Blast Game 4 - Alfonso Middlesex? 4 in a row?
By Grockle
June 12 2025
Bant's is back after a bit of this and with both Rew's unavailable one would imagine we'll bring him back into the side after his little 'cameo' earlier in the week. Sean Dixon is also fit again though probably too 'rusty' for this one after a run out for the seconds v Northants at the start of the week. Will we play an all seam attack and leave out the spin of Lewis Goldsworthy? 3 in a row and a bump back to earth or 4 in a row and the Alfonso Thomas feeling at the end of Thursday?
Blast Game 4 v Middlesex @ Taunton Thursday 12 June 2025
Somerset have won the toss and will bowl.
The side for this game is as predicted except that for some reason the 'powers that be' have dropped the in-form Lammonby for the almost no form at all for the last two months Dickson.. Sorry just don't understand the thinking behind that. I could see resting Goldsworthy but this?
Smeed, Banton, TKC, Abell, Dickson, Gregory, Green, Goldsworthy, Overton, Henry, Meredith.
While it is understandable that they may want some time in the middle for Sean it seems daft to drop the man coming back into form and break up an opening partnershp that has looked solid when they can add Banton anywhere in the top 5 and expect him to perform. There were those who thought that they might not pick Lewis Goldsworthy as his spin has not been all that effective in these weird environmental June conditions but this seems like a selection mistake I'm afraid.
So Sean will probably top score and we will send Middlesex on their way with a flea in their ear... or maybe we won't and the batting line-up will return to it's lack of consistency after three promising games this year. We shall see in about 30 minutes.
Craig starts from the other end tonight running in from the River end to bowl to Eskinazi and then Williamson. Matt then will bowl to his ex international captain but before that he is ramped first ball by Eskinazi. Williamson is nearly run out by some excellent close fielding by Goldsworthy before he gets the chance to bat. He was in because he has enough sense to run his bat in flat, had he run it in at a diagonal he may had been walking back with no score.
After 3 overs the visitors have 22 with an Eskanazi boundary from the last ball. Meredith starts from the MT in the fourth. 17 off his first 4 deliveries is not really what we need but it is made better by Riley bowling Esinazi stepping away and hitting it into his own stumps at the end of the over. 39 for 1 after 4. In comes Holden.
The Middlesex 50 arrives at the start of Matt's 2nd and the last of the 'Powerplay' from Holden's bat. However, Kane Williamson's batting ends 2 runs later as he is caught at the Caddyshack by Tom Abell off the bowling of his countryman. He goes for 28 and in comes Geddes at 52 for 2.
The skipper is introduced from the River and is immediately hit for a Somerset Stand four by the new man. At 67 for 2 they give Goldsworthy a go and he is met by the usual for this season, a six off his first ball. This time from Holden who moves on to 20 from 11. Lewis has come back from this on more than one occasion and nearly gets Geddes with his 5th but the ball drops short of the fielder coming in from boundary. He goes for 17 off his over. It has not been a great 2025 for the spinner in the Blast this season yet.
Ben Green takes the 9th and the visitors move to 90 from his first ball as another shot goes over the rope without the bounce. He pulls it back going only for singles in the rest of the over keeping it to 94 as the skipper takes another to take us to the halfway stage of the Middlesex innings. The score passes 100 with a screaming shot through the covers by Geddes just before the 10th over ends. So 10 an over in the first half!!
The mayhem continues as Holden puts one into the river and nearly through Goldsworthy in front of the Gimblett scoreboard as he almost holds on and then throws it back in but just doesn't - a decent effort. Holden has 42 from 22 and Geddes has 38 from 17 as Middlesex move on to 126 for 2 in the 12th. This score looks to be going over 200 possibly by some way. Craig went for 35 from his 4. Green is presently bowling and has gone for 18 off 11 balls... he ends his second with 0 for 19.
Somerset call Meredith back but at the River for this one though no one seems to be worrying the visiting bats at the moment. The ball is not going to hand this evening, falling short and not to hand a little too often though it's where the ball is going rather than poor fielding. The ball is also going out of the middle a little to often as Geddes hits another six to go to 48 from 22.
