon like a shot if he were available, although he's not much of a white ball player. Banton, on the other hand, has never really nailed red ball cricket at Somerset. He's a powerful limited overs guy but is that enough, especially given the other franchise opportunities he will get.
I get the feeling that we have quite a few youngsters who aren't quite living up to their promise. If we could fix that, looking elsewhere would be less of an issue.

Sad news but, as they say, he did "have a good innings".
He was captain of Warwickshire when I first started watching and for a good few years later. He scored masses of county runs and pretty much invented the forward short leg position. I even saw him bowl!
An international in both cricket and rugby, I don't think there's been one since.
Undoubtedly one for the Warwickshire Pantheon.