v Middlesex (H) Thu 5 to Sun 8 May CC

Hugely disappointing to lose this game after being even Stevens with Middlesex throughout the game. There has been no doubt all game that runs are easy to get on this pitch. I really think we have wasted 8 points. Not only that, it is likely to send the team on Thursday to a winnable game at Leicester feeling far more dispirited. Several batters will be gutted that their efforts were in vain tonight.

Bugger…..

Haines and Salisbury would either end up as heroes or zeroes after declaring. Sadly, it is the latter.
Easy to say it was too little a score. Just hope this doesn't do yet further damage to the team's
confidence after, overall, a much improved performance.

Very varied opinions here about the declaration. I was there the whole match and obviously disappointed that it all fell apart after tea. Personally I thought the declaration was pretty much spot on. I saw no point in putting the game so far out of Middx reach that we ended with a boring draw.
In all the criticism posted here, no one has mentioned Crane. What has happened to this player who a few years ago was yet another leggie going to be the next big thing. He bowled utter garbage and gave Haines no one to go to in order to keep some control plus dealing with the over rate.
Ollie Rob gave it his all but looked a bit shot in the end. Given his first game in months a pretty good effort. Garton is certainly not fully match fit as far as bowling is concerned.
If Crane is in the squad to Leicester I would be surprised. Thank Lenham may well go, although I think they've tried to protect him from playing in the Championship games. Just hope Haines keeps his head up in very trying circumstances.He had an average game but entitled to after how he's played so far this season Having Pujara and Rizwan to support him is good and they seem to very active in supporting him on the field
All credit to Middx in the end.
Now to Leicester ! GOSBTS

I agree to a certain extent re Crane but I noticed he did start to pitch it in the right areas towards the end of the game. He’s not had much cricket, didn’t go away in the winter so is also match rusty and probably trying too hard to impress. I say give him another game, he’s a match winner when he gets it right.

I don't like the sound of that deal. This declaration should have been way too cautious but given the circs it clearly wasn't.  My issue wasn't that though, it was the batting for the first ten overs - 7 in hand, 70-100 needed asap, leather it.  We had 28 off the first 7 - so wrong, so wrong. Probably wouldn't have mattered.

I was gonna mention Crane - utter dross.  And I watched virtually all this game on the shake box cos I was laid up. Having said that, there's no way you shouldn't be able to defend 370 odd off 75 odd. For me, a huge issue is these roads are groundsman keeps producing. I know our batting is much better than our bowling (and that in itself should mean leave some on) but we have batters who've made 700 odd runs already and bowlers who have to wait 2 days for a wicket. And even then it's probably been gifted by some idiot like Blackie Blackwell. Umpiring was atrocious, needs investigating. 

When all is said and done, there are two pretty simple things that Sussex need to do. One is leave some on for the remainder of our home games.  If you have weak bowling leave some on or you won't win a single game, it really isn't difficult to fathom.  The second is replace this OS allrounder with a gun bowler. A Mags, a Chawla, a gun bowler. Cos without Robinson we're f****d.

Yes. And if it isn't, which it wasn't, it is 100% the fault of our awful cricket killing groundsman and management. If you have to set someone 400 off 80 on the last day the game has gone. Bowlers will go, the game will go. Hopefully the management will go before that and take this idiot groundsman with them.