English Domestic Cricket

[Kev]

Friends Provident QF Draw

Gloucestershire v Nottinghamshire

Lancashire v Essex

Hampshire v Middlesex

Somerset v Sussex

In a fantastic piece of planning Gloucestershire's ground is being used by some West Indians who don't want to be here!

 

[evertonfan]

Feck. Why did we have to get Essex?

 

[Kev]

Does it really matter Evo? I mean come on, at best you'd make it to the final and then bottle it

 

[evertonfan]

Yeah but at least we'd get the chance of being in the final! I wanna go to Lords again.

 

[Kev]

Trust me, I went to 2 finals last year and saw us lose both. At least this year I won't be out of pocket and depressed.

On a similar subject Kent are hosting the Aussies on the same day as the T20 finals. Not expecting us to reach it for a third year on the trot, but is this really the best the schedulers can come up with?

 

[evertonfan]

That's well harsh that Kev. If it's any consolation I went to finals day in 2004 & 2007 as well as Lords in 2006 in which we lost ALL OF THEM!!!

 

[Leicester Fox]

The ECB conspiracy to keep Jonathan Trott out of the England side continues as they use duckworth lewis to keep the run machine that is Trott out of the tournament.

 

[evertonfan]

They still haven't picked Chilton either. It's a disgrace.

 

[Kev]

I'm thinking of getting T20 final tickets this year regardless of Kent's qualification. 2007 was a superb day's cricket (and would have been even if Kent hadn't won), 2008 was not a great advert for T20 imo. The Middlesex and Durham fans were very quiet during their semi, I've been to noisier CCh matches! Wish I had done what a lot of guys did and found a pub for that match.

 

[Howsie]

I'm surprised Trott hasn't been named as Pietersen's replacement. He sometimes takes a little while to get in, but is a good momentum builder and is capable of going on to get a good score. I can't imagine it will be too long until he plays for England though. He has won games for Warwickshire in one-day cricket by being very aware of the way he plays and aware of how he has developed in the last couple of years.

 

[vaibhav mehta]

Classy stuff by Kieswetter and Bruyn. Awesome recovery by Somerset. 28 overs of spin in fairly overcast condition hmm. Robert Croft is happy though.

 

[King Pietersen]

More ridiculous bowling figures from Masters. Gotta be one of the best OD bowlers in England. Whether he'd be able to repeat such success for England is yet to be seen, but I'd love to see him given a go. 8 overs, 4 maidens, 1-6 for Masters today. What a performer he's been for Essex this season!

 

[vaibhav mehta]

Felt sorry for Goodwin. He should have scored hundred there. Still Sussex won comfortably. I knew anything under 300 was an easy chase there.

 

[Kev]

Went to my first T20 group match for a couple of years today. Saw Essex smash Kent around the park (187 runs in their 20 overs), decent innings from Alastair Cook making 80 before getting caught and bowled by Justin Kemp. Saw some great lightning too! Kent escaped as a downpour saved our sorry asses 10 balls before we would have been doomed by Duckworth Lewis.

Can't see myself booking finals day tickets this year unless we do something pretty spectacular form wise. Rob Key is really showing his England class of late. At least he didn't get out today but he's not moving his feet, not taking quick singles and not scoring runs (on the plus side it does seem he can count to 4, (in the FPT I was often left wondering if he knew how many his bowlers were going for and how many overs they had bowled!). All our bowlers seem unable to bowl in limited overs cricket this year as well. Maybe Ryan McLaren can change our fortunes when he eventually gets back from India. Really missing Darren Stevens too, he was warming up with the team before the match today but I can't see him playing before the World T20 break.

Next up Sussex on Sunday - unless I happen to be working in North London on Wednesday.

 

[adyhorn]

Went to see the Surrey game yesterday, we didn't bowl well, you will most likely lose if you only take one wicket in a T20. Henderson gave me hope, but we kept losing wickets at a steady rate and it was over by twelve overs in.