Back to proper cricket - Surrey vs Gloucestershire CC Div 2

So the Championship returns (briefly) inbetween this T20 season and the squad has been named. Clive keeps his place after his excellent debut and Ansari earns himself a place. To the delight of most if us (especially depressed) Schofield is nowhere to be seen, unfortunately neither is Meaker which is a real shame, his injury must have been quite bad. Ansari surely will be the one to miss out. Dernbach, Linley, Dunn and Arafat as a seam bowling unit is pretty decent.

Rory Hamilton-Brown (Captain)
Jason Roy
Mark Ramprakash
Zander de Bruyn
Steven Davies (Wicket Keeper)
Tom Maynard
Gareth Batty
Zafar Ansari
Yasir Arafat
Tim Linley
Jade Dernbach
Matthew Dunn

I wouldn't mind seeing Ansari replacing Batty.

Ansari showed in the T20 he can bat and his bowling is more promising than Batty's ever will be.

Main points of interest in the squad are: Meaker not included (presumably still injured); inclusion of Dunn and Ansari. I assume that all the batsmen will play and that one of the spinners or one of the faster bowlers might miss out. I would like to see both Dunn and Ansari play and the Viscount does not deserve to be dropped.

I wouldn't mind seeing him play, his batting would be useful as well with just the 6 + tail that we have, if both of our attacking openers fail we are in big danger of a low total. Once we're 5 down we won't get many more. Batty has done OK this season with bat and ball, I'm happy with him for now, but Ansari's time will surely come sooner rather than later.

are we using this thread or carrot's

Ooh controversial! Naturally I started mine first so....

Although the corporal does outrank me.

Sorry Carrot - must be the effects of a long week on patrol in London. I thought I had checked whether there was an existing thread....but obviously my eyesight is not up to much. I'll ask them to cancel this thread....

More like Captain Oates than Corporal Humblebucket!

Off now to do some more paternal taxi driving - I'll comment on Carrot's thread later.

Threads merged Lads

Thanks YI - very efficient. (Do you work in mergers and acquisitions by any chance?)

Pity we couldn't pick Tremlett for this match. After his performance today Aggers said in his blog: "He is well on the way to becoming a truly superb Test bowler."

Corporalhumblebucket wrote:Thanks YI - very efficient. (Do you work in mergers and acquisitions by any chance?)

I dont lol. But we are always around.

My guess is that Clive will end up as twelfth man. Tough on him if that is ths case but likely ODI call ups for Tremlett and Dernbach should give him further opportunities.

Strange to think that Jordan and Jewell were in our last CC side. They both seem a long way off the money now.

I'd leave Arafat or Batty out but it will be Ansari who misses out unfortunately

jbd - I certainly accept there's a fair chance that Ansari could be the one to miss out. It would make a longish tail though if he does. Batty at seven, Arafat at eight and then the three other seamers ....

Hopefully Arafat has gained some form and confidence from his last T20 performance with the ball, could do with him getting some wickets. I'm sure Ansari will miss out. We do have a long tail but Batty has been decent with the bat and if we don't get enough runs it will be the fault of the 6 batsmen and not the rest. This is a game we really should be winning, hopefully the pitch will be seamer friendly again.

Gloucestershire won the toss and will bowl

The team line up is in:
Brown Roy ramprakash de bryun Davies Maynard batty Arafat dernbach Linley Dunn
Ansari misses out

Just to mention Surrey supporters to keep an eye on the thread on the main cricket page re worst player ever to play for England. Schofield, Batty and Salisbury have already got an honourable mention.

Roy not out 10 after two overs...

But Hyphen comes to premature full stop...

Morning all,

Ramps just dropped at third slip off Saxelby. 'Time will tell how expensive that will be' - Lord Barran to Churchy. Next ball goes for four ....

Corporal - I trust you get a present today from all your troops ....

Morning Guildford - sadly not! But us military men are trained to be stoical....

I'm off to your old haunts in West Mids in a few minutes to do some family taxi driving / furniture removal a in a few minutes.....

Roy out 68 for 2

Flat tyre delayed the military convey.....

Corporal - any chance of you getting the snow plough?

Ramps out 84 for 3

it gets worse 90 for 4 davies out for 1

it looks like a bad toss to lose

gidman with the figures of 2 for 4 from 4 overs

101 for 4 at lunch

If these two don't get a big partnership we are set for a very below par total. Kind of proved my fears right about our relatively short batting line up. Hoping for some good work from Batty and Arafat.

looks like we need batty and arafat then carrot 101 for 5

the 2nd ball after lunch now off for rain

Hopefully the rain will save us!

i'm affraid not carrot the covers are coming off

play restarted 108 for 5

and thats the end of batty 108 for 6

we need a big partnership from de bruyn & arafat with whats left to come

Yeah. Hopefully it's good bowling conditions not bad batting otherwise we're in for a very tough match.

Apparently it is a good day to bowl. The test will of course be when our lot get their hands on it.

With all due respect to the Gloucs supporter and eminent poster Chris from Stroud, we really should be winning games like this if we are serious about promotion.

The Viscount and Clive showed in our last CC match how things can be turned round during a CC match so it's certainly not over at this stage. However, it ain't looking good ....

guildford as long as the sun does not come out our bowlers should be able to de the job

I'll reserve judgement until we've had a bowl, and also until I've seen the wickets.

Whatever the wicket and conditions when Gloucs bat, I'll be happy if we can bag their first six wickets for 108 ....

Agreed. Although that would then inevitably lead to a couple of 100 partnerships.

50 partnership

arafat out for 44 165 for 7

Arafat gone for 44. In most other matches I'd be happy with that and it would be enough. Unfortunately today we needed more. Can't see the last 3 making many at all.

nope we will do well to get to 200 from here

50 for de bruyn