CC2 - Essex vs Middlesex

[BLUEBLOOD]

Essex have made a decent start today .. after winning the toss and inviting Middlesex to bat we have fought back from 85-0 and 192-2 to the current score of 250-6 with 4 wickets for James Middlebrook ... hopefully we can dismiss them for less than 300

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

5 for Middlebrook now :clap: :clap:

C'mon Essex .. lets get 'em out for 280

 

[Grayson]

Middlebrook has done well today.

Some odd scores around the country. 17 wickets fallen at Old Trafford for just over 200 runs, with Davies taking 8. A Hampshire player took 7 wickets at Taunton today, too, whilst KP is 89 not out.

 

[canveyshrimper]

5 for Middlebrook now :clap: :clap:

C'mon Essex .. lets get 'em out for 280

Close of paly 263/7, which on past performances mean Middlesex will get 450+

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Close of paly 263/7, which on past performances mean Middlesex will get 450+

yeah i know .. but it'd be so nice to just knock them over ... i've lost count of the amount of times that Essex have conceeded as many runs for the final 3 or 4 wickets as they have for the first 6 or 7 :doh:

 

[SUFCEssex]

hoping to get over to chelmsford tomorrow so i hope essex are doing well by then.

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

Strange day really, as we won the toss and put them in, only to see our spinner take 5 wickets. I suppose we would have taken that score at the start of play, but not quite in the way it happened.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Middlesex 302 all out. Essex 10/0

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

116-2 now with a half century for Gallian, who looks a decent signing, despite noises to the contrary from some on here

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

150-4 at tea .. another 0 for Pettini :doh:

 

[canveyshrimper]

Latest 201/9 looks like a healthy lead for Middlesex.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Latest 201/9 looks like a healthy lead for Middlesex.

Yep its looking that way ... we've lost 5 wickets for 11 .. woeful

 

[SUFCLiam]

207 all out

 

[The General]

A great evening spell from Nel see's Middlesex restricted to 19-3 and Strauss is one of those wickets. Back in with a chance now!

Kev

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Half a chance, but I still think this is (along with last season's team) the weakest Essex side in my life time.

Gallian has done OK so far, but I can't see a single batsman scoring 1000 championship runs, any I'm not sure if we'll have anyone reach 50 wickets either.

On the bright side, Cook and Bopara look as if they'll both be fixtures in the England side for years to come, and Westley is looking promising.

 

[Exiled Shrimper]

Half a chance, but I still think this is (along with last season's team) the weakest Essex side in my life time.

Gallian has done OK so far, but I can't see a single batsman scoring 1000 championship runs, any I'm not sure if we'll have anyone reach 50 wickets either.

On the bright side, Cook and Bopara look as if they'll both be fixtures in the England side for years to come, and Westley is looking promising.

Gallian's certainly capable of reaching 1000 first-class runs this season - he has that pedigree. With Cook and Bopara conceivably missing large chunks of the season, our other two batsman capable of this are unlikely to do so. I'd also expect Ryan ten Doeschate to get 750+.

At the moment, this side is very much in transition. There are some very promising youngsters coming through - Westley has contributed runs in this match, and I saw enough from Maurice Chambers in the New Zealand match last week to suggest that if he remains injury-free, he will take wickets for the county. I've also been a big fan of Tony Palladino, who has the potential to be a stock bowler in the years to come. With all three, staying clear of injury is the main thing, especially with the bowlers.

As for this match, we've got an outside chance, but only if we skittle Middlesex for around 100. Chasing runs in the fourth innings of a match is really difficult, and although it's a different situation, the NZ match showed that on Monday. Essex were really confident after bowling the tourists out for 195 in their second innings and started the reply confidently (45-1 overnight), the next morning, the magnitude of chasing down 293, even at less than 3 an over, was too much.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Gallian's certainly capable of reaching 1000 first-class runs this season - he has that pedigree. With Cook and Bopara conceivably missing large chunks of the season, our other two batsman capable of this are unlikely to do so. I'd also expect Ryan ten Doeschate to get 750+.

At the moment, this side is very much in transition. There are some very promising youngsters coming through - Westley has contributed runs in this match, and I saw enough from Maurice Chambers in the New Zealand match last week to suggest that if he remains injury-free, he will take wickets for the county. I've also been a big fan of Tony Palladino, who has the potential to be a stock bowler in the years to come. With all three, staying clear of injury is the main thing, especially with the bowlers.

As for this match, we've got an outside chance, but only if we skittle Middlesex for around 100. Chasing runs in the fourth innings of a match is really difficult, and although it's a different situation, the NZ match showed that on Monday. Essex were really confident after bowling the tourists out for 195 in their second innings and started the reply confidently (45-1 overnight), the next morning, the magnitude of chasing down 293, even at less than 3 an over, was too much.

I agree about Maurice Chambers by all accounts he generated a lot of pace against the Kiwis, so it will be good to see him given a chance when Nel goes back at the end of the month.

Latest score 29/4 off 21 overs.

 

[The General]

I was quite pleased ( from a selfish, Essex POV ) that Bopara got just 7 runs against NZ yesterday! :D

Middlesex currently 39-4 ...

 

[The General]

98-6 after Middlebrook gets 2 wickets in quick succession.

 

[canveyshrimper]

167/7 - looks like Essex will be chasing 300+