Weston Saint

I agree with everything said in this post. Sums up my views and I think, many of our supporters.

Spoke to Cork before beginning of play today. Wicket still flat but they are worried about the footholes. Very good batting from Adams and Dawson this morning. That session was all about remaining at the wicket. Likewise the afternoon session. Draw is very much the favourite

Disappointing morning. Pothas given lbw when it was clearly too high. He was not a happy chappie. Jones limped off mid over with a groin strain. Spoke to Bobby Parks and he thought it was not bad and more of a precaution. Tim Tremlett thought about 2 weeks. Cork then came off mid over but that was cramp from the high work rate he had undertaken yesterday. Rested and returned mid afternoon. Durham continued to plunder our weakened attack on a very good batting wicket showing very little movement or turn Well done to Stokes. An England all rounder looks a certainty in a few years in the Collingwood role if not Flintoff No scares from Adams or Dawson and 87-0 shows just how good this wicket is. Do not expect it to change tomorrow and it is just a tiny bit possible we can hold out and dare I say it win the game! Harmerson bowled a couple of overs but then went off again. The medical team were sat on the boundary whilst he ewas out there and scurried back to the changing room as he came off. Doubt we will see any more of him this match. Plunkett looks ineffective. Think it will be up to Thorp (who has bowled well throughout the match) and the spin of Blackwell. Stokes cannot continue to perform can he??? 96 overs again tomorrow for the final day split between a minimum of 80 overs up to the last hour and a minimum of 16 overs in the last hour.

Harmerson off with hand injury. Poor performance by our batsmen in getting out too easily to poor shots. Uphill struggle to save the follow on.

The "going concern" statement puts it into prospective. I am confortable with where we are and what is meant by that statement.

What I find interesting is the loan from the Shareholder! Thought we were supposed to be debt free? Loss about as expected and shows we need to progress through the leagues or face cutbacks or sales.

Review here http://www.rosebowlplc.com/news/hampshire-v-durham-cc-preview/ Carberry to miss the first half of the season is a blow!

Spoke to Nick Pothas, he will be wicket keeper batsman. Spoke to Rod Bransgrove. Kabir Ali is about 2 games away from playing. He is working very hard, if fact a bit too much and he has a little injury. Bransgrove could not talk more highly about his and Simon Jones application and enthusiasm to get fit and playing again.

Can now confirm Carberry out for the beginning of the season as he has not recieved medical clearance for his blood clotting problem. Tomlinson also injured at present and will not be in the squad for Friday's match. On a more positive note, McKenzie arrived at the Rose Bowl today and is ready for Fridays opener. Any more news and I will let you all know.

If Carberry is out, I will try to speak to him or one of the other players this evening I think the team might look like this in batting order:- Adams (vice captain) Myburgh Vince McKenzie Ervine Howell or Dawson Cork (captain) Bates (wk) Kabir Ali or Jones Briggs De Wet or Griffiths

Heare are some stats for you. I am a season ticket holder but home games on the first tuesday of the month I cannot make. Last season Tuesday 1st December Wycombe Won 1-0 Tuesday 2nd March Huddersfield Won 5-0 This season Tuesday 2nd November Dagenham Won 4-0 Tuesday 8th March (not first Tuesday I know but could not go) Yeovil Won 3-0 Guest what....cannot go this evening 2-0 Saints to complete the sequence?

He (Carberry) is at the ground today. Did not get a chance to speak to him but I may get a chance later

Spoke to someone on Saturday afternoon who confirmed it is done. I assume the club are not announcing it as it is only for the Academy at present. He is not old enough to sign a main contract. As for Chaimberlain, he said it was an ankle injury but everyone within the club are keeping very quiet on what tye of injury and how bad it is. Official line is that he is resting it and will be assessed in 2 weeks.

