Hodgey

Evening major

The hundred has never really delivered the superstars. First year loads withdrew due to Covid, this year some stars are about but all the big players are missing a few games due to internationals (ie for Brave - Stoinis and De Kock). I still enjoy it, but in reality they could have throw all this money and effort behind T20 - losing a ball an over / bowlers able to bowl 2 overs etc is all a bit silly in reality. Be interesting to see if it is bringing in a family / female crowd and this format appeals to that group more which was the idea.

I like Che - but he is incredibly right footed, the chances I’ve seen lost whilst he tries and runs around the ball rather than use his left. His right isn’t fantastic either - has a good shot but not great placement. All that said he’s our best striker currently, so selling him now would be madness (hoping it’s all paper talk but can’t rule out a move - doesn’t seem in particular favour pre season). He’s also a streaky player - so we need to ensure he’s in when he goes on one of his (sadly short) runs…

Currie is an interesting prospect. Didn’t know he could bat like that and if he can stop the loose balls he can be dangerous. Also very bat heavy lineup which will be a problem if someone really gets after one of the 5 bowlers (two of which are ironically our 4 day opening batters !). I’d like to see Prest given a bowl as think he could be a useful spin option from what I saw in the T20. The competition is effectively like the league cup in the early stages - mainly kids and reserves !!

It’s an interesting debate as either side could be right. We might have signed superstars who quickly adapt to the Prem and have us flying up the table. Or we might have signed players with a load of potential who will take a year or two to start fulfilling it at this level. Or we may have signed players who will always be found wanting at this level and unable to live up to the early potential. Probability suggests we’ll have one of the former, a couple of the middle and a couple of the latter. That’s my expectation - anything more a bonus and anything less and I’d ask questions of our recruitment. With this transfer policy, the expectation should surely be to avoid a relegation dogfight and progress the youngsters to be Prem ready players for next year. I’m loving the optimists looking for more, but for me it’s easy to underestimate how tough this league has become, it’s a mammoth jump up from playing in smaller leagues, and an even bigger jump for those with little professional experience. we do need a ready now striker though - even if on loan. I can’t see many goals currently in this squad. So I’m going for a 2-0 defeat, and looking for an improvement in tactics to make the most of what looks like an inexperienced/lack of clear Prem level playing squad.

Would be a real shame to lose Fuller, especially as the Hants coaches have helped him pull it all together. Then again if he thinks that Benny Howells could take his spot might make him think - plus it leaves a big all rounder spot at Gloucester. I’d love to have them both - you can never have too many all rounders in limited over cricket, but Fuller has been pivotol in our success this year on all forms so would be a big miss.

Ignoring Valery who is a clear back up, and Rom who is still a great player but can’t play every week, the other 4 are all overpaid Att Mid who can neither score or assist at that level. As such nobody will buy them and as they only have a year left will just be hanging around. On the plus side that’ll free up a good £14m in wages for next year. Guess Djenepo will be an emergency wing back and Ely/Red can probably bully a lower div team we may meet in one of the cups. I’d hope SR would be savvy enough to have understood the only saleable assets we have are the ones we wouldn’t want to lose.

I don’t think we can really moan at other teams performances against Surrey - they are all getting closer than our miserable effort earlier in the season. Still all to play for but let’s be honest so far Surrey have been the better team (no surprise given their strength), undefeated too, but Lancashire away looks the trickiest of all their fixtures. Amazing job to still be in the hunt against such a strong team.

Annoying as it is you have to doff your cap to Surrey. In an awful mess they ended up with a 50 odd lead with Essex 2 down. Incidentally Will Jacks family live just down the road from me - he’s having a good season. As for Hampshire, not bothered about that collapse as time is against them so need to look to get Gloucestershire to follow on. Bigger question is who can take points off Surrey - as we can’t !!.

