Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008

[kevshat]

The final domestic one day competition begins on Tuesday. As last year the Pro40 is split into 2 divisions with the bottom two sides of Division 1 at the end of the season being relegated and the top 2 from Division 2 being promoted. The 7th placed side in Division 1 will play the 3rd placed side in Division 2 in a playoff at the end of the season. Every team plays each other once with the usual scoring system of 2pts for a win, 1pt for a tie/no result and nothing for losing. Any ties on points at the end of the season are separated on net run rate (NRR). Each match is 40 overs per team (weather permitting) and there are fielding restrictions for the 1st 15 overs. Division 1 odds:

	Lancashire	4.5	4.5	4.9	Betfred">4.5	5	Boylesports">4.5	5	5	Paddy Power">4.5	4.5	6	Victor Chandler">4.5	William Hill">4.5	5.2	Betfair">5.3
	Durham	6	5.5	5.7	Betfred">6	6.5	Boylesports">6	5	6	Paddy Power">6	5.5	5.5	Victor Chandler">5	William Hill">5.5	6	Betfair">4
	Somerset	6.5	6	6.1	Betfred">6	6	Boylesports">6	6.5	6	Paddy Power">6	6	5.5	Victor Chandler">6	William Hill">6.5	6.4	Betfair">6
	Nottinghamshire	6.5	7.5	6.2	Betfred">7	6	Boylesports">6	7	6	Paddy Power">6.5	7.5	8	Victor Chandler">6.5	William Hill">6	6.6	Betfair">6
	Sussex	9	9	8	Betfred">7	7	Boylesports">8.5	8	9	Paddy Power">8.5	9	7.5	Victor Chandler">8	William Hill">8	8.5	Betfair">9
	Worcestershire	10	7.5	8.9	Betfred">7.5	7.5	Boylesports">10	8	8	Paddy Power">8.5	7.5	11	Victor Chandler">7.5	William Hill">9	9.5	Betfair">8
	Middlesex	11	9	12	Betfred">11	13	Boylesports">12	9	10	Paddy Power">11	9	8	Victor Chandler">9	William Hill">13	13	Betfair">10
	Hampshire	10	13	13	Betfred">11	11	Boylesports">11	11	11	Paddy Power">11	13	10	Victor Chandler">10	William Hill">11	14	Betfair">12
	Gloucestershire	365">12	15	13	Betfred">11	11	Boylesports">11	15	10	Paddy Power">11	15	11	Victor Chandler">11	William Hill">11	14	Betfair">10

Division 2 odds:

	Kent	5	5	4.8	Betfred">5	5.5	Boylesports">5.5	4.5	5	Paddy Power">5	5	4.5	Victor Chandler">5	William Hill">5	5	Betfair">5
	Surrey	6	5	4.9	Betfred">4.5	4.5	Boylesports">4.5	6	5.5	Paddy Power">5.5	5	7	Victor Chandler">5	William Hill">4	5.2	Betfair">5.5
	Essex	6	5	6.2	Betfred">6	7	Boylesports">6	5	6	Paddy Power">5.5	5	5.5	Victor Chandler">5.5	William Hill">6.5	6.6	Betfair">6.2
	Northamptonshire	6	7	7.1	Betfred">7	7	Boylesports">6.5	7	7	Paddy Power">7	7	5.5	Victor Chandler">6	William Hill">7	7.5	Betfair">7
	Yorkshire	6.5	7	7.6	Betfred">7	7	Boylesports">7.5	6.5	7	Paddy Power">7.5	7	8	Victor Chandler">6.5	William Hill">7	8	Betfair">7
	Warwickshire	10	9	8.5	Betfred">8	8	Boylesports">8	8	8	Paddy Power">9	9	7.5	Victor Chandler">9	William Hill">9	9	Betfair">8
	Derbyshire	11	13	10	Betfred">9	9	Boylesports">11	13	9	Paddy Power">10	13	13	Victor Chandler">10	William Hill">9	11	Betfair">9
	Leicestershire	11	13	11	Betfred">9	9	Boylesports">13	13	11	Paddy Power">11	13	13	Victor Chandler">11	William Hill">9	12	Betfair">11
	Glamorgan	365">17	21	24	Betfred">21	21	Boylesports">17	26	26	Paddy Power">19	21	21	Victor Chandler">17	William Hill">17	26	Betfair">26
Place terms		3 1/5	3 1/5		3 1/5	3 1/5	3 1/4		3 1/4	3 1/5	3 1/5	3 1/5

