After allowing the last 4 Kent batsman toget around 200 & the going from 173-6 to 196 all out (6 wickets for 23 runs) Yorkshire are now in danger of losing again, unless unexpected rain saves us. I'm begining to get the feeling that next year we'll be relegated and be visiting Derby & Glamorga (Division 2) in 2009 ... altogether now ...

We're going down to the Derby,
Down to the Derby,
Down to the Derby,
We're going down to the Derby

Ah, there's a long way to go in this season yet, Red Star, and it's surprising how quickly things can turn around.

Before the "break" for T20 etc., Essex's season looked like being a total nightmare. But now we have been transformed into an awesome world-class outfit. Although it could just be that Graham Napier has middled a few and Kaneria has found some helpful wickets in the one-day matches. And now we're playing Glammy in the CC, and that can make anyone look world-class at the moment...

So maybe we'll be seeing you in Div 2 next year. It would at least mean my daughter could get a fix to feed her Matthew Hoggard obsession.

Today Yorks lost to Kent ... by 3 wickets .. just think what may have happened if we hadn't allowed Kent to put on 200 for the last 4 1st innings wickets or lost 6-23 in the 2nd

On another point I'm surprised Aqua hasn't posted. Today the ECB held Yorks appeal to being kicked out of the 20/20.Glamorgan were also appealing. Guess what ... Yorks's appeal was accepted so they get 2pointsfor beating Notts ... but the ECB then docked Yorks 2 points for fielding an invalid player. As a result Glamorgam get to play Durham rather than Notts ... Notts originally got the 2 points in the Notts/Yorks game, as they haven't Glammy go through on a better run rate. Why do I think this was a welsh stick up .... personally I hope it rains & rains & rains so that the Durham/Glam game AND the 20/20 finals day are rained off.

Only just read the report Red Star.................................disappointing for Nott's but as I said before, on the day (illegible player or not) we didn't deserve to win

I just need to contradict most of my previous post in this thread. Essex cannot even manage to beat Glamorgan. We are still rubbish after all.

And how on earth can the ECB manage to have worked out that Glammy should be in the T20 quarter-finals? It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Still hope they beat Durham, I think.

Thanks for this Aqua ... the whole sorry affair has had one big plus for me .... every Notts supporter I've read (I'm on various cricket forums as well as here) has made exactly the same point as you. Whilst the Durham & Glammy Chief Execs have weighed in the Notts one has been most diplomatic. Most Yorkies would be very happy if Notts win the championship this season ... provided you don't hammer us next week of course .

Last night's Pro 40 win at Worcs must have cheered you up ... Notts did pace their innings perfectly


btw Just read the Glamorgan website ...which appears to equate Yorks playing an England U15/16 captain in error with the infamous Somerset B&H declaration in 1979. If this is the depths that Glamorgan can reach I personally hope that the team doesn't win another game all season ... although they'll probably getthe ECB to reverse the decision if they do.

http://www.glamorgancricket.com/news_view.php?news_id=1483

Another disaster for Yorks ... Essex bowled us out for around 150 & won with 5 wickets to spare .... POOOO

I assumed we'd probably lose it when we lost the toss, because chasing under the lights at Chelmsford is not easy. But in the end we'd wrapped it up before the lights really came into play. So it was a fairly comprehensive victory at Fortress Chelmsford in the end. Goughie's return visits to Essex this season have not been too happy...

Yorkshire's batting (except Naved) was spineless whilst Essex looked a good side. The annoying thing it that another 50 or so would have made it a really good game.

Yorkshire's end of season party is booked for Friday 25th July after we've lost to Notts in the Championship ..... provided the monsoon that normally follows Yorks to Trent Bridge doesn't arrive.

No monsoon Red Star.............and Nott's doing well (at the moment )

Possibly my only ever post on the cricket forum here, but I had to watch Kent v Essex in the 20Twenty semi. I watched Kent throughout my teen years, at the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury. The Kent connection is why I have the Gillingham FC albatross, too

Just a couple of observations:

A great performance, and while his name is his name, I kind of like having a player called Yousir Arafat leading the line for Kent.

And yes, I was on my feet shouting (no, not drunk) throughout the final overs. Deb didn't quite appreciate it.

Anyway, on to the final... (and yes, I am surrounded by Middlesex supporters here).

Btw: Kent Spitfires as a name I can just about take, although I find it a lttle tacky, as there is historical context. But Essex Eagles? Middlesex Crusaders?

