No Quarter at the Quarter? Notts at Taunton
Return of the Ferrett
By Grockle
July 7 2023
So a home quarter final set up before the end of the divisional section of the T20 and a record number of victories in that stage. Somerset have rarely been this consistent. Tonight we welcome the 'Outlaws' from the East Midlands and nothing means much unless the consistency continues. With a consistent series comes a consistent side and the only change tonight is Jack Brooks brought in against a county he has been playing for to replace the injured Josh Davey. Notts won the toss and they have decided to set a total. We've done well both ways so let's see how it goes!!
v Nottinghamshire Outlaws Blast Quarter Final @ Taunton Friday 7 July 2023
The same side as the Kent game minus Josh Davey and including Jack Brooks greets Notts tonight. They have won the toss and decided to bat first in brilliant sunshine at a totally packed out Taunton. The game is on and now we done the work to get here it is unimportant unless we win this game and book a trip to Birmingham next week. I'll be updating as we go as SKY are doing this game - there is probably a feed on their YouTube channel but however you see it enjoy!!
Huge fireworks as the sides come out and Craig Overton starts the game with one that is on the money first ball to Joe Clarke with Alex Hales at the other end. They take a single to get Hales on strike and he starts carefully. The second ball however totals his off stump and he is gone for 0. Notts are 1 for 1 after 4 balls. Colin Munro replaces him and chips a single off his first. Notts are 2 for 1 after the first and one of their danger men is not there any more!
Matt Henry opens from the MT end and is also on the money immediately. Clarke is taking no early chances and Matt has his length pretty much zeroed in so he has little to play with first up. They take a risky single to the fifth ball and Munro faces the last ball of the over looking to drive to the boundary but the outfield is slow and the ball is pulled in before it passes the rope. 6 for 1 after 2
The first six comes from Munro at the start of the next COve over moving Notts into double figures. 2 balls later he skies one and Matt takes a steepling catch falling backwards in front of the Botham. Munro goes for 10 and the visitors are 2 down in 3 overs . Montgomery comes in at 13 for 2 with quite a job on but he reaches the boundary with his second delivery to move his side into the higher teens
Henry takes the fourth as usual and he gets his first wicket as Joe Clarke just cloths it to COve in the covers for 2 at 17 bringing Samit Patel into the game a little earlier than he would have hoped. Craig continues the policy of bowling at least 3 overs at the start of the game and the close fielding is frustrating the Notts bats who can't get it through the cordon with anything like regularity early on. They do pass 20 but only have 24 at the end of the 5th. The first change comes at the MT with Jack Brooks taking over. This may be a deciding factor in this game as we have them in a vice and we really do need Brooksey to keep it going . A miss by Tom Banton from his first delivery gives them four byes and doesn't set the tone!! Montgomery is looking to get his side moving but the infield is still very tight and they are only getting singles. Samit breaks the chain a little with a swatted cut to the Caddyshack but 37 is still way below what they would liked.
Somerset bowl Craig out with the 7th taking the view that if he is doing it then use him while it is working. He will complete the first part of his job with the opposition still under 50 at 42 for 3 and with 23 for 2 with 20 dot balls. Not too shabby for a T20 opening bowler.
Ish is introduced early in the 8th and he has Samit in trouble and nearly stumped. He goes for an excellent 3
Lewis introduces himself at the River and the first six goes into the Somerset stand from Mr Patel to bring up the 50. The infield is still restricting the big shots and Notts are batting in treacle as the score moves on. Samit hits a Trade Nation boundary but it is only 59 at the end of the 9th.
Sodhi takes his second and Samit nearly loses his wicket to a botched reverse sweep that falls out of the grasp of Banton. They are trying everything to get the score moving but it is pretty much tied down at the moment. Patel does split the field in front of the Caddyshack to finish the 10th at 68 for 3 with Patel on 23 and Montgomery on 30.
The second half of the Somerset attack is started by Ben Green. He goes through Montgomery with his second ball annd again has his length about right almost immediately. Notts keep driving him down to the Hildreth but they are only getting singles there. A four in the air to the Ondaatje takes the pressure off and takes the score to 78 for 3 but they have to know this is not a par score in the West Country and they need to move the score on more and more desperately. Ish stays on at the MT because he is causing them all kinds of problems. They are trying to drive the ball but the spin means it squirts off the edges and goes to the infielders at the moment. The Kiwi goes for 5 off his third. 83 for 3.
