County Championship 2018 & 2019 Thread

[jimbohammers]

First topic message reminder :

Not long until the new season starts so i thought it's time for me to get the thread up.

As always....

Who are your picks for the title?
Who is going down?
Surprise team?
Most runs?
Most wickets? 
One to watch?

Discuss here...

[guildfordbat]

Goose will say it won't count as it was against Leics, but 101 not out today for my left field choice Mike Burgess of Sussex. This followed his 48 away to Warks last week. If the lad can overcome a jinx from me, he might just make a living in the game.

Its div 2 ..it counts for nothing. Against Leicestershire its a black mark for only getting a century

Goose - a characteristically fair and thorough assessment there. I suppose you could have added that a mere century against Leics and it being undefeated also displays selfishness on the part of Burgess.

[guildfordbat]

Tea and some good battles going on to win or avoid defeat.

Almost identical positions at Surrey and Derby. The home sides need just 2 more wickets to defeat Hants and Middlesex respectively but their opponents who are 160 odd shy of victory are really scrapping to try and escape with a draw.

At Bristol, Gloucs lead Glamorgan by 50 but with only 2 wickets left. If the visitors can get those in the first hour after the restart, it could be fun as they try to chase down their target.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Was a curious coincidence that for a fair while this afternoon Surrey, Derby and Glamorgan were all simultaneously being held up dogged 9th wicket partnerships. Eventually in all three case the bowlers broke through.

[JDizzle]

TRJ out for the season with a reoccurrence of his stress fracture in the back. Absolutely gutting news for the bloke.

[jimbohammers]

Tomorrows games (weather not looking great..):

Hampshire vs Essex
Lancashire vs Surrey
Somerset vs Yorkshire
Worcestershire vs Notts

Leicestershire vs Derbyshire
Middlesex vs Glamorgan
Northants vs Durham
Sussex vs Gloucestershire

[guildfordbat]

TRJ out for the season with a reoccurrence of his stress fracture in the back. Absolutely gutting news for the bloke.

I didn't know that. Rotten news for him certainly and also bad for England in that it, at the least, denies us an option.

Certainly gives more opportunity to Tom Helm at Middlesex and just maybe beyond.

[guildfordbat]

Tomorrows games (weather not looking great..):

Hampshire vs Essex
Lancashire vs Surrey
Somerset vs Yorkshire
Worcestershire vs Notts

Leicestershire vs Derbyshire
Middlesex vs Glamorgan
Northants vs Durham
Sussex vs Gloucestershire

Cheers, Jimbo.

Good to have 16 of the 18 counties playing and starting on the same day. Unfortunately, as you say, it seems some of the wet stuff will be around. I might even go against my usual win the toss and bat first approach and instead suggest that Surrey elect to bowl at Old Trafford ....

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Could well be a complete washout tomorrow in all four Div 1 matches.

[Gooseberry]

Could well be a complete washout tomorrow in all four Div 1 matches.  

Shame .. the div 2 East Midlands derby will be ruined. What will the man and his dog do instead?

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Delayed start in all four Div 1 matches. Some prospect of play at Southampton from 1130 as a small section of central southern England currently being by passed to east and west by rain coming up from the south.

[guildfordbat]

Delayed start in all four Div 1 matches.  Some prospect of play at Southampton from 1130 as a small section of central southern England currently being by passed to east and west by rain coming up from the south.

Hants reached 41/0 after 15 overs when the rain came back. No Northeast after his ton last week - what's up with him, Jimbo?

[jimbohammers]

Delayed start in all four Div 1 matches.  Some prospect of play at Southampton from 1130 as a small section of central southern England currently being by passed to east and west by rain coming up from the south.

Hants reached 41/0 after 15 overs when the rain came back. No Northeast after his ton last week - what's up with him, Jimbo?

Hi Guildford, Northeast out with a broken thumb, even though he was listed in the squad. Happy to see Weatherley in the team though, i mentioned in the Surrey/Hampshire thread that i wanted him in the team to open, which allows McManus to go down the order. He's done well this morning in tough conditions. Close of play called already, raining hard!

[guildfordbat]

Cheers, Jimbo. I suggested on last week's match thread that McManus would be better off down the order - hope it works out for him and your boys. Tough in the meantime though on Northeast - he played very well last week and it obviously won't have done his Test ambitions any harm.

In the 3 matches today in which some play was possible, the away side unsurprisingly elected to bowl. The only visiting county to have benefitted though is Glamorgan, having reduced Middlesex to 60 odd/3 at Lord's and pocketed the only point of the day. My prediction of a comfortable promotion for Middlesex is already starting to look like it might haunt me and them!

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Could well be a complete washout tomorrow in all four Div 1 matches.  

Corporal weatherforecasting service not that far out, with just an hour's play possible in one Div 1 match. I guess Worcs and Lancs (played 2, lost 2) will be most anxious about the loss of play and the need to kickstart their cc season. Obviously it's a way off yet but forecast for Monday doesn't look too promising across much of England, which may well curtail prospect of positive results, even if pitches are a bit green and seam friendly.

[jimbohammers]

Looking at Sussex's team and they bat so deep. Danny Briggs at 11!

[jimbohammers]

Play underway in a few games this morning.

Northants/Durham washed out already.

