I will need to get my apologies in early but I won't be able to blog on last night and tonight in detail until I get home tomorrow.
The southern lakes area is beautiful but WiFi is either limited or non-existent in the place we are staying.
Please add any comments you wish to make at this stage here and I will review the two games when I get a stable connection.
Thanks!
Really disappointing PF - however Northants are no mugs and it's only a couple of years since they won the competition. They were always going to win sometime. Cobb I seem to remember played a match winning innings on finals day and he provided the big hitting which none of our batsmen were capable.
ReplyDeleteSome people around me were debating the decision to bat first - but I guess thinking must have been to get runs on the board and then our bowlers would control proceedings as last Friday and in other recent games. A slowish start in the powerplay but Goldleman (who was again excellent) and Madsen batted really well for a spell. Buck bowled a really good last over and three runs wasn't enough; I thought Wilson had done well until then. However 177 seemed plenty if the bowlers bowled controlled spells. The Riaz no balls simply gave away 10 free runs and combined with that last over of our innings could have cost the match. Hardus went from the ridiculous to the sublime - I recorded his overs as costing 17/2/4/18 (including extras) but the middle two overs deserved wickets. Ferguson produced some excellent deliveries but overall it was too predictable and Cobb and co profited.
Not sure Dal will play today as he injured his hand and didn't field. Mixed feelings with this as I love his enthusiasm in the field but he's simply not scored enough runs. It will be a hard task to win at Worcester but another failure will I think be terminal to this season's campaign.
Can we get a refund on the new lad?
ReplyDeleteDisappointing two days. For Northants I thought we were always 20 runs behind after the power play and never got up to the 200 that looked par. Their two best T20 batsmen Duckett and Cobb (who would walk into our top 6) put the game out of our reach with consistent hitting all the way through. All the bowlers seemed to bowl a couple of decent overs and a couple of expensive ones but we never looked like winning all the way through the innings. Maybe some spin variation would have given us more chance but maybe not?
ReplyDeleteFor Worcestershire again you don’t win many games from 25 for 4 at the end of the power play, even chasing 138. I do think Critchley and Hughes seemed to come in too late in most games. I know you need hitters at the end and Critchley won the Yorkshire game but they are two of our best one day players and should come in earlier. For example this game was gone before they came in.
Just think our batting has been too inconsistent barring Godleman (and perhaps Madsen) and also lacking the power most expected at the start of the tournament. I suspect that’s it for another year. Can you cancel air tickets from NZ at late notice?!
Spineless performances sum up this campaign. That run chase against Worcester was frankly embarrassing, chasing a modest 137 we couldn't get near it in our full twenty overs with wickets remaining. Back to the drawing board with a lot of questions to be answered.
ReplyDeleteAfter the results from the last couple of nights, this topsy-turvy group goes into the last coupe of rounds with 5 teams in the chase for the last qualification place, with Worcestershire, Durham and Lancashire nailed on for qualification. Yorkshire wrestled the choker mantle from Lancs last night and wore it with pride at Trent Bridge tonight as they tipped themselves back into a scramble that they looked as if they had well and truly escaped, while Leics, who looked out of it with Worcs to play tonight, have turned themselves back into contenders. I don't know if Worcs had an off-night (unlikely after they were so clinical against us last night) or were a bit complacent, but either way, we need them to be up for it against Notts on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteFor us, the game against Leics suddenly becomes a knock-out match, with the loser left with no chance of qualification. Both Derbyshire and Leics need the same combination of results - win both games, Notts to lose to Worcs, Warwickshire to either Lancs or Worcs, and Yorkshire to lose to Notts. If Yorks beat Northants, that will leave Derbyshire or Leicester, Yorkshire and Notts all on 14 points with Warks on a maximum of 13 if they lose one of their matches.
Our run-rate is currently the best of the five and the two wins we have to get will inevitably improve it further, so we don't need to worry too much about it and can just concentrate on winning. Leics have the poorest run-rate of the 5 contenders by quite a long way, so don't just have to win but win by a big margin. With our desperately poor record at Derby, and Leics capacity to keep coming back from the dead, this is going to be m very hard-fought match.
My comments re the games against Northants & Worcester are as follows.
ReplyDeleteAgainst Northants I though we had a winning total, but unfortunately they got off to a good start, they got the momentum & we bowled too many help yourself balls. Cobbs innings was sheer power & placement.
Re the game against Worcester which I listened to on the radio was very frustrating. To limit them to a score of 130 odd was an excellent effort. Sensible batting was the order of the day to chase a moderate total. We collapsed to 28 for 4 & from there it was a struggle.
Poor result. The number of games we should have won when in a strong position are far too many & as cost any chance of the quarter finals.
I believe it is a confidence thing & the mental toughness to finish off the games.
The game against Leicester will not be easy...come on let's see a positive batting & bowling display.
MH