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 I'm going with 2 outrights. One in each division. 2pts ew Middlesex to win Division 1 12/1 William Hill (1/5 1,2,3) Middlesex have had an excellent one day season. They were unlucky not to qualify from the South East Group of the Friends Provident Trophy having only finished 1pt behind Essex and 3pts behind Kent. Those two sides are going to compete in the final of that competition in August. They then easily won the South Group of the twenty20 and made it through to finals day. With Hampshire getting 2pts more than any other 4th placed side Middlesex can claim they won the hardest group. So having played good one day cricket this year there is no reason at all why the Crusaders should be 12/1. They've got everything they need to succeed in one day cricket. They have a good batting lineup, a decent seam attack and 2 very good spinners. They have a good blend of youth and experience and even the loss of Owais Shah won't be a huge loss because Andrew Strauss will return. Shah will only miss 3 matches anyway. Dawid Malan, Billy Godleman, Steven Finn, Gareth Berg and Danny Evans are all good youngsters who have proved themselves this season and they blend well with the experience of Ed Joyce, Ed Smith, Tim Murtagh, Murali Kartik and Shaun Udal. This 1st division is wide open with there not being a really solid side in it. Middlesex have shown they go well in one day cricket and they've shown by winning the playoff last year and by their twenty20 run that they can handle pressure and come the end of the season I expect the Crusaders to be right in the title mix. 5pts ew Essex to win Division 2 11/2 William Hill (1/5 1,2,3) Essex were relegated into the 2nd division in this last season but before then they were champions of this tournament for two successive seasons. Everything went against them last season. Their captain Ronnie Irani retired and key batsman Andy Flower decided to retire can become a coach. They also lost Darren Gough from their bowling attack. They have bounced back from that this season though. They've made the final of the Friends Provident and will be at finals day of the twenty20. Under new head coach Paul Grayson they have come up with good ideas in one day cricket and are playing really well. In Ravi Bopara they have one of the most in form players in the country and the way the fixtures have fallen he'll only miss one match while on England duty. Graham Napier is the talk of the cricketing fraternity right now and the likes of Mark Pettini, James Foster and Ryan ten Doeschate can give it a whack. Jason Gallian and Grant Flower offer solidity to the batting. Danish Kaneria will be tough to get away in the latter stages of the season while David Masters is one of the most economical bowlers out there. Essex have one of the best one day sides in the country and I'm certain their stay in the 2nd division will purely be a one season thing. This is a tough division with the likes of Kent, Northants, Yorkshire and Warwickshire enjoying good seasons but Essex, probably along with Kent are a class apart in this league and will be right there when the title is decided.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 1st match is tomorrow. Defending champions Worcester vs Notts at New Road. New Rd isn't an easy place to bat under lights. I'm going with 2. 10pts Worcestershire to beat Nottinghamshire Evs Boylesports Worcestershire were better than everyone by some way in this event last season and they have the majority of that side here this year. Having failed miserably in the other two one day tournaments this season the Royals will hope to go well in this one again. Nottinghamshire come here fresh from the disappointment of finding out they haven't got a twenty20 quarter final spot after all. Worcestershire have named a squad of 12 for this match and it looks strong. The batting will be opened by captain Vikram Solanki and keeper Steven Davies. Moeen Ali will come in 3 with Smith, Hick and Mitchell making up the middle order. Kabir Ali and Simon Jones will have the new ball with Gareth Batty and Gareth Andrew also in the bowling attack. Adam Voges plays his last match for Nottinghamshire in this match. Will Jefferson has been rested and Bilal Shafayat comes into the side. Graeme Swann will open with Matthew Wood. Charlie Shreck, Darren Pattinson and Andre Adams will lead the bowling attack with Mark Ealham still in there somewhere. Samit Patel offers Notts plenty with bat and ball while Graeme Swann is a decent spin option too. Worcestershire will want to get their defence of this title off to a good start with a win here and against a Notts side whose batting lineup still not fully convincing me I think they'll do that. Often in day/night matches knowledge of the conditions is vital and Solanki is a captain I like and so I'll take his Royals to opwn up Pro40 with a win. 3pts ew C.Read Top Nottinghamshire Batsman 10/1 Coral (1/5 1,2,3) A lot of Nottinghamshire's runs this season have come from the bat of Adam Voges and Samit Patel but Voges isn't priced up here and Samit Patel is a very short price. Even if those two fire again then 3rd spot is up for grabs. Chris Read is a decent batsman and on what is usually a good batting pitch at New Road he could come in at number 6 and get going from the off. By the time he comes in he shouldn't have to face Kabir Ali and Simon Jones, the main two dangers. Instead he'll be facing the likes of Daryl Mitchell and Gareth Andrew, the sort of bowler he enjoys facing. Mark Wagh would be a danger for this but Read's a quick scorer late in the innings and is overpriced considering in Notts' last one day match - the infamous twenty20 match with Yorkshire he was 2nd to Voges when he ran out of overs. Read was Notts' 3rd highest scorer in the FP Trophy so at 10/1 I'll take him to make the top 3.

[WoodyTHFC]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 Just going to concentrate on outrights as I normally do in the domestic competitions. In the first division Im in total agreement with Kev that my side Middlesex 10/1 e.w have really decent claims this year. I havent managed to get the 12/1 but I still feel that 10/1 underestimates us a bit. Basically we are one of the form sides in the country and that goes for all forms of cricket. After a poor start in the championship we have picked up in that and only just failed against Gloustershire yesterday to take the win. Our 50 over form was pretty decent earlier in the year in what has turned out to be the strongest group and the 20 20 form has been as good as it has ever been in the history of that competition. We won the highly competitive south group (provides the only 3 semi finalists so far) and also showed some surprising character for us and skill to beat Lancs from an extremely doubtful position at one stage. With have some very exciting new players who have come in and done well in the past year or so like Malan, Goodleman, Finn etc. There are a couple more who should come through shortly such as Levy who I know from my neck of the woods and he is another fine prospect who was topping his senior schools batting averages constantly from the age 12. A lot of people speak of him in good terms generally. If you combine the young talent with the quality experienced players like Shah, Joyce, the two spinners, Murtagh, Richardson may play more in this form of the game etc you have a very strong squad and one that has proved how strong it is. There is a huge amount of runs in that line up, the bowling has definitely improved in the last year or so and I see no reason after promotion last year through the play off why Middlesex cant put up a really strong effort in Div 1. In Div 2 I like the look of Northamptonshire @ 6/1 e.w. Northants are another side who I think its fair to say are good form and that goes for all forms of cricket. In the championship they lost their first two games but have not lost since. They just missed out on qualification through the group stages in the FP and in the 20 20 they played some good stuff to get through the group stages before falling to Essex in the q/f with a crushing defeat in what turned out to be very unhelpful chasing conditions under lights. There is little doubt that Northants have used the kopalk system in particular to their advantage to field so many overseas players but it does make their team very strong with Boje, Klusener, Hall, Van der Wath and Louw (actual overseas player I think.) Hall and Louw are genrally good death bowlers which is very important in this form of the game. Brown and Boje adds to the spin option as would in most probability Panesar who misses ODIs for Eng atm. That looks a very strong bowling line up and the batting line up isnt bad either. White and O'Brien give it a smash first up and in Sales Northants have one of the best players in county cricket. You have then got all the foreign players to come in alongside that, many of whom are big hitters and it looks a really strong outfit and I can see Northants going pretty well in this competition.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 Dry 1st night but the good thing about this competition is there's another chance to make money tomorrow. Corals have now made their top bat all in or not so we lose our stake even if our batsman doesn't bat. I'm happy to take that risk with the enhanced place terms. The absence of Simon Jones proved fatal tonight. -16 going into tomorrow. Essex vs Yorkshire tomorrow in a re run of last weekend's FP semi final.

