We could only get batting points by getting to 250, that will take forever so Notts sacrificed trying to get another 25 runs for another batting point and deny us another bowling point so that they hope to get a few wickets for bowling points.

And that was only because Bancroft decided that his side were not going to put a spinner on for the Durham 2nd innings so the umpires said they couldn't go back on. I suppose he thinks he's being a tough Aussie by doing this, no he isn't he's being an awkward bastard.

Hove looks bloody awful for rain tomorrow (Or good from our point of view) and maybe with some around for Sunday, it might be hard for Somerset to force a result. It's important that we don't let Nottinghamshire get ahead of us in this game for points, they get 2 batting if they get bowled out for less than 300 but it could be tricky for us to get 2 batting (300) if we lose wickets steadily.

Just got back. BLOODY HELL, it was in the bag and then Mousley did the same as he did in the first innings, he suddenly became Harry Brook and decided he's done enough and if we had lost that, a few might have felt like throttling him. He did so well getting us into that position to win but someone should sit him down and explain the notion of seeing it through and making sure you are walking to the pavilion to milk the applause when it's won. I would have been furious if Sussex had won that. During the morning all they did is edge balls from false shots either with bat or pad. 41 extras explains it all and they could have been all out before lunch. Lots giving their wickets away but the ball did move more when that big ******* cloud moved in to almost spoil things. I need a lie down.

28-6 starting with Moseley's wicket. That one he gave away playing a poor shot that was never there (Don't try and hook if it's on the offside) and now we are in the crap. I was there this morning and saw a few keep low and if the conditions stay the same, I don't fancy us to chase 200+.

That more or less seals our fait in one-day games (I hate the term 'White Ball' cricket) so now we will just have to win the CC.

Yes, the selection was out of our hands to a certain extent but it is infuriating when that Hundread crap comes along, some of your players are taken and then aren't played. It's hard not to wonder what just one of those players could have done if they were available. A few more runs from a a player in a run chase might have seen us home, we could end up being one win away from being able to qualify.

I hope, like the T20, we don't end up looking back at a really poor start in the first 3 games.

But we do have only 5 genuine batsmen and a few allrounders and it does look short on batting from that perspective so I do hope that one of those 5 can stay in a 'Go Big'.

Always liked Will, stayed very humble when we won the title in 2021, no showboating or fist-pumping histrionics, those 4 days v Somerset when I was FORCED to take a long 'Sickie' in scorching sunshine and watched us gradually come out on top, I will not forget and I hope he can keep going. Strange how he has prospered more for Durham in One-Day games seeing as we always appeared reluctant to play him in T20's.

KingofSpain wrote:

I can understand any player wanting to maximise their income but playing in the nets for a franchise is harming careers. We saw it with Hain for the past few years. It probably cost him an opportunity to play for England.
Franchise sport will never work in this country.

I agree, the attendance at the Leeds v Manchester game was quite spares and there appeared to be quite a few empty seats. Do people in Yorkshire want to ALL support a team called Leeds and do people from Sheffield, Bradford, Halifax, etc, really want to cheer on a town/city that they really do not care about and how many Lancashire fans from out side Manchester, do not want to be associated with a side that doesn't represent where they come from within the county.

This is what pisses so many members off and we can all understand why the ECB are held in such contempt. Players skills are being diminished by not playing enough cricket or too much of one sort. Going back to play county cricket if all you have played is The hundred or sat on yer' bum for a few weeks, is not the way to forge a career and an easy way to get out of form and destroy your counties chances of trophies. Bethell will have a similar problem adjusting to Tests and no doubt Harry Brook will play as though nothing has changed. We saw the same thing during the Winter when Matthew Potts who has been overlooked as very ordinary players like Jamie Overton were playing v India last season and then he was picked to play v Australia in the final Test at Sydney having not played in ages - No surprise that he got carted everywhere and all people could do was criticise him instead of the ECB for their pathetic way of conducting a tour, like a bunch of arrogant twats, who unlike the UK cricket fans, didn't see it coming.

Andy wrote:

paulbear wrote:

I looked at the Somerset line-up and though that we had a good chance. After such an inept struggle, I really think we will lose all our games.

Ok did you look at our line up?!

Yes I did look at ours but there were a few names in theirs I didn't recognise so I thought that maybe we had a slight chance. Unfortunately for us it was 2 of the names I DID recognise that scored the bulk of their runs.

I looked at the Somerset line-up and though that we had a good chance. After such an inept struggle, I really think we will lose all our games.

Our tail looks massive, I can remember when we had sides in 50 over games (B & H Final 2002) when 9, 10, and 11 were Smith, Giles and Piper. A long time ago....

Some bloke called Hamza Shaikh has scored 104* for Leicestershire this afternoon. Hmmmmmmmmmm!

This is one of the most inexperienced and weak bowling attacks we have fielded.

I did see a few empties during the first semi when I watched the highlights unless it was that Hampshire and Notts fans hadn't arrived yet.

I did wonder that myself, did Warwickshire supporters buy tickets in the hope of seeing us at Finals Day and then decided that sitting in hot conditions watching teams you don't support, just wasn't worth it. I watched Sussex, Somerset, Kent and Northamptonshire in 2009 and was really just not interested but sat until 10 overs from the end of the final and went, I can't be bothered watching other counties.

The Northamptonshire bowling was superb right at the end and Luke Procter came back superbly in both games, just stuck to his task like the pro he is and in Willey they have a superb leader. I always felt sorry for him not being included in the 2019 England World Cup squad and he was absolutely devastated but when it was won, he was the first on social media to congratulate the whole team but it strangely overlooked and has been for ages. Remember that in that T20 World Cup where Stokes ballsed it up the last over, it was he who conceded just 5 runs in the penultimate over by bowling clever full lengths only to watch BS bowl length balls to hit for 6. Willey still has the hunger.