Something for the weekend

I was up early this morning and enjoyed the quiet of the house to do a little surfing around cricket sites. In doing so I picked up a couple of scores that some of you may not have seen.

The Seconds suffered that rarity of a loss against table-topping Warwickshire in their match at Coventry. Thanks to Jake Needham's 54 we set the home side 222 to win and when they slipped to 42-6 a win was very much on the cards. A seventh wicket stand of 158 restored parity however and the Bears reserves ended up winning by three wickets after a fine game.

Elsewhere, I was looking at how Peter Burgoyne and Tom Knight have been getting on with England Under 19s. Their first international today has been affected and delayed by the weather, but both played in a couple of warm up matches against the Unicorns, games that featured a couple of extraordinary innings by former Sussex all-rounder Michael Thornely.

At 23 Thornely was perhaps unfortunate to be discarded after a brief career in which he averaged just under 19 in the first-class game but 36 in the one-day format. Wobbling medium pace was an asset although there were suggestions that he couldn't play real pace. I'm not sure how true that was, especially as I struggle to think of anyone in current first-class cricket who has any. I've written before that teams in the 70s, 80s and even 90s often had a real pace man, often from overseas, but there's no incentive for them to come here now, when they can earn their crust in the real money environment of IPL.

Anyway, Thornely has been playing with the Unicorns, attempting to find another deal in the same way that Wes Durston did last season. Back in May he scored 97 in the CB40 against Nottinghamshire and has continued to score with regularity, presumably against bowlers of a dibbly dobbly nature if that reputation is correct...

A week ago at Loughborough, against the full strength of England Under-19, Thornely scored an unbeaten 200 in a fifty-over match, with eight sixes and 22 fours among his runs. By any standards that is impressive and such bowlers as Ryan Topley and our own Tom Knight took some serious hammer (Knight six overs for 48).

The following day in ten overs he took 3-34 and then, again opening the innings, scored 86. I'll willingly accept that an old head might have done things differently and perhaps tried a few things, but Thornely must surely be worth someone having an extended look? A century against Worcestershire Seconds recently confirmed his talent and, with three years until he ceases to make money for a county, there are worse players around the circuit than him by some distance.

Finally today regular (and appreciated) contributor Marc says after last night that we can't risk Mark Turner in the CB40 due to his wayward bowling. I take his point, but John Morris must have been aware of his waywardness when he signed - last year's final for Somerset suggested his line and length could become a little awry at times, something that has been shown a time or two during the season. He needs a lot of work over the winter, that's for sure, but we may need him before September and he needs to keep working.

Groenewald, Footitt and Sheikh are injured. Palladino and Clare need to be fit and firing in the Championship, Smith is recovering from injury and Jones is retiring. With Knight in the England Under-19s, along with Peter Burgoyne and Needham needing work on his bowling, we aren't awash with options at present. If things carry on we might need to re-register AJ Harris as a player - or else I'll need to turn the clock back thirty years and come out of work enforced (for now) retirement...

Its down to confidence and maybe Turner just needs a really good day to get his back up to full kilter. Either way, selection of seamers is soon to become pretty much Hobson's choice if things continue as they are.

Have a good one. This time tomorrow I'll be en route to Gods own county for a few days. Sadly the weather doesn't look like welcoming me with open arms!