	Essex	1.53	1.57	1.56	Betfred" onclick="a(0,291686882,8,15,0,6074); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.53	Boylesports" onclick="a(0,291695705,4,7,0,6169); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.57	1.57	1.61	Paddy Power" onclick="a(0,291506619,8,15,0,3); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.53	1.57	1.55	1.57	1.53	William Hill" onclick="a(0,291712210,8,15,1,4); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.53	1.57	Betfair" onclick="a(0,291455879,57,100,1,401); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.57
	Yorkshire	365" onclick="a(0,291454960,11,8,0,15); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.37	2.25	2.53	Betfred" onclick="a(0,291686883,11,8,0,6074); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.37	Boylesports" onclick="a(0,291695706,11,8,0,6169); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.37	2.25	2.2	Paddy Power" onclick="a(0,291506620,11,8,0,3); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.37	2.25	2.45	2.25	2.37	William Hill" onclick="a(0,291712211,11,8,1,4); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.37	2.6	Betfair" onclick="a(0,291455880,73,50,1,401); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.46

I'm going with 3 for this one. I'm actually contradicting my Essex outright bet but this is Chelmsford under lights and we've seen how the match changes just 9 days ago. 10pts Yorkshire to beat Essex 29/20 Sportingbet Both these sides have had decent one day seasons and come into this fancying their chances of promotion back to the top flight. Essex have made the FP Trophy final, at Yorkshire's expense and also the semi finals of the twenty20. Yorkshire made the semis of the FP Trophy and the quarter finals of the twenty20. Well I say they made the quarter finals but politics has denied them that chance. Essex will be without Alastair Cook who is on England duty but they have no injury worries. Neil Dexter has been replaced in the squad by Grant Flower. Mark Pettini and Jason Gallian will open the innings with either Bopara or man of the moment Graham Napier batting at 3. James Foster and Ryan ten Doeschate will come in down the order. David Masters will open up alongside Graham Napier with the ball while Kaneria and Middlebrook will be tough to face. Yorkshire obviously have no Michael Vaughan who is with England. Matthew Hoggard has been rested. Rana Naved is in the side as is Deon Kruis and both could take the new ball. Tim Bresnan is another option with the new ball. Andrew Gale and Adam Lyth are likely to open up the innings although Jaques Rudolph could do that. Anthony McGrath is the form man with the bat while Adil Rashid's spin will be important. Yorkshire's batting lineup is a concern but we've seen over the years how this is a win the toss, bat 1st, win the match ground. With that in mind the odds we've got on Yorkshire are huge value. There is always the chance of course that Essex have an off day with the bat giving Yorkshire nothing much to chase. Purely for value I'll go with Yorkshire here. 10pts 9 or more 6's 6/4 Sportingbet We've seen in recent weeks just how short the boundaries are at Chelmsford and with the likes of Napier, Bopara, ten Doeschate and Foster in the Essex lineup there promises to be plenty of 6's. Yorkshire have their own big hitters in their midst. Anthony McGrath, Jaques Rudolph, Andrew Gale, Gerard Brophy and even Tim Bresnan and Rana Naved can clear the ropes. Conditions won't be easy to hit 6's on in the 2nd innings but in the twenty20 match with Northants, once the new ball wore off 6's were hit. Spin will be employed for a lot of this match and I think there will be plenty of 6's. There were 12 6's in the FP semi final here 11 days ago and if the sides can keep wickets in hand I'm sure there will be plenty this time. 5pts ew A.McGrath Top Yorkshire Batsman 4/1 Boylesports (1/4 1,2,3) Anthony McGrath is the form man for Yorkshire. He was top scoring for fun in the twenty20, he was 2nd here in the FP Trophy last weekend and comes into the match off the back of a solid 144 against Kent in the Championship. With Gerard Brophy coming in at number this isn't the strongest batting lineup you'll see. If anything the 40 over game is perfect for McGrath, he can get himself in and then speed his innings up as he goes along. Jacques Rudolph would be a danger if he opens but we get our cash back as long as McGrath is in the top 3 but with the form he's been in recently McGrath would have every chance of top scoring.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 I took a chance with Yorkshire despite knowing they had a short batting lineup and as it turns out that cost them but at least Essex are up and running. McGrath came 3rd so we got our money back there but still -20 for the night and -36 for the tournament. Lancashire vs Gloucestershire tomorrow. Not surprisingly there's a bit of rain around in Manchester :eek.

	Lancashire	1.44	1.5	1.52	Betfred" onclick="a(0,291727442,4,9,0,6074); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.44	1.44	Boylesports" onclick="a(0,291821713,1,2,0,6169); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.5	1.53	1.5	Paddy Power" onclick="a(0,291506617,1,2,0,3); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.5	1.5	1.55	1.5	1.44	Victor Chandler" onclick="a(0,291979289,1,2,0,6001); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.5	William Hill" onclick="a(0,291720847,2,5,1,4); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.4	1.53	Betfair" onclick="a(0,291621998,57,100,1,401); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.57
	Gloucestershire	365" onclick="a(0,291467245,13,8,0,15); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.62	2.5	2.63	Betfred" onclick="a(0,291727443,13,8,0,6074); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.62	2.62	Boylesports" onclick="a(0,291821714,13,8,0,6169); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.62	2.37	2.5	Paddy Power" onclick="a(0,291506618,6,4,0,3); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.5	2.5	2.55	2.5	2.62	Victor Chandler" onclick="a(0,291979290,6,4,0,6001); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.5	William Hill" onclick="a(0,291720848,7,4,1,4); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.75	2.7	Betfair" onclick="a(0,291621999,8,5,1,401); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.6

