We aren't going to do anything significant in the CC1 this season but we would like not to be in the second division when the smoke clears. A side we would be going down with would be Gloucestershire who we destroyed earlier in the season in Bristol. Not the same side at this end of the season but desperate to show some class before the end of it now they have got over a horrendous first hald injury list. Farmer provides us with a revie of the game.
County Championship 2022. Division 1. Somerset v Gloucestershire. 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th September. Taunton.
Craig Overton and Jack Leach were unavailable for selection for this match due to being on international duty. James Hildreth had retired from professional cricket. Matthew Renshaw and Peter Siddle were no longer available as overseas players and were replaced by Imam-ul-Haq and Sajid Khan.
Somerset. Iman-ul-Haq, T.A. Lammonby, T.B. Abell (c), G.A. Bartlett, L.P. Goldsworthy, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory, K.L. Aldridge, J.H. Davey, Sajid Khan, J.A. Brooks.
Gloucestershire. B.G. Charlesworth, M.S. Harris, O.J. Price, M.A.H. Hammond, J.R. Bracey (w), G.L. van Buuren (c), J.M.R. Taylor, T.J. Price, J. Shaw, D.A. Payne, A.S. Dale.
Toss. Somerset. Elected to field.
First day – W.G. has the edge
“I think that was the right decision,” someone who has played a lot of cricket said to me as the result of the toss was announced. As always, Somerset inserting the opposition left a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. The situation, however, was not straightforward. “Given the forecast,” repeated showers of varying degrees of severity across the four days, “I suppose inserting them gives us the best chance of taking early control of the match,” my reply. In addition to the chequered forecast, the sky was overcast and there was a tinge of green in the pitch. But I reminded myself: inserting the opposition takes the pressure off their batters and transfers it to our bowlers. “I am always uneasy when we insert the opposition,” I continued the discussion, my predisposition to the W.G. Grace view of the toss pressing on my mind, “because inserting the opposition seems to backfire rather more often than it works, even where it seems justified.” I don’t know if the statistics support that view, but my anecdotal memory does. Guildford 2018 and Headingley 2019 being two crushing, and Somerset season-defining, examples that scar the memory.
As I made my customary anti-clockwise, pre-match circumnavigation of the ground I could not help a growing sense of unease. I rehearsed the arguments in my head even though the decision was made, the deed done, the die cast. This match was crucial to Somerset. A Somerset victory would make Gloucestershire odds-on relegation favourites, move Somerset out of the relegation zone and put their future firmly in their own hands. A draw, particularly in this season with its eight points plus bonus points, would do Somerset no harm, but a defeat would throw a lifeline to Gloucestershire, and leave both Warwickshire and Kent above Somerset in the table. Much might rest upon the outcome of the decision to insert Gloucestershire. And W.G. Grace was a Gloucestershire man.
When Ben Charlesworth drove the last ball of Josh Davey’s first over through the covers to the Ondaatje boundary with apparent ease it felt like the first incision of W.G.’s scalpel opening up Somerset’s defences. When Marcus Harris repeated the stroke off Brooks in the second over and the ball ran to the Somerset Stand boundary my doubts about the decision cast an ominous shadow over proceedings. That shadow was lengthened as Charlesworth and Harris continued to blunt the Somerset attack with little sign of penetration from the Somerset bowlers in response. The bat was beaten from time to time, but not often enough to build any sense of threat. Charlesworth edged Brooks, but the ball fell short of, and penetrated, the slip cordon before running to Gimblett’s Hill for four. Gregory did beat Charlesworth twice in an over with some lift, once finding the top edge off a pull but, as so often seems to be the case when the game is running against your side, the ball did not go to hand. Instead, it flew over the keeper’s head to the Trescothick Pavilion for four.
Where needed, Gloucestershire defended with some ease. Singles, twos and, particularly to the long Ondaatje boundary, threes began to flow as they pushed hard with their running. More boundaries too. Charlesworth twice drove through the covers for four, once off Brooks and once off Davey; and Harris, amidst an innings of intense, calculated defence, pulled Gregory to the deep midwicket boundary. It felt like Gloucestershire were overrunning the Somerset attack. Many of their runs came from drives as the Somerset bowlers stretched their length searching for the movement which they must have hoped the overcast conditions and 10.30 start would provide. As the historic clock on the Colin Atkinson Pavilion moved past 11.30, the Gloucestershire total reached 58 for 0 with the intensely focused Harris on 15 and the more adventurous Charlesworth on 35. For Somerset, only Aldridge, with figures of 4-1-4-0, had held Gloucestershire consistently in check. The confirming text from the cricketer, lately returned from an extended sojourn in South America and watching on line, said, “No swing. A little seam movement. Some occasional extra lift from back of a length. Gregory seems to have latched on.”
