Vitality Legs Eleven - Across the Severn - Glamorgan
By Grockle
June 27 2023
Injury hit Somerset travel into the 'heart of cricket in the West' (Well according to franchise blurb at least) by going to Cardiff!! We may be looking to change those perceptions this evening though injuries to the hands of Roelof, Peter and Lewis ask questions of our resources. The coolness with which Shoaib Bashir has stepped up to the premier spinner in Somerset spot is a good thing though and have already pulled in Jack Brooks and brought back Craig Overton for this one. Matt Henry gets a rest however.
v Glamorgan @ Cardiff Wednesday 21 June 2023
Tom Abell returns to the captaincy duties for this onebecause of injury and fatherhood duties making demands on Lewis Gregory. As the heavy rain in West Somerset does NOT move across the channel and we start on time at 6:30. Somerset won the toss and will chase once more so Smale and Carlson walk out to face the first over from the returning Craig Overton. There is a Harry Styles concert in Cardiff as well so the city is rammed. Kasey Aldridge and Shoaib Bashir join this particular first team party and we are off and running. Matt Henry is rested
The first boundary comes from Smale's bat with an offdrive in the first over off Craig. He tries to 'ramp' Brooks with his first ball but misses, he does hit the second for four but does not realise he is being setup by the Somerset man who comprehensively bowls him with his fourth. It is 10 for 1. Billy Root then nearly runs himself out from his first ball but survives. The Glammies are after it tonight with both Carlson and Root swinging at COve early on without success. Root tries once too often scoops the bowler and is C&B at 13 for 2.
This brings in Sam Northeast but he isn't there long as Jack also comprehensively bowls him duriing the fourth. At 14 for 3 Cooke has a job to do for his side as he strides out. Meanwhile Carlson seems unruffled by what is going on at the other end and 2 boundaries from him take the pressure off a little. 23 for 3 after 4.
It looks like we are going to bowl Craig straight through as he takes the fifth. Carlson has taken it on himself to keep the score moving and he ramps the England man then follows that up with a boundary off a good ball at the end of the over to move Glamorgan to 33. Jack also takes a third with the next one and Carlson hits the first six of the innings followed by a nice cut off his toes to take 19 off the over with the 50 coming up in the process.
Craig does bowl out with the 7th and claims a wicket but only due to an absolutely stunning one handed diving catch from Kasey on the boundary with the score on 53 - that really was top drawer fielding!! In comes the Glamorgan new signing from New Zealand Cam Fletcher almost straight off a plane. (Eddie Byrom is not playing in this one) He isn't there long as he mistimes a shot and is caught by Dickson without troubling the scorer. Overton is on a hat-trick to van der Gugten but he doesn't oblige with his wicket and the bowler has to be satisfied with 4 for 21 from his excellent four overs.
Josh Davey finally gets into the game with the 8th only to be straight sixed into the stand by Carlson immediately to take the score to 68 for 5. Kasey Aldridge then starts his night's work and has van der Gugten flashing just over the fielder for four before the batsman gets the range and sends the fifth ball for six.
The midway over is given to Shoaib who has a decent claim for LBW turned down against van der Gugten from the first ball he faces from the youngster. He then fools him and has what would be classed as a drop but would have been an amazing reaction catch from Banton had he held on to it. A six at the end of his first doesn't detract from a decent first six balls from the spinner at 90 for 5.
Green comes on at about the normal time for him as we move into the second half of the Glam innings. Carlson moves to 55 off 30 with a six which also brings up the 100 on the scoreboard. (5 fours and 3 sixes in the batsman's half ton). Carlson looks to keep his side in this with a slog sweep during Bashir's next though it's a tidy one only moving on to 110 for 5.
Davey's yorker misses by a whisker as Carlson moves to his best white ball score. The second ball also just misses and the over only goes for four which frustrates the hiome side even more. However the 2 batsmen keep the score moving by taking 15 off Green's 14th and moving to 143 by the end of Kasey's 15th.
Josh returns for the 16th and has Carlson caught in short by Shoaib. This brings Gorvin to the crease and we then get van der Gugten also caught at cover for a very good 48 by Tom Abell 146 for 7 ends an excellent over from the Scot.
Smith is in and then out in Ben's next over as he loops one to TKC at mid off after adding only 1 run. In comes Hatzoglou who brings up the 150 with a massive six off his first ball before being nearly C&B 8 runs later at the end of the over. Josh bowls out with 2 for 26 during the 18th while Gorvin goes to Green during the next caught Dickson for 10 off 10 at 170 for 9 and after some delay when Brooks hits McIlroy on the helmet with the first ball of the last he bowls him with the third for only the addition of a single. Glamorgan are all out for 171.