We started brightly but no end product. Then after about 10 minutes MK Dons came back into the game but were not a threat. We made too may poor passes. Chaplow and Lallana were the worse culprits. We did not move about enough up front and lacked pace. Hardings final ball into the box was very very poor. Then they scored from a corner, their first one and their first real attack. Clearly we were unable to play the diamond formation the side was set up for. Second half, more of the same. Then MK Dons broke with pace. Davis beaten on his right hand near post yet again. Does he not know where it is!! Changes then made by both sides, a bit late in our case I thought at the time. On comes Forte and bang bang we are level. Barnard, who I thought was not having the best of games, controlled a wonderful pass from Lallana and finished with a very good strike. Although it was always edge of the seat from then on we really never looked like letting the lead go. Great win, keeps up the momentum and the pressure on other sides about us. Men of the match for me was Fonte and Butterfield. Both looked assured and cool in defence. Jiadi his usual air dominance. Lallana had a quiet first half but a very influential second. Well done Forte. Changed the game with two goals close in. Shows what we can do if we get players in the box and deliver the ball. MK Dons looked tidy and worked hard. Can see why they are in with a chance of the playoffs. Ref was poor. When he was pushed by one of the MK Dons players late on he bottled it and only gave a yellow. Surely it was a red. It was a two handed lunge and push in the chest.

Funny thread to be arguing about or style of play or our Manager but threads do tend to drift from the original points. Saint Lard has held his view since Adkins was appointed. He appears to have been a Pardew supporter and was underwhelmed by Adkins appointment. He is correct that our performances of late have been poor. We have been winning and that is the the object of the excercise but the manner of our displays have been below what we were promised. There are question marks against Adkins but he was never bought in as a Premier Manager but one with potential to grow with the job as we progressed. Pardew and Cortese just did not get on for whatever reason and that alone was reason enough for change. I had severe doubts that Pardew could take us all the way and I am yet to be convinced that Adkins will although he has started well and does have the players on his side. I was speaking to someone who is a massive Saints fan but has been watching Championship football because his son plays in that league. He considers that when we get promotion we will find the Championship better suited to our flowing, passing side of football. There are less poor pitches, less spoiling teams and a better standard of football. He is confident we will grow and display the type of football we have been promised. This season is just about getting us up. Yes we want attractive flowing football. Adkins has shown us he is capable of coaching his team to that aim and the team has shown they are capable of that style. It will come and we need to be patient. Let's reserve judgement on our Manager until the end of the season.

He has a groin injury which they expect to be resolved by that game. He could not play tomorrow if we had a game, if I understand the issue correctly

Me and one other connected to the family

Date of Birth 12th December 1987. So he is 23

It is Saints medical practice for all players with leg injuries, even minor, to use cruches until the injury is assessed so don't read anything into that at present

Although we still have 10 games to go I think Brighton are too far ahead now so it is second place or the playoffs. We are still favourite to get automatic and I would say Peterborough close behind. BUT if Peterborough do get past us at the post we should be well able to cope with Huddersfield/MK Dons/Bournemouth/Leyton Orient. It would only become an issue if one of those got second and we had Peterborough in the playoff pool. Alpine....take a deap breath....release slowly...see it is not that bad

Disappointed after we were 1-0 up but another point towards our goal. Shame Lallana has a groin injury (do not know how bad it is) but he is a quick healer

Groin Injury. Do not know any more than that

Think we have to be careful here not to blame Howard. He wants to play for Saints again at some time in is career. He considers he has unfinished business with us as a local lad. He is only part way through a very good contract with Reading and getting games. They are in a division higher than us and in with a playoff chance. Saints called Reading to see if he was available if we approached them formerly. They made Howard aware of that interest but Saints did not take it further for whatever reason. Readin start him on Saturday, he has a good game and the Manager confirms he is still part of the promotion chasing squad. Howard ends speculation by stating he will be staying with Reading at present. It is well known by friends of Howard that he would have loved to have joined us on loan until the end of the season with an option to sign should we gain promotion. However he was not prepared to take a cut in wages. In view of his age that was sensible. I suspect Saints have contacted a number of clubs. This one has leaked, others may not have done.

On tour with England Lions in West Indies. Just taken 6/45 with match figures of 9/96 his best bowling figures in First Class Cricket. Top wicket taker for England on tour with 24 from five matches average 18.58. Also recored his highest score - 38no in a previous game on tour. Jimmy Adams also in team as opening bat has 350 runs (4th highest for England) from 5 matches with 1 century and 2 fifties averaging 43.75 Adams has also taken 5 catches and Briggs 3

I am going to keep my powder dry until the emergency loan period ends next Thursday at 5pm but don't ridicule OldNicks comment. Look at what is going on, or more to the point the lack of it!