Specsavers Championship, Wednesday, June 21, 2017

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3rd & 7 37yd

I don't mind Mo batting higher as long as he bats responsibly and makes the spot his own

by dez dezzy 6/21/2017 9:55:31 AM
Even the Somerset twitter account struggles to tell the Overtons apart - Jamie's with the Lions, Craig's with the T20 squad!

by SDHoneymonster 6/21/2017 9:54:57 AM
Move Moe up again! He's used to it by now.

by StaggerBreaths 6/21/2017 9:54:47 AM
@nickcricket I'd go even further and move Root back down to five, it's where he seemed most comfortable to me. No idea what you then do about three or four though.

by SDHoneymonster 6/21/2017 9:53:40 AM
@SDHoneymonster - Lawrence is the only non-opener specialist bat in the side, and even he used to open for the Eng U19's!

by dez dezzy 6/21/2017 9:52:08 AM
wants*

by nickcricket 6/21/2017 9:51:52 AM
I think they called him up because he wouldn't miss any cricket and could work with the spin bowling coach, Nick Hoult in the Telegraph reckons Root want to go back to 4 so they are also looking for a number three

by nickcricket 6/21/2017 9:51:27 AM
@StaggerBreaths - Yes was thinking that, though the inclusion of Garton or Bess wouldn't have made any difference

by dez dezzy 6/21/2017 9:51:19 AM
The downside being that only two can actually open. Or will they swap it around between innings?

by StaggerBreaths 6/21/2017 9:51:14 AM
Big fan of the England selectors not knowing what do about the opening slot and therefore shoving seemingly every opener in the country into the Lions side.

by SDHoneymonster 6/21/2017 9:50:19 AM
Bit of a tail on that Lions side.

by StaggerBreaths 6/21/2017 9:50:02 AM
No Bess :(

by dez dezzy 6/21/2017 9:46:40 AM
Just glancing at the SA A squad for people to watch out for, de Bruyn played their last Test in place of S Cook but isn't a career opener. If the latter struggles then he could lose his place by the end of the series against Sussex Bavuma opened with the highly rated Markram so one of them could well come in. I suppose they might also need someone to play instead of Faf he makes himself unavailable for Lords. With Steyn out there is a very real chance that if they hadn't signed Kolpak deal both Rilee Rossouw and Abbott could have been in that starting lineup which should worry the ICC if they even notice

by nickcricket 6/21/2017 9:43:28 AM
Little nervous about Kent for today. A lead of over 200 with Shah bowling in the fourth innings would make things interesting. A quickfire century from Stevens would go down very nicely indeed.

by mdpayne87 6/21/2017 9:33:54 AM
@StaggerBreaths Forecast to wipe out the first session at least

by nickcricket 6/21/2017 9:25:55 AM
Can live match updates (wickets, 50's. 100's etc) from the Lions game be added to this page?

by dez dezzy 6/21/2017 9:25:55 AM
@MattWarwick top stuff

by nickcricket 6/21/2017 9:23:55 AM
Never back against Rain to save Welshmen. also yeah Nick, he's in the form of his life and England just don't seem to want him to play the right cricket at the right time. Its bizarre.

by Matt_MYano 6/21/2017 9:23:53 AM
Rain? RAIN!?

by StaggerBreaths 6/21/2017 9:21:45 AM
@Matt_MYano No idea, doesn't have a great T20 record because he rarely plays the format, I guess maybe England feel having carried drinks for 6 months with first team player resting he should get to play. They are letting him out to play the Pink ball fixture so maybe they felt one match was enough preparation. By this point last year he had scored 3 Test Centuries and two first class Hundred for Yorkshire once of which was a double

by nickcricket 6/21/2017 9:21:28 AM
Good way of getting out of fielding practice.

