budgetmeansbudget wrote:And now Weatherly run out, brilliant.
This will be over today and Surrey are heading for the top of the table.
We on the other hand look favourites to be relegated with Worcestershire. Missing our top run scorer badly, Steyn is not the replacement we needed. When is Sam Northeast due back, we're desperate.
Expectation is that he'll miss the next one against Yorks, but then be available for Lancs after that. But given that there is just a ONE DAY break in between the two matches, it won't take much for that expectation to change. It could easily be that he plays both, or neither.
Thankfully, Yorkshire will have most of their side playing ODI or Lions cricket. Whilst Lancs will be without Jimmy, Buttler, Livingstone and Parkinson. (We'll technically miss Topley and Dawson. But Topley would be missing anyway, given that he's on a red ball only contract, and we dropped Dawson for this week.)
That was a serious Surrey side we faced today. They blew us away like Essex blew us (and others) away last season (and at times this season). If they stay fit and available - and remember, they did that without Elgar, or a replacement for Elgar - I'd expect them to win the title. But it doesn't hide the fact our batting looks awful both on paper, and in reality. It's nothing against Steyn whatsoever, but replacing Amla with a bowler (any bowler) can only be justified if they're taking 4+ wickets pretty much every innings.