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Contrived finish sends Essex up to CC1


chrisobee
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After the game looking odds on a draw and Northants set for promotion Derby declared v Essxex setting them 359 in 65 overs in spite of themselves having nothing to gain and Essex nothing to lose. No surprise Essex got home with 5 overs and 5 wickets to spare. I'm sure there will be plenty of unhappy Northants fans around.

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It's even worse than I thought:

 

"Fortunes began to favour Essex when, with 65 overs remaining of the days play, Derbyshire declared leaving only 359 to chase in 65 overs on a flattening pitch.

Essex then took all before them taking Derbyshire's attack to all parts of the ground with Ryan ten Doeschate scoring an undefeated 59-ball 108 with Derbyshire's tactics on the afternoon coming under question as Graeme Wagg reverted to bowling left arm off-spin and opening batsman Madsen bowling off-spin."

 

http://northantscricket.com/index.php?mod=news&id_nws=151

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If you had beaten Essex the previous round you would have been promoted.

 

Derbyshire wanted to win, so they had to declare unless Essex bowled them out. In the context of the match 359 off 65 (which could easily have been reduced by bad light) was a tough target, which was only achieved thanks to attacking batting by ten Doeschate. If he had been out cheaply, which was quite possible the way he was batting, Derbys would probably have won.

 

If your main bowlers can't take a wicket, it is only natural to try a part-timer.

 

Bowling spinners on the fourth day at the end of the season makes sense.

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Yes, it was raised v the Yorks game so I knew exactly what you meant of course.

 

chrisobee

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Join Date: Nov 2006

Location: Watford

Posts: 2,824

 

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by hamster

I have not a clue what you are on about, sorry.

 

All I know is that the Spitfires are going to raid a few points from the Sparrows next year.

 

This piece of nonsense, no love lost between Hants and Kent.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2005...cricket.sport1

 

The main point :

 

"In the final analysis Notts' controversial triumph at Kent last weekend, when the home captain David Fulton accepted a near impossible run-chase, was decisive; without it, this win would have made Hampshire champions. The matter is closed, but the resentment may fester. "

 

It does.

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Surprised non-one has compared this to Kent's ridiculously generous declaration in 2005 to hand Notts the Championship at Hants' expense.

 

Nothing like it to be honest. Derbyshire were going for a win and were well set to do it until RTD can in and played a pretty remarkable innings. People moan when games drift until dull draws so I can't see much wrong in what Derby did.

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What is with the "you" ? I support Hants so really could not care who was promoted. However, Derby had no incentive to win, so they would have finished 3rd if they had. Big deal.

 

Can't see why a neutral would get so worked up over a reasonable declaration.

 

If you don't care whether you win or not, there is little point playing professional sport.

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Can't see why a neutral would get so worked up over a reasonable declaration.

 

 

Wasn't gettting worked up, just raising an issue which certainly did raise a few eyebrows. However, in the context of the season as a whole how often has that kind of finish occurred? Not very often I think you'll find.

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I can understand Northamptonshire being very disappointed but I thought it was a good declaration by Derbyshire. They left them enough time to bowl Essex out and enough incentive for them to go for it. Just the sort of thing Warne did for us on more than one occassion.

 

Yes, when a win was an important aim for us, Derby had pretty much nothing to gain. When the 2 sides met at the start of the season Derby had by far the better of the game but the declaration they made set Essex 312 from 45 overs, 7 an over. In the game in question the asking rate was 5.5 an over and on an easy pitch. Just no consistency with those 2 decisions, the difference for sure being early in the season a draw with an outside chance of a win was the safest option with guaranteed points whilst in the game just finished the extra points were neither here nor there for Derby. I really couldn't care less who got promoted but I can understand why Northants were a little put out by the turn of events after thrashing Leics by an innings.

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