Fortune and Ferocity Hampshire Day 1
By Farmer White et al
June 17 2021
Day 1 of the 4 day Hampshire game is here - Farmer will be putting up the other days in the near future But today belonged to Lewis Gregory
County Championship Group 2. Somerset v Hampshire.
3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th June 2021. Taunton.
Somerset. E.J. Byrom, S.M. Davies (w), T.B. Abell (c), J.C. Hildreth, G.A. Bartlett, L.P. Goldsworthy, T. Banton, L. Gregory, R.E. van der Merwe, J.H. Davey, M.de Lange.
Craig Overton and Jack Leach were with the England squad for the two-Test match series against New Zealand and so not available for selection for this match
Hampshire. I.G. Holland, C.T. Steel, T.P. Alsop, S.A. Northeast, J.M. Vince (c), L.A. Dawson, L.D. McManus (w), K.H.D. Barker, F.S. Organ, K.J. Abbott, B.T.J. Wheal.
Toss. Hampshire. Elected to field
First day. 3rd June – Fortune and ferocity
“You couldn’t make it up,” said the man next to me of Somerset’s near-miraculous recovery as Marchant de Lange’s first six, off Kyle Abbott, disappeared over long off and into the churchyard. “More! More!” demanded someone from the Somerset Stand as if they were calling for an encore at a folk concert. And an encore there was. Two balls later Abbott bounced de Lange. De Lange hooked and an enormous six cleared the long square boundary, cleared the wide area of outfield beyond it and hit the upper reaches of the Caddick Pavilion on the full. Applause and cheers seemed to fill the sky and there was not an unsmiling face in the house. The crowds were back at Taunton, and they had been right royally rewarded with a day of cricket straight from the land of fantasy which might have filled many of their heads during the long coronavirus interregnum. This was Somerset through and through, for the close of play score of 360 all out had been built from the crumbling foundations of 43 for 5 and 113 for 7. The rains of May had stayed away too, although June was not yet as glorious as it likes to claim.
The day had started with staggered entry times and allocated socially distanced seating. I had been allocated a seat near the front of the River Stand, previously the Trescothick Stand, somewhere I have rarely sat since transferring my allegiances to the top of the Trescothick Pavilion during the 2018 season. It provided a view just wide of a line from third slip to the right-handed batsman and a more natural elevation for watching cricket, but no shade in the event of a day of relentless sun. That did not matter here for the sun was only occasionally in evidence, the lights were called in aid after tea and a dozen overs were lost.
From the River Stand the pitch looked almost as green as the unprepared one next to it. With some humidity in the air and an almost complete covering of lowish grey cloud a difficult morning for batting beckoned. “Welcome back to the Cooper Associates County Ground,” said the announcer to warm applause from the fast-assembling crowd. “The toss is about to take place,” he advised. There is always a delay between the toss and the announcement of the outcome, but it is not difficult to read the signs if you know what to look for. The Somerset bowlers, in tracksuits, continued with their practice with no sign of urgency. The Hampshire players meanwhile left the field with some alacrity. Somerset would not be bowling.
Eddie Byrom faced the first ball of the day from the left-arm pace of Keith Barker, bowled from the River End. The ball struck him on the pad and Barker appealed. “Nonsense,” shouted a pantomime Somerset voice as the umpire’s arm remained motionless. It all had a familiar ring to it, and it felt as if something approaching normal service had resumed. In his next over Barker removed the need for assistance from the umpire when he defeated a straight defensive stroke from Byrom and hit the stumps. The green pitch, overhead conditions and the wily left arm of the 34-year-old Barker were already bearing fruit. When the left-handed Steven Davies drove Abbott through the covers to the Caddick Pavilion dugouts the comment was, “He didn’t put much effort into that stroke,” followed by a voice from a steward’s walkie-talkie saying, “It’s all going very smoothly.” The latter a reference to the coronavirus-related arrangements for the crowd rather than the cricket I assumed.
In the middle, endeavouring to make things go smoothly there too, Davies and Abell played with studious care. Abell might have been taking a practical examination with his classically correct defensive strokes and precise leaves against some accurate bowling, especially from Barker who was also getting movement. After eight overs Somerset had reached 9 for 1. Barker had not conceded a single run while Abell had added to Davies’ boundary with an off drive off Abbott which reached Gimblett’s Hill. An on drive for two off Barker brought forth the first cry of, “Shot,” heard at Taunton for nearly two years. The first cover drive seen by a crowd in that time came from the bat of Davies off Abbott. It brought forth a volley of applause which followed the smoothly struck ball all the way to the boundary and then dissolved into the Taunton buzz of old. People were indeed back at the cricket, and they were not holding back in their appreciation.
