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Post by chris on Aug 12, 2021 17:28:14 GMT
Once again Bailey didn’t bowl out and Hurt just can’t be trusted. |
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Post by alanw on Aug 12, 2021 17:28:50 GMT
Once again Bailey didn’t bowl out and Hurt just can’t be trusted. Wells and Croft restricted them towards the end and it was a good move to bowl them at the end. With hindsight Bailey should have bowled the last over but it's easy to stay that now. |
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Post by alanw on Aug 12, 2021 17:38:17 GMT
Very similar to the T20 quarter final against Essex in 2019 at Durham when Bopara hit Livingstone for four sixes off I think the penultimate over.
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Post by man in the stand on Aug 12, 2021 18:42:30 GMT
Essex were cruising this. They were well ahead of Lancashire for most of the game but somehow almost contrived to lose it. Using Wells and Croft to bowl the last overs was a brilliant move though I agree with alanw that Bailey might have been a better choice for the last over. Still I never expected Lancs to get anywhere near a win defending a total of just 250 with our weakened bowling attack.
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Post by Dave Towers on Aug 12, 2021 19:36:38 GMT
Yes it’s certainly a funny old game: Glamorgan were cruising at 180 for 1 with 9 wickets and 9 overs to get the remaining 50 to beat Yorkshire but blew it.
Agreed hindsight is a great thing but I wonder if Harmer would have been able to take Bailey - or even Hurt- for those sixes. Over the last couple of weeks the general consensus is that Middlesex were allowed to get too many at the end and that was certainly so with Durham also. Bailey’s an experienced player now, but some captaincy decisions could maybe be queried.
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Post by chris on Aug 12, 2021 20:01:01 GMT
But .... the ECB decision to go with Points per Game is rubbish.
If Lancashire and Essex had been cancelled today Essex effectively would have stayed on 1.43 which is the same as being awarded 1.43 points and Lancashire 1.14 how would that be fair to the other teams have more than 2 points for the game.
And if you cancelled as Gloucester did they were effectively allowed to keep their score at 1.14 points - so you get more than half of the available points when you can’t raise a side! That was in a game that effectively ended Middlesex’s chances of qualifying so that they had nothing to play for today.
So much inconsistency:
On 7th August Gloucestershire said: "Gloucestershire Cricket is saddened to announce that due to a Covid-19 outbreak within the first team squad, the Royal London Cup match against Middlesex on 8 August 2021 has been cancelled.” The ECB said on the same day: "Members of the Gloucestershire squad are required to self-isolate which has resulted in the cancellation of the match.”
On 9th August Gloucestershire said: "three unnamed members of the playing staff have tested positive for COVID-19. This has been confirmed by PCR tests taken on Saturday. All of the playing squad immediately began self-isolating while awaiting the result of the PCR tests.”
And as we all know shop workers, care workers, those in hospitality etc have to self isolate for 10 days and not be allowed back to work even with a negative PCR test - until the law changes on Monday 16th August. I don’t understand how Gloucester had to cancel the Middlesex match because the whole squad had to self isolate but they were all allowed to play today (except Charlesworth, Lace and Worrall). Either they had to self isolate or not.
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Post by exile on Aug 12, 2021 20:06:21 GMT
A really bad toss to lose as the pitch was a bit damp for the first hour, the outfield was slow and scoring against an accurate Essex attack was very difficult. Lancs actually did well to get to 250. By the time Essex batted the pitch had dried out, the outfield had speeded up and batting was much easier. Bailey bowled well at the top of the innings but, unfortunately, Hurt was having an off day and had to be taken out of the attack. Lamb didn't do much better and it looked as though Essex would ease their way to a straightforward win. However, Morley, Wells and then Croft put the brakes on and Lancs were odds on to win at the start of the last over. It easy to say with hindsight that Croft shouldn't have bowled the last over but he had just taken two wickets in succession in the previous over and had had a pretty good match. Sadly, he just didn't put the ball in the right place. He is probably blaming himself but it would be just as easy to blame the various fumbles in the field that allowed Essex to convert singles into twos.
Looking at our performance overall in this competition, we lost out in the end through not having a good enough seam attack and also, I'm sorry to say, through poor on-field decisions made by an inexperienced captain.
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Post by hariseldon on Aug 12, 2021 20:16:39 GMT
The sad thing now, there is no cricket for at least a fortnight- in summer- in middle of August.
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Post by Admin on Aug 12, 2021 20:20:09 GMT
ESSEX VIEW
MATCH REPORT:
Alastair Cook struck a magnificent century as Essex Eagles and Lancashire produced a thrilling tie in the Royal London Cup clash at Emirates Old Trafford.
It was Cook’s 13th List A century and 8th for the County and it was a sublime innings from the opener that ensured his side would gain a home draw in the Quarter-Finals of the Royal London Cup.
When the Eagles commenced their reply to the Red Rose innings, they knew that they only required a score of 214 to ensure a home tie on Saturday because of points secured and run-rate calculations. Cook and Ryan ten Doeschate took the Eagles to within 2 runs of the target before their 89 run partnership ended when the latter holed out for 45, his highest score in this summer’s competition.
