Think we should be looking at the Australian or NZ market

Huge amount of talent in Australia with fast bowlers even outside of the top 5-6 bowlers

Wagner in NZ would be awesome signing but not sure if he would be available for vast chunk of season

Come on lads !!!

Gutted I'm not there but will celebrate with a few pints at home in Dublin 😀😀

I miss the old days of watching batsman actually score 100s and decent partnerships

Whether its batsman just don't have the technique or bowling friendly pitches, it's not looking good for finding the next round of high quality batsman

Pathetic yet we were so predictable

Do feel for the likes of Sibley, difficult enough facing India without any serious match practice

If the ECB don't care about test cricket...players soon won't.. then fans...

Prime summer and it just feels like a huge anti climax..

Real shame

Tayls79 wrote:

As Exiled Bear says, if anyone should be blamed it's ECB and the hundred (and our problem keeping seamer fit). Personally I'm happy to see our development players get a decent crack in a sustained way and if its against top players than so much the better.

I mentioned the level playing field and the international problem up the feed, but as ever there is a precedent with rugby. The domestic cup competition is now a development competition but there does seem a gentlemen's agreement that the group stages are youngsters then you get more first teamers for the semi finals and final. Perhaps there is a quota of fully-capped players at play somewhere and I wouldn't mind seeing that here.

Intrigued on the point about reducing the entrance fee (it's the same price as the Oval where I will be heading on 10 August) but I guess there must come a point where reducing it even further starts to risk not covering costs.

Let's all remember the counties signed up to this.

Hopefully next year we won't have the issue of players isolating etc. So we will have a better squad ready for this competition

Think we all agree it's just a real shame that in the height of the summer our county (and all others) have been diluted for 6 weeks.

Highveld wrote:

The club played the strongest available side yesterday, remember there are players missing due to injuries, England call ups and the un wanted competition.
Unlike Derbyshire, we have fullfilled all our fixtures.

It is technically a first team game, and the club needs all the gate income it can get right now, we are still in a global pandemic, if you hadn't noticed!

I think were all very much aware of that..no need for the silly comments

Back over from Ireland this week so might pop down on Sunday and/or Thursday

I do think the club are taking the members/supporters for granted here, other clubs seem to be taking this more seriously than us.

Appreciate we have injuries (when dont we) but i'm hoping the 3 players slot back into the side on Sunday.

£15 quid for a game is the same as last year when we had a full side out, could have dropped it down for a second 11 game.

Seems like a good signing and will certainly improve our T20 side

meashambear wrote:

ajones1328 wrote:

Top 4 is our strongest line up.. so injury no excuse

Really disappointing end to the campaign at this rate

Thought the bowlers did ok considering the injuries
Yep, anything under 180 was decent considering but without a large contribution from Hain we are not good enough I am afraid.

Badly under-performed for about the fifth season on the trot and we do not deserve to go through with some of the spankings we have had to endure.

Not good enough this.

Yep Rhodes and Lamb not up to it...Hose not at his levels when first joined

Pollock been good this season.. Hain needs to go back further up the order. Should be opening.

Top 4 is our strongest line up.. so injury no excuse

Really disappointing end to the campaign at this rate

Thought the bowlers did ok considering the injuries

Poor start but we are using a few part time bowlers

Annoying injuries have occurred although it is not unlikely, we have injury proned bowlers.

BristolBear wrote:

Excellent for Briggs.
But in my head that just shows England have no interest in Hain no matter what. Which is bizarre.

Does he still have opportunity to play for Australia ? Must be considering a switch now.

Looking at the team it screams an OK four day team at best.

The batting is so weak.

I'd go for

Pollock
Hose
Hain
Rhodes (push down if top 3 do well)
Braithwaite
Burgess
Woakes (Lamb when Woakes not available)
Norwell
Lintott
Briggs
OHD (Brookes or Stone when available)

Very frustrating surely Woakes would want to play

Very difficult to get any form going or case for test selection this summer if not playing

Whilst Woakes has done more travelling,Broad would have played more this winter

What is the objective by not playing him ?

If stokes is injured for India tests he is probably the best alternative so we're not helping ourselves

As a front bowler he is also struggling to get into the side, how is this going to help him?

Exiled Bear wrote:

I don’t think any of us can say if Vihari has been a worthwhile investment. We don’t know how much he’s cost us. We also don’t know how much he’s added in terms of passing on knowledge to our players, particularly in terms of playing spin (he looked completely untroubled by Harmer in the Essex match, especially in the first innings). His performance in the second innings against Essex was also very important. To be honest, it seems as though some people wouldn’t be happy even if he scored a century every time he batted!

Yes there has certainly been a strange over the top reaction to his performances/signing

Highveld wrote:

Over the three games, how can anyone say Vahari has provided good value for the many thousands the club has spent on him? Not just salary, but flights, visa and work permits,, acomodation for him and his wife/partner. Id be very surprised if there was any change from £15,000.

For the development of the team, and our players, it would have been more effective to have played either Moulsey or Hose. It's unlikely either would have scored less runs over the three games.

Yes its difficult to say its good value for money however, we should be looking to keep him on for a few more weeks as we can have 2 overseas players.

High quality players are not just judged on field but their impact off the field can be just as great, although not sure that can occur in just 3 weeks.

My initial feeling still stands, for a 3 week period in April I would have looked at a fast bowler.

Abysmal day

Whilst I'm not sure we're going to get anything out of this game we just have to hope some of our poor performing batsman have a better second innings

This type of day was always likely, generally our bowlers have carried our batsman.