Kent can't Caddick can - Day 1 Canterbury
By Grockle
August 8 2002
A full bowling attack and Kent in the frame again could Caddick give us a boost? Looks like it. Five for him and two for Johnson puts us in a decent position at the end of Day 1.
v KENT CC1@ CANTERBURY AUGUST 7 2002
DAY ONE |
DAY TWO |
DAY THREE |
DAY FOUR |
The boys are back....
Starting the comeback trail away from home and needing to win everything we face Kent less than a week after inflicting their worst defeat in any competition on them. Matthew Fleming must want this one badly but for the first time in a long time - if not the only time this season....we have a full bowling attack to choose from. Jones, Johnson, Bulbeck AND Caddick are all available. Steffan is the one who loses out - and he could probably do with the rest!! The strongest county championship side of the season then faces the men of Kent on their home ground.
With 7 CC1 games to go and with 6 of those against sides above us, we need points and victories. 4 of the games are away from home so those victories need to be in their backyards. Draws may not be enough. We need good weather and good performances. We could do with Caddick until Septmeber as well!!
We lose the toss and are put into the field. In the conditions, not a bad decision on our behalf because the weather is changeable and although Kent bat better than they bowl usually, they are without Key - and Fleming to our surprise - and haven't come up against the attack we put into the field today before. Coxey probably wouldn't have batted either.
Early doors...
We need early wickets and we get them. Walker, dangerous lefty, LBW Johnson for 13 and Smith gone to Caddick before 50 is on the scoreboard. But captain Fulton and Andrew Symonds are not such an easy nut to crack and it takes a combination of Johnson with the ball and Caddick with his hands to break up a partnership of 117 when Symonds finally goes for a typical swashbuckling 69 off 65 with 52 in boundaries. 166 for 3 turns into 5 wickets down for just over 200 when Caddick has Hockley caught for 1 and finally removes Fulton, caught behind, for 89 and when Bulbeck adds Nixon for 9 at 212, Kent are looking at a total well below 300 on first innings.
Min Patel and Ealham do give the tail a bit of a wag, adding 41 before Patel becomes Burns' first victim. Khan adds another 9 with the England allrounder, but he snicks one from Bulbeck to Turner at 266. Masters is only there for 10 minutes and then becomes Caddick's fourth and Saggers faces three balls before he enables 'Abdul' to record a return five-fer and Kent are all out for 271 with Ealham left high and dry on 36.
Best bowling? Hmmm let me see....22/5/65/5 - AR Caddick. Well there's a surprise. Anyone know why Mr C wants to bowl so badly? Let's hope they leave him to get some overs under his belt and that the youngsters have a good go at the Indians tomorrow. He needs the exercise and we need his wickets at his strike rate. Johnno looked more his old self with 18/2/62/2 and Bulbeck is in the line-up he should benefit from with 16/3/68/2. Burnsy got the extra wicket with 21 off 6 as the damage. Good work - batsmen's turn.
The early reply...
24 overs of the day to face and no wickets down at the end of it was our target. I assume we went in with Cox and Wood but Cox didn't stay long and I wonder if he ought to consider moving himself back to number three. He was out LBW to Khan for 1 off the 6th ball he faced. It's not working out this opening thing Buzz.
Burns came in at three but it didn't get a lot better when Khan got his second - a catch to Fulton off 'George' for 4. Familiar territory - 7 for 2. Wood and Bowler (our most natural opening pair when Trescothick isn't available?) settled the innings down scoring only 43 off 137 balls but taking us to the close of Day 1 with 64 on the board and no more wickets gone.
With our full complement of bowlers, our batting tail is not weakened but we need some decent partnerships in the middle order from Parsons, Blackwell and Turner. Wood and Bowler do not score quickly but they do establish a base at one end or the other on which to build such innings. If we fail again tomorrow and it is left to the Lower Order to get near Kent's first attempt then expect fireworks from messrs Johnson Caddick and Bulbeck. Don't want to see that. We would like a good day with the willow and the bowling triumvirate to spend most of it with their feet up enjoying the view and sunshine. More tomorrow.