Essex v Hants

[bungle]

County Championship gets underway at Chelmsford today. Rather early if you ask me, but there you go.

 

11am start.

[chrisobee]

Just a wee bit early I'd say ! Then again I can remember many Saturdays ( when Hants used to play at home on a Saturday!) I'd go to the County Ground till about 2.45pm then nip off to the Dell and then back for the final session. So the seasons overlapping is of course nothin new.

Rod Bransgrove is very happy with the squad and hinted there might be another signing to come ( presumably for 20/20).

[krissyboy31]

Hants won the toss and are bowling (surprise, surprise).

[chrisobee]

Hants won the toss and are bowling (surprise, surprise).

 

Could well be a good toss to win ! Any team news ? Nothing on Cricinfo yet.

[Weston Saint]

Wicket looks green so no suprise Hampshire putting Essex in

 

Team - Carberry, Adams, Dawson, McKenzie, Benham, Pothas, Ervine, Ali, Tomlinson, Griffiths, Briggs.

 

Vince was the player left out.

[chrisobee]

Wicket looks green so no suprise Hampshire putting Essex in

 

Team - Carberry, Adams, Dawson, McKenzie, Benham, Pothas, Ervine, Ali, Tomlinson, Griffiths, Briggs.

 

Vince was the player left out.

 

Looks a nicely balanced team, plenty of bowling options and decent strength in the batting.

[The Saturday Boy]

Looks a nicely balanced team, plenty of bowling options and decent strength in the batting.

 

I agree with that, and considering we have the likes of Dimi, Lumb, Cork, Herath and Vince not playing, the squad looks very strong, especially if Jones makes it back and finds some form.

[chrisobee]

I agree with that, and considering we have the likes of Dimi, Lumb, Cork, Herath and Vince not playing, the squad looks very strong, especially if Jones makes it back and finds some form.

 

You forgot Kevin Pietersen, you never now he might play one 20/20 game for us

[krissyboy31]

Could well be a good toss to win ! Any team news ? Nothing on Cricinfo yet.

 

Maybe not? Essex 60-0.

[Weston Saint]

Might have been a good toss for Essex to lose!

 

60-0 of 13 overs.

 

Long way to go though.

[Weston Saint]

68-1 not a bowling wicket though run out (Griffiths)

[Weston Saint]

79-2

[chrisobee]

That's more like it ! Griffiths with a "proper" wicket!

[Weston Saint]

Adams has just dropped Godleman in the slips. Easy chance

[Weston Saint]

Just a reminder of some changes in the points system

 

16 points for a win (was 14 last season)

3 points for a draw (was 4 last season)

 

A maximum of five batting points to be available

200 to 249 runs ................................................... 1 point

250 to 299 runs ................................................. 2 points

300 to 349 runs ................................................. 3 points

350 to 399 runs ................................................. 4 points

400 runs or over ................................................ 5 points

 

A maximum of three bowling points to be available

3 to 5 wickets taken ............................................ 1 point

6 to 8 wickets taken .......................................... 2 points

9 to 10 wickets taken ........................................ 3 points

 

All now within the first 110 overs in each first innings (was 120 overs last season)

[Weston Saint]

http://www.rosebowlplc.com/news/lvcc-v-essex-9th-april/

 

LVCC v Essex - day 1After a long hard winter it was a wonderful moment watching Pothas lead Hampshire out onto the Chelmsford pitch and Kabir Ali, wearing shirt number 33, take the new ball. Ali was clearly excited about the prospect when I spoke to him a few days ago, his only regret being that it would be a while before he bowls in front of his new home crowd at The Rose Bowl.

 

Ali’s first over for Hampshire went for a miserly 2 but caused no real alarms. At the River End James Tomlinson was straight into his stride with a tightly bowled maiden which gave John Maunders no chance to get away. In the absence of Alastair Cook who is being rested by the ECB, Essex opened with Maunders and new signing Billy Godleman.

 

After 10 overs Essex were 40 for 0 and Hampshire had made their first bowling change, bringing in Ervine for Tomlinson, whose opening spell had gone for 19 runs. Ali was still bowling with intent from the Hayes Close End and almost had a chance when a ball kept low and appeared to squirt off Godleman’s bat into the slips, but couldn’t have carried.

 

David Griffiths came into the attack in the 13th and after a few wayward balls found his line to finish the over impressively. And indeed it was Griffiths who made the breakthrough in the 15th when he fielded the ball off his own bowling, noticed non-striker Maunders being sent back by Godleman, and split the stumps with a direct hit. Essex were 68 for 1 after an hour of play.

 

In the 17th Griffiths was clearly giving the batsmen trouble. After Godleman edged through the slips to reach the safety of the non-striker’s end Griffiths shaved Tom Westley’s bat a number of times before he finally made contact and Nic Pothas safely pouched the catch. Essex were 79 for 2 as Westley departed for 1.

