Blast Number 7 - Halfway Point Glamorgan at Taunton
By Grockle
June 16 2024
It's the other deby today, midway in the Blast and our visitors are the 'Welsh' today before we go up to Bristol next weekendand then go back to the red ball for a fortnight or so.... Glamorgan have some batting and Marnus of course while we have a bit of bowling with Riley Meredith getting better every game. No ideaif Craig will play even now about 45 mins before we start but if we chase then they can set what they like, if we bowl second then they are welcome to try and get what we score. Hopefully a consistently good game as they all have been this year so far.
Blast! Number 7 Glamorgan @ Taunton Sunday 16 June 2024
The Somerset side on the scorecard is the same as Friday's except that Craig is named instead of Josh Davey so presently it is;
Banton, Smeed, TKC, Abell, Dickson, Gregory, Green, Rvdm, Overton Ball and Meredith
That may stay the side but we will wait and see, Eddie Byrom and Colin Ingram are the ex Somerset guys in the Glam side and they have a decent batting front end for this game with Northeast and Labuschagne in their middle order. It is a dry but cloudy afternoon and it is expected to be a full house, the pubs in the town centre seem to be full and a 3 o'clock start suggests that fans may have popped across the Channel on a Unsday to have a watch.
Game on in an hour.
Carlson has won the toss and they will field first. Craig is playing today instead of Josh Davey so it is as on the scorecard (for the first time I think).
Mike Burns and Jack Shantry are the umpires. The Vertu Range Rover got on and off to deliver the ball. McIlroy starts from the MT with a wide ball. It's 13 off the first, mostly to Smeedy (9). Van der Gugten opens from the River. His second is sent to the Brewhouse by Will. The Glamorgan seamer comes back and nearly gets the opener wirh a bottom edge 2 balls later that squeeks past the stumps. The over ends on 20 for 0.
Douthwaite comes on for the third at the MT. A decent 4 balls are followed by a Banton driven four and a flip to the scoreboard by the CA for six to finish the over. 33 for 0 with vdG continuing with the fourth. He bowls Banton with a lovely delivery for 14 with his fifth ball at 38 for 1. In comes TKC. He sees the last ball out.
McIlroy takes the fifth. TKC doesn't look at all with it for the next 4 balls, misses 3 and has a 'yahoo' at the fourth. Maiden from the Glammy. We move to the 'Powerplay' without a change at the River - why change him when he's bowling well? Somerset have moved to 40 with Smeed on 24 from 18 and TKC with 0 off 7.
We seem a little bogged down until the last two balls get the Smeed treatment with a four to the Gimblett followed by a crowd caught six into the Somerset to take the score over 50 - 51 for 1.
Mason Crane gets the spin arm going and ball 2 goes into the Ondaatje to take Will to 40 from 25. Tom looks all at sea this afternoon but he is still there so he can still sort it out. He does take a four from the last ball of the 7th to move us to 63
Gorvin is introduced for the eigth. The landmark is Smeed moving close to 50 at 47 off 29 out of 71. Douthwaite returns at the MT. TKC still isn't in the same 'zone' this Sunday. Will takes 50 off 30 with a whipped four to the CA. He then puts a six to the same place. Just gets under it a bit more and helps it on its way. He then absolutely skies one into 'no man's land and survives. He really should not have not got away with that one. 83 for 1. Gorvin stays on to provide the tenth. A boundary that just evades the fielder brings up the 50 partnership of which Tom has only provided 9 from the 15 he has faced. 50 from 33. TKC finally goes to boundary catch at the Hildreth. One of those either side of the line. He catches it, goes over so throws it up, steps back in and re-catches. Well played Marnus. It's 92 for 2 and in comes Tom Abell.
Crane starts the second half with the Somerset 100 on the horizon. Up comes the three figures with another Smeed six into the gap by the MT. He goes to 75 from 38 and it is 104 for 2. He does hit a ball hard!! Douthwaite changes ends to the River to see if he can do anything about the progress of the home side. He can as he comprehensively bowls Abell with a fearsome yorker that takes out his middle stump. 108 for 3 brings in Dickson.
