MaidstoneFox

Khawaja needs the runs, I'm not sure he'll make the Ashes if he doesn't get runs in these matches. He'll be 39 in December.

That's true, but before that when the Iranian parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, which would have affected about a third of the world's oil supply, they went up. He didn't want a prolonged standoff and rising gas prices affecting American consumers, especially as he's so fond of fossil fuels and has slashed green alternatives. https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksaul/2025/06/23/rising-oil-prices-could-spike-another-30-if-iran-blocks-strait-of-hormuz-goldman-warns/

Oil prices. That's why this all went no further. Nothing to do with him making any right decision

Things can change very quickly in politics, especially when you have a US president who wants to make a different headline every single day. Jeremy Corbyn got 40% of the vote in 2017, which is only 8 years ago, though voting was much less fragmented. With people's voting allegiances spread more widely now I don't think reform's 34% would result in a majority as too many people still voting Labour or Libdem. And you imagine this would be their high point or close to it, as governments try to do all their difficult, unpopular stuff in the first year. But who knows, if interest rates don't come down, unemployment goes up and the cost of living continues to bite, then more people might buy Farage's fantasy. Right wing authoritarians trade on chaos and uncertainty as they offer a supposedly strong hand through it all.

I'd go for trevaskis, with the Kookaburra. Spinners often did very well with the Kookaburra last year.

Promotion

I'm going on Sunday, with the train up tomorrow and overnight accommodation, it will cost me over £300. I'm going to Edgbaston too, but that is cheaper for me as I'll up and down on the day

Swindells also captains the second XL, which is always an underrated role for what is a very young second team that we have at the moment.

Is this to do with residency rules? There are lots of players who have played club cricket for a few year and marry someone over here and then qualify as a domestic player. Maybe Klein was looking to do that as I've heard of a few SA pros in local leagues who go down that route, meeting the 210 days a year for three years criteria. I believe that Zafar Gohar of Middlesex, qualifies to play for England at some point this year, because of a similar scenario.

The seconds need 380 to win today. Hopefully, Gumbs can get his teeth into this chase.

There's an informative article in The Cricketer (paywall), which outlines all the options for the change of county structure. On the one that may particularly affect us with a reduction to 8 1st division teams, it offers the following: 'It would, though, involve a transition year in order to take Division One from 10 teams, as at the moment, to eight teams, as in the proposal. That would likely be facilitated either by relegating two teams without promoting any, or by relegating three and promoting just the winner of Division Two.' That would have to happen at the end of 2026. The other two more favoured options involve some variation of three conferences or divisions.

I had tried to forget Arron Lilley! I think we can all agree there were other significant issues with Lilley, regardless of what his average was and he was not great for team spirit. By contrast the team are very cohesive at the moment. I would hope that Budinger has a higher ceiling that the other two you mention and sometimes you need to give time for it to click, of course other times, players need a break and a way to find form out of the spotlight.

It seemed to me from the stream, that Masood was having to help out a lot at the end. It's a learning curve for Kimber, he is being asked to captain and take on the role of pushing the score on in the poweplay at first drop. All this when he he hasn't even established himself as first XL player in all formats. There's a huge difference between where he is as a player and person and where Handscomb is. I would expect some cock-ups, he's not Ben Stokes.

I also love Pascal Plancque. Puel and Plancque always sounded to me like a French comedy duo from the 80s. Their version of Hale and Pace.

sensible batting now, we don't need to go for the big slog. Should win this now.

poor shot from Kimber. They only need a run a ball, they just need to knock it around

Their recruitment is a mess. They have players like Salt, Butler, Wood, Livingstone who are never available because of white ball or England commitments and then they let go others too soon who end up having a perfectly good career, like Luis Reece. To think we stuck with Whitticase all those years as coach when we were never winning any games and they get rid of captain and coach only a few weeks into the season.

Benkenstein sacked as Lancashire coach after their inning defeat to us!

Winks and Vesty back in the first team then. I wonder what Martin's views are on the dog coming to training? Especially as Lucy Pinder brings a couple of puppies to the training ground.

I think Sam Wood will come into contention. He got wickets and runs for the seconds last week

You would hope they are starting to love us more. We are developing a leg-spinning all-rounder, who can flamboyantly bat in the top three and a giant left-arm fast bowler, who can break partnerships and smash tails. These are surely two of the holy grails of world cricket right here in LCCC. What else do we need to do? A 14 year batman who can bat at a strike rate of 200?

Holliday Grainger - Mickey 17

I want him to succeed, but it wasn't very convincing. It could be nerves and conditions, on a different track he might have more of an impact. Conditions are very dry because of the lack of rain.

I though Cook looked a bit ordinary against opposition that would be bottom of div 2 if in the Championship. At 76-77mph, he's also slower than I thought he would be, only a couple of mph faster than Charlie Dagnall used to grunt it through at. I might want to take more of a punt on Josh Hull for the Ashes, who would at least offer variety.

I keep expecting to check the county score and we are 120 all out or the opposition are 320-2, but it's just not happened. All very counter to expectations in the last 20 years or so.