I'm going with 3 although 2 are top bats. 10pts Gloucestershire to beat Lancashire 7/4 William Hill Lancashire came into the Pro40 as favourites for Division 1 outright which is a bit of a joke really. Gloucestershire were rank outsiders which with their 1 day pedigree is also a joke. At least to be fair to the bookies Gloucestershire haven't shown much form since losing to Yorkshire in the FP quarter finals. Lancashire made the quarter finals of the twenty20 cup but there's no Flintoff anymore. That's because he's away with England. Obviously there's no Jimmy Anderson either and there's also no Mal Loye for the Lightning because he's suffering with back spasms. Paul Horton has been named in a squad of 12 and either he'll be left out or one of Marshall or Keedy will. Either way Lancashire don't have much of a batting lineup. The all rounders and bowlers who can bat a bit could begin at number 5 for Lancashire. They do however have a really good bowling attack with the likes of Chapple, Cork, Mahmood and the spinners. Gloucestershire had a really poor twenty20 unlike last season when they made the final but you don't become a bad one day side overnight and even though they are still without Craig Spearman they have a strong side here. Hamish Marshall started the season slowly but has picked up while Marcus North is well suited to an Old Trafford wicket. Alex Gidman and Chris Taylor are two of the best and most aggressive one day batsmen in county cricket. Gloucestershire's bowling attack would be a concern but Jon Lewis is all class while Steve Kirby has bowled well recently. Fisher, Hardinges and North can keep it tight too. I can't even think of backing Lancashire at a best 1/2 with the lack of batting depth they have. They got away with it in twenty20 but as we saw with Yorkshire last night you just can't get away with it over 40 overs. Gloucestershire's bowling is a concern but at least we have a chance of them bowling under lights which will be a huge help. On batting strength alone, Gloucestershire have to be value here so I'll go with the reknowned one day kings. 5pts ew A.Gidman Top Gloucestershire Batsman 6/1 Coral (1/5 1,2,3) Alex Gidman hasn't had a brilliant season with the bat but he's making good noises about his future with Gloucestershire now John Bracewell is coming back to the club. That should focus his mind on his batting and he's the kind of batsman who should love this Old Trafford wicket. He's excellent off his back foot and on this fast, bouncy wicket he can camp on that. When he gets going he's a huge hitter of the ball and can dominate any attack. Gloucestershire were opening with him in the FP Trophy and I wouldn't be surprised if he opens here but he won't bat lower than 5 whatever. Hamish Marshall is in real good nick and rates as a danger but if Gidman finds his form he will have every chance of top scoring. 3pts ew K.Hogg Top Lancashire Batsman 25/1 Coral (1/5 1,2,3) Coral haven't learnt! In the last FP trophy group game I backed Kyle Hogg to top score at this price and he did. I see no reason why he shouldn't go close again either. There's no Andrew Flintoff or Mal Loye to worry about and Lancashire don't bat deep at all. Looking at their squad, if they choose to leave Paul Horton out, who isn't reknowned as a one day batsman, then Hogg could be batting at 6. Worst case scenario is he'll bat at 7. However a twist in the tale could be Dominic Cork. On commentary at Worcester on Tuesday night he openly advocated getting pinch hitters up the order and singled out Kyle Hogg. Now if Cork's got into Mike Watkinson's ear that could happen and we could see Hogg striding out at number 3. Wherever he bats though, he can bat much better than a 25/1 price suggests and is very good ew value.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 Lancashire vs Gloucestershire was somewhat predictably rained off. 1st proper fixture list is tomorrow. Div 1

Sunday 20 July 2008	Home	Away	bookmakers margin on the event. However, they do not take account of commissions that may be charged.">BPP
Middlesex v Durham (12:15BST)	2.20	1.85	99.51 %	Details »
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Nottinghamshire v Hampshire (13:15BST)	1.72	2.40	99.56 %	Details »
Hide « Nottinghamshire v Hampshire
Sussex v Somerset (13:15BST)	2.10	1.84	101.97 %	Details

Div 2

Sunday 20 July 2008	Home	Away	bookmakers margin on the event. However, they do not take account of commissions that may be charged.">BPP
Leicestershire v Essex (13:15BST)	2.35	1.69	101.72 %	Details »
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Northamptonshire v Derbyshire (13:15BST)	1.61	2.50	101.90 %	Details »
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Surrey v Yorkshire (13:15BST)	1.85	2.10	101.67 %	Details »
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Warwickshire v Kent (13:15BST)	2.30	1.72	101.37 %	Details »

Probably dangerous given my current record this season but I'm going to go with 3 tomorrow. I'm going to Trent Bridge but I've not got a bet there. 10pts Sussex to beat Somerset 11/10 Stan James I'm not a huge fan of Sussex as a one day side but I do like them in this match up with Somerset. Neither side have done much in one day cricket this season in either of the previous competitions but both come into this match with good Championship wins under their belts yesterday. Sussex will still be without Mushtaq Ahmed. They have Luke Wright and Dwayne Smith back though and they make up a pretty strong looking batting lineup alongside the likes of Murray Goodwin and Matt Prior. Chris Adams will be in that lineup too. Bowling wise I'm a bit worried without Mushtaq but James Kirtley is usually reliable enough and the spin of Yardy, Rayner and Beer could be the key. Somerset as ever have a batting lineup which can destroy anyone. It's anyone's guess if they will or not though. To be fair once teams are through the openers the rest are hit and miss. James Hildreth is woefully out of form at the minute while de Bruyn, Blackwell and Trego have scored Championship runs recently but this is different. Somerset have a bowling attack which can really go round the park though. Charl Wiloughby is a solid and reliable guy but then the likes of Steffan Jones and Mark Turner can get carted. Ian Blackwell and Arul Suppiah are the spin options. Sussex are usually strong at home and even though this match is at Arundel I don't think that will concern them too much. They've just beaten Hampshire here in the Championship. I think these are two fairly evenly matched sides with Sussex maybe just having the better all round side and at odds against they are the call. 10pts Essex to beat Leicestershire 4/6 Totesport The seasons of these two sides are going in completely opposite directions at the minute. Essex are buzzing in all forms of the game while Leicestershire have started to nosedive. Essex have already picked up a win in this competition having thrashed Yorkshire on Wednesday night. Leicestershire play their 1st match here. Leicestershire's batting has suddenly gone tits up bigtime. They are really struggling for runs at the minute which is surprising considering they have a batting lineup containing HD Ackerman, Boeta Dippenaar, Jim Allenby and Paul Nixon. They are usually pretty good with the ball though and the likes of Nadeem Malik and Dillon Du Preez are pretty tight as is Claude Henderson. Jeremy Snape has now retired and is sitting on the South African balcony these days. Essex have so many men in top form. Mark Pettini has come back into some form with the bat and we all know about Graham Napier. Ravi Bopara is having a great season as his James Foster. With the ball, David Masters goes back to his old club while Danish Kaneria is proving almost impossible to hit. Alastair Cook is missing through injury but the Eagles are at full strength apart from that. Essex are playing really good cricket, especially one day cricket and they've already thrashed Leicestershire at Grace Road in the FP Trophy this season and while a thrashing might not happen here, I think an Essex win will. 10pts Yorkshire to beat Surrey 5/4 Sportingbet Yorkshire seem to be feeling pretty sorry for themselves at the minute after all that's gone on with them but they face a Surrey side here who've been awful in all one day cricket this season. Yorkshire were beaten heavily at Essex on Wednesday night so Darren Gough's men need a win here. Surrey were without Mark Ramprakash in the week and if he doesn't play here that's a big loss. James Benning is expected to return with the bat though as is Pedro Collins who also missed the Championship match last week. Surrey have looked a batsman light all season in one day cricket though. With the ball they just look like cannon fodder in the seam department. Schofield and Saqlain pull it back with their spin but the sort of scores Surrey have conceded this season are incredible. Yorkshire are likely to go into this match with the same side if Darren Gough is fit which he is expected to be. Whether they go in with the same batting lineup after it's dismal effort on Wednesday night is another story. Yorkshire will rely on Anthony McGrath with the bat as he's in superb form. Jacques Rudolph and Andrew Gale have also played well this summer. With the ball, Tim Bresnan and Rana Naved are in good form and Adil Rashid and David Wainwright can keep things tight with their spin. Yorkshire have had a few days to recoup and recover their plans and get themselves together and they go to a Surrey side who haven't always taken this competition seriously. Although their batting isn't the strongest, Surrey's bowling is really weak. Yorkshire have a decent bowling attack and with this match away from The Oval there won't be the same pressure on their batsmen so I'll take the White Rose side to win this one.

