<subs: insert title here> : County Cricket 2022

[Levin]

I'm posting here rather than the other thread as it's 1st class.

The Ranji Trophy has been trimmed down a lot. I know it didn't run last year but I've just had a look at the setup and it isn't going to take many matches to win. Three matches in the group stage (winners alone progress) and then ¼ ½ and final.

Wiki page as it shows the knockout stage better than CricInfo

[ursus arctos]

Some of the group matches were streamed on YouTube, but that seems not to be the case for the quarter-finals, presumably because the BCCI has sold the rights commercially.

All four matches are being played in Bengaluru/Bangalore and after one day Ithinknwe can say that Jharkand misjudged things in putting Bengal in given that they are 310 for 1 after the first day.

The Cricinfo live blog is instructive

https://www.espncricinfo.com/live-bl...finals-1318499

[Southport Zeb]

Jharkhand appeared to have benefited themselves from a midjudged decision in the preliminary quarter final. Nagaland won the toss and put Jharkhand in. Over 200 overs later Jharkhand were bowled out for 880. Nagaland then took over 100 overs to reach 289. Jharkhand appeared to then decided to rest their bowlers and batted again, scoring another 417 before the match ended in a draw and a Jharkhand win on first innings score.

Reading the article, it appears that the original intention was to play the previous format of 8/9 group games followed by a knockout, with the abbreviated format being adopted due to Covid. Whether they go back to a larger group stage in the future is a question - experience suggests that once the number of first class games scheduled has been reduced, it's rare for the number to be increased again.

[Kevin S]

Several Blast matches on YouTube this evening for your viewing pleasure, folks.

[Levin]

It's a minor irritation but Surrey only have one of their digital scoreboards displaying the score in the blast. The other one shows video or a blast logo. The irritation is that yhe one they do use doesn't show how many balls people have faced.

[ursus arctos]

Do they think that the aqua goes with the brown caps?

It just looks dumb to me, but someone there is really invested in the colour.

[Levin]

I think I've become habituated to it. And at least its distinctive.

Two overthrown fours in that innings

[ursus arctos]

Should still be a reachable total

[Tony C]

Lancashire post a reasonably healthy 213/5 at Headingley.

[Levin]

Roy and Jacks are ridiculous.

I can't get used to the kit launch hashtag #uptherey

[ursus arctos]

Edgy

[Tony C]

Yorkshire are going to coast this.

[Kevin S]

How old is Lenham, the Sussex bowler? He genuinely looks about 13.

Surrey are cruising to this total.

[Levin]

I think he's still a teenager

[ursus arctos]

He will turn 18 in late July

[ursus arctos]

Tony's magic is strong

[Tony C]

Unintentional. With Kohler-Cadmore and Willey in control Yorkshire looked set. However Lancashire rallied and kept it tight in the last three or four overs and just prevailed.

[ursus arctos]

Unintentional magic is the strongest magic

[Levin]

An easy Rey win. Pollard hitting some massive sixes at the end.

Obed McCoy is a fine figure of a man.

[Greenlander]

In further Ranji Trophy news, Jharkhand appeared to have made the same misjudgment that their opponents made in the previous round. Having inserted Bengal who have gone on to reach 773 for 7 declared they've crashed to 298. With the first innings lead being enough Bengal are now batting again and with only a day to go seem assured the win.

Of more interest though is all nine Bengal batters scored a half century.

[Etienne]

Mumbai beat Uttarakhand by 725 runs in one of the other quarter-finals, and Madhya Pradesh won by 10 wickets against Punjab, so the games have been pretty one-sided overall. Only Uttar Pradesh who won by 5 wickets against Karnataka after conceding a first innings lead of 98 have had to battle for the win.

[Levin]

The highest first innings score seems to be a terrible way of breaking ties. I wonder how the groups were selected, whether it was seeded or regional

[ursus arctos]

Closer to seeding, but not a formal process.

Each ifthe groups was played at a single location and the traditional powers were kept apart.

[ursus arctos]

I did not have Somerset falling meekly to Kent at Taunton on my bingo card.

[Levin]

Warks had a shocker against Yorkshire as well.

Shan Masood has taken his form into the Blast.