SURREY VS WARWICKSHIRE SPECSAVERS COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP

First topic message reminder :

SURREY HAVE NAMED A TWELVE MAN SQUAD FOR THE SPECSAVERS COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH AGAINST WARWICKSHIRE AT GUILDFORD STARTING ON SATURDAY.
Aaron Finch will make his Surrey debut having joined up with the squad this week and Mark Footitt is available for selection having recovered from the side strain that kept him out of action in recent weeks. Gary Wilson has been left out of the squad but Sam Curran returns after completing his school commitments.
Jason Roy is unavailable for selection because he is playing for England in the current One Day Series against Sri Lanka. Kumar Sangakkara and Ravi Rampaul are both playing in the Caribbean Premier League.
Jade dernbach and Dominic Sibley remain on the treatment table.
Matthew Dunn is available but not considered match fit yet.
The Surrey squad to play Warwickshire in the Specsavers County Championship at Woodbridge Road on Saturday 2nd July, Sunday 3rd July, Monday 4th July and Tuesday 5th July :
Gareth Batty (capt)
Zafar Ansari
James Burke
Rory Burns
Sam Curran
Tom Curran
Steven Davies
Aaron Finch
Ben Foakes
Mark Footitt
Arun Harinath
Stuart Meaker
ironically gary wilson scored a unbeaten hundred for the XI yesterday but it wasn't enough to save him.
Looking like Burke will miss out again and baby face being pushed up the order (top 6)
over to you chaps

Ronnie and Patel absolutely on the money after lunch. Burns and Ansari clinging on - so far.

Clouded over considerably. Chance of rain maybe?

Forecast suggests it will be largely dry today, but with increasing cloud.  Certainly looks like an attritional struggle at the moment.

50* partnership, off 22.3 overs.  Hard going.

The only thing we can get from this game now is some #itk from Guildford

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:50* partnership, off 22.3 overs.  Hard going.

Dig in Zaf, keep your head son!

50 for third degree

Burns reaches a somewhat overdue 50*.   84 - 1 and the scoring rate has gone up a notch.

100 partnership

A lot of application from these two - well batted, just 3 more sessions like this to save the game.........unless Finchy gets in with the short boundaries.........could put a different complexion on the match.............I'll snatch your hand off for a draw right now though!

Finch to the crease

Suddenly spin is killing us again

Truly pathetic yet again

Why does it happen so often that after a good partnership, both batsmen go within a few balls of each other? Is it lack of concentration?

No idea dave Warwickshire have gone into this game with just 4 bowlers it's so embarrassing

Sinking fast... 122 - 4.

17 for 3 after tea

jimbobgooner wrote:No idea dave Warwickshire have gone into this game with just 4 bowlers it's so embarrassing

 They do have five bowlers (+ Trott).  Poysden is an inexperienced leggie, but I imagine he would have bowled more overs if Surrey had presented a greater challenge.

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:Sinking fast... 122 - 4.

Make that 122 - 5.

Any rearguard action now only likely to make difference as to how many sessions early the match finishes.

123 - 6. THAT IS FIVE WICKETS FOR SIXTEEN RUNS.

It just gets worse and worse - have they no pride?

Partnership of 11*.  Now the second highest partnership of the innings.

Tough match for Tom Curran.  1 run in the Surrey first innings and 30 wicketless overs in Warks innings. Let's hope he can get something out of this match.

How much longer does Di Venuto get? It's the same problem over and over again

Another wkt for Patel on a pitch that isn't turning

It's going to be all over tonight.

Batty falls to the boy Rankin.... 

Disgraceful, hang your heads in shame, we won the toss and we're going to lose by virtually an innings

We're in the lead

One to go - that's eight wickets since tea. 10 wickets for Patel.

  Rankin takes last wicket.  Apt, as it was a rank performance by Surrey.

9 wkts for 70 runs what a ******* disgrace

And there was me thinking Guildford was a high-scoring ground!

In two words: AB. JECT.
In three words: sort it out!!!'

jimbobgooner wrote:The only thing we can get from this game now is some #itk from Guildford

Dernbach to play in the t20 side this week.

guildfordbat wrote:

jimbobgooner wrote:The only thing we can get from this game now is some #itk from Guildford

Dernbach to play in the t20 side this week.

BOOM

guildfordbat wrote:

jimbobgooner wrote:The only thing we can get from this game now is some #itk from Guildford

Dernbach to play in the t20 side this week.

Ah, the return of the 'slower ball'.

11 from 12?

