Weston Saint

I actually think the Muppet forum was the right place for it! A dig at another poster. Unfunny comments and a heading that was clearly made to make out the post was interesting.

I thought we were about 25 runs short on that wicket but our spinners did us proud. Good to see Cork winning the toss and deciding to bat. Did not see who called the "huddle" Watched a very enjoyable England game before ours and the ball was turning then. Sussex have two world class quickies in Naved and Gul but on the night our world class spinners of Afridi, Tahir & Briggs was just what the wicket ordered.

For those interested we used the test match wicket for the England/Australia Ladies Game and our match. I wondered why the covers were put on it after our game against Gloucester last Friday. And guess what, the covers were put on it again last night!!! To be used again on Thursday Night???????

Not sure if he was "dropped" or more likely rested as Tomlinson can move the ball more and that seemed (excuse the pun!) important at Worcester. It could be part of the rotation policy. However he did not appear in the recent 2nd 11 game. Will speak to him tonight to see if he is carrying an injury.

This is my personal opinion rather than what I have heard unless I say I have spoken to players. I think Myburgh was bought in as cover for Lumb and Carberry. He did well in the overseas events and looked likely to be a certain to have a one day future. However with Lumb back, Myburgh in no real form and Howells/Dawson proving they are just as good it looks like he has been relegated to the 2nds. I think DeWet was bought in as cover for our "crocks" - Jones - Ali - Mascarenhas. He showed pre season form and bowled quick without luck. However Dimi and Kabir have recovered from injury and although not yet firing (Dimi in Championship) the potential is still there. De Wet is now playing for the 2nds The problem with Jones is that there was always a plan to take it carefully. The club clearly did not think he could bowl more that 6 overs a session and with the fear of him breaking down they have to bring in an extra bowler to cover for the "missing overs". That unbalanced the side. What better than let him have a month away with Glamorgan to see what he could do. He was very frustrated with not playing (he told me so a while back) and I hazzard a guess that some of that might have been the way his contract was constructed. He has a young family and needs to be earning. May be that is the reason the club agreed. We have to remember that Carberry is one of our best players and has been out this season so far. He is unable to play at present because of this blood thinning medication and the risk of any cut injury. He has to see if the clots in his lungs have cleared. That cannot be done by mediction. He has to wait for the natural body efforts to beak it down. He is due a scan soon and will be able to sit down with his Consultant and decide his future. At 30 he told me it could be the end of his cricket career but lets wait and see. I can detail this now (I had a couple of long chats with him earlier in the season) as it was an article in the Telegraph during the Test. The form in the Championship is very worrying and it is difficult to see why. Our batting is not up to standard. Adams is ok and McKenzie is beginning to find his form. We have not seen enough of Lumb to judge. Pothas is in poor form and Vince has yet to impose himself consistantly. Ervine when he has been fit (he is now) has also had a dreadful season so far. Our bowling is just as bad. We have good spells but fail to push on. Cork is still on the button but sometime I think he bowls too must in a session. Ali has yet to find his form, Dimi is finding his way back. Tomlinson had a poor match against Worcester following a long lay off and although I think Griffiths is fit he did not feature. Second Division Cricket looks a real possibily and that will hurt. As for the reasons in the dressing room? White is a good coach and not afraid to trying different things. There is a rumour that Cork has lost the dressing room. It came from earlier posts on this thread and I heard it on Friday night. However I have seen no evidence of that so far. It may just be too many players including DeWet and Myburgh off form at the same time!!! These two are good players and proved themselves previously. As for the Test Match, it was a total success in all areas other than the weather and it looks, from rough figures available as if the club will not make much of a loss if any. The important thing is that it ticked all the right boxes as a Test Match venue and we can look forward to more coming to the Rose Bowl if the financial criteria is right.

Marstons Pedigree and I might start drinking at SMS again!

Lumb out of Thursday & Fridays T20 games as he is called up by England for the T20 match against SL. Back for next weeks games.

Go and sit with him or pass the time of day with him when we are not doing very well in a 4 day game! You will know then how passionate he still is about the 4 and 5 day game. He just feels there are too many 4 day games for each team.

It is reported their bid was £2m. Hampshire's Commercial Manager, Zak has reported to the press that whilst ticket sales were disappointing it was not a problem for the club. I will likely know more late next week

It is wdely thought that RoseBowlplc paid in excess of £1m for the Test Match. I am not sure if they have insured against any refunds. As yesterday was over 25 overs no refund is due. Today they are a couple of overs short so 50% refund available. Ticket sales were very disappointing but just enough to avoid any major financial problems I am led to believe. As far as corporate & food concerned the Rosebowl sold the franchise with a decent profit % coming back.

Geoff, we all know that Cortese and the club keep things quiet until the deal is done and announced on the Official Site. May be this quote on transfer window in English Football is the reason nothing yet anounced. In England, the transfer window formally opens on 1 July, transfers between clubs in the same association can take place as soon the last competitive fixtures for the season have been played. However, many transfers will not be completed until 1 July because many players' contracts expire on 30 June

Yes you can as you will have found out by now

Steve McLaren says his appointment as the team conductor on the bus is just the ticket to build a platform to drive them on their journey to that shown on the destination board “the Premiership”. There will be stops along the way but no room for any passengers.

