PHILINFRANCE

It came from one of our top class French signings....

Indeed, but I have not seen it mentioned that they are involved in this match. To be fair, the match report indicates a mixture of good, accurate seam bowling and clueless, guileless batting.

Don’t let @TomF know - he will only blame the pitch. Seriously, though, I shall be very interested to see what comment the pitch inspectors make, if indeed they are requested to intervene.

Hmmm. Taken from the Grockles site: Interesting comparison between Somerset and Hampshire today on the ethical issue of cheating. When Hants wicket-keeper Lewis McManus `stumped` Leicestershire`s Hassan Azad in the county championship earlier this summer, his right hand took off the bails but the ball was in his left hand. Hampshire made no attempt to call Azad back and an official complaint was lodged by Leicestershire with the ECB. Social media was awash with cheating allegations, and several former cricketers weighed in also. Today, the umpires said they were in no position to rule whether Marchant de Lange was fielding inside or outside the circle when Joe Weatherley was `caught`, as the television cameras were unable to give wide enough a sweep. But de Lange went up to the umpires and said that he was at fault - the no ball was given and Weatherley was reprieved.. That is ethical behaviour, Hampshire.

I have just tried to find a live stream, but cannot find one. Does anybody have any ideas? I can't find it in HesGoal....

What I don’t understand is that there are two ‘Hampshire’ posters, only one of whom used to post nonsense quite regularly whilst the other seemed quite reasonable. It now seems they are both as bad as each other.

I hope that is correct. Michael Holding is an excellent commentator and very insightful.

Russell is a father? He kept that quiet.

Early days, I know, but, with Forest on one point from their first seven games and in a state of some disarray, and Derby apparently heading for a nine point deduction, there must be some possibility that both might be relegated. What a turnaround in fortunes that would be for two former League champions and for football in the East Midlands - and, of course, for the legacy of the great Brian Clough!

Your obsession is weird. You weirdo. ?

Bermuda ?.

Unless I am mistaken, you have yet to answer @Super's question as to why it's a 'shame she's Canadian' - which, incidentally, I don't consider to be correct in any event, as, whilst she may have been born in Canada, she has Romanian and Chinese parents, came to the UK when she was two years old and, presumably, holds a British passport. Nevertheless, whilst I can understand somebody saying it's a shame that, e.g. Andy Murray is Scottish, as, for purely egotistical reasons, I would far rather he was English, preferably born in Bristol, the son of one of my neighbours and used to play tennis with me in our local park when he was a young boy: I taught him all he knows about tennis, if you like. In reality, however, whilst the reason for my disappointment is lighthearted, I suspect that your reason may have darker overtones.

Apart from Somerset ?.

Don't forget Carlisle. Probably, but there's no reason to Panic.

This made be laugh, but, as far as it concerns England, you are quite right, which is extremely sad.

In the last two overs, they actually had ten men around the bat, with Dom Bess adopting the Marcus Trescothic tactic of fielding on his knees.

Thanks for your interesting story. Out of curiosity, is your friend any relation to the former (excellent) local referee, Len Fricker.

Does anybody on here know the true story about his injury. I am sure I heard (probably on here) that it occurred whilst he was on a dry ski slope, but I have no idea whether or not that was true.

He left Barnsley and went to Coventry in the January transfer window.

Great, and two fingers up to the Test Ground Counties. OK, Tom, I know Hants are a ‘TGC’ and it should be just a middle finger, but, Quand Même!

Interestingly, all three counties to have qualified for Finals Day were from the South Group and, to the despair of the ECB, I am sure, none are Test Ground Counties.

A section from an interesting article by Jonathan Liew in today's Guardian: Craig Overton takes the new ball for Somerset. Here, he had to wait until the 20th over, by which point Anderson, Ollie Robinson, Sam Curran and Moeen Ali had all had a go before him and the ball was beginning to stop swinging. He was in the side as a replacement for Mark Wood, who at his quickest can hit 94mph, and was selected ahead of Saqib Mahmood, who swings the ball both ways with skiddy, electric pace. Overton doesn’t really do that. In a way, he has a pretty unenviable job. Asked to perform a similar role that Wood does with the old ball, but 10mph slower. (His first delivery was a gentle 76mph loosener.) Asked to nip it off a good length in the same way that Robinson does, but only after everyone else has taken the shine off the ball first. And really, he’s only in the side because England have six fast bowlers injured, and will invariably have to make way for one of them soon. In the circumstances, Overton could have been forgiven for charging in at full tilt and trying to force matters. Instead, he stuck to the plan: consistent lengths, dot balls, maiden overs, a challenge with every delivery. He stuck to the plan even when nothing much was happening, when even the edges were dropping short of the slips, when Rishabh Pant danced down the pitch to him first ball after lunch and tried to smear him into the next riding. And on a sparkling day for England, it was Overton who was ultimately rewarded with three wickets and his best Test figures.

To be fair, he only bowled two overs, but I just felt that, if they were going to give Craig a chance, he would heve preferred a ball with lots of shine and, in addition, whilst conditions were still quite favourable - the sun is now out.

Here we go!