A 3 year deal is quite long for someone who's fairly inexperienced. Not sure we desperately needed another seamer, trying to think of anyone who might be leaving after this season
Went to this yesterday. Some random observations, mainly from a Middlesex viewpoint;
Kent bowled well in very helpful conditions but could've helped themselves a bit with slightly better field placing (6 leg-glances went for 4s, fine of long-leg before lunch). That there was only one cover-driven boundary in the last 140 runs of Middlesex's innings tells a story about the track. Malan made 32 but I can only remember 2 coming in front of the wicket (uppishly through cover).
Thomas looked very lively (and the sort of pace that Finn used to generate but no longer). But he was the wrong bowler for this track, hence Kent concentrated on using Podmore, Stevens and Henry.
Middlesex have picked the wrong team because they mis-read the track. Rayner will not bowl a ball in the game and it would have been better for Stirling to play and be given licence to whack it.
Bell-Drummond and Kuhn ran brilliantly together but Middlesex's insistence (like so many teams these days) to bowl without a cover point, played into their hands. On a day when a massive percentage of the runs came behind the wicket, Middlesex needed to show more thought. Trouble is, the Captain (Malan) is not the right man for the job.
Billings looked fantastic standing up (very quick hands) but less so standing back....probably because of the massively swinging ball. Middlesex probably played and missed something like 30-40 times.
Fuller (a good hitter) needed to chance his arm, when Middlesex went 8 down. He didn't and lost the strike.
Morgan needed to do the same but punched the worst ball of the day (leg stump full toss) straight to mid-wicket. He's been utterly useless for Middlesex in Championship games and needs to be moved on.
If Murtagh was playing, I'd have been very confident of a Middlesex win. There hasn't been a better track for him this season at Lord's. He used to take wickets but go for a few. Now he takes wickets whilst keeping it tight.
Bamber has been the most threatening of the Middlesex bowlers because he is the most similar in style to Murtagh. Fuller and Finn bang it in a bit too much and Andersson is very inexperienced.
Kent should win and on the evidence of yesterday are a better side than Middlesex.
I'm slightly surprised Morgan has been playing CC cricket this season, wasn't he white ball only for the last couple of years?
Billings is a great keeper at the wicket, T20 has helped I imagine as stumpings are a key dismissal in that form of cricket now
A 3 year deal is quite long for someone who's fairly inexperienced. Not sure we desperately needed another seamer, trying to think of anyone who might be leaving after this season
Hunn will presumably go if he hasn't already. Same applies to Hartley.
I would also have mentioned Thomas but he has probably done enough for another go this year.
Will Henry be around next season? And at 43 will Stevens be able to bowl as much?
A 3 year deal is quite long for someone who's fairly inexperienced. Not sure we desperately needed another seamer, trying to think of anyone who might be leaving after this season
Hunn will presumably go if he hasn't already. Same applies to Hartley.
I would also have mentioned Thomas but he has probably done enough for another go this year.
Will Henry be around next season? And at 43 will Stevens be able to bowl as much?
I'm assuming that Henry would be replace by another overseas signings. Thomas has done well this season in bursts. I'd forgotten about Hunn, but Hartley left after last season. As for Stevo, no way would he justify a contract just for his batting, his bowling is what makes him so useful
Claydon must be nearing the end, not chosen for this match or most CC games, he seems to be mainly a white ball bowler now
A 3 year deal is quite long for someone who's fairly inexperienced. Not sure we desperately needed another seamer, trying to think of anyone who might be leaving after this season
Hunn will presumably go if he hasn't already. Same applies to Hartley.
I would also have mentioned Thomas but he has probably done enough for another go this year.
Will Henry be around next season? And at 43 will Stevens be able to bowl as much?
I'm assuming that Henry would be replace by another overseas signings. Thomas has done well this season in bursts. I'd forgotten about Hunn, but Hartley left after last season. As for Stevo, no way would he justify a contract just for his batting, his bowling is what makes him so useful
Claydon must be nearing the end, not chosen for this match or most CC games, he seems to be mainly a white ball bowler now
With the advance of Stewart Haggett may also be on his way.
A 3 year deal is quite long for someone who's fairly inexperienced. Not sure we desperately needed another seamer, trying to think of anyone who might be leaving after this season
Hunn will presumably go if he hasn't already. Same applies to Hartley.
I would also have mentioned Thomas but he has probably done enough for another go this year.
Will Henry be around next season? And at 43 will Stevens be able to bowl as much?
I'm assuming that Henry would be replace by another overseas signings. Thomas has done well this season in bursts. I'd forgotten about Hunn, but Hartley left after last season. As for Stevo, no way would he justify a contract just for his batting, his bowling is what makes him so useful
Claydon must be nearing the end, not chosen for this match or most CC games, he seems to be mainly a white ball bowler now
With the advance of Stewart Haggett may also be on his way.
He's still a regular in white ball cricket. I wonder how contracts work with such players, someone like Blake who never plays in red ball cricket, who's season is effectively over at the end of August
Out batting is very thin, we really need to sign or find another upper order batsman, when you look our top 6, we've basically played all the batsmen we have other than the 19 year old Robinson.
Comments
Billings is a great keeper at the wicket, T20 has helped I imagine as stumpings are a key dismissal in that form of cricket now
I would also have mentioned Thomas but he has probably done enough for another go this year.
Will Henry be around next season? And at 43 will Stevens be able to bowl as much?
136-5 20 needed
Don't f*** it up Kent!
Claydon must be nearing the end, not chosen for this match or most CC games, he seems to be mainly a white ball bowler now
The ball must be keeping low.
148-7 8 needed
Responsible captain's innings from Bilbo there to steer us home. 31*
Out batting is very thin, we really need to sign or find another upper order batsman, when you look our top 6, we've basically played all the batsmen we have other than the 19 year old Robinson.