Vitality Six - Of the Best? Essex in the West
By Grockle
June 16 2023
Tom Banton is out with a leg niggle so Tom Lammonby will move up the batting order as we go looking for a six-fer in this Year's Blast.. Sean Dickson also returns to bolster the order after some OK performances in the seconds - there are still questions around his form. Josh Davey gives way to a return for Matt Henry as well.
V Essex @Taunton Sunday 4 June 2023
Injury changes the Somerset line-up for this game With Banton out after leaving the pitch mid innings during the games against Middlesex. Matt Henry was also rested for that game but returns for this one and Sean Dickson is called in but is unlikely to open in so we expect Tom Lammonby to move up the order. Essex won the toss and will bowl first.
As predicted, Will Smeed is joined by Tom Lammonby at the start of this one. Sam Cook opens from the MT with Dan Sams taking the second. After the first both batsmen are off the mark and have moved to 9 the next one provides another 5. The first change comes with Allison taking the third and Lammonby is attempting a ramp very early in his game... he fails but hits a straightish 6 into the Gimblett straight after it. Why play the risky shots if you can play the 'truer' versions and the score comes off? It baffles me I have to admit. Somerset have 24 and Tom Lammonby is looking to put himself on this game with 23 of them.
Shane Snater is introduced in the 4th and he tempts Smeed up the wicket. He flips the ball out to the boundary fielder and leaves the fight for 1... He still hasn't got the start he really wantsonce again. TKC arrives and dismisses Allison's first ball to the boundary.
The 50 is up off 33 with a Lammonby six into the river off Cook. Unfortunately he is bowled next ball - 51 for 2 with a fairly decent 34 off 24 by the Somerset opener. Tom Abell is in and his side are 52 for 2 at the end of the 'Powerplay'.
Harmer comes on for the 7th and the game's main conflict changes with his introduction. He has an immediate effect as he C&Bs TKC with an excellent reaction catch. Dickson arrives at 55 for 3 as the big bat departs with 17 to his name. It all goes a bit quiet in Taunton as the crowd realise we may be in a game on a Sunday evening.
Critchley joins his spinning partner for the 10th with 69 on the board. Abell swings it to the Somerset stand but not past the fielder and he is out for 12. Gregory takes his place at 71 and pushes the score to 73 for 4 at the end of the 10th. Harmer is bowling out at MT so he takes the 11th. Gregory takes him on but skies it to the CA and goes just after taking his side past 100 - 101 for 5. Ben Green is not there long as Cook bowls him in the 14th - 108 for 6.
RvdM is the next in and he realises he hasn't got time to waste. He faces Snater in the 16th and takes him for 10 off 2 balls. Harmer was taken off and not bowled through and is now re-introduced for the 17th. Dickson swings him high but not all that handsome and finds the hands of Walter to depart for 42 off 29 ( a decent comeback for the man) and it is 125 for 7... which isn't enough to be honest.
Craig Overton is the next man in against Sams for the 18th but RvdM's time with the bat ends as he is C&B which introduces Henry who sends the second ball he faces over the boundary without bouncing. Cook completes the 19th with the score moving to 146 (Henry 9 COve 7) and there is pressure to have a very big 20 to give the total some space for the bowling unit to get their teeth into.
It doesn't start well as Sams has Henry caught off a wide he really has to work to get anywhere near.... it was VERY wide. It takes Pete Siddle 2 balls to get bat to ball to take the single to reach 150 (disappointing) while Craig is caught by Harmer off the last going big.
150 all out off the last ball and that is not really a par score here - at least 15/20 short . Maybe more and some hard work to do in the field to stay in this one. Good to see Dickson get a few and Lammonby took on the change in role well. But too few got a start and took it anywhere significant.
Essex Reply
There are calls on the skill of Craig Overton from ball 1 as Rossington and Das face for Essex. The first boundary comes from the second ball and they also have 9 off the first. Henry returns to partner COve with the new ball and he has more succes, having Rossington caught by Lammonby on the boundary for 6 and it is 11 for 1. By the end of Overton's second it has moved to 23 as Pepper gets started. The fourth sees a good ball from Henry guided by Das towards Smeed who takes a really good cath to dismiss the Essex man for 17 and move the score to 24 for 2. Unfortunately Craig is not having a good day as he goes for 38 off 3 and the score moves to 46 off 5 and then 49 by the end of the 'Powerplay'.