[winbet]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 Yorkshire look decent odds to bt Surrey at the 5/4 mentioned. I watched their match against Essex, where their dismal showing does put me off a bit. They seemed a batsmen light for that game, so they well beef up their batting, though I am don't think they have too many alternatives. Surrey though are not a very good one day team, and their bowling especially is week. They seem to get priced up on past reputation. I will take on Kent as well, although Warwicks surrendered meakly against Kent in the 20/20. There are doubts over Arafat, and Rob Key's wife has just given birth so that is two of their best players, who if selected might not be able to give 100%. The 11/8 is tempting on Hants, Tremlett will have a point to prove to the selectors, and Mascaranhas is dangerous with both the bat and ball. Notts without their 3 strike bowlers Broad, Sidebottom, Pattinson. Though used to being without Broad & Sidebottom anyway. Shreck will replace Pattinson in what will otherwise be an unchanged Notts side from their win over Worcester. I will be at Trent Bridge from around 3pm Kevshat, prabably sitting in the William Clarke stand, so I don't have far to go to get Golf updates, and drinks from "The Trent Bridge Inn"

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 Never saw your post before you went mate. Next time I'm up at Trent Bridge I'll PM you before hand and see if we can meet up for a beer :ok. Decent day for me on a betting front yesterday, Sussex and Yorkshire both won and Essex came from the clouds to get a tie so +23.50 for the day and so that puts me back to -12.50 for the tournament with a few TV games coming up in the next 8-9 days.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008

	Durham	1.61	1.61	1.65	Betfred" onclick="a(0,293545931,8,13,0,6074); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.61	Boylesports" onclick="a(0,293037882,4,7,0,6169); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.57	1.61	1.66	Paddy Power" onclick="a(0,293578784,8,15,0,3); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.53	1.57	1.66	1.61	1.66	Victor Chandler" onclick="a(0,293508676,4,7,0,6001); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.57	William Hill" onclick="a(0,293563720,8,13,1,4); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.61	1.66	Betfair" onclick="a(0,291713798,61,100,1,401); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.61
	Somerset	365" onclick="a(0,293279816,6,5,0,15); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.2	2.2	2.38	Betfred" onclick="a(0,293545932,6,5,0,6074); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.2	Boylesports" onclick="a(0,293037883,11,8,0,6169); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.37	2.2	2.1	Paddy Power" onclick="a(0,293578785,11,8,0,3); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.37	2.25	2.33	2.2	2.1	Victor Chandler" onclick="a(0,293508677,5,4,0,6001); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.25	William Hill" onclick="a(0,293563721,6,5,1,4); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.2	2.41	Betfair" onclick="a(0,291713799,38,25,1,401); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.52

Durham vs Somerset from the Riverside tomorrow night. I'm going with 3. 10pts Somerset to beat Durham 11/8 Boylesports Somerset come into this match having been thrashed really by Sussex. Durham gave Middlesex a good hiding on Sunday but they've played a lot of cricket in recent weeks and that will start to catch up with them soon. There's also the strong chance that they will have an eye on Saturday and not this game. As far as I can see, Shaun Pollock isn't registered for Pro40 so he won't play here. Graham Onions is likely to come in for him in what I envisage as Durham's only change from last night. That means Paul Collingwood and Shivnerine Chanderpaul will join Will Smith in the middle order with Plunkett and the two Harmison's putting together the rest of the pace attack. Somerset have decided to leave Ian Blackwell out of their side again and have also sent Andrew Caddick to play for the 2nd XI. Mark Turner or Steffan Jones will replace Caddick in the side. Trescothick hit an excellent 91 on Sunday and will hope for more here. Justin Langer and Zander de Bruyn are also in decent touch with the bat. Arul Suppiah and Omari Banks offer all round and spin options. This match will be played on the same pitch last night's one was played on and it was very much a Taunton like pitch. Fast, bouncy etc and it should spin as the game goes on. That all suits Somerset. Durham must start tiring soon and I can't help but think focus won't entirely be on this match. It's a day night match under non-permanent lights which always benefits the side batting 1st so I'll go for Somerset at odds against. 10pts Somerset Highest 1st 15 Overs Evs Boylesports This market has a touch of the priced up with Pollock in minds about it. Somerset have two real aggressive guys up the top of the order in Trescothick and Kieswetter. Langer and Trego will follow them so the 1st 15 overs is full of big hitters. Durham are likely to open with Plunkett and Onions with the ball and while they can take wickets they also go for a few too and wickets won't bother Somerset too much as their batting keeps on coming. Durham will open with Di Venuto who is more conventional and Phil Mustard. Truth be told though, Mustard isn't in great nick. Charl Willoughby is always tight with the new ball and could be hard to get away like his South African colleague Shaun Pollock. Add in that it will be much easier to bat for the side batting 1st and Somerset at Evs looks attractive through 15 overs. 5pts ew W.Smith Top Durham Batsman 5/1 Boylesports (1/4 1,2,3) This Durham side is packed with international batsmen but it could be argued that the only non international in the top 7 is the form man. He top scored on this very pitch last night in the twenty20 quarter final and he came into that match off the back of a superb double hundred against Surrey in the Championship last week. Smith hit a half century here in the FP semi final loss to Kent a couple of weeks ago and he should go well again here. He batted 3 on Sunday so if he does that here he'll have loads of time to get in and build his innings which makes him a good ew bet.

