@dezdezzy Green tops and moisture can aid spin - Warne has always said if the ball is seaming it will spin and uncovered pitches must have had decent coverings of grass
by SDHoneymonster6/9/2017 12:59:47 PM
I personally think reversing the toss rule would resolve the draw issue, give the visiting team the choice to bat or toss should in theory discourage roads, wouldn't encourage spin at all though and would encourage dibbly dobblers......basically whatever choice is made there are draw backs. ah, Yorks can bollox
by Joe Williams6/9/2017 12:59:45 PM
Only problem is, draws aren't just cause of the pitch, weather is so unfortunate, look at our Essex game! Can't really blame the teams for draws when weather's involved
by Angus Mitchell6/9/2017 12:59:28 PM
WICKET: Yorkshire 86/4 (36.3 ov, won the toss) v Somerset PSP Handscomb lbw b J Overton 25 (73) Partnership: 4 (2.5 ov) J Overton 7.3-2-17-2 JA Leaning 2* (12)
by ESPNcricinfo Live6/9/2017 12:59:13 PM
WICKET: Gloucestershire 77/4 (35.4 ov) v Notts GL van Buuren b Hutton 0 (1) Partnership: 0 (0.1 ov) BA Hutton 4.4-1-17-2 GH Roderick 5* (16)
by ESPNcricinfo Live6/9/2017 12:58:59 PM
I'd do away with bonus points completely tbh
by Meical Baggins6/9/2017 12:58:54 PM
No course not
by Angus Mitchell6/9/2017 12:58:29 PM
How about if we said that any wickets taken on the first morning of a match don't count towards bowling bonus points?
by Sam Inglis6/9/2017 12:58:19 PM
Possibly up number of points, but then we'd come last, that really would screw us over
by Angus Mitchell6/9/2017 12:58:17 PM
Buts not a situation reserved just for Lords though is it?
by Meical Baggins6/9/2017 12:58:11 PM
Yeah agreed, they've got other options, but reducing matches at Lords is a painful phrase to write for a Middlesex fan...
by Angus Mitchell6/9/2017 12:57:37 PM
Upping the number of points for a win isn't a bad idea
by nickcricket6/9/2017 12:57:20 PM
The Oval used to have a reputation for producing incredibly hard, fast, bouncy pitches which made for very good cricket (especially when the Windies were bowling on them). But almost nowhere in world cricket is like that now apart maybe from Perth. I think it's because there's not much variation now -- all pitches are laid using the same loam or whatever and there's only so much you can do to change how they will play.
by Sam Inglis6/9/2017 12:56:59 PM
WICKET: Gloucestershire 77/3 (35.3 ov) v Notts CT Bancroft c †Read b Hutton 37 (96) Partnership: 10 (4.3 ov) BA Hutton 4.3-1-17-1 GH Roderick 5* (16)
by ESPNcricinfo Live6/9/2017 12:56:42 PM
@SamInglis - no, but it is possible to take off a layer of grass, which is the main thing that hinders spinners.
by dez dezzy6/9/2017 12:55:59 PM
Can't help feeling that two major problems (overabundance of draws, farcical bad light finishes) with the CC would be resolved if Middlesex played less at Lord's.
by StaggerBreaths6/9/2017 12:55:36 PM
i guess where i am coming from is that if groundsmen were obliged to provide better pitches for spin, the counties would naturally be encouraged to find and promote spinners. If the pitch took spin, the spinners would get to bowl, if not, then the seamers do the work.
by Colin Warner6/9/2017 12:55:17 PM
Middlesex don't control the pitch at Lords, personally I think it holds them back having a main home ground that is very hard to get a positive result on. I do think the ECB needs to start looking at ground that without the weather playing a major part have too many draws
by nickcricket6/9/2017 12:55:00 PM
@dez True, but is it actually possible to prepare a hard baked road in a wet May?
by Sam Inglis6/9/2017 12:54:42 PM
Does anyone know why Ross Whiteley is considered an all-rounder?
by Dave Knibb6/9/2017 12:54:32 PM
Lords is unfortunately a draw pitch, need some pretty extraordinary bowling to get a win, in both innings as well.
by Angus Mitchell6/9/2017 12:54:26 PM
Broom isnt strong and stable then?
by Meical Baggins6/9/2017 12:54:06 PM
There are too many draws, and I think draw + bonus points gives teams too many points.....nearly 50% of a win.