After ten overs Somerset had battled their way to 19 for 1. In the 11th Abell came forward in defence against another inquisitorial ball from Barker, and edged it in a low arc to Dawson reaching down between his ankles at second slip. Somerset 20 for 2. Abell 8. Davies meanwhile seemed impervious to the machinations of the ball and drove Abbott square to the Caddick Pavilion. But Barker had the measure of the pitch, the overhead conditions and the other Somerset batsmen. Within four balls, Hildreth had come half forward and edged to McManus behind the stumps, Bartlett had succumbed leg before wicket, Somerset were 26 for 4 and Barker’s inquisition had produced the remarkable figures of 7-4-4-4. There was no buzz now, just a stunned mumble broken only by occasional snatches of anxious chatter. Lewis Goldsworthy came to the wicket and for nearly 40 minutes alongside Davies he resisted Hampshire. But, with the score on 43, he edged Brad Wheal, who had replaced Abbott, to McManus behind the stumps and departed for 7. The mumble fell to a hush and Somerset’s hopes of progressing to the first division of the Championship in the second phase of the competition were under threat. It was not the return to Taunton the crowd had come to see.
Enter Tom Banton, back in the side as an extra batsman in place of Jack Leach who is with the England squad. Banton had begun the season as an opener alongside Tom Lammonby. Neither had succeeded and both had since dropped out of the side. Now, he changed the tone of the Somerset innings as he tore into the bowling with a mixture of raw power and serendipitous luck. Within the over Wheal had been driven fiercely to the Trescothick Pavilion boundary. A top-edged hook and a more controlled were soon flying fine to the Lord Ian Botham Stand boundary. Holland was driven through the on side four more all to mounting applause. A hook, with a hint of a top edge, off Wheal which cleared the Lord Ian Botham Stand boundary turned the applause into cheers. Banton’s boundaries, rotation of the strike and a Davies square drive to the Somerset Stand off Holland took Somerset to 78 for 5 at lunch of which Banton and Davies had added 35 in seven overs, Banton making 23 of them.
Lunch was not quite the affair of old. My habitual circumnavigation was cut short by the ground perimeter being divided into three segments, one for the players and coaches and two for the spectators. My segment ran from the Lord Ian Botham Stand, along the path, it is too narrow in the confines determined by the Tone to qualify as a concourse, behind the River Stand and Somerset Stands and onto Legnds Square, a barrier denying entry to and beyond Gimblett’s Hill. At least, from the River Stand my perambulation towards Legends Square began in an anti-clockwise direction like my circumnavigations of old. Masks were required as soon as you left your seat which challenged the eyesight of more than one septuagenarian as they tried to identify, through steamed-up glasses, a masked cricket-watching acquaintance not seen for a year and a half. The conversation though was as good as that of old and the looks were as wry as ever when the familiar Somerset score was discussed, although Banton’s innings had made an impression. Some acknowledgement too to the green tinge on the pitch and the bowler-friendly cloud looking down.
A Davies cover drive off Barker which flowed uninterrupted to the Somerset Stand boundary got Somerset moving again in the second over of the afternoon session. An edge from Banton off Abbott wide of third slip ran down to the River Stand boundary, two well-taken runs turned square elicited a shout of, “Well run boys,” as the crowd began to urge their batsmen on. The applause was more extended when Banton drove Barker through the covers towards the Caddick Pavilion and the three runs which resulted brought up the fifty partnership. Banton had been at the wicket just 11 overs and had 35 of them. When Davies edged Abbott through the slips for four he brought up Somerset’s hundred, good fortune against a still moving ball mingling with precision batting to carry Somerset forward. An on drive from Banton, beautifully leaned into, to the Somerset Stand against Barker roused the crowd again but an attempt to repeat the stroke resulted in an inside edge and a quivering leg stump. Banton had made 45 in just over the hour. Somerset were only 108 for 5 but looking back from beyond the close it felt like Banton had changed the nature of the day. His innings provided the impetus for all that followed.
Some of Lewis Gregory’s best Championship innings have come when he has launched a merciless, risk-tinged attack on the bowling. His innings here was an exemplar of his method. He had not been at the wicket an over when he drove Abbott firmly through the off side to Legends Square. It was merely a harbinger of what was to come. Gregory had been at the wicket two overs when Barker, who had been systematically unpicking the Somerset innings, struck for the sixth time. Davies, playing with the calm that sits at the heart of a storm, had kept Hampshire at bay with 47 effortless runs while six wickets fell at the other end. Now, every innings having its term, he became the seventh when he edged Barker, the leading edge of the storm, to the keeper. Somerset were 113 or 7 but that did not deflect Gregory from his purpose. Nor did it dismay Roelof van der Merwe. He drove hard at his second ball from Barker, the ball found the edge, but fortune took it wide of third slip and it ran down to the covers store corner of the Trescothick Pavilion for four.
An inauspicious start to the partnership perhaps, but it presaged an assault on the bowling of such audacity it left the crowd staring on in delighted, at times almost delirious, disbelief. The pair added 171 runs in 147 minutes at all but five runs an over. There were, inevitably in such an assault, miscues and edges as risk mixed with certainty of stroke, but in impact it was a devastating display of batting. Gregory epitomized the early stages of the partnership when he drove Barker sharply through midwicket to the Somerset Stand boundary. Two balls later he repeated the stroke with the same flourish of the bat and the ball flew off the edge to the Ondaatje Stand at third man. Ferocity and fortune. The next ball he steered back towards the Ondaatje boundary for two more. Ten runs from the over, four more off the first ball of the next as van der Merwe drove Wheal emphatically though the covers to the Somerset Stand. A single kept van der Merwe on strike from where he essayed a lofted on drive towards the Trescothick Stand. The ball flew towards the River Stand. The batsmen collected three runs and brought up Somerset’s 150. Someone even dared to mention the possibility of a bonus point.
