The only teams that can get more than our second placed possible total of 18 points are Yorkshire and Gloucestershire in Group B. Therefore we need one of them to lose a game.
This means that today's televised encounter between Gloucestershire v Essex starting at 4-40pm is important to us. A win for Essex will put our destiny back in our own hands.
If you are looking for omens, Essex beat Somerset in the closing stages last years Pro40 that helped us retain our title. And also in 2006 Somerset lost at Horsham in a rain affected match that helped us on our way to winning the C&G Trophy.
]]>Not sure what sort of deal Martin arranged when he parked the mini-bus at that other hotel in Worcester last September, would it work out cheaper Martin?
]]>Sounds really keen doesnt he - maybe another misfit for Rory to captain!
]]>Quality batsman and I think we could get him fit. Could he be a big run scorer for us for the next 8 to 10 years?
]]>Nash
Joyce
Prior
Goodwin
Hodd
Brown
Yasir
Rayner
Liddle
Kirtley
Panesar
Might well be Kirtley's last game - a great servant to Sussex
]]>From the Argus
]]>By Bruce Talbot »
Yasir Arafat has promised Sussex fans he will be back to his best as he bids for a hat-trick of Twenty20 Cup honours.
The county’s overseas player admits he has been nowhere near his best since returning to the side this week after a calf injury sidelined him for two months and kept him out of Pakistan’s Twenty20 World Cup squad.
He conceded 64 runs in eight overs as Sussex were beaten by ECB Unicorns when he returned to the side in last Sunday’s CB40 game and had match figures of 2-143 from 33 overs in the Championship game against Worcestershire this week.
Arafat looked well short of his customary express pace but insists he will be firing on all cylinders on Tuesday when the Sharks play Somerset in a repeat of last year’s final in the first match of their Twenty20 defence.
He said: “I injured my calf in the Pakistan training camp before the World Cup in Lahore and although I recovered quite quickly I had my first proper bowl on Monday and felt quite a bit of stiffness as it was my first competitive long game for two months.
“But I felt getting better all the time as the game progressed and I promise that I will be fine next week.”
Arafat is the only player to have won the competition with different counties, having helped Kent to the 2007 title. He also played on Kent’s losing side against Ed Joyce’s Middlesex in 2008 before helping Sussex to glory last year when he took 15 wickets.
He added: “I love the competition. Winning it with Sussex last year was the best because I was able to represent the county in the Champions League as the only Pakistan player in the tournament in India. That was a great honour.”
Arafat, 28, is looking forward to teaming up with Brendon McCullum again when the Kiwi arrives to play in seven games, starting against Kent Spitfires at Tunbridge Wells on June 9.
The pair were team-mates during the winter for Otago Volts who reached the semi-finals of New Zealand’s domestic competition, having also played in the Champions League last October.
Arafat said: “Brendon McCullum is a great player and a strong signing for Sussex. I have also played against him for Pakistan and he is such a good batsman who will be great in the dressing room too.
“Our side is very good again this year. We have lost Rory Hamilton-Brown from last year but I think we will do well again.”
“Mike Yardy bowled exceptionally well in the World Cup and Luke Wright seems to be improving with better game and I can see him playing for England in all formats of the game.”
Arafat will play for Sussex in one of two warm-up games as part of Mushtaq Ahmed’s testimonial at Hove tomorrow. A Sussex XI take on the Sussex League at 12.30pm with the county facing Mushy’s team at 4.30pm.
]]>Much to their surprise Chris Tremlett wasn't even in the squad (not fit for 4 day cricket is the rumour), Brown their promising opener is injured (again no proper explanation of the injury) and their replacement overseas player is missing with no explanation. Essentially their attack is the same as last year with Batty added on. And the batting looks equally relient on three players.
Derbyshire 80-1 at lunch and I quote (from a member down there) "Adams is lucky we've just had the AGM before this happened".
]]>The table (with projections) is as follows-
Sussex : Current 208 + possible 48 = total 256
Glam : Current 189 + possible 48 = total 237
Worcs : Current 167 + possible 48 = total 215
Glos : Current 166 + possible 48 = total 214
Northants : Current 161 + possible 48 = total 209
Leicester : Current 155 + possible 48 = total 203
Middx : Current 150 + possible 24 = total 174
Surrey : Current 132 + possible 48 = total 180
Derby : Current 130 + possible 24 = total 154
Middlesex, Surrey and Derby are out of it. Leicester could still go up as runners up, and Worcs Glos and Northants are still just about in the mix.
We need 8 points maximum to assure promotion, but this will come down as and when Worcs and Glos drop bomus points. I hope our target is to go up as champions, in which case we need a maximum 30 points from our last two games. Again this threshold will come down as Glamorgan drop points, so just for once we should be hoping that Rory and Figjam do us a favour and if not thump Glamorgan at least take a good few points off them.
I think we could be celebrating at Hove by close of play on Tuesday.
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