v Sussex TSL2 @ Hove Monday 1 August 2005

Scorecard

We now get to find out exactly what we've learned from the fun of the last month and what Graeme Smith has left us with.  We get to see what Ian Blackwell is really made of as a leader of men and whether the younger guys can put it together in the longer formats and pull something from this season.  The team is

Matt Wood, John Francis, James Hildreth, Ian Blackwell, Keith Parsons, Wes Durston, Arul Suppiah, Carl Gazzard, Richard Johnson, Andy Caddick and Charl Langeveldt.

John Francis will be expected to be the backbone of the opening partnership to allow Matt Wood the freedom to bury the strike attack.  Hildreth is promoted to a surprising third spot, although in a one dayer that may be understandable.  Keith Parsons is joined in the middle order by the new talents of Wes Durston and Arul Suppiah suggesting that Gareth Andrew is still injured and that Aaron Laraman is totally out of favour.  Durston, in particular, has cemented his place with confident batting, surprisingly effective bowling performances and with his phenomenal fielding prowess.

Carl Gazzard behind the sticks and as cheerleader and then the newly effective bowling strike force.  Wasn't it good to see them back to form on Saturday?  (Well it was for me anyway!)

What can this lot do?  You would expect this unit, and it is a unit now I personally feel - a legacy of the Smith time, in conjunction with the appointment of Rose -, to let little go in the field and be a handful with the ball.  The questions there are will James Hildreth be employed with the ball as a change option for the three pacemen along with KP?  We have a fielding unit, the likes of which I haven't seen in County colours in the 12 years I've been watching.  I'd put this lot up against the best in either division in that role now - and they'll get better!

Batting?  Well it's all there but our problem has always been getting it firing at the same time.  With this line-up we bat to 10 and we can strike from anywhere.  Will it be stable?  We'll have to see, the fiath is there and more importantly now....the confidence is strong.  This lot seem to believe in the cuase and in each other, how long since that has been the case?  Forget the hype that covered the cracks in the past.  This is a side that wants to win and a side that will play for each other.

Will they play for their captain? Ian has the big job.  He has to make sure we don't get a flat spot after the joys of Saturday. We can't afford to take our eyes of any ball from now until the last week in September because self-belief can be a fragile thing and it's too precious to fritter away.

The supporters expect a good performance today, not because it's potentially what we should expect but because the players have raised the bar on our expectations and we now demand they take it even higher. 

The Game

Well the seam fairy story didn't last long as Sussex won the toss, decided to bat and we came a cropper.  The openers Andy Caddick and, especially, Richard Johnson were taken to the cleaners by Montgomerie and Prior.  Johnno conceded 40 runs off his 4 overs before he was hit out of the attack and despite Caddy clawing some decency back the Sussex men were set and every body got some hammer after that.

There was little to say about our attack.  The Sharks took big bites out of it and we had little to reply with.  Prior finally went to Durston with the score on 132 but after getting Yardy 8 runs later C&B to Parsons (these were the only two bowlers with half decent figures) Goodwing then put on another 97 with Monty before Blackwell clean bowled him.  Sussex finished on 266 leaving us a mountain to climb under the lights.  Not the bowling performance we expected at all.

The batting was memorable, if only for the line-up.  Wood opened with Gazzard reviving his role as pinch hitter from early last season.  It was mildly successful as they added 48 before Wood was the first to go.  Next in was Arul Suppiah promoted well up the order on his first real outing in the side but it didn't quite work.  Gazzard went at 77 and Suppiah seemed nervous and unsure about his role and fell a mere 10 runs later spooning a return catch to the bowler Martin-Jenkins.  Was Burns considered?

Parsons and his captain staged a recovery adding 96 before Blackwell became number 4 to go and Parsons didn't stay long after as he became another victim of a big spell by Yardy that took the middle order out and put the game to bed really.  Although Frank Junior and Hildreth kept the score ticking, they both fell victim to the Sussex man within 3 runs fo each other at 221 and 224 respectively.  There was still hope as Johnson tried to make up for his poor bowling with the bat and hit 9 off four but Kirtley bowled him and we were seeing out the clock and trying to stay in until the end.  Langeveldt fell at 241 but Caddick and Durston kept their ends up until the final ball falling just 12 runs short of victory.  Flattering really but we did try to make up for the poor start.

The bowling lost it for us.  The middle batting didn't help but they were always chasing the game after the start.  It didn't get better immediately.  We are still 10 points behind Durham (third place) in the TSL.  With 7 games to go and only 3 against opponents above us (includiing Durham twice) we still have a chance but we have to do better than this.

Derbyshire for a big double later in the week - Wake up lads and smell the possibilities!

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