Well, Kent lost.

It was fun though, and part of reinvigorating the game. I think Twenty20 is perrty cool.

But yes, it also means lots of money for the major players. On and off the pitch.

Without wishing to hold up stereotypes based on colour (of shirt, nothing else), Middlesex playing in pink was kind of surreal.

That's not what real men do, is it?

Only kidding, but it will take them a while to live that one down. I don't predict pink shirts around here (Middlesex heartland).

There's a reason for the pink shirts Pete

Oh shit. I'm sorry. I truly didn't know.

In mitigation I don't think the media online, the commentators, or any of the press today did either.

I missed it, and I retract what I said.

No problem Pete, it wasn't an admonishment, just a piece of information.

But thinking further on this - and I do most certainly live in the County Town of Middlesex, Brentford.

I work in schools throughout the Borough. From Brentford to Feltham.

This is an issue which should have maximum local impact. It is not known.

Nor, dare I say, is Middlesex's inability to create roots in the local communities.

I'm actually quite serious about this, and I will certainly follow it up. I mean this.

PS

Anyway, supporting Brentford is more fun, even if it means I have the three swords of Middlesex as opposed to the White Horse of Kent tattoed on my arm... Yep, I do.

Essex Eagles has a nice alliteration, sadly lacking in many of the other counties' one-day monickers. And anybody who's met Essex's very charming mascot Eddie the Eagle will have more understanding of the name. If the names had to be chosen for historical context, I'm not sure what we'd have chosen... Anyway, I'd sort of assumed Kent's name was down to some kind of beer sponsorship?

A disappointing day for Essex, but to be honest I think we did well to get to the finals day this year. And it was good to do so largely on the back of performances by homegrown players, not relying on Lurpaks. And I'm not the biggest fan of T20 anyway...

Alliteration probably wouldn't work for Kent , so I think taking the name of a fighter plane from WW2 possibly made more sense, given that that is where most of the Spitfires were based. Shepherd Neame's beer of the same name derives from the same source.

I still find it a wee bit tacky and outdated, mind.

Oh, and coming back to aquaman's point about the pink shirts, which I took (and take), the shirts Middlesex actually wore in the final bore the logo "Northern Rock", I believe...

Well, yes, the Middlesex pink shirts do bear their sponsor's logo, as they always do, I believe. But the charity connection is still there, and they've made a real commitment to support it. Well done for that, Middlesex. And well done on winning the final too, it was good to see the more Kolpak-lite team winning in the end.

Still working on a "historical" name for my lovely Essex. Hmmm. Iconic piece of machinery... Local connection... Don't want to lose that alliteration, or mention the war... ok, how about the Essex Escorts? Though I guess that could be misunderstood...

The 'Breakthrough' logo is on the back Pete. (or was last year)




Edited to add.........Here's a photo from finals day, you can just about see it.

Just to warn you (and yes, I know this is all jokey) that Braggy knows eff all about cricket. Or pretends to. I have indeed had the conversation about "a ball struck squarely and firmly" with him.

He insists it is a footballing metaphor, but...

I won't catch him again before Paris, where discussion of cricket with Billy Bragg would be more than surreal.

Yeah, I've always got the impression that might be the case. So sadly I guess I missed sharing the misspent days of youth with him around the out-grounds of Essex cricket at Ilford, Leyton, Sarfend...

I think we really need to get him down to the County Ground at Chelmsford. Or better still, Castle Park at Colchester. I'm sure he'd find it hard to resist.

And hey, I'm seeing Mr Bragg on Friday. And Saturday.

Go Bears go.

Good win against South Africa that, sorry, Leicestershire.

I've a feeling that when they introduced county 'names' Kent were sponsored byShepherd Neame (The Faversham brewery now sponsor Essex) who brew a beer called Spitfire ... so Kent sold out for moey

2ndly yes Notts hammered Yorks ... I would have commeneted earlier but for 'pc problems' (unable to get online for over a week as my pc & modem weren't on speaking terms). The Trent Bridge pitch was 'tricky' due to some balls keeping low .. but the Notts batsmen dug in whilst their bowlers were more accurate than the Yorks lot. Yorks finally fought back after it was too late (I didn't bother with the last day, which lasted much longer than I expected) which we've now done 2 games in a row .. both were losses.

