First CC game v Northants 10-13 April

I almost went up to Northampton yesterday but decided to duck it.

The fact that the first three catches offered over the two days, none of them difficult, were all dropped suggests at least one of those areas has not been reversed.

Halfway through the game what is likely to happen? Northants could carry on batting until and after Duckett gets his 300, and chance that there is enough good weather around to bowl out Sussex twice cheaply. For that to happen either the wicket has to deteriorate startlingly and quickly, or Sussex will have to bat quite abjectly, as badly as in the middle of last summer in those home and away games against Notts - and Notts had a much better bowling attack than Sanderson, Azarullah, Kleinveldt and Gleeson. It may be that getting 9 points is the limit of Northants ambitions from this first game, and they've undoubtedly been very pleased and a bit surprised that they've achieved that task so lightly.

As fraudster has commented, and as I pointed out last winter when the No Toss rule was first promulgated, one strong possibility is that sides with weak bowling attacks will now look to prepare as sedative a wicket as possible in the hopes that their visitors will be lured into the suckerbait of taking the first bowl option, and then batting steadily and endlessly to acquire points. Too soon to tell whether this will be widespread but I will be keeping a Tosswatch log and will update on this forum as the results come in. Of the games in progress so far the new rule hasn't stopped Durham from getting just enough on their wicket to head the opposition and bat sensibly in the second innings to extend their lead, whilst Notts piled on the runs against Surrey and look to have a strong advantage despite the star credentials of the Surrey attack. The Hampshire innings against Warwickshire has been stalled by the weather and Kent haven't yet set foot on the pitch. In the only game to play with the normal rules of the toss, Glos having declined to put Essex in, Glos probably didn't make as many runs as they should.

All that Sussex can do now from what remains of this game is to be boring and unambitious, play carefully and try to avoid any more injuries. I don't know if Machan's concussion will allow him to bat, and Taylor also hurt his hand on the first morning dropping the first of a shower of catches. It could be an opportunity for Wells to restate his claims and for Finch to carry on his form against the students and prove that his talent can flourish in the adult, first class game. Brown will have learnt some hard lessons about captaincy and somebody , Davis or Greenfield, will have to go to Toumazi and May and tell them that they must have money for a first rate bowler to replace Taylor when he goes back in July if they are to get through the second half of the season. Its too late to do much about the first half, other than to hope for a bit of Jordan, that catches will be held to spark the fire of Shahzad, and that Magoffin has enough in those spindly legs to do more than bowl niggardly spells.

A further inspection for 1.10 and an uncertain forecast for the rest of the day. Northants really should declare now if they have any ambitions to win the match.

Further inspection at 3:45. All we need to do now is avoid losing 20 wickets. Result!!

Game saved!

But why are we even playing county championship cricket so early with such predictable non-results?

( Essex apart, as they look to be storming to victory v Glos to emerge as early divisional leaders...)

If there is play tomorrow, it presumably means we can have a go at reaching 350 (or even 400) and getting some batting points. If we are skittled out in this attempt, we can then play safe because we can't lose 20 wickets in one day. Can we??