[mdivenuto]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 The bet in this is yet again to be found at Boylesports with their generous each way terms. Peter Trego to top score for Somerset 8/1 (each way, 1/4 1,2,3) He will be batting at 3 almost certainly and took a liking to the ground and the bowling attack last week when he smacked 68 in the championship game. It's not one to go overly mad on, but everyone else has him priced up at 5s or 6s, and I can't see any good reasons why Boyles have gone so far out of line

[mdivenuto]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 Actually, I am having a daft Durham top bat bet as well Liam Plunkett to top score 100/1 Skybet alternatively each way 50/1 boylesports (1/4 odds 1,2,3) If Durham bat properly then Plunkett should not have a sniff of top scoring, but with Saturday on their minds after a stange old batting performance tonight I would not rule out a dismal batting effort. Plunkett is pretty much a genuine all-rounder, though will not bat any higher than 8 in this one, and indeed may only be at 9. He can hit it some way, and if Durham do bat 2nd under lights chasing a big one at the price he is worth a minimum punt

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 Somerset bat 1st and post 122 off their 15 overs. If that doesn't win I'm giving up, even with Somerset's bowling attack :lol.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008

Actually, I am having a daft Durham top bat bet as well Liam Plunkett to top score 100/1 Skybet alternatively each way 50/1 boylesports (1/4 odds 1,2,3) If Durham bat properly then Plunkett should not have a sniff of top scoring, but with Saturday on their minds after a stange old batting performance tonight I would not rule out a dismal batting effort. Plunkett is pretty much a genuine all-rounder, though will not bat any higher than 8 in this one, and indeed may only be at 9. He can hit it some way, and if Durham do bat 2nd under lights chasing a big one at the price he is worth a minimum punt

Absolute top notch pick mate. Congratulations fella :clap:clap:clap.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 My arse was twitching bigtime towards the end of that match but luckily enough Thomas pulled that run out from nowhere. +13.75 on the night after the Somerset 1st 15 overs was cancelled out by Smith getting nowhere. That's still good enough to put me +1.25 for the tournament. Glamorgan vs Surrey is Friday's offering. I'm going with 4. 2 bets and 2 smaller top bats which are overpriced. 10pts Glamorgan to beat Surrey 13/10 Boylesports Surrey lost their opening match of the Pro40 to Yorkshire on Sunday so will be looking for a win here. Glamorgan come here on the back of defeat in the twenty20 quarter final. Their coach Matthew Maynard let rip at them after that match so I expect a much better showing here. Although to be fair they weren't that bad on Tuesday. Glamorgan have Jason Gillespie available for this match after they foolishly left him out on Tuesday night. I would imagine he'll come into the starting XI in place of Alex Wharf as James Harris and David Harrison bowled brilliantly with the new ball. Glamorgan need a better batting performance though but in their advantage is that they are playing one of the weakest "attacks" of all time. Jamie Dalrymple played well the other night but generally David Hemp and Michael Powell are in good touch with the bat. Surrey have James Benning back at the top of the lineup. Mark Ramprakash is now fit too and resumes as captain. Mark Butcher is still out injured. Surrey didn't use Ali Brown on Sunday, prefering to play a couple of younger batsmen. Usman Afzaal is solid in the middle order. It's Surrey's bowling which is a problem and it's a big problem. Their openers can't take wickets and they can't stop runs either. The spinners drag it back a bit but it's usually all over bar the shouting by then. As always in these day night fixtures I'm backing the outsiders knowing that they will automatically shorten should they bat 1st. A bit like Somerset's bowling tonight, Surrey are awful. I can't stress how bad they are and it's possible if they bowl 1st they could be taken to the cleaners. I don't think Glamorgan are a bad one day side especially on their own patch so I'll take them to win here. 10pts Glamorgan Highest 1st 15 Overs 6/5 Bet365 Glamorgan have to be backed to lead after 15 overs. Firstly because of the light effect but secondly because of how bad Surrey's bowlers are. I'll accept Glamorgan's batsmen aren't brilliant but there's a chance they'll shove a pinch hitter up the order to really get stuck in. However David Harrison and James Harris destroyed a very good Durham top order on Tuesday on a good pitch so you would expect them to get stuck in early doors on a pitch which is usually helpful to seamers. Dizzy Gillespie is tight too and Surrey's top order isn't in the best form. I just can't be having Pedro Collins and Jade Dernbach as economical and with that in mind it's Glamorgan to lead after 15 overs for me. 3pts ew M.Wallace Top Glamorgan Batsman 10/1 Boylesports (1/4 1,2,3) Mark Wallace showed flashes of what he's all about the other night up at Durham. When he attacks he's one of the cleanest hitters of a cricket ball you will see in the county game. He can also play the nudge it around and nurdle innings should Glamorgan hit a bit of trouble. Wallace will bat at number 6 but he's perfect for a top bat bet because he can play both types of innings. The worry is that someone above him will have tucked into Surrey's weak bowling before he gets in but at 5/2 to make the top 3 I have to go with the Dragons' wicket keeper here. 2pts ew C.Jordan Top Surrey Batsman 25/1 Boylesports (1/4 1,2,3) I don't think Boyles have seen Surrey's scorecard from Sunday. Chris Jordan was shoved up to number 5 in that match and made a solid 38 which was good enough to place. Just looking at Surrey's side they could do the same thing again. He could even go higher than 5 as he did in a couple of twenty20 matches. What I like about that is he can pinch hit but if he bats 5 he can play himself in and then go. I'm a bit concerned about him facing spin but he faced Wainwright and Rashid on Sunday without getting out so that's encouraging and with this being a day/night match and the potential for the team batting 2nd to have their top order shot out I'll take a chance on the Barbadian at a big price.

