Oval Day 2 & 3 Leicestershire again!
By Grockle
May 26 2002
Day 2 ebbed and flowed but we're still in a good position...and then..it rained and thundered. Haven't we been here before quite recently?
SURREY CC1 @ THE OVAL 25 MAY 2002
DAY ONE |
DAY TWO |
DAY THREE |
DAY FOUR |
Day 2 - The Morning....
As a Somerset supporter you would have arrived at the Oval with a feeling that this could be your day. A decent morning, bit of wind, something in the pitch and no wickets down. Confidence would have been high in our ability to bat, Cox and Trescothick were starting again but they have the ability to work in this environment. It never works out how you want it to though does it? Tudor had a good morning, we didn't really.
Marcus T only lasted for about 15 minutes before he snicked one. He is becoming a batsman that either snicks it early or scores big...later on in the day we saw the start of another innings of the same type when Thorpe came in. Same kind of thing really. They are lucky or they go early. We made 50 before we lost the next man and that is usually a good omen. Burns went at 52, also to Tudor and started a 'mini collapse'. Cox was cleaned by the Surrey paceman 9 runs later and Keith Parsons meagre season continued with an LBW to Bicknell with the score at 68.
The Partnership...
Peter Bowler has had quite a quiet start to the season, acting as the anchor to the feats of others and today was no exception. He was the rock on which Blackwell stood and smashed us back into a decent position. The April/May Player of the Month (with a whacking 65% of the vote) continued his impressive form with the bat in an unusual manner. His 'Wham Bam' style was replaced by attrition batting. He manufactured an innings against an attack with their tails up, first with Bowler who went to Saqlain at 111, and then with Turner in a partnership of 105 in 106 minutes to put us back in the driving seat at 217 for 6. A hundred looked on all the way until he got a beautiful ball from Salisbury which got him LBW although I thought he'd been caught behind. 98 to his name and deeply pissed, he wandered off having retrieved another position for his side. He got a very generous hand from the home support as well. Neither Dutch or Bulbeck stayed long with him after Turner had gone and he went with the score at 237 with only Jones to come in and partner Caddick. Nearly Tea and 13 away from an extra batting point, the last two decided to get there come hell or high water. Jonah stonewalled and Caddy smacked the ball. He made 15 including one majestic six and finally went before the interval with the final score at 253. He was finally stumped by Stewart which started a mock fight between the England colleagues, who seem to get on these days a little better than they did in 1999.
The Third Session...
Now, as a Somerset supporter, you would have that 'hopeful hat' on again. With 29 overs left in the day and a pitch that was doing something, weather that was getting colder and damper and a lead of 33 you would be wishing for an early breakthrough. Caddick had been bowling well and Bulbeck was asking questions even though he still "...sprays it a bit..." as one older Somerset man put it. Surrey on the other hand wanted a good start to build a base for Salisbury and Saqlain on the fourth day.
In came Butcher and Ward. The Surrey faithful had been vocal in their criticism of Butcher in the first innings when a couple of watchers, independently had both commented on his seeming lack of interest in proceedings, even when he lost his wicket. It started nervously, both bowlers went past the bat and both batsmen had a swish. Finally Caddick struck when he had Butcher LBW for 9 and we had a wicket before they overhauled us.
But Butcher out means Ramprakash in with this lot so we were all very grateful when the new man hit the ball to mid wicket and called 'Yes' and Ward simply stayed where he was! Turner whipped the bails off and Ramps trudged back for 7.
Effectively, Surrey were 1 for 2 in their second innings.
Graham Thorpe has destroyed us before and we gave him a torrid time for a number of overs. He seems out of touch and played at some balls he was lucky to miss. Keith Parsons nearly got him when he flashed hard and high and the ball glanced of his fingers at second slip. But he survived and started to put together something with Ward as Bulbeck tried too hard and Jones came in for some punishment when he replaced him. Enter Ian Blackwell and goodbye Graham as he tried to hit one he shouldn't have and burns pouched the pill and waved him off. It looked like a 'bump' ball to some and Thorpey was hugely un-impressed by the umpires decision but he had to go and we were in such a position that the brownhats sent in Salisbury as a night-watchman.
He survived and we go into Day 3 with them at 54 for 3 with two days to go. Finely balanced but we have Day 2 as well I reckon.
More Somersetians...
From the pictures, you can see that Somerset fans at away grounds have a strange sense of fashion.
The guys trying not to look smug!
And wearing incredibly daft hats!
These guys were from Guildford University and had come along to wish the guys well. Nice to meet you lads. If you go anywhere else, send us your observations. A general plea to Supporters who go to away fixtures. We welcome any comments, even commentaries from fans. I wrote this from my own views of the final couple of hours and the rest from what I was told from supporters who were there. It is always better to hear from those who saw it than from those who interpret scorecards. Give us your input people it makes for better reading!
Another Somerset celebrity!!
Here's a clue! 
DAY 3.....Bugger!
No play on Day 3 and we are back in the Leicestershire scenario from last week. We'll draw a game we had every chance of winning unless something remarkable happens tomorrow morning. Keep tuned in. After all England managed to drag themselves out of the brown stuff with the last kick of the ball this morning!!