Weston Saint

I can understand Northamptonshire being very disappointed but I thought it was a good declaration by Derbyshire. They left them enough time to bowl Essex out and enough incentive for them to go for it. Just the sort of thing Warne did for us on more than one occassion.

Adams was my man of the season. Has become a very good and reliable opener and fielder. Some stunning catches Carberry also had a great season with the bat and but for his injury would have run Adams close. Lumb has had a fantastic one day season but disappointed in the 4 day game. He has, however managed 1,000 runs in first class cricket and another 1,000 in the ListA/T20 Dawson has had his first full season in the first team and we must not forget he is still only 19. He and the coaches considers him a batsman and for that reason he has opened (to gain discipline and build an innings) whilst restricting his bowling involvement. A decent season with much promise of more to come as he gains experience. Benham has had a disapointing season and looked like on who might find himself in the wilderness. Of late however he has shown a much more mature approach and the runs have begun to flow. Vince is the new youngster on the block. He has all the makings of a very good and stylish number 3 or 4 batsman in the Vaughan/Gower mould. However he probably needs another year in the seconds to lean his trade. I expect him to only get limited exposure next season in the first team Ervine has had another indiferent season by his early standard but is a very useful all rounder and will continue to feature as a regular Pothas is immense and I would have preferred him as club captain. Not so adventurous as Dimi but a better motivator. Like Carberry, runs Adams close to man of the season. Mascarenhas has had a very disappointing season for me. He is still a player you cannot leave out when fit and available but we have not missed him that much when he has not been around this season. Cork seems to go on and on. A much better season for us than he had for Lancs last season. Definately a plus Tahir has had a good second season with us. Started slow but without his bowling I think we might well have been relegated. He was our leading wicket taker in the longer version of the game. Tremlett had his usual injury problems and you have to feel sorry for him. A move away from Hampshire might suit him but he is still under contract for next season Tomlinson came into the season with a slight injury and has never been able to show the form of last year. He has not been able to get in the side much of late due to the emergance of Griffiths Griffiths has avoided a lot of the injuries that plagued his early career. His speed and form of late had Middlesex & Yorkshire making approaches but he has agreed a new contract with Hampshire. Balcolme is the unlucky one who just cannot get into the side at present. His time will come either for Hampshire or at another 1st class county. Not suggesting he will move at present. Burrows is a very good wicket keeper and did not let himself down in that role when Pothas injured. However his batting lets him down and the team were unbalanced when he was in. He is presently looking for another county. Bates in the academy (picked for England Under 19's for this winter) will likely be the understudy next season although he too needs to work of his batting skills. Riazuddin did reasonably well in the one dayers but has yet to break into the 1st team properly yet. He too is only 19 Briggs was the suprise package coming into the side late in the season and he did his future no harm at all As a team we had a disappointing Championship season but with strengthening, Mendis for Tahir and possibly Ali from Worcestershire I can see us competing for the Championship next season. We won the FP Trophy in the 50 over game but in the 40 over league we lost our way in the middle of the season ending mid table. Getting knocked out in the QF of the T20 was very disappointing but again I feel we can win this next season. We are getting better at the shorter game so that is progres this season. Mascarenhas has some games for England IOD side but he is not likely to tour at all this winter. Lumb made the England 30 but not the final party. Carberry is almost over his finger fracture and is eagerly awaiting a call into the Lions tour squad. Earlier this season we had Dawson captaining the England Under 19's and that role was taken over by Riazuddin. Wood Vince and Briggs also played during that tour and later at home. Wood & Riazuddin are now 19 but Vince, Bates and Briggs have received confirmation that they are in the Under 19 party this winter. Roll on next summer.

If you have good anti virus and using windows mail (outlook express) it should scan the outgoing and make sure no virus attached.

Looks like someone has an infected computer/lap top and you are in their address book. The virus goes into their address book and sends spam pretending to be from you and your wife. You may need to write to everyone in your address book to ask them to scan their system with good anti virus software as mentioned above.

