Bears/Pears Cricket Thread 2014

[Gareth]

I have made no secret of my dislike of this form of the game, but we put out our strongest team and got a comprehensive kicking by The Rapids, so well done to them, and I also hope you get promoted in CC.

Me too, when I think back to Richo moving to Edgbaston I really thought we'd struggle with bat & ball, expectations were so low....a bit like...mmmm

Wonder if Ajmal can play left back? :-)

[adrenachrome]

Birmingham Mail

Brian Halford previews Warwickshire v Yorkshire in the County Championship

Division One leaders visit Edgbaston on Sunday but Bears showed good form against Northamptonshire this week

Jun 20, 2014 13:46 By Brian Halford

Warwickshire can pitch themselves right to the front of the title race if they beat Yorkshire in their championship match at Edgbaston starting on Sunday.

The Bears will face the Division One leaders buoyed by an emphatic victory over Northamptonshire at Northampton this week.

They outclassed a side destined for relegation to move within 16 points of leaders Yorkshire with a game in hand.

But they know the White Rose county, even without England trio Joe Root, Gary Ballance and Liam Plunkett,will be a tougher nut to crack than a Wantage Road outfit out of their depth in the top flight.

Twice recently, the Bears have suffered heavy championship defeats to Yorkshire, at Headingley earlier this season and Edgbaston last year.

“We were well-beaten by Yorkshire at their place and they did a similar job on us at Edgbaston last season so we know all about what a strong side they are,” said director of cricket Dougie Brown.

“But we have played some very good cricket over the last month. It was a very strong performance at Northampton and now we have got to back that up.

“One of the most pleasing things at Northampton was the way that everybody contributed and the result has kept us right in the mix in the First Division table.

“A lot of teams are in the mix in what looks like being a great second half of the season.

“All that really matters is that you get to this stage of the season within reach of the leaders. In a way, it doesn’t matter so much how you play in the first half of the season as long as you take enough points to stay in touch.

“It is from now on that you really need to be strong and consistent.”

[cdbearsfan]

Pretty disastrous so far. Bears 90 for 6 off 39.2 overs.

[Rotterdam]

114-6. Not great.

[Chris Jameson]

Yorkshire 365 for 6, Finch out for 110.

[Villafirst]

Why Yorkshire again? We fold far too easily. Top order batting is poor and not giving us a solid platform. Just doesn't seem as good without Giles and Welch.

[adrenachrome]

Yorkshire 365 for 6, Finch out for 110.

Aye. Saw it in the flesh. A great big ginger bearded bastard. Struck 3 massive sixes in his ton.

Warks screwed this up big time. Won the toss and decided to bat, reasoning that there is fuck all in the pitch as usual but it might turn on the last day. However, it were reet cloudy and humid and the Yorkshire seamers made full use of the conditions. Sidebottom took no wickets but he did not give the batsmen an inch, and they soon started feeling the pressure. Chopra led the way carrying on his Championship form this season. If it were not for Patel, there would have been a debacle to equal what happened at Headingley.

Of course, as soon as Warks got in, the sun came out.

Yorkshire are good, and their seam attack is far superior to ours in my opinion. The supporters were very disgruntled that Patel was not used more, and roared approval when he came back on.   
 
Finally, Yorkshire have a spinner called Carver who took his maiden wicket. Didn't even have a number on his shirt. He looks about 12 years old.
 

[Chris Jameson]

Being a Yorkshire and Villa supporter I'm not normally the most optimistic of people but I fancied Yorkshire to have a good season before it started. There's a good blend of youth and experience and when Plunkett and Brooks are bowling together I doubt there's a better attack in the country.

Andrew Gale is a good captain and dropped himself earlier in the season for the good of the team, he then came back and scored a century, might work for Cook?

[adrenachrome]

Being a Yorkshire and Villa supporter I'm not normally the most optimistic of people but I fancied Yorkshire to have a good season before it started. There's a good blend of youth and experience and when Plunkett and Brooks are bowling together I doubt there's a better attack in the country.

Andrew Gale is a good captain and dropped himself earlier in the season for the good of the team, he then came back and scored a century, might work for Cook?