He doesn't stay long thanks to a great backward twisting one handed diving catch from McIlroy. 112 for 4. Gregory also comes and goes as Douthwaite takes a third thanks to a great catch from Mason Crane. 114 for 5. In comes Ben Green as Crane takes over and gets Green C&B. 4 wickets in 7 balls has changed the complexion of this game almost totally. COve is in with Smeed sat up the other end on 80 from 42. Will he change the way he plays the rest of this innings? 108 for 3 has become 117 for 6 at the end of the 13th. Douthwaite stays on.
If you are going to flash and are on 82 then FLASH HARD!! Will moves to 86 with one through the slips. The next ball he misses but it doesn't miss the stumps and it is 123 for 6 with Smeed going for 86 from 48 with 9 fours and 5 sixes. In comes RvdM Douthwaite finishes with 4 for 37 (it's actually 4 for 15). Crane bowls the 15th and finishes with 1 for 35. 130 for 7.
Gorvin continues with five to go and is greeted by Overton fours both sides of the wicket. RvdM helps him to a 30 ball 50 partnership before they complete the highest 8th wicket partnership against Glamorgan. Unfortunately during the last over RvdM tries a ramp, isn't looking as Craig looks for a run. The Dutchman does not move and COve is run out for 43. In comes Meredith with one ball to face (the first he has faced) he hits it for six and Somerset end on 193 for 8.
The Reply
Eddie Byrom and his skipper Carlson come out to start the reply. Craig will start from the River. Carlson ramps the third for four. He delivers another four over the covers and then skies on straight into Smeed's hands. 8 for 1. In comes Sam Northeast. Riley opens from the MT and has Eddie looking to take him on, trying to pull his second delivery but not getting hold of it. It falls safe. He keeps on trying but after 5 dots the last goes straight up to give Meredith a wicket maiden. 8 for 2. Marnus is in early. Northeast puts COve's 2nd from his second onto the top tier of the CA with minimal effort. They end the third with 17 for the loss of 2.
Marnus and Riley have a little chat as the fourth gets underway and it ends with Glamorgan having moved on 24. COve will bowl out again one assumes as he continues. Labuschagne takes a whipped four off him and nearly gets a six except for a superb piece of fielding from Smeed who takes the ball and throws is back in before he falls over the boundary. They still get another boundary and move to 33 with one over of the 'Powerplay left. Ball takes it.
A good over for only 4 - Ball is working hard presently. Lewis Gregory comes on at the River (so they aren't bowling Craig through) The skipper gets Marnus LBW 38 for 3 and in comes Ingram. An excellent over where Colin gets nowhere near the last 4.
Craig changes ends and WILL bowl out. 39 for 3 at the start of it. A boundary is followed by an Ingram cut straight into the hands of Dickson. 43 for 4 and we are digging away at them. In comes the keeper Cooke. Overton takes 2 for 35 and it is 47 for 4.
The 50 arrives in the 9th but the next ball sees Jake catch a dolly from Northeast off the skipper's bowling. 51 for 5. Green takes the 10th and is hit for a straight four by Cooke ball number 1. They have reached 57 by the end of it. 10 overs to go needing 137 to win. Gregory levels the record for the most T20 wickets as Cooke swipes across it and just sends it back to the skipper. That's his 139th and Somerset's 6th today at 59 .
Timm van der Gugten is off the mark with a four and the visitors have moved to 65 with 9 to go. Ball returns at the MT while Gregory has 3 for 11 from his 3. He then catches vdG at 66 for 5. In comes Gorvin but it is Cooke who is taking the game on. However he sends one to Green who steams in and takes a pearler diving forward. 71 for 8 and in comes Mason Crane. Gorvin sends one into the Somerset stand from Green. It is 85 for 8 after 13 and we turn to spin with Roelof for the 14th. He strikes with his first ball as Banton stumps Crane when he misses a sweep. In comes McIlroy and is bowled first ball and Somerset win by 108 runs.
Superb fielding and bowling effort by the boys. On to Bristle!!
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:06:18:16:26:15 by Grockle.
Glamorgan make one change in their 15-man squad denied action in mid-week against Hampshire by the Cardiff rain. Former Middlesex and Kent quickie Harry Podmore comes in for James Harris. Squad: Carlson (c), Byrom, Northeast, Ingram, Labuschagne, Cooke, Douthwaite, Bevan, Smale, van der Gugten, Mcllroy, Kellaway, Gorvin, Podmore, Crane.