At this stage, with Cook in imperious form, the Eagles looked set for their 6th win in Group A but 3 wickets then fell in 5 balls for 2 runs to raise Lancashire’s hopes of also making the knockout stages in third place in the table.
Cook, timing the ball superbly, drove and cut impressively reaching his half-century from 64 balls before taking a further 49 to reach three figures. He had scored 110 with 11 boundaries when he skied to cover and opened the door for Lancashire.
Those hopes proved in vain but when the last over started, the Eagles required 22 runs. Jack Plom took a single off the second ball leaving Simon Harmer with the strike. Past deeds have shown that the South African relishes a challenge and he rose to the occasion magnificently thumping 3 successive sixes off Steven Croft before having to settle for a couple of runs from the final delivery to leave the match tied to reach an unbeaten 23 from 8 balls.
The Eagles fielded an unchanged line-up after Tuesday’s comprehensive success over Sussex Sharks and won the toss and chose to field.
The Lancashire openers had put on 49 before Simon Harmer bowled Luke Wells for 26 and when ten Doeschate (who finished with 2/33 from 8 overs) saw off Josh Bohannon for 34 and Rob Jones, thanks to a magnificent one-handed catch by Josh Rymell for 6, the Eagles were holding sway.
Croft and Lavelle steadily warmed to the task after striking a six apiece in the space of 3 Aron Nijjar deliveries as they showed commendable shot-selection to eschew possible demise whilst improving the run-rate.
Harmer proved economical with 1/32 from his 10 overs but as Croft and Lavelle took charge, the Eagles bowlers found it difficult to exert the tight control that had enjoyed in the first powerplay overs.
Croft took 75 balls to arrive at his half-century whilst Lavelle was altogether more aggressive reaching a 47-ball fifty and the first of his professional career.
By then, the pair had completed a century partnership spanning 91 balls and when Nijjar finally ended the stand when Lavelle was caught at deep square leg for 52, they had carried the total onto 203-6.
Danny Lamb joined Croft to keep the pressure on the visitors’ attack cutting and driving freely and boosted by the addition of 18 runs from the 47th over. Jack Plom was the unfortunate bowler and was removed from the attack to be replaced by Nijjar who had Croft caught by Paul Walter at deep square leg when the batsman was just 7 short of his century.
In the final over, Ben Allison accounted for Lamb, who had scored 25 from 13 balls, with the assistance of Plom, leaving the Eagles to chase a demanding target that produced a magnificent conclusion.
Josh Rymell plated a loose drive and was caught for 18, Tom Westley made 19 before Feroze Khushi, on 10, dallied before setting off to the striker’s end but was just short of making his ground when wicket-keeper George Lavelle collected Josh Bohannon’s throw and completed the run out.
Paul Walter departed for 12 to leave the Eagles 123-4 and the match nicely poised. However, the partnership between Cook and ten Doeschate appeared to give the Eagles the advantage before the spin of Croft and Luke Wells intervened to leave both teams sharing the spoils.
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Post by lancsdes on Aug 12, 2021 23:34:21 GMT
To give away 20 from four balls to a non-specialist batsmen is an utter disgrace, let’s be honest
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Post by alanw on Aug 13, 2021 10:30:45 GMT
To give away 20 from four balls to a non-specialist batsmen is an utter disgrace, let’s be honest The game has changed since T20 came along and I would say for the better. More aggressive batting and a belief in what can be done make this sort of thing more common, the T20 quarter final against Essex and the 2016 T20 final being examples which spring to mind. |
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Post by Admin on Aug 13, 2021 13:02:24 GMT
Did see at the end of the game Bailey going to speak to a grim faced Mr Allott
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Post by exile on Aug 13, 2021 13:07:34 GMT
A bit harsh, Des? I seem to remember "non-specialist batsman," David Hughes, hitting 24 off an over to win a famous semi-final. Would the Gloucestershire supporters have described this as "a disgrace"? In truth, it was very disappointing to see Lancs, having apparently plucked victory from the jaws of defeat, then fail to grasp it but these things can happen in one-day cricket. A more confident and astute captain might not have let Croft bowl the last over but it would have been a difficult and possibly controversial decision.
On the positive side, it was a great game to watch and a fine Lancs fightback against a much more experienced side who had had the lion's share of any luck that was going. Lavelle and Morley underlined their potential and Cornall looks a real asset.
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Post by chris on Aug 13, 2021 13:20:46 GMT
A bit harsh, Des? I seem to remember "non-specialist batsman," David Hughes, hitting 24 off an over to win a famous semi-final. Would the Gloucestershire supporters have described this as "a disgrace"? In truth, it was very disappointing to see Lancs, having apparently plucked victory from the jaws of defeat, then fail to grasp it but these things can happen in one-day cricket. A more confident and astute captain might not have let Croft bowl the last over but it would have been a difficult and possibly controversial decision. On the positive side, it was a great game to watch and a fine Lancs fightback against a much more experienced side who had had the lion's share of any luck that was going. Lavelle and Morley underlined their potential and Cornall looks a real asset. |
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Post by Phil on Aug 13, 2021 13:53:18 GMT
Great game and fantastic finish shame Lancs just lost out. In hindsight Croft shouldn't have bowled the last over but that's easy to say now. Whether he should have bowled it or not, to be hit for three sixes in succession by a bowler is appalling! |
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