Metro 50 Game 5 - Cause and Effect at Bristol
By Farmer White et al
August 16 2023
Curtis Campher leaves after this trip up to Bristol with our thanks for his efforts but we face Gloucestershire without any experienced bowler available to us and apossibly youngest ever bowling attack. No Brooks, No Davey, No Goldsworthy so the job is down to Ned Leonard, JT Langridge, Shoaib Bashir, Josh and George Thomas with the guys we've pulled in from outside for this competition. Farmer comments on the results and they aren't all that pretty.
Gloucestershire v Somerset. Metro Bank One-Day Cup 2023. Bristol. 13th August.
Untimely ripped
Toss. Somerset. Elected to field.
“I’m not sure what you are going to write about that,” said a Somerset supporter as we crossed paths during the Somerset innings. Somerset’s prospects of winning the match had long been consigned to oblivion and Gloucestershire had been unmercifully rampant. There was no hint of disdain at Somerset’s inadequate efforts. The comment was though laced with concern about the impact on Somerset’s young players, for they had been, as Shakespeare’s MacDuff might have had it, untimely ripped from their cricketing development to face a ferocious onslaught from experienced players. One of Somerset’s young players was aged 20, five were teenagers. The match took place on the field at Bristol and was thoroughly enjoyed by the Gloucestershire crowd, but the eye of the Somerset supporter, at least most of those to whom I spoke, was cast on a wider perspective.
That wider perspective was the impact on the English domestic 50-over competition, and of some of those drafted in to play in it, of The Hundred. Denuding sides of the best white ball players in the country has a wildly uneven effect. In this match, Gloucestershire lost two players, Somerset nine. In effect, it produced a match between essentially a first eleven and essentially a second eleven. Of the five Metro Bank One-Day Cup matches Somerset have played to date, including this one, only Warwickshire have lost as many players as Somerset. None of the other four teams Somerset have played have lost more than three. The step up from second eleven county cricket to first eleven is widely accepted to be a quantum one which has to be carefully, and usually conservatively, managed.
In fact, Somerset’s youngsters, led by Sean Dickson and supported by the temporary arrival of Curtis Campher and Danny Lamb, had acquitted themselves well in the first four matches, winning one of them and competing until close to the end in two of the others. In this match, the dam burst. Somerset were swept away in a flood of runs which would have sunk Noah’s Ark. It came as no surprise. The constant pressure which results from repeatedly playing much more experienced teams and players of the quality of Prithvi Shaw and Cheteshwhar Pujara must bear down heavily on the soul of a young player trying to make their way in the game.
As to the match itself, the writing was on the wall by the time the left-handed Chris Dent was out in the 14th over of the Gloucestershire innings. Gloucestershire were 105 for 1 and the match was already fast running away from Somerset. Dent had made 65 from 38 balls, his fifty coming from 29 and his first six of four, the first ball I saw, came from the third ball of the match bowled by Danny Lamb. It had the hint of a top edge, but it landed in front of the T20 dugouts in front of the Pavilion.
The 8.27 train from Taunton and the number 70 bus barely sufficing for the person with me and I to reach the ground for an eleven o’clock start. There are no earlier trains from Taunton on a Sunday. Mercifully the bag search queue moved quickly, and we only missed two balls. There was a good-sized crowd, perhaps two and a half thousand and so, with Nevil Road having no seating along the Kennington Road side of the ground and the Pavilion and Ashley Down Road End seats being very well populated, we made for the Mound Stand, still well populated but with plenty of space to spread out.
It quickly became apparent that Gloucestershire had the upper hand. Lamb was struck for three fours in the fifth over by the left-handed Bracey, the first being driven emphatically through the covers to the boundary in front of the picnic tables on the Kennington Road side of the ground. Its power and precision set the tone for the rest of the Gloucestershire innings. By the end of the over Gloucestershire were 34 for 0. They were 75 for 0 by the end of the ten-over powerplay with Lamb conceding 32 runs from four overs, Dent having added two more sixes. More concerning than the score was the apparent ease with which Gloucestershire were scoring their runs and the power with which they were striking the ball which flew viciously to the boundary, leaving fielders flailing in its wake or trying wholeheartedly, but with futility, to intercept it as it sped along the boundary. Ned Leonard, fielding in front of me in the Mound Stand never relented and took two outstanding running catches, both low down, one a la Mitchell Stark but with his hand the right way up. More boundaries defeated the fielders in front of the picnic tables on the other side of the ground, but the boundary was considerably shorter that way with less time to intercept or for the ball to lose pace.