Lewis keeps the batters guessing by bringing himself back for the next over as Montgomery moves into the 40s but still not finding the rope or over it often enough. Patel tries for a straight big one and loses his off stump to the wily Somerset captain for 30 at 86 for 4. Tom Moores joins Montgomery in the middle. He is immediately off the mark with a single. Superb boundary fielding by Will Smeed who is patrolling the whole Caddyshack boundary keeps the score below 90. Ish bowls out at the MT... same reason - keep him on when he is doing the job you want him to. Montgomery finally gets a reverse sweep over the infield to the Hildreth stand to move Notts towards 100 and himself toward 50.
Sodhi finishes with a great 0 for 22 off his 4 while Ben Green is back on with Notts at 94 for 4. Their 100 comes up with a 4 and a near catch at the River end of the Somerset stand which is just out of the reach of the fielder. However, the next one to the other side of the wicket is not out of the reach of the diving Craig Overton and Montgomery goes for a fighting 51 (half his sides total) at 102 for 5. Mullany arrives - he likes Taunton. But Ben is on that length and they can't move him 102 for 5 after 15.
Lewis changes ends to the MT as we start to ponder the final five over bowlers Green will take 20, Gregory has one left after this so will probably take the 18th. Greener puts Mullaney down on the 4th ball of the over. But Moores tries to be too clever 2 balls later and simply ramps the ball to Sodhi and departs for 8 at 108 for 6
Matt Henry takes the next from the River and 'Nelson' arrives a little late for the Outlaws. Imad Wasim is the new bat. There is a delay as Nott have run one short and the score has to alter to accommodate. A four at the end of the over puts a few more on and it is 118 for 6 with Ben Green. The outfielders again work miracles stopping boundaries with flying saves and cutting the scoring down considerably. The Notts guys are looking to push it on but it isn't going their way most of the time. However a slight misfield does let them run another single so it's not perfect. Wasim steps up and dispatches Ben's last ball of the over for four to move Notts to 137 with 12 balls to go. Matt Henry takes the 19th and they will be looking to take him on so there will be fireworks. The first is skied into No Man's Land and drops safe. The intent is pretty clear from Wasim. The 3rd is another high one but it has the legs to cross the Botham rope without bothering a fielder to push Notts towards 150. Matt fires back with a no ball over shoulder height and the Outlaws have a free hit which Mullaney is caught off for a single.... no wicket but little damage. Wasim tries to ramp the last andf misses it, they take a single and reach 149 Matt Henry finishes with 1 for 27.
Lewis has farmed his bowlers well and had good returns from Ish Sodhi so this leaves him with the last over to bowl. The 150 comes up off the second ball of it and the 3rd only goes for a single. It has been a really tight bowling effort from the Somerset boys. A flash brings a straight four to the River boundary from Wasim. He then tries a kind of reverse ramp and gets nowhere near the ball. The last ball takes a while as the Somerset skipper has sweat in his eyes but it is saved on the Gimblett boundary and they finish with 157 for 6. We need 158 to go to Edgbaston. Gregory ends with 2 for 32 with Brooksey only bowling 1 for 13
The Reply
We have defended this total here this year and we can always snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Having said that, if we get off to anything like the starts we have had this year we ought to make a significant dent in that total.
Tom Banton and Will Smeed come in to get us started. Bants will face the first from Fletcher coming in from the River. We need just over 7 an over. Tom is off the mark with a single. Will follows suit. After a no ball Tom steps to leg and fires a four to the CA pavilion scoreboard. 9 for 0 after 1.
The second over will be bowled by Wasim from the MT. Tom tries to reverse him and skies it into the hands of the keeper. He is not given out so we have a review. Did he glove it? DRS says Yes - but only just, seems to have come off the wristband of the glove. TKC in with TB out for 6 at 9 for 1.
TKC for him is being very cautious of Wasim. He cuts him across the pitch but stays in his crease and is then bowled with the next ball as he is too cautious. Tom Abell comes in at 9 for 2 and this is going to be a difficult night one gets the feeling a double wicket maiden for Wasim has changed things a little.
Jake Ball takes over number 3 and Will takes another single. Ball nearly has Abell LBW first ball. It has all become a little nervous out there for the home side. Notts are not here because they floated through this competition. Tom looks to instil confidence with a solid four through the covers to the Caddyshack next ball. He pulls another to end to the over and we are 18 for 2 after 3.
