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Post by longstop on Sept 18, 2020 17:40:31 GMT
The top three, Surrey, Kent and Sussex, all won their penultimate games in the Southern Group. Consequently, Middlesex, Essex and Hampshire have no chance of qualifying for the knock-out phase. If Sussex win their last game at Chelmsford and Surrey beat Kent, Sussex are safely into the knock-out phase. If, however, Kent win or Sussex lose, Sussex will have to hope that they are one of the two best third-placed sides to qualify. At this stage, Sussex's run rate of 0.332 looks good, but big wins for other third-placed teams or a bad defeat for Sussex could soon change that. Suffice to say, a win at Chelmsford will ensure qualification regardless of what Kent do.
The opponents for this last game are Essex. The Sussex players will not need reminding that when they faced Essex at Hove last Monday, Sussex looked odds-on favourites to win as Essex were bottom of the table. On the day, Essex scored an impressive 197, leaving Sussex too much to as they fell 12 runs short. In that game, it was Dan Lawrence's 81 and a rapid 21 from Simon Harmer at the end that gave Sussex a mountain to climb. Despite the fact that Essex have only won two games in this season's competition so far, they have had some close games.
In their most recent game against Kent, Kent managed to get over the line with two balls to spare chasing the Essex total of 167. Ryan ten Doeschate was top scorer with 52 and has been their most consistent batsmen in the competition this year. Essex's bowlers have, at times, struggled to contain opponents this season and Kent were able to win thanks to Jack Leaning scoring 50, coming in at number 7.
A solid performance at Chelmsford should be enough to qualify, but I, for one, will be keeping an eye on the Surrey/Kent score and hoping that Sussex win with a little more to spare rather than relying on George Garton to hit three sixes in the 19th over. Can Sussex go to Essex and pick up two points? We will just have to wait and see.
Current table after 9 games
Surrey 14 pts, Kent 12, Sussex 11, Middlesex 8, Essex 6, Hampshire 3
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Post by longstop on Sept 19, 2020 16:13:27 GMT
Squad announced as:
Luke Wright
Will Beer
Ravi Bopara
Danny Briggs
Ben Brown
Mitch Claydon
George Garton
Calum MacLeod
Stuart Meaker
Tymal Mills
Delray Rawlins
Ollie Robinson
Phil Salt
Aaron Thomason
David Wiese
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Post by trolleybuss on Sept 19, 2020 17:34:27 GMT
Let's beat those chavs and make up for the defeat at home.
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Post by joe on Sept 20, 2020 6:10:02 GMT
My team would be:
Salt
Wright (c)
Rawlins
Bopara
Wiese
Brown (wkt)
Thomason
Garton
Beer
Briggs
Mills
Brown a better keeper than Salt and adds to the batting in the middle order. Beer a better T20 bowler than Robinson who can also hold a bat and a catch.
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Post by kevininnessupersub on Sept 20, 2020 8:19:22 GMT
Essex have included several academy players in their squad for today’s match.
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Post by joe on Sept 20, 2020 9:13:33 GMT
Essex have included several academy players in their squad for today’s match. Yes just noticed this. Looks as if they are resting a lot of players for the BWT final as they have no chance of progressing in this tournament. No Westley, Lawrence, RTD or Cook in the squad. Good news for us! |
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Post by devonexile on Sept 20, 2020 10:05:39 GMT
Essex have included several academy players in their squad for today’s match. Yes just noticed this. Looks as if they are resting a lot of players for the BWT final as they have no chance of progressing in this tournament. No Westley, Lawrence, RTD or Cook in the squad. Good news for us! Once their progression was no longer possible and given their involvement in the BWT Trophy Final, this was always a likely scenario. I can't blame them as I suspect most Counties would do the exact same thing and as Joe says, "Good news for us", but I can't imagine the likes of Durham, Somerset, Kent and Warwickshire will be too happy. It doesn't protect the integrity of the competition. Will there be any consequences for Essex? |
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Post by devonexile on Sept 20, 2020 10:21:12 GMT
My team would be: Salt Wright (c) Rawlins Bopara Wiese Brown (wkt) Thomason Garton Beer Briggs Mills Brown a better keeper than Salt and adds to the batting in the middle order. Beer a better T20 bowler than Robinson who can also hold a bat and a catch. Fair point on Brown Joe, but I suspect they will stick with Macleod. I also agree on Robinson, but I suspect it will depend on whether Mills and Beer (apparently carrying a minor injury according to Ben on commentary last Friday) are fit. If everyone is available, I think you are about right, but I doubt if Mills will have recovered and even if he has given Essex have rested several players, they may choose to give him extra rest given his history of back injuries. I hope they will stick with Claydon. I feel of those available, he is our best option for the final overs. So for me, as above but Claydon for Mills, although I have a feeling that Macleod and Robinson will get the nod. |
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Post by joe on Sept 20, 2020 10:52:21 GMT
My team would be: Salt Wright (c) Rawlins Bopara Wiese Brown (wkt) Thomason Garton Beer Briggs Mills Brown a better keeper than Salt and adds to the batting in the middle order. Beer a better T20 bowler than Robinson who can also hold a bat and a catch. Fair point on Brown Joe, but I suspect they will stick with Macleod. I also agree on Robinson, but I suspect it will depend on whether Mills and Beer (apparently carrying a minor injury according to Ben on commentary last Friday) are fit. If everyone is available, I think you are about right, but I doubt if Mills will have recovered and even if he has given Essex have rested several players, they may choose to give him extra rest given his history of back injuries. I hope they will stick with Claydon. I feel of those available, he is our best option for the final overs. So for me, as above but Claydon for Mills, although I have a feeling that Macleod and Robinson will get the nod. The above team is who I’d select (if everyone was fit) but I suspect you will be right, they’ll probably go with the same team as Friday. I can’t remember the last fast bouncing wicket we’ve played on, they’ve all been used and slow which is why I think we should play the 3 spinners. I really don’t like Robinson in this format, goes for far too many and his ground fielding and catching has been awful. Having said that he’ll probably prove me wrong today and take a hat full. C’mon Sussex! |
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Sept 20, 2020 11:08:28 GMT
So long as Beer has got over his niggle, I would play 3 spinners, Briggs, Rawlins and Beer and leave out Claydon or Robinson. I am
not sure what to make of Macleod. By now he should have scored a 50 if he was any good. Keeper Salt for Brown, every time, in the
T20 format. And I remain with the view that Ollie is not a T20 player similar to Brown.
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Post by joe on Sept 20, 2020 11:38:16 GMT
Sussex have won the toss and put Essex in.
Mills comes in for Thomason otherwise unchanged. I think we’re a batsman light.
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Sept 20, 2020 11:40:33 GMT
Interesting to see how Bopara fairs against his old side. Thomason is a good bat. A wrong decision in my view. Here is the live-stream link. sussexcricket.co.uk/match-centreWOW! What a start for Sussex!! Garton carrying on with his heroics. Essex: 0-2 after 6 balls. |
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Post by joe on Sept 20, 2020 12:09:07 GMT
Wow! What a start, double wicket maiden from Garton’s first over.
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Sept 20, 2020 12:20:59 GMT
It's raining wickets.
Essex now: 22-4 off 5 overs
Keeping pinching yourself.
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Post by trolleybuss on Sept 20, 2020 12:32:39 GMT
Chavs playing very weak team but we must fill our boots.
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