By the end of 20 overs, Gloucestershire were 137 for 1, George Thomas having removed Dent to one of Leonard’s catches, but Dent had already taken a four and a six from the over in which he was dismissed, the six crashing into one of the cars in the car park behind the picnic tables beyond the short boundary, not for the only time in the innings. Somerset’s young bowlers were beginning to stray in line and length but given the onslaught from experienced professionals like Dent and Bracey after four matches of holding the line, it was perhaps not a surprise and there was no letup from Oli Price or from Bracey who was remorseless.
By the end of the 30th over, the point from which doubling the score gives a rough calculation of the final total if there are wickets in hand, Gloucestershire were 206 for 1. But with nine wickets standing and the pitch offering no assistance Somerset fears were for a score even higher than that. Bracey barely paused for breath in reaching 90 from 90 balls. And still the onslaught continued. In the next ten overs, Gloucestershire added another 101 runs with still nine wickets standing. Bracey added 63 of those from 33 balls. He took 12 in an over from Campher and 16 in an over from George Thomas including two sixes, both over long off to the Ashley Down Road End. Both balls were pitched full outside off, but Thomas was constrained in his options by bowling spin to the short boundary. It was painful to watch from a Somerset perspective and the enforced imbalance between the sides was disconcerting in pure cricketing terms. Gloucestershire supporters around me cheered but Somerset ones were silent, not at one with what they were seeing.
In the 42nd over Somerset finally took a wicket. Oliver Price, who had been pacing himself in support of Bracey, lofted Shoaib Bashir towards the Mound Stand to my left. George Thomas, to my left, edged back to take the catch. He had to step back close to the boundary but anchored his rear foot firmly inside the rope and took the ball. The umpire advanced towards Thomas with arms outstretched in questioning mode and Price held back from leaving the field. Thomas confirmed the catch, and the umpire raised his finger. I had a clear view of the catch, looking along the boundary rope, about 30 yards away. Thomas’s foot was anchored eighteen inches inside the rope. Harry Tector, next man in, 30 yards the other side of Thomas, had as clear a view as I did and walked straight out while those in the middle hesitated, and Price had to go. Thomas’s reward for taking such a well-judged catch was to be booed by a group of Gloucestershire supporters sat immediately behind the rope.
The catch made not a jot of difference. Bracey and Tector now added 80 runs in five overs of utter mayhem before Tector was dismissed for 37 in 17 balls off the bowling of the 17-year-old James Langridge. The detail is lost to the memory amidst the swirling images of batters swinging the bat without let or hindrance, balls flying to and over the boundary, and fielders as helpless as they would have been had they been asked to catch a shower of meteors. The cars were as helpless as the fielders and one suffered a ball onto the bonnet, up the windscreen, straight into the air as it presumably struck the windscreen seal and crashed down again onto the roof. The partnership took Gloucestershire to 398 for 3 with three and a half overs remaining.
And then, Somerset’s day got worse. The last three and a half overs of the innings brought 60 runs, the 17-year-old Langridge being struck for three sixes and a four off the last four balls of the penultimate over by van Buuren, all three of the sixes over the short boundary. He looked stunned each time he turned to walk back to his mark but still ran in as if he intended the next ball to take a wicket. He tried a fuller ball among the sixes but that was driven straight back past him for four. The final over actually brought some transitory relief as 19 year-old Shoaib Bashir held Gloucestershire to ten. Bashir had kept to the task throughout his eight overs and was quick to offer support and advice to co-spinner 18 year-old Josh Thomas who conceded 29 from his two overs. 454 for 3 the final total. Bracey 224 not out from 151 balls, Van Buuren 35 from 12.
Gloucestershire supporters were rapturous in their applause and Bracey had celebrated his double century with some satisfaction to a standing ovation, but to Somerset supporters, the extent of the mismatch between the sides and the mayhem left an uneasy feeling. There were no issues with the way the experienced Gloucestershire team had played. Teams can only play against the team put up against them and they must do their utmost against them and there is no question that Gloucestershire did that. The unease was with a structure for the domestic game which produces such mismatches and the possible impact on players taken out of the development phase of their career to play.
