Notts Trent Brdge 10/5/24 4 days

[anyportinastorm]

May 14, 2024 13:37:07 GMT Phil said:

May 13, 2024 20:18:46 GMT anyportinastorm said:

What is the point of Read? At the very least he first question should be This is incredibly poor skipper what is going on on and off the pitch? Supporters want to know.

It's a difficult one for Scott Read, if he probes too much the players will refuse to speak to him, and in the end Read is the one who would lose his job. I've seen it happen in football circles. 

I agree to a certain extent in that it is a balancing act between being probing and forceful or just outright rude and disrespectful. Read is beyond bland though and never asks any questions that supporters themselves may ask. He seems very happy to pally up to opposition commentators when Lancs are getting hammered too.

[exile]

Unfortunately, Scott Read is all too well aware that asking awkward questions will put his job at risk.  Lancs has always been run as an authoritarian outfit and the club has always reacted quite badly to criticism, however tactfully put.  People have lost their memberships for asking awkward questions and players have been shown the door for expressing opinions that don't reflect well on the management.     

[Phil]

May 13, 2024 14:54:03 GMT Admin said:

9 wickets it was, didn’t get Hameed out meanwhile Gloucestershire win for the first time in two years

Even though we got stuffed it was a good few days to see a ground with all stands open and hardly a steward in sight. No bag searches and a pleasant experience.

[Dave Towers]

A couple of crazy sessions have cost us from at least getting draws in the last two games.

92 all out against Kent.

Taking almost 50 overs to get a wicket on Sunday, after arguably being on top.

[lancsdes]

That’s often true Dave. It was true through much of the 1990s when England always got hammered in the Ashes. We were competitive in many sessions and occasionally even a full match but always had one or two mad sessions.

[lancsdes]

May 14, 2024 18:24:14 GMT Phil said:

“Even though we got stuffed it was a good few days to see a ground with all stands open and hardly a steward in sight. No bag searches and a pleasant experience.”


Apart from the difference in culture, Phil, where you are not treated like an enemy , we could have  had a ground which actually looked like a finished  ground and was good for Test and County Cricket. 

At Chelmsford in 2013. I spoke to a Lancashire member who lived in London and was a retired architect. He told me that he suggested to the Lancashire board that  they speak to the architect who had done Trent Bridge, but they told him to mind his own business.
It’s the Lancashire Way.

[John W]

Observations/thoughts on the four days at Trent Bridge.

Plus points -

1. The weather, 4 glorious days, perfect for watching cricket.
2. Trent Bridge - a cricket ground not an events venue. As Phil has already said, every stand open, you can follow the sun, sit in the shade, sit directly behind the bowlers arm (and not have to pay an extra fiver),if you want to watch the action from indoors then viewing is available in the Derek Randall suite, whatever YOU choose and not whatever the CLUB chooses. No bag searches (In this day and age I am not against bag searches but there is a way of doing it), you are allowed to bring your own alcohol into the ground. Friendly stewards in smart green blazers, all happy to have a chat, all with cricket knowledge as they are employed by the club. No glaring yellow high viz jackets so you are not sure if you have come to a county championship match or a Foo Fighters concert. A dining area in the Radcliffe Road stand open for both members and non members, bacon cobs served in the morning and a selection of main courses at lunch, afternoon tea and scones also served. You are welcome (At OT you are allowed) to stretch your legs and have a walk on the pitch at lunch and tea. The always useful mini pocketsize fixture list is available (At OT it is an A4 print). A PA announcer who speaks clearly so you fully understand what he is saying, he addresses the spectators as ladies and gentlemen and not 'folks'. The difference between Trent Bridge and Old Trafford is chalk and cheese, with one you feel welcome with the other you feel like an inconvenience. I cannot stress enough what an absolute delight it is to visit this ground. I still blame my parents! All those years ago if I had been born thirty miles from Nottingham and not thirty from Manchester I know which ground I would be watching my cricket.
3. Matty Hurst - These last two games I have seen a young player who has come to terms with being the first choice keeper/batsman. When I watched him against Hampshire and Essex I felt that he was overawed being in the team almost as if he didn't deserve his place, now I see a player who is ready to kick on. It's very early days but lets hope this is the case.
4. Saqib Mahmood - His first spell of five overs was excellent for a bowler who has been out for so long. His other spells weren't quite as good, once the ball had gone soft he wasn't as penetrating but he wasn't the only bowler who suffered. A fully fit and firing Saqib would be a massive asset to our attack - I wonder if he will be rested for the Durham game this week?

