Shocking captaincy. No faith in our bowlers at all. You shouldn't be setting over 500 to win a game. Dangle a carrott at 400 to win so Essex don't just play totally defensive and you've another couple of dozen overs then to bowl.
Disappointing snatching a draw from a position of an almost certain win. Think we batted a bit too slowly for the most part yesterday and really ought to have declared when 460/470 in front. An extra half hour to bowl yesterday would’ve made all the difference. Hindsight is great though …..
I’m not sure it was that decision that cost the game. Batting on far too long to get himself some runs, now that’s another thing. It is absolutely flabbergasting that we haven’t won that game. It was clear 24 hours ago, more than that even, that we’d need as long as possible to bowl them out. It was obvious today was going to go similarly to how it did. I did still hope we’d still get the wickets, but five or ten overs more would have been all the difference that was needed. Poor captaincy from YJB I’m afraid.
Be reight, if Bairstow had declared earlier and Essex chased them down, you and others on here would be slagging him off. Biggest problem is the points system, too many points for a draw. Needs addressing so playing for wins is more attractive.
If they'd have had to chase them down thiugh, there'd probably have been more opportunities for wickets. I think we had 4 wickets yesterday, that bit of extra time might just have got us another last night.
Poor captaincy from YJB but he’s new to it so I suppose he gets some leeway. A certain victory just trickled away though. If you can’t get a number 11 out then something is very wrong. He faced 34 balls and scored 2 not out. Not good enough!!
It wasn’t today, that’s for sure. Coad only got 14 overs and Thompson was absent. Not sure why Bess got 38 overs…
Harder to bowl teams out in Second innings as wicket flattens out. Controlled most of game. Bess kept things tidy not a potent wicket taker . Could have gone a little quicker in 2nd innings sometimes better to get bowled out for a lower total as no decision about when to declare.
Maybe so … we’ve just got to get on with it. Burns, Sibley, Lawrence, Foakes and Roy are likely starters for Surrey and that’s not to mention their bowlers !