by Matt Warwick 6/21/2017 9:20:27 AM
That's just to burn off some of his breakfast

by dez dezzy 6/21/2017 9:19:44 AM
Kids, if you want to know what makes the great even greater - Samit Patel is having a net - despite being at the crease for a zillion hours.
— Dave Bracegirdle (@bracecricket) June 21, 2017

by nickcricket 6/21/2017 9:19:06 AM
UPDATE: Match start delayed (Start delayed due to rain), Durham 281/4 (74 ov, trail by 14 - 1st inns) v Glamorgan

by ESPNcricinfo Live 6/21/2017 9:12:03 AM
Hoping the same 5 and possibly others will be get a look-in for the WI ODI's too

by dez dezzy 6/21/2017 9:10:56 AM
Bairstow should be playing for the Yorkies this week - he's a dead cert to play in the tests, so why isn't he getting some batting in?

by Matt_MYano 6/21/2017 9:10:55 AM
He nice to see that waiter Bairstow play more than one match a week, what is he up to for the year? 5 England ODIs, 5 RLODC games and one CC game. Its a hard life...

by nickcricket 6/21/2017 9:09:14 AM
Livingstone & TC are the ones i'm most interested in, though i'll be pleased if Crane does well, but as others are saying the longer format would be preferable.

by dez dezzy 6/21/2017 9:06:18 AM
I said 'somewhat' Dez. Between AB throwing a quiet internal wobbly, and the new ingredients being thrown into the pressure cooker (albeit cooker's set to perhaps 90 Celsius), there's just about enough drama for this to be worthwhile. But by gum is it a close-run thing.

by StaggerBreaths 6/21/2017 9:05:30 AM
Not sure about Crane playing T20 after only 5 domestic matches, just don't want him to have a scaring experience then decide he needs to bowl leg spin at medium pace

by nickcricket 6/21/2017 9:04:37 AM
Eh. England are actually alright for LO spinners at the moment. I'm interested in seeing Crane as much as possible in FC, indifferent in LO.

by StaggerBreaths 6/21/2017 9:04:02 AM
My problem with Mason Crane is that every time I see him I imagine him doing noir-film style narration in his own head. "I met this dame, and she told me to work on my flipper...and look it just worked. Interesting."

by Matt_MYano 6/21/2017 9:03:39 AM
Yep real fight on a Lords, would expect Middlesex to enforce the follow on and then there is the chance for someone other than Gary Ballance to put up some runs in the second dig. With the England players and possible Bresnan back next week I am really hoping that someone will show a glimmer of hope for the future

by nickcricket 6/21/2017 9:02:52 AM
while everyone is basking in the sun, up North it has been throwing it down all morn so it will be interesting to see how much play gets played at the Riverside today...sods law Durham are actually in a good position

by lee 6/21/2017 9:02:46 AM
Not meaningless SB (though i'm well aware of your views on T20!), a chance to see some new names given a go.

by dez dezzy 6/21/2017 9:02:37 AM
And for perhaps the first time this season, both my current and former county are looking pretty good!

by StaggerBreaths 6/21/2017 9:02:05 AM
Hoping to seen Crane play tonight, so there's that to look forward too.

by Matt Warwick 6/21/2017 9:01:59 AM
Morning all. Can't say I'm quite as enthusiastic as Dez, since two of those games he mentions are a warm-up and a somewhat meaningless T20 series, sandwiched in between more important ones. (I suppose if nothing else it'll be another chance to see AB breaking down on the cricket pitch.) But there is sun, there is first-class cricket, and there is the blog. If not quite all good in the hood, it's at least mostly sound in the ground.

by StaggerBreaths 6/21/2017 8:59:28 AM
Great day for cricket today - County Championship, England Lions, England Women face a stern test against a good NZ side, all finished with the T20 this evening!

by dez dezzy 6/21/2017 8:56:26 AM
Everything is Awesome at Essex apparently

by Matt_MYano 6/21/2017 8:48:00 AM
by David Hopps 6/21/2017 8:32:03 AM
Foster's emotional ton adds to Essex feelgood factor
David Hopps: Give or take the little matter of a last over defeat in the Royal London Cup semi-final, these are good times for Essex

by David Hopps 6/21/2017 8:31:25 AM
Beleaguered Yorkshire brace for a thrashing
Tim Wigmore:Yorkshire have lost to Middlesex in remarkable contests on each of their last three visits to Lord's. This time, they might simply be thrashed.

by David Hopps 6/21/2017 8:30:40 AM