As for the match, a good toss to win, as long as the new ball was seen off and nobody did anything daft this was a 430+ first innings. Once again our top order get starts then get out. Pretty little thirties might win a T20 match but not a CC game. Wells, Bohannon, Bruce have one fifty each from eight innings, Balderson hasn't reached fifty yet from eight innings. That tells it's own tale. Yet we had four opportunities to at least have a big say in the match. At 190/2 everything was set up for a score above 450 before Jennings had a brain fade (I hope he looked at how Hameed approached his innings), at 273/5 the chance was still there to get 400+ but the middle/lower order couldn't cope with the new ball. In the Notts innings we had them at 104/4, a possibility of bowling them out for around 250 but unable to take advantage. Finally at 275/7 with a new ball there was a chance to at least bowl them out for a similar total to ours, once again we couldn't finish them off.
The Notts fielders caught everything. Wells and Balderson both dropped (difficult) chances. Those two drops cost 199 runs.
Bell has now been out three innings on the trot to the new ball. On two of those occasions he has been 'in' but still couldn't cope. However in the second innings Lancashire still threw him to the lions, shoving him out of the dressing room door at number four, the inevitable happened - whoever made the call should be ashamed (or others who maybe turned away).
Bailey is now a real concern. He isn't half the bowler he was last season. He looks totally drained of confidence.
Bohannon and Wells aren't far behind Bailey. Because the squad cupboard is bare there is nobody to replace them except drinks carrier Lavelle, but he has drifted in and out of the squad for three years now so do the coaching staff have any confidence in him or is it the usual, seniority is king?
So much depended on the new ball and twice Stone, Pennington and Paterson delivered. When you consider these three plus the injured Tongue and Hutton and the ever dependable Fletcher, that is a class array of quick bowlers. Pennington looks a brilliant acquisition, he was quick and menacing, a fully fit Saqib would be similar. BTW stealing from the Worcester stable - Notts get Pennington, we get Stanley!
Hameed was virtually faultless. The player who scored two tons for Lancashire against Yorkshire almost eight years ago. He played every ball on it's merit and reaped his reward.
Finally the captaincy. On Sunday afternoon I witnessed boring, stalemate cricket where I honestly thought Lancashire had raised the white flag. Lancs had eight fielders on the boundary to Hameed who played out the first four balls, I expected Jennings to bring the fielders in for the fifth ball but no the fielders remained on the boundary so every over Hameed sauntered through for a single, it was farcical. I could only come to the conclusion that the plan was to take as much time out of the game as possible then we bat for a draw, if that was the case it failed miserably.
Once Notts had racked up 500 and every Lancashire players brain was completely frazzled it was just a case of will they have the guts to make a fist of it or will the new ball decide matters.
At least I had the pleasure of watching Matty Hurst complete his maiden century in a proper cricket ground.

[anyportinastorm]

May 15, 2024 16:07:34 GMT John W said:

Observations/thoughts on the four days at Trent Bridge.

Plus points -

1. The weather, 4 glorious days, perfect for watching cricket.
2. Trent Bridge - a cricket ground not an events venue. As Phil has already said, every stand open, you can follow the sun, sit in the shade, sit directly behind the bowlers arm (and not have to pay an extra fiver),if you want to watch the action from indoors then viewing is available in the Derek Randall suite, whatever YOU choose and not whatever the CLUB chooses. No bag searches (In this day and age I am not against bag searches but there is a way of doing it), you are allowed to bring your own alcohol into the ground. Friendly stewards in smart green blazers, all happy to have a chat, all with cricket knowledge as they are employed by the club. No glaring yellow high viz jackets so you are not sure if you have come to a county championship match or a Foo Fighters concert. A dining area in the Radcliffe Road stand open for both members and non members, bacon cobs served in the morning and a selection of main courses at lunch, afternoon tea and scones also served. You are welcome (At OT you are allowed) to stretch your legs and have a walk on the pitch at lunch and tea. The always useful mini pocketsize fixture list is available (At OT it is an A4 print). A PA announcer who speaks clearly so you fully understand what he is saying, he addresses the spectators as ladies and gentlemen and not 'folks'. The difference between Trent Bridge and Old Trafford is chalk and cheese, with one you feel welcome with the other you feel like an inconvenience. I cannot stress enough what an absolute delight it is to visit this ground. I still blame my parents! All those years ago if I had been born thirty miles from Nottingham and not thirty from Manchester I know which ground I would be watching my cricket.
3. Matty Hurst - These last two games I have seen a young player who has come to terms with being the first choice keeper/batsman. When I watched him against Hampshire and Essex I felt that he was overawed being in the team almost as if he didn't deserve his place, now I see a player who is ready to kick on. It's very early days but lets hope this is the case.
4. Saqib Mahmood - His first spell of five overs was excellent for a bowler who has been out for so long. His other spells weren't quite as good, once the ball had gone soft he wasn't as penetrating but he wasn't the only bowler who suffered. A fully fit and firing Saqib would be a massive asset to our attack - I wonder if he will be rested for the Durham game this week?