Fortuitous the edged runs may have been but that did not blunt the enthusiasm of the crowd, or of the batsmen. When van der Merwe turned Wheal behind square, Gregory bounded up the pitch as if his train was about to leave without him. “Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!” he called and he and van der Merwe hurtled through for two. The partnership hurtled too, rushing past 50 in its eighth over when van der Merwe lifted a ball from Abbott, now bowling from the River End, into the lower reaches of the Somerset Stand next to Legends Square. If the ghosts of seasons past who reside nearby had not already sat up to take notice of a burgeoning Somerset revival, they must have done in response to that stroke. 163 for 7 was not of itself a score of substance, but by their combination of swashbuckling luck and judgement Gregory and van der Merwe were raising spirits and planting seeds of hope in the Somerset mind.
Those seeds of hope were soon germinating like over-watered forget-me-nots in a sun-filled spring. Gregory drove Abbott straight across the Lord Ian Botham Stand rope and edged him through the upstretched hands of slip for two. Wheal was edged just short of and between the keeper and slip for four more while Dawson was driven furiously through the leg side for the four which brought up Gregory’s fifty to socially distanced rows of loudly clapping hands and beaming smiles. Few would have predicted at 113 for 7 that Somerset would still be seven wickets down three runs short of their first batting bonus point.
While Gregory plundered, van der Merwe created some mayhem of his own. An extra cover drive off Abbott crashed into the Colin Atkinson Pavilion boundary, an attempted steer to the Ondaatje boundary flew off a thick edge to the Trescothick Pavilion boundary, evading the gully fielder whose head almost sank to the ground as he bent in frustration. Fortune, it seemed, had decided to favour the batsmen. In an over from Holland the ball was driven into the River Stand for six and through the covers to the boundary in front of the Colin Atkinson Pavilion scoreboard as batting skill laid its claim to its share of the credit. An edge, also off Holland, hit the pad, ran loose and the batsmen sprinted a single which brought up van der Merwe’s fifty and the hundred partnership as Somerset charged on to applause and tumultuous cheers.
As tea approached the batsmen drew breath and the onslaught subsided, either because of the approach of the interval or because of the return of the unrelenting Barker to the attack. He had towered over the rest of the Hampshire bowlers all day, a fact that was marked by some warm and extended applause from the Somerset Stand when he was sent to field in front of it. Even so, neither the approach of tea, nor the bowling of Barker could completely constrain van der Merwe, I sometimes wonder whether anyone or anything can. He is an all or nothing kind of cricketer. He backed up as if expecting a run from every ball. When a single beckoned off Gregory’s bat his speed up the pitch would have beaten Gregory to his train. Now, he launched a ball from Dawson high over mid off and in among the occupants of Gimblett’s Hill.
Tea came at 232 for 7, 154 runs having been added in the afternoon session for the loss of two wickets under less than sunny skies. “Well played you two,” someone shouted as the players walked off to yet more applause and the sort of exited chatter that accompanies a school outing. The partnership had added 119 for the eighth wicket in 18 overs of uproarious stroke play. The crowd had cheered as much as applauded whenever the ball flew to the boundary or when an unlikely single was stolen. The batsmen had matched each other almost stroke for stroke and walked off within two runs of each other, Gregory on 59 and van der Merwe on 61. 232 for 7 was still not a score for the Somerset supporter to relax about, but the flood of runs that had flowed across the ground in the previous hour and a quarter seemed to sweep any doubts before it. As the batsmen disappeared into the Colin Atkinson Pavilion they left behind them a sea of smiling faces and bubbling conversations stretching from the Lord Ian Botham Stand to the Trescothick Pavilion.
Immediately after tea, in spite of light now bad enough to need the floodlights, Gregory relaunched Somerset’s assault. He attacked Barker with a miscued attempt at an off drive which just cleared the long on boundary in front of the River Stand. Two balls later four byes brought cheers as the ball crossed the rope, and Gregory drove at a ball which went through third man to the covers store. In Barker’s next over he drove back over the bowler’s head to the Lord Ian Botham Stand. It was remorseless and Somerset had reached 256 for 7, Gregory 74, van der Merwe 64. Another unlikely bonus point was on the board and talk was of a third, which at 113 for 7 would not have been considered even a fanciful prospect.