Tomorrow Yorks take on S(l)urrey in a relegation dog fight .... Yorks are without Naved, Hoggard & McGrath .. but include D*rr*n G**gh who can only bowl 1 meaningful spell a day.... if the expected rain doesn't arrive it will be the 4th loss in a row......... we're going down to the Glammy, going down to the Gloucester, down to the Derby, we're going down to the Glammy

Well the rain did come ... we lost 16 overs on day 1 & most of day 2 .. but it was Surrey who had to save thew game ... which they did far too easily for my liking.

Oh yes Mark Ramprakash got his 100th 100 today, I was in attendance. Ramps must like playing Yorks as he made his debut against us in 1987 .... it was an early season game at Lords & Yorks won the game after being totally outplayed for 2.5 days of the 3 day game, my first visit to Lords. Mark took 2 years to get his first ton ... at Headingley in 1989 .... & yes I saw the innings but missed the last day on which Yorks lost.

Vaughan resigns

And what do the forumers think of this?


For me Vaughan was the most succesful captain of my life time and led a pretty ordinary international side to success. It probably is the right time for him to go but with no stand out replacement in line I'm slightly concerned.

As a good Yorkie I'm not happy about Vaughan as this means he'll be playing foir the White Rose ... to quote a certain Mr Boycott ... Vaughan is poor for his county.

You Yorkies are never happy.

Blimey.............the Ginger Ninja has gone as well !!

'Pundits' are now suggesting Mr Kevin (the Ego has landed) Pieterson for the Captaincy

Agreed

Agreed. And for a while, he was one of the few world-class players in that international side. Sort of sad to see him go, though I think he's done it honourably.

And it appears to leave the way clear for the ECB's marketing dream...

Does anyone think the KP appointment could be a ploy in some way to keep him away from the IPL?

I suppose it could have that incidental effect.
It'll certainly help to keep the ego fed.
And of course it could just be that there aren't really any other standout candidates.

And Ravi Bopara has now taken Vaughan's place in the England squad. Essex are now officially doomed.

Just back online after Brussels so this is one of my manic posts...

And to say that I would have appointed Robert Key as captain, not a South African that none of the other players seem to get on with.

But there you go. That's a Kent fan for ya.

Seriously, to me he would seem to be the obvious bloke for the job. But yes, done deal.

I am seriously intrigued about where Twenty20 is taking the game. Deb falls about laughing about games lasting five days, and can end with no result. And I did indeed have to explain to her what "The Ashes" are, today.

That's one which is hard to explain. With all due respect to cricket fans out there, she fell about laughing even more. I couldn't really blame her.

I did get her into Twenty20 mind

At the start of today Yorks & Hants were equal after their first innings ... then Yorks went from 45-0 to 107 all out 10 for 62 simply isn't good enough. ... Lets just say that I'm rather unhappy

Why do they allow a team to play cricket in Manchester? Today I should have been at Old Trafford for the first day of the Roses game ... but of course it chucked it down so no play

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It's a shame that Moser isn't still around. Yesterday Somerset made 333-4 against his team Glous in a 40 over game at Taunton. Marcus Trescothick scored 184

Most people now probably think I'm posting as I'd be able to wind our absent member up ... BUT amazingly Glouc won the game as they were ahead of the required score when it rained. I'm sure M would have been rather happy.

http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/countycrick...tch/320042.html

p.s. The game ewas on on Sky so I was lucky enough to watch it.

According to Facebook Moster's computer has been broken.

With Spurs making an appalling start to the season expect him to make an imminent return.

Off to Trent Bridge later

Blimey...........the game started at 14:30.

I was back at my local pub at 18:00

I bet you feel a bit short changed ey Aqua?

If only Broad could bowl like that every week.

I didn't even get to see the new floodlights working

...and if only Prior could catch like that etc.

Impressive England performance. Must have been a bit of a bitter-sweet experience to have been there though.

One of the friends that I went with is South African ..........I believe it was more of a bitter - bitter experience for him

Now that must have made it a lot more fun.

The bright side for me being that it looks like Warwickshire will have Tim Ambrose available for selection for most of next season after Prior's display. Despite whatever his England performances may suggest, I still think he's a pretty decent player. Warks current wicketkeeper wears glasses, all you need to know really.

Yes, it seems the New Skipper is keen to keep Prior in the team too.
Just for the record, I'd have to say that Essex's James Foster is probably the best English keeper currently available. Though his batting is infuriatingly inconsistent.

Infuriatingly inconsistent?
Sounds like he has quite the attributes then.

I have been surprised Chris Read has never been called upon again. He seemed to go away and improve his batting in the years since.