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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2015 19:15:14 GMT
Interesting debate: Should Sussex have batted through murk and darkness when facing a red ball even though the floodlights were full on? I thought we had already had this debate? In season one of the rule permitting use of floodlights in the CC, Sussex were one of the few counties that declined to participate after Mark Robinson exercised a dressing room veto on the idea. Last year (season two) he was overturned and the club cited something about duty to the paying public. Debate over, surely. In my view - and more importantly in the view of the umpires - the lights made it perfectly safe and playable this evening. And, after all, it was the off-spin of Patel rather than the pace and bounce of Rankin that caused Sussex's problems. |
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Post by hhsussex on May 24, 2015 19:32:45 GMT
It seems to have been a day of grasping chances and realising the experience. Immediately after my opening post the clouds rolled over and never cleared while I was there, and so the opening stand which I worried might stretch well over a hundred and leave Sussex chasing balls to the boundary, crumbled as soon as the bowling changed and Ollie Robinson, pants worn resplendently over his tights, continued his remarkable ascent and made things happen. A miraculous catch by Magoffin - miraculous in that he didn't either fail to arrive on time or shell it - and plenty of snicks behind knocked the stuffing out of Warwickshire and it really ought to have been a total of about 120 except that Jordan reverted to bowling well outside leg and Hobden mixed brilliant balls with awful oversteps and demi-wides. Magoffin bowled beautifully at the end to restore justice.
When I left the score was in the twenties for no wicket and I didn't anticipate either the achievement of Wells finding some form after a bleak period, the clatter of wickets to Patel, or the arrival of Borderman Mark I and the Mark III versions. A great pity and I hope for the opportunity another time, but I did have the pleasure of meeting some other forum posters for the first time.
The wicket didn't seem to be as problematic as the one prepared for Middlesex, but I know nothing of these things. It seemed to me that the ball swung a lot when the cloud was thickest, but I cannot comment about Patel's bowling or Wright's stumping. Judging by tonight's score it does look very likely that the match won't reach a fourth day, and I'm not unhappy because I won't be able to attend anyway. What I would like to see tomorrow is for Sussex to push up towards the 250-300 mark, because the weather is gradually improving and a lead of 100 or so could be decisive.
Just one point: extras now form 12% of all runs scored against Sussex this season and the innings average is 30. That is higher than our average partnership for each wicket when we come to bat. In other words, we are giving away a wicket before we start to bat. If we had expansive strokemakers in great form we might be able to absorb this - but we have a number of top order batsmen who are in miserable form, magic balls notwithstanding. This is the winnable game - lose or draw this and we have another year of mediocrity; win it and we should justify the work of Shahzad, Robinson and yet again Magoffin and get the championship habit back.
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2015 8:50:30 GMT
Are there three reasons to hope Luke Wells scores a century? Firstly because we all wish him well, secondly because it may help us win the match and last but not least because it might save us from a points deduction for a sub-standard pitch?
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Post by coverpoint on May 25, 2015 17:03:43 GMT
Much better lines and length from Hobden today who fully deserved his four wickets and should have had five but for a regulation catch that was dropped by Nash at slips. I was gutted that Wells narrowly missed out on a deserved hundred. If Warwickshire get up to a 200 lead then they should win as it is a rubbish pitch that is impossible to bat on.
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Post by deepfineleg on May 25, 2015 18:37:48 GMT
Hobden could still have had his 5th tonight as he was bowling after tea when the umpires took them off.
Also pleased to see Wells fight back after his early season loss of form.
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Post by jonboy on May 25, 2015 19:13:26 GMT
I'm relatively happy with that. We are likely to be chasing a target of 200+ which would be the highest score of the game! but if it two hundred plus not very many! it's only one good partnership away.