It was a partnership in which if one batsman drew breath the other breathed fire. Now van der Merwe set about the Hampshire bowling with another mixture of fortune and fury. In an over from Abbott, he turned the ball behind square and ran two to applause as the crowd continued to respond to the Somerset charge. He played and missed, clipped a ball neatly off his toes to the Priory Bridge Road boundary, steered another over backward point to the Somerset Stand boundary and attempted a spectacular, if speculative, hook at a high bouncer and left the crowd chuckling in amusement. A neat pull off Wheal and a fizzing drive through extra cover off Holland, both went to the Legends Square boundary. The ghosts of all those who had watched from the old Stragglers bar down the decades would have drooled at the drive, and a man nearby said with awe in his voice, “What a Shot! What a shot!” And then, with no more than a defensive push, he played the ball gently between cover and mid off. He set off on the quickest of singles, Wheal, at cover, kept his cool, calmly intercepted the ball on the run and with a direct hit ran van der Merwe out by a distance.
He had scored 88 from 102 balls with 10 fours and three sixes. The applause followed him from wicket to rope and Somerset were within 16 runs of that now less than fanciful third batting point. Gregory made short work of the point. He scored the last ten runs in two balls off Holland with a lofted on drive to the Trescothick Pavilion boundary and a straighter drive which cleared the rope. The 300 brought cheers, disbelieving looks, animated conversations, gently shaking heads, numb palms and beaming smiles all around, and for a moment the pandemic seemed easier to bear.
And still there was more to come as Somerset added another 60 runs in seven final overs. Davey, unassuming as ever, launched into the bowling, driving and then pulling Abbott through midwicket, taking the runs Abbott had conceded in the innings past 100. Wheal was driven straighter through long on to the River Stand and Barker, still persevering, straight back to the Lord Ian Botham Stand. Gregory drove Abbott straight to the Trescothick Pavilion boundary and hooked the next ball for four more. That brought up his century and the ground to its feet. It remained there for some time until the bursting emotion that had built up as Gregory led Somerset from the depths of 113 for 7 to the heights of 338 for 9 had spent its force. The result of it all was a furious height no ball from Abbott to ironic cheers from all around. Finally, having driven Abbott through the covers to the Somerset Stand off the first ball of his next over, Gregory was bowled, with the height of irony, defending. He had made 107 in just over three hours of the most glorious cricket.
And then came that final assault from Marchant de Lange before he was well caught by a diving Felix Organ in front of the Colin Atkinson Pavilion. De Lange had scored 17 from eight balls, Davey 22 from 26 balls and Somerset had 360 and a fourth batting point. For those Somerset supporters lucky enough to be there it had been return to the cricket perhaps beyond even the most fanciful dreams at the worst points of the interregnum. These have been serious times and cricket is only a game, as those who do not know it will tell you, but this day of cricket had lifted the spirits of Somerset supporters beyond measure.
Close. Somerset 360 (L. Gregory 107, R.E. van der Merwe 88, S.M. Davies 47, K.H.D. Barker 6-72).
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:06:20:15:38:25 by Grockle.
It was the previous match against Hampshire that had probably cost us, Kyle Abbott putting in an exceptional performance.
Fast forward to this season and Gloucestershire look to have the easiest remaining fixtures against Leicestershire, Middlesex and Hampshire. Surrey have played an extra game. The final table could see us and Hampshire with similar points…
Will it be Hampshire or cider by Sunday? Who will get the more bonus points? And are we finally going to be allowed back to watch Somerset?
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2021:06:08:10:21:50 by Grockle.
Eddie B
Tom A
George B
Hildy
Tom L
Lewis G
SD
Roelof
Lewis G
Josh D
De Marchant
My first live cricket since booing Harrison at the Essex match.
It's gonna be an emotional first morning!
They must be so immensely frustrated ! As we will be tomorrow.
Grizzers
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
The Pitch.
I have just had a look at where the covers are.
The best view will be those who have a seat in the Somerset Stand or The River Stand! The covers seem to be lined-up with the riverside floodlight.
This evens up Craigs loss a little bit.
Perhaps he’s had a load of club cricket that I don’t know about, but I’ve been paying attention to the seconds and he has barely featured (he did thump some useful runs in one of the T20s).
Along with Ryan Davies & Treeeeeeeego 👍
It's been too long and it will still be strange but hopefully not THAT strange Enjoy one and all
As someone once sang !
100/0 at lunch would be nice.
Grizzers
At least we’ll be bowling before all the moisture has gone out of the deck!
What exactly was the plan here? We didn't necessarily need to win this game but we sure as hell couldn't afford to lose it against one of our nearest rivals in the table.
Absolute poppycock.
We want to do quite a bit of bowling today, because batting conditions look potentially pristine for tomorrow, if the forecast is to be trusted.
Some really nice shots from LG and VDM and some help from the Hants’ fielders.
Steve Davies battling for 40 odd overs up top was really critical in - just about - keeping our heads above water earlier on.
Edit: Curses VDM run out as I was typing.
Quote:hantssabre
Anthony Gibson, Kevin Howells and Kevan James
Thank You.
It was the middle one, Kevin Howells, whose voice I didn't recognise.
As a PS, our nemesis, Mr. Abbott, has just got his century - strange game today, although the new ball is due very soon.
And I’m not that upset that the new ball did enough to defeat him... because we need life in the deck for our bowlers.
To get four batting points from being 43/5 and 113/7 is simply astonishing.
What a wonderful game and what a magnificent day.