Peter Siddle takes over for the 7th and he partners with Roelof to send Critchley back to the Caddyshack with the score still on 49. The new man Walter pushes the score past 50 before Gregory comes into the attack for the 8th over. He is nearly successful immediately as a superb attempt by Matt Henry nearly comes off on the boundary - it would have been brilliant had he taken it and sent Pepper on his way with 29 but he didn't and it could be very important in a game with such a small total at Taunton.
Green comes on at his normal time for the 9th where he has made things happen this summer. He does again as he gets Walter to send one skyward and down into the patient hands of Abell. 74 for 4 becomes 77 for 4 halfway through with Essex just ahead of the required runs with 6 wickets left.
RvdM takes the 11th and Pepper goes to a good 50 off 38 at 84. Green continues and so do Essex as they move to 92. Roelof does not seem to be having his usual effect on the scoring rate or the wickets taken - but it only seems that way as he bowls the new man Westly for 7 at 97. He is replaced by Sams with 52 needed at the end of the 13th. Siddle takes the next one and we see Pepper move the score past 100 - we need his wicket to make this game a little more uncertain presently. Roelof provides! He fools Pepper and has him caught at 105 and the base of the Essex reply is now gone and it is 'Game On' with just under 50 off 30 balls.
Harmer joins Sams and then the set batsman is almost run out though umpire Blackwell says no. Green's figures are saved by an excellent piece of fielding by Overton and Somerset end the 16th still in the game at 120 for 6. 31 from 24 as Siddle fights his way through the 17th and nearly has another stupendous catch from Abell 125 for 6 and 26 off 3 with 4 wickets left.
Henry ramps up the interest as he bowls Harmer for 16 at 130 and Snater arrives needing 21 off 13 - still Essex's game one would suggest. Siddle ends with 1 for 25 and Henry has taken 3 for 17 off his 4. But it has been Green at the end who has made things happen in the Blast and he removes Sams with help from Lammonby on the rope 132 for 8. Less than 20 for Allison from 11.
It is still Essex's game to lose and they try really hard as Allison is out from Green's last ball courtesy of a Henry catch leaving Gregory to defend 13 off 6 needing 1 wicket. Hearts a flutter as he runs in to start the 20th.
No Problem, awful mix up and Snater is run out first ball and we pull off an 11 run win with 5 balls to go. Very impressive fielding effort from the home side to defend 150 on a 180 par ground on a decent day for bowling. Six out of Six people and the Somerset steamroller moves on to Southampton. Ben Green has another storming performance at the end of the game with support coming in the form of Matt Henry mostly. Under par performance from Craig O but that is allowed occasionally and the rest of the side stood up and were most definitely counted.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:06:19:22:03:21 by Grockle.
Essex batsman Dan Lawrence was called into the England squad today for the first two Ashes Tests. He will be available for tomorrow`s match, but will miss the county championship fixture at Chelmsford from June 11-14. Jack Leach, of course, will also miss Chelmsford.
Essex arrive at Taunton on the back of one of the heaviest T20 defeats ever - a 118-run loss to Hampshire, after only totalling 96.
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2023:06:06:06:26:24 by Grockle.
This will be my first T20 at Taunton 😬
When it creates customer frustration one has to wonder what the advantage is.
But I suspect we might find an all-Tom top four, once Banton comes back..
Both need to bat ahead of liability Gregory.
Matt Henry really had to work to get caught off that wide.
Craigy dies off last ball - 151 to get
We will have to bowl & field superbly to have a chance here.
Meantime, whilst I still think ticket prices are too high, it’s tough to argue that case when so many (including quite a number who appear more interested in drinking) are willing to pay a minimum of £35 each.
So much for the much lauded theory that people don’t have any money.
Grizzers
Both Guy Lavender and Andy Nash took note of that when thinking that Somerset could survive not being involved in franchise cricket. But they are not nailed on 'sell outs' any more.
Good results will keep people coming I expect but if we hit a losing streak it might be a different thing.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:06:04:16:11:40 by Grockle.
There does seem to be an awful lot of money around these days despite the media trying to tell us otherwise. Restaurants and nail bars doing roaring trades.
Though someone on Twitter yesterday was asking when commentators at the Test would be punished for calling the 'batters' 'batsmen' against now (seemingly) agreed protocols
Suspect he’s probably on steroids for his IBD and perhaps they affected bone strength.
Got to hand it to them, terrific stuff.
Grizzers
Not sure we have ever defended 150 on a flat one at home before?
Ben Green cool as a cucumber and both overseas excellent.
