Blast Game 8 - Into the Valleys Glamorgan Away
By Grockle
June 20 2025
The last game of the first part of the Blast sees us going to Cardiff for the away game against the Daffs. Glmaorgan kicked our backsides royally last year in this fixture when we reallt did not turn up. Let's see if we are there tonight. Josh Davey keeps his pllace but Matt henry comes back in for Craig Overton
Blast Game 8 - v Glamorgan @ Sophia Gardens Friday 20 June 2025
Somerset finish the first stage of the Blast before the return to CC1 with a semi-local derby across the Channel in Cardiff. We did not turn up last year - hopefully this will be a more competitive game.
The side is about the same as Thursday's winning side against Hampshire;
Banton, Smeed, TKC, Abell, Dickson, Green, Gregory, Goldsworthy, Henry, Davey, Meredith
Craig Overton has a rest tonight and Matt Henry returns after sitting yesterday out. The skipper gets back to winning tosses and decides to chase as he usually does.
Carlson and Smale face Henry and Davey and get down to their job very quickly indeed. They have 30 after 2.4 overs with Davey goinf for 15 off his first 6 balls before Carlson is caught by Smeed off the bowling of Henry. Meredith comes on for the third and he removes new man Kellaway caught by the same fielder in his first without scoring 30 for 1 becomes 31 for 2.
It gets better when Henry sends Smale for a sit down clean bowled in his next for 15 at 37 for 3. Cooke and Ingram are at the crease as Somerset get their game faces on after a scratchy start to this innings.. They have reached 40 by the end of the 'Powerplay' and Gregory comes on for the 7th.
He then gets the prize wicket of Ingram who chops it onto his stumps for 7 before they hit 50. He tried to run it down to third man and insideedged it lamely onto his wicket. 42 for 4 after 7 overs as As Tribe joins Chris Cooke and they let Josh have the ball back. But Tribe takes his side to 49 with a six back over the bowler's head. But he doesn't get them past 50 and it stays that way as Cooke (4) snicks one behind at 49 to Gregory and Douthwaite comes out at 49 for 5. We have a foot on the Welsh throat in the 9th over.
Douthwaiite gets a ball he can play to the boundary and 53 for 5 must feel better for him the Welsh pair end the 9th at 54 for 5. Matt is back for the 10th and he looks hungry after an evening off. He will bowl out with this one having gone for 16 for his 2 wickets off his previous 3. He finishes his 4 adding only 2 runs 4 overs 2 for 18.
Excellent bowling from him after going for loads off his first over. A lovely bit from the welsh livestream is their pronunciation of Riley's surname which is spoken with the emphasis on the middle ED Me-RED-ith.
Ben Green takes the 11th at 56 for 5 and Glamorgan are presently a long way from a probable competitive score. The commentary pair are hoping Tribe and Douthwaite will move this score on. They are on 70 for 5 by the time Green is back on after a second Riley over. They have a go at Green and move their partnership to 36 at 85 for 5. Somerset give the ball to the sppipnner and Goldsworthy will bowl the 14th.They aren't getting the sixes off his first ball any more, he is working his length so much better than he was - maybe the pitches are giving him a little more helped by some excellent out fielding from TKC. By the end of the 14th they have added 9 and moved the score on to 94.
Josh takes the next and Tribe tries to ramp one at 98 for 5. Josh pushes it fuiller and he doesn't get to it before it takes ouot his middle stump and he goes for 38 from 24. In comes Imad to push the score past 100 and it comes off a Davey wide which is where it stands with 5 to go.
Meredith returns for his third and has Douthwaite going big caught by Tom Abell in the deep to move to 100 for 7. HIs early start got him to 16 but he goes on that score from 19. Van der Gugten is the next to the crease as the commentators now talk about a 'Vaguely competitive total'. The new Glamorgan bowler flashes hard over the keeper's head for six - nothing you can do to field them. Imad gets in on the act as he flips the ball for four as well and the over ends at 113 for 7.