Grizzers
It really is dark in Taunton. Fingers crossed Hants don't play and miss a couple of times and the umpires take them off. Playing and edging behind a couple of times would be nice though.
Quote:hantssabre
That would be Lord Kevin Howells then who the local radio commentators regard as god as he is from the great Radio 5 Live!
Actually, I thought he was quite good as, indeed, is Kevan James.
Quote:Nailsea_Fizz
As is the norm, some of you have gone early again, here's to the spinner using his other skills for a bit longer. Hopefully the wicket just after tea will be avoided today.
I'm usually as positive as they come but at 43/5 I think 360ao was beyond any of our wildest dreams, our highest first innings score all season!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:06:03:19:18:01 by Tumbles.
I watched Josh Davey have a word with MdeL after the latter had scored ten from his first two balls. I suspect that JD advised MdeL to bat carefully, as we were now two runs away from a fourth batting point. DeL duly blocked the next ball - and then swung the following ball for six. What fun!
Quote:Wickham
I watched Josh Davey have a word with MdeL after the latter had scored ten from his first two balls. I suspect that JD advised MdeL to bat carefully, as we were now two runs away from a fourth batting point. DeL duly blocked the next ball - and then swung the following ball for six. What fun!
Indeed. Reminds me of the story from Simon Hughes’ hard yakka book of Mike Brearley ordering Phil Edmonds to block.As Simon Hughes put it “ Edmonds smote the first two over the sightscreen and was clean bowled by the third. Brearley was furious”.
Delighted to find score when I got in having been out of wi-fi all day. Great team spirit again.
Quote:AGod
Well.. hope LG and VDM continue to ride their luck and hope, also, for a bit of carnage from MDL and maybe we manage to scrape up to 200?
It's your perpetual optimism, AGod, that sustains me in the darkest hours. 200 and a single batting point - that would have been lovely.
It was in my opinion a glorious day of cricket - and I convey my congratulations and envy to all who forced entry. In the morning one of my favourite cricketers gave a bowling masterclass, but gradually sensible Davies and bold Banton started to turn things round in readiness for the brilliance of Lewis and VDM that lit up the afternoon and evening. And it was great to see the crowds where they're supposed to be and not hunched over their electronic devices.
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
KB’s team Bootle, traditionally one of the moneybags teams of the Liverpool competition only won narrowly with ducks from both aforementioned but both contributed three wickets
BOOTLE 209-8 (45.0 overs) (Hale 79, Saunders 49, Tripathi 28, Davies 23; Wincern 3-78)
v SOUTHPORT AND BIRKDALE 208 (66.0) (55 overs = 172-8) (Sultan 84, Firth 39*, Byrne 34; Lester 3-39, Barker 3-53)
Result: Bootle won by 2 wickets
Toss: Southport and Birkdale
Points: Bootle (20 pts + 5 bowl pts), Southport and Birkdale (3 bat pts + 4 bowl pts)
[ldcc.play-cricket.com]
As an aside, what marvellous names Basil Sultan and Bobby Wincer! Joking aside, and I know I am a long way off topic here but Basil Sultan is only 16 and you have to be a seriously good player to score 84 at that age against that attack including the change bowlers.
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2021:06:04:00:42:57 by Des Platt.
The forecast looks like it will provide perfect batting conditions today, so a really good bowling performance and catching of a far superior standard to that of Hants will surely be required. There is some pace and bounce in this deck, so I'd like to think that MDL may have his most productive day with the ball for us.
[www.ageasbowl.com]
On the other hand, the chart implies that they maintained their length pretty well, since we apparently scored not a single boundary, in the whole innings, through the point/cover-point region and only one boundary through the gully area.
Quote:cricketjerry-mouse
Not such poppycock after all.
We're not going to be bailed out by our 9, 10 & 11 like that 90% of the time. We were very lucky and fortunate that we got out of jail yesterday. There was no need to create such a wicket with our fragile batting lineup. If we have them 8 down for 150 today then it'll be great but lets see how Hampshire go against a somewhat weakened bowling attack too.
Quote:Reminds me of the great Bob Monkhouse line - "They all laughed when I said I’d become a comedian. Well, they’re not laughing now.”Sloop John B
When we scraped our way to 150 I said we are half way to three batting points. The people around me just laughed! They're not laughing now - they're cheering 😂
What a performance by Davies, Banton, Gregory, vdMerwe, Davey and de Lange yesterday. Now the last four of those do it with the ball too....
The worst thing about starting with such a green wicket is that the forecast makes it most unlikely that it will stay like that....... so the pitch - on paper - handed a huge advantage to whichever side won the toss.
Perhaps management feel that we bat longer than Hants do (I'm not so sure that's necessarily true though) and management were thinking "win the toss and bowl them out for 75 again."
Preparing a pitch that is difficult to bat on is one thing.... preparing a pitch that may only be difficult on day one (and then gets progressively easier) is a different kettle of fish (asking for trouble).
Let's face it, well though he played, LG was dropped 3 times before he made it to 50..... so we most definitely rode our luck (thankfully!!)
Lewis and Cove have a ton and four fifties between them in amongst our generally grisly batting averages - so if it was 8, 9, 10 and 11 ...