A decent fightback by the Welsh after a pretty disastrous first few overs. We need 172 to win which is about par for Sophia Gardens it seems.
Somerset Reply
The Bants and Smeed 'Roadshow' gets going with a van der Gugten wide first up and then an early 'ramp' attempt by Mr Banton bringing up 5 from the over. McIlroy takes the next knowing that they need to see the back of Will Smeed early if they hope to defend this score. However, he cuts the first for four and then hits another through extra cover. He has 13 off 4, 17 off 5 and Root drops him over the boundary for 6. Smeed has taken 23 off 7 and we've moved to 25.
van der Gugten brings things back to normal with a tight 5 from the next and Banton 'ramps' to the fielder put there for the shot in Smith's 4th (makes no sense to me) Somerset reach 40 for 1 as TKC arrives. The next to last ball of the following McIlroy over brings 50 with a Smeed six and 4 more moves us on to 56 with WS responsible for 40 of them. He then goes to 44 while TKC is looking scratchy just before he drives wonderfully for four!
The Powerplay ends at 65 for 1 with Smeed on 44 (from 19) and TKC on 9 (from 6). It also introduces the spin of Hatzoglou to the contest and he goes for 5. Gorvin almost has Smeed caught as he goes to a 23 ball 50 (7 fours 2 sixes) as Somerset push to 77 followed by more spin holding the visitors to 85. The 100 arrives in the 10th as TKC starts to motor a little more off Gorvin before also sixing van der Gugten in the next over to bring us to 110.
Smeed v Smith in over number 12 sees a four smashed though the covers followed by a six to fine leg but the Somerset man doesn't get enough of the nextt and he is caught by Smale at long on for 68 ast 124. He has once again probably won us a game with massive power hitting in the front half of an innings. Somerset now need 47 off 48.
Tom Abell gets a nice four ball starter from Hatzoglou and he does some nice running between the wickets to keep the pressure up when they don't even need a run a ball. They stroll through the next McIlroy over to 139 for 2. TKC brings up a 50 off 32 (4 fours and 2 sixes) in the Hatzoglou 15th. It also sees the 150 arriving with an Abell cut. 22 off 30 as Hatzoglou finishes with 0 for 33.
Gorvin does have some success as he has TKC caught! But it is off a no ball and so Somerset get a free hit instead. 158 for 2 means 14 off 24. Smith changes ends and TKC slashes a boundary just out of the reach of McIlroy. He then swings and edges over the keeper for another one. Before we know it 'the ask' is 5 from 19 and a four from Abell ties the game. A single from the first ball of Gorvin's 18th ends it and we win by 8 wickets with 17 balls to spare. TKC ends with 63 from 42 and the skipper has 20 from 16.
This is going quite well overall you could say. Back to Taunton for the second half of the derby series on Friday and a possible home quarter final.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:07:01:18:12:48 by Grockle.
Roelof van der Merwe is also absent with a hand injury. Matt Henry is rested with Sunday`s championship match with Nottinghamshire in mind., with Craig Overton returning to the squad.
Shoaib Bashir is the only spinner in the 13 - Lewis Goldsworthy is back batting for the Seconds but not bowling - and Kasey Aldridge and James Rew are also included.
Glamorgan will be playing back-to-back match, after conceding a big score to Surrey at The Oval tonight.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2023:06:22:22:36:05 by Grockle.
Without Siddle (hand), van der Merwe (hand), Lewis Gregory (hand) it is surprising that Henry is rested but I suppose it's matshalling resources with a long format match coming up.after a hime derby on Friday.
Tom A will captain then.
Probable side?
Will Smeed, Tom Banton, Tom Abell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Sean Dickson, Ben Green, Craig Overton, Josh Davey, Jack Brooks, Shoaib Bashir definites & then
Extra bowler? Kasey?
Extra bat? May give James Rew a go...with a 4 dayer on the cards. He may even take the gloves as he hasn't in the seconds game
Andy Umeed made a big hundred for the seconds against a 'strong' Middlesex side... just saying.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:06:21:17:51:56 by Grockle.
Hope we’ve not used up all our toss luck ahead of a home QF in which the toss might be important!
Roelof an absolutely massive miss on the Cardiff Bunsen. Very far from ideal to have only one spinner.
Grizzers
You can perhaps see why!!!???
(Not that I’m complaining)
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:06:21:20:42:27 by AGod.
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Grizzers
Grizzers
Technically, though, there are three “specialist batters,” in the team since neither T Curran nor J Overton are fit to bowl, so both are picked for their batting.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:06:23:01:18:59 by Des Platt.