Harris is their nationally contracted player and as he is not in the SA IOD squad it was always likely he would play. Tahir has been busy for Hampshire and only flew out on Monday. Always likely Titans would rest him. Spoke to him before he left. He hopes to come back for a short while next season to fill in when Mendis cannot be with us. Subject to negotiation he said. I asked him about his SA qualification and what were his chances. He said very positive feedback from SA National team. He is very hopeful of a full SA cap in the near future. Extremely nice quite man.

We only needed 3 points as we were 19 ahead of Sussex. If they gained 22points and we only got three we would be on same points. Then it goes to games won. Still same but then on games lost. On the above senario we would have then lost 4 but Sussex have already lost 5. As I say, we were safe when we reached 300 and the 3rd bonus point

Now safe. We cannot get relegated

Hampshire lost the toss. Yorkshire have put us in but bad light has delayed the start Edit Looking at the Hampshire side it looks like they have made a decision today to replace Vince with Tomlinson to bolster the bowling attack. They must have looked at the wicket and decided it was good for bowlers. Losing the toss and being inserted is not in our favour but with the need of only 3 points we should be fine.

I think the answer is simple. The Pinnacle offer was the best on the tabe for the creditors. It followed other failed bids (walk aways because of the manner of the Administrator and his demands for a large unrefundable deposit) Other large Administrating companies had turned away from acting before Fry's company appointment. Others saw it as too much of a risk of failure. Fry was a very worried man. Wages needed to be paid, Surman was told he might have to be sold, we were near to extinction and I mean days not weeks. He confided in someone that he was almost certain he would fail. Pinnacle had been around and making noises. Crouch joined with them and produced the money needed (not for the first time since Administration) The Swiss were new and unknowns at that stage and likely offering less to the creditors. In a nut shell, Fry in panicked. I make these assumptions part from what I have been told and part reading between the lines. I could be wrong though.....won't be the first time as some, I am sure, would be quick to point out.

Stop antagonising

That was very impressive. Pardew talks a lot of sense and honesty. The club is in safe hands as far as I am concerned.

Appears he is still on cruches (17/09/09) but there is hope he will be back in 3 weeks.

Walked out in protest against Lowe...came back with Wilde on a paid job...mixed and influenced when Crouch took control...refused to be part of the Lowe comeback....came back on a free ticket under the new regime but has disappeared since he was told to pay. Wonder why Crouch has not been back? No doubt his money saved us in the summer but without a position is he hurting?

I think once Saga is in a settled side, is prepared to work and have a supporting midfiled both centre and on the wings he will start to score again on a regular basis.

Sorry Nick, I believe my source. He was closer to the action than those you and I associated with at the time all that was going on.

One thing is abundantly clear though is Lowe would not listen to anyone that the "kids" experiment was doomed to failure. The alternatives might have put us into administration earlier but that is speculation. The alternatives might have increased the paying fan base and balanced the cost of the alternative but that is speculation also. As for MLT, he has made a mistake with the betting scam or has wrongly reported his involvement to sell his book (ie that it did happen but not with him) and he was clearly hoodwinked by the Pinnacle Group (it is possible Tony Lynam was as well but he is unlikely to admit to that and further damage his reputation in the industry). I consider MLT keeping his own counsel on these matters now to be the most sensible approach. There will be some (like yourself and Duncan) who want answers and he is in a no win situation. Keeping his own counsel on a slightly tarnished reputation will keep it at that.

Actually the Administrator was not the first choice. The company Lowe wanted refused to act as they were worried they would not be paid, such was the state of our finances and the belief in the industry no buyer would be found. Fry and his company took the risk others had refused. My source was close to the action, a shareholder and a board member in the past.

Stop being such a drama queen Robbie.