As the second hour of the morning began, Sajid Khan, Somerset’s new off spinning signing from Pakistan took up the attack. It felt like an acceptance that the decision to insert had not worked and a new approach was needed. He bowled from the River End, the traditional spinner’s end at Taunton. “Khan looks like he puts a lot of revolutions on the ball. Not an inch of turn from the pitch though,” the online opinion. It did not give confidence that there might be an improvement in Somerset’s fortunes. Khan was twice driven through the covers to the Somerset Stand boundary in his second over by the still attacking Charlesworth, but then found the measure of the Taunton pitch and the line and length with which to at least control the flow of runs. Eight runs from that one over were followed by eight from the other six he bowled before lunch. It was an impressive start on an unresponsive pitch for someone who had never bowled in this country before, or quite possibly with a Dukes ball. He is a busy bowler. He is quickly back to his mark and immediately bustling in to bowl the next ball. A County Championship Max Waller.
As for Gloucestershire, as lunch approached, the left-handed Harris began to find his attacking feet. At least, he found the boundary three times in an over off Aldridge, driving square to the Caddick Pavilion, through backward point with an angled bat to the Priory Bridge Road boundary and with a guide through third man to the Colin Atkinson Pavilion. When Aldridge was replaced by Brooks, Charlesworth briefly took up the attack and drove him through the covers to the Ondaatje boundary and steered him for two towards the Colin Atkinson Pavilion. With Gloucestershire threatening to run away with the day someone said, “You can hear a pin drop.” And you could, although the cause was not tension, but disappointment at the complete lack of Somerset success after winning the toss. Gloucestershire reached lunch on 115 for 0 with Charlesworth on 56 and Harris an ominously constructed 47.
The lunch interval was a quiet affair, in part because the crowd was surprisingly small for a Somerset match, almost sparse. It must be difficult to sustain interest when in six weeks there are only four days of home cricket, all played with a denuded team due to The Hundred. Even so, the chat was more subdued than usual as people came to terms with a dominant display from the team rooted at the bottom of the table. Cricket supporters live on hope, and the hope before this match had been that Somerset would take advantage of their neighbour’s lowly position and move up the table. Shocks to the system are never pleasant, but this one was more unpleasant than the usual given the uncertainty about the future of the County Championship and the position of the non-Test ground counties in it. Staying in the First Division for 2023 may be critical to Somerset’s future. Rumours about possible proposals arising from the ECB’s High Performance Review were rife. Lack of information from the ECB, and memories of a comparable lack of information before decisions were made which led directly to the implementation of The Hundred with all its implications for County cricket, only fuelled the speculation.
For the moment though the old pleasures pushed their way to the fore. The re-opening of the Taunton outfield to spectators in the second half of the season had been a welcome development, even if the more regulated management of it still irritated. But, once the cones around the square had been laid and the permitted, rather than all, gates had been opened, that slow, rhythmic meander to the middle began. First to join the huddle behind the stumps to inspect the pitch. Then the gentle, soft-footed, circumnavigation around the edge of the square. The purpose, to soak up the ambience of a County cricket ground and breath the fresh, invigorating air of a county cricket match. Or to chat about cricket, or life, or anything else that two or three people gathered together had in common.
And then, back to reality. Gloucestershire took ten runs from the first two overs after lunch and Harris reached his fifty with a three guided past the slips towards the Colin Atkinson Pavilion. In the third over though, Charlesworth pulled Aldridge, the ball steepled, drifted high to long leg and fell into the waiting hands of Davey. Davey is the most undemonstrative of cricketers and he caught the ball as if it had quietly found its own way into his hands by way of some special guiding force known only to cricket. “That ball was just back of a length,” said the more prosaic text from the online cricketer just as one of those forecast showers drove the players from the field, if only for five minutes, for the rain flattered to deceive.
The wicket was a false dawn. It was the only wicket of the afternoon. Oliver Price joined Harris and Gloucestershire continued on their way as if uninterrupted. There were a few edges early in the partnership, but none which presented any threat. One, from Harris off Aldridge, ran safely along the ground between second slip and gully to the Trescothick Pavilion. Harris was batting with real authority, picking the balls to attack, and sending most of them emphatically to the boundary. Price played with more circumspection, but he and Harris added a determined 91 in 30 overs before tea, Harris scoring 57 of them. Almost immediately after they came together, 21 runs came from three overs. Price drove Gregory off the back foot to the Somerset Stand, square and through the covers, the second stroke bringing a cry of, ”Shot!” A cover drive from Harris to the Caddick Stand off Gregory took Gloucestershire past 150 in the 41st over and brought a text from the online cricketer, “Gregory is getting some swing now. He is getting driven because he is trying to use it. When they pitch it up, it goes! ”
There were quieter periods, but when Khan replaced Aldridge at the River End, Harris hit him back over his head for six. Brooks replaced Gregory and was pulled and steered through backward point by Harris, both for four. When he edged Brooks past slip to the Colin Atkinson Pavilion someone said, “We would be quite happy if the boot was on the other foot.” The comment summed up the feeling that the match was fast moving away from Somerset with Harris racing along on 85 and looking, to use the old term, in imperious form.
