v Glamorgan Twenty20 @ Taunton Tuesday 17 June 2008

Scorecard

A darkish afternoon in Taunton and Somerset's future in the shortest form of the game rests on their performance for the next 3-ish hours.  Justin has said on the official internet voice that he's had a bit of a think over the weekend and instilled a new fire in the boys during a long practice session yesterday.  More middle order responsibility in the batting and tighter bowling;

here are the boys who are going to put the 'Langer Theory' into practice.

Trescothick, Kieswetter, Langer, de Bruyn (for Hildreth), Blackwell, Trego, Suppiah (for Jones), Phillips, Turner, Thomas and Willoughby

Loadsa bowlers (8 if Langer doesn't turn his arm) including Willoughby.  BUT (in the words of Richard Sharpe) "...can they stand...".  The batting is solid to 6 and very solid in the form of Zander.  If this lot fail this time the tail may start at halfway. At least Craig should be guaranteed a visit to the wicket before number 8 in this line-up.

The skipper and his VC open as usual.  No reason not to, this partnership has at least performed in the games up until now.

Harrison opens for the Dragons and Justin faces the first and takes the single. Marcus flashes at the second, nicks it and wanders back to the Colin Atkinson, passing Peter Trego on the way and we are 1 for 1.  Well he had to fail once but it was a real lazy shot. It's 5 after the first and Wharf bowls the first from the River, his first ball goes to the new stand boundary.

From the crowd point of view.  It's cold and the usual areas of the ground are sparse.  The scoreboard green seats are again not that popular with the punters but the Botham stand has black muslin over part of it as a sight screen so at least it looks full tonight.  Lots of fleeces and hands in pockets tonight though.  Real sharp breeze for mid June.

Back to the cricket. 14 after the second, nearly equal honours to the batsmen. 23 after 3 and Trigger seems to be settling nicely as he doubles his score while JL stays put.  Wharf finishes him off as well as the skipper mistimes a drive and gets it straight up and then straight down into Dalrymple's hands.  He goes for 8, we are 27 for 2 and Ian Blackwell is at the crease halfway through the 4th.

At 5 we would be 9 for 2 except that Trego  has scored 35 so we are 44 for 2.  Ian doesn't look too comfortable bt hopefully he can stay with his partner and pick up the pace later in the push towards the 20th.  Watkins has replaced Wharf at the River for the 6th and while Blackie  misses the full toss he serves up as his second, he sixes the third into the Atkinson second tier to bring up the team 50.  Still a bit 'adventurous' though...he doesn't look exactly 'in the slot' so to speak.

Cosker heralds the first spin of the game as the lights on the scoreboard start to look like floodlights and rain spits onto the pitch.  We go into 'run a ball' mode and it's 58 for 2 after 7.  Good first over from the Welshmen's slow man.  Croft starts his four from the River but the rain is getting heavier, the pitch is getting slippier and the light is getting poorer. 64 for 2 after 8.

Ian changes grip (aka 'Kevin') and tries to reverse sweep.  But when you miss it you look a bit of a prat and he is probably thinking about that as he walks back to the pavilion with 14 to his name and 'LBW Cosker' at the end of the the line. 64 for 3. Kieswetter gets an early call therefore in nasty driving rain...but it is getting lighter.  The halfway score is 76 - 150 plus?  Well with 3 wickets down and lots of bowlers to come anything more might be a tall order.

While we're thinking about that, Peter has gone to 50 off 32 balls with 7 fours.  Followed by a very impressive 6 to the scoreboard. Followed by another one to the "ice cream" stand.  Then we wait about for mnutes because they couldn't get the ball back from the crowd.  Finally it returns from its hiding place and on we go.

Peter is in really sparkling form.  The first of those sixes was just a case of foot down the track and stroke the ball to mid wicket with the minimum of effort and the maximum of timing. 

His footwork isn't as good when it comes to running however. With the first delivery of the twelfth, he hits the ball, steps as if he is running, gets Craig moving and then stops.  Kieswetter is absolutely stranded halfway down the track as Gibbs (almost standing at the wicket) flips the ball up to Croft who simply needs to remove a bail.  He misses it and our keeper sheepishly regains his ground while the spinner scrabbles for the ball.