[stats.espncricinfo.com]
Bowlers still have to pull it together today for it to have been of any value other than to spectators
Edited to add apologies that this posting is rather too distant from the one to which it relates, made by the honorary Somersetonian Des Platt at the bottom of page two of this thread.
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:06:04:10:55:38 by Loyal of Lhasa.
Once of these days we are going to get absolutely hammered unless we can stiffen their collective batting resolve. It might be sacrilege to say as much, but amongst others, James Hildreth really needs to step up to the plate and remind us what he is capable of.
We can’t complain after the tremendous team spirit we showed yet again, but whilst I’m pleased that SD has finally been given the chance to open again (from recollection, he did so last season for a couple of games), who actually are to be our openers for the rest of the Championship ?
Time for Dermot Reeve’s batting order raffle box to make a re-appearance ?
Frankly, with opening batting partnerships at levels which don’t even stretch to double figures, we could do worse than putting RvdM up front with Steve.
Grizzers
He was born in San Francisco, but attended Millfield School before joining Somerset in 2013 as a batter and occasional leg-spin bowler. He moved to Durham with some success, including a double championship century, but faded from the first-class scene.
Bizarre dismissal but I think MDL too quick and hostile for them.
Keep chipping away..
Keep it up after Tea and hopefully we're looking at a good three figure 1st innings lead.
Does anyone know what is wrong with Goldsworthy as the sub fielder has been on all day so far. Presumably Goldsworthy won't be able to bat for some while, if he is fit enough to do so....
Hopefully the new ball will now do something for our bowlers
Everyone kept at it pretty well, with Lewis being especially unlucky as he passed the edge of the bat on a number of occasions.
It's going to be tough to get a win from here and we will also have to have our wits about us with the bat.
Grizzers
Quote:AGod
I hope that Lewis McManus, who deplorably cheated Vs Leics, is feeling suitably ridiculous now, after Steve Davies did what a proper sportsman should do.
No dispute with that view, AGod, but I would like to add that my friend Barker started to walk without awaiting the umpire's decision but was recalled when Davies explained what had happened.
It’s easy to see potential for the first new ball of an innings (before the bowlers are tired) to still do some damage. And that’s a worry, given what our top order is like.
I mean it’s clearly nothing like as tricky a pitch as on day one, so there *should* be little excuse for 40 for 5 or 113 for 7 but, if Hants Bowl very well or we bat carelessly then it’s not out of the question.
And if the track is going to continue to become progressively less of a handful, then we’ll need to leave Hants an absolute minimum of 300.
I don’t think there’s going to be anything in this for spin, though Roelof’s tactics were curious, to put it mildly. Firing it at leg-stump achieved very little - I’d much rather have seen him bowl a conventional attacking line and given it a bit of flight to try to take advantage of the extra bounce in the surface.
Right now, if you offered me a draw, I’d gladly accept it and all the more so with Gloucs getting destroyed at Grace Road.
[www.somersetcountycc.co.uk]
[medium.com]
Mind you, for someone now aged 86, he bowls pretty well !
Grizzers
It would leave us 9 or 10 points ahead of Gloucester and Hants and 12 or 13 ahead of Surrey..With Gloucester and Hants playing in the final game and Surrey also playing Hants and ourselves ,we could possibly go through with Hants which would mean carrying 18 or 19 points into the second phase
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Let’s hope we can wrap the Hants’ innings up, immediately, this morning to get our bonus points.
Even with a lead there isnt time to bat ling enough for a winnable declaration.
And if we were to fold 3rd innings then yes there would or should be enough time for hamps to chase 150/200 on a pitch looking ever flatter & without our 2 main weapons.
We need these 2 wickets in 14 overs then bat properly to get this 15 v 14 point draw.
Glos on for a paltry 2 point loss for the 2nd week running. So IF we were to qualify its looking much more likely we will be taking Hamps or Surrey through with us, not Glos 👍
Hampshire’s slower scoring made it harder to get the wickets and were quite content to duck the first / some subsequent balls of every De Lange over.
Not sure why Aldridge was on the field - will Goldsworthy bat again?
Lewis Gregory deserved more and our bowlers will be fresher this morning. As has been said for many games “the first hour today is key”
Let’s face it, Banton/Byrom/Lammonby have all had a go, now, and all have failed - at least this season.
What causes rain? Clouds are made of water droplets. Within a cloud, water droplets condense onto one another, causing the droplets to grow. When these water droplets get too heavy to stay suspended in the cloud, they fall to Earth as rain
Quote:Devonboy70
Anthony Gibson has just said that in 11 out of 12 innings this season Captain Tom is at the wicket prior to 10 overs being completed! Do we have a batting coach because we seriously need one to bring several of our batsmen up to scratch !
It may be Jim Troughton? He’s certainly joined the club, though I forget in what capacity, exactly.
But, to be honest, there’s only so much a coach can do, anyway.
Eddie has been tried in a number of combinations at the front of the order... has any really worked? One would assume that Davies will open with Conway and EB will find himself struggling for relevancy in the first eleven from here on out.
