Bears/Pears/Domestic Cricket Thread 2012

[ADVILLAFAN]

Nearly time for the season opener.

Didn't Somerset early last season? I seem to remember they were one of the favourites and we gave them a tanking.

[ADVILLAFAN]

Considering I didn't think our bowling would be great, excellent start.

Somerset are 14/2

[ADVILLAFAN]

Somerset now 46/5!!!

Hopefully it is a splendid batting pitch 

[Simon Ward]

Somerset 147 all out. Please don't let it be the pitch, must be class bowling by the Bears surely?

[Karl Bridges]

I think the overhead conditions mean it is swinging around a bit. 

[ADVILLAFAN]

I think the overhead conditions mean it is swinging around a bit. 

I was surprised that Somerset chose to bat first. Looked very cloudy outside.

[The Left Side]

Maximum bowling points for the Bears?

[ADVILLAFAN]

Maximum bowling points for the Bears?

Yep - I think if you get 9 wickets in the first 110 overs then you get all 3 bowling points, unless they've changed the points system. Then in the same amount of overs the batting points go 200 - 1pt/ 250 - 2pts and so on with 400+ being all 5 batting points.

[Rotterdam]

Bears are 164/5. Could be finished by tomorrow afternoon.

[The Left Side]

Bit of a collapse and they are building a foundation, You Bears!!!

[Villan For Life]

Zummerzet 4 down at the close, effectively 31-4. Not too bad by the Bears so far but too many batting failures again. let's hope it's an early season thing rather than a sign of things to come.

[The Left Side]

Zummerzet 4 down at the close, effectively 31-4. Not too bad by the Bears so far but too many batting failures again. let's hope it's an early season thing rather than a sign of things to come.

Here here

[Colhint]

well we have Belly back for a few games

[spangley1812]

The Bears batting has been poor for 3/4 seasons and it cost us the Championship last year, I am very dissapointed that Giles/Povey havnt sorted it by a) going in for James Taylor or b) getting in a top quality test player

[Villan For Life]

The Bears batting has been poor for 3/4 seasons and it cost us the Championship last year, I am very dissapointed that Giles/Povey havnt sorted it by a) going in for James Taylor or b) getting in a top quality test player

Test players aren't available for an entire season like they once were. Top English players are subject to central contracts which restrict them to a handul of appearances a season at best. If Taylor has a good season at Notts he could end up on an interim central contract. I really don't see the point of signing future test players who rarely play for you. 

Quality overseas players are more likely to be playing in various T20 competitions around the world or indeed playing for their own country. You can hypothetically get a player for a month or two like we did with Shiv Chanderpaul but to say that our batsmen cost us the title is wide of the mark.

In 2011 we got more batting points than bowling points and only Durham who finished 3rd got more batting points than we did and that was just one point. What cost us was not a 9 point pitch deduction but an inability to bowl out Hants on a flat, lifeless end of season pitch at the Rose Bowl.