There were quiet patches, as the batters took breath, or the bowlers got some traction. Khan and Davey bowled one four-over spell for one run at the end of which Khan had figures of 14-4-24-0. It was a sterling piece of controlled bowling against the run of play and under considerable pressure. There are no frills to Khan’s style, no unfilled seconds, no measured consideration. No sooner is the ball bowled than he scurries back to his mark. No sooner has he reached his mark than he turns sharply on his heels as if squashing a fly. No sooner has he turned than he is running in, three full steps his allotment. No sooner is he running in than his arm is turning over at the speed of a windmill in a gale. He is running in to bowl the next ball almost before he has completed his action from the last. If he needs to adjust the field, he does it as he is scurrying back. If the batter plays the ball back down the pitch, he is to it in an instant, scoops it up and is on his way to his mark. In one maiden over to Price, five balls were pushed back down the pitch and one to short leg. Khan bowled it in a minute and a quarter. With Davey at the other end, with his no-nonsense return to his mark and turn, they must make one of the more efficient pairings on the circuit.
In the 15 overs to tea, with Khan at one end, Davey and then Tom Lammonby at the other, and a solitary pre-tea over from Goldsworthy, Gloucestershire were kept to 35 runs. It was Somerset’s best passage of play thus far. There was little threat of a wicket, but it at least felt that the Somerset bowlers were exercising some control after Gloucestershire’s dominance of the morning and early afternoon. With tea in sight, Harris opened the face of the bat to Khan and steered the ball with some force along the ground to the Gimblett’s Hill boundary to bring up his century from 174 balls in just under four hours. It had been a masterful innings and it had put Gloucestershire in control of the match, at least as far as any team can be in control at tea on the first day.
My teatime circumnavigation was a depressing affair, at least in cricketing terms. In a match which they must have had high hopes of winning, Somerset already found themselves at serious risk of being batted out of the game and facing a long rear-guard action to avoid being plunged into even deeper relegation trouble. “We need a miracle,” the most succinct comment I heard. The general chatter was more of a mumble than the usual buzz as people tried to come to terms with their disappointment. It didn’t stop people wanting to talk, whether about the match, the prospect of Somerset being relegated or worries about the future of the domestic game. None were topics designed to bring a smile, but they still demanded to be talked about and so I arrived back at my seat six overs and 20 runs into the evening session just before a second brief squall of rain drove the players from the field. As they walked off, with Gloucestershire on 237 for 1, Somerset’s prospects looked as bleak as the sky.
After the resumption, with the new ball approaching, a late cut from Harris to the Lord Ian Botham Stand off Aldridge apart, Somerset kept Gloucestershire to singles. With Khan continuing his restrictive spell, Lammonby was given the ball at the Trescothick Pavilion End. From wide of the crease, he angled his fifth ball across the right-handed Price. Price attempted to drive through the off side and edged to Rew who took a relatively straightforward catch moving to his right. The celebrations of the Somerset players were instantaneous, but the overwhelming emotion must have been of relief, for Gloucestershire, at 251for 2, had already collected their second batting point.
Three overs later, Khan bowled the 80th over. Harris swept and cut him for four, Gloucestershire were 271 for 2, and, with the cloud thickening, Somerset immediately took the new ball. Davey rapped Harris on the pads bringing forth a huge leg before wicket appeal. Not out, but it brought hope because Davey had looked more effective the longer the afternoon had worn on. Then Gregory beat Harris and surprised him with a yorker which he only just dug out. Now Davey looked threatening, and Somerset supporters were leaning a little forward in their seats. Then he struck. The left-handed Miles Hammond pushed at a ball a little too wide for the stroke and edged to Abell, moving smoothly to his right at second slip. The relief was beginning to spread to the crowd now, for perhaps Gloucestershire’s final total might be less gargantuan than had been feared. Two balls later, after the newly arrived, left-handed James Bracey had missed a speculative flick down the leg side, Davey angled a ball in towards off stump, Bracey had to play and edged straight to Rew behind the stumps. Four down. “Phew,” the most common reaction around me.
Graeme van Buuren joined Harris. He pulled Davey to the Priory Bridge Road boundary by the old Gimblett’s Hill benches, then left a ball from Gregory, angled in, and too close to off stump for safety. The ball cut in and hit the off stump so perfectly it was uprooted, leaving the other two stumps and the leg bail unmoved. Jack Taylor tried to halt the sudden Somerset surge with three boundaries, but, just before the close, Brooks, in a final short burst, moved a lifting ball away off the seam and Harris fended it straight to the only slip, Gregory, standing almost at second slip. Harris had scored 159 in an innings which, in the end had been the difference between the two sides. As the cloud had closed in, Gloucestershire had slipped, or more to the point, been pushed by Somerset from 281 for 2 less than an hour before the close to 320 for 6 when the players finally walked off for the evening.