To be honest, after a top three of Davies, Conway and Abell, I tend to think that everybody else should be fighting for middle order places. That would include Eddie, along with Bartlett, Hildreth, Banton, Lammonby and Goldsworthy ... that’s six guys to fight for 3 or 4 places ... and none of them have made anything resembling an unarguable case for their selection...
As was the case with Marcus, it looks like - sadly - there’s a chance we’ll go on picking him for too long.
If you can’t make runs in this sort of situation - after SD and Tom have flayed a demoralised Hants - then, I’m afraid, it doesn’t bode well. Nor did the manner of dismissal, really.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:06:05:15:52:59 by AGod.
Two more runs for Tom would have put the icing on the cake, but this should put Hants under pressure tomorrow hopefully.
The ground is looking absolutely beautiful right now.
Grizzers
Tô be honest, though, a draw is a pretty reasonable result for us anyway.
I was surprised that SD and TÁ were so attacking ... they didn’t play as though we were content with a draw. But then sending in ani injured Goldsworthy and then Josh Davey kind of implied that we are happy with the draw, so it’s hard to read our intentions, really.
We are also in a position now where Leicester still have an outside chance of qualification , so will take any contrived possible result against us, should we need to push for a victory.
As it stands with us drawing; All played 8
somerset 119
gloucester 109
hampshire 108
Surrey 101
Leicester 93
Middlesex 60
Quote:AGod
We’re forecast to maybe lose the first 90 minutes or so. That would put paid to Hampshire’s chances and we could hope that the pitch having sweated under the covers and low cloud might make batting a different proposition. The draw would still be favourite, but we could declare immediately, have a go and see where it takes us.
Well, if that is the case, why on earth did we not let one of our three remaining, quickscoring strokemakers, or even MdL, have a quick thrash for the 6 overs that remained after LG's dismissal?
`Can`t win now` - posted even before play began.
We need a batting coach urgently. Banton/Byrom/Lammonby rejected out of hand, with three other batters listed as having made no unarguable case so far for middle order positions.
`Terrible` decision to send Josh Davey in at the end. James Hildreth should go, has done nothing since 2018. Standard of catching has dropped. Even the size of the crowd is criticised
Where is the pleasure at Tom Abell`s 98 (only gets a mention because he fell two short of 100). Not a single post on Steve Davies`s 82; George Bartlett`s unbeaten 74; while Lewis Goldsworthy gets just one look-in because he batted with an injury.
Come on Grockles posters - you can do better than this. Mirror your team - they are.
Quote:cricketjerry-mouse
Another excellent day for Somerset, but you wouldn`t believe it from reading this thread today:
`Can`t win now` - posted even before play began.
We need a batting coach urgently. Banton/Byrom/Lammonby rejected out of hand, with three other batters listed as having made no unarguable case so far for middle order positions.
`Terrible` decision to send Josh Davey in at the end. James Hildreth should go, has done nothing since 2018. Standard of catching has dropped. Even the size of the crowd is criticised
Where is the pleasure at Tom Abell`s 98 (only gets a mention because he fell two short of 100). Not a single post on Steve Davies`s 82; George Bartlett`s unbeaten 74; while Lewis Goldsworthy gets just one look-in because he batted with an injury.
Come on Grockles posters - you can do better than this. Mirror your team - they are.
Some might consider that your incessant 'holier than thou' self righteousness is becoming a bit of a bore CJM.
We have done fantastically in this game, as most posters have recognised and taken great pleasure from. Perish the thought that, in doing so, we should also be allowed to discuss how we can get even better, or remedy one or two obvious ongoing challenges.
Perhaps everyone should submit their posts to you for prior approval.
Grizzers
We don't have as many actively negative posters as we used to have so it is better but we do still have our 'could do better' all the time contingent.
I don't have as much of a problem with them. You can usualky ease the stick out as the season goes on... but not always.
We scored at 4's easily all day
We are missing our best 2 bowlers.
And we dont NEED to win. Yes it would be great but giving Hamps a gettable, all be it, very tough target is not worth risking the win for will be our mindset.
I would bat 30mins to set 420 off 87ish, have 2 new balls potentially.
But fully expect us to bat until at least 12, possibly 12.30.
We will value Hamps NOT winning far far higher than giving ourselves a better chance of winning.
Its Hamps v Surrey next and Glo v Midx so if there are wins in those 2 matches with 1 being Glos it will be a very interesting last round.
If Surrey are within 20/21 points of us we know we'll be facing a 2/3 day result pitch at the Oval in round 10 😬😬
However, criticisms are justified. The weather comments came as a surprise but effect the time available to get the win. Standard of catching wasn’t great, certainly near the boundary. There were more empty seats and it was a Saturday. Byrom hasn’t done anything this match. Barker was creating rough. Hildreth’s C&B was as soft as they come.
Bringing in a night watchman seemed a change in direction, but it was the time of the new ball. After the Gloucestershire loss and having made the game safe here, allowing Hampshire 8 points for the draw assists them to go through rather than Glocs. A curious effect of the tournament rules.
