Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

captaincolly wrote:

captaincolly wrote:

Durhamfootman wrote:half the points deduction has been suspended for 2 years after which time any points unused will be docked from Durham

If they had won the title I wonder if the points deduction would still have been imposed. That would have caused a furore.

I seem to recall that Middlesex were docked a couple of points mid-season for a slow over rate and were subsequently relegated by a couple of points.
The cricket disciplinary commission are the body who administer these sanctions and act independent of Graves and his cronies which is just as well for Somerset as it's their former chairman who has been so critical of ECB s autocratic practise.
Makes me now wonder whether CDC should have been ruling on Durham's sanctions and FTECB were being autocratic again.

westoelad wrote:

captaincolly wrote:

captaincolly wrote:

Durhamfootman wrote:half the points deduction has been suspended for 2 years after which time any points unused will be docked from Durham

If they had won the title I wonder if the points deduction would still have been imposed. That would have caused a furore.

I seem to recall that Middlesex were docked a couple of points mid-season for a slow over rate and were subsequently relegated by a couple of points.
The cricket disciplinary commission are the body who administer these sanctions and act independent of Graves and his cronies which is just as well for Somerset as it's their former chairman who has been so critical of ECB s autocratic practise.
Makes me now wonder whether CDC should have been ruling on Durham's sanctions and FTECB were being autocratic again.

Yep. I'd forgotten about Middlesex - think the game with the over rate penalty was the one where the crossbow stopped play!

It was indeed and Middlesex were relegated, 1 pt below 3rd bottom Somerset.
https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey ... e-13693338

As far as I am aware of, its always counties that have spinning tracks that come under scrutiny. Northants, Hants, Somerset.... all at the time had spin based attacks. When we used to dry the wickets out in the middle of summer for Mushie, we constantly had the ECB banging on about poor pitches and threatening fines. When Hampshire got busted, I watched a few one days games on TV that were the focus of the pitch problems, and all they did was spin a bit. They werent unplayable, just spun.

But then, you get someone like Gloucs a decade ago provide a pitch where 4-5 matches in a row, no one scores much past 100 and 20 wickets falls in 4 consecutive first days, the ECB went to great lengths to explain it was just a venue where batters lost their minds. I went to the Sussex game that year, and the ball was yorking batsman off a back of a length. It was verging on unplayable.

Or Lancs. How many times did they get to the end of a season needing a result, and send everyone to that death trap wicket in Blackpool to guarantee a 2 day game that rain wouldnt threaten a result on. Did they ever get fined for those. I am 99% percent sure they didnt, and they used to move late season games at the very last minute to them, so the tactic was hardly that covered up. But again, it was a death trap pitch that favoured seamers, so that seems fair do.

The final paragraph makes for interesting reading
"Somerset accepted a pitch rating of "poor" was correct, but pleaded not guilty to a second element of the charge that the Taunton surface "was not the best quality pitch that Somerset was able to prepare for the match"."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/50466256

It's worth bearing in mind that the match which triggered such points deductions was played in late September. Take into account that Taunton was a host venue for the Cricket World Cup and a Twenty20 Blast campaign played in peak summer where flat pitches are the norm, the square is going to be knackered come September for 4 day cricket.

Not for me, AP. They've been pulling this stuff for a few seasons now, so they have form.... so much so that this forum is riddled with images of minefields that I've posted. I used to post pictures of afghan goat herders when Lancs were trying to outground their way to their first title in a thousand years, but Somerset have completely overshadowed that. They had their knuckles rapped last year and so didn't dare risk it until all other options were out of the window, but decided to give it another go, out of desperation presumably....... and if it had been a devilish difficult decision because of all of its use (which I don't buy), then if they hadn't been taking the ssip for years they might have received a more sympathic response.

They were damned lucky to get half the points deduction deferred, imo.

What exactly is so wrong in preparing a pitch that takes spin?-unless,of course, it's turning square on the 1st day which it clearly wasn't in the game in question. Harmer's,the best spinner on the circuit by some distance,figures of 5-104 in 27 overs hardly suggests a minefield.Nor do the Gloucs games of years ago necessarily mean suspicious pitch preparation. At Durham Riverside low 1st innings scores are a norm and Durham invariably have to bat first. That's to do with the high water table and overhead conditions, factors out of control of the groundstaff. Pitch preparation is not an exact science so powers should be very wary of imposing sanctions. Best, therefore, left to the experts who have the full knowledge of all relevant facts.

I'd rather have a spinning track, in which half the test nations play on than a juicy green mamba.

Most low scores in County Cricket occur because the art of longevity seldomly exists when it comes to batting and a lot of false shots are played. That Somerset tied game against Lancashire last year, the manner of dismissals was bordering village standard. The standard of County Championship cricket is nothing like it was 10 years ago. Dibbly dobbly medium pace plodders should not be taking 5-fers, it does not emulate international cricket.

looks as though Western Australia are going to grind their way to victory in a low scoring, slow scoring One Day Cup final. SMarsh doing all the damage. Nobody else from either side seems able to buy a run

Queensland have 8 overs to do something extraordinary

Must be time for a recall.

he's the Ramprakash/Hick of Aussie cricket

County Cricket fixtures have made for some interesting reading.

More cricket on a weekend, particularly in the County Championship. Perhaps a test to see what support for the County game is like against The Hundred.

Though scheduling looks rather cramped in June. Not only there is back to back Blast matches, but County Championship matches slotted in between too. Multi format batsmen are going to have a tough time alternating from scoring off every ball to playing defensive/leave strokes.

Makes more sense to have a mini run of County Championship fixtures in July as preparation for the Pakistan test series whilst starting The Hundred a week later.

Trego signs 2 year deal with Notts

all formats!

Vernon Philander is available on a Kolpak.

This is not a drill.

This is disappointing.

Don't think he's done that well in the CC though.