Been here done this - Glamorgan Day 2

Some backbone exists
By Grockle
July 10 2003

After having the game in the first session, we gave it back to Glamorgan in the third and then rolled over today. It's a long way back from here to any points from this game - 229 behind 7 wickets to get and two days to go - ho hum!

v GLAMORGAN CC2 @ Sophia Gardens 10 July 2003

DAY ONE

DAY TWO

DAY THREE

DAY FOUR

Well, it didn't seem to get away from them the way it did from us yesterday did it?  We ought to send bus tours around to our games and show them the traditional 'batting collapse' that occurs once in every game we seem to play.  Once more we've put ourselves on the back foot with an insipid display with the willow and now we are chasing a game we had hold of lunchtime on the first day.  Wonder if it will have the usual ending or are we in for a surprise?

Well Croft managed to add 11 to his overnight 111 not out before we closed the Glamorgan innings on 349 and with the weather set fair and some batting in the pitch the game was on.  40 minutes into our innings with three wickets down Bowler for 5 (1 for 7), Wood for 5 (2 for 37) and Bryant for 20 (3 for 38) we were where we usually find ourselves.  There seems to be no such thing as a strong start for Somerset these days.  We always seem to have to re-establish a base after losing up to five wickets cheaply.  At least we had two of the established 'top five' still in at this point.

Jamie Cox added 64 with Burns to get us into three figures before he went caught off Kasprowicz and Burns went to 50 and put on another 61 with Blackwell before he went to the same bowler at 163.  Second collapse then ensued. Either we lose too many and then haven't enough batting to stabalise, or we lose a few, two batsmen make a stand and then the moment they are out the rest capitulate!  Laraman went first ball, Turner added 6 and it took Blackwell and Dutch (once again) to make any headway. When Keith went at 205 for 22, McLean followed almost immediately and Francis didn't have much chance to shine because Harrison finished off Blackwell for a fighting 82.

So we have them on the rack, we let them go and then we fall apart to give them a lead of 116 on first innings.  Do we want out of this league at all?

We also have the added problem that the bowlers had already fired in the first innings and were now being asked to do the same again less than one day later.  Simon Francis is now injured so we are going into the second stage one bowler down and three figures behind before we start.  We do make it hard on ourselves don't we?

Jimmy Maher seems keen to make up for his first hiccup at the crease.  He's still there on 42.  Burns got Hughes with 39 on the board and helped Dutch gat Dale by catching him at 56.  Dutchy also got Powell for 1 with only another 12 on the sheet.   But now Maynard is also there with lots to prove and he is 32 not out.  It's 113 for 3 (effectively 229 for 3) at the end of Day 2 and it is all uphill for Somerset unless there is a major bowling breakthrough tomorrow.  Even if they collapse at our level of collpasing, they will pass 300 and we will have to bat out of our skins to draw this one let alone try and win it.  What price a top five century?  Wood, Bowler and Bryant all need some runs - and we need the points for this season to mean anything other than a gross disappointment for all!  Don't hold your breath, but pop a little prayer to the Great One for tomorrow if you have a moment!  We are gonna need it!