Lewis Gregory takes the next and is through Van der Gugten with his second but misses the stump by a coat of varnish. The bat says thanks with a straight hit to the short boundary and Glamorgan move on 120 as Meredith bowls out with the 18th. Again he puts in the slow ball bouncer and Imad sends it straight to Matt Henry 120 for 8 and Riley has 3 for 19. In comes a man we know well as Ned Leonard comes in. He can hit a big ball. However, another slow ball to his partner sees the back of Van der Gugten with a skied attempt at a long shot into TKC's hands in the infield. Riley ends his four overs with 4 for 21 while Crane and Leonard face a bit of a task at 122 for 9.
Davey bowls with 2 to go and adds to the pressure with 3 dot balls. An edge gives Crane a single followed by a good drive by Ned for 2. I've seen him bat some good sessions but he is on a hiding to nothing here as Josh finishes with 1 for 32 and Glamorgan have 126 with one wicket and one over left.
Ben takes the last and mixes it up in the first half going for only 2. If the last ball is a dot we have bowled 10 overs of non scoring balls in this game!! But they run a single and they end with 130 for 9 with Leonard getting 7 fro 8 while Crane gets 3 from 8.
Consistent wicket taking has throttled the Welsh - now they 'should' put this one away unless something goes very very wrong in this one.
The Reply
Will Smeed and Tom Banton face Imad Waseem with spin for the first over. If they get off to a sprinting start this game will be done. However, against the slow men it is a bit different to what they are used to. They start slowly and take Imad for only 3. Van der Gugten takes the second from the Cathedral Road end. looking to keep it tight. It is weird being in Cardiff and listening to a previous Head Coach of the county commentating for the opposition though I think MM might see it the other way around - he had a bit of a session in another country before coming home again.
After 2 we are still working slowly and we have 7. The first shot of real intent is a Smeed boundary from Imad in the 3rd. Banton is fooled by one that turns but he flashes it to the boundary behind the keeper and they have moved it on to 16. They then start to motor against Van der Gugten as both bats take boundaries and move to 33 for 0. Bants is on 17 from 13 while Smeed has 16 from 11.
Glamorgan persist with Imad and Smeed hits him for four with that jabbed power shot he has. He follows it up with a second four. But that impatience means he tries for a third and skies it to be caught by Leonard in the infield. Smeed goes for 24 fom 14 with 3 fours and a six at 41 for 1. He still needs to think before he hits when he is seeing it!! In comes TKC and is off the mark with a threaded four immediately. They reach 48 from 5.
Ned Leonard gets his opportunity against his ex county to complete the 'Powerplay'. His short ball is punished to the side boundary by TKC to bring up the 50 at 52 for 1 after 6 overs. Good over but the one short ball went like a rocket. Douthwaite is then introduced and Banton drives him for four. But the bowler fights back and has Banton LBW next ball for 21 from 15. 56 for 2 Tom just missed a straight one. In comes Tom Abell with a little bit of a problem? A very good classy drive from the new Tom moves us to 62.
They then turn to Mason Crane to spin some magic and lkeep the Welsh in this one. They look to try and keep the bats thinking but they have reached 60 at the start of the 10th with TKC starting to look gfor big stuff on 27 from 19 while Abell just supports as usual. 88 for 2 after 10 and this win is on needing 43 from 60 balls.
Douthwaite looks to make a change and fools Abell with a slower ball and he plops a drive to Will Smale and it is 88 for 3 with TA gone for 10 from 10. In comes Sean Dickson who we hope will put this one away tonight.
Looking to go to 100 with a big hit, TKC fires one of Douthwaite's down a boundary fielder's throat at 99 for 4. He took 38 from 29 (with 3 fours and 2 sixes) before being caught by Crane. This leaves Dickson to get the 3 figures with a boundary as his captain comes out to partner him. 105 for 4 after 13 overs. They need 26 with 6 wickets in hand and 7 overs to face. Nothing hard here.