Marcus Harris had been the player of the day. Gloucestershire had won the first two sessions by a distance, but Somerset had fought back hard after tea and had stopped Gloucestershire in their tracks in the last hour. At 320 for 6, Gloucestershire still had a substantial total with power to add, but it could have been so much worse for Somerset, and in that last hour they had developed some momentum to carry into the second morning. Which of W.G. Grace or Tom Abell was right about the toss may be discovered on the morrow, but at the close, Somerset’s late charge notwithstanding, W.G. and Gloucestershire had a clear edge.
Close. Gloucestershire 320 for 6.
The other parts of this match report can be found on Farmer's own website by clicking here or by going to the end of the thread where links also exist
WG Has the Edge - Gloucs CC1 Day 1
Posted by: Grockles.com (IP Logged)
Date: 21/11/2022 16:24
What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:11:23:14:55:02 by Grockle.
Monday 29th of August - over a month since the last 4 day game Somerset were involved in and a week before they will be involved in one again.
Monday 5th September - the side moves into the very important Championship season end section. Two home and two away games Gloucestershire and Northants at home and Warwickshire and Kent away. We need points and we need to move up the table after a pretty poor season so far in the long format
Imam Ul Haq will join us for the games - not sure if he is in yet or whether the paperwork has all been verified and sorted but we are hearing nothing bad so let's assume it is all good. He will open or be in the first 3 at least. We aren't sure whether Andrew Umeed will be joining him or whether we will be asking James Rew to stay with us or will allow him to go to the U19 England squad
We will probably move Tom Lammonby down the order (assuming Tom Abell is fit. Lewis Goldsworthy will also be in at the top end somewhere One would assume Tom Banton will play if James Rew doesn't - will the county go back to Steve Davies as the better keeper? The batting is fun isn't it?
Lewis Gregory will be at 7 and one would assume Roelof vdM will offer spin if Jack Leach is not present because of international commitments. The bowling is then an interesting bunch of names. Will Craig Overton be up to bowl? One would assume that England would like him to if he is back to fitness - we'd certainly be happy with that if he's OK. Peter Siddle is not there so we will be hoping for Josh Davey to be back to full fitness while Kasey Aldridge has definitely made a claim for that 3rd seam place while Sonny Baker would like to be considered and used if possible - though Somerset have used him sparingly. There was talk of another international 'slot in' for this part of the season in the bowling department but nothing else but talk presently. Jack Brooks would like to be considered, Ben Green might be getting back to a level of fitness but maybe not in these 4 games
Think they are most of the names in the equation. Josh Thomas, Jack Harding and Alfie Ogborne have all had a time in the lights but they will probably all be looking to hard winter work and coming again in April. Marchant de Lange won't be considered one would assume as he will be moving to Bristol next season and Ned Leonard will come back again in 2023 Is there anyone else? Would be nice to see Tom Kohler-Cadmore popping down South West to get a feel for the place but that will also be in 2023 as well
The 'Old Guard' is gone - time for the new group to show some quality!!
Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2022:09:11:10:19:51 by Grockle.
You know when you are typing something and something is knocking on the cranium saying "missed something"?
Yep George is who I missed Not sure if it was senility or just forgetting the man and sorry if it was the latter but I don't know where he goes. He is a red ball player but is he consistent enough and in our line up does that matter any more than other names?
He'd play if al Haq wasn't there. Will he play instead of someone else with the Pakistani in? Have to say I'm not sure but he has a year to make us remember him.
Not convinced Banton will stay. His £125K contract with the Welsh Fire surely won’t be renewed, he didn’t get picked up in the Big Bash and his stock must be at an all time low so he may well think the best way to change his fortunes is with a change of County?
Well the Bartlett or Banton discussion is being hsd I'm sure for Monday though if Rew is touring it'll be Banton or Davies. If Rew is away and Davies plays I'd say it pretty much answers the question whatever radio interviews said.
Think it will depend on whether he is not interested in red ball batting because it may be the only way he gets into a side at the moment should James Rew not be available.
I may go with Steve Davies ability as a keeper anyway to be honest and hope there have been improvements in batting elsewhere to cover his present poor red ball batting form.
But it they go with Davies and don't pick Banton then there are issues and they may relate to the uncertainty about his signature
When does his contract run out? Is it an October type deadline or are we past the point when we would expect info about this to be sorted by now?
I expect there will finally be some form of announcement viz Banton, next month.
There might be a question as to whether his form might have been so poor as to put Warks (whom I assume he would like to join) off signing him?
I certainly don't think SCCC selectors should be deluded by his score at Chelmsford into picking him, because that innings really meant nothing in the grand scheme of things (yes, you could see from Tom's reaction that it meant a lot to him BUT, the match was clearly as dead as a doornail).. and because, my all accounts, he has endured an absolutely wretched time in Wales.
I fervently hope that Jason/Andy will convince James R to play the fixture for us, instead of England U19.
Well he should be desperate to play in the bext few gamrs then. Have to say I'm personally glad. I think he's worked hard and has found the change of styles difficult. Big winter ahead of him to sort it out.