Although no one I spoke to expected Somerset to get anywhere near the Gloucestershire total, they made a positive start and played with some intent until the steady accumulation of wickets lost in the attempt to keep pace with the Gloucestershire score dragged them down. Somerset’s 21st over score was only nine runs behind Gloucestershire’s 20-over score, but by then they had consumed one more over, lost two more wickets and were 49 behind on Duckworth Lewis. For the team chasing, it is the loss of wickets which kills in Duckworth Lewis. When a team is chasing 455, two additional wickets in the first half of the match make a huge difference.
Andy Umeed again made a good start for Somerset, looking calm, assured and in control, although his boundaries were driven or pulled through midwicket rather than coming from his normal fare of drives between mid-on and mid-off. George Thomas, another 19-year-old, began brightly, making 20 from 24 balls, along the way driving Josh Shaw through the covers for four with precision. He was out to Josh Shaw, well caught in the deep by Tom Smith trying to clear the long square boundary in front of the Mound Stand. It is a long hit but chasing 455 puts batters under that sort of pressure. Somerset were 44 for 1 in the eighth over. George Bartlett made a start too but was soon beaten in the flight by the left arm spin of Tom Smith, failed to get his bat behind the ball and was leg before wicket right back in front of his stumps for 23 from 24 balls. Somerset was 90 for 2 in the 14th over, yet now needing over ten runs an over and 27 adrift on Duckworth Lewis.
It was at this point that the after-effects of the major dental work that had interrupted my watching of the Northamptonshire match began to give me some trouble, whether in sympathy with Somerset’s predicament I know not, and I had to leave my seat. By the time I was fit to return Umeed had departed for 55 from 46 balls, bowled leg stump trying to glance. He had though done enough to build on the reputation he has been developing over the last few games for providing stability at the top of the order.
As I sat down, Rew and Campher were engaged in a partnership of 52 in six overs, but when it ended with Rew, 43 from 50 balls, failing to keep down a cover drive off Tom Price the impossibility of Somerset’s task appeared on the scoreboard in figures. At 180 for 4, Somerset were 56 behind on Duckworth Lewis. That two fewer wickets would have had them more or less level on Duckworth Lewis showed how closely they had followed a trajectory of runs sufficient to win the match. Even so, they now needed 12 an over and one more wicket would expose the inexperience of Somerset’s lower order. When Campher went for 32 from 27 balls, trying to clear the long boundary with a reverse sweep off van Buuren, Somerset were 202 for 5, still needing 256 at nearly 13 an over. The rate was only rising slowly and Somerset were trying to stick to their task still, but the cost in terms of wickets was unsustainable and although they were scoring at nearly seven an over it was too far from the nine they had needed at the start and the Duckworth Lewis gap had increased to 77. The inevitable was closing in.
It was, as it always had been, too much and the dam finally burst. Somerset lost their last five wickets for 24 runs, their last four for ten. Sean Dickson made 24 from 21 balls but the situation had become such that he was bowled by Paul van Meekeren, lately of Somerset, trying to drive a yorker. Josh Thomas (22 from 19 balls) acquitted himself well and pulled van Buuren over the short boundary before an uppercut off van Meekeren failed to clear the boundary. 246 for 7. “There are good crowds for this competition,” the person with me said, “But for how long will people continue to come to watch matches like this?”
At that point with Somerset in disarray, I reluctantly left the ground. Not because of the match situation. I have never left a Somerset match early because of the state of the game, however badly (or well) Somerset are doing. I stayed to the bitter end at Southampton in 2019 when Somerset suffered that fearful County Championship drubbing which effectively ended their Championship challenge that year. But my rebellious mouth was becoming ever more problematic and so I decided to beat the rush for transport to Temple Meads and get it home for some attention as quickly as possible. It was not long after I arrived at Temple Meads that Somerset supporters who had stayed to the end also arrived. Eyes exchanged glances but not much was said. The glances were enough.
