Cricket Season!

[longeared]

Cricket Season!

longeared wrote: Bloody Durham, again.

Well that was a bit more agreeable.

Middlesex not far off winning, so we've got Somerset at Fortress Headingley next week then the likely championship showdown at Lords. I assume that match will get a similar level of coverage as the Manchester derby.

[HORN]

Cricket Season!

Respect to Middlesex for digging themselves out of a hole there.

Next week promises to be tough for Yorkshire as presumably Somerset will view it as a chance to catapult themselves into contention.

[SouthdownRebel]

Cricket Season!

It's hard not to despair of the ECB

[HORN]

Cricket Season!

Come on, Radio Leeds. We know a batsman is out. We know the outside edge was juggled by a slip fielder before being caught before. We know the new batsman is Andrew Gale. But do us a favour. Tell us who was the man out.

[Etienne]

Cricket Season!

Lees and Balance both out, HORN.

[Etienne]

Cricket Season!

Yorks 88-5, while the Middlesex openers approach a century stand. Round 1 to the Londoners.

[longeared]

Cricket Season!

Not only do our bowlers have to take twenty wickets, but they've also got to get us to a reasonable first innings score. Good luck with this, fellas.

[JM Footzee]

Cricket Season!

Been looking at the Hampshire squad, little surprise they're in trouble - their squad is full of ageing journeymen picked up in the last few years, often mid-season. A few, Ryan McLaren, Gareth Berg to an extent, Andy Carter a bit since he came in, are pulling their weight but there's a lot of dead wood.

Tino Best (35, hasn't played since July), Fidel Edwards (34, hasn't played since April), Yasir Arafat (34, on loan at Somerset, hasn't played in UK since June), James Tomlinson (34, just retired, hasn't played since June), Gareth Andrew (32, Championship bowling average of 62.61 this season). They also recently got David Wainwright (31, ex-Yorks/Derbs) in on a short-term deal and have former Durham batsman Will Smith (34 in a few weeks) in their middle-order who never averages highly (27.19 this season).

They have been unfortunate with Topley's season-long injury and Carberry's diagnosis (he's nearly 36, will he come back?).

[Etienne]

Cricket Season!

Now 122-9, while Middlesex go serenely on at 139-1. Always risky to compare matches on different pitches, but it's looking like we might have new champions.

[ursus arctos]

Cricket Season!

Yorkshire all out for 145, Somerset 107 for 1 in reply.

Middlesex 258 for 3

[SouthdownRebel]

Cricket Season!

Big day that, Somerset still have an outside chance of the title if they can pull off the win and Middlesex can't.

[longeared]

Cricket Season!

Big day tomorrow too. It'll be bloody hard work, but there's still a pathway for Yorkshire to win this match if they can bowl Somerset out by tea, bat long and then have Rashid work his magic on the final day. Middlesex on the other hand might have scored too slowly today, they might not manage more than three batting points for a start.

[Etienne]

Cricket Season!

Middlesex have lost 2 wickets, and Somerset one already. It's a game of 4 days, Saint.

[longeared]

Cricket Season!

Two in an over for Sidebottom; Rogers loose stroke caught at second slip then Hildreth left one and saw his off stump taken out. The comeback is on!

[ursus arctos]

Cricket Season!

Hmmm.

Lancs are currently 6 for 4 in reply to Middlesex' 327

[Etienne]

Cricket Season!

To which Jos Buttler's natural response is 3 boundaries and 15 runs off 11 balls.

[ursus arctos]

Cricket Season!

And he's gone . . .

[Etienne]

Cricket Season!

...to a genuinely sensational catch.

[longeared]

Cricket Season!

Yorkshire sprayed the new ball absolutely everywhere, so Rashid was brought on after four overs. Chuffing hot, some clouds starting to bubble up now.

[longeared]

Cricket Season!

Lot of laughter in the stand for the announcement that a bus pass has been handed in belonging to a Mr Terence Thomas.

[longeared]

Cricket Season!

Definitely Somerset's day yesterday, they kept themselves ahead of the game at all times whereas Yorkshire's wheels wobbled a bit.

Trescothick looked good for a ton before he was surprised by the pace in a Plunkett delivery and played on.
Allenby played himself in and looked calm.
Peter Trego is a busy cricketer, he scored 46 without anyone really noticing.

Sidebottom bowled well for his five for. Bresnan was innocuous though a hot day and the ball doing nothing are not his terrain. Brooks bowled too short. Plunkett seemed to be injured. Rashid was his usual mix of good stuff and filth.

Yorkshire had some bad luck as the clouds had rolled in when they came to bat. They saw off the new ball then Lees was caught behind, Ballance played an innings that won't get him a winter tour then Gale looked horribly out of nick. Jake Lehmann thought that a counter attack would be a good idea until Lyth clearly had a word and they managed to see it through.

Reasonable chance the game will finish today, weather permitting.

[Etienne]

Cricket Season!

So cricinfo is mooting that it might be better for Yorkshire to lose this than draw, as (if Middlesex fail to win) it'd mean that Middlesex wouldn't be able to just play for a draw next round, with Somerset able to overhaul them.

[Etienne]

Cricket Season!

Yorkshire losing wickets steadily, despite a good knock from Lehmann. Middlesex are getting frustrated by Lancs.

[Etienne]

Cricket Season!

Until Finn takes 2 in 2!

[ad hoc]

Cricket Season!

I really really really hope Middlesex don't win this (though it looks like they will). I can take Yorkshire throwing it away, but please let it be to Somerset.