by Meical Baggins6/9/2017 12:53:59 PM
@SamInglis - a traditional English pitch used to be a seaming greentop which is not at all conducive to spin. Allowing visiting teams the option to bowl first means that teams would be taking a big risk by producing a greentop for their visitors to make first use off.
by dez dezzy6/9/2017 12:53:17 PM
lol SB
by Dave Knibb6/9/2017 12:53:03 PM
Gosh Broom is terrible.
by StaggerBreaths6/9/2017 12:52:31 PM
WICKET: Worcestershire 109/5 (30 ov) v Glamorgan RA Whiteley c Donald b van der Gugten 6 (21) Partnership: 26 (6.0 ov) T van der Gugten 8-3-23-3 OB Cox 59* (67)
by ESPNcricinfo Live6/9/2017 12:52:02 PM
Dave, I thought that was the aim of alienating KP.
by StaggerBreaths6/9/2017 12:51:59 PM
I thought the aim was to have a few less 'tossers' in County Cricket.
by Dave Knibb6/9/2017 12:51:29 PM
I do slightly wonder whether groundsmen actually have as much control over how their pitches play as the ECB seem to think.
by Sam Inglis6/9/2017 12:50:43 PM
Weirdly, Compton may be one of those who's not favoured by the toss rule. Good defensive technique against a medium-ish ball-on-a-string. Not much else.
by StaggerBreaths6/9/2017 12:50:20 PM
Going to get sucked in....do not get sucked in...sod it, I still have reservations over the toss rule mainly as I don't think it solves my biggest bug bear with CCC which is teams producing draw pitches week in week out, yes Middx i'm talking about you, amongst others, if anything I suspect counties now err on the side of caution for fear of being put in on a pitch which will do something for bowlers. I also think it doesn't really factor in that due to CCC being 4 and not 5 days that you have to have a slightly different pitch approach to get a result. Hand on heart, other than Somerset, can we honestly say any county has really embraced it? And even then Somerset are getting angry glances from the ECB about their pitches!
by Joe Williams6/9/2017 12:49:29 PM
I do not rate Compton at all (as a Middlesex fan), Stirling's a great player, especially in limited overs who brings some bowling to the table as well (his spin is underused by Middlesex) and he got an invaluable half century last match, done nothing wrong, Compton's done almost everything wrong this season.
by Angus Mitchell6/9/2017 12:49:03 PM
Root has Test Wickets as a spinner so he should count...Rashid would play anyway if Root was ever available
by nickcricket6/9/2017 12:48:51 PM
AND ANOTHER THING COLIN...
by StaggerBreaths6/9/2017 12:48:46 PM
Colin Warner - I suppose they could have done that but would you have to then impose a set number of overs?
by nickcricket6/9/2017 12:48:17 PM
@ColinWarner - but then teams would just pick a batsmen that can bowl a bit of part time spin.
by dez dezzy6/9/2017 12:48:05 PM
I wonder how you'd define a spinner Colin? Does Root count, say?
by StaggerBreaths6/9/2017 12:48:00 PM
@Colin Warner I'm not sure how you could force a team to play a spinner -- they'd just point to one of their batsmen and say "well, he bowls a bit of off-spin".
by Sam Inglis6/9/2017 12:47:54 PM
#LeachforEngland
by StaggerBreaths6/9/2017 12:47:27 PM
He's bristling for it Meical.
by StaggerBreaths6/9/2017 12:47:11 PM
WICKET: Yorkshire 82/3 (33.4 ov, won the toss) v Somerset GS Ballance b Leach 19 (50) Partnership: 48 (18.3 ov) MJ Leach 3.4-0-11-1 PSP Handscomb 24* (68)
by ESPNcricinfo Live6/9/2017 12:47:00 PM
thanks for the various comments. I've read the BBC article and listened to the brief recording and I think i get it but it seems an odd solution. Why not make playing a spinner mandatory for both teams? That way the groundsman would be incentivised to provide the desired conditions.
by Colin Warner6/9/2017 12:46:21 PM
WICKET: Surrey 32/1 (8.4 ov) v Essex RJ Burns c †Foster b Porter 14 (29) Partnership: 32 (8.4 ov) JA Porter 4.4-1-17-1 MD Stoneman 15* (23)