General cricket thread

[RichB]

BlackLabel said:

This whole thing leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. Sure you would expect the two captains to have come to some sort of arrangement between themselves but to do it in such a squalid and brazen manner just isn't cricket imo.

For my understanding is this because you feel Middx have gifted the match to Yorkshire? Why would they do that?

[FiF]

They haven't gifted the match to Yorkshire. Both sides have to go for a win. If they set Yorkshire a target that is eminently not achievable, then it reduces their chance that Yorks will go for it, thus less chance of skittling them out, thus draw and Somerset wins.


If Yorkshire go for it and fail, Middlesex win. I guess if Yorkshire aren't going to be bowled out, then Middlesex have to restrict the run rate do it's a draw and they finish second.

Season is 167 days long iirc, and it comes to this on the 167th day. Then compare this with those preening special snowflake footballers. Of course I am biased, but whoever wins it is good for cricket, which is what matters most. Said through gritted teeth.

[Pieman68]

Been going on for years though. Often see teams forfeiting innings in order to try and achieve a result when the weather has intervened for example. Only more noticeable in this case due to the scrutiny that this particular game is under

[Murph7355]

Too much to do for Yorkshire now (sadly).

So will Middlesex be able to bowl us out...

[Black can man]

Big crowd at Lords

Looking like a Middx title.

[London424]

Hat trick to win it...not too shabby.

[FiF]

Fair enough, congrats Middlesex, gits.
,: hehe:

[dsmith1990]

Unbelievable end to the game and season but I really do feel for Somerset. Best ending to the season since Sussex won it in 2007 after Lancashire fell just short chasing 400 odd!

[Murph7355]

Well done Middlesex.

Yorkshire should have had that game in the bag but after losing early wickets Middlesex dug in. And then bowled pretty well.

[skeggysteve]

Well done Middex, even though I wanted Yorks to win! Thats from someone born in Nottingham but now living in Yorkshire.

Being off work ill meant I could listen all day. Interesting fact reported yesterday on the BBC internet audio - the second most hit page on the BBC website was the County Cricket page only bettered by the news page, very impressive.

[Black can man]

Not sure i'd be overjoyed if i was a Somerset fan,

But i suppose that's the way a lot of County games are won or lost.

[GloverMart]

Black can man said:

Not sure i'd be overjoyed if i was a Somerset fan,

But i suppose that's the way a lot of County games are won or lost.

You called?

To be fair, they are the rules and both captains at Lords played within them so no complaint from me. I was unhappy earlier at what I thought was an overly genuine declaration giving Yorkshire too many overs to hit them off but that went well. Then, near the end, was hoping that Yorkshire were hopelessly not going to get them so that they'd shut up shop but that never really happened. Sidebottom was as stubborn as a mule for over an hour in the first innings, out first ball tonight!

Rather have Middlesex win it anyway so though I'm disappointed, I'm chuffed for them and especially for Roland-Jones who could not have dreamed he'd win the title with a hat trick!!

[BlackLabel]

Well I got that one spectacular wrong - I really thought the Middlesex declaration was way too generous but it obviously wasn't. Well done to the Middlesex captain and the while team.

[CooperD]

Hampshire's stay in Division Two was very brief as Durham have now been relegated and their ground can't be used for Test Cricket.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/37541136

[johnfm]

CooperD said:

Hampshire's stay in Division Two was very brief as Durham have now been relegated and their ground can't be used for Test Cricket.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/37541136

Good.

Disgrace that an Ashes test match was ever held there.

Now we just need Cardiff to be dealt with in a similar fashion and we can get back to Ashes series played at proper grounds.

[ray von]

johnfm said:

Good.

Disgrace that an Ashes test match was ever held there.

Now we just need Cardiff to be dealt with in a similar fashion and we can get back to Ashes series played at proper grounds.

Not a massive cricket fan so could you explain why it's good
A lot of people are up in arms about this up here
ETA what's a proper ground

[johnfm]

ray von said:

johnfm said:

Good.

Disgrace that an Ashes test match was ever held there.

Now we just need Cardiff to be dealt with in a similar fashion and we can get back to Ashes series played at proper grounds.

Not a massive cricket fan so could you explain why it's good
A lot of people are up in arms about this up here
ETA what's a proper ground

A proper ground for Ashes tests doesn't include Chester-le-Street or Cardiff (or any other ground not traditionally used for such tests).

The idea that no Ashes tests are played at Headingley (a ground with quite a lot of Ashes history for both Aus and Eng fans), but Cardiff bought tests with £millions they probably cannot afford (as did Durham) is ridiculous.

If one has no sense of tradition it makes no difference at all.

[ray von]

So are you saying it's good that no more test matches will be held at Chester le Street or good that Durham have been relegated or both?
Reading up on it all today it seems a bit of a hatchet job by the ECB.
There seems to be a few more counties worse off than Durham??

[ray von]

http://eximosportsproject.com/cricket/durham-ccc-s...

Bit of a read for anyone interested

[spikeyhead]

The county game has been buggered for years. There's simply too much of it, spread too thin for not enough spectators.

The more plentiful something is the lower it is worth, and all the counties want to do is shortsightedly produce more and more days of cricket. More foreigners would help improve the standard, and it would also make our test matches more interesting as we wouldn't be steamrollering so many teams, but I can't remember the last time I went to a county game and I suspect that for the casual fan then it's just fallen off the radar.