Specsavers CC Sussex v Leics, Hove May 1-4

Apparently Joyce had a bruised thumb.

If Joyce is fit would he replace Wells or Finch in your ' injury ' team?

Is Briggs a containing bowler? Well take me sideways.

Night all

How is playing one less bowler going to help us bowl teams out twice?

In advance of this must-win game (and doesn't that sound ominously like last season?) we have just had a Tweet from Steve Hollis saying there is an update on Luke Wright's injury in the Argus today "and its not good news". I don't think anyone, not even Mark Davis, expects him to be fit for this match, and Luke Wright was showing caution in his interview earlier this week. Probably the best news we could expect its that he is fit to take part in the last of the early-season rounds of championship games against Debryshire at Hove at the end of May. A worse case scenario would be that he is now advised to give it complete rest for a month, do light training and strengthening for another month , thus missing the crowded June calendar of mostly white-ball games, and come back in July.  That is all speculation but better to be prepared than to be foolishly optimistic and raise hopes unduly.

Ben Brown's captaincy against Essex generally looked very good until the latter stages of the Essex game, when I felt he had run out of options towards the end of the afternoon session on the 4th day and kept bowling Shahzad in the hope of forcing a breakthrough by sheer pace. It was more than disappointing that he didn't give Garton more than 2 overs, and then opening the bowling with Briggs after tea told Essex clearly that Sussex didn't have the spirit for a fight. Previously he had handled his changes well, set good fields and showed some positivity. Let's hope he continues to improve and his batsmen support him.

My team would be

Joyce
Nash
Machan
Taylor
Finch
Wells
Brown
Robinson
Shahzad
Garton
Magoffin

The proviso here would be that if Brown and the coaches doubt Garton has the strength yet for a long day's bowling then better to replace him with Briggs and accept all that implies - including the wrath of fraudster for perceived negativity. If that happens then Finch should bowl, as he has done in the seconds game this week. If no Briggs Wells can add a little variety, but only as an occasional bowler. Yes, he turns them, but he doesn't direct them very well and for this game we may have to hope, weather permitting, that the faster bowlers will work up more confidence than they showed against Essex.

Garton only bowled six overs in the second innings v Essex. Whatever the reasons, if you're not going to use one of your five bowlers, it rather suggests that you don't actually need five.

I'd go with hhs in strengtening the batting with the inclusion of Finch and allowing Brown to bat at his natural position of number seven and then four bowlers, with the fourth spot between Briggs and Garton. As it promises to be cold and damp, probably leave out Briggs as he's going to find it hard to get any purchase on the ball at all if his fingers have turned to icicles. Leics won't play a spinner; they left out Naik from their XI v Kent this week and I'd expect them to do the same again.

There's a rumour that Leics have two keepers injured in O'Brien and Eckersley and may have to play their third choice , Lewis Hill. (How come Leics can afford three recognised keepers and Sussex can only afford one, with Cachopa filling-in part-time?)

Interestingly, our academy wicket keeper from last year who was released , Leo Cammish,  has joined the Leicestershire academy!