The journey home was one for reflection. It had been a devastating day. I looked at the list of players drafted from Somerset for The Hundred. They were all, as you would expect, highly proficient at white-ball cricket, most at red-ball cricket too, and they had just dominated and won the Vitality Blast. With the possible exception of the out of form Lammonby, it was difficult to see any of them not playing in this match had they been available. In essence, Somerset took the field with only two, possibly three, of those who would have been selected had everyone been available. Of the team that played, probably only Dickson and Bashir would have made a full Somerset first team. For Gloucestershire, those figures were reversed. Gloucestershire were presented with an opportunity and as any team would have done, and should have done, they took full, crushing advantage. For Somerset, it is difficult to see what development their youngsters could have derived from a match such as this. Whatever the future of The Hundred and of this competition, that is an issue that needs to be addressed.
Result. Gloucestershire 454 for 3 (50 overs) J.R. Bracey 224 (151 balls), O.J. Price 77 (83), C.D.J. Dent 65 (38). Somerset 256 (38.2 overs) A.R.I. Umeed 55 (46), J.E.K. Rew 43 (50), P.A. van Meekeren 3-34 (econ 4.86), J. Shaw 3-42 (6.63). Gloucestershire won by 198 runs. Gloucestershire 2 points. Somerset 0 points.
As an extra to this to emphasise how difficult it was to provide a side here the following players were unavailable for Somerset for this game (not including Steven Davis who is under contract but not considered at all?)
Abell, Aldridge, Brooks, Banton, Baker, Davey, Gregory, Goldsworthy, Green, Kohler-Cadmore, Lammonby, Leach, Ogborne, Overton, Smeed, van der Merwe. 16 from a squad of 24 with all of our T20 winnning side either taken by the franchise or injured except for Dickson and Bashir. A whole team of bowlers were out of the equation.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:08:17:13:42:07 by Grockle.
After this one it will probably be mostly prepping & checking for the last 3 4 dayers as the next stage of the Metro will probably be beyond us.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:08:16:14:41:16 by Grockle.
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Farmer
Possibly a comment on the pressure put on guys still learning their game by a concentrated tournament at a higher level. We see some inconsistencies coming in but still flashes of excellence like that diving catch from Leonard.
It's a big ask and the men playing are working hard to do us justice
Not sure who will hold this in check in the last 10... this isn't a side with significant 'death bowlers'.so 350 ish to chase?
Doing just that at the moment.
Looking like 380+ currently though.
The experience is not necessarily a bad one for those who 'have it' but it can become difficult for sides decimated playing sides slightly affected by the franchise stuff.
We've fought well in some demanding games but it does show the differences in intensity between first and second eleven cricket
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
I'm sure Mr Bracey is very grateful after a very poor season thus far.
Shoaib has more of a lead role than he has had.
Then they have to get the bats out!!
Bracey is having a decent day with Tector to come.
Still, if Bracey can do this then maybe our guys can score lots reasonably quickly too? I mean our guys have to be closer to Bracey than they are to Shaw or Pujara.
What can Sean Dixon say to his side other than "play for your personal best and to bat out 50 overs"
It's feasible but massively unlikely that we have a chance in this one.
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
He’s actually got five overs, 2 for 18, thus far, bowling out Shaw’s teammates, but not Privthi.
6 an over on reply so.our front end batting is firing though we've lost George Thomas
To be fair I'd have happily watched our original Metrobank line up and been moderately optimistic especially given the early work of Andy Umeed, Lewis and Curtis plus the captaincy of Sean
Umeed, Thomas, Goldsworthy, Rew Bartlett, Dickson, Campher, Davey, Lamb, Brooks, Bashir with Kasey as option 1
Might have moved George Thomas back a bit and Kasey would have been asking plus we would have had Alfie, Ned, Josh T and JT as backups.
Instead we cannot call on 5 of those with 4 from the first 12 plus Alfie. We have lost 16 of a named squad of 24 (did not include Steve Davis as they never seemed to)
This is our third if not fourth bowling option though the batting is only really missing Lewis.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:08:13:16:24:58 by Grockle.
Earlier, Pujara made only 27.
And Bess took five wickets.
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Grizzers
In the last 5 days Somerset have conceded the 6th and 11th highest individual list A scores worldwide ever, and more striking still, the 2nd and 3rd highest individual list A scores in England ever.
