Hampshire 2017 thread

[budgetmeansbudget]

Somerset batting, could do with them being skittled for under 200 and limiting their points gain to 19.

Wonder what type of pitch will be prepared because they will need some batting points to stand a chance of survival.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Actually as they are playing Middx they probably only need to beat them, because the 16 point gap will be taken into account by the points for winning, and then they're probably going to have more bonus points in that scenario.

[st_brendy]

Somerset batting, could do with them being skittled for under 200 and limiting their points gain to 19.

Wonder what type of pitch will be prepared because they will need some batting points to stand a chance of survival.

As I've pointed out on the county thread, Somerset playing three spinners is all we need to know to answer that.

Plus, as illustrated at the Oval last week, Somerset do not have the batting ability to make big scores.

As for batting points, they may not be required for Somerset. They're exactly 16 points behind Middlesex, with equal wins. So a Somerset win - which they'll be relegated without, regardless of bonus points - would see them move above Middlesex by virtue of more wins, BEFORE adding in bonus points from the game. So both sides taking maximum bowling points but falling for under 200 would be fine for Somerset. And very nice for us too.

[budgetmeansbudget]

Yeah, I know, I hadn't really thought about it clearly before now.

I wasn't aware of the tiebreaker situation between Middx and Somerset mind.

[budgetmeansbudget]

There was a picture of the pitch at Taunton on the BBC website, with the comment 'theyve put the stumps in the outfield!'

[st_brendy]

Of course at the moment, Somerset look well on course to get something in the batting point column. I'd be very worried already if I was a Middlesex fan. More so than I am right now as a Hants fan.

[budgetmeansbudget]

I guess it's a bonus with the rain affected start at Edgbaston, that we are the away side.

[st_brendy]

I guess it's a bonus with the rain affected start at Edgbaston, that we are the away side.

On the other hand, if we find ourselves needing to set something up because of the rain (and the goings-on at Taunton), Warks will hold all the cards.

Another day completely washed out for us this month due to a wet outfield. I am now worried for us.

[st_brendy]

Three catches dropped already by Middlesex. And I've got little idea if that is a good thing or not. It's helping Somerset's chances of winning and picking up batting points, but it's hurting Middlesex's chances of picking up bowling points.

[haggishants]

Somerset collapsing . 214-8. Good news for Hampshire?

[st_brendy]

Somerset collapsing . 214-8. Good news for Hampshire?

Very much so, now that they failed to make 250.

A draw and maximum bowling points will keep us up now, regardless of how many Middlesex score.

(Although such a target would be reduced to seven points if Middlesex get 200 to 249, and to six points if Middlesex fail to get 200. On the basis that we do get maximum bowling first up though, then such a reduced target only becomes relevant in the event that we lose the game. Then it's all about whether we get sufficient batting points)

[budgetmeansbudget]

I guess it's a bonus with the rain affected start at Edgbaston, that we are the away side.

On the other hand, if we find ourselves needing to set something up because of the rain (and the goings-on at Taunton), Warks will hold all the cards.

Another day completely washed out for us this month due to a wet outfield. I am now worried for us.

I guess you're referring to Uxbridge, where the official line was wet outfield, but the unofficial reason was a leak in the pitch covers!

What are you referring to in the County Thread about declaration penalties?

Must admit the mathematical permutations are doing my head in, so I'm not thinking too hard about what's happening in the other game, and just concentrating on us picking up as many points as we can in the next three days.

What would be amusing is if we get relegated after this round of matches and then Somerset get penalised for a ropey pitch, and go down instead of us to repeat the shenanigans of last season.

[captaincolly]

Match report from cricinfo mentions the controversial pitch
http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/8052 ... 581/day/1/

[st_brendy]

Water getting under the covers and onto the pitch was certainly an issue for the first day of the Uxbridge match, but my understanding is that it had sufficiently dried out come day two. Unlike the outfield, which remained a swimming pool.

It's against the rules to declare your innings with the intention of denying the opponent bonus points. The rules call it an 'extraordinary declaration' and allow for a points deduction to be applied. If a captain is unsure as to whether a declaration would be an extraordinary declaration, I understand that they are allowed to first check with the umpires, before calling it. Quite how this works in practice though, I don't know. I could see it working if it occurred at a lunch or tea interval. That gives the captain time to make his case, and the umpires some thinking time. But how is it meant to work whilst the game is going on, particularly if the captain is sat in the dressing room?

Surrey for example would appear to got away with it today. No doubt their argument (and it is a very strong argument, in my view, so rightly they have not been punished) was that getting in a few overs at the end of the day would have been more valuable to them than trying to eek out a few more runs from their last two wickets. Nice and convenient though that it denied their main rival for second place a final bowling point...

[budgetmeansbudget]

Thanks for that Brendy, I think I was aware of that rule in the dark recesses of my brain, but it's getting harder and harder to access it these days!

I guess they would have to declare before Somerset took six wickets for it to make a difference in this game, providing they hadn't got past 200 etc etc etc...

More bloody permutations, and to think I did a degree in Maths 30 years ago and statistics were my forte then. Not anymore!