[jimbohammers]

Hameed's woeful form continues

[jimbohammers]

Matt Renshaw scored a century last week and now he's taking the attack to Yorkshire, he's on 61 from just 51 balls.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Hameed's woeful form continues

Worked over by Jade Dernbach...not good for his test prospects. In fact this stat on twitter last week shows just how far he’s dropped off

Haseeb Hameed out for 1 today. Since his broken finger in India, he's averaging 21.65 in all first-class cricket (Lions, Lancashire): 39 innings, three fifties. Before that, 47.82 in 39 innings with four hundreds and 11 fifties #countycricketlive

[wisden]

Gutted for the lad, quite obviously has the talent to suceed but his technique is all over the place...ever since he had ambitions to play white ball cricket for Lancs he has been all over the place...can't blame the lad, but maybe someone should have said to him to stick to red ball cricket until his game was fully developed...he's still young enough to do so

[jimbohammers]

Peter Siddle this morning bowling in a wooly hat haha

[JDizzle]

I think we can almost ink in Worcs for the drop now. The batting just isn’t up to standard for Div 1 cricket by a long shot.

[guildfordbat]

I think we can almost ink in Worcs for the drop now. The batting just isn’t up to standard for Div 1 cricket by a long shot.

Can we hold any inking until they play Surrey next up.

[JDizzle]

I think we can almost ink in Worcs for the drop now. The batting just isn’t up to standard for Div 1 cricket by a long shot.

Can we hold any inking until they play Surrey next up.

Haha - I think it will take more than my jinxing skills to cause Rhodes or D’Oliveira to score some runs!

[jimbohammers]

Games starting on Friday (one on Thurs) - weather set to be good this weekend so should get some more play this round of games!

Div 1:

Essex vs Yorkshire
Lancashire vs Somerset
Notts vs Hampshire
Surrey vs Worcestershire

Div 2:

Warwickshire vs Derbyshire (Thurs Start)
Durham vs Leicestershire
Glamorgan vs Kent
Sussex vs Middlesex

[Afro]

Kohli joining Surrey in June ahead of the India.

That softens the blow of losing Sangakarra a little bit surely?

[wisden]

Mark Footitt on loan at Derby

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

So about that decision to bat first Gary...

[LondonTiger]

So about that decision to bat first Gary...

Not the conditions to blame.

[LondonTiger]

Though Essex starting no better. 12 wickets before lunch with the sun out is crazy

[jimbohammers]

Darren Stevens doing it again for Kent... 6-26 - get him in the England squad

[LondonTiger]

One to watch - Harry Brook

With Harry Brook scoring 4 centuries in a row for our 2nds last season (fitted in around his A levels) and being the U19s skipper and our leading run scorer in the WC, I guess choosing him as my one to watch was not especially insightful. Still, good to see him score his maiden First Class ton yesterday.

[jimbohammers]

Yorkshire bowled out for 50 first innings and win!
Notts beat my lot pretty comfortably in the end. (Broad looking very good apparently)
Surrey and Worcestershire play out a boring draw.
Likewise Lancashire and Somerset (shoutout to Vilas for 235*)

Sussex just beat Middlesex in a close game
Kent comfortably beat Glamorgan
Durham beat leicestershire after following on! Weighell with 7-32
Warwickshire beat Derbyshire

[jimbohammers]

Fixtures starting tomorrow:

Nottinghamshire vs Lancashire
Somerset vs Hampshire
Surrey vs Yorkshire
Worcestershire vs Essex

Derbyshire vs Durham
Kent vs Sussex
Leicestershire vs Glamorgan
Middlesex vs Gloucestershire
Warwickshire vs Northants

[jimbohammers]

Hampshire decide to go with no spinner vs Somerset, bizarre decision.

Root captains Yorkshire.

Broad playing against Anderson...

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

That is mad Jimbo, considering you’re batting first and Somerset are playing their two spinners...!

[jimbohammers]

That is mad Jimbo, considering you’re batting first and Somerset are playing their two spinners...!

Rossouw in woeful form as well Olly. We have a good back up spinner in Brad Taylor who is also a very good batsman.
Seems crazy to leave him out. Dawson is injured and Crane not ready to return yet.

[JDizzle]

Worcs going well vs Essex, and have them 157-9. I think/fear this could be the prime ‘don’t judge a pitch till both teams have batted on it’ though...

[wisden]

Root captaining Yorkshire? Am i missing something with Ballance?

[jimbohammers]

Root captaining Yorkshire? Am i missing something with Ballance?

Think he is ill

[jimbohammers]

Hameed's woeful form continues

A 13 ball duck on his recall to the side. Sad to see really

[guildfordbat]

Jimbo - 21 overs sent down by Hants at Somerset but none bowled by Abbott. What's that about? Picked up a knock?

[jimbohammers]

Jimbo - 21 overs sent down by Hants at Somerset but none bowled by Abbott. What's that about? Picked up a knock?

Turned his ankle running on the field apparently Guildford

[guildfordbat]

Cheers, Jimbo. That's not good for Hants, particularly with others crocked atm.

[jimbohammers]

Cheers, Jimbo. That's not good for Hants, particularly with others crocked atm.

Not good at all. A pretty toothless attack to be honest. We went into this game a bowler short as it is... Another defeat looking likely

[JDizzle]

Excellent finish in prospect at New Road. Worcs need 42 with two wickets left, and Travis Head is 57*...

[jimbohammers]

Excellent finish in prospect at New Road. Worcs need 42 with two wickets left, and Travis Head is 57*...

Worcestershire were more comfortable than that at one stage. Damaging defeat really

[jimbohammers]

100 for James Vince. Digging in and grinding. No doubt his doubters will now say his run rate is too slow or something.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

100 for James Vince. Digging in and grinding. No doubt his doubters will now say his run rate is too slow or something.

I much prefer him when he's nicking off for 44 off 43 Jimbo. Nobody needs this 100 run slowly rubbish

[jimbohammers]

100 for James Vince. Digging in and grinding. No doubt his doubters will now say his run rate is too slow or something.

I much prefer him when he's nicking off for 44 off 43 Jimbo. Nobody needs this 100 run slowly rubbish

Wouldn't put it past some people. The stick he gets is ridiculous really.

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