The Champions Surrey beaten by an innings
Lancashire
512
Surrey
(f/o) 209 & 173
Lancashire won by an innings and 130 runs

Somerset
202 & 139
Kent
492
Kent won by an innings and 151 runs

Surrey and and Somerset are reckoned to be amongst the strongest counties but both were hammered in the last games of the season by two middling sides .
QED

RH .

In message <33e5a6aa-68d5-474a-b159-5998e69e2028n@googlegroups.com>,
Robert Henderson <anywhere156@gmail.com> writes
>The Champions Surrey beaten by an innings
>Lancashire
>512
>Surrey
>(f/o) 209 & 173
>Lancashire won by an innings and 130 runs
>
>Somerset
>202 & 139
>Kent
>492
>Kent won by an innings and 151 runs
>
>Surrey and and Somerset are reckoned to be amongst the strongest
>counties but both were hammered in the last games of the season by two
>middling sides .
>QED
>
>RH .
>

Lancashire are a lot better than middling, as their finishing second in
the Championship proves. Also, having already secured the title, one
wonders whether some of the Surrey players were less strongly motivated.

Somerset were one of the strongest counties a few seasons ago, but I
don't think they are anymore. Taunton is no longer "Ciderabad". Somerset
rarely see Leach nowadays, have lost Bess, Trecothick and Jamie Overton
for a variety of reasons, and Hildreth has reached the "veteran" stage
(this is his last season).

In fairness, I should perhaps add that Hampshire's defeats by Kent and
Warwickshire in their last two matches might make a stronger case, even
if the margins of defeat were a lot smaller.
--
John Hall
"Home is heaven and orgies are vile,
But you *need* an orgy, once in a while."
Ogden Nash (1902-1971)

On Thursday, September 29, 2022 at 6:55:22 PM UTC+1, John Hall wrote:
> In message <33e5a6aa-68d5-474a...@googlegroups.com>,
> Robert Henderson <anywh...@gmail.com> writes
> >The Champions Surrey beaten by an innings
> >Lancashire
> >512
> >Surrey
> >(f/o) 209 & 173
> >Lancashire won by an innings and 130 runs
> >
> >Somerset
> >202 & 139
> >Kent
> >492
> >Kent won by an innings and 151 runs
> >
> >Surrey and and Somerset are reckoned to be amongst the strongest
> >counties but both were hammered in the last games of the season by two
> >middling sides .
> >QED
> >
> >RH .
> >
> Lancashire are a lot better than middling, as their finishing second in
> the Championship proves. Also, having already secured the title, one
> wonders whether some of the Surrey players were less strongly motivated.
>
> Somerset were one of the strongest counties a few seasons ago, but I
> don't think they are anymore. Taunton is no longer "Ciderabad". Somerset
> rarely see Leach nowadays, have lost Bess, Trecothick and Jamie Overton
> for a variety of reasons, and Hildreth has reached the "veteran" stage
> (this is his last season).
>
> In fairness, I should perhaps add that Hampshire's defeats by Kent and
> Warwickshire in their last two matches might make a stronger case, even
> if the margins of defeat were a lot smaller.
> --
> John Hall
> "Home is heaven and orgies are vile,
> But you *need* an orgy, once in a while."
> Ogden Nash (1902-1971)

Another pointer to Warwickshire's last gasp survival in in div I despite being champions in 2021.

More generally there seems to be a growing trend in very heavy wins and losses in both divisions with seemingly most or even all involved. . That is a pointer to a general levelling up or down . RH

On Thursday, 29 September 2022 at 18:55:22 UTC+1, John Hall wrote:

> Lancashire are a lot better than middling, as their finishing second in
> the Championship proves. Also, having already secured the title, one
> wonders whether some of the Surrey players were less strongly motivated.

They were probably hung over: at least on Day 1. I was staying in the same hotel as them (the one overlooking the ground) as I watched the first day en route to family in Cheshire. The players were getting there when I arrived at 4pm and went straight to the bar for a drink whilst they waited for their rooms. I came back down there at 6pm for some food and they were all still in there drinking and headed off out into Manchester at 7pm and were still out when I headed off to my room at around 9.30pm.

That said - boozing is very much part of county cricket culture so I was told by a journalist last week so they can probably all take a skinful and play the next day.

Richard

On 29/09/2022 18:48, John Hall wrote:
> In message <33e5a6aa-68d5-474a-b159-5998e69e2028n@googlegroups.com>,
> Robert Henderson <anywhere156@gmail.com> writes
>> The Champions Surrey  beaten by an innings
>> Lancashire
>> 512
>> Surrey
>> (f/o) 209 & 173
>> Lancashire won by an innings and 130 runs
>>
>> Somerset
>> 202 & 139
>> Kent
>> 492
>> Kent won by an innings and 151 runs
>>
>> Surrey and and Somerset are reckoned to be amongst the strongest
>> counties but both were hammered in the last games of the season by two
>> middling sides .
>> QED
>>
>> RH .
>>
>
> Lancashire are a lot better than middling, as their finishing second in
> the Championship proves. Also, having already secured the title, one
> wonders whether some of the Surrey players were less strongly motivated.
>
> Somerset were one of the strongest counties a few seasons ago, but I
> don't think they are anymore. Taunton is no longer "Ciderabad". Somerset
> rarely see Leach nowadays, have lost Bess, Trecothick and Jamie Overton
> for a variety of reasons, and Hildreth has reached the "veteran" stage
> (this is his last season).

The wheels fell off when they reached the divisional stage last year,
and they haven't done much better this season, and looked likely to be
relegated for most of it.

> In fairness, I should perhaps add that Hampshire's defeats by Kent and
> Warwickshire in their last two matches might make a stronger case, even
> if the margins of defeat were a lot smaller.

Remembering the deciding match of the 2016 season, when Somerset had to
watch while Yorkshire folded at the end against Middlesex when a draw
would have given Somerset their first Championship, it was quite amusing
that Yorkshire found out what that was like from the other side on
Thursday, when they watched as Hampshire collapsed against Warwickshire.

Of course, all of this only involves teams in Division 1, so it doesn't
actually tell us anything about Division 2.

--
David North