With 13 gone the scoring rate has gone up and its 145 for 2. Geddes goes to 50 off 25 balls with a single from the start of Gregory's 3rd. Geddes continues with another six into the Ondaatje car park to take Middelsex over 150 to 152 for 2. This is becoming quite a murderous partnership of 100 (in 47 balls) from not many. Lewis G snr has gone for 32 from his 3 at 158 for 2.
Green takes the 15th at 158 for 2. Geddes hits another six to make it 7 in this innings moving him to 68 from 30. Holden also goes to a 30 ball 50 at the end of the 15th with 169 on the board for the loss of 2. It's not looking promising as Matt Henry returns to try and stem this seemingly inevitable progress towards 200 plus.
He goes for 14 (37 from his 3) and the score moves to 183 with 24 to go. Merdith bowls one at the stumps and Geddes perishes as he is taken by Matt Henry for 69 in front of the Hildreth at 183 for 3. In comes Du Plooy. He tries to put one into the Botham but he's short and is caught by the ever present CraigO diving to produce some more excellent fielding. Riley is on a hatrick at 183 for 4 but it's a leg stump half volley to the Gimblett boundary to let them off the hook a little. Higgins starts with a 'gimme' four. However, a better over from a Somerset bowler as Riley ends his third with 3 for 33.
His captain is not doing as well as his last goes for a first ball four. His third also goes to the rope. It's not a great evening for the older Lewis and Middlesex have hit fours off the first ball of 8 overs this evening. The next is in the slot and gets the treatment as well as his total moves towards 50 runs conceded . It ends at 4 overs for 47 without a wicket. The score has moved over 200 to 205 with 3 to go. Holden has 80 from 42 while Higgins has not added to his 4.
Meredith bowls out at the River. Higgins flat bats one to the CA without bouncing as they moves toward their highest score against us of 227. But before that Riley has Higgins caught behind for 11 to finish with 4 for 46 at 218 for 5. In comes Davies to face a last over from Ben Green. The first is good, the second is a wide and the third goes into the groundstaff hut without any hint of bouncing. 227 for 5 with 3 balls to go means Middlesex pass their highest score here and that makes it the highest ever T20 score at Taunton at 229. Somerset need 230 and the prediction on the first half of this is that tonight they won't get that!!
The Reply
Banton and Smeed face Cornwell first up from the MT with a required rate of 11.6 an over. It looks promising for 5 balls as we move to 11 and then Smeed fails to move and is bowled for 8. TKC arrives... but for how long we ask? 12 for 1 as Zafar takes Middlesex's second. At least they are up with the rate at the end of 1.
Bants goes one better than Geddes by completely clearing the Botham into the River halfway through the second. He does it again at the end of the over though he hits the roof this time. 27 for 1 after 2... ahead of the rate!! Things is looking up... for a while anyway.
Helm takes the third and TKC guides a boundary instead of trying to smash it into another universe. He doesn't stay that way as he sends one into the Gimblett and we are 41 for 1 after 3 with TKC on 21 from 8 and Bants on 12 from 8. But all good things come to an end as Tom B flips one into the air and he is caught off a top edge miscue by Hollman bowled by the fourth bowler Higgins from the River end.
Tom B is replaced by Tom A at 41 for 2. Noah Cornwell comes back on at the MT and bowls a flailing TKC as he reverts to the agricultural welly which he misses. 45 for 3 and the demise has probably started. Though in comes Sean Dickson to prove his worth. As the 5th over ends Somerset pass 49 and that is not enough in this game.
As the dot balls start to appear, the scoreboard pressure also starts to appear. Our present partnership are not the quickest we have but they need to push this score on or it will be done before the turnaround point. 50 for 3 is only 1 wicket and 2 runs behind the visitors but the accelerator went down when Geddes arrived with the loss of Williamson. Meanwhile Higgins goes for 8 for his 1 wicket in his 2 overs and that is vital for this game. 53 for 2 at the end of the 'Powerplay'.
They are still in touch at the end of the 7th but they are not speeding up when the 'Sex did from the Goldsworthy 8th onwards. In his 100th Somerset T20 it would be nice to see Tom Abell do something special. Presently they are not scoring at anything like the rate required despite the fact that they are scoring at 9.4 an over. Geddes and Holden were going to town from here on in for 8 overs.
