Hampshire 2017 thread

[st_brendy]

It's almost become a game of musical chairs. Unless it's Somerset who go down, then someone is going to go down having hardly - if ever - been in the relegation zone, and having suffered very few defeats. And whoever that side is, could very easily become a completely different side given one extra (or one fewer) round of matches.

But if the bad weather stays away, us and Yorkshire will only have ourselves to blame if it's either of us. We both have the gift that is a match vs Warks.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I thought Hants must be well out of it, but there's a chance they could go down At this time of the season, points on the board men a lot as many games can be wiped out, so that's in their favour.

Surrey must be vulnerable if Hants are, only one point ahead (and only one win, but 42 batting points!).

[st_brendy]

I thought Hants must be well out of it, but there's a chance they could go down At this time of the season, points on the board men a lot as many games can be wiped out, so that's in their favour.

Surrey must be vulnerable if Hants are, only one point ahead (and only one win, but 42 batting points!).

It's why I think Surrey need to prepare another flat one next week, at home to Somerset. Don't lose that game, and Surrey should be safe. Somerset will still be at arms length from then going into the last week, and would have to win their final game to have any chance of overtaking Surrey - and even that might not be enough. And of course even if Somerset did win that final game, then it means that Middlesex have lost it.

There's also the fact that Somerset can hardly bat for toffee. If Surrey racked up 500 again, I could see Somerset losing that by an innings.

The absolute last thing that Surrey want is a dry, September Oval wicket, with some turn on offer. Somerset win that game, and suddenly Surrey are in all sorts of trouble. (Which to be fair, if you only win one out of 13 matches, should really be the case!)

[Arthur Crabtree]

Leach in a bit of form for Somerset. If you need a win, better have your bowlers doing well, perhaps even more-so than your batters.

Hants worry might be that so many players are unavailable.

[westoelad]

The crucial advantage lies with Hants and Yorkie's who each have the gift of Warwickshire awaiting them. They've lost 8 out of 12 and the 3 they've drawn have been rain infected. If either of the above fail to beat them then it would be hard to argue that they don't deserve to go down with them. Looks very much as if then that Somerset v Middlesex will be the relegation decider. Alarmingly it'll receive scant publicity in the media; more alarmingly FTECB will do nothing to address that omission.

[budgetmeansbudget]

What a painful innings from Dawson, stagnated the innings good and proper.

[st_brendy]

What a painful innings from Dawson, stagnated the innings good and proper.

Yeah, somewhat out of keeping with the rest of the innings. Rocked along at 4 an over otherwise. (Yes we were losing wickets along the way too, but I don't think it was down to be over aggressive. More down to coming up against the best bowling attack in the league).

Important, useful start this from Abbott.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Yep first bowling point.

[andy]

Another good performance from Jamie Porter

[budgetmeansbudget]

Bopara gone, 26/4.

[andy]

To be fair, we were due a top order collapse...been a while, hopefully Lawrence can get us out of a bit of trouble

[budgetmeansbudget]

We don't mind if you guys take your foot off the gas now your champs!

[st_brendy]

Fidel could have had RTD three times in that over.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Good time to be playing the champions.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Fidel could have had RTD three times in that over.

Dropped catches?