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Post by hhsussex on May 25, 2015 21:14:25 GMT
I'm relatively happy with that. We are likely to be chasing a target of 200+ which would be the highest score of the game! but if it two hundred plus not very many! it's only one good partnership away. Currently Warwickshire lead by 169. On the evidence of today, particularly when the thick cloud finally rolled over that is already a tough chase and 200 will be too many. The one good partnership rule applies to Warwicks too and Clarke and Patel after his early reprieve are currently exploiting it to the full. The report that the umpires already consider the pitch "below average" and may finally settle on "poor" - prompting possible penalty action - is worrying, and probably was inevitable after batsman were hit at both ends of the pitch. That Ambrose effectively ducked into his helmet-pinger is neither here nor there; after Philip Hughes no umpire anywhere in the world is going to take any risks with the safeguarding of players. I do thoroughly agree with earlier posts praising Hobden for getting over his attack of near-meltdown and responding in fine style by bowling very fast and accurately. I can't help feeling that his rehabilatition was also helped by the comforting fact that Chris Jordan was at slip to make certain the chances that Hobden elicited. |
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Post by longhops on May 25, 2015 22:48:55 GMT
Was all set to go to Beckenham today and had planned Hove for Wednesday. However, that changed when I saw the scorecard at Hove last night. So went to Hove instead and watched an enthralling day's play. It may have been low scoring, but the pitch has certainly made it a game of attrition! Wickets tumbled this morning and Luke Wells drew much sympathy when he was out 8 short of a well deserved ton! A lead of 16 was quickly turned into a deficit as Warks tried to settle and face the "aggressive music." It was the first time I've seen Matt Hobden bowl and he was quite a revelation. He bowled with pace and aggression. When he hit Ambrose on the lid, you heard the echo all around the ground(Mind you the batsman did duck INTO it!).
Hopefully Sussex can take wickets tomm. as previous posters have said it's going to be a difficult ask over 200 on that wicket.
Can anyone tell me is this the same wicket as the one used for Sussex 2's V Lancs 2's the other week?
Would love to know!
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Post by hhsussex on May 26, 2015 6:09:57 GMT
Was all set to go to Beckenham today and had planned Hove for Wednesday. However, that changed when I saw the scorecard at Hove last night. So went to Hove instead and watched an enthralling day's play. It may have been low scoring, but the pitch has certainly made it a game of attrition! Wickets tumbled this morning and Luke Wells drew much sympathy when he was out 8 short of a well deserved ton! A lead of 16 was quickly turned into a deficit as Warks tried to settle and face the "aggressive music." It was the first time I've seen Matt Hobden bowl and he was quite a revelation. He bowled with pace and aggression. When he hit Ambrose on the lid, you heard the echo all around the ground(Mind you the batsman did duck INTO it!). Hopefully Sussex can take wickets tomm. as previous posters have said it's going to be a difficult ask over 200 on that wicket. Can anyone tell me is this the same wicket as the one used for Sussex 2's V Lancs 2's the other week? Would love to know! No it is a different wicket to Seconds match but as discussed in the thread about the Members Forum there has been a major relaying of the square over the last couple of years and several of the strips used this year are still undercooked, as it were, and probably more subject to the vagaries of weather (wet winter, exceptionally dry March/April when grass should be starting to grow and knit) than those of longer preparation. The groundsman has worked hard to provide pitches with more pace and bounce than the dreadful 400/400/400 bore draws of a couple of years ago and I agree it is much more enthralling to watch. The heavy cloud has accentuated conditions for this match too. I do agree about Hobden, who has improved so much this year and who has had a tough time trying to resolve his run up and tendency to overstep and having to take a major share in the attack game after game because of repeated injuries. You will have seen and heard the way his bowling was greeted yesterday and know hoh much sympathy the crowd have for him. |
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Post by jonboy on May 26, 2015 6:59:24 GMT
The emergence of the younger players this season has been one of the major plus points so far. When the season started, most of us were optimistic about our prospects this season, an impressive pace attack of Jordan, Magoffin, Shahzad and Mills, allied to a powerful batting line up, Nash, Wells, Joyce, Cachopa and Wright, good things were forecast. It hasn't quite worked out like that so far, and injuries have played their part, particularly with the bowling. What the injuries have done though, is present opportunities for the younger members of the squad. These have been grasped by the likes of Robinson, Machan and Hobden. The younger players have shone in most matches, often overshadowing more experienced team mates. It's fair to say, it's been an up and down season so far, but if we can get our big name players firing, we can still have a good season. Knowing that we can now rely on the youngsters has given the squad real strength in depth.