Not suprisingly Wasim continues from the MT. Will helps his first to the CA boundary and then drive his second to the Gimblett before cutting his third to the Trade Nation temporary stand. Now don't go mad Will we would like you there at the end if we want to win this one. He steals the strike and moves us to 31 after 4.
Ball is taking the 5th and holding the line as the Somerset men look to reset the innings. They don't need to rush but they do need to stay in . However Tom splits the field to the carpark boundary near the MT for four to keep the score moving. 38 for 2 after 5... just ahead of the 7 an over required.
Fletcher changes ends to the MT for the next one. He holds them with help from his outfield and it is 44 for 2 at the end of the Powerplay. Somerset aren't running away with this but they are up with the rate with plenty of wickets and time at the moment.
Samit offers spin from the River in the next 6 balls. The 50 arrives in the next over from the slow bowling of Harrison but Will is run out going for a second for 22 from 18 - scoring is not easy against this attack but that run was not necessary. Sean Dickson arrives and HE has a job to do at 55 for 3. The over ends at 56.
So we are being asked to show some character in this one as this is not going to be as easy as we thought it was. Notts are doing well and holding us back from the 7 an over target and although that does not put us under particular pressure we will be aware of it unless there is a big over to decrease the scoreboard influence. Samit is not easy to get away at the best of times and he is fighting for his side's survival in this competition at the moment. It is 61 for 3 after 9 and this game is most defiinitely still on.
Dickson doesn't do the job as he is dismissed LBW by Harrison for only 4 at 61 for 4. In comes Gregory to join the other captain with a task in their hands. Unfortunately nothing seems to be going their way and Tom goes almost immediately for 26 off 21 caught behind off Harrison who is having a great evening with 3 wickets in his 2 overs. 62 for 5 and we still need about 100. Ben Green (our third captain) is in with his side needing him to do something quite special to pull this one back from the brink.
At halfway we are 63 for 5 - 5 runs behind the Notts total at that stage and it is looking less likely that we will be spending next weekend in Brum. But it is not over yet and Gregory puts one into the Hildreth to remind people of that. 73 for 5 - 10 an over will do it :-). Harrison is bowling his third. Let's try and leave him wicketless!! Ben does hit a four early and then hits one throuugh a fielder with considerable force... although he does take the pace off it. The batting partnership survives at 81 in the 12th.
Wasim changes to the River for his next. He holds the line until Lewis smacks him straight into the Botham and we reach 90. Mullaney is introduced at the MT as we push to move the score past 100 with some pretty desperate running of doubles. 97 for 5 after 14. Still on but the pressure is still there. Lewis is on 23 and Ben is on 13 facing Patel. The pressure is getting to him as he bowls a wide. There is a claim for a catch which no-one but Moores is interested in and then Lewis brings up the 100 with a six to the corner of the CA. Samit bowls a no ball and the next ball is a free hit. Samit has been there before and produces an excellent dot ball. 109 with 5 to go. So 50 off 30 balls. Pretty simple. Harrison will bowl out with this one from the MT.
Ben deposits him into the car park ball 1. Added to a series of singles and twos we go to 120. 38 off 24. Jake Ball is back at the River. Green puts him to the Ondaatje boundary for four - it was a wide one. Lewis skies one into that No Man's Land we all like and they scramble a single. They are taking chances and presently are getting away with them. Whether they are scoring hard enough is up for debate as they reach 128 from the over. 30 from 18. Wasim hasn't bowled out as he is taking the 18th. I got carried away. They aren't pushing it, just taking singles from him which will leave 2 a ball for the last 2 overs if they can stay in. Then Lewis cocks the trigger and pulls it into the Caddyshack for six. 138 for 5 20 from 12.
Ball takes the 19th. Two off the first. The captain hits four off the second. He hits six off the third and goes to a very important 50!! He takes a single by cutting the fourth ball. Ben misses the 5th and takes a single off the last. 153 for 5 with 6 balls to go. We need 5
Notts are in a conference. The last over is coming from Fletcher. Ben hits the first for a single. Lewis faces the second and runs a single. Ben is dropped in the covers. but it is a no ball and a free hit and they need 1!! Greener is caught but runs the single and we go to Birmingham amid fireworks!!
We win by 5 wickets and the back of the middle order show real character and coolness under pressure. How the hell has Ben Green not been picked up by a franchise? Are they bloody blind?
