am wary of the Middx game having an engineered finish though
Points deductions all round if this happens tbh. I don't think Notts will be in a position for this though; it'll be essentially a grind to survive Middlesex's fearsome attack which has seen them win so many games this season
am wary of the Middx game having an engineered finish though
Points deductions all round if this happens tbh. I don't think Notts will be in a position for this though; it'll be essentially a grind to survive Middlesex's fearsome attack which has seen them win so many games this season
Without Mutragh too who has taken 30 wickets at 20.63 including 8-102 in the last match
Interesting that the 3 best batting scores in Div 1 are from the bottom 3 sides.
Northants seem to got a bit of form just too late, getting a very good draw against Surrey last week, and having Essex in trouble this week, both being against title chasing teams.
Thoroughly enjoyable day at Canterbury today. Kent have all but matched Middlesex for actual and potential bonus points which is commendable.
Felt desperately sorry for Compton who set the platform for our (almost but not quite yet 5 runs needed, 6wickets and 21 overs left) 3 batting points yet narrowly failed to get the century he deserved as reward for all the hard work he put in.
Joe Denly in the afternoon suddenly decided to grasp the nettle and started playing some lovely strokes looking quite dominant at times. Harry Finch wisely assumed a 'Compton like' role and let Joe do his stuff while he was in the ascendancy.
What I want now is firstly secure the 3rd batting point and then for Joe and Harry to bat on and see how many we can get. There were signs at times that the ball was turning slowly for the spinners so if we can get a lead of 100 to 150 our spinners might pick up a few wickets, with the natural decline of a 3rd / 4th day wicket, and give us an outside chance of obtaining an unlikely win. That said the weather forecast for Friday is not great for Canterbury.
We obviously have to hope that Middlesex do not somehow cobble together a win and that Notts apply themselves towards saving the game.
Commenting on Friday's forecast for Canterbury, BBC have just shown the map , with a bit of rain early on in the South East corner but NOT after around 11am.
Fingers crossed it's not a " Michael Fish moment" !
I hadn't realised that the over in which Blatherwick bowled 2 beamers was still the same over where he got Compton out and legitimately struck Denly on the helmet before the bad light interruption!
am wary of the Middx game having an engineered finish though
Is that possible and how might that play out?
I'm not so much concerned about an engineered result as I might be that the Notts players end up being "demob happy" with so little to play for and the end of a long season within touching distance. Lancashire might be in the same frame of mind but for the fact that they just don't lose games - one all season - and drawing matches is very much a way of life for them.
Notts recovered from 35-2 to 92-2, suggesting that they are batting "properly".
I think most sports people have a sense of professionalism as well, so that even if they don't give "110%", they still put in an acceptable performance.
Notts recovered from 35-2 to 92-2, suggesting that they are batting "properly".
I think most sports people have a sense of professionalism as well, so that even if they don't give "110%", they still put in an acceptable performance.
Not suggesting that it's a conscious thing for one minute or that Notts aren't trying to be professional but it's a lot easier to keep yourself in the zone and try that much harder when your destiny is at stake. One only has to look at Middlesex in securing more bonus points in one innings than their previous 13 and the fact that we are likely to secure one of our best totals of the season too. Notts have had 10 innings of 256 or less this season - Slater and Clarke look set but I'm not sure that the balance of their batting line up is that great.
Pardon my ignorance but is that another batting point ?
Yes, 400 within 110 overs is 4 points
It's all down to our and Middlesex's respective results since, as long as we match them, we will stay up. Our game is more advanced than theirs - whether that is a good thing remains to be seen although, with the prospective indifferent weather at Canterbury tomorrow, we should achieve a draw meaning that Middx have to win.
Not sure that I understand this talk about Nijjar joining us. We have Parkinson (who will probably be a fixture in the side) and Qadri plus, no doubt, Denly Jnr, will be getting a contract and that's without Denly Snr and Leaning. It is rare for us to play more than one frontline spinner and surely our limited financial resources would be better spent on bringing in another seamer?
Comments
Northants seem to got a bit of form just too late, getting a very good draw against Surrey last week, and having Essex in trouble this week, both being against title chasing teams.
Felt desperately sorry for Compton who set the platform for our (almost but not quite yet 5 runs needed, 6wickets and 21 overs left) 3 batting points yet narrowly failed to get the century he deserved as reward for all the hard work he put in.
Joe Denly in the afternoon suddenly decided to grasp the nettle and started playing some lovely strokes looking quite dominant at times. Harry Finch wisely assumed a 'Compton like' role and let Joe do his stuff while he was in the ascendancy.
What I want now is firstly secure the 3rd batting point and then for Joe and Harry to bat on and see how many we can get. There were signs at times that the ball was turning slowly for the spinners so if we can get a lead of 100 to 150 our spinners might pick up a few wickets, with the natural decline of a 3rd / 4th day wicket, and give us an outside chance of obtaining an unlikely win. That said the weather forecast for Friday is not great for Canterbury.
We obviously have to hope that Middlesex do not somehow cobble together a win and that Notts apply themselves towards saving the game.
Fingers crossed it's not a " Michael Fish moment" !
I hadn't realised that the over in which Blatherwick bowled 2 beamers was still the same over where he got Compton out and legitimately struck Denly on the helmet before the bad light interruption!
I think most sports people have a sense of professionalism as well, so that even if they don't give "110%", they still put in an acceptable performance.
404-3
Denly 134*
24 in no balls!
414-6 and a lead of 87
428-7 and a lead of 101
431-8 and a lead of 104
Gilchrist (6.21)
Quinn (10.61)
Chahal (8.29)