Cove is in the England squad for next week’s Test, which I believe starts on Thursday 8th. I think this rules him out of our game starting on Monday 5th - ridiculous in that there is absolutely no chance of Craig playing in the Test.
There was a group of people at the ground yesterday, they were certainly not English, some could hardly speak English. I wonder if there are followers of Imam Ul-Haq!
I am wondering if Gimblett's Hill will be open on Monday with all the extra brickwork being done. (I do hope so)
Ahh but their squad members have been working so hard bowling those 10 ball 'sets', batting breaking records like scoring centuries or warming their backsides sitting in those dug outs wearing snsck based uniforms
SP, with both Potts and Robinson in the England party and both much more likely to play than Craig, then unless there’s an injury to Jimmy or Broad then it would make much more sense to release Craig and let him play cricket.
Grizzers at 1346 ; so right . I’ve been hearing this “too much cricket” for years whereas I’ve been struggling to find any top level cricket that I want to watch and can do. So grateful for the high standard of league cricket in the Liverpool area.
There’s too much trash with a superficial resemblance to cricket and far too little proper cricket.
I’d give Andrew Umeed a go up front and leave Lammonby to compete with the likes of Bartlett and Banton for a middle-order spot. TL is not an opener by trade, and has found the requisite solidity beyond him. There’s little point signing Umeed just to open in the second team - we’ve signed him and we must have done so in the hope of solidity at the top of the order - so let’s use the man!?
Yep think Umeed will take a a place and Rew will be inthe top 4 if he is in.
Umeed, Ul Haq, Abell, Rew, Goldsworthy, whole bunch at 6, Gregory, Overton (please), Davey, Aldridge/Baker, Khan
Would be a choice - no sure who is the man for the 6 bat - may be Davies to keep to Khan for the first one while Rew gets a handle on the spinner perhaps?
Even if real, I would have thought the chances of getting a visa & work permit over the line by Monday are zilch.
I think we are fast approaching the time when Lewis G snr has to compete for a specialist batsman slot, freeing up a No7 / 4th seamer spot for Lammers. I think he is underused as a Cc bowler.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:09:02:14:25:08 by Railboy.
We mentioned that a bowling signing was on the cards some weeks ago. But you're right, there is no official statement yet. In Which case it's RvdM I'd assume
Somerset County Cricket Club have signed Pakistan off-spinner Sajid Khan.
The 28-year-old will join the Club for the final four LV= Insurance County Championship matches of the season, beginning with next week’s local derby against Gloucestershire.
Wouldn't expect us to make a backward step for MdL unless we had injuries and RvdM could still bat at 6/7 snd double up spin option unless we plan to leave second spin to Lewis Jr
Can’t see much obvious point in Khan over VDM.. BUT I could see a point in an off-spinner to complement Leachy for the final one/two games….
… but doesn’t this signing mean that either we have to play two specialist spinners when Leachy available OR we will again have an overseas bowler that we have to leave out?
If Pak spinners were available, could we not have signed a potential match-winner, such as Yasir Shah? English players have zero ability Vs wrist-spin - none, nil, zip, nada.
Perhaps AH looked at the number of key LHBs for Gloucs (Dent, Harris and Bracey) and that has informed the addition of an offie?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:09:02:14:50:16 by AGod.
Just because 1 Pakistani.spinner was available I doubt they were all sitting there waiting for Taunton to take their pick. But I doubt given we have only 4 games that we signed him on the basis that we might play him. He's pretty obviously our Leach replacement (appropriare or not to our expert posting panel) so1 would expect him to play if Leachy doesn't....
Yes, Grockle - he will obviously play the games Leachy isn’t available for… but what about the one or two Leachy is available for ? Is the newbie going to join MDL as an overseas bowler not selected for those games? That’s the obvious question … and one that would not have arisen had we done the obvious and signed a seamer!?
I mean, does Andy Hurry seriously think that, shorn of both Cove and Siddle, our seam attack will be up to the task?
There are very obvious grounds for serious doubts on that point..
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:09:02:16:43:12 by AGod.
I agree signing Sajid savours a bit of panic - but if you put people in a position where you don’t tell them how many teams (if any) are going to be relegated and, hence, what the price of failure might be - they’re bound to panic, aren’t they? Especially when Northants and - of course - Warwick seem to be signing up overseas bowlers for a pastime.
I’ve never seen Sajid of course, but the evidence is that he really is a match winner - more so now than Yasir Shah, who seems to be in decline and has lost his place to Sajid and/or their left-armer (Nauman?). Given that, the Glos (and Northants) LHBs, and the presence in the oppo of bowlers like Yadav, Gohar, even Kerrigan - you can see the logic. Which doesn’t mean it’s not also a gamble. As it is, inevitably, with Imam, good players though both obviously are.
Realistically? Looks like this guy had one good series, Vs Bangla in Bangla (probably on Bunsens).
