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

Don't suppose Pujara will be back so it'll be same again. Unless someone finds Azeem Rafiq.

Hants will be favourites, but it's not a forgone conclusion. I was more certain Essex would win.

Durhamfootman wrote:and Yorks will make the final too

Hants have been preparing for the semi final by playing a completely different game and sitting on their @rses

We definitely played a different game. Just a shame that it wasn't four day cricket.

I like the format of the play-offs, and the group winners getting a bye. But there shouldn't be a break - and certainly not to change format. It gives the play-off winners a huge advantage. Half our side played two second XI t20 cricket today, just to try and get them some sort of white ball practice before Monday.

I wish they kept things simple and went into a last eight. I dn't know why they don't.

Arthur Crabtree wrote:I wish they kept things simple and went into a last eight. I dn't know why they don't.

There are no fixtures tomorrow so 2 Q/F today and tomorrow would be perfectly feasible. It also considerably reduces the chances of dead rubbers in the zonal leagues.

and doesn't penalise the two best counties, who have also been denied the chance of an extra set of gate receipts, financially either

st_brendy wrote:

Durhamfootman wrote:and Yorks will make the final too

Hants have been preparing for the semi final by playing a completely different game and sitting on their @rses

We definitely played a different game. Just a shame that it wasn't four day cricket.

I like the format of the play-offs, and the group winners getting a bye. But there shouldn't be a break - and certainly not to change format. It gives the play-off winners a huge advantage. Half our side played two second XI t20 cricket today, just to try and get them some sort of white ball practice before Monday.

Quarter Finals should have been played on the previous Sunday to eliminate the momentum, then play County Championship Monday to Thursday before the scheduled Semi-Finals.

Quite like how the knockouts are decided, teams who top the group deserve a distinct advantage to those who finish 2nd or 3rd. If anything Twenty20 group winners in it's current form deserve direct qualification to finals day.

They get that through a home tie.

If it was other sports they'd go into a bag. And in cricket, home turf is crucial.

Excellent bowling performance by Yorkshire, causing Essex to panic far too early after losing early wickets when the required run rate was manageable. Dropped catches by Bresnan and Lyth are part and parcel of knockout cricket tension. Only criticism I have is Tattersall batting above Leaning, when the latter is a lot better against spin in terms of footwork, though Leaning played a good hand in context of the game regardless of strike rate.

In past Royal London Cup Knockout matches involving Yorkshire, it seems the team who bats first wins often wins even if a 1st innings total is barely above 250.

Alviro Patterson wrote:Excellent bowling performance by Yorkshire, causing Essex to panic far too early after losing early wickets when the required run rate was manageable. Dropped catches by Bresnan and Lyth are part and parcel of knockout cricket tension. Only criticism I have is Tattersall batting above Leaning, when the latter is a lot better against spin in terms of footwork, though Leaning played a good hand in context of the game regardless of strike rate.

In past Royal London Cup Knockout matches involving Yorkshire, it seems the team who bats first wins often wins even if a 1st innings total is barely above 250.

a

Thought Patterson as captain was really good and the pick of the bowlers from both sides.

Was a tale of two partnerships and Ballance and Leaning trumped Wagner and Wheater.

starting to lose count of the number of QF'S we have lost in recent years..

County Champions though! :)

hmm yeah which is defo fantastic still want to win across all formats though!

Alviro Patterson wrote:

st_brendy wrote:

Durhamfootman wrote:and Yorks will make the final too

Hants have been preparing for the semi final by playing a completely different game and sitting on their @rses

We definitely played a different game. Just a shame that it wasn't four day cricket.

I like the format of the play-offs, and the group winners getting a bye. But there shouldn't be a break - and certainly not to change format. It gives the play-off winners a huge advantage. Half our side played two second XI t20 cricket today, just to try and get them some sort of white ball practice before Monday.

Quarter Finals should have been played on the previous Sunday to eliminate the momentum, then play County Championship Monday to Thursday before the scheduled Semi-Finals.

Quite like how the knockouts are decided, teams who top the group deserve a distinct advantage to those who finish 2nd or 3rd. If anything Twenty20 group winners in it's current form deserve direct qualification to finals day.

Not a bad solution.

I guess the other option is to delay the SFs. Either way, you get a round of Championship cricket in between the QFs and SFs, to dilute any momentum.

And yes, I'd be fine with t20 group winners also progressing straight to Finals Day.

I don't understand why we would want to dilute momentum (small m). what's wrong with teams coming to the KO's in red hot form? would that not lead to better quality matches.... or is that not allowed these days?