v Surrey CC2 @ Guilford 19 - 22 July 2006

Scorecard

I'm not going to try and report on games I didn't see or even follow, except through what Cornwall calls "the newspapers".  So I've trawled the forum for comments from people who actually experienced some of it live.  The interesting thing about this game from the outset was that both Neil Edwards - who we have been calling to see for the mid half of this season - and Michael Munday were included in the squad and both played.

Shepton Paul (2) saw part of the first phase of this game

"Just returned from Guildford - a few random thoughts:

- phrase of the day (uttered by about 95% of the crowd within my earshot at various times): "great toss to win"
- Edwards nervous first over, after that solid, one or two edges (from both openers) through slips / gully, but no early chances
- Langer oozed quality and just batted...and batted...and batted - when he took his helmet off, his facial expression said "I'm used to playing against grown-ups, you know"
- Guildford absolutely broiling hot - if anyone's going in the next few days, there is virtually no shade anywhere, and only one beer tent and one tea tent - next to each other by the pavilion
- local parking absolutely hopeless - all permits and restricted - I had to park a long way from the ground, and I was there at 10.15
- ground about Bath-size, lightning outfield, a little bumpy, pitch looks as flat a belter as you'll find
- locals recall Kent (with Kemp) getting 240 to win in the last session on the last day last year, and reckon there will be a result - without serious declaration negotiations, I can't see it - and after Bath, we won't set them anything gettable, will we?
- Langer hit everything along the ground except in the 2 overs pre-lunch and the one immediately after lunch, when he hit his sixes and five or six of his fours - must've got around 30 runs in those 3 overs - not interested in playing for lunch!
- Edwards and Suppiah both looked to have crawled to their 50s, but in numbers of balls each was actually quick enough
- noticeable that Langer found the gaps, while his partners hit the fielders much more often - in particular, Suppiah often cut to the sweeper on the boundary (usually Ramps) while Langer made sure the bad balls went for 4
- Edwards and Suppiah out in identical fashion, forward prod, edge to sole slip
- saw Trego, Gazzard, Rose, Caddick, Hurry around the ground, but nobody else from SCCC - don't know if Jimmy Cook was there
- saw more Kent, Sussex and Hants caps / shirts than evidence of Somerset fans (they may have all been in the beer tent, where I ventured just once, and it was so unimaginably hot in there, I didn't go back)
- two types of cider in the beer tent, one 2.8%, one 6%. I was driving so tried the former - it was OK, tho not cold enough!
- Suppiah missed first ball, leading edge off Salisbury just cleared mid-off and went for 4; then he was dropped by Batty next over off Kumble - after that, looked comfortable
- Suppiah's 6 over our heads at square leg and out of the ground, thumped very loudly into a passing car - driver must've been shocked out of his/her skin!
- I don't wish to be critical or rain on their parades, but 70 on that wicket is the equivalent of about 35 on most pitches
- Surrey crowded Woody late on, and he survived fine
- Salisbury was pick of the bowlers by a country mile (tho his arm is much lower than it was); Kumble took a long time to settle and Azhar Mahmood was a bit fiery late on, especially unhappy when Woody smeared him in the air through the covers just before the close
- Surrey fielders stuck at it pretty well, esp Clarke (who also bowled well, esp the off-spin he showed in half a dozen overs either side of tea - their third spinner)
- clouded over in last hour, may have storm tonight; Butcher took the new ball with 6 overs left - Akram bowled 18 balls with it of which Wood only had to play at two, while Mahmood looked much more threatening bowling to JL
- a fantastic day - neither I nor any of the Surrey people around us can imagine how we were bowled out by Derbyshire for 120!"

and after making the record score Justin Langer himself had this to say;

"Viv Richards probably got his in about three hours, though. It took me 10 hours, that’s the difference.”

“The last five weeks have worked out perfectly,” said Langer.
“I’ve achieved what I wanted to achieve. I was back home, training and getting balls from the bowling machine but to come over here and play for Somerset was a tremendous opportunity.
“It has been nice to spend some time out in the middle.
“My greatest challenge is trying to master concentration. That’s what I have strived to do for quite a few years now.
“I think you can get to the point with your technique where you can play as many cover drives and practise as many cut shots, but it has always been about trying to master concentration.
“That’s what I was thrilled about here, not to get too far ahead of myself and probably the only time I did was the ball I got out to.
“It’s a matter of putting all your attention to the next ball bowled to you. So, that focusing and giving 100% attention to the next ball and trying not to get too far ahead, whether that’s two balls ahead, or looking at the scoreboard or worrying about something in the past.
“If you do that you take a lot of pressure off yourself. It also allows you to keep your energy levels up, because you’re only concentrating for a very short period at a time.”
And Langer hinted he could return the favour for Somerset.
“In a lot of ways it’s quite a selfish pursuit really, just to come over here for five or six weeks,” he said.
“But Somerset have gained something from it and hopefully we've forged a relationship for next year, or the next couple of years.”