The spin of Hollman is introduced for the 9th, they have already used 2 spinners and neither has gone for 17 yet!! However Tom sends one to the top of the changing room roof to maybe change that. He tries agin the next ball only to be thwarted by superb athletic fielding to save the six from Zafar. He goes for a second which goes through the fielder's (Du Plooy) hand for 4 but then GOES FOR A THIRD and is caught in the deep as he doesn't get enough on it. Du Plooy catches it this time and the Somerset man whose eyes were bigger then his belly departs for a disappointing 24 to bring Gregory to the crease. Not your day Tom A but things are still there.
The 100 comes up for 4 in the 10th from Higgins whose third goes for a little more than his first 2. 22 for 1 after his third. Dickson has 33 from 18 and his skipper just has the 2 from 2 as we start the second half of this. We are still required to sprint but the score is still in the ball park though Middlesex actually scored at a faster rate in the second half of their innings so the demands increase from here.
With 11 overs gone we are at the halfway point in relation to the score required as Zafar returns. Dickson goes to 50 with a massive six into the car park by the Ondaatje. 24 balls with 3 sixes and 4 fours. He is then out off a no ball and puts the free hit into the same place as the six on the bounce. The 13th goes 6, 4, 6 and 4 to Dickson and then there's a missed stumping to go with the wicket off a no ball. 143 for 4 after 13.
Dickson starts 14th in the same vein taking us to 149 with the first ball of the Cornwell over from the River. This results in a Middlesex conference but a single brings up the Somerset 150 before a four moves them on from that as Gregory looks to get in on the act. With 6 to go they need 74 to win so it is still there if they work at it. 156 for 4 they were 158 for 2.
Gregory puts one over the Trade Nation to welcome the second ball of the 15th and then follows it with another one into the Ondaatje car park next ball as Zafar takes some stick. He tries another, doesn't get enough, Du Plooy drops it and it rolls over the rope. The next one goes for four as well to the scoreboard. 177 for 4 with one to go becomes 183 with a six to end it. Gregory takes 26 off the over (Dickson got a single at the start)!! He has 37 from 15 balls.
Helm bowls the 16th and we need 46 from 4 and a half. The captain puts the last into the Somerset stand to move us to 192 needing 38 from 4. But Dickson goes at the start of the next over for 76 from 37. He most definitely showed his worth this evening. Selection was probably right then!! He was caught by the sub (Cracknell) bowled by Hollman. The 100 parnership came just before it off 43 balls!! Well played gents. Now finish it off PLEASE!!
192 for 5 and in comes Ben Green. Gregory goes to a 21 ball 50 with a huge straight six past the MT into the car park. 3 fours and 5 sixes in that!! 201 for 5 We need 29 off 3!! Higgins takes the 17th and is glanced for four from his first and then Greener digs out a yorker for another 2. With 2 to go we need 20 at 210 for 5.
Helm bowls the penultimate. They start with a well run two pulled through by the skipper. Green pulls the next one for four to the Caddyshack. Green puts it into the sky and Du Plooy puts down another sitter. They run 2 and Du PLooy has a hat-trick of drops in front of the Caddyshack, The next ball is flipped for four also followed by a straight four to move the required runs to 4. Ben Green has done that thing he does and taken this over by the scruff of the neck and effectively moved us to a winning position to finish off gets a leg bye and we need 3 to take the game.
Cornwell takes the last and dots the first. He bowls a wide for the second before Gregory finishes it with a six!!
WHAT A WIN THAT IS!!
That was not on the cards at all at halfway. 235 for 5 a win by 5 wickets and the sixth largest score by Somerset in this competition ever.
Gregory takes 58 not out from 23 and Green takes 27 from 15. That was the highest sucessful run chase here in T20 history.
Sorry people I gave them no chance with 20 overs to go and I was upset about Sean Dickson being selected over Tom Lammonby
Wrong on both counts and happy to hold my hands up. The bowling from both sides with probably Riley Meredith coming back from a poor start and possibly Higgins starting strong before falling away. Other than that it was mostly was 'meh' but the hitting was outstanding and that was a great T20 game from that point of view!!
