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County Cricket 2022

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
Going back to T20 Finals Day, how does this work wrt spectators? Do the supporters of the losing semi-finalists tend to go home early, leaving the final to be played in a half empty ground? Or is the final played in front of a 50% neutral crowd? I understand the logic behind the current set-up, and I think it's probably a good thing. But there is a downside when the biggest domestic match of season isn't played, for the most part, in front of supporters of those two sides. And having some of these sides significantly weakened due to England's ODI commitments could euphemistically be described as regrettable. Likewise the quarter finals a week earlier.
 

Red_Ink_Squid

Cricketer Of The Year
But there is a downside when the biggest domestic match of season isn't played, for the most part, in front of supporters of those two sides.
Unforgivably, you appear to have forgotten about the Hundred. :ph34r:

More seriously, I attended a few years back and although some supporters left early, the vast majority stayed around. Warwickshire were eliminated in the first game of the day which naturally wasn't popular with the locals (myself included), but the Hollies stand was still pretty loud for the final. (Mostly cheering for Willey.)
 

Tom Flint

International Regular
It's not just fans of the 4 sides there anyway as tickets are sold before the semis. I would stay even if mddsx didn't make the final.
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
Today is the latest evidence of a key reason why Surrey aren't the shoe-in for the CC that some would have you believe. One of our weaknesses has been finishing off the tail, and, sure enough, Essex have added 100 for the seventh wicket after we had them on the ropes at 90+ for 6. Harmer and chums won't be as forgiving if they find themselves in the ascendancy.
 

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
Good match in progress at The Oval; Surrey with a 48 run lead after the first innings. I was lucky enough to start watching the live stream with Surrey having just lost their ninth wicket 18 runs behind Essex's first innings score. That they were that close was almost entirely due to Jacks' extremely patient 84. At which point Jacks decided to start depositing Harmer somewhere beyond the mid-wicket boundary for 5 sixes in a couple of overs, and then do the same to Critchley's leg breaks. Having reached his 100 from 160 deliveries, he progressed to 150 from another 16.

Harmer will pose a bigger threat in the 4th innings of course, and I think anything over 150 will take some getting.
 
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wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
I expect Surrey to win
They may do, and they look well set with all 10 wickets intact needing another 105. But the weather may play a part. The current forecast is that tomorrow it will be raining by 3.00pm. Obviously it could actually arrive earlier than that, in which case we're looking at just the pre-lunch session. Current progress suggests that they will still need around 90 tomorrow, which isn't a lot to make in one session unless Harmer holds up an end for a run or so per over and then it all becomes a bit tight.

EDIT
And all that ignores the effect of losing a few wickets. Burns just gone to an ill-judged swipe against Harmer. Snater just removing Amla may be significant because the latter is by far Surrey's best player against spin.
 
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wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
Kyle Abbott's spell of 5 wickets in 12 deliveries has just given Hampshire a chance of knocking off the 82 runs required for victory before the forecast thunder storm arrives. Some spell that; Hammond and Higgins were looking like they could bat all day until Abbott removed the former just before lunch.

Here's the biggest threat to Hampshire winning. Presumably they'll try and knock off the runs in 45 minutes or so.
 

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