Crane takes the 14th and bowls out with 0 for 29 with a very frugal last one as Imad returns at 108 for 4. 115 on the n=boadr with 5 overs to go as Douthwaite bowls out after a great effort for his side. Gregory finds the boundary early as the runs needed moves into single figures halfway through the 16th. A leg stump full toss is whipped away by Dickson to move Somerset within 4. 127 for 4 after 16 and one boundary needed.
Ambidexterous Ben Kellaway takes what will probably be the last over tonight but his first. They tie 3 balls in and the skipper hits the winning run next ball. Somerset win comfortably by 6 wickets with 3.2 overs left.
7 from 8 at the break and the one we lost was only by 4 runs. Good batting performances mixed with variable bowling performances. Good secoond half of the series from the slow bowling of Lewis Goldsworthy good allrounder performances with bat and ball from Ben Green and Lewis Gregory. The opening partnership ahs fired well as have both TKC and Sean Dickson most of the time. Matt Henry has been good most of the time and not so good occasionally, Craig Overton has bowled well but has been a little too 'wicketless' for me to be fully happy and Meredith has been what he is...bloody quick when bat least want it. We are a good bet for a nother Finals day... good enough to win it? On our day against any one without a doubt but we are beatable if the other side gets it right and we possibly don't win the toss.
But a good series so far. Now back to some four day stuff and a few headaches about who to play for Brum on Sunday.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:06:21:20:24:30 by Grockle.
Carlson (c), Bevan, Cooke, Crane, Douthwaite, Gorvin, Ingrim, Kellaway, Leonard, McIlroy, Smale, Tribe, van der Gugten and Ismad Wasim.
Grizzers
I would bring in Lammonby for Abell and Leach in for Davey.
Excellent pronunciation of the Aussies 'Welsh' name Riley Me-RED-ith
Have to mention how poor our 'Match Centre' data is when you are trying to follow the game away from the ground (or on it to be honest)
They offer a website Team list but it is not up to date at the start of the game - you have to go to the live blog or elsewhere to find the names.
The 'scorecard' was not active until the second half of the bowling effort by Somerset and has to be renewed if you want it to update.
When you do refresh it, it goes directly to the live blog and you have to go and find the 'Scorecard' button again
I've no problem with this stuff not being there if it is too difficult to update but PLEASE don't offer the services if you are not going to bother to provide them.
It's as infuriating as trying to look at the Taunton scoreboards between overs when the scorecard is removed immediately the over ends for some commercial stuff or some advert ON BOTH BOARDS until the start of the next over and is removed almost entirely at the end of the game (along with the website scorecard as well)
Rant over
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2025:06:20:21:40:46 by Grockle.
But we will come up against better opposition than this. Surely time for Tom A to have a brief T20 rest, especially with the like of Tom Lammonby & the Rew brothers in the wings.
Meantime, 7/8 can't be bad,
Grizzers
Quote:Wiltshire55
That’s no surprise. Craig needs to be as fresh as possible on Sunday. Mind you, two days isn’t much of a break, especially with travelling involved.
I would bring in Lammonby for Abell and Leach in for Davey.
I thought I'd replied earlier to agree with you (before the event!) but your comments look even more prescient now.
Regardless of that, seven wins out of eight is hard to argue with, and while I'd have like an even more convincing victory tonight, we have to be very happy with that result.
If TK-C ever puts together an innings covering 10 overs or more, well, that would prove interesting. It's only really Tom Abell of Somerset's early batters who isn't putting together an innings of any sort at the moment.
Tonight's games also mean Somerset have the best record - seven wins, one defeat - in either group. It also looks like Surrey will consolidate second place after five consecutive wins.
Don
Finals day here we come
Yep I think a punt on Finals Day tickets is a decent one, we do look good though not unbeatable by any stretch of the imagination. Just damn hard to control at the moment.