Random thoughts on a top two days at Wokingham:
- The new style competition worked really well. Final qualification went down to the wire, with Sussex needing to restrict Berkshire to 93 in the last game, having made 130 themselves. In the end, Berkshire did just enough, putting Middlesex through to the finals.
- It was great to see Middlesex - one of the few all-amateur teams left - have such a good couple of days. (Although Sussex will argue that it was more that they (Sussex) just had a really bad day "at the office" on the Tuesday.)
- Talking of "at the office"... it is a pity that the tournament couldn't be scheduled for a weekend. There were a handful of fans there (more than at a regular county fixture) but there would have been even more if it hadn't been a "school" day.
- I didn't see all the games (see above!) but my Player of the Tournament was Georgia "G" Adams - she batted quickly and classily - like a mash-up between stylish Sarah Taylor and zippy Danni Wyatt. If England were to look beyond the contracted players for this summer's T20s against South Africa... which they almost certainly won't... they wouldn't have to look far to find an opening batsman who can get them off to a smart start.
- Also worth a mention in dispatches is Beth Morgan - Middlesex would not be where they are without her, in her capacity as player, captain, coach, psychologist and everything else in-between! (And all for the love of the game - no shiny new central contract (or shiny new Kia Sportage) for her!)
Never quite worked out why Beth Morgan retired from international cricket when she did.
ReplyDeleteOne improvement they could (well should) make is that if the first day produces a team that loses both matches then that team should have to play in both match 1 and match 2 on the 2nd day. Why - because this is more likely to mean match 3 is between the top 2 teams. Both Sussex and Kent had a distinct advantage over Middlesex and Surrey respectively by dint of playing in the final match against the weakest opposition knowing precisely what they needed to do to make top spot. By luck rather than judgement this is what happened in the other group with Notts and Yorks clashing in the 3rd match of the 2nd day with everything at stake.
Beth Morgan was clearly seriously struggling physically on day 2 - that, in a word, is why she decided to call it a day for England.
DeletePS: England desperately need six hitters in their T20 team - so that counts out most of the those who played in the T20 World Cup earlier this year !! Adams looked good in the Super 3s but then Winfield looked good in the West Indies and hasn't really been given a chance since. Hennessey is probably the best candidate as a six hitter (so was/is Susie Rowe). I would be delighted if Adams, Hennessey and Winfield played against SA.
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