Hampered by Hants?

Charl Returns
By Grockle
August 9 2010

Another day and another important match in a season full of them. Hampshire will see a lot of us this week as we as all here together for this Championship tussle before we all move down to the Rosebowl for the T20 Finals day on Saturday. Will we be sick of them by Thursday or ready to compound the sense of defeat they have after a four day thrashing with another one should we meet in the Final?

v Hampshire CC1 @ Taunton Monday 9 August 2010

Scorecard

Commentary

Dark and close day with lots of moisture in it. We welcome Hampshire, win the toss and put them in. We then drop two catches (Jos Buttler!!!!!! and Peter Trego the culprits) and at 2:00 I report that Hampshire are 111 for 1 having lost Adams before lunch to a good delivery from Trigger that nicked through to the keeper.

The side for this four day extravaganza is;

Trescothick, Suppiah, de Bruyn, Hildreth, Kieswetter, Buttler, Trego, Phillips, Thomas, Kartik, Willoughby

Craig seems to be suffering from hamstring niggles which meant Jos kept for half an hour this morning while he had some treatment but it doesn't seem to be enough of a problem for him to give the gloves over to the young man for the whole innings. It's a fairly decent home crowd given the weather conditions and once again we are using what seem tohave become the "Championship" strips over to the left side of the ground with sight screens at the Gimblett edge of the Old Pavilion and half the Botham Stand out of commission.

Alf and Charl shared the majority of the first session bowling with some cameos from Pete. After lunch we are straight in with Kartik (topping the bowling averages this morning with his wickets coming at just over 13 a pop) and Ben. Mike Carberry has once again brought his boots to fill at our expense and passed 50 just before they passed 100. He has been joined by Lumb.

The decision to field first is already in the discussion stage and the pitch may, once again for a Hampshire match, not be the right one for a competitive match resulting in victory with maximum bonus points. But it is early days. As I type hope is once more kindled in the breast as Kartik changes ends and has the self same Carberry fishing at one and getting an edge to the keeper. 130 for 2 and McKenzie borrows the boots as he strides out to the crease. Phillips and Trigger are now operating from Kartik's usual end and he is wheeling in from the Old Pavilion instead.

Somebody in the box suggests that yo know when things aren't going to plan when you hear;

"To bowl from the River end....Zander de Bruyn"

and that is the next significant event. Hampshire may have been assessed as lucky to reach 60 without loss this morning but there is little to worry the partnership this afternoon.

150 goes past before the 50th over and the feeling that this is going to be a long and hard day for players who are coming off the back of a CB40 match just down the road yesterday (admitedly it would have been the same whoever fielded seeing as Hampshire entertained Durham yesterday down on the South Coast). This game is begging for someone to take it by the scruff and give it a good shake but there are no indications that a Somerset player is in the position to do that and it is too early for the visitors to have the inclination.

However you can't keep a Murali down and he keeps turning and coming in. He returns to the River end and eventually has Lumb misreading the speed of a ball which comes too slowly so the batsmen is through the shot before the ball arrives and he simply pops the ball back to the bowler and walks off looking quizzically at the bottom of his bat. 180 for 3 and a dangerman is gone. Still one (ex-Somerset) there though and we'd like to see the back of him before Tea - preferably on Day 1!!