Wondering about the team to play Yorks in the County Championship (best not to say 4 day ) match starting on Monday.

The team that played Warks at Guildford this week was:
Burns
Harinath
Ansari
Finch
Davies
S Curran
Foakes
T Curran
Batty
Meaker
Footitt.

Stewart has strongly suggested that not only Roy but also Sibley will play. I think it's likely that Harinath will get the chop but that still leaves 11 from 12. Who will be the other one to make way? Feel that's very tricky (unless someone suddenly gets injured).

Not too many have nailed on places. The bowling was improved and better than the batting at Guildford. Do we therefore keep that (ie the bowling) as it is? Or do we look to go with 5 bowlers and sacrifice one in an attempt to bolster the batting?

If we opt to keep the same attack, I would have thought that the ever fragile Davies' place would be most at risk.

If we ditch a bowler, there are a few candidates - Batty (if not a spinners' wicket although it very probably will be), either of the Currans (Tom is the ''go to'' bowler but he is long overdue a break whilst Sam, for all his potential, doesn't yet convince (me) at 6) or Meaker (signs of being devastating but expensive when his radar is off).

If push comes to shove, I would leave out Sam. Hopefully that's wrong and he plays with me having jinxed it so he scores a ton and takes a match tenfer,

Thoughts?

Burns
Sibley
Davies
Finch
Roy
Ansari
Foakes
S Curran
T Curran
Meaker
Footitt

Would be my side - 4 strong seamers, Ansari the main spinner but we have good part timers with Sibley/Finch in reserve. Strong batting line up with the Currans at 8/9 too

It will never be the side, but at this moment imo that's our strongest side. Could see an argument for the Baron in ahead of Davies, and wouldn't be against that

I'll agree with Olly. 5 bowlers should be enough, and Sibley can bowl some decent leg spin if needed.

A question to you all—how do you rate Tom Curran's performance this year? He's been steady with the ball, rarely going wicket-less and hasn't been taken apart at all that I can remember. But his bowling average is nearing fifty and with more bowlers returning from injury, he's starting to look like the least likely wicket taker in the attack. He's young and in his first Division 1 season, so he'll surely get the hang of it at some point (he's also had to bowl a frankly ridiculous amount of overs this year), but still a shame after his heroics last season.

If anyone's interested, bowling averages are

Meaker 16 @ 21.56
Rampaul 21 @ 24.29
Batty 26 @ 27.23
Ansari 13 @ 28.77
Footit 7 @ 40.29
Burke 4 @ 46.00
T Curran 20 @47.10
S Curran 3 @ 50.00
Dunn 1 @ 188.00

James100 wrote:I'll agree with Olly. 5 bowlers should be enough, and Sibley can bowl some decent leg spin if needed.

A question to you all—how do you rate Tom Curran's performance this year? He's been steady with the ball, rarely going wicket-less and hasn't been taken apart at all that I can remember. But his bowling average is nearing fifty and with more bowlers returning from injury, he's starting to look like the least likely wicket taker in the attack. He's young and in his first Division 1 season, so he'll surely get the hang of it at some point (he's also had to bowl a frankly ridiculous amount of overs this year), but still a shame after his heroics last season.

If anyone's interested, bowling averages are

Meaker 16 @ 21.56
Rampaul 21 @ 24.29
Batty 26 @ 27.23
Ansari 13 @ 28.77
Footit 7 @ 40.29
Burke 4 @ 46.00
T Curran 20 @47.10
S Curran 3 @ 50.00
Dunn 1 @ 188.00

Hi James - in the early weeks of the season when it's typically cold and pitches are not offering assistance to spinners, I would go along with you and Olly in leaving any slow stuff to Ansari and omitting Batty. That's a major reason why I'm not keen on him being captain - for too much of the season he unnecessarily takes up a place and creates an imbalance in the side.

Now though should be when we play our two leading spinners. I accept we could get by with some leg spin from Sibley. However, we need to achieve more than that. We need to win. Playing both Ansari and Batty should at this time give us our best chance of that.

Interesting question about Tom Curran. I think you actually go on to answer it well. You make several points and I don't disagree with any.

I was discussing with someone (not directly itk but sensible and knowledgeable) at the Guildford game what our Championship bowling line up should be in the remainder of the season if all were fit and available. He suggested Rampaul, Meaker, Footitt, Batty and Ansari. You'll note no Currans. That wasn't meant as a mark of disrespect to them, just that for all their potential there are others who cut it better currently. I see the averages you have supplied support that view.