Surrey vs Leics (CB40)

Squad of 12 for this match. My recent question about selection of Meaker for limited overs matches has been answered as he has been selected. Interesting that there is no Batty again - but Spriegel seems quite useful in this form of the game. Maybe the Viscount will miss out - although he has done well enough so far. Arafat has tended to be the most expensive of our faster bowlers, but I guess he may keep his place on the basis of his additional batting abilities. Wilson needs to play well otherwise his place is in jeopardy.

Hyphen (Captain)
Steven Davies (Wicket Keeper)
Jason Roy
Zander de Bruyn
Tom Maynard
Gary Wilson
Matthew Spriegel
Chris Schofield
Yasir Arafat
The Viscount
Jade Dernbach
Stuart Meaker

I'm optimistic about this one, as I will be about most limited overs games this season. We have the batting to get a lot of runs if it fires but we do (in my eyes) only have 5 'run getters' with a few useful people further down. Shame that Tremlett isn't playing but hopefully Meaker and Dernbach can continue their fine form in his absence. I agree with Corporal that Linley will probably miss out. What's the weather forecast like?

Forecast is for some rain overnight - but looks like it might be OK tomorrow.

I have a feeling that Tremlett's record in limited overs (at least when playing for Surrey) isn't all that spectacular - I think he can be expensive at times - maybe because he has less variety than, say Dernbach.

Arafat whilst expensive, is a master of reverse swing - so has to play.

I'd leave out Wilson, as Schofield and Spriegel bat and having Linley gives RHB the extra bowler.

I'd leave out Linley - he is too much of a risk in the one-day stuff as at his pace he can just be whacked.

A heck of a lot of potential bowlers in this twelve man squad. Four seamers plus slowmen Spriegel and Schofield with Hyphen (who bowled in the CB 40 game against Scotland) and de Bruyn in reserve.

The one day game has changed a lot in this regard over the years. Around the time Trevor Brooking was heading an FA Cup Final winning goal* (or for younger readers who don't follow the Hammers, thirty odd years ago), one day teams would often comprise just four regular bowlers with the 'fifth' being made up of two or three batsmen bowling a small handful of overs each.

In the 1979 Cricket World Cup Final no less (then a 60 over match meaning a maximum of 12 per bowler), Geoff Boycott came on second change and bowled 6 overs. The remaining 6 were made up by Graham Gooch and the largely forgotten Wayne Larkins. Not a good idea as they were all carted around by the West Indian batsmen who went on to a comfortable win.

Whoever he is, I would hope and expect our fifth bowler today to be better than that combination!

* Corporal and Goochie - at this time of relegation anxiety, I thought you might like a reminder of happier footballing days - good luck!

Guildford - thanks for that - I well remember that Cup Final. I don't know about Goochie, but as a long term West Ham supporter I'm philosophical about our prospects by now. We need all the help we can get, including from Carrot's Wolves team today! Occasionally I get onto the wrestling pages of this site by mistake thinking that articles about "The Undertaker" retiring are about Avram Grant

Boycott plus Gooch and Larkins must be about the worst "combo" bowler ever used in a major limited overs match. Did Boycs bowl in a cap on that occasion!?

For the reason you give I think Wilson will play today...

Bizarrely, Batty plays despite not being named in the original twelve man squad. Both the Viscount and Wilson miss out ....

I've just told Lover that the Middle are wobbling. Well so are we! 45 - 3 off 8.3 ....

A fair recovery to 206 - 8 off our 40 overs. Decent contributions from Hyphen, Maynard, Spriegel and Schofield. Won't be too easy but I would still back us to win from here provided we don't let Little Jimmy settle in ....

Leics 63 - 0 off 10 overs. Concerned and lonely ....

77 for 2. That's a bit more like it - but we do need a few more wickets, and some control....

83 - 3

84 - 4

Batty and de Bruyn seem to have turned a worrying situation round in our favour. Not there yet though ....

Nelson strikes! 111 - 5. Du Toit run out by Maynard. Leics have a long tail and will have to bat beyond themselves to win it now ....

Just in from work looking good but Hoggard has just hit two boudries as I'm typing whats going on????

Get Meaker on, he's far two fast for Hoggy!!!

Hoggard gone caught on the boundry after smashing the Foxes back into the game! Who would have thought that!

Whoever got hit for 6 by Hoggard should be ashamed of themselves! Since when can he do anything but block? They need 18 off the last 2 overs with1 wicket left...

Meaker seals it, looks like he bowled well after his first over. Dernbach got some stick but it was a pretty good effort to defend our total.

A few wobbles along the way but in the end another good win with almost all making a contribution. Well done!

I think we should certainly celebrate this victory but keep in mind that Leics are far from the strongest opponents we'll face this season ....

Excellent result which showed the advantage of having bowling options. Well bowled Meaker, Batty and de Bruyn...

Agree with Guildford that Leics are a fairly modest side, with one or two exceptions. But season really is up and running now....

Hi chaps

Just in now and reading the posts - 4 out 4 wins - well done lads!

Cheers for the memories also Guildford - not only do I remember Sir Trev's header in the final but I was also around for Alan Taylor's heroics in '75!
and rather than being philosophical Corporal, the undertaker has made me feel suicidal! Mind you, I've been resigned to a 46 games next season for a while now!
Also, talking of Boycott, I was at a John Player match at the Oval in about 1980 when Surrey where cruising to victory, as Boycott picked the ball up from the boundary edge, a Yorkie voice cried out 'Put thi sen on King'!!...........he did as well! He must've been about 40, he bowled with his cap on and the top button of his shirt fastened!

No problem, Goochie. Loved your Boycott story. I too remember Alan Taylor. Blatant namedropping now for our generation - I met his fellow striker Billy Jennings once or twice when after giving up football he was running a London eatery I sometimes went to.

Following the Corporal's comments, I must pay a visit to the wrestling pages of this site although I suspect things have moved on a bit since I used to watch Mick McManus and Kendo Nagasaki on World of Sport!

Carrot - top day for you with Wolves and Surrey winning!

Yes indeed, and it was my birthday yesterday! If Hamilton had won in the F1 race then I would have thought I was dreaming! Apologies to Corporal and Gooch for not helping out the Hammers though!

I'm not worried one jot about who we beat, 4 wins in a row is very nice to see and makes a nice change for Surrey. Get Ramps into the one day squad to shore up the batting and we are looking good, the report in Cricinfo said the pitch was slow which would explain the relatively low SR of Maynard and Hyphen in their 50's.

Good effort from the boys today, appeared a below-par score at first, but the bowlers were up to the test.

Hyphen and Wine Gums ( made by Maynards) are increasingly becoming are most stable batsmen, which can be interpreted as a good thing or bad, depending on your point of view.

Yet to see our batting line-up really fire in the CB40, records could be broken if everyone clicks in the same game. Makes me wonder why Sky are yet to cover Surrey, I would have thought they ticked boxes for good TV (good facilities, "fashionable" team and exciting players).

We need to prove now that the CC win against Leics wasn't a fluke.

First game we're on TV is a 20-20 one I think. Weird that they showed Somerset v Gloucestershire as it was only ever going to be massively one sided.

Corporal: your CB40 results have improved from 0/0 to 3/3!
Batty (J) is now at number 8 for us, though he did get 30 off 30 balls.