As for the match, a good toss to win, as long as the new ball was seen off and nobody did anything daft this was a 430+ first innings. Once again our top order get starts then get out. Pretty little thirties might win a T20 match but not a CC game. Wells, Bohannon, Bruce have one fifty each from eight innings, Balderson hasn't reached fifty yet from eight innings. That tells it's own tale. Yet we had four opportunities to at least have a big say in the match. At 190/2 everything was set up for a score above 450 before Jennings had a brain fade (I hope he looked at how Hameed approached his innings), at 273/5 the chance was still there to get 400+ but the middle/lower order couldn't cope with the new ball. In the Notts innings we had them at 104/4, a possibility of bowling them out for around 250 but unable to take advantage. Finally at 275/7 with a new ball there was a chance to at least bowl them out for a similar total to ours, once again we couldn't finish them off.
The Notts fielders caught everything. Wells and Balderson both dropped (difficult) chances. Those two drops cost 199 runs.
Bell has now been out three innings on the trot to the new ball. On two of those occasions he has been 'in' but still couldn't cope. However in the second innings Lancashire still threw him to the lions, shoving him out of the dressing room door at number four, the inevitable happened - whoever made the call should be ashamed (or others who maybe turned away).
Bailey is now a real concern. He isn't half the bowler he was last season. He looks totally drained of confidence.
Bohannon and Wells aren't far behind Bailey. Because the squad cupboard is bare there is nobody to replace them except drinks carrier Lavelle, but he has drifted in and out of the squad for three years now so do the coaching staff have any confidence in him or is it the usual, seniority is king?
So much depended on the new ball and twice Stone, Pennington and Paterson delivered. When you consider these three plus the injured Tongue and Hutton and the ever dependable Fletcher, that is a class array of quick bowlers. Pennington looks a brilliant acquisition, he was quick and menacing, a fully fit Saqib would be similar. BTW stealing from the Worcester stable - Notts get Pennington, we get Stanley!
Hameed was virtually faultless. The player who scored two tons for Lancashire against Yorkshire almost eight years ago. He played every ball on it's merit and reaped his reward.
Finally the captaincy. On Sunday afternoon I witnessed boring, stalemate cricket where I honestly thought Lancashire had raised the white flag. Lancs had eight fielders on the boundary to Hameed who played out the first four balls, I expected Jennings to bring the fielders in for the fifth ball but no the fielders remained on the boundary so every over Hameed sauntered through for a single, it was farcical. I could only come to the conclusion that the plan was to take as much time out of the game as possible then we bat for a draw, if that was the case it failed miserably.
Once Notts had racked up 500 and every Lancashire players brain was completely frazzled it was just a case of will they have the guts to make a fist of it or will the new ball decide matters.
At least I had the pleasure of watching Matty Hurst complete his maiden century in a proper cricket ground.

Agreed re Trent Bridge John. Smashing ground staffed by Smashing people. Unfortunately I fear a visit for a CC game won't be on offer next season. I said in an earlier post you could see the difference between the two teams in the warm ups. One looked professional and focused one looked half baked and haphazard.

[hengog]

Excellent comment/ report John W. I gave up my membership a few years ago following frustration with exactly the issues you describe . I’m not a bred in the bone Lancastrian , but began watching LCCC at OT nearly 60 years ago now, and for much of that time deeply enjoyed my visits. The ground in those days was maybe not the loveliest of test match grounds but not an embarrassment and with a pavilion to be proud of when I was encouraged by a friend to become a member. (When - I may be wrong here- we had I think either the biggest or second biggest membership of any county.)
Many years followed where the ground as a whole was allowed to crumble and fall behind other test match grounds. But two things made it special for me. Firstly, simply listening to the memories and anecdotes of the then ‘ old boys’ of past games here and in the leagues . And secondly the privilege of spending time in the pavilion as it was - the place itself and the proximity to the players. The first has naturally left us with time, the second by the deliberate intent of the club. We have seen a crumbling old cricket ground transformed into a stadium which some regard ( I keep hearing David Lloyd saying so) as ‘world class’, but to me is ugly and soulless. As a stadium I can get far better viewing at Headingly, while as a cricket ground it is, as described above, embarrassingly inferior to Trent Bridge , but also to the Oval as well, as, obviously to Lords. I’ve not been to Edgbaston for many years, so can’t compare it.

[lancsdes]

Ouch Hengog but I agree with every word as I do with John W.

[sillypoint]

Excellent report John W. At OT you feel like you're just about tolerated. There was the shameful experience last year of having neither B nor C stand open. The club apologised and said it wouldn't happen again, that being only a few years after the last time it happened, they apologised and said it wouldn't happen again.

It's not long since we had so many good seam bowling options that we had the luxury of rotating them. Now we've got hardly any. How has this been allowed to happen? Perhaps when Tongue and Hutton are fit again, we might be able to acquire one of the Notts bowlers on loan, embarrassing though that would be.