Off top Edgbaston and the cream is still on!! Real character win and the consistency continues. Surrey in the semi next Saturday afternoon. Bring it on!!
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:07:09:14:59:22 by Grockle.
Not looking good this year!!
I just feel that both scoreboard pressure and knockout tie pressure can conspire to make chasing tricky.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:07:03:22:24:21 by Grockle.
Over the past three seasons, before this one SCCC had won 78% of the time at Taunton, when batting first (7 of 9)
We had LOST 60% OF the time when batting second (won only 4 of 10)
Our lone home defeat this season also came batting second.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:07:03:09:43:20 by AGod.
We have won NINE of ELEVEN batting first: 83.33%
And have won EIGHT of FIFTEEN, so barely better than a toss-up at 53.33%
Just want it to continue because we really do deserve to be in the Finals this year. Probably even more than last year from a squad point of view.
Fingers & toes crossed for Friday!!
Sadly, the nature of knockout cricket is such that there is, perhaps, a 35% chance that we won’t make it.
I do feel that our chances in both the QF and any subsequent matches might be enhanced, compared to our many previous forays, by the superior standard of our fielding compared to pretty much everyone else.
(Or maybe a percentage of it given that we would be guaranteed some money from finals day under this alternative system).
Going through 14 matches to face an all-or-nothing shoot-out just feels wrong.
In most other sports with this kind of format there would be some kind of extended phase here, most likely the teams in the quarters playing a best of, say, 3. However, there isn't deemed to be enough time to do that and the competition is basically set up to give all clubs a decent number of matches.
The problem with it is that no-one really remembers you for winning the group stage in a cup or losing in a quarter-final.
Would a better format be a league of two divisions with promotion and relegation where the winners of Division 1 are (obviously) crowned champions?
You could retain Finals Day by then having the top 3 in Division 1 and the winners of Division 2 playing for a separate trophy, which would surely still draw the same sell-out party crowd as it does now?
That would also solve the problem of the quarters being hurried in so soon after the group finishes.
Quote:dilly
Surely the quarter and finals are so soon is to enable overseas stars to stay on reasonably cheaply. Also if there are two divisions with promotion you could end up with very long distances to travel every few days.
I realise Somerset have one of the worst situations with travel but to be honest the distances involved in England and Wales are nothing like those for sports clubs in national leagues in countries like France, Spain and Germany. A trip from Nantes to Marseilles is nearly 1,000 km for a match!
The issue there is with the scheduling. The competition is far too crammed and I can't think of any other sport where teams would be expected to play two matches in two days - if it happened in football there would be uproar, at the absolute most they play two matches within 7 days.
On top of this for fans and clubs it means hosting matches, say, on a Wednesday and then another 2 days later and obviously a huge chunk of fans pick only the Friday game.
Finally that the competition is over for 10 of the 18 clubs effectively at the end of June is frankly bonkers. For a person who only attends T20 matches for their county club, which we have to recognise is the case for thousands of fans across the land, the season is over just as the summer is starting. If you are talking about growing the game and keeping counties relevant there just has to be Blast cricket on in July and August. To not do so is nuts.
I know Somerset do well with 50 over attendances, but many others don't, so for a club like Northants you now have the rest of the summer with nothing to offer that is going to pull in a sizeable crowd.
Football regularly plays Saturday - Tues/Wed - Sat (so that’s 3 games in 7 days)
Quote:AGod
Huh?
Football regularly plays Saturday - Tues/Wed - Sat (so that’s 3 games in 7 days)
It's 3 in 8. But that's not the issue here!
Trent Rockets: John Turner, Tom Moores
Manchester Originals: Max Holden, Fred Klaassen
Oval Invincibles: Tawanda Muyeye, Zak Chappell
London Spirit: Matt Critchley, Daniel Bell-Drummond
Welsh Fire: Luke Wells, Chris Cooke
Northern Superchargers: Ollie Robinson, Saif Zaib
Birmingham Phoenix: Jacob Bethell, Henry Brookes
Southern Brave: Jafer Chohan, Matthew Fisher
Whilst sorry for him that the Gravy Train has missed his stop, I will be delighted to watch him skipper our 50 over squad again
Quote:AGod
Sadly, the nature of knockout cricket is such that there is, perhaps, a 35% chance that we won’t make it.