 

Tomlinson returned in the 20th and should have struck straight away. For the first time the ball was starting to swing and Godleman would have perished for 45 had Adams not uncharacteristically juggled the catch and dropped it at the second time of asking. 4 overs later his 50 came up, off 74 balls with 5 fours.

 

Griffiths finished his spell with 5-1-22-1 and was replaced by Kabir Ali, clearly striving for his first Hampshire wicket. Essex proceeded very cautiously towards lunch until the 28th over when Matt Walker, having been hit on the head by Ali, released the pressure with a pair of fours off Tomlinson. Ali almost struck just before the break when an impassioned lbw appeal against Godleman (on 54) was turned down. The players went into lunch with Essex on 102 for 2.

[Lets B Avenue]

177-4. 2 wickets for Danny Briggs. The 1st after being hit for 3 fours in 4 balls, he bowled Godleman 92 and then after being hit for 6 by Pettini, had him caught behind next ball.

[chrisobee]

Looks like there was more drama off the pitch than on:

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/cricket/article-1264933/Police-quiz-Essex-cricket-stars-match-fixing-swoop.html

 

Though it's the Daily Mail there does seem to be something in this.

[krissyboy31]

345 all out. Griffiths 5-85.

[Leicestersaint]

A good day for Hampshire i think - 227 for 4 currently, with Adams 106 not out. 118 behind - if we can overhaul them tomorrow we stand a chance of startign with a win.

[Leicestersaint]

334 for 5 - it's a shame that Nik was out at the end - honours even I think.

[Lets B Avenue]

I'm afraid its only 234-5.

[krissyboy31]

A good job Jimmy Adams can bat (168 no). It's a pretty sorry scorecard apart from him with extras our second highest scorer. 329-8.

[Leicestersaint]

354 all out - at least we got the 4th batting point but the batting was not impressive apart from Adams.

 

Essex are now 50 for 2 - it looks like it's heading for a draw.

[The Saturday Boy]

Essex now 137/5 and have a lead of 128.

[stevegrant]

Carberry takes a wicket, now with figures of 3-3-0-1

 

201/6, a lead of 192. Bowl them out for a lead of 250 or less and I think we've got a chance of sneaking a win.

[chrisobee]

Carberry takes a wicket, now with figures of 3-3-0-1

 

201/6, a lead of 192. Bowl them out for a lead of 250 or less and I think we've got a chance of sneaking a win.

 

With the new points structure maybe Essex will even declare and set us a run chase !?

[Weston Saint]

Essex have a lead of 203 going to lunch.

 

Rules for last day state minimum of 80 overs and then 1 final hour when a mininum of 16 overs need to be bowled.

 

31 overs bowled this morning. That leaves another 65 less 2 for change of innings.

 

I do not expect Essex to declare yet.

 

One senario will be to bat on for another 13 overs and try to get a lead of 250. That will leave Hampshire 50 overs to get at 5 an over.

 

Let's see if Essex have the balls. Without Kaneria in the side (he has not arrived yet and rumour is he is one the local police would like to interview on match fixing issues) I think it unlikely.

 

Game has draw written all over it.

[Weston Saint]

248 required in a minimum of 49 overs.

 

As a 1 dayer, possible but on a wearing wicket and no bowling/fielding restrictions looks a tall order.

 

My bet is they will play steadily until tea and review then

[Leicestersaint]

Well 5 an over is possible as we know, but it will be very tough. I say let's go for it!

[Weston Saint]

11-0 off 6 overs. Seeing off the new ball

[The Saturday Boy]

47/0 off 15 overs.

 

They seem to be moving up through the gears now as the last over went for 10 runs.

[krissyboy31]

Adams out for 45. 76-1!

[Weston Saint]

75/1 off 20.

 

173 required off 28overs

[stevegrant]

We were starting to go along at a good pace until that wicket, looks like they'll settle for the draw now.

[Leicestersaint]

86 for 2 off 24 now - it is still feasible but not very likely.

[krissyboy31]

Why is Dawson batting at 3? He's never a number 3 and never will be.

[Leicestersaint]

115 for 3 now - I make that 133 needed off 16 overs which is around 8 an over.

 

Both carberry and benham can hit big runs but I can see a steady fall of wickets.

[keithd]

lets die trying!!

[Leicestersaint]

98 needed with 6 wickets left - but carberry is out for 47.

 

62 scored off the last 10 overs.

[Berkshire Saint]

170/5. Benham just gone, 10 overs left. Lose one more wicket and time to shut up shop methinks!

[Berkshire Saint]

72 needed off 8. Hampshire appear to have given up since Benham got out.

[Berkshire Saint]

****. Pothas and Kabir dismissed in successive balls.

[chrisobee]

Oh flip, we're going to lose

[krissyboy31]

Bugger! From 170-4 and 180-5 to 185 all out!

[Leicestersaint]

Collapse - and match lost! FFS

[stevegrant]

I make it that we had 1 ball to survive...

 

Epic fail.

[saintkiptanui]

That is funny.

[chrisobee]

lets die trying!!

 

We died

[keithd]

We died

 

i didnt mean it