Gloucestershire tomorrow

Great performance and important result which keeps our hopes of a top-two finish alive. We have one more home game in this phase - v Somerset. No prizes for guessing what sort of pitch we should surely prepare to make the most of our resources. It would be lovely to see them (presumably without Leach?) hoist firmly by their own petard. .within the limits of what we can get away with in terms of pitch inspectors, of course.

One small grumble: many members and supporters naturally stayed in their seats to enjoy their lunches after the last wicket fell. Within 20 minutes over-zealous stewards were shooing them out. I have no idea what the club may be saving in such circumstances by releasing their stewards early, but it does not seem unreasonable to allow people who have travelled all that way for just a couple of hours' play an hour or so to enjoy their lunch in the sunshine before moving them out.

In other news Middlesex are on the verge of blowing it against Leicestershire

Jackers wrote:Great performance and important result which keeps our hopes of a top-two finish alive. We have one more home game in this phase - v Somerset. No prizes for guessing what sort of pitch we should surely prepare to make the most of our resources. It would be lovely to see them (presumably without Leach?) hoist firmly by their own petard. .within the limits of what we can get away with in terms of pitch inspectors, of course.

One small grumble: many members and supporters naturally stayed in their seats to enjoy their lunches after the last wicket fell. Within 20 minutes over-zealous stewards were shooing them out. I have no idea what the club may be saving in such circumstances by releasing their stewards  early, but it does not seem unreasonable to allow people who have travelled all that way for just a couple of hours' play an hour or so to enjoy their lunch in the sunshine before moving them out.

The stewards often do this: it's happened to me in the past. Maybe they are paid by the hour, but it's not on really. Never happens at other grounds.

I asked one of the stewards about this. They’ve been told to get the ground emptied as quickly as possible. He implied it was so the staff would work fewer hours and get paid less.

Shame. They should pay them up for the day. I imagine they would have set aside the full day to work.

Ali888 wrote:I asked one of the stewards about this.  They’ve been told to get the ground emptied as quickly as possible. He implied it was so the staff would work fewer hours and get paid less.  

Pretty much as I suspected then. It is rather a shame to create such a penny-pinching impression.  

When a game finishes so early on the last day they can surely allow people to stay on for an hour or so. They would still be able to release the stewards several hours earlier than would be the case if the game had lasted the duration.

Well, I thoroughly enjoyed my day at the Oval on Saturday and was glad we polished things off today. A bowling attack of Topley, Abbott, Moriarty and Virdi seems like it would be a handful in the right conditions. I love watching the spinners, so Saturday was a great day for me.

An excellent performance.
I was very impressed with Abbott who bowled straight and full but wonder why he was off the field for half of day 3 and day 4.
Regarding the stewards, I was told by someone who is a steward at Lord's that there they are paid for a full day however much play there is. Even if that is different at the Oval, there is no need for the type of action described elsewhere on this thread.
BTW I'm pleased to see the discussions on the new setup are far more sensible and, so far, no disrespectful or rude comments.

A couple of other things about the match just passed...

That's the best I've seen Patel bat (including his slowcoach 100). Much more confident and attacking than I remember him being in the last few years.

Also, Jamie Smith's keeping was generally of a high standard - he's no Foakes obviously, but better than say Bairstow or Buttler from what I saw of that showing.

A first rate team performance. Although Amla and the spin twins have rightly taken the headlines, others contributed to very good effect.

Missing Leg has just mentioned a couple. I'll flag one more - Overton. After a disappointing start to his Surrey career, that was by far his best game. A fine all round performance with runs, wickets and catches. His own fifty and 100+ partnership with Amla was so important. When he walked to the crease, I feared we might have been looking at 230 all out. Then in Gloucs' second dig, doing his ''day job'' (not before time but let's not be churlish after such a good win!) and bagging a couple of wickets including Brathwaite to start things off again. Three match catches as well - the one at leg slip to dismiss Tattersall off Moriarty on Saturday was pretty special for such a big man.

Jackers wrote:Great performance and important result which keeps our hopes of a top-two finish alive. We have one more home game in this phase - v Somerset. No prizes for guessing what sort of pitch we should surely prepare to make the most of our resources. It would be lovely to see them (presumably without Leach?) hoist firmly by their own petard. .within the limits of what we can get away with in terms of pitch inspectors, of course.

It's the white ball window and Leach will be playing for Somerset so it's debatable if preparing a pitch similar to ciderabad would be in Surrey's interest.

On the plus side Surey will have Burns, Foakes, Pope and Topley (if not in the ODI squad)

I don't think Ben Foakes is likely to be fit in time, though hopefully he will be back for the last set of championship matches in late August and September.

The Red Rooster wrote:

Jackers wrote:Great performance and important result which keeps our hopes of a top-two finish alive. We have one more home game in this phase - v Somerset. No prizes for guessing what sort of pitch we should surely prepare to make the most of our resources. It would be lovely to see them (presumably without Leach?) hoist firmly by their own petard. .within the limits of what we can get away with in terms of pitch inspectors, of course.

It's the white ball window and Leach will be playing for Somerset so it's debatable if preparing a pitch similar to ciderabad would be in Surrey's interest.

On the plus side Surey will have Burns, Foakes, Pope and Topley (if not in the ODI squad)

Out of interest, how bunsenish was the pitch? Can't judge from the Surrey innings and Glos only had Tom Smith, whose main successes have been in the one day game.

Somerset only have Leach (if van der Merwe take wickets it really is a full heat bunsen) so a ciderabad might still suit Surrey's two-and-a-half spinners.

I don't think the pitch was that bunsenish. It was just that we took so much time out of the match by batting slowly then they were always under pressure. The pitch was certainly worn, having played on it a week before, but Moriaty and Virdi used the dry conditions effectively which Smith was unable to do.

kjb wrote:I don't think the pitch was that bunsenish.  It was just that we took so much time out of the match by batting slowly then they were always under pressure.  The pitch was certainly worn, having played on it a week before, but Moriaty and Virdi used the dry conditions effectively which Smith was unable to do.

Thanks. I suspect that Gloucestershire's hearts sank when the arrived. Tom Smith has around 80 wickets spread over 14 years at an average of about 50! I think their other regular spinner is the all rounder van Buuren but he can't be picked if Brathwaite and Worrall are playing as he has been deemed overseas.

Chinaman wrote:Well played, well captained, good call on playing 3 spinners.

The points are still 5 for batting maximum and 3 for bowling. Check today's scorecard.  Thats not changed in years. 110 overs changed from 120 I think in 2017 or 2018. I can't recall points ever being 4.

It was 110 in 2015, I recall, so cannot have been that recent.

Are we now counting Jacks, with 1 First Class wicket, as a proper spinner!? This is like saying England are playing 4 spinners at Lord's tomorrow as they have Lawrence, Root, and Sibley...

But what this confirms is what we already knew: we have three (Virdi, Moriarty, Batty) top quality spinners who would probably get into most Championship sides.