The Final Countdown: Surrey vs Hampshire away.

Lovely Kemar!

Lovely, lovely Kemar. The beer is nice and chilled.

Another door opened

Seems like last week was a much needed kick up the arse and we're taking those big catches

Tom Lawes eh

TL should always be the second name on our team sheet after Ben Foakes.

Steve wrote:I see them useless the c word!!  at the ECB are very kindly letting us have Jacks and Smith back.

That ODI series v Ireland is like Mark Butcher and Pep Guardiola fighting over a comb.  Lets get the bonus points we need any way we can.

I dont give a toss if it rains a lot as long as we win the title. Stewie et al can stick 2 fingers up at the ECB and tell them to kiss his arse!

Steve I think your belligerence has been passed on to the boys at Southampton! Good to see Pep get a mention.

I think Northants should declare whilst at 174-4 !!

Not sure why Tom Lawes has only bowled 9 overs so far(3/23)

That Lawes boy is something special.

60 first class wickets now from 17 (!) matches at 20.53 - TWENTY POINT FIVE THREE!!!

lets enjoy him while we have him cos it wont be long before he is with England

300 to win the championship it is then

I am still very fearful that we will mess this up. 300 runs looks miles away.

If these two are the not-out batsmen overnight there is no way Surrey should pull either of them out of the game to make way for Smith, however much I like him. I would be horrified if that were to happen.

The way its going I cant see us getting anywhere near even one batting point (250). This being the case Essex will only need 350 first innings runs and a win and we will be toast (assuming we lose).

Jackers wrote:If these two are the not-out batsmen overnight there is no way Surrey should pull either of them out of the game to make way for Smith, however much I like him. I would be horrified if that were to happen.

I think Jacks for Steel is a no brainer ,perhaps Atkinson for either Worrall or Overton,who have not impressed in this match is another substitution which might be a benificial change.

No they should stick with the players they have. I don't agree with this substitution nonsense at all, it's unfair and will water down what is now becoming a bit of a stuttering victory run in, if we get there. This isn't over yet and Sir Winston was right the other day, Essex are still in it. I'd still bet on us but only just. On a positive note, Lawes terrific today.

Can be 100% sure if the scenario was reversed, people would call this done & dusted rather than ‘only just’ ahead. Cracking day for us.

Very odd, sounds like I’ve listening to two very different games to a lot of other people on this board.

Hampshire are a good team and we got 3 bowling points reasonably easily without all the bowlers firing; let’s see how the batting goes tomorrow.

Meanwhile Northants (or at least Keogh) have put up a huge and unexpected fight - if I was an Essex fan I wouldn’t be confident this evening of winning this.

If I had been offered tonight’s scores at start of play, I’d have taken them!

We cant use Gus Dougie. He is in India now with the World Cup squad. They have some warm up games in the next couple of days. Let Patel finish his inns tomorrow and get Smith in for the 2nd inns as he might be needed to play a big knock.

Essex wont get 450 to get all the bonus points so we are home and dry.

Steve wrote:We cant use Gus Dougie. He is in India now with the World Cup squad. They have some warm up games in the next couple of days.  Let Patel finish his inns tomorrow and get Smith in for the 2nd inns as he might be needed to play a big knock.

Essex wont get 450 to get all the bonus points so we are home and dry.

Didn’t know they’d already gone, I would certainly play Smith for Steel In the 2nd innings,if not the first.

I think Jacks for Steel might be the smarter option. It looks like the wicket will take spin by Day 3.

I'm sure I read somewhere that we had to specify which substitute could replace which player before the match started. Anyone know if that's right or any details about the use of subs?

Anyway, I guess the biggest issue will be it playing havoc with RB's scoresheet!

Steve wrote:We cant use Gus Dougie. He is in India now with the World Cup squad. They have some warm up games in the next couple of days.  Let Patel finish his inns tomorrow and get Smith in for the 2nd inns as he might be needed to play a big knock.

Essex wont get 450 to get all the bonus points so we are home and dry.

If as it may be we get under 250 then Essex would only need 350 first innings runs. This is not remotely an unlikely scenario. People taking for granted that Surrey win the title are deluded.

Sir Winston Churchill wrote:

Steve wrote:We cant use Gus Dougie. He is in India now with the World Cup squad. They have some warm up games in the next couple of days.  Let Patel finish his inns tomorrow and get Smith in for the 2nd inns as he might be needed to play a big knock.

Essex wont get 450 to get all the bonus points so we are home and dry.

If as it may be we get under 250 then Essex would only need 350 first innings runs. This is not remotely an unlikely scenario. People taking for granted that Surrey win the title are deluded.

Sir Winston - I agree with your tone that it's not all done and dusted yet and it's not impossible it could still go horribly wrong but I strongly believe that Essex and their supporters would far, far prefer to be in our shoes tonight.

We shall go on to the end as your mate WC once said Winston!!