To be fair, the ball did not go to hand for the Somerset boys and for Middlesex it was a night to forget for Du Plooy who effectively gave us the chances to win the game.
But the Alfonso Thomas feeling is there and we go on to Bristol 4 for 4 and all to play for!!
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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2025:06:14:23:19:19 by Grockle.
Squad: Banton, Smeed, Kohler-Cadmore, Lammonby, Abell, Dickson, Gregory, Green, Goldsworthy, Overton, Davey, Henry, Meredith.
Middlesex, who include former Glo`shire leg-spinner Zafar Gohar in their ranks, won in the competition for the first time on Sunday, away to Essex. They will be without overseas paceman Josh Little, who had been called away by Ireland for their One-Day series against the West Indies, but who is unfit anyway.
They have named a squad of 14: Eskinazi (c), Brookes, Cornwell, Cracknel, Davies, De Caires, du Plooy, Geddes, Gohar, Helm, Higgins, Holden, Hollman, Williamson.
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2025:06:12:09:18:38 by Grockle.
Looking at the squad, the only two considerations are. Will Sean Dickson come back in immediately (probably not givent the present performances of the batting line-up) and will we play a spinner in Lewis Goldsworthy or add Josh Davey to the already effective seam attack (also probably not though Lewis hasn't had an easy time up to now)
It may all be pretty moot today and the same squad will probably travel up to Bristol on Friday with the same questions being posed.
Who knows, we might get a game in!
Well we can hope so... Though if it is raining in Taunton presently it's gonna be very damp before we even consider the chancs of a game this evening given the rain here at the moment.One assumes that James Rew is still involved in England A duties? He was not included in the India Test squad was he - the England call up was just for the Zimbabwe one off wasn't it?
The implication of the Thomas Rew short term contract was that it was to give relevant experience were gaps allowed it to happen and that it would be spread over the summer so his lack of inclusion may simply because there is no real need to put pressure on him presently.
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
The rain stops at the Cross Keys pub the other side of Staplegrove!!
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
The highest ever T20 score by opposition at Taunton and 230 will be beyond us tonight I'd suggest. But... here we go!!
That said, without Meredith the score could have been a chunk higher!
Selection policy firmly vindicated. Well done Lewis & very, very well done Sean Dickson.
Grizzers
Du PLooy has had better days but you still have to hit the winning runs. Well played Sean D, Lewis G and Ben G
A good night that could have been so much worse.
And on we go!!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:06:12:22:02:20 by Grockle.
Man of the Match - the one who most affected the result? Only on candidate: DU PLOOY!
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
DuPlooyable.
Interesting conundrum.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:06:12:22:36:29 by Grockle.
Would Somerset be prepared to go in to a game without a spinner? If, that is, the wicket isn't going to offer anything.
I'd seriously consider Jack; he doesn't get fazed, and if his batting is required something has gone wrong earlier in the innings.
I'd also play him if we want a spinner. Though he may do no better he won't be any worse than Lewis Jr so far as he has not been asked to show anything with the bat yet in any game really.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:06:12:22:39:41 by Grockle.
It's a bit like England's golden white-ball era, when Adil Rashid, with his ten first-class centuries, would regularly be slated at 10 or even 11. As a result the middle order would look at that card and just cut loose without a care. Of course, on the rare occasion when he actually did bat, Adil Rashid didn't actually achieve much for himself. But it was all those matches which England won where he didn't bat that he proved his worth.
Anyway, A wonderful game of T20 tonight, and a privilege to be there in the Ondaatje stand with all the children going bonkers as Dickson and Gregory timed their assault to perfection. And the best view in the house of de Plooy's ploops.
More seriously, that's a very valid point though I'm not sure there is any 'correct' answer to the conundrum. Archie Vaughan can clearly bat and bowl spin, but I can see why Somerset are keeping him away from the action.
Are there any rules about signing new players in this tournament after the league stage has finished? From teams that have been knocked out?! That's not presupposing that Somerset will get there, I'm not that foolhardy.
And I do wonder how du Plooy's feeling today; I didn't see any of last night's game but it sounds like they were shockers...
It's all down to luck. Over a whole career every one of those five events happens to every player. It was just luck that made them all happen for de Plooy one after the other yesterday.