[Matt]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008

Actually, I am having a daft Durham top bat bet as well Liam Plunkett to top score 100/1 Skybet alternatively each way 50/1 boylesports (1/4 odds 1,2,3) If Durham bat properly then Plunkett should not have a sniff of top scoring, but with Saturday on their minds after a stange old batting performance tonight I would not rule out a dismal batting effort. Plunkett is pretty much a genuine all-rounder, though will not bat any higher than 8 in this one, and indeed may only be at 9. He can hit it some way, and if Durham do bat 2nd under lights chasing a big one at the price he is worth a minimum punt

stunning mate, absolutely stunning :cow

[TheRat]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 Amazing :clap

[mdivenuto]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 Cheers fellas, that worked out very nicely indeed in the end. Fair play to Harmo for keeping him company while he did it. Onwards with the betting and Boylesports generosity continues. 25s for Jordan and Schofield each way are both steals. Batted at 5 and 6 last time out with ex genuine tweaker turned all rounder Schofield top scoring so 1/4 odds for 3 places even if only 1 places you are nearly doubling your money. Weigh yourself in, I cant see those prices lasting too long tomorrow.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 Excellent night for me tonight. Wallace top scored in an emphatic Glamorgan win. They were nowhere after 15 overs though and Jordan did nothing but it still equates to a 36.50pt profit for the match which puts me +37.75pts for the competition. Pro40 rests for a few days for twenty20 finals day but it returns on Monday with another TV game.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 It's Derbyshire vs Essex on TV tomorrow night. Note the start time for this is not 4.40 as usual but 4.10 due to the sun farce.

	Derbyshire	2.5	2.37	2.41	Betfred" onclick="a(0,295035909,11,8,0,6074); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.37	2.37	Boylesports" onclick="a(0,295051234,13,10,0,6169); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.3	2.2	2.37	Paddy Power" onclick="a(0,295105233,11,8,0,3); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.37	2.25	2.4	2.37	2.25	William Hill" onclick="a(0,295047507,11,8,1,4); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.37	2.45	Betfair" onclick="a(0,291715373,38,25,1,401); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.52
	Essex	365" onclick="a(0,295017629,1,2,0,15); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.5	1.53	1.65	Betfred" onclick="a(0,295035910,8,15,0,6074); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.53	1.53	Boylesports" onclick="a(0,295051235,8,13,0,6169); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.61	1.61	1.53	Paddy Power" onclick="a(0,295105234,8,15,0,3); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.53	1.57	1.6	1.53	1.57	William Hill" onclick="a(0,295047508,8,15,1,4); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.53	1.66	Betfair" onclick="a(0,291715374,59,100,1,401); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.59

Just lost a full writeup which I can't be bothered to type out again but I'm going with 3. 10pts Derbyshire to beat Essex 6/4 Bet365 Derbyshire have won their only match in this competition so far while Essex have a win and a tie from 2 matches. Essex come in here after the disappointment of losing in the twenty20 semi finals on Saturday. Essex may go in unchanged here although Jason Gallian could come in for Tim Phillips. Charl Langeveldt missed Derbyshire's last match and appears to miss this one too. As ever in these day night matches, especially when the lights aren't the best, as is the case here, the side who is odds against will be value if they bat 1st. That advantage is bigger here with the sun stopping play situation coming in at some point in the 2nd innings so I'll go with Derbyshire. 10pts Essex most 6's 10/11 Stan James Derbyshire don't really have many what you would call natural big hitters in their top 6. The likes of Rogers, Birch and Hinds tend to score their runs on the deck rather than over the ropes. Greg Smith could go big though as can Wagg and Pipe but the latter two will come in down the order. Essex have bigger hitters all down their order. Bopara, Pettini, Napier, Foster and ten Doeschate can all clear the ropes without fuss. 10 overs of Napier and this one will be a winner such is his rope clearing ability. 5pts ew G.Smith Top Derbyshire Batsman 5/1 Coral (1/5 1,2,3) Greg Smith has been in decent form with the bat for a while now. He made a century in the twenty20 and has been scoring runs ever since. Smith hit half centuries against Northants and Bangladesh A in the longer form of the game recently and he was not out against Northants in this last week. He'll bat 4 here which is perfect and knowing we get our money back with Smith making the top 3 he looks a good ew punt to top score.

[Charlie Wong]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 keep up the good work mate, quite fancy Derby aswell.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 Wasn't a great night tonight. Bopara took Derbyshire apart. Luckily he brought the 6's bet in. -10.91 for the night which puts me back to +26.84pts for the tournament. There's another TV game on tomorrow night. Leicestershire vs Warwickshire.

Leicestershire 365" onclick="a(0,295312003,6,5,0,15); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.2 2.2 2.31 Betfred" onclick="a(0,295314226,5,4,0,6074); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.25 Boylesports" onclick="a(0,295310905,13,10,0,6169); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.3 2.2 2.2 Paddy Power" onclick="a(0,295327142,6,5,0,3); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.2 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.1 Victor Chandler" onclick="a(0,295331045,5,4,0,6001); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.25 William Hill" onclick="a(0,295335880,6,5,1,4); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.2 2.35 Betfair" onclick="a(0,291715375,31,25,1,401); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">2.24 Warwickshire 365" onclick="a(0,295312004,8,13,0,15); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.61 1.61 1.66 Betfred" onclick="a(0,295314228,4,7,0,6074); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.57 Boylesports" onclick="a(0,295310907,8,13,0,6169); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.61 1.61 1.61 Paddy Power" onclick="a(0,295327143,8,13,0,3); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.61 1.66 1.66 1.61 1.66 Victor Chandler" onclick="a(0,295331046,8,13,0,6001); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.61 William Hill" onclick="a(0,295335881,8,13,1,4); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.61 1.68 Betfair" onclick="a(0,291715376,7,10,1,401); return false;" onmouseout="cellExit(this);">1.7

