County Championship 2023

[Durhamfootman]

great info

[Arthur Crabtree]

Benco is fit.

And snaffles a 5-fer. Might be a result, despite the rain.

[Durhamfootman]

Won't worry Durham, though.... in fact it would help if Yorks get a win. Results still to come in, but for tonight Durham have a 60 point lead at the top of the table

that's a big old lead

[captaincolly]

I thought the Sussex declaration was overly conservstive - wrong again. If they'd pulled out earlier Derbyshire would have cruised home...very nearly knocked the runs off.

[Durhamfootman]

I imagine that all the Sussex players had Jonny Fartpants trousers on for the last hour or so.

[captaincolly]

I imagine that all the Sussex players had Jonny Fartpants trousers on for the last hour or so.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Going to be tight on Yorks finishing bottom of CC2, I guess for the first time. But today didn't help.

[sussexpob]

The points deduction wouldnt have mattered, with 2 washed out days at Derbyshire.

Interesting that some people advocate 3 day FC games.... not a single team in Div 2 has a win ratio that is positive, and aside from Durham, all the other teams have more draws that loss or wins combined. Glamorgan have 11 draws in 13 games, Sussex 9, a lot of teams with 8.....

Far from shorter games, do we not...er.... need longer ones? The bonus point for batting being increased to higher scores this year may also have played its part in the drawfest that is 2023....

Love to see some more creative rules. Like this Derbys v Sussex game.... 2 days washed out, make it a mandatory 1 innings match imposed, bonus points awarded for second innings...

[Durhamfootman]

well, apart from the bonus points you talk about, captains can agree to do that anyway and I'm not a fan. It's a game of two innings each in which rain is a relevant feature and draws an inevitable consequence of it. I like it as it is, tbh. Can you overcome the opposition and the conditions and find a way to win using your skills as a player and as a team. Over the course of a season the most effective teams will generally finish somewhere near the top and the least effective somewhere near the bottom, without the need for any contrived results. Maybe if it rains for 4 days and captains can't agree to throw pies at each other for a couple of hours and see who scores the most runs, maybe they could agree to play 5 a side football for 30 mins and whoever scores the most goals can have the 16 points.

I'm being ridiculous, of course, but that's how strongly I'm opposed to 'gentlemen's agreements' in matches that also affect other teams who don't get a say in the 'agreement'. I just don't like it. Rain is a part of cricket, full stop and despite all the calls for having reserve days to complete matches (usually test cricket) where rain has curtailed it, trying to hang on long enough for the rain to save you in a match in which you've been thoroughly outplayed is a completely legitimate part of cricket... it's just another skill that good cricketers need in their armoury.

[Durhamfootman]

Essex declare with a 266 lead and give themselves 59 overs to try and bowl Hants out.

Straight in too 12-1

with Surrey having to use Burns and Sibley to block their way to safety against bottom of the table Northants, Essex have the opportunity to reduce Surrey's lead to 4 points, I think

[Durhamfootman]

Essex waste no time getting Harmer into the action. 5th over

last few hours on a Chelmsford day 4 pitch is Harmer territory. He bowled Durham out in a couple of hours defending a lead of about 100 and a bit. Tore us to shreds

[Durhamfootman]

And I'll bet you he's bowling at Steve O'Shaunessy's end. Likes an lbw decision does trigger finger Steve

[Arthur Crabtree]

Hants 32-4. No lbws though.

[sussexpob]

Essex waste no time getting Harmer into the action. 5th over

last few hours on a Chelmsford day 4 pitch is Harmer territory. He bowled Durham out in a couple of hours defending a lead of about 100 and a bit. Tore us to shreds

Harmer has been more human this year, with wickets at 27 each. Before this season he had something ridiculous like near 500 wickets @20 each, so maybe age is starting to creep up on him.

[Durhamfootman]

he wasn't able to cinjure up the magic today

I have to say that Liam Dawson seems to be having a stellar end to the season. 7 fer in the one day cup semi final and 57 runs in the final, 115 runs and 7 wickets v Somerset and now 5 wickets and a match winning 119 to end the Essex title charge. Must surely be a contender for CMS player of the month