Otherwise? He’s done absolutely nothing at international level. In total? 2 Tests Vs Bangla where he was effective and 5 where he appears to have presented no threat whatsoever.
I can’t believe we couldn’t have found a seamer that could have added something? (And been more of a threat than Gregory and Brooks).
Even another overseas batsman would, on the surface, have made rather more sense, given our well-known batting frailties.
One common sense way to have looked at this? Cove 28 wickets at 18. Leachy? Only 13 at more than 30… só for whom did we most need a replacement?
I’m clinging to the hope that maybe AH has been told Craig willl be released from the Test party. Otherwise? Our decision to replace Leach rather than Cove looks decidedly Ill-conceived and doubly so if we are to continue with our policy of non-turning home tracks!?
I see that, in addition to the genuinely impressive overseas signing of Mohammad Siraj, Warks have also added an off-spinner for the game with us - a guy called Yadav from India. The main difference between their offie and ours would seem to be that theirs seems more likely to contribute with the bat than ours.
Yawn... maybe see the guy play before you completely discount any value he has aye?
We are a spinner down and while Roelof has guile etc you may need 2 and Lewis for all his commitment isn't near there yet.
We have seam... enough? Who knows but we are better resourced & both our second spinners can bat
Anyway it is what it is whether you give it sny chsnce of being of vslue ir not. As always we'll assess it afterwards and you can yell us 'told you so' or amuse us with the reasons why your analysis was still right but gave us a better end result than you predicted
Dom was never more than the second spinning bowler who batted for us when Jack was back so to an extent Roelof has been his reolacement and now Jack is with England suppose Mr Khan for these games is seen as the frontline spinner for these 4 games
We haven't really looked for a Dom replacement. When Jack is here there was little point... possibly hoped Lewis Goldsworthy might develop and there is the possibility that Josh Thomas might from a second spinner point of view. Not sure that will happen though Josh is a decent enough bat so he'll be fine if his bowling is only supporting.
I was thinking along the lines that if Dom hadn't left (or been allowed to leave), then he would have been our number-one front-line spinner in games like this one, with Jack away. That's the sense in which I described our new signing as a replacement for what Dom offered:
Off-spin that kept taking wickets and being part of a winning team, whether with us or with England, but continually sniped at for not being good enough. Batting that was always going to get better given time and responsibility (as he's shown at Yorks). And a proper attitude in the field.
I'd love to see our new signing do all of those things. I'd be even happier if we had Dom still to do them, and for Dom to be around for years to come doing them.
True... there just weren't enough games for him to be that... given the present setup he certainly would have probably got more work because he was not being called up as England's second spinner as well.
Yeah he needed a first spin place in a county side more often than we gave him.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:09:04:18:59:49 by Grockle.
Tom Abell (c), Kasey Aldridge, Tom Banton, George Bartlett, Jack Brooks, Josh Davey, Lewis Goldsworthy, Lewis Gregory, Imam-ul-Haq, Tom Lammonby, James Rew, Sajid Khan and Roelof van der Merwe.
Yes, I spotted the forecast. It will be the ultimate irony if, after weeks of glorious weather but no cricket, it rains for the return of the county championship!
It looks like Gimblett's Hill will be open to use tomorrow, the workmen have removed all their clutter, still more to be done to the front wall, on Friday I notice a small pile of bricks on the floor from the top of the church wall, I ask what was happening, it's allege what ever they were going to do the church objected to it. He said the wall is jointly own by the club and the church.
The benches are all over the place, not where they should be.
Glo`shire will be without three key players, if the rain relents over the next four days.
Opener and former captain Chris Dent (ankle) and Pakistan slow left-armer Zafar Gohar (elbow) are both injured, and Ryan Higgins is on loan at Middlesex ahead of his return to the county next season.
Squad: Racy, Charlesworth, Harris, Hammond, Lace, Payne, O. Price, T.Price, Shaw, Singh-Dale, Taylor, van Buuren (c), van Meekeren.
Most of the conversation this morning was - anything but a loss puts us above Warks.... and that was about it.
Oh and no sign of |Steve Davies on the seconds squad announcement either so speculation that he may have come to some arrangement with the club to not serve out his final year but only speculation
Members Q&A tomorrow 20 mins after the close of play will be an opportunity for members to have a chat with James Hildreth on the end of his playing career
When AH was talking about this during the penultimate RL game we all thought that was what we were doing.... Anything but new signing Brooksie though Kasey looks like the rest hasn't done him any good either
Don't expect it to get better Grizzz. I have rarely been this tired watching a game.... it is taxing watching this. Not sure where a wicket's coming from
Interesting to hear Craig Overton saying that on "bowling days" he consumes 6000 calories by having two breakfasts and two dinners as well as a hearty lunch and snacks throughout the day.
It would be interesting to know how far he runs on a bowling day... given they now tend to field on the boundary and sweep etc. Those vests they wear with the block chips in the back record all this stuff now
Nope it's a road. Lammers has got us a second but they've both been batting errors and semi gifts.... just after the rain there was a little bit of movement but nothing worth writing home about and no bowlers has looked likely to get one past the bat.
