Warks v Hants last day

[didds]

Amazing last couple of sessions at Edgbaston today.

If you have the time find the youtube coverage of todays play and watch what you can through to the end.

Just amazing sport.

Liam Norwell... take a bow.

didds
(Who is a Kent supporter!)

[scottnsilky]

I looked at the score board on BBC sport, Hampshire needed 37 runs (I think that was the figure) and 3 wickets !eft, I assumed they would manage that and finish the season runners-up, fortunately, being a Lancastrian, they didn't manage it and we are runners-up. Well done Lancs! But yes, brilliant bowling by Norwell.

[CryptoPlankton]

A shame for Hampshire - more wins than anyone else and only third. Suggests to me that the league may be structured too much towards rewarding safety first (that is, good points for a draw) rather than encouraging teams to always try to get a result. In this day and age, I would have thought the long version of the game could ill-afford too many dull sessions of unambitious cricket.

CP (eyes watering at the tartness of these grapes!)

[didds]

Suggests to me that the league may be structured too much towards rewarding safety first (that is, good points for a draw) rather than encouraging teams to always try to get a result.

being boringly pedantic here ( ) the reverse however is that if sides have little gain in fighting for a draw (ie points wise) then they wont bother to try and save games with rear-guard actions, and chuck in the towel to get an early finish and get home earlier.

Though given bazzball for England doesn't rely on them building long innings maybe that ethos (ie rear-guard fighting) is no longer important to the test team of course...

didds

[CryptoPlankton]

Suggests to me that the league may be structured too much towards rewarding safety first (that is, good points for a draw) rather than encouraging teams to always try to get a result.

being boringly pedantic here ( ) the reverse however is that if sides have little gain in fighting for a draw (ie points wise) then they wont bother to try and save games with rear-guard actions, and chuck in the towel to get an early finish and get home earlier.

Though given bazzball for England doesn't rely on them building long innings maybe that ethos (ie rear-guard fighting) is no longer important to the test team of course...

didds

It's a tricky one. Hopefully, retaining a few points for a draw would help to prevent "throwing in the towel". However, I think it would be preferable to see more incentive for dashing declarations than for teams to often find it acceptable to just "go through the motions" all through a final day to pick up half points. I'd be happier see teams occasionally capitulate and get home early myself than sit through that on a regular basis!

Still, sadly, it's probably all academic in the medium term...