You have to say, so far, managment have got the overseas players for T20 call exactly right.
Looks like Glamorgan are currently our closest challengers, since Ingram and Cooke have located form.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:06:04:18:04:48 by AGod.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:06:04:17:56:58 by hantssabre.
A routine win by the team in form defending a below par total on home soil against a batting line up bowled out for 96 last time out.
big up to the 25% of games not lost after the first 10 overs of the first innings.
Quote:AGod
The big problem with T20 is that, IMO, one can usually guess the probable winner with something like 75% accuracy after only 25% of the game distance i.e after ten overs of the game’s first innings!
Some people just never ever learn......
Cricket isn't predictable.
Every game is different.
Momentum counts.
Players aren't robots, they don't have to fit to a match formula of performing like this imaginary normal might seem to predict.
A cracking day in the sun watching our boys fight hard to a great win.
Much better off enjoying the entertainment we keep providing I find than predicting how we should fail at every opportunity.
Farmer
In The Chase a score of 20 is very good and has a decent chance of winning, a score of 15 is often described as a 'banana skin' - you probably won't win but it's not out of the question. Multiply by 10 and as an analogy it works for T20.
I watched Middlesex hole out a few days ago with around nine balls to go, to the scorn of Peter Trego; Somerset today eked out their score to 150, not throwing late wickets away trying to hit every ball for six, and while 150 is poor at Taunton, it is at least defendable with good bowling and fielding.
Very pleased that Sean Dickson had a decent score after his start to the season; hopefully that will help with his confidence.
And reading this thread, and the early negativity, has proved very amusing. Yes, it was a poor score, but it ain't over till... etc etc. (By the way, I didn't have much more positivity, but did say to my wife it was winnable, even if Essex were surely big favourites at the break.)
Very sad news re Jack Leach - just how much bad luck can a bowler endure?!
And take a look at the net run rate compared with that of the 17 other sides...
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
The other one they have no subtlety in using is the 'Wah wah wah' clip when a member of the opposition (usually) makes a mistake. If I was on the field, at the end of play I'd find the 'DJ' and change him from a 'live' DJ by getting him to eat the clip cartridge!
Quote:wsm fanQuote:AGod
The big problem with T20....
Some people just never ever learn......
Cricket isn't predictable......
Agreed WSM. The unpredictability makes it more fun for spectators. Pressure can do funny things to people in run chase. Momentum is huge in professional sport. Thought we were superb with the ball today. Craig O had an off day today but T20 is like that. Still threw himself around in the field and encouraged his team mates.
Special mention to Ben Green a very underrated cricketer who will no doubt earn Hundred contract as T20 wildcard pick. Leading wicket-taker in the competition with 14 averaging 9.85 and very decent economy rate of 7.32.
Echo your comments also had very enjoyable afternoon in the sun. Fantastic atmosphere round the ground. Crowd got really involved with it being close game. Good to come out on the right side of tight finish. To defend 150 at Taunton is remarkable. Confidence will be sky high in the camp after that!
Onto Hampshire we go Wednesday. 7 wins from 7? Here’s hoping. Banton likely to be fit according to Anthony Gibson which shall make team selection interesting. Thought Lammers looked good opening. Played some strong shots down the ground. Dickson also got effective runs in the middle overs.
👍
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2023:06:05:04:56:53 by Grockle.
As an aside, I thought some of the umpiring was pretty scratchy today. Both sides were likely fortunate not to get called for wides and no-balls and RvdM's shout for a run out looked pretty solid from the Somerset Stand at least !
Grizzers
'Variety is the spice of life' try it. It may surprise even you 😉👍
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:06:05:11:43:41 by Somerset LaLaLa.
All for 'geeing' up the crowd but please find some new stuff... that they actually respond to rather than being conditioned into responding to for a bit of peace.
All these little gems are 'old hat' nowadays and appear at every game everywhere so the crowd are like a bunch of slightly worse for wear Pavlov's dogs salivating when the bell is rung.
Familiarity eventually seems to breed boredom and you have to ring the 'bell' more times for the desired response. Ahh well as long as the whole crowd enjoyed it aye?
And it's "Day-oh" ( The Banana Boat Song, of course) not "Way-o" and in the words of the Great Gary Lineker, "I have it on good authority" that they are going to play it until you get it right.
Now, if you want to bang-on about boring repetition, what about "So-and-so, give us a wave, So-and-so, give us a wave.....". Mind you alot of people seem to think that amusing, too.