Hampshire at the Oval 13th-16th April

[quote="guildfordbat"]

Steve wrote:Had to put the live stream commentary on mute.
Felix White every 5 mins Jimmy or Tail Enders!!
Get Churchy back.

I had no idea who they were. Thought they were a couple of schoolkids on work experience over the Easter hols.[/quote

I always turn the commentary off because the wokey "batter" language quite frankly is rank.

Good day today, would have been better if Brown had been caught for 3. Hard chance though. Hants batting is poor.

As others have said, fine bowling from Lawes and a good day for Surrey. Even more so after Burns and Sibley safely saw out the final 14 overs against a quality seam attack. Had we lost 1 or 2 wickets, that would have gone some way to levelling things up.

Just hope there's enough available play left for us to win. Weather forecast is concerning, especially for tomorrow.

Regarding the comms. What’s happened to Johnny
Barran. MC never mentions him anymore and he is no
longer on the BBC online comms.

Very iffy weather today. Two forecast sites are showing rain on and off all day. But you takes your chance...

Anyone closer to the ground able to give an assessment? Right now it doesn't seem worth coming over from East London

We have decided to go forcast better this,afternoon depends on how wet outfield is .

Just arrived at the oval no rain here at the moment covers are off.

Yesterday at work I muted the stream and put BBC on.

RB wrote:Yesterday at work I muted the stream and put BBC on.

Hi RB - I trust your employer is pleased you're coping with all the challenges faced at work.

No doubt an old chestnut,  but why announce at 12.10 that an early lunch will be taken at 12.30.
Can't they start lunch at 12.10 with a view to a 12.50 resumption  ?

Albeit now irrelevant

No you can't have an early lunch before 12.30. Another of crickets daft rules.

Chinaman wrote:No you can't have an early lunch before 12.30. Another of crickets daft rules.

Well, I never knew that......

guildfordbat wrote:

RB wrote:Yesterday at work I muted the stream and put BBC on.

Hi RB - I trust your employer is pleased you're coping with all the challenges faced at work.

My employer has tried to hire me at weekends for my scoring…!

Why is Clark in at 5, ahead of Steel and Smith? I would have him at 8 in this line-up (Lawes at 7).

I hope I reverse-jinx him, but it is a strange decision.


Questionable team selections are one thing, bloody ridiculous batting orders are quite another. He looked like a number 10 out there.

Jackers wrote:Why is Clark in at 5, ahead of Steel and Smith? I would have him at 8 in this line-up (Lawes at 7).

I hope I reverse-jinx him, but it is a strange decision.

Sorry, Jackers - no firm answer as I was going to ask the same. My guess is that we wanted to try and up the scoring rate without risking a 'proper' batsman.

Assuming not much more play today, we have to choose between going gangbusters to try to get to another 271 runs in 52 overs for 4 batting points and risking a very likely clatter of wickets, or playing positively but sensibly tomorrow with the aim of ensuring we get at least 350, which would yield 1 or 2 fewer bonus points but give us a greater chance of the 16 points on offer for winning given a good forecast on Sunday.

I hope we choose the latter.

Either way we have to bowl Hampshire out cheaply again. Probably the best way of winning the game is to get 500-ish and declare with a 200+ lead but that’s a big ask at 129-3.

Let's get 444 ahead and put them in for the final session on Sunday.

That’s ridiculous, it’s like the umpire actively wanted to come off.

Pope is absolutely crucial to our chances of winning this match. In fact, if he were to go early tomorrow we'd be likely to.lose it.

As for the Clark experiment...there should be an end of season award.for the most bizarre decision of the season. Promoting him above Steel and Smith - gritty players with early-season runs under their belt - under such difficult batting conditions already trumps leaving Lawes out at Old Trafford. Short of opening the batting in the next game with Virdi and Moriarty I think this will take some beating.

Declare 100 behind. Hants knock up a quick 250 and we
chase 350 to win. Both teams have a chance of the 16
points.

Pope or nothing it is then. Steel's dismissal looked...not great

If we bat til mid afternoon, seems little chance of getting a result either way with both sides eager not to lose against a fellow title rival

Sigh

Gulp !!