Surrey v Kent

After a bright start, there are some showers forecast for later in the day. Our bowlers really are going to have every advantage. The Kent captain wants certifying!

Jackers wrote:After a bright start, there are some showers forecast for later in the day. Our bowlers really are going to have every advantage. The Kent captain wants certifying!

I don't know what he was thinking! I had to check who it is, it's Jack Leaning. Northants and Hampshire both made the same mistake at The Oval this year and both lost by an innings after Surrey piled up 400+, but we didn't score anywhere near as quickly as this in those games. Kent have two overseas international bowlers who looked innocuous. I just hope our depleted attack can take twenty wickets.

I didn't go on the outfield to have a look yesterday, but I can now see why they elected to bowl on what has looked like a pretty deceiving green-top

HE FINALLY DID IT

How much has Sam’s batting improved this season! Could pick him for his batting alone! Well done SC

Excellent batting performance from everybody. We've given ourselves every chance of victory, although I do worry that our bowling isn't as strong as it could be given all the absentees. It's looking almost certain that there will be a result at Chelmsford so we need to try and capitalise on our strong start here.

Must declare at lunch got enough now.

According to the commentary on the stream Kent would be able to bring in Sam Billings for one of their bowlers on conclusion of the test match. That doesn't seem quite fair, given that they are unlikely to need to bowl again in this match.

Jedrich wrote:According to the commentary on the stream Kent would be able to bring in Sam Billings for one of their bowlers on conclusion of the test match. That doesn't seem quite fair, given that they are unlikely to need to bowl again in this match.

Not sure it's correct either. I thought it had to be a like-for-like replacement thus he would have to replace a batsman or the keeper.

Unless the argument is that he is as good a bowler as most of those Kent have used.

Perhaps Surrey will bat on until Jacks has 124, 125 or 126, to complete an unlikely clustering of centuries.

dougieginn wrote:How much has Sam’s batting improved this season! Could pick him for his batting alone! Well done SC

I stand by my long held view that he should ultimately be the long term successor to Ben Stokes (who is 7 years older) as England's number 6. He simply hasn't played enough Championship cricket during the last three seasons to progress any quicker until now.

Jedrich wrote:According to the commentary on the stream Kent would be able to bring in Sam Billings for one of their bowlers on conclusion of the test match. That doesn't seem quite fair, given that they are unlikely to need to bowl again in this match.

I don't see how, given that he didn't start the match. By the same logic surely Surrey would be allowed to parachute Jamie Overton in for Tom Lawes?

Looking at the team Kent named, it appears Joe Denly would have missed out without Billings being called up, not one of the bowlers. If Billings was to keep wicket surely he would only be allowed to replace Ollie Robinson?

The difference between Kent bringing Billings in over us and Overton is that I assume Billings was listed in their squad before being called up by England, whereas Overton wasnt

I also thought it was strange that Denly was listed as a no 9, though i doubt Billings or Robinson would have been that low had Billings played from the start

Coatesy wrote:The difference between Kent bringing Billings in over us and Overton is that I assume Billings was listed in their squad before being called up by England, whereas Overton wasnt  

I also thought it was strange that Denly was listed as a no 9, though i doubt Billings or Robinson would have been that low had Billings played from the start

I'm sure there must be ECB regulations to cover all these variations on players dropping in or out of a Championship match at short notice, although I find it all a bit confusing. Denly has now opened in place of Robinson, who was listed to open. I'm sure Billings and Robinson have often played together in the middle order but if they are permitted to bring in Billings I don't see how it can be in place of anyone other than Robinson now, without altering the balance of the starting XI in their favour.

Jedrich wrote:According to the commentary on the stream Kent would be able to bring in Sam Billings for one of their bowlers on conclusion of the test match. That doesn't seem quite fair, given that they are unlikely to need to bowl again in this match.

Yeah that’s rubbish. Billings would only be allowed to replace Robinson as a “like-for-like”. The County Championship allows players to be inserted during a game if they are “released” by England but it has to be a like-for-like change. We’ve done it ourselves, Pope coming in halfway during a game in 2018.

However…

I don’t think it’s going to happen. The next test starts on Friday and there’s no guarantee Foakes will be available (given he’ll need to get down to Edgbaston from Leeds after his ECB-imposed isolation as well). Same goes for Overton too.

Watching the live stream. What’s happened to Johnny
Barran haven’t heard his dulcet tones with Churchy this
season.

Steve wrote:Watching the live stream. What’s happened to Johnny
Barran haven’t heard his dulcet tones with Churchy this
season.

There is a god...

Dare I mention the lack of a frontline spinner

Terrible pitch for this match , nothoin in it for any of the bowlers, stupid decision not to play Virdi or Moriarty . Paying tbe price now !!

Maybe Jacks just read my comment...

I’m intrigued to see how this plays out and how many overs Tom Lawes ends up bowling. Even if they were expecting more for the seamers from this wicket, to pick 4 seamers plus Sam is overkill and was flawed from the beginning. If we are so seam obsessed then I find it strange that Patel doesn’t get a bowl. He’s literally won us a match single handed with the ball before!

Feel for Lawes tbh

I notice that Curran has only bowled 9 overs so far

Hope he is not being restricted by the ECB again

Alex! wrote:Feel for Lawes tbh

Especially after that dropped catch. We needed that one.

Jedrich wrote:

Alex! wrote:Feel for Lawes tbh

Especially after that dropped catch. We needed that one.

Hah ! Well played Tom Lawes. He deserved that one.

He clearly should have been bowling more by now!