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Post by hhsussex on May 26, 2015 7:10:19 GMT
The emergence of the younger players this season has been one of the major plus points so far. When the season started, most of us were optimistic about our prospects this season, an impressive pace attack of Jordan, Magoffin, Shahzad and Mills, allied to a powerful batting line up, Nash, Wells, Joyce, Cachopa and Wright, good things were forecast. It hasn't quite worked out like that so far, and injuries have played their part, particularly with the bowling. What the injuries have done though, is present opportunities for the younger members of the squad. These have been grasped by the likes of Robinson, Machan and Hobden. The younger players have shone in most matches, often overshadowing more experienced team mates. It's fair to say, it's been an up and down season so far, but if we can get our big name players firing, we can still have a good season. Knowing that we can now rely on the youngsters has given the squad real strength in depth. Great post jonboy. They have taken a very heavy burden and done extremely well in difficult conditions. Apart from Hampshire, where we were pretty dominant from the start, each match this season could have gone either way, and this current one will give us the chance to keep up with the leaders in the championship in the expectation that later in the summer we will have some players back from injury and the wickets will be firmer. |
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Post by Wicked Cricket on May 26, 2015 9:02:38 GMT
This is a big day for Sussex CCC. The match will be over come 6pm unless bad weather has its say and Sussex must beat
Warwickshire. A loss and only 3 points and we find ourselves sinking towards the relegation zone. A win and we are still in
contention after a disappointing home loss against Middlesex.
Supporters know this sinking feeling well for our present Championship cricket appears deja vu from previous seasons. The
early burst and top of the table to then a decline. The stalwart Sussex batsmen are out of form; injuries have ravaged the
side... it's all so 2014.
And now we have another difficulty - the Hove pitch.
Huge sympathies to Andy Mackay who is stuck in no-mans land with new wickets still settling in which, while it offers enthralling
cricket for those watching, for the players it can be a nightmare. From some media accounts the Warwickshire side were
chuntering like a herd of wildebeests last night. Their dressing-room more a WW1 field hospital. As BBC commentator Lizzy Ammon
tweets: "Earlier in the season a second XI match was abandoned at Hove, then the pitch v Middx deemed "below average" and now
this one." Adding, "No one wants flat dull ones but if the batsmen can't really trust the bounce it's not really a fair contest is it?"
Former Sussex old boy Tony Pigott and pitch adjudicator told the media last evening that this wicket has been deemed 'below average'
by the umpires and a decision will be made at the end of the game whether this is to be downgraded to "poor" which means possible
points deducted. The worst case scenario being Sussex could actually be minus points after this match if we lose it.
Having said that, the glorious England win yesterday should have inspired the Sussex players and we need our Captain Marvel who
is ready for a big score to emulate Alastair Cook. For, at least one Sussex bat must step forward today, face the perilous elements,
and gain a big score for the team to win.
Meanwhile, the off-field activities have not faired too well either. Kudos to the Sussex marketing team for taking advantage of a bank
holiday weekend by organising a beer festival but after all their hard work, where were the crowds on Sunday and Monday? Once more
few youngsters were to be seen. Which poses the question: why put so much effort into promoting the 4 day game when there isn’t a
market to market? Agreed, this is still May, it was cold out of the sun, and a thousand and one other local events are on to tempt the
cricket supporter away. But to add salt to the wound, this match will be over in 3 days and not the expected four.
To repeat, a big day today, fingers crossed.
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Post by Wicked Cricket on May 26, 2015 11:23:15 GMT
Sussex need 190 to win. Nash out for 2 - Sussex 14-1. A major partnership from Joyce and Wells is now required. The sun is
coming out. Is that the good fortune we need?
edit: Sussex are playing with the Gods. Joyce was dropped on 0 and now Wells has been dropped by Trott. What some are
saying was the sitter of all sitters.
edit: Wells reprieve only lasts for 1 over. Caught for 19. 31-2.
edit: Goes from bad to worse. Finch out for 1. 35-3. We need a miracle - preferably a strong partnership between Joyce and
Wright. Lunch beckons thank goodness.
We need Wright to counter-attack after lunch aka Ben Stokes at Lords yesterday. I don't see how else Sussex are going to win
this match.
edit: I'm off! Can't cope with this predictable batting collapse. Joyce out first ball after lunch. 38-4. Unless Wright counter-attacks now
we have little chance. Where's my Paddy Ashdown hat?
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Post by howardh on May 26, 2015 13:41:13 GMT
Need a miracle,I fear.
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Post by flashblade on May 26, 2015 14:31:40 GMT
Oh ye of little faith!  |
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