Cheltenham Scoreboard

[steve]

Does anyone know the whereabouts of the old manually controlled scoreboard last seen at Cheltenham two years ago?
I miss the sounds of the score changing and even the fact that it was often at odds with the smaller scoreboard but it was part of the fabric of the festival and as a bonus you could even read it!
What we had this year was a slight improvement on last year but I still needed binoculars to see anything on it other than the score.

[steve]

Two years on and absolutely no improvement!

Yet again I was only able to read the score and nothing else (when it was actually working).
The poor lady next to me couldn't even see the score and kept asking for updates.

Four years and counting.....

[rcotswold]

Agree; yet another blunder by the company that operate and manage the scoreboard ! I hope we can assume that the management will put in changes for the 20/20 and remaining game.
That apart what a "second" day of cricket - one of the best yet at Cheltenham. Well done the 'shire!

[steve]

Hahaha!

After today's disaster with the scoreboard this old post still as relevant

[rcotswold]

I'm all for the old warp factor 5 plus students badly manning the old scoreboard; at least it worked. To-day it was off, frozen or nowt for 80% of the time.
However I believe the new techno marvel has been bought by the club [the company that sold it certainly saw GCCC coming!!]; so don't hold your breath.
Further rants re Chelt ckt fest are:
the posh loos have disappeared to be replaced by the green ghastly tardis like variety; many complaints by the ladies especially on that issue!
[ii] the usual shambles in getting into the college car park - after upteen years the person responsible for ground management is still not up to the task. Please sack and replace asap! Two lines coming in; one for yellow car park stickers and another slower one for those corporates that need to pay. The traffic jam was horrendous. Also, if anyone connected to the club reads these posts - OPEN THE FAR GATE!!!!!
[iii] Pleased that the members stand has been moved so that one can see all the pitch and the committee tent is at the far end; sensible move. However need to ensure it is members - [many non-members in the members area].
[iv] Admired the fenced off small area which I thought was for players friends and children; but no it is another thinly disguised area for alcoholics not anonymous to gather, drink copious litres of fine wine and chortle how good they are to pay well over the odds for a seat!!

That apart a good day for Glos and pleased for the young spin bowler to claim his first two championship wickets.

[graham]

I'd forgotten that the score board disaster went back as far as 2013. Although one could never rely on the manual scoreboard as it was often wrong.

I also heard several ladies complaining about the loos. Apparently the Chief Exec said the county couldn't afford them any more.

Still puzzled by the fenced off area, no one seems to know who it is meant for.

Parking own goal by not opening the Reeve field carpark and then letting non pass holder's into the college car park causing long queues. At least at home time they had stewards on traffic duty helping cars out of the car park by stopping traffic on Thurlestan Road.

[rcotswold]

Well Glos facing certain defeat after the two late wickets this evening; but the scoreboard has behaved itself these past two days. Glos did well to bowl Sussex out ; brilliant catch by Miles perhaps the highlight. The betting is Glos all out by mid-afternoon session! Any odds??

[paul]

I think "facing certain defeat" is a bit negative. Archer unfortunately has got his eye in so agree its not going to easy. I would like to think we could win.
Been a good game though, been everyday, scoreboard thankfully seems to be alright now (famous last words) Obviously if we could have hung on without losing a wicket
last night then our chances would have been a lot better (yes genius I am) and a massive risk throwing in two nightwatchman, I hardly dare watch those last two
overs. Can they get us another 30 or 40 runs this morning? It was always going to be difficult against this Sussex attack. Come on!!

[paul]

Darn it, so close. Great effort against a very strong Sussex attack. The winner was Cricket though, a great 4 days here in Cheltenham.

[rcotswold]

Paul was so right; a really good four days of cricket against a very strong Sussex side. However.. we really ought to have crossed the line as winners! Some outstanding performances throughout; but abject batting in the end saw the valiant efforts of Bracey and Roderick come to nothing. How many got out from wafts outside to leg from the ultra quicks - far too many. In the situation when we only needed two an over it was suicide; brain dead batting! Further to put in two weak nightwatchmen was giving the impetus and psychological advantage to Sussex; tails up chaps we can bowl even quicker. So the performance of Roderick and Bracey were all the better as a result. My conclusion after watching a few games this season Van B and KNB are not up to it; neither is M Taylor [sorry, but there it is!].

[steve]

Totally agree rcotswold. Really should have won with better application from the middle order. Van B, KNB and Taylor not up to four day cricket I'm afraid. Its no good having one good game every couple of years. Would much rather have seen Cockbain coming out at the fall of Roderick.

Shame Hankins is out for the season.

[procswrongfoot]

What an absorbing 4 days of cricket, with fortunes swinging to and fro. Mentally rather draining and utlmately frustrating to get so close.

After that, I will probably sound rather churlish to have a moan but here goes.

Chris Dent - despite our excellent first innings opening partnership, I could not understand quite why he was batting so negatively. Regular boundaries are always a feature of batting at Cheltenham. Yes he was lucky to survive early on, but I could not work out if he was merely badly out of form or instead had opted for an attritional innings. Of course followed up by our rather ultra cautious and negative efforts of our Number 5. Could not understand our tactics at the time, and still can't.

How can you really go from 295 for 3 to 306 all out. Even for Glos it takes some doing.

Night watchman - end of second day absolutely amazed that young George was thrust forward for this role. After backfiring badly, what did we do at the end of the third day. Rumour had it that David Payne was padded up ready to enter the fray as our third night watchman!!! Absurd negative nonsense.

Will sound like a continued broken record, but why do we persist with picking all rounders that don't bowl?

Really admired Archer.....very exciting prospect. Sussex supporters are full of praise for the work of their former bowling coach, Jon Lewis. IF ONLY

Finally, huge congratulations to the College Groundsmen for producing such a superb wicket for 4 day cricket

[paul]

Yes we should have won, and there was two mistakes by Bracey and two different partners late in the game, not blaming Bracey just perhaps inexperience as he batted brilliantly.

Mistake No 1, Was the tea interval there was only a min left to get in another over we really should have been looking at that with 5 mins to go and when it is that
close delay the game and get in for tea. And what happens, we lose a wicket in that final over before tea. It was only a minute, I was shaking my head when they lined up for that final over, and went for a drink when the wicket went down.

Mistake No 2.Soon after tea Miles took a single on the last ball of the over, it was just a tap and they jogged it. He then of course had to face rather
that Bracey, and he was out! Daft single.

This might not have won us the game, but it would 100% of got us a bit closer, little things like this come from experience.

Yes and having just read Procswrongfoot post, I would also like to praise the grounds staff in these conditions over the last 6 weeks or so, he produced about as good wicket as you could
possibly hope for, really great effort by the ground staff.