On Wednesday, 1 May 2013 11:07:20 UTC+1, Richard Dixon wrote:
> Any thoughts on the ground, those that have been? I am thinking of a trip down there in the next 2-3 days with Prior, Bell, Trott, Woakes, (J) Patel, Panesar and Wright on show amongst others.
Replying to my own tweet. Sacrilege.
Very impressed with the vast tracts of sweeping Victorian (?) terraces at Hove. The cricket was somewhat less jaw-dropping despite the glorious spring/summer weather. A day for the purist I guess with a near-perfect 3-runs-an-over bar a single run.
Things wot I spotted:
- Boyd Rankin in bursts looked effortlessly dangerous and I wonder what he could be like if he *really* bends his back
- Chris Woakes was very tidy but largely unthreatening which I put down to his average height/average pace on a placid pitch
- Chris Wright looked quite pedestrian
- Prior knocked the ball with ease around and looked a tier above the rest (unsurprisingly) until he chased a wide one (story of most of his downfalls?)
- Jeetan Patel was a good, vocal overseas pro, geeing up the side over and above the long shift he did. Nice to see him not just resting on his laurels.
- Plenty of good cheer provided from the on-site beer festival if the cricket was a little soporific. There was a loud ironic cheer late in the day when Brown hit a four.
Richard