I remember your prediction and I must say it looks good from what I have seen over the last couple of days.

[Chris Jameson]

Being a Yorkshire and Villa supporter I'm not normally the most optimistic of people but I fancied Yorkshire to have a good season before it started. There's a good blend of youth and experience and when Plunkett and Brooks are bowling together I doubt there's a better attack in the country.

Andrew Gale is a good captain and dropped himself earlier in the season for the good of the team, he then came back and scored a century, might work for Cook?

I remember your prediction and I must say it looks good from what I have seen over the last couple of days.

Good to know. They'll narrowly avoid relegation now knowing my predictions!

[Villafirst]

158/8 - The Bears batting is nearly as bad as England's! Looks like an innings defeat again! Sort it Dougie!!

[Chris Jameson]

Yorkshire won by an innings and 8 runs. Hopefully the Yorkshire weather will start to do its bit at Headingley this evening.

[adrenachrome]

Brum Mail

Warwickshire v Yorkshire: Bears condemned to another innings defeat

Yorkshire claim another comfortable victory over Warwickshire as Bears lose by an innings and eight runs at Edgbaston

Jun 24, 2014 22:13 By Brian Halford

First, the good news. Warwickshire do not have to play Yorkshire in the championship until next season at the earliest.

The Bears will take that as very good news after suffering their second innings defeat of the season - and third in four games - to the White Rose, this time by an innings and eight runs.

The bad news? Well, there’s quite a bit.

Despite fielding a strong team, including their strongest possible bowling attack, they were outplayed in all departments.

Last week’s big victory over Northamptonshire was put emphatically into context. Having walked all over bedraggled, relegation-bound opposition at Wantage Road, this time Warwickshire faced a team probably bound for the title and almost bursting with self-belief.

On a very good cricket wicket, which held some, but not too much, encouragement for every skill, the Bears were outbatted, outbowled and outfielded.

With the bat it was another flawed effort from the top-order. Numbers one to seven mustered just 228 runs at an average of 16.28 without a half-century.

With the ball... well, there was the big surprise. Yorkshire seamers imposed constant pressure and kept the dangerous deliveries coming, even well into the third day.

Warwickshire’s threatened in bursts but allowed the visitors’ fifth and sixth wickets to add 215 on the second afternoon - the point at which the destiny of the match was settled.

Chris Woakes bowled very well and Boyd Rankin put in dangerous spells. But Keith Barker and Chris Wright are some way from the performance-levels which powered the Bears to the title in 2012. How the team needs those two to fire back up to full potency.

So tight was the Division One table going into this round of matches that victory would have lifted Warwickshire right up among the title-chasers. Instead, with Lancashire and Durham likely to win, the relegation line is set to loom back up far too close to comfort.

And next up - Yorkshire’s main challengers in the title race, Nottinghamshire, at Edgbaston on Sunday. The Bears have much food for thought and  also another injury worry.

Jim Troughton will see a doctor about his sore back - everyone with a Warwickshire connection will hope it is not another major setback for the captain.

The start of the second innings on Tuesday morning would have been the perfect time for Varun Chopra to rediscover his form and deliver one of his ten-hour monuments. Instead he lasted 25 minutes before falling lbw to a fine ball from Ryan Sidebottom.

Chopra’s lean streak goes on - so does the number three drought after Troughton, just after taking a short ball from Jack Brooks on the helmet, chipped to backward square leg.

Sam Hain stuck it out for 71 minutes before playing on from an attempted drive at Steve Patterson. Porterfield reached lunch having hewn 30 from two hours but with three partners down. He soon lost another as Tim Ambrose was superbly caught at second slip by Adam Lyth - Yorkshire’s slip-catching throughout the match was exceptional.

When Porterfield’s resistance (43, 131 balls) was ended by another fine ball from Sidebottom, almost all hope of a serious fightback went with him. After Patterson removed Woakes and Rikki Clarke, all hope had gone. The Bears have much thinking to do.

[Villafirst]

Rubbish result in the T20 at Derbyshire. Couldn't defend 189 against the weakest team in the group? The bowling has gone to pot since Welch left.

[ACVilla]

Basil D'Oliveira:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-28078433