There have been other occasions this season when we've produced pitches far at odds to what we had intended. It really is a head scratcher, to put it mildly.
Tough to get enthused right now. It all feels like a punctured balloon.
I'm afraid I remain a great believer in the old saying that you win the toss and think about fielding first, then you think about it a second time and possibly a third, then you decide to bat!
Just cycled home and got a bit wet, but it's absolutely stair-rods now. Lightning too. This will be a test of the drainage.
I can barely believe I saw 96 overs today It was always threatening to do this.
Anyway, a big shout for our two overseas lads in the field. They were alert and enthusiastic all the way through to that 96th over. Proper professionals.
Mix feeling about today's play, the early part of the day the pitch didn't seem to have must life in it, any short balls were pulled to leg often for run, late in the day wickets started to tumble, 2 bowling points was good, remove the rest under 400 would be nice.
Miles Hammond, Tom Abell with mouth open looked interested in the ball that was heading his way, off the bowling of Josh Davey.
Miles Hammond, and you can see why, Tom Abell catching the ball in both hands.
Marcus Harris, Kasey Aldridge beating the edge of Marcus Harris bat.
James Bracey, beginning to walk off after James Rew caught him off the bowling of Josh Davey.
Ben Charlesworth hitting 4 runs off a short ball.
The pitch didn't seem to have a lot of pace in it, so any short bowling was easy to score from.
Only five photos, I struggled to find any good photos today.
I almost went to wait for the gates to open, changed my mind when we had a rain shower.
I think I will enter the ground with just my umbrella, leaving everything else at home
After nothing in the first two stages of this game that comeback was good. Gregory especially on the money this morning and the last 8 wickets making up for the first 2 to so.e extent. Now how long do they get at us today?
Tom L simply confirms that for all his talent he is NOT a red ball opener. Why sign Any Umeed as a 'sticker' & then don't play him. Was his signing a PR exercise?
All the more reason to have at least tried Andrew Umeed - as a guy whose technique won’t have been unduly influenced by a surfeit of white ball cricket.
He's a red ball 'sticker' that is what he has been - it's why it made sense to take a punt on him - now they seem uncertain about whether to play him because of his slow rate of scoring - well at least he is there to keep scoring. Rew & Goldsworthy apart, no one else in our line-up presently seems capable of sticking around for any period of time
We need to get the shine off the ball and then look to those who can't play it shiny to do something with the older one. We need the Nick Compton like player to just sit in there and do that. Ul Haq looks like someone who will score. Umeed has seemed to be one who can stay as well most of the times he has been put to the test.
And Rew will do what we ask him to - follow on saved!! Well played sir
Due credit to Lewis Snr for his efforts in wrapping up the Gloucs innings today. Also to Imam for his classy knock and especially to James Rew for sticking around when it counted.
Overall it ain't great, but I guess, is at least a little better than it could have been.
Due to my hosting website being upgraded, I am unable to post any photos at this moment, I had then sorted to upload. If I can't do it tonight, I will not have time in the morning unless it is raining.
If that happens, I may post two day together tomorrow night.
Edit - I tried again 10.50, still can't upload my photos, so that is it for now.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:09:06:22:52:28 by Mike TA1.
Three sessions of rain wouldn't be the worst scenario for us now. Gloucester have no option other than set us a challenging but achievable total if they have any chance at all of staying up. Assuming we can scrape a few more runs in the morning so the lead is possibly 100-110 , I wouldn't expect Gloucester to set us much more than 230/240 if there is lots of rain around
It is a state of affairs when the pessimistic predictions that we'd fall short of the batting point by 2 comes true and everyone had already agreed it was more than likely. Well done to Ben Warren for getting it spot on. Some of us went for 149
So we reckon Somerset have probably won one session of this game so far.... maybe the last session of Day 1? Speculation on Gloucestershire setting up an end to this game. Not a lot for them in a draw and we are a decent gamble for batting collapse under pressure surely.
Winning one session in the whole match against a team playing for nothing but pride, realistically, as well as one that has proved the worst in the league.
Embarrassing.
And indicative of the fact that we have learnt absolutely nothing from the final four games of last season when we also failed, absolutely, to get back into the swing of the CC.
We must fervently hope for some of that predicted rain, at last.
I'm puzzled by Gloucestershire's tactics this afternoon, in the last 15 overs (since Price was dismissed) they've only scored 19 runs!
With 33 overs left today & a good forecast, if Glos went at 4 runs an over they would be 330 ahead half an hour before the close, so could declare and still have a newish ball when they come back tomorrow.
But with tomorrow's forecast being pretty showery, Glos might pull out 300 ahead, to have longer to bowl us out.
Kent are 53/5 following on, but the Canterbury forecast tomorrow is for a lot of showers, so it's not over yet.
