Sport Cricket - Summer 2021

[SteMerritt]

Summer is here! ☀ ❄ ❄ New County Championship season starting today, and a new format with 3 groups.

Middx v Somerset live from Lord's:

 

[Foley]

England seem to be cramming the games in this year.
Tests v New Zealand and 5 v India and then various white ball games v NZ , Sri Lanka, Pakistan.

 

[Foley]

In the County Championship presumably the groups are regional? Is this COVID-19 driven?

 

[SteMerritt]

Not regional, Kent are in with Yorkshire for example. You can read more about the format here...

2021 County Championship: What to look out for as competition returns after hiatus in 2020

With the County Championship making an eagerly anticipated return on Thursday, here's a look at who and what to watch out for.

www.bbc.co.uk

Good start for my lot, currently 188-3 v Somerset, Sam Robson 122no. It won't last...

 

[Foley]

Not regional, Kent are in with Yorkshire for example. You can read more about the format here...

2021 County Championship: What to look out for as competition returns after hiatus in 2020

With the County Championship making an eagerly anticipated return on Thursday, here's a look at who and what to watch out for.

www.bbc.co.uk

Good start for my lot, currently 188-3 v Somerset, Sam Robson 122no. It won't last...

You were right!
291 for 8

My lot (Sussex) had a fantastic few years when Mushtaq was there a few years ago, but have been pretty average since.
Middlesex are ok at the moment?

 

[SteMerritt]

You were right!
291 for 8

My lot (Sussex) had a fantastic few years when Mushtaq was there a few years ago, but have been pretty average since.
Middlesex are ok at the moment?

Sam Robson got 165 of them, nobody else past 23...

Middx have been on the decline since winning the County Championship a few years back. Batting tends to be pretty fragile, especially since the loss of Malan to Yorkshire, bowlers usually do a decent job. Will probably finish in the middle of the group. I don't think we would have really troubled the Div 2 promotion race this time around if the format was as usual.

Sussex are a decent county, I've a good mate who lives in Brighton so always a good bit of banter around the games.

 

[SteMerritt]

Middx 313, Somerset 72-6, Bamber 3-13, big year for him ahead hopefully.

 

[Foley]

Murtagh has been going for years and years. Still doing it.
Is Bamber an English young bowler?

 

[SteMerritt]

Murtagh has been going for years and years. Still doing it.
Is Bamber an English young bowler?

Yeah, 23 or so. Been around the England youth setups but flattered to deceive a little in the Middx first XI. Had a loan last season to Gloucestershire I think it was and got some wickets, came back a different bowler.

 

[makv]

Not regional, Kent are in with Yorkshire for example. You can read more about the format here...

2021 County Championship: What to look out for as competition returns after hiatus in 2020

With the County Championship making an eagerly anticipated return on Thursday, here's a look at who and what to watch out for.

www.bbc.co.uk

Good start for my lot, currently 188-3 v Somerset, Sam Robson 122no. It won't last... [emoji16]

And I thought Duckworth-Lewis-Stern was complicated…

 

[Foley]

And I thought Duckworth-Lewis-Stern was complicated…

Just a bit isn't it.

 

[SteMerritt]

Ethan Bamber interviewed after day 2. Looks about 12

 

[Foley]

Ethan Bamber interviewed after day 2. Looks about 12

Your lot still slighy favourites.
If they don't win Somerset scoring 80 odd for the last wicket won't have helped (Jack Leach is a decent No 11)

 

[SteMerritt]

Your lot still slighy favourites.
If they don't win Somerset scoring 80 odd for the last wicket won't have helped (Jack Leach is a decent No 11)

We had a bit of a collapse today from a really strong position, lost 4-4 at one point, not great watching I'd not put money on finishing it...

Sussex-Lancs got draw all over it.

 

[SteMerritt]

I'd not put money on finishing it...

...and Somerset complete a 4 wicket win.