Best price percentage: 101.4%, bookies only: 103.3%

2 for me. This time I actually like the chances of the outsider regardless of the day night aspect. 10pts Leicestershire to beat Warwickshire 13/10 Boylesports Leicestershire made a really good start to the season but it's gone tits up recently. Warwickshire were crap in the longer FP Trophy but then did well in the twenty20 although I still feel their record flattered their ability somewhat. In Pro40, Warwickshire lost their opening match while Leicestershire got a thrilling tie with runaway leaders Essex. Leicestershire look likely to bring Jacques du Toit back into their lineup for this match as youngster James Taylor is with England u-19's. Garnett Kruger could well come back into the seam attack although it's open to debate whether that's actually a good thing! HD Ackerman was in excellent form with the bat while recently Nixon and Allenby have been in good touch. Nadeem Malik is having a great season with the ball while Dillon du Preez and Tom Smith are good, solid bowling options. Warwickshire will be without highly regarded opening bowler Chris Woakes as he's playing for Eng u-19's too. Darren Maddy is now back as a permanent fixture in the Bears side. Jon Trott and Jim Troughton have been in decent enough nick in one day cricket this season but alongwith Carter those 4 are pretty much Warwickshire's batting lineup and one of those is just a slogger. Chris Martin is tricky to get away at this level but the Bears look a bowler light without Woakes. Leicestershire traditionally are tough to beat at Grace Rd. For me Warwickshire are weak with the bat and ball in one day cricket and for those reasons I quite like Leicestershire here with home advantage and the added incentive of the extra value if they bat 1st. 5pts ew J.Allenby Top Leicestershire Batsman 6/1 Boylesports (1/4 1,2,3) Jim Allenby has been in good nick with the bat for a while now. He was the 2nd top scorer for the Foxes in the twenty20 behind HD Ackerman. Allenby hit two half centuries in that competition and has batted really well since with the highlight being an unbeaten ton against Bangladesh A. Allenby is a hard hitting batsman who plays the spinners really well which is helpful for playing Warwickshire. He's likely to come in at 4 or 5 so shouldn't have to face Martin or Carter and with his power game full of confidence he has every chance of top scoring.

[Charlie Wong]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 good luck again mate, Bopara's hitting was clean, i likes that catch where the fielder threw it to his team mate before he went over the boundary, quality.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 Leicester were shockingly bad tonight. Somethings going on behind the scenes there for them to be that bad. No effort in the field, no real urgency or really anyone seeming to care about winning. They'll be taken on for the rest of the season. Allenby top scored though which was nice. Him winning means +27.50 for the night after deducting the Leicester loss and that means I'm now +54.34pts for the season. Pro40 has a break until Sunday now with 3 more TV games following next week.

[Matt]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 Bet youre glad I tried to get you onto Du Toit instead of Allenby eh Kev? :lol :lol I just couldnt believe us tonight, thats the worst performance i've ever seen from us, I really dont know what the hell was going on and like you say, makes you wonder if the problems are running deeper than what we are seeing on the pitch. Huge championship game for us this week, going to learn about Nicko's captaincy.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008

Bet youre glad I tried to get you onto Du Toit instead of Allenby eh Kev? :lol :lol.

:lol :lol. I tell you what mate, when he came in I thought "don't you go and beat Allenby". Luckily I only got to go and he was out :lol.

[Matt]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008 :lol Wasnt one of his best knocks was it? Still have no idea why batsman lunge forward first ball to the left arm spinners, leaves you so open to an LBW shout.... What do you think the problems are at Leicester Kev? Captain, players or even higher up than that?

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008

:lol Wasnt one of his best knocks was it? Still have no idea why batsman lunge forward first ball to the left arm spinners, leaves you so open to an LBW shout.... What do you think the problems are at Leicester Kev? Captain, players or even higher up than that?

You'd probably have more of an idea than me, mate. I don't think it's Nixon. He's a good bloke isn't he? I just wonder how influential Jeremy Snape was in that dressing room because he was part of the Rajasthan coaching lot wasn't he? And he's in with SA now and they've improved again. Could be that or it could be the coach. He brought in all these kolpaks didn't he and then leaves them out. You'll know what Lawson is like more than I will but surely he's better than Daniel Rowe? Something's gone on though mate because before that FP quarter final you were flying and now you can't win for toffee :\. That fielding display was just so awful it was untrue :(.

[Matt]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008

You'd probably have more of an idea than me, mate. I don't think it's Nixon. He's a good bloke isn't he? I just wonder how influential Jeremy Snape was in that dressing room because he was part of the Rajasthan coaching lot wasn't he? And he's in with SA now and they've improved again. Could be that or it could be the coach. He brought in all these kolpaks didn't he and then leaves them out. You'll know what Lawson is like more than I will but surely he's better than Daniel Rowe? Something's gone on though mate because before that FP quarter final you were flying and now you can't win for toffee :\. That fielding display was just so awful it was untrue :(.

The fielding was worse than my school team's was, seriously. :| I'm trying to work it out but cant. Nicko is a legend and so respected so like you say, cant see it being him. Snape could be a good point, though we were performing well when he was away earlier in the year, something strange as well about the way he came back, played 2 games and retired though :unsure Lawson has gone home, went a few weeks back for "family reasons" again, something not quite right there....:unsure, as for Daniel Rowe, I just dont get it, he must be the worst professional cricketer in this country, he doesnt even get wickets for the seconds so how he gets a starting spot just baffles everyone. Not even economical either, just a strange selection again. You can see why we are going the kolpak route if Rowe is the best home grown talent we have..... :( Interesting few weeks ahead, I'm going to make sure I get to the AGM this year, could be more eventful than the one a few years back when Darren Maddy's dad got up and starting calling the chairman a tight cnut..:lol

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Natwest Pro40 2008

as for Daniel Rowe' date=' I just dont get it, he must be the worst professional cricketer in this country, he doesnt even get wickets for the seconds so how he gets a starting spot just baffles everyone. Not even economical either, just a strange selection again. You can see why we are going the kolpak route if Rowe is the best home grown talent we have..... :([/quote'] That's exactly my point when I people talk to me about kolpaks. Personally I've nothing against them as long as they aren't keeping good young talent out of the team. We had one for the twenty20 - Kleinveldt. Came with a reputation like Du Preez. Big hitter and economical bowler but he only played when Riazuddin (who is English :lol) was doing his A-levels. You've had Boyce and Taylor in your team this season haven't you and from what I'm hearing it's only a matter of time before Cliff (is that his name) gets a 1st class game too so your kolpaks are only keeping sh1theaps out of your team which is no bad thing all round really. Just thinking about these problems, I witnessed a players revolt against the coach when Kepler Wessels was in charge of Northants a couple of years ago. They really were bad for a few weeks. He went and they've been on the up since. It's got to be Boon or someone in the hierachy mate. The AGM might be interesting :lol.