Lest you forget, we sit currently fourth in that table after the excellent win over second - placed Middlesex at Chesterfield last time out. Promotion remains a distinct possibility and who thought I would be typing those words at the end of June?
The game heralds a welcome return to the squad for Ben Aitchison, a player I rate very highly. He takes his place in this squad:
Godleman, Masood, Guest, Madsen, du Plooy, Reece, Dal, Kerr, Thomson, Watt, Conners, Aitchison, Scrimshaw.
I can't call the final eleven, which will depend on the wicket, of course. I would be surprised to see Scrimshaw play and guess the final selection may be between the two spinners or if Aitchison is being slowly integrated back into the squad. One assumes Luis Reece will bowl, as he did at Chesterfield and while it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Hayden Kerr could be kept back, my gut feeling is that Scrimshaw and Aitchison will share (very tall) twelfth man duties.
That would leave two left and two right arm seamers, a slow left armer and an off spinner. As a man who likes a balanced and varied attack, that works well for me.
As for the home side, they feature our old boy Fynn Hudson-Prentice, who missed the game between the two sides at Derby.
Chetshwar Pujara is now with the Indian squad, but Mohammad Rizwan remains to add silky class to the batting.
Their squad:
Alsop, Brooks, Carter, Coles, Crowcombe, Finn, Haines, Hudson-Prentice, Hunt, Ibrahim, Lennon, Orr, Rawlins, Rizwan.
Their seam attack with Steve Finn, Jack Brooks and FHP will be challenging, but the side interest here is that Shan Masood might become the first man in the country to a thousand championship runs. Only Ben Compton of Kent threatens him, on 988 runs to Masood's 991, but having had two extra innings.
With Kent in action at The Oval against Surrey, it may come down to whose side get to bat first, but Masood doesn't seem the sort of man to fret over such things. What a signing he has proved to be and when one considers he will return for the RLODC, and he averages 58 in List A cricket, one wonders how many he may yet end up with, enforced absence or not.
I will see tomorrow's play but we are away to Berwick upon Tweed from Monday to Friday and so I will see little of the play thereafter. Reporting may be as and when I can, but I will post a header for each day on which you can comment.
Let us hope that the good times keep rolling!
The only time I saw us play at Hove was way back in 1988 in a B&H game. Sussex won the toss and an hour later were 27-6, Michael Holding having taken all 6 off his short run with every wicket falling to catches in the slips or gully. He eventually finished with 8-21, still a list A record and we won by 6 wickets, John Morris scoring the winning runs. A fabulous memory, especially as my father, son and I seemed to be the only Derbyshire supporters in the ground! Let's hope for something equally special in the forthcoming Championship game against the same opponents.
ReplyDeleteAs was evident last night Kerr is out of form with the bat he needs time in the middle
ReplyDeleteWhat's happened to Toby Pettman? Is he still on loan with Derbyshire?
ReplyDeleteHe went back to Notts but has now gone on loan to Kent..
DeleteI am quite surprised that Watt is playing in the CC. Notwithstanding his accuracy and variations he doesn't get enough on the ball to turn it that much (doesn't get through his bowling action enough for me). I would have thought McKiernan would have been a better bet as an attacking spinner (and his batting and fielding are also superior). Roger.
ReplyDelete