It is really enjoyable watching our bowlers and batsmen (and I was delighted for Goldsworthy), but despite the brilliant performances so far this season we remain the championship bridesmaid. There is no bench strength for bowling and if Craig and Jack are not picked for the next test, they should not be relegated to sanitiser break duties there
Very pleased to see George Bartlett get some good runs today, and also want to say what excellent county cricketers Steve Davies and Keith Barker are.
I concur with whoever said too many of our posters are going too early with their gloomy posts of doom, but it does cheer up the rest of us, as we recognise that 90% of the time 8-11 DO bail us out.
I was also thinking earlier... if we beat Leics we’ll be almost home and hosed. In fact, depending on other results, we’d probably be through. Under normal circumstances that might mean a well-deserved rest for the likes of Josh Davey for the final game at the Oval.. *but* if Surrey could still qualify, then we couldn’t take that chance of them qualifying with us by beating us ... unless the only alternative qualifiers were Gloucs (in which case it would make little difference).
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:06:06:09:55:25 by AGod.
Quote:nelliec
We could always talk about the demise of Essex instead,
Sadly, they still have a decent chance of going through... but I’d sooner be in our position than theirs.
Chef has barely been able to buy a run this season.
Basically, only Derbys and, more surprisingly, Worcs are out of it in Group A.
Derbys, Sussex, Kent and Middx look nailed on for division 3 to me. Worcs and Leics seem like the favourites to join them at the moment.
Div One membership, at the moment, has as many as 12 possible candidates:
Essex/Warks/Notts/Durham
Us/Gloucs/Surrey/Hants
Lancs/Yorks/Northants and, shockingly, Glamorgan.
Kevan James was saying that most counties apparently want to keep this structure next year. It’s not hard to see why Div Two sides like Notts and Durham would be in favour.
Quote:Shepton Paul 2
Just caught up on this game's thread after a few busy days. Weirdly not sure I'm cheering for a Somerset win today, though tend to think we should first ensure that we qualify rather than worrying about who else gets through.
Very pleased to see George Bartlett get some good runs today, and also want to say what excellent county cricketers Steve Davies and Keith Barker are.
I concur with whoever said too many of our posters are going too early with their gloomy posts of doom, but it does cheer up the rest of us, as we recognise that 90% of the time 8-11 DO bail us out.
And you cheer me up with your holier than thou posts . Bravo!! But then you blew it by saying you are not sure you are cheering for a Somerset win . What happens if we draw then lose next two and wish we’d beaten hants ? Did you think of that ?
Personally, I’ve very much enjoyed the competitiveness of CC1 cricket but I do take your point that the boot could have easily been on the other foot.
As for England? I suspect it has helped somewhat in that CC1 players are a little better prepared for Test cricket than they would otherwise have been *but* it would have helped England a good deal more had England players actually been allowed to take part in the CC more often (so raising the standard of CC1 further).
As to this current CC format? I think this first stage has been quite good, though I dislike the points carry over business, but I do rather wonder whether there’ll be much purpose to the second phase of the competition, outside - that is - of Div One?
Quote:AGod
Things look set for a prompt start, Mike?
Yes
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:06:06:11:37:06 by Rod1883.
It *must* be throw the bat time..., unless we’ve decided that there’s no real chance of bowling Hants out, and prefer to rest our bowlers.
Bartlett - 100
Lead ~460
DECLARE!
Edit - and with that wicket they have! Come on at least two Hants wickets before lunch please....
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:06:06:12:18:48 by Rod1883.
I am baffled, however, as to why Somerset didn't declare immediately at this moment.
Instead, they batted for one further ball, turning GB's century from Not Out to Out and,perhaps more importantly, depriving Somerset of a further over.
T B looking in very good nick as well.
A bit puzzled as to why we batted on for as long as we did. (If one is allowed to say such things of course).
Grizzers
But if at the start of the season I'd been told that Somerset would have been in this position at this stage, especially with the points deduction, I'd have taken it without hesitation. We've lost once and but for the weather we'd almost certainly have won the return match agains Glos.
As for this game, the crucial thing - the absolute must - is that Somerset didn't lose. Yes, they could have been more aggressive going for the win. And I think somebody on this very board someone thought that a high-scoring draw would be a good result, and that was before taking into account Gloucester having a disaster.
And with two sessions to go, there's still a chance of the win - Somerset can afford to bowl aggressively without worrying about runs (I try not to tempt fate but if Hants win from this position, my flabber will be well and truly gasted!).
There maybe lots of ifs and buts, but the team, and particularly the captain, had a pretty good look yesterday at what the pitch was doing and decided chasing a win was likely to be at best a thankless task and at worst a banana skin.
Onwards and upwards (to the top of the group).
If Hants fail to qualify then they’ll be absolutely kicking themselves about the number of chances they put down after reducing us to 113 for 7.
All the players got a good work out, with some excellent performances.
Hants have got Surrey next, then Gloucester. Not the easiest of run ins. If we beat Leicester, we should surely be all but certain of qualifying for Division One of the second stage. If not, the Jove v Cove game at the Oval could be very lively.
Grizzers
Won’t England be playing India by then?
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