Ted Maul

I could barely watch our run in from February onwards. Imagine if it went down to the last 25 minutes away at Spurs...

This is so Leicester.

Yep. The main problem is taking quick wickets and getting on top on the occasions where we are able to make 300-400 in the first innings, that's where you win games. I'd be delighted to be proven wrong tomorrow.

Defensive shot into the ground, bounced into his elbow and onto the stumps.

Rae was saying on comms that Nick Kelly has arrived in the UK and we may look to bring him in as sub for the second innings.

About even so far, good game of cricket. Suspected broken arm for Weatherald- freak wicket/injury, really unlucky.

He got very lucky the previous ball, mind!

Yeah, you can't expect big tons off him with the way he plays. However, if he gets into his 70s and one of the openers sticks with him, we're in a decent position.

Frustrating either way- not sure how happy he'd be about that either.

When it works with Sol in the side, it makes a massive difference. No Helm in the Middlesex side- annoying, unless he's gone back due to injury?

3rd change... Would be opening the bowling for us.

Batting first. Bad feeling about today with Essex's wealth of seam options.

That's probably my preferred option. Found guilty of cheating in relation to that first leg, automatic 3-0 loss. However... the second leg was then played out under false circumstances- may have ended differently if Southampton were chasing a 3-goal deficit. There isn't a perfect outcome available at this stage and I'm not sure which one best protects the integrity of the game/league.

We really shouldn't be looking back. But... I don't back our recruitment team to get our striking options right, he'd most likely be the best we're going to get this year. Be nice to feel something other than apathy and hatred towards the club again too.

Completely threw it away this morning.

7 down now but he's still there another one and they will be getting nervy...

Met office and Accuweather look far more favourable unfortunately! Really frustrating, as we only really needed to hang around for another hour or so in our innings. Like we'd gone back in time 5 years this morning, proper Counteh.

They'll take a couple of quick wickets, give us hope, Sussex will settle and knock off the remaining runs in about 10 overs.

It's seamed back pretty sharply to be fair

Looks like there will be a bit of rain around this afternoon. Just get in at lunch 6 or 7 down at most and we should be fine.

Taking 20 wickets on a semi-consistent basis looks like a tall order as things stand. We're at least 1 opening bowler short at this level. It's a long season and there will be changes in personnel, we'll probably need to operate shrewdly in the loan market again (Helm had a decent impact with the new ball). Still, bat properly tomorrow and escape with a draw and we're in touch with safety- a lot rests on whether we can win a couple of our 'easier' games with Hampshire, Yorkshire and Glamorgan.

When your luck's in...

We're certainly missing his captaincy. We replaced him pretty well with Weatherald (though he's an opener and it leaves the middle order very light). Patel and Maharaj are worlds apart.

Shaping up to be a long, hard season unfortunately. Losing Maharaj and Ahmed has done a lot of damage.

Don't think he's done enough to earn that nickname yet.