Just the last 5 days.
It's not even our 2nd choice attack, it's men against boys & the youngsters are trying their best.
Today we had Thomas Thomas Bashir Ned & Langridge as Somerset bowlers, average age of 20?
There can be no criticism of these kids all being thrown in together due to "circumstances" against established first team county pro's or better!
Being away from home is even tougher without home support & familiar surroundings.
Once things started badly there was just no experience to fall back on.
A good mention for Campher today, lots of talking to Ned & Langridge during overs where to they we're getting whacked.
They all just need support & help to learn in such tough circumstances & not get downbeat.
We aren't really off the pace batting wise... but it's a hard road for newbies with the ball. Think the Thomas brothers have shown grit in this as well
ODI (1971) and list A (1963) have been around for years yet twice in the last 5 days Somerset have conceded huge individual scores. That would not have happened if all teams had their first choice (or near as) players.
The young lads have done their best and you will not get any unjust criticism of them from me. I will still be attending and supporting whatever the team selection or competition.
And to confirm the mentions above, and as I have said previously, Campher is good on many levels.
ECB should ask themselves how this is developmental? What about the mental health consequences? And those that support the 100 need to witness the damage it is really doing to the stars of the future.
"How did you get on today, my boy?" "Oh, they only hit 450 against us"
Sloop John B
Absolutely NONE of the blame for my discomfort goes to the players (there yesterday, injured or away at the Hundred), coaches, staff, management or supporters. The Langridges, Leonards, Thomas’s and Bashirs did their absolute best against an experienced professional County side.
I was embarrassed that we have to (theoretical options like pulling out of the comp to one side) play such 17 and 18 year olds in a competition won gloriously four years ago, at a time when we’ve just proven to have the best white ball side in the country. Remember, we didn’t just win the T20 - we absolutely dominated it from start to finish.
I had to sit and listen to Gloucs supporters around me bemoan the state of Somerset cricket with comments such as “they used to be quite good, back when Botham persuaded his mate Richards to come and play for them “ (yes, that’s what he said!); and “why aren’t Leach and Overton playing - they must be injured”.
I went in the full knowledge of the type of side we had to put out, just keen to see some of the youngsters I’d never seen play (I’d only seen Bartlett, Dickson and Rew before). But as soon as Dent started laying into poor JT and Ned Leonard, it was clear how it was going to go.
The ECB aren’t responsible for the ignorance of fellow cricket fans (I’m sure we have similar naivety at Taunton) - but they are wholly and undeniably responsible for my embarrassment yesterday that we had no choice but to field an unimaginably young and inexperienced XI in this once-excellent but now disrespected tournament. It was so sad - I hope Dickson’s words afterwards to Anthony Gibson are reinforced by our management and forwarded to Lord’s as evidence that this cannot go on.
PS I was also slightly embarrassed by Bracey’s OTT celebrations of his 100 and 200, liked he’d made them against 1980s West Indies attack, rather than Somerset Under 21s.
Dickson didn’t even point out, which he could have done, that we are fielding our third string bowlers, not our second string.
He said the only thing he could, really, Devonboy - namely that this experience should prove “character building,” for the young bowlers.
We are damaged by having so many taken for the 100, plus injuries, plus we don't have the squad size depth of other big boys.
We punch very high in the player salary levels, top 3 or 4 last we were told.
So we can't use the "poor us" line in that respect.
Maybe we don't spend our budget wisely enough?
Hurry et all will never admit it but we aren't making any efforts really for the 50.
We all know it, we had no overseas player planned. We are (rightly) not rushing back Davey, or risking Golds, and resting our few fit seamers in Brooks & Ned.
We would go loopy if we injured Davey or rushed back Kasey in the 50s at the expense of their September fitness.
I think most supporters are sensibly resigned to our position, but it doesn't make thumpings like Northants or Glos easier to watch.
Spectators largely want a contest. 50 over games are a good day out but 7 hours with very little jeopardy on the outcome will become pretty unappealing to many before long.
The away travellers for Thursdays match could easily be counted on one hand I suspect.....
