21-24 August v Yorkshire, Hove

After weeks of rubbish, broken only by a surprisingly resilient performance from a weakened squad against Middlesex, here we are: last quarter of the season, two home games, two away. Relegation is not yet an absolute certainty, and might not be even if this game is lost. Indeed, the points for a draw are not that much more important than getting a good hand of bonus points, so there is everything to fight for, even against the outstanding side in the championship this year. Negative tactics, theories about putting the other side in first, defensive field placings: none of these should apply.

There is nothing to be learnt from the colossal waste of time and money that is the scheduled 50 over game against Essex today, even if the promised rain relents. All we can hope for is that the senior players selected don't strain themselves if they do get on the field, or overtrain. For the Yorkshire game the team should be:-

Joyce
Wells
Machan
Nash
Wright
XYZ
Brown
Jordan
Robinson
Magoffin
Hobden

XYZ is the sum of the options. X is Cachopa, if he could recapture the form he showed last summer and in the New Zealand season last winter. In 17 List A and T20 matches last winter he scored 630 runs at an average of 45.00 with a century and four 50s. Where has it all gone? That kind of punchy, attacking play is what we really need in the middle order, particularly when they bring Rashid on to try and awe people with his reputation and his fairly innocuous leg breaks that become so juicily hittable when he gets rattled and tries to bowl faster.

Y is Yardy, one last flourish from the old campaigner whose awkward style and pugnacity were both so usefully displayed at Lord's. Playing him now is generally a defensive option, though.

Z is Zaidi, probably in the last few weeks of his contract here and unfulfilled, although having enjoyed an unlikely end to his first class career having stepped down to play club cricket in Lancashire. At his fallible best, his wristy batting might come off and he has worked hard on his fitness to conquer the effects of advancing years and widening tum in the field. His bowling represents the only controlled spin that Robinson is likely to play.

Unless....one last throw of the dice and a return from the wilderness for Beer, perhaps? We shall see.