Whilst knockout does increase that chance AGod, and acknowledging that I know nothing about 2020, I think it is the shortness of the game that also increases the chance of the better team losing. I know about Durham v Yorks early seventies but my impression is that with 60 overs, the better team was much more likely to win although factors such as the toss in September Lord’s finals came into it.
I'm sure the money would be welcome but he'll get his chance - it does question the reasons why people are picked up - is it skill or is it marketable quality?
Maybe there is a limit on the number of players these franchises can pull from one county. Maybe about 65% is it
Quote:Grockle
The reason it is crammed here and now is because the white elephant in the UK cricket season MUST be played in August to benefit from the best financial market situation. Take that out of the equation and things can be different. Although franchise cricket in a global sense will affect overseas availability of course
The Hundred needs to be scrapped. As it seems it can't be just yet for contractual reasons, shove it where the Blast is now and move the Blast into July-August.
As far as spectators are concerned, overseas players are completely unnecessary. The vast majority of people who go to Blast games just want have a decent choice of food and drink, see plenty of 4s and 6s and ideally a win for the home side, though even that doesn't always matter so much.
I hardly think Sunil Narine or Sean Abbott draw a single extra spectator to the Oval or to Taunton when they visit. The only type of player who might make a difference is a full-on megastar, but even when KP played at Surrey I don't think it had any effect on T20 gates.
But that August window is the most important & the franchise is the biggest spanner in the works though ECB admin won't allow changes because they've spaffed all their money up the wall on it and tied domestic cricket to it like a weight around the neck.
They can't afford to let it be seen to fail and UK cricket can't progress until they find a way out if the hole they have dug for themselves
Notts, who finished fourth in the Northern Group, will select from: Ball, Carter, Clarke, Fletcher, Hales, Hameed, Harrison, James, McKerr, Moores, Montgomery, Mullaney, Munro, Patel, Wasim.
Seriously?
Or is that a new overseas signing rather than the sometime England opener!?
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Only if it’s a fresh green pitch AND we let him bowl with the new ball (unlikely!?) is Brooks likely to do better than Shoaib, in my view.
Lewis Gregory, Will Smeed, Tom Banton, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Tom Abell, Tom Lammonby, Sean Dickson, Ben Green, Kasey Aldridge, Craig Overton, Lewis Goldsworthy, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Jack Brooks and Shoaib Bashir.
Lewis, Will, Tom B, TKC, Tom A, Ben, Craig, Ish, Matt will play. I'd expect Sean D also to be in after he looked solid v Kent.
So seam or spin. I'd also like Lewis Jr or Shoaib rather than Jack as a second slow option.
We win only 55% batting second
Despite this SCCC always insert when we win toss and 90% of opponents do likewise. But Notts have done the smart thing, which makes our task tougher.
Enjoy people
Don't plan for Edgbaston just yet but it might be worth checking the price of transport, hotels and tickets perhaps? Never certain though is it. Have to say though it is most definitely ours to lose from here!!
Brooks pick looking costly as could have done with somebody else that can bat.
I make that thirteen wins out of fourteen.
Unfortunately, I shall be occupied on other matters on Finals Day but rely on the rest of you to see us home.
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
I think it's time to scrap the North/South groups, and just go for a random draw, tbh.
I see they finally had the sense to drop Tom peasant Curran tonight, since Jason Roy deigned to put in an appearance instead.
They'd have been very happy with the Notts score, not so much with losing Smeed, Banton and Tom K-C with so few on the board.
And while they have clearly been the stars with the bat this year, it's good to see that they're not the only ones who can score. The figures suggest that Gregory's and Green's innings were beautifully paced when they were under loads of pressure.
Great bowling figures from Henry, Overton and Sodhi, and pretty good from Gregory too.
I just thought it might be a bit less squeaky bum time when Somerset were chasing what looked like a modest total.
************
(My dad passed away last month and we held a celebration of his life today on what would have been his 89th birthday. He was a lifelong Somerset fan stretching back to the bleak days of the early 1950s, so I'm glad that today of all days Somerset delivered!)
Well, we got out of jail there for sure. Tremendous stuff from Lewis, who clearly has been drinking double expresso's of late. Which is just as well, as our top five looked distinctly and uncharacteristically ill at ease (slow pitch likely didn't help).
Thought our bowling was generally excellent, but having got ourselves in an initial pickle with the bat, Messrs Gregory & Green generated a terrific atmosphere at the ground to see us home.
