Again, there's a difference between this - England at Cardiff in the Ashes, for example - and a team deliberately playing for a draw from the start instead of going for a win when their team is in no danger of losing.

388?! Lancashire's batting?! What?!

Must be a bowler's nightmare that pitch, that or the second innings will balance it all out (i.e Lancs get about 6, which would not surprise me one bit).

That's what everyone remembers them for. I can't recall a less popular Championship winning team.


It's probably also worth pointing out that Surrey didn't win a single match in 2008!

I think the balance between bonus points and points for wins and draws is about the best it's been right now. Bonus points are a sort of deterrant against counties producing overly spicy pitches and gambling on winning a shoot out. (Is there an element of that with Lancs home games this year? Certainly Surrey have made no secret of aiming to prepare "result" pitches at The Oval, which has tended a bit too much towards bland draws in recent years.)

You now have to score pretty quickly to get all five batting bonus points too. I think I'm right in saying Warks would have had 130 overs in which to accumulate their many first innings totals of 400 seven seasons ago, as opposed to the current 110.

I'm there today too - have PM'd you.

Have a good day.

Please let the Brum area have rain, lots of it, tomorrow.....

Warwicks look like winning, and winning comfortably, Lancs are effectively 202/2 but only have one day left, really need to go for the win now.

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/2102?Not happening mate[/url - I've just got back from Aigburth and the players body language tells me that we know we are going to finish 2nd again.

Typical, and the wait goes on, probably our best chance for a while too.

Suppose laughing at Yorkshire can relieve some of the gloom...

Well, it's going down to the final game at least (although I can still only see heartache at the end of it sadly). My apologies to anyone who may have been in the vicinity of Old Trafford at approx 5:30 yesterday & heard some idiot going mental at his desk when Mackenzie's wicket finally fell.

On the way down to Taunton now, trying not to think of the "if only" moments. Still, whatever happens it's been a glorious season and should be a superb next few days. Taunton Town v Poole Town anyone?

Worcestershire still only taken two wickets against Durham - now if only Durham can avoid losing more than four wickets, then bowl them out twice (the first time for less than 200)...

had this conversation on saturday evening
all academic now, relegated! icon_sad.gif

Has Martin Moxon been given the boot yet ?

A quite brilliantly forthright view from Mr Graves... You Yorkie fans will have to tell us if he's right or not. www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/cr ... _1_3764290

A quite brilliantly forthright view from Mr Graves... You Yorkie fans will have to tell us if he's right or not. www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/cr ... _1_3764290

Quote ="Ordsall Quays Red"A quite brilliantly forthright view from Mr Graves... You Yorkie fans will have to tell us if he's right or not. www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/cr ... _1_3764290'" Whilst he is right to an extent how can the coach be free of any blame? Also it's hardly going to motivate the players for next season reading that. I said at the start of the season Yorkshire looked weak, especially in the batting line up.

Quote ="Ordsall Quays Red"A quite brilliantly forthright view from Mr Graves... You Yorkie fans will have to tell us if he's right or not. www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/cr ... _1_3764290'" Whilst he is right to an extent how can the coach be free of any blame? Also it's hardly going to motivate the players for next season reading that. I said at the start of the season Yorkshire looked weak, especially in the batting line up.

Quote ="Ordsall Quays Red"A quite brilliantly forthright view from Mr Graves... You Yorkie fans will have to tell us if he's right or not. www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/cr ... _1_3764290'" He's bang on. There are some experienced international players who have been well below par this season - McGrath, Rashid and Shahzad to name but three. If it hadn't been for the likes of Bairstow and Sidebottom we would probably have struggled to win a Championship game this season to be honest. There seems to be plenty of young bowling talent around at the club, but the cupboard is very much bare when it comes to batsmen coming through. Greg Wood was allowed to move on a couple of years ago because Yorkshire had both Gerard Brophy and Simon Guy around at the time, which is sadly reflective of the way the club has addressed youth development.

Quote ="Ordsall Quays Red"A quite brilliantly forthright view from Mr Graves... You Yorkie fans will have to tell us if he's right or not. www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/cr ... _1_3764290'" He's bang on. There are some experienced international players who have been well below par this season - McGrath, Rashid and Shahzad to name but three. If it hadn't been for the likes of Bairstow and Sidebottom we would probably have struggled to win a Championship game this season to be honest. There seems to be plenty of young bowling talent around at the club, but the cupboard is very much bare when it comes to batsmen coming through. Greg Wood was allowed to move on a couple of years ago because Yorkshire had both Gerard Brophy and Simon Guy around at the time, which is sadly reflective of the way the club has addressed youth development.

Quote ="Ordsall Quays Red"A quite brilliantly forthright view from Mr Graves... You Yorkie fans will have to tell us if he's right or not. www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/cr ... _1_3764290'" Some of the comments about the performances are spot on, but the powers that be (and Moxon) have to take their share of responsibility as well - I was a bit surprised to read a [url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/sep/13/yorkshire-relegation-county-championshipdecent article on the Guardian website[/url earlier which is a little more balanced when it comes to aportioning blame.

Quote ="Ordsall Quays Red"A quite brilliantly forthright view from Mr Graves... You Yorkie fans will have to tell us if he's right or not. www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/cr ... _1_3764290'" Some of the comments about the performances are spot on, but the powers that be (and Moxon) have to take their share of responsibility as well - I was a bit surprised to read a [url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/sep/13/yorkshire-relegation-county-championshipdecent article on the Guardian website[/url earlier which is a little more balanced when it comes to aportioning blame.

I still think Moxon ultimately has to shoulder a lot of the responsibility and ultimately when a big team gets relegated (and we are still a big team) then the axe normally falls somewhere. He has to go in my eyes, but I doubt Yorkshire can afford to pay him off.

I know someone close to Leeds Met and the responses about the pavillion been used mainly for university lift and not cricket is bang on. Inside it looks amazing but doubt Yorkshire CC will ever see a profit from it.

And as for the overseas player, yes it was a shocking decision to not have one. Go back as many years as you like, Tendulkar, Richie Richardson, Bevan, Lehmann they were all exciting cricketers which gave a buzz about the place when they came in to bat, but also gave the team a big lift too.

Good to see Pyrah get some praise, although I still dont know how he progressed to Yorkshire from been a kid with a big reputation that mainly came from his dad when he was a junior at Ossett.

It's shaping up for a terrific final day of the season in Division 1. Hants now lead Warks by 6 runs with seven wickets remaining, while Somerset lead Lancs by 105 with just two wickets left.

I've only just recovered from Surrey's promotion triumph at The Oval yesterday afternoon, celebrated with half price beer in the pavilion bar. (Division 1 beer tastes so much better than Division 2 beer.)

When Surrey won the Championship in 1999, for the first time since 1971, the beer was sold at 1971 prices of 11p a pint! If Lancs win it, will they sell beer at 1934 prices?

35 overs for Lancs to get 210.

Gonna be a cracking finish!

Hants 85 in front at Southampton now with six wickets still standing.

Lancs have hit 70 in 10 overs, no wickets lost. As good a start to the innings as you could have hoped.

140 needed off just under 25 overs.

101 off 13 overs now, so looks like Lancs should knock off the runs - just whether Hants can hold on to their 5 wickets and build up a decent lead so Warks can't chase it down ( or need like 10+ per over )

Please do it Lancy! Won't celebrate until it's all done and dusted knowing Lancashire. Warks 7 down now but surely too late.

Had both local radio stations on for the past couple of hours. Incredibly exciting finish

Hampshire Warks draw - Come On Lancashire!