championship final

[jimmy]

Believe Essex seconds may have qualified for championship final today, any confirmation ?

[sixNout]

Essex have won the South Division by 5.5 points after Somerset failed to beat Sussex yesterday. The final is 16-19 September. No venue yet listed on ECB website; hopefully Chelmsford, as 1st XI ate at Grace Road at the same time.

[jimmy]

How long before Essex site let's us know the team is even in it. Obviously not enough web masters on the payroll yet.

[Mog]

How long before Essex site let's us know the team is even in it. Obviously not enough web masters on the payroll yet.

Shocking isn't it! If it isn't prefixed with T20 the Club could care less. I've noticed a distinct deflation in the usual hype the official website pump out now their primary and then secondary objectives went out of the window.

[jimmy]

Very true. Those adverts for t20 matches that popped up before every news story you clicked on were a lot of fun ! Notice the twitter account reminds us today that the championship returns next week, I'm surprised the club has remembered, cricket supporters might be forgiven however in thinking that they've had winter and next week is the start of a new season such has been the ludicrous length of time between championship matches thanks to the geniuses at the ecb. Marketing dept must be kicking its heels waiting for next years t20 dates, countless young men in suits who don't know their Achong from their Edrich tapping their pencils and flicking playing cards into top hats.

[squarelegumpire]

Gather that while the First XI is playing Leics away next, the Seconds will be playing Leics II at home for the Second XI Championship. Should be a good few days. Must give some pauses for selection thought though.

Notable that Essex, a team in Div Ii who seem unlikely to be promoted any time soon, and Leics, who have been a chopping block for a few years are in the II’s Final.

[Valentines Park]

Can't speak for Leics but how much of our stiffs success can be attributed to the fact it's chock full of players Grayson signed for the first team?   

[IanS]

Gather that while the First XI is playing Leics away next, the Seconds will be playing Leics II at home for the Second XI Championship. Should be a good few days. Must give some pauses for selection thought though.

Notable that Essex, a team in Div Ii who seem unlikely to be promoted any time soon, and Leics, who have been a chopping block for a few years are in the II’s Final.

I reckon it'll be a bit clearer after the Kent match. If we don't win, then there is only the remotest mathematical chance of overtaking Hants, while Worcs will almost certainly be out of sight.

Surrey appear to have already given up on promotion by not playing Pietersen in their last two matches. On the other hand.....

[Andy]

Does having a strong 2nd XI really matter all that much? I ask this because we were told how great our u-19s were back in the 1990s and few of them got past the 2nd team. I understand the need to draw from this team but could success be down to having a lot of fringe 1st teamers available who are good enough to succeed at this level (rather than a lot of very 'green' players that may make it not in the short term), or just luck with injuries...

[DT]

Gather that while the First XI is playing Leics away next, the Seconds will be playing Leics II at home for the Second XI Championship. Should be a good few days. Must give some pauses for selection thought though.

Notable that Essex, a team in Div Ii who seem unlikely to be promoted any time soon, and Leics, who have been a chopping block for a few years are in the II’s Final.

I reckon it'll be a bit clearer after the Kent match. If we don't win, then there is only the remotest mathematical chance of overtaking Hants, while Worcs will almost certainly be out of sight.

Surrey appear to have already given up on promotion by not playing Pietersen in their last two matches. On the other hand.....

So you believe that if KP had played for Surrey they would have gone up??

Surrey will have a better chance by not playing him so they've done the decent thing and left him out.  It's a shame KP didn't make himself available to play champo cricket back in June...

[IanS]

Gather that while the First XI is playing Leics away next, the Seconds will be playing Leics II at home for the Second XI Championship. Should be a good few days. Must give some pauses for selection thought though.

Notable that Essex, a team in Div Ii who seem unlikely to be promoted any time soon, and Leics, who have been a chopping block for a few years are in the II’s Final.

I reckon it'll be a bit clearer after the Kent match. If we don't win, then there is only the remotest mathematical chance of overtaking Hants, while Worcs will almost certainly be out of sight.

Surrey appear to have already given up on promotion by not playing Pietersen in their last two matches. On the other hand.....

So you believe that if KP had played for Surrey they would have gone up??

Surrey will have a better chance by not playing him so they've done the decent thing and left him out.  It's a shame KP didn't make himself available to play champo cricket back in June...

Think you have the wrong end of the stick here, DT. It was implied (later confirmed by KP) that Surrey will play youngsters to bring them on as they believe promotion is out of reach. My attempt at some weak humour was to suggest that not playing KP would enhance their chances. I should have added an emoticon.

Actually I have no view on the subject. KP was a world-class player but his woeful performances this year are certainly not world- class. Sadly, he may not recover that form - he's 35 next season and carrying a chronic knee condition. It's sad because it would not be a great way to end his career, even if he is a pain in the proverbial.

[Postman]

As this site has for some reason been inaccessible for the last few days this is a rather late comment, but I felt intensely depressed at the experience of watching day 3 of the Second XI championship final yesterday. I accept that the club had reasonably taken a booking in the pavilion for the 4 days -we need the money no doubt and it would have been a bit excessive to say sorry we can't take a booking because we just might be in the 2nd XI final that week-but was it really necessary to bar the seating in front of the pavilion off with barriers and snotty "keep out" notices of the type you used to see in public parks? What harm would it have done to allow people to sit in front of the pavilion? Given that the 1st XI's match had finished two days earlier, where was the 1st XI coach? Why was only one committee member there as far as I could see? Why was it not possible to see any real detail of the progress of the match on our own website? It was only by looking at Leicestershire's site that I discovered the rather basic fact that a 1st innings lead would decide the match if it ended in a draw. All these things combine to give the impression, intended or not I wouldn't care to say, that the club can't really be bothered with anything except the big ticket floodlit nights. Saddest of all was the fact that nobody at all, except me, applauded Mark Pettini when he was dismissed after what could possibly be his final appearance for the club.

[Perov]

I agree the lack of information on this game was poor, from the Essex point of view, but that happens all season.
Other counties are much better at giving close of play scores and info on second team matches.
I do disagree with your point about sitting in front of the Pavillion.
An event was going on in there, it was closed to the public and members, and the wicket was over the other side of the ground.
There was ample seating all over the ground,especially behind the bowlers arm,so I am surprised  why anyone would want to sit side on with an inferior view far away from the action when plenty of better seats were available - but maybe that's just me!

[galboy]

What a ridiculous way to find a result too.

[Postman]

I agree the lack of information on this game was poor, from the Essex point of view, but that happens all season.
Other counties are much better at giving close of play scores and info on second team matches.
I do disagree with your point about sitting in front of the Pavillion.
An event was going on in there, it was closed to the public and members, and the wicket was over the other side of the ground.
There was ample seating all over the ground,especially behind the bowlers arm,so I am surprised  why anyone would want to sit side on with an inferior view far away from the action when plenty of better seats were available - but maybe that's just me!

I agree that the pavilion seating wasn't exactly the best viewing area for this match but it was more the barriers and notices that irritated me, not the right way to treat your members, but as we should know by now, the club has long since ceased to care about them.