Unusually there are only three fixtures in Div2 this week.
Leaders Derbyshire will be hoping to continue their excellent start to the 1st class season when they visit 7th-placed Gloucs.
At the start of the month the two sides drew at Derby in a game dominated by the bat to the extent that the game's 4th innings never got underway, and both sides will feel better penetration from their bowlers will be needed to avoid another draw.
At Headingly 4th placed Yorks take on 5th placed Northants in a mid-table clash. Worth noting though Yorks have a game in hand, which (if won) would put them comfortably second in the table. Northants have a W2 D3 L2 record, but both losses came early season and they will think that if they could just turn a few draws into wins they would still be in with a shout at the top of the table.
Finally, and starting a day earlier than the other fixtures, two clubs who are already very unlikely to be at the right end of the table this autumn. Rock bottom Glam host next-bottom Leicester in a battle to avoid the wooden spoon.
So poor have Glam been so far, that even a full 24pt victory is not guaranteed to take them past their nearest rivals. Should the Welshmen lose, they would be so far adrift that it's hard to see any finish other than 'last', even at this stage of the season.
Div 2 Round 8 Match Overview
posted on 30/5/12
Derbys being hammered by Gloucs so far. 6 down already, and still 15 minutes to go to lunch.
It's a traditional Derbyshire collapse, all to familiar to the hardened Derbyshire follower... just hoped they'd put performances like this behind them this season
posted on 30/5/12
83/7 at lunch
Unless the pitch is an absolute minefield there's no coming back from this situation
posted on 30/5/12
Great start from Yorkshire, can see us climbing the table very quickly from now on.
posted on 30/5/12
Oh dear
Clearly Borrington had a bigger impact than I thought
posted on 30/5/12
Northants fighting back and seem to be taking a liking to this australian clown that we have brought into the team, and are hitting him all over the pitch
I would fancy my chances against Starc who looks woeful.
posted on 30/5/12
I would fancy myself against ANY aussie bowler at the moment!
posted on 30/5/12
^^ Dunc says they are bringing the same gang that got hammered down under to the next Ashes series. I can almost see our top six licking their lips from here
I hope our Aussie friends aren't expecting England to let down their guard, and be complacent? We will continue to pummel away.
posted on 30/5/12
Northants bowled out for 253 and then Yorkshire rattled off 27 -0 off the five overs faced, and I think only rain can deny us a nice victory. We seem to be settling down after a dodgy start, where only the rain kept our unbeaten run going
Looking forward to seeing Jonny bat tomorrow. Alot of talk about him these days, and he needs to deliver. I also am not convinced yet.
posted on 31/5/12
Update (about 20 minutes before lunch).
Gloucs 259/8 lead Derbys by 164 still with 2 1st innings wickets in hand. Only major intervention from thunderstorms can save Derbys from a spanking in this match.
Yorks 27/0 trail Northants by 226 with all wickets still intact. Start of play has been delayed. Northants score looks a bit below par, but far from decisively so, especially if the weather continues to intervene.
[day 3]
Glam 408/6 lead Leicester by 137 with 4 1st innings wickets still in hand. Glam claim 5 batting points, which is more than they have managed all season previously. Having missed the start of the season their key man (North) is now running into a bit of form. key question here is will there be enough time in the game for Glam to force the win? Leicester may only have got 271 on first innings, but they occupied the crease for 118.5 overs in doing so, so Glam shouldn't rely on bowling them out in under a day.
posted on 1/6/12
Lunchtime updates 1st June
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gloucs on the verge of a crushing victory, with 5 sessions to score 85 runs.
Yorks are 9 runs behind, still with 6 1st innings wickets in hand. Presumably their strategy is to post a monster total and not bat again, but time is starting to look tight for them.
At the SWALEC, which is in day4 of its match, Glamorgan posted a massive 558, but Leicester have not read the script, and are 178/1 at lunch. Having taken 1 wicket in 71 overs, Glamorgan need to take 9 in the next 60-odd to win. That would require someone to do something remarkable with the 2nd new ball. I'm not holding my breath.