Not sure why they are complaining about that - the fact they tried to run another to win when the game was clearly over was a bit ridiculous, would you really want to win like that ?. That said they do have a right to moan about the change in field setting, but that’s down to the umpires - they obviously didn’t tell Hampshire to set the same field, plus they snuck a man outside the circle earlier on. I think overall they are just gutted they threw away such a strong winning position so are trying to self justify it…

I called this after 4 games when I said they might as well give up and play the kids !. So enjoyable, really felt like they earnt that trophy - still don’t think they are the most talented squad, but they are a team where everyone contributes when needed and they just never give up. After that no ball I had no idea that Lancashire only needed 2 runs to win from the final ball. McDermott really came into his own in the latter stages of the tournament and Fuller has been absolutely excellent - deservedly pipped to man of tournament by Vince - not just for scoring the most runs but his catching, captaincy and even run outs have been crucial. What a rollercoaster - when they were 70-1 after 7 overs, even having seen Hampshires exploits before, I couldn’t see a way back in. Makes up for the dirge served up by saints in the last few month - maybe we can get Vince to give them a talk on application, teamwork and never giving up.

I’m hoping the pitch has got much trickier to bat on - otherwise this will be woefully short

Very professional display that. As long as the batters give the bowlers something to aim at they generally produce as they are hard to get away so take wickets as the batsmen feel pressure to keep up the run rate. Lancashire a form team like us so this will be interesting - come on Hampshire !!

Fair play to Surrey - pulled a win out from nowhere there !!

Haven’t they bought Peresic to play left wing back ? And they have Davies who can play there too as well as Regulion and Sessignon. Seems most unlikely to me

To dismantle as good a batting side as that, in their own back yard is outstanding. Ellis, Fuller and Wheal looked incredibly dangerous. Also pleased that Weatherly got a good knock in when we were wobbling a bit after a very quick start. Finals day again !!

Lost our way at the end there - couldn’t play Braithwaites very wide Yorkers at all. Think we may be 10-15 runs short there given their batting line up but let’s see…

Tough tough game - their nrr is huge so they’ve obviously thrashed a few. That said as you say they have lost as many as we have and finished with a loss tonight. Wonder if they’ll have a spin friendly pitch with Lintott and Briggs, and we also know all about Stirling and Davies from the hundred. Apparently it’ll be this Thursday…

Was going to post something when Hampshire were averaging 3 an over in the power play and just lost Vince and McD but this Hampshire team seem to be able to read wickets well. Prest took a crucial wicket and run out and Fuller continues to be excellent - everyone seems to contribute although Whitely remains in horrible Nick - given he’s just a short game players who only bats he’s having a shocking season so far. but if he scored a ton in the quarters all will be forgiven !!.

Difference in this game was the tail - we couldn’t get Essex tailenders out and that gave them 100 or so more runs. Also we clearly can’t play Harmer given his 14 wickets…all that after our openers had finally laid a decent foundation.

Good point, thought he was a seamer.. Well they survived that session…

Yep - if they have any kind of decent spinners we are in trouble. That said Twice Essex’s tail has amassed them a load of runs so if (they won’t) but if any of our batsmen get themselves in there is a chance. Need our openers to actually see off the new ball first mins…

I’ve seen him as a cb and he’s definitely put a foot wrong, inc one horrific pass that put a striker clean through (Forster saved him). He is much better there than right back, and is better with two other centre backs, but he isn’t good enough for anything other than doing a job for a couple of games, and for me is worse than Stephens, Bednerak and Lyanco. As mentioned, a really poor right back.

Not sure that’s fair - he’s more than that, in open play he still scored more goals than any of our midfielders, and he does assist in open play, plus he is an excellent (not just dependable) water carrier who often prevents goals, so no - not just a game changer for free kicks in decent positions. On the creativity front I do agree, some is due to our style but also poor quality finishing and we need better players to solve this - but these players are few and hard to get above competition . Not sure about your point on dead ball situations - a goals a goal, whether it’s from a free kick or an open play postage stamp from 30 yards it’ll still win games. If you happen to have someone who can do that the last thing you want is to lose them as you won’t find a replacement.

If we didn’t have JWP last year we’d probably have gone down. We know what he can do - he’s our captain, top goal scorer, is everywhere and assists. I honestly think if we sell him we go down - is that worth £75m - not for me. If however he really wants to go then £75m should be the price - means someone had to be really serious about starting him and allows JWP to leave with a chance of buying quality. As for our scouting skills - we’ve done ok recently, but there are so many holes in that squad already, and for every Livremento or Salisu there’s an Armstrong or Diallo.