Think I've explained the injuries to Goldsworthy three times on one forum plus we have had more than one asking why we aren't using Ollie Sale as we are "paying his wages"
Not sure what Sean is supposed to say when he finds himself skippering a side with these issues - suppose "Lord's"would like him to shut up in case the situation that they have created to an extent gets into the papers or onto the BBC where franchise punters might hear or read it...can't have that can we?
The injuries are something else and with Sonny out so early in the season (though had he done well we might have lost him to the bloody franchises as well). There is that 'Catch 22' of blooding youngstrers over a period of time only to lose them to the Franchise trawlers but then injuring them because we sudddenlt ask them to be intense in a short period of time at a level they have not been used to.
With no chance of getting anywhere near the next stage of this cup the question now is what do we do with Brooks - who looked knackered the other night or Goldsworthy - who obviously isn't there yet or Davey who hasn't been for months now. What is important? Saving face in this with the strongest team we can put out? Prepping for the last 3 four day games or is it just a case of getting eleven warm bodies on the pitch against Durham?
It's just a bloody mess to be honest and very little of it is the fault of the people turning up to play the games.
More likely that they further marginalise the OD Cup by restricting who can play in it to 'balance' out the teams as was threatened in the first year. In other words turn it into the 'developmental' comp they always pretended they wanted it to be.
They will do nothing to restrict the resource base of their white elephant
Grizzers
An article in Wisden about our fate said that we had lost ten players to the Blundred.
It listed them - and included Matt Henry! Since Matt was not under contract here for this period, we can hardly claim to have lost him to that competition. The same piece also claimed we had lost Sonny Baker to this year's 16.4!!
For instance, as we lost 9 players to Glos 2 players we should be able to nominate 7 fit Glos players to be left out of their side.
That would mean both sides had 9 players missing and would give competitive matches.
Under this system players like Bracey. Dent Pugara and Shaw wouldn't have played against us.
I wonder if the ECB would implement such a radical system and upset the weaker counties like Glos who are now one of the strongest teams because they field a virtual first team.
I'm sure if you pitched admission prices at a realistic price. maybe 50% less than now you'd still get near full houses.
I wonder if Mr Hollins would make a public stand and lay into the ECB?
Young bowlers getting slaughtered every game could have their careers ruined.
I wonder if Jason Kerr would publicly conde, the ECB as it's an unfair competition and more likely put and end to youngsters' careers,
The great Bill Shankley famously said " You win nothing with a team of kids"
As for the chances of GH publicly making a stand against the ECB, I guess the closest we’ll ever get is last years mild observation that there were insufficient days cricket at Taunton in peak summer.
For now at least, our strategy to survive this absolute mess appears to be one of continuing silence and inertia.
Grizzers
You MUST be joking.
Need to remember that in the initial plans there was NO 50 over competition at all.
The PCA aren't going to want 100 or so of their members to be forced to sit idle in August unless they can extract from the ECB a promise that full contracts will still be paid, as normal, both now and in the future.. in other words? Counties would not be allowed to ask players to take less money in future, because they would now not be playing at all in August.
I'm not sure where the maths is on this, but if there are more PCA members excluded from the Blundred than there are in it? Well then the PCA might have a mandate for industrial action, should counties decide that they no longer wish to pay PCA members who are not playing country cricket in August, but are not in the Hundred either.
It's all the most unholy mess imaginable and we are almost certainly about to enter the last few years of county cricket as a going concern.
County cricket will not outlive Test cricket since, for the ECB, it serves no function other than to develop Test players.. and with the ECB alighting on playing Bazball on roads, even that justification for the county championship starts to look a little flimsy. Regardless, most countries will stop playing Test cricket shortly. Another death knell has been sounded with the CSA banning their coach from taking any SA20 players (the INdian-funded SA franchise drivel) on the Test tour of NZ.
Within 5 years only England, Australia and maybe Pakistan (since their players are excluded from all Indian-funded franchise bun-fights) might still be playing Test cricket. the BCCI don't give a damn. They and their moguls have absolutely destroyed the game we knew and loved. Yes... I suppose it's "better," now for the players - those that have T20 type gifts, that is, since they can make fortunes (for example Ben Stokes's annual IPL deal is worth £1.6 million) but for anyone that likes or values traditional, red-ball cricket and the county system etc... the end is nigh.