I would have Saganowski up front with Lambert every time but he has to be the workhorse. My side: ----------------Davis------------------- Murty (Thomas)-- Trotman-- Jaidi-- Harding -------------Hammond-------------- Waigo-----------Lallana----------Holmes (Mills) ----------Saganowski -- Lambert-----------

http://www.cricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/425399.html It may be being widely reported that Kabir Ali will leave Worcestershire at the end of the season, but county chief executive Mark Newton is adamant that won't happen unless someone agrees to pay £60,000 to release him from the last year of his contract. Kabir is said to have verbally agreed a three-year deal with Hampshire, but Newton remains determined over the issue of compensation. "£60,000 is the minimum we would accept to let Kabir leave," he told the Kidderminster Shuttle. "We feel very strongly about this. Do we run the risk of having an unhappy Kabir next season? Of course we do, but we all know Kabir well enough to know that if he is here next year then he will give 100%." If, as seems increasingly likely, no other county agrees to the fee, then he has the choice of seeing out his last year with Worcestershire or paying the money himself. Rod Bransgrove, Hampshire's chairman, also looked to play down his county's association with Kabir until the contract issue is resolved. "We can't agree a deal until he is released by Worcestershire. He is a player we are interested in, as I imagine are others, and we will continue to be interested in."

Someone who has mixed in LM's company regularly once said to me "the problem is that Laurie thinks the world owes him a living" I have spoken to Laurie a couple of times recently and found him pleasant and polite. I do know he is very unhappy at having to pay to go to SMS. Don't think he has attended since that happened. By the way I understand Crouch has not attended either but that may be for another reason. On the subject of paying to see Saints there is a consensus that the present ownership have got that wrong and should understand that ex loyal players and long standing past officials should be given a free season ticket to the club. It happens elsewhere. It happens at Hampshire Cricket as well. Time for Mr Oldknow to review this policy. Supporters want to see ex players in the stands. It is part of the "match day experience"

Spoke to Trevor Jesty before the start today. He said there was a rough area which might trouble left handers. I suspect Hants have held Ervine back by playing the right handers after the loss of Lumb & Adams. Seems to have worked so far. Only explanation I can give. I have not heard he is injured.

Spoke to Tim Tremlett and Chalky White today. He has not signed yet. Remember the quote says he has agreed a 3 year contract. He has to sort out with Worcestershire & it may be subject to us staying in the 1st Div. I think it may be pretty much nailed on but...........

http://www.cricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/425176.html Kabir Ali has agreed a three-year deal with Hampshire, subject to negotiating his full release from Worcestershire. While the bowler hopes to join Hampshire ahead of the 2010 season, the thorny issue of compensation has yet to be resolved. Worcestershire have demanded £60,000 in return for releasing Kabir from the final year of his contract. The bowler, however, suggests that the club exasperated his injury problems by asking him to bowl when injured and failing to provide adequate medical treatment. Unless a compromise is reached, it is an argument that could have to be settled by lawyers. Kabir would certainly represent a decent signing for a Hampshire side that are still not certain of avoiding relegation. While he has missed much of the 2009 season through injury, Kabir has the best strike-rate of any England-qualified bowler (with more than 100 first-class wickets) and was close to an England recall before injury struck. Though several clubs expressed an interest in the fast bowler, Kabir only held talks with Hampshire and feels the club offer him the best opportunity to regain a place in the England side.

First, this is the wicket England & Australia played on Wednesday. Secondly it was the pitch chosen by Hants coaching staff. Thirdly, Durham have a good seam attach so to go for a wicket that will take spin it a good decision. Tremlett & Tomlinson are fit but not able to get into the side. Griffiths tells me he has agreed contract terms with Hampshire despite interest from Middlesex & Yorkshire. Club are looking to strengthen with quality players. No announcement yet and as always it may depend on staying in this division but I suspect they are still eying up Kabir Ali of Worcestershire. I also suspect that Simon Jones will not be coming. Shame about the bad light & rain