I am now hearing Afridi will join us next week. NOC reinstated

A compromise between the PCB and former captain Shahid Afridi is likely following a meeting between the board chairman Ijaz Butt and Afridi in Islamabad, bringing to an end one of the biggest player-board disputes in recent memory in Pakistan. "I did meet Afridi in Islamabad but I cannot say any more than that at the moment," Butt told ESPNcricinfo. He refused to indicate if the meeting had an outcome or whether there was an announcement to be expected. A statement from the board later said no further announcements will be made. Speculation indicated that through this agreement, Afridi will be given the No Objection Certificates he needs to play for Hampshire and later in the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL). In return, he will withdraw the petition he filed in the Sindh High Court against the board's decision to form a disciplinary committee, cancel his central contract and revoke his NOC and will face any punishment the committee hands out. In effect, the situation appears to have returned to when Afridi first replied to the board's showcause notice, in which he accepted violating the code of conduct and expressed a willingness to face a hearing if his NOC was reinstated. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for June 16 at the Sindh High Court and Afridi could withdraw his petition then. The meeting is believed to have been the result of intervention of senior political figures; from the start the dispute took on a political character. Afridi had appealed directly to Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari, who is the chief patron of the board, to resolve the situation. He had met Zardari's son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in London and had spoken to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as well on the matter. Rehman Malik, the interior minister and mediator in past disputes, also got involved, promising on Twitter to find a solution. The flurry of activity prompted the PCB to issue a rare statement expressing displeasure at the political interference, compelling Butt to tell a local newspaper of his exasperation at the number of phone calls he had received on the matter. Advisors close to Afridi are also believed to have tried convincing him to reach a compromise with an administration under whom he has publicly said he will not play again, after having been removed as ODI captain in May. Though Afridi was unconvinced at first, the possibility of losing out on the Twenty20 stint with Hampshire - who were looking at Chris Gayle as a replacement option - forced his hand. "We've remained hopeful all along, and we are very hopeful that an announcement can be made soon," Rod Bransgrove, Hampshire's chairman, told ESPNcricinfo. "But we cannot say anything more definitive beyond that at this stage. "We had to look at all contingency options, and Chris Gayle's name was one of those names that came into the frame," Bransgrove said. "But we have remained hopeful all along that Afridi would receive clearance to join us for the remainder of the Twenty20 campaign." Osman Samiuddin is Pakistan editor of ESPNcricinfo; additional reporting by Andrew Miller, ESPNcricinfo's UK editor

So if Saints had confirmed in April (when most other clubs announced season ticket prices) that they were going to change the concession rate from 60 to 65 most of those complaining about the lack of communication from the club would have accepted the position? I appreciate the change has come hard to some and I accept the club should have communicated why they decided not to phase it in but what of those 50-59 who are not working? They do not get their state pension until 65 (They get fuel allowance and bus pass when they are 60 unless that changes). Why should those 60-64 who are in a similar position get a consession when they are in the same position as the example I have quoted. Just because you have done something before does not mean you have a god given right to continue when your circumstances have changed. For the record I am 59 in August and "retired" although I do have a good private pension so not in the same unfortunate state as some posting on here. A question for Andoverian. Did you not pay a full rate to see Saints in the Premier? Was the concession not 65 then? I am told it was although I appreciate you were not within the 60 -64 bracket then). If we had still been in the Premier woulld you have been able to afford it now your age and circumstances have changed? I am not having a dig. I am trying to get you to look at the full picture. I appreciate we are not in the Premier but that is not the issue. Your affordability is the issue.

Love the highlighted bit.

He made 7 appearances for the reserves 2001-2002 and scored twice

What a load of rubbish! If Arsenal wanted Chamberlain they would not be worried about a 40% sell on clause. They will want to play him in due course, not use him as a business commodity to sell on for business profit. It is more likely the stumbling block was a £10m up front payment, no add ons but with a sell on clause. But what do I know! Or the papers!

No one seems to have been able to answer my earlier post! Look back to the time we were relegated to the Championship and the price you paid for a season ticket then. Add on inflation and increase in vat. Are you so far away from what you are being asked to pay next season. Forget the change in age concession, that is not the issue. Also was it not 65 and above at that time?

In the CB 40 game against Surrey he was striding down the wicket hitting a couple of 6's. Got beaten by one from Schofield, tried to turn to avoid a stumping and damaged his calf. Has been fit since beginning of T20 competition and had a couple of warm up innings in recent 2nd eleven T20 friendlies. Just cannot get back into the side at present but is travelling with the team and in the squad.

Plan B I am afraid might happen. That will be job losses across the council. Those areas where agreement has already been reached may have to be reversed. An alternative answer? Bin collections every 2 weeks with the reduction in staff falling in that area. Last in first out will save a fair bit in redundency payments as well. The Government have put a freeze on Council Tax to force the authorities to look for cutbacks and slimline services. We might not like it but the same is happening in the private sector and has been for years. I have sympathy with anyone asked to take a cut in pay BUT the alternative is job losses. Perhaps this council should have made a decision to cut jobs. They have tried a kinder way. Now they just may have to be more aggressive.

Nothing wrong with the wicket. Absolutely no chance of an ECB investigation

The Pakistan court have deferred the hearing until 16th June. I am not aware of any replacement being sought but we seem to be doing ok without so why spend money to fix something not broken!

Tahir is in Johannesburg today, where he has been nominated to win the SA Newcomer of the Year award as well as two domestic awards; SuperSport Series Cricketer of the Year and MTN40 Cricketer of the Year. He will be available for the next game against Gloucestershire