Which sounds promising to me.

Will (The Exile) always tends to be our roving reporter - and beer expert - at games on that side of the country and he commented on the other things happening in the game

"This was a good days cricket for lots of reasons. Also good to put faces to some of the other grockle contributers. Somerset do look like a decent team. I thought body language looked good. Fielding was sharp.
Its not an easy pitch to get wickets. At lunch there was hardly a mark on it and no signs of any wear or rough from bowlers footmarks. Langers innings was truley great. Although the boundaries were small either side of the wicket and the outfield fast Surrey's attack apart from Saker had all had international experience. Azar Mamhoud the shorter of the two Pakistan internations got some good lift early on which troubled Wood.
Woods wicket fell after a drinks break which corresponded with Tractor,s arrival to the pavillion. Langers knock was superb he just accumalated runs and there was doubt he would reach 300 by lunch but he excellerated scoring well off Salisbury. He didnt get a lot of the strike taking an easy single off 1st ball (field back) while the other batsmen who often hit 4s or 2s couldnt rotate the strike. . good runs from Wood Francis J and Gazzard.
Good bowling from Caddick Willow and Trego very good sharp catch from Wood at third slip to get rid of Batty. Probabley deserved another wicket. Very impressed with Munday, best leggie on show. nice action good loop lots of flight. deseves a wicket or more. Would be nice to get afew bowling points (Surrey only got the one) it will probabley be a draw but it could be fun.
PS the beer was good too. TEA (Tongham English Ale, Hogs Back Brewery)"

And for those of you who like pictures we even have them courtesy of "Skinny Man"

Guilford Cricket Festival

And the final word on the Surrey match to "LoL"

"Although he took no wickets and did not bowl a maiden, I was very impressed by Munday. Rather than bowl faster and flatter in conditions clearly favouring the bat, he continued to offer lots of variety and it was a delight to see so many balls tossed up to tempt the Surrey batsmen. This was a very difficult debut match (was it his championship debut?) and he came out of it extremely well. Some will remember that Warne's first Test did not bring him very good figures, but the selectors had the sense to persevere.

And another thing to mention ...

I was pleased to meet, albeit too briefly, Will the Exile. Unfortunately, I was not feeling particularly well at the time and so may have seemed rather uncommunicative, for which I apologise. It was excellent that our little space of covered seats was very well populated by a bunch of Somerset supporters, Tractor among them, and it was almost like playing at home, while the Surrey members who surrounded us were extremely friendly and open-minded. That's what makes county cricket such a delight for some of us."

v Kent Pro40 (Floodlit) @ Taunton Wednesday 26 July 2006

Scorecard

And another middle of the way bowler makes his name at Taunton by puttiing the home side to the sword...who the hell is Tyron Henderson?

"Sloop John B" seems to have summed up a night for most supporters 

"That has to be one of the most abject batting performances I have witnessed by Somerset in over 40 years of watching!!! Only just passed our all time worst against Kent.

When we kept them to 213 I thought we would win comfortably. Started of at a gallop (like 20:20) then lost key wickets of Langer and White. Then we played like schoolboys as Blackie was to point out!

We just don't seem to learn from early wickets how to change the game plan. Pushing singles for a few overs would have taken the sting out of Henderson and allowed us to regroup. But suddenly rushes of blood - and easy catches at mid on/mod off etc!!

Jimmy Cook has really got his work cut out! If we can't chase down 213 on a Taunton wicket....

....OK there was some turn and Henderson did bowl well - but we didn't give their bowling due respect.

Pass the sackcloth and ashes someone!"

As far as the game is concerned, it seems to have been the usual case of the bowlers giving and the batsmen taking away.  There was an incident with Jusin Langer and some member of the crowd (I hesitate to use the word 'supporter') and we lost massively by 109 runs.  There are a lot of debates about what supporters should be saying and how they should be supporting a frail side's confidence.  Julian Wyatt made some good points about morale and that sparked off a discussion about the weakness of our confidence.  If we get on top we murder the opposition, if they take us on they we capitulate.  Langer should have been batting through in this match and we went at it like a bull at a gate.  We say goodbye to the man and hope for a fruitful relationship with him in the next few seasons.  We also hope for better than this on Sunday against Hampshire!!

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