Middlesex Chamionship Match Thread

[Jimmy Lad]

Middlesex currently 246-1 from 54 overs.

Nice to see the lads are really getting stuck in after the poor start to the season!

Also, in keeping with the club's policy of bringing the young English kids through, 33 year old Carl Crowe is playing in the place of Claude Henderson! Beggars belief!

 

[glyn]

Also, in keeping with the club's policy of bringing the young English kids through, 33 year old Carl Crowe is playing in the place of Claude Henderson! Beggars belief!

I retract what I said the other day, that is a shocking decision!

Predictable outcome when I saw that Strauss and Hughes were batting.:icon_roll Strauss out 150

Our overseas bowler once again makes a dramatic impact!

 

[fox58]

281-2 with rain the only saving grace

 

[glyn]

Two of the best batsmen in the world on current form against Harris, Crowe, Wayne White and Iain O'Brien. With schoolboy James Taylor and wicketkeeper Tom New to provide the backup bowling.

It's like Man U turning out against a Sunday League side!

 

[flashyfox]

Can't believe how woefully poor our bowling department is. We only have O'brien, Malik and Harris who should be anywhere near our first team at the moment. What is the point of having Henderson if we aren't going to play him because of this 'only 3 non english qualified' rule! Can't see him getting a game with Ackerman, Dippenaar and O'brien around!

It's going to be a very depressing season at this rate!

 

[Redditch Fox]

I retract what I said the other day, that is a shocking decision!

Predictable outcome when I saw that Strauss and Hughes were batting.:icon_roll Strauss out 150

Our overseas bowler once again makes a dramatic impact!

Mind you - we will see what sort of track this is when Leicestershire have a bat.

Is this the weakest side in Leicestershire's history? I've watched the county since around 1953 and at that time we were generally bottom or bottom but one in the Championship (us, Glamorgan & Somerset were the usual suspects) - that said we had a few players who both performed well and entertained the crowd e.g. Charles Palmer, Maurice Tompkin and Jack Walsh. With the exception of Ackerman, I'm struggling a bit to identify that sort of quality with the present side.

 

[Hazzman]

Seen Carl Crowe's figures? Deary me.

 

[Redditch Fox]

Seen Carl Crowe's figures? Deary me.

In terms of economy -actually not bad at all.

I also thought he bowled well against Hampshire in the FPT.

There is a general problem of lack of bowling and indeed batting resources and I do think that having a policy of not picking the best team available - presumably because that is financially attractive because of ECB policies - is not a good idea, although i can appreciate the rationale.

On our spin bowling resources, I realise that Henderson is a very consistent bowler - but with great respect he is hardly an obvious threat in terms of collecting a big harvest of wickets either.

 

[glyn]

Seen Carl Crowe's figures? Deary me.

I was thinking about the whole Henderson/Crowe thing today. If the county knew that Henderson was going to be one of the players to drop given their policy, why not give Jigur Naik a run? They've invested a lot in him in the winter, and Crowe is hardly going to be a match winner in comparison.

 

[glyn]

Is this the weakest side in Leicestershire's history? I've watched the county since around 1953 and at that time we were generally bottom or bottom but one in the Championship (us, Glamorgan & Somerset were the usual suspects) - that said we had a few players who both performed well and entertained the crowd e.g. Charles Palmer, Maurice Tompkin and Jack Walsh. With the exception of Ackerman, I'm struggling a bit to identify that sort of quality with the present side.

I started supporting County in the 80s, and we had a couple of horrendous sides then - finished bottom once or twice - but I do think this is the weakest side in terms of current ability.

 

[glyn]

159/5, to be honest I don't expect anything than a 20/3 start these days so any of our batsmen making a 50 is a bonus!

We have a terrible habit of losing wickets in clusters. 50-0, to 52-2 and 120odd for 2 to 150 for 5.

 

[fox58]

finished 161-5 looking down the barrel again

 

[Redditch Fox]

I was thinking about the whole Henderson/Crowe thing today. If the county knew that Henderson was going to be one of the players to drop given their policy, why not give Jigur Naik a run? They've invested a lot in him in the winter, and Crowe is hardly going to be a match winner in comparison.

I have seen Naik bowl at different levels of cricket.

As you will know, Naik is still very young for a spinner and may mature into a decent bowler in the years ahead. I'm not going to make any depressing predictions but from what I've seen he is some way from being a county standard spinner at this time - although I would add that I think he may also have the potential to develop his batting.

Basically, we are not in a good situation!

My honest opinion is that whichever spinner we played would not make a vast amount of difference to match outcomes.

On a wider front, I think everyone knows that AJ Harris is a decent, useful, journeyman seamer - but I think we needed to recruit 1 or 2 additional experienced players over the winter besides him and the overseas player, O'Brien...but of course it's a money issue isn't it?

 

[glyn]

To be fair, Wayne White hasn't done horrendously so far. But as a unit, there is no one or two bowlers to skittle teams out unless O'Brien turns out to be a good signing.

 

[Jimmy Lad]

I was thinking about the whole Henderson/Crowe thing today. If the county knew that Henderson was going to be one of the players to drop given their policy, why not give Jigur Naik a run? They've invested a lot in him in the winter, and Crowe is hardly going to be a match winner in comparison.

I know for a fact that the county are worried about Naik. he hasn't developed to where they wanted him to. Hence the signing of a 33 year old who had already been discarded by the county once for not being good enough!

It has been said that Henderson can't take clusters of wickets. Although I agree to an extent, he did take 6-50 in his last match in S.Africa just before our season started. It is unlikely that you will see him or Ackerman here next year anyway. I bet they will stay in county cricket and come back and haunt us though!

I was hoping for rain today but more up to date forecasts are predicting London to stay mainly dry. Think rain was our only way of avoiding defeat in this one.

 

[Lako42]

I was hoping for rain today but more up to date forecasts are predicting London to stay mainly dry. Think rain was our only way of avoiding defeat in this one.

Seems that way for every game.

 

[glyn]

I know for a fact that the county are worried about Naik. he hasn't developed to where they wanted him to. Hence the signing of a 33 year old who had already been discarded by the county once for not being good enough!

didnt the industrial tribunal rule that county had insufficient evidence of that!

It has been said that Henderson can't take clusters of wickets. Although I agree to an extent, he did take 6-50 in his last match in S.Africa just before our season started. It is unlikely that you will see him or Ackerman here next year anyway. I bet they will stay in county cricket and come back and haunt us though!

not if they dont get a work permit...

I was hoping for rain today but more up to date forecasts are predicting London to stay mainly dry. Think rain was our only way of avoiding defeat in this one.

Peeing down in south wales. Might move across

 

[Jimmy Lad]

Peeing down in south wales. Might move across

It better hurry up then... 8 down at lunch!

 

[Jimmy Lad]

Rain still not arrived....

2/1 following on!

 

[glyn]

Rain still not arrived....

2/1 following on!

131/2, a few more runs but nothing massive from New (43) and Dippy is 61*