We'll likely need to be sharper next weekend. Fingers crossed this is our year.
Grizzers
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:07:08:07:25:55 by Grizzers.
Off subject a bit but only a few years ago Mull said Glen Chapple had never spoken to him since he left Lancs which says much about the Lancashire inward looking “ if you aren’t with us, you’re against us “ outlook.
I think - for the first time ever - we possibly derived some advantage from the Blundred yesterday - as Gregory will have faced many of the Notts bowlers many times in the nets for Trent Tripe.
Well played too, Ben Green, who was the perfect foil to Gregory.
I would like to see Aldridge replace Brooks on Finals Day - indubitably a better batsman and fielder and unlikely to do a worse job if called upon to bowl an over or two. As AG has observed, the only case for playing Brooks would be if he were to open the bowling, but Somerset will rightly want to stick to their strategy of bowling Cove and Henry through most, if not all, of the power play overs.
I still think we miss Lammonby ,which gives flexibility if there is a short boundary on one side at Edgbasten,if only they had confidence in him bowling 1 or 2 overs. You also miss his fielding.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:07:08:14:48:17 by nelliec.
His role would be to take the new ball.
Quite rightly we opened with Craig & Henry the first 5 as they have been superb.
This left nowhere obvious to use Brooks as our middle overs are also used to being Green Sodhi Lewis with Matt to finish.
Kasey would have offered a better fielder & batting option if needed & to bowl the same 1 or 2 overs if needed.
Assuming no Josh or RVDM next weekend we will have the same 10 certainties I imagine with the same choice between Jack Kasey Lammers......
The pace off option would be there if RvdM was available.. still would consider Shoaib or Lewis Junior IF he can bowl.
Would like to see Shoaib play as you really need two spinners for Edgbaston. If Goldsworthy had been anywhere in the frame at all, all season, then he would be a possibility.
This happens every time, then Somerset manages to get more tickets.
You can get a ticket directly from Edgbaston.
Have you spoken to him?
It was suggested at the time he did it 3/4 weeks possibly.
Monday will be 3 weeks.
Saturday will be 26 days.
I know he has been doing oxygen chamber sessions.
Who knows......
If he could be that missing number 11 spot we can't confirm then we are even more nailed on winners than we are now!!!
Personally I think we went for Sodhi as overseas due to our expectation that VDM would not be available for the rest of our T20 campaign.
I'll concentrate on that & enjoying watching us with great like minded friends, as opposed to typing all day every day.
Hope you got your ticket for Saturday ok 👍
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:07:08:20:05:03 by Somerset LaLaLa.
That's probably over £3k a coach.. it is coming back after midnight so it probably is a 2 day hire. Prices have shot up since I was doing it but they won't be making a loss at that price.
But, as Grockle has pointed out, times presumably mean the hire is for longer than a 'normal' day.
Grizzers
it changes revenue by about a grand a coach though... what is an acceptable return for the service? Are you doing it to help supporters or to make money out of the supporters desire to be there? Its a fine line
A number may think Somerset are too often on the money side of that line nowadays but times are hard for business as well I suppose.
53 seater coach £2,972. That equals £56 a head to the coach hire company. That is average so Somerset can probably negotiate it for a bit less and make a bit on each ticket which I wouldn't begrudge them. The harsh reality is, we are competing with the likes of Surrey and Lancashire who made pre-tax profits of £5.4m and £3.1m respectively in 2022, leaving aside the burgeoning franchise competition. Somerset's annual profit is usually less than £0.5m and our annual turnover is only £8.5m.
Football clubs do it cheaper for comparable journeys - about £30 for Exeter City and about £35 for Chelsea, but I imagine Chelsea in particular hire rather more than the two coaches Somerset took to Edgbaston last year, can book months in advance and for 20 matches a year so can negotiate much better deals.
You can do the trip on National Express for £38.50 but would have to leave Taunton at about 4.00 a.m. and leave Birmingham about 6.00 a.m. (or thereabouts) the following day for the return trip.
It is a toughly competitive cricket world we live in. On the field and at the bank.
Edit: I thought I would do a comparison check with the other three counties going to Finals Day, but can't find any indication on their websites that any of them will be arranging coach travel for their supporters.
Farmer
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:07:09:13:40:00 by Farmer White.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:07:09:16:08:31 by Somerset LaLaLa.