New middle-order batsman Smale is yet another King`s College, Taunton, product, and played 2nd XI cricket for Somerset two seasons ago.
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2024:06:16:08:40:15 by cricketjerry-mouse.
Still a good total, but can’t help thinking we’ll have to bowl & field with greater focus than we batted.
Grizzers
Impressive.
Grizzers
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:06:16:17:31:00 by Grizzers.
I started watching when they were 80-odd for one, at which point most of the wheels fell off.
But thanks to Overton and VdM a decent target was set, and as for the bowling and fielding - exemplary. The catches, the five runs Smeed saved on the boundary, the Banton stumping and VdM, who has been criticised here, showing why he's still part of the team.
Somerset's bowling during the powerplay is about as good as you'll see - taking four top-order wickets left the rest of the batting chasing upwards of 11 an over with the big names gone. Though Kent proved it doesn't always work.
Meredith looks an absolutely inspired signing!
Brilliant - and my late dad (a Somerset fan for nearly 80 years) would have loved this on father's day. We'd have watched it together on the computer.
Bring him home for the MBC next month.
Quote:Shepton Paul 2
Goldsworthy has done pretty well (with the ball) for Leics, I’d say 👏👏
Not half, in four matches for Leicestershire, Goldsworthy's taken 7 wickets at an average of 11.71, with an economy rate of 5.85rpo. Both his average and his economy rate are the 7th-best among all bowlers in the T20 this year!
It felt like Glamorgan were batting in an ever-tightening straightjacket while trying to escape from a locked, darkened, room with no key. Their innings was epitomised by its beginning and its end. Eddie Byrom not being able to get a single ball away in Riley Meredith's first over before being caught behind off the last ball. Then van der Merwe finishing the innings with two wickets from his only two balls neither of which touched the bat. And between the two, the ever-tightening grip of the straight jacket applied by Overton, Gregory and Ball. And if any icing on the cake were needed, that was a peach of a stumping from Tom Banton. His face was a picture of utter joy as he came off the field.
Lewis Gregory's captaincy was faultless and as invisible as ever but the Somerset machine bent to his will as if by telepathy. This is a different team, red and white ball, since he took over. Apart from the very occasional relapse, they play with a will of iron. They gave the Glamorgan batters absolutely nothing.
Will Smeed's innings was one of the best T20 innings I have seen, and I have seen a few. The Overton-van der Merwe stand was outstanding, but Smeed batted while six wickets fell at the other end and on a different level from any other batter on either side. He scored 86 of the runs scored while he was at the wicket, only 37 coming from the other end.
People walked on air as they left the ground.
Farmer
Will be happy when he plays in both red ball games and offers what we expect from him when we expect it then completes the Blast run in. He becomes even more important when the knock out sections start.
Will also be happy when he returns after August and can take a full part in our September run in again. He needs managing by more than us and anything they have to do to get him into as many games as possible in his best form works.for most of us I'd suggest.
Good news also.that Meredith may be allowed to have some involvement in the CC games IF approved by ACB AND he will be available for the Metrobank games. Now that will be fun
Lewis bowled really well today
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:06:16:22:02:21 by Grockle.
Today was the first time I've seen him live . His pace is pretty scary from beyond the boundary, let alone from just 22 yards away. Can't recall many keepers in recent years having to stand nearly thirty yards back either.
Full credit to SCCC for securing his signature.
Grizzers
Him staying for August is surely to be so he is on hand to be a 100 replacement which by late July it is almost guaranteed replacements will be needed through injury or plans changing.
We all know what the 50 comp is, it isn't a fair battle due to losing so many first choice players so surely we want Kasey Ned Sonny Alfie playing.....
Hoping that Riley can stick around until the business end of the season for the latter stages of the T20 (assuming we get there of course) & perhaps the odd Championship game.
Grizzers
The only thing might be there seems to be an ACB influence.on what he plays presently and we might hope it'll put off the August sides. Great experience for our younger bowlers working with a paceman. Lots of em had good things to say about working with MdL. Though you have to hope that is already going on
It'll be what it'll be I suppose.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:06:17:10:57:24 by Grockle.