Fairly good day and as the pitch looks good for batting, I can understand them batting on. Davies, well, what can you say, he should have gone on seeing as he owed us a few after deciding to let them have a bat first and then he played a poor shot when a ton was there for the taking with little problem being caused by their bowlers. Well done Yates, lovely innings, hope he goes on to a big 'un.
Very disappointing to say the least. An obvious 'Bat First' pitch even at 40-3 and you could tell by the way that Sussex batted after those 3 wickets, that they knew there were runs to be made and they didn't go 'Into their Shell'. Their batsmen played themselves in and then plundered. Like the previous 3 seasons, our fast-medium bowling is very samey and Fernando looks ordinary despite having played Test cricket. With Rushworth, Woakes, OHD and Hasan Ali in the side, it could have been different but not sure how much we will see of Woakes and you get the feeling that Hasan might be called up by Pakistan to carry the drinks again, at any time. Not a good start and unless something extraordinary happens, this game looks like we could be facing 500 but if we can get out of it with a draw and some bonus points, that would be better than a really soul-destroying defeat first game. We should be able to make runs on this, we'll see.
That is very, very sad.
Apart from TMS, the BBC hasn't cared about cricket and especially county cricket for years. In their half-hourly sports reports on Five Live, they give headlines on all sports (90% football) but no cricket unless a Test is being played. Gone are the days when they go to a crucial county game near the ned of the season that will decide the title but will spend ages on a footballer being interviewed about recovering from a broken nail after a tackle.
Hard to blame just him for relegation, Kent have looked inept in most departments, more to do with recruiting players rather than hoping average players will improve.
Yes, agree, the timing is very late with the season only 7 weeks away but it had to be done. I hope Robinson finds something as he has a good record for success but he was not very proactive on bad performances and made excuses which most could see through.
That's fine but next time at least ask for permission but I will let it go this time. At least it's nice to get some of that debt out of the way if we can and it does appear as though we will make plenty from the upcoming Test v India in the coming few months. It is sold out for the first 4 days but alas, I will not be one of them having left it too late to purchase a ticket/tickets. Having said that I think unless I bought an expensive ticket, I would most likely be amongst Indian supporters which is fine unless England are struggling and it can feel like an away game. I am not too fussed and think England will win the series anyway. I appear to have drifted off the subject but as long as the club are making money and again, the T20 will bring in plenty if the weather behaves.
Looks as though all the talk we had on here at the end of the season, we might get what we wished for. I hope they all fit in well and at least now we have a few options.
Yes, I know what you mean, I have just given up my job at Halesowen College because they just want people who agree with everything. If you have an opinion, then keep it even if a few months later, someone in management come up with the same solution and claim it as their own. And they wonder why people are leaving in droves. It all sounds good but I don't imagine for one minute that a member will sway anything.
A bit of juggling needed I think. That is until Pakistan suddenly realise they have a squad to pick for a series and need to pick Hassan so they can leave him out - Again.
Was Whitehouse a good enough player to play Test cricket, a first-class average of 32 would suggest otherwise. Yes we do have other places to get players from in the county but the Birmingham League is supposedly as strong as any in the country, so it does make me wonder what happens to good players whilst they are playing well in that particular league.
Looks to be better with the bat but it could turn out to be a good signing, at least we appear to be getting in players into the team who's name isn't followed by a question mark.
The main problem from what I have seen over the years is that despite lack of success, Birmingham is a 'Football City' and even though over the last 10, 15. 20, 25 years, Warwickshire have won more trophies than all the local football teams put together, nowhere in the city, do I see/hear much to do about cricket. On the recruiting front, what we have done is get players from other counties and turn them into better players once they are here - Ambrose, Clarke, Rankin, Chopra, Evans spring to mind unlike Nottinghamshire who just steal players who are close to their peak as soon as they realise they are worth signing. But, yes, it is a big question about us not producing players from the local clubs but it has been the same for decades.
Yes, Have a great New Year everyone and let's hope the coming season sees us not having to fight relegation, winning a trophy of some sort and getting to T20 Finals Day, if only to shut up the other county fans who use the word 'Bottled' all the time through lack of originality.
I would leave it, with Woakes, Atkinson and Carse at 8,9 and 10 it is a long batting line-up. Pope kept well, made runs and so why bring in a new 'keeper who hasn't played in a while and is making a debut. It appears to be a bad move to change things if it not really needed.
A Test average of 60, can't complain there can we.
Glad someone on here knows how to start a new thread. I saw this on my phone at 4.30 and was quite shocked, one Kiwi in another one out. The amount of changes at this club since Will decided to move, is unbelievable but as you said BR, we were hoping for another person to leave.
Not sure how to start a new thread but Gavin Larsen has announced he is leaving.
I do hope he is getting all his fielding mishaps out of the way in this series and when he is finished helping England to get more runs, he is up to scratch at the start of the 2025 season.
New Zealanders on the whole, never come across as being a problem like signings from other Test nations, so hopefully this is a good signing and he is international standard. His strike rate at T20 isn't that special but compared to what we have had since Jeetan, it represents a feeling that the club have actually thought about it.