 

[Marked Ox]

...and Somerset complete a 4 wicket win.

The joys of being a sports fan.

 

[SteMerritt]

The joys of being a sports fan.

Yep, Middx are the cricketing OUFC, get themselves into some really good positions, then find 'interesting' ways to stuff it all up... Still, would be boring to win all the time

 

[SteMerritt]

Ben Stokes: England all-rounder ruled out of IPL with broken finger, say Rajasthan Royals

England all-rounder Ben Stokes is out of the Indian Premier League with a broken finger, his Rajasthan Royals team say.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[SteMerritt]

Oh FFS Middx!!!

 

[Oufcrealist]

Ben Stokes: England all-rounder ruled out of IPL with broken finger, say Rajasthan Royals

England all-rounder Ben Stokes is out of the Indian Premier League with a broken finger, his Rajasthan Royals team say.

www.bbc.co.uk

He is flying home for an op this weekend. Could be out for three months. Will definitely miss the NZ tests and some of the white ball matches after against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Should be ok for India series in August.

 

[Foley]

England v New Zealand: Ben Foakes out, Haseeb Hameed and Sam Billings into hosts' squad

England wicketkeeper Ben Foakes will miss the two Tests against New Zealand in June with a hamstring injury, while opener Haseeb Hameed and keeper Sam Billings are added to the squad.

www.bbc.co.uk

James Bracey making his England debut as WK.
That's a very inexperienced side against NZ who are in the top 2 in the world and always seem to have the bowlers for English conditions.
Are England underdogs?

 

[Leysboy]

Really excited to see what Hameed can do. The last time I saw him bat was on tour in India, and then left the tour because of a hand injury.

He played really well there, and hopefully he will be just as good, if not better!!

 

[Junior_1]

Will he get a game?

Burns is in good form and then you’ve the likes of Crawley, Pope, Lawrence. Then Root, Buttler and Bairstow.

 

[Leysboy]

Will he get a game?

Burns is in good form and then you’ve the likes of Crawley, Pope, Lawrence. Then Root, Buttler and Bairstow.

I certainly hope he gets a go. There are a lot of test matches this year, and hopefully he will get another opportunity.

 

[Marked Ox]

Really excited to see what Hameed can do. The last time I saw him bat was on tour in India, and then left the tour because of a hand injury.

I wonder if it might be a bit early considering his utter loss of form for a few years and the potential impact on his mental state. Hopefully if he gets a chance he is a success but it is a risk.

 

[Oufcrealist]

Really excited to see what Hameed can do. The last time I saw him bat was on tour in India, and then left the tour because of a hand injury.

He played really well there, and hopefully he will be just as good, if not better!!

He is unlikely to play unless one of the other openers gets injured. Its a way of getting him invoved again.
Shame about Foakes. He is our best man with the gloves. NZ will be really tough and probably start as favourites.

 

[makv]

Will he get a game?

Burns is in good form and then you’ve the likes of Crawley, Pope, Lawrence. Then Root, Buttler and Bairstow.

No Bairstow or Buttler

 

[horseman]

Reminds me of getting detention at school when we had to write an Essay on the game of cricket, I went straight to the teacher after a few seconds with a blank piece of paper. What's this he asked "Ran stop play Sir"

 

[Leysboy]

He is unlikely to play unless one of the other openers gets injured. Its a way of getting him invoved again.
Shame about Foakes. He is our best man with the gloves. NZ will be really tough and probably start as favourites.

Yes New Zealand have some very handy bowlers, and our conditions really suit there bowling attack. Boult is a handful, Wagner ain’t bad, and I really like DeGrandhomme. Lovely all rounder!

 

[Sarge]

He is unlikely to play unless one of the other openers gets injured. Its a way of getting him invoved again.
Shame about Foakes. He is our best man with the gloves. NZ will be really tough and probably start as favourites.

Nz will want revenge of sorts for the odi world cup final a couple of years ago