Anyone worked out what the Gloucestershire plan is yet? They've just managed 9 runs off the last 7 overs with over 250 on the board and 19 overs still to go tonight. With Charlesworth on 60 and Hammond on 37 they don't seem top be pushing this along at all.
WHY take the new ball? Gloucestershire are doing nothing with the old one. Somerset are not going to take wickets so why offer them the extra pace off the bat from the attack? Keep the old ball and make Glos work for the change.
Apologies, the umpire took a ball out of his pocket but then put it back. They have not taken the new ball.. But that was a really brilliant catch from Tom Lammonby
It was a very good catch by KA (not Lammonby if you were referring to the caught and bowled, Grockle).
Beyond that?
A poor day’s cricket: Short on intent, quality and entertainment value, I’m afraid.
Zero initiative from Gloucs, who are evidently relying on us delivering a truly appalling batting effort tomorrow. Of course, same cannot be ruled out and, if it happens, Gloucs will be able to claim that today’s go-slow was perfectly justifiable.
This pitch remains flat enough that no serious professional side should get bowled out in just one day on it, although we did contrive to only last about 82 overs, first time around.
As for Sajid?
It looks like his main wicket-taking delivery is probably the top-spinner, that hurries onto the batsman. For that to work, he’d need a quicker pitch than this one.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:09:07:17:54:16 by AGod.
Craig said on commentary a couple of days ago that he was still recovering from his back spasm and couldn’t bowl which is why he wasn’t with England but was hoping to be fit for the Warwickshire game next week.
This result presently all but relegates Gloucestershire - makes no real sense to their strategy. They are also going to lose points for a slow over rate if it stays like this.
Kent gone. Gloucestershire saying they found Sajid Khan very difficult yesterday so he may get us a game with some help from a pitch... he was certainly up for it yesterday.
Is he more than RvdM? Good question
Over rates are plus 9 and -2 they would lose 2 points if the game stays a draw 12 points each
It‘s a long time since I‘ve seen a side play quite so much into their opponents‘ hands as Glos did yesterday. Couldn’t work out their tactics at all. As to Sajid, yes, I thought he was more potent than Roelof would have been. Just as accurate and aggressive, also a ‚character‘ but more likely to take a wicket. He could easily have had 4 or 5. The down side was that James Rew really didn’t keep well to him. You can’t blame him at 18, but it did make me think that we‘ve taken Steve‘s excellence against spin for granted a bit.
Piddling down at 2:16 - inspection may have to wait a bit.
True James has a little to learn about keeping to a spinner he met on Friday but unfortunately Steve might not have got us over the line and we would have been in a different game yesterday.
Interesting fact today from Ben Warren. In the last 2 years we have only won 2 games at Taunton. Jeez
"Gloucestershire saying they found Sajid Khan very difficult yesterday so he may get us a game with some help from a pitch... he was certainly up for it yesterday.
Is he more than RvdM? Good question."
Is he more "up for it," than VDM?
No, because nobody in the world is!!
He does seem a competitive character in his own right, though, Sajid.
I suspect Andy signed him, in part, because of the boat-load of LHBs that Gloucs have.
Sajid looks to me like somebody whose best delivery is his top-spinner that hurries onto the batsman, rather than his orthodox off-break. He will need some pace in pitches to get many wickets with that - a commodity that has been wholly absent from the last four pitches on which SCCC have played (two home, two away).
Pouring again just up the road. I suspect the handshakes aren’t far away. I guess that at tea time Monday we would have happily settled for this outcome.
Well Glos might want to get out there and bowl some overs just to get the penalty points out of the way - though don't know how many they have to do to get that done. The rain may not stop so it may be a moot point what they want - there's an awful lot of blue heading in from Wales
Craig said he had back spasms on the commentary feed and said he was hoping to be available for next week. Seems it was why he was here on Wednesday. Ahh well we'll see won't we
All I will say is Craig was running around the outfield very hard, it looked to be more than a normal run. He stopped just in front of me, and he was down on his knees for several minutes before getting up and continued running. One of the coaches said something to him while he was on his knees.
Yep. Running and putting your back through stuff isn't always the same thing but we can only hope they've sorted it and will only play him if he is ready to go
Would like to see him play but Somerset have more things to work on than Craig. If he plays they still need to give him runs to.work.with and the batting is still far too fragile for a first division contender next season. It is still liable to fold at any time, shot selection has not improved players who ought to be levelling up.now are still not there with any consistency and we are putting most of our hopes in a guy we've just bought and a guy who.has just finished his A levels!!
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
We record all IP addresses on the Sportnetwork message boards which may be required by the authorities in case of defamatory or abusive comment.
We seek to monitor the Message Boards at regular intervals.
We do not associate Sportnetwork with any of the comments and do not take responsibility for any statements or opinions expressed on the Message Boards.
If you have any cause for concern over any material posted here please let us know as soon as possible by e-mailing
abuse@sportnetwork.net
.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
.jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
Gloucs do not deserve to win (due to their negativity).
