County Cricket 2011 Season (III)

So who kidnapped Chris Wright and replaced him with his equally gangly demon bowler of a brother this last month?

I think Essex get to quite rightly claim 1/11th of the county championship.

Well batted by Liam Dawson.

Where the international greats Carbs, McKenzie and Ervine amassed 30 runs between them, Dawson carried his bat for a ton and a half. Good to know that Hampshire have at least one decent hope of getting back up next season!

Liam Dawson has always impressed me with the bat, very solid technique and that's now two unbeaten tons in front of the TV cameras yet I see his FC average before that innings was 31. Weird...

Hildreth and Buttler made a 170 stand v Lancs in first innings. And again, they are repelling all the North West's bowlers can throw ... errrr, bowl at them.

Hildreth stumped

Lancs might force the Bears to win yet.

Buttler goes too ... stonking catch by Horton, apparently.

On the other hand, Dawson is finally dismissed, at the second time of asking. So it is still comfortably the Bears' title to lose. 9 wickets of an as-good-as relegated side left to take on the last day it looks like - and Hants still 150 in arrears.

I spoke too soon. Hants falling in a heap, 3 wickets (so far) gone with the score in the 20s. ~ CC race pretty much run!

We are staying up, we are staying up!!

Congrats Baz.

Pete, Lancs are likely to win. Maybe just hope for inclemency like I did - hopefully to more avail.... Otherwise, Hampshire look toast.

Brass Monkey wrote:Congrats Baz.

Pete, Lancs are likely to win. Maybe just hope for inclemency like I did - hopefully to more avail.... Otherwise, Hampshire look toast.

Cheers Danny - barring an earthquake measuring 8.9 on the richter scale in the vicinity of Grace Road tomorrow, It doesn't look like your boys will be joining us - a pity as it would have consigned another test match ground to yet another season of Div 2 cricket.

No, we can't go up anyway. If it's a draw they'll have a point more than us anyway.

I thought your boys were dead and buried halfway through the season, so it's quite an effort to stay up.

Played six, lost six - that was our start to the season. Bumpy reckons us staying up is his biggest achievement in the game.

Really? Yeah, well I wouldn't have even had a 5er on you staying up! Top achievement.

Suppose all you need is Lancs to win the title and all your last round of matches wishes will have come true.

I think the Bears have just about got it sewn up - they would be there now I think if they had not had 8 points deducted for a poor pitch.

Amazing recovery by Worcs really, had written you off as 2nd div garbage halfway through the season...

Cheers JK - I must admit I had us written off more than once. Big Al was immense for us - so was, in a more understated way was Ben Scott - not far behind Foster as a gloveman IMO.

There's a fantastic team spirit for which Daryl Mitchell must take a lot of credit - I think, given time, he could become be our most succesful skipper since Phil Neale.

Remember Chas always rated Scott as a gloveman.

Well well well well well well well well well well well...

Warks can't get Carbs and McKenzie out.

Lancs have got Somerset 8 down and will have at least a 100 chase

Carbs looks a class player, pity about his illness he'd be a perfect reserve opener to take on a tour. I guess its pretty much ruled him out of England contention.

As for the title.... who do you want to win the least. The smug northern monkeys or the smug coach of the bears?

I had this conversation with Mudge the other day - I don't think Carbs has a problem travelling any more. He just wasn't supposed to fly while undergoing treatment.

So, if England wanted him for the winter, I see no reason why he wouldn't be available.

I don't think they will, though. Trott'll be the reserve opener - especially now they'll be confident Bell can do a proper job at three - and one of the millions of middle order bats they've got waiting in the wings will come in.

JKLever wrote:As for the title.... who do you want to win the least. The smug northern monkeys or the smug coach of the bears?

Well, PeterCS and Growler have actually softened my complete hatred of those absolute arrogant sh!ts. And whilst the hatred still burnishes, it burnishes silently out of respect for those genial forummers.

But, being Northamptonian, I f*cking hate Warks probably even more anyway - bar Worcs, we are their local rivals and Dermot Reeve acted like a massive qunt throughout the 90's. Capel nearly slotted him in one match. Then there's that ultra-qunt Ashley Giles, I f*cking loathe that piece of sh!t.

So the lesser of two evils is Lancs and I'm plumping for them.

'Smug Northern Monkeys' ... PCS & Growler excepted of course!

Dello wrote:I had this conversation with Mudge the other day - I don't think Carbs has a problem travelling any more. He just wasn't supposed to fly while undergoing treatment.

So, if England wanted him for the winter, I see no reason why he wouldn't be available.

I don't think they will, though. Trott'll be the reserve opener - especially now they'll be confident Bell can do a proper job at three - and one of the millions of middle order bats they've got waiting in the wings will come in.

I hope he isn't off the radar in that case. Be a damn fine sub fielder too!

TBH, this is the sort of England side that could bring in a non-youngster when Strauss retires - a la the sqiuntys with the likes of Hussey (or anyone else). I just like his batting and fielding. I'd take him on any Eng tour.

Cor, shocker of an LBW against Carberry. High, outside off. Shocking Lloyds....