96 at the start of the 13th and Dalrymple joins the fray, as does our first streaker for quite a while who pops on, waves things about and then escapes before our svelt-like security (including a lady) go after him!!  Meanwhile Trigger has smacked a quite magnificent six onto the indoor school roof to put his side past 100. Mr Streaker has been escorted out of the ground after the lady steward caught him by following him into the Gents!

The 50 stand comes up on 'Nelson' in a little over 5 overs and with CK contributing only 14.  It's 119 at the end of the 14th. While we wait for Trigger to change his bat, it;'s worth mentioning that the young man has just passed the best Somerset batting performance against Glamorgan in the 20/20  well played that man!  124 with 5 to go. Anyone willing to predict over 175?

Wharf is back on. Trego smacks the first one with his new bat....to the fielder at long on (Dalrymple) and he's gone for 79.  Magificent inings off 50 balls with 7 fours and 3 huge sixes.

124 for 4 and Zander is in and off the mark.

133 with 4 to go.  Craig needs to take control because the big South African seems hapy to nurdle it about and let his younger partner hit the big boys.  Halfway through the 17th he introduces Watkins to the double six move as he puts the medium pacer into the same spot twice in m consecutive balls.  The 150 arrives from his bat at the end of the 17th.

Unfortunately Craig is bowled for 42 next ball and Arul joins Zander with a job to do to get us near 200 because his partner will anchor the innings. 156 for 5 at the end of the 18th. de Bruyn cuts one to the new stand boundary but when he tries the same again he is caught by Croft and we are 161 for 6 halfway through the 19th.  Phillips is the new man and they belt 3 sets of two runs and take 11 off the over.  167 with 6 to go.

Ball 1 - single (Suppiah), Ball 2 - six to the CA (Philips), Ball 3 - 2, Ball 4 - 2, Ball 5 - single and Ball 6 - six to the CA (Suppiah)

Fighting last over 18 of the over well played Ben (17) and Arul (9) and 185 for 6.  Best batting performance so far in my humble but mostly down to the Mighty Trego.

7:00 PM. 

Croft and Hemp come out to face.  Crofty gets Charl who is around the wicket for the first and swinging wildly (wide).  The second is too full and the first four but he gets his radar sorted by ball three. But Mr Croft is a wise old one dayer and he milks Willough for 12 off the first. Turner takes the first at the River and has his captain marshalling fielders with lots of pointing and waving. Unfortunately the third ball from the quickie let's the batsman do a lot of waving...waving the ball over the boards.  It nearly happened again but Thomas and Suppiah combined well to stop a certain boundary.  20 after 2 does not bode well though.

However, you can't keep a good man down and Hemp returns to the changing room courtesy of the bowling of Charl and the hands of Alfonso Thomas before the score moves on.  But that brings Gibbs in and that can't be good for any side!  Phillips is given a one over burst at him from the River but goes for 10. Nevertheless Willoughby has the inswinging yorker going and nearly has Croft at the end of the 5th as they reach 39 for 1. Turner returns and is greeted by the Gibbs smash, twice to the CA and once to the ITB and up comes the 50 courtesy of that 12. It is followed by a fourth to the mid-on boundary.  He ends with 18 off his over.  Welcome to the big boys league Mark!

Now Willough has to retrieve the situation after only going for 2 in his last. Gibbs has ominously gone to 33 by the halfway stage of the 7th.  It's 66 by the end. Willough has gone (4 overs 28 for 1) and now we have Ian Blackwell trying to stem the tide. He does to as they move to 72 by the start of the 9th. 

Langer now turns to Arul at the OP and he does well, with the help of some very determined outfielding. The 'Welsh' have reached 91 after 10, are ahead on the rate required and looking very very comfortable. 9.6 per over is high but perfectly possible in this kind of game.  We are looking at another loss as Gibbs goes to 50 off 28 balls with a six and 9 fours. 100 at the end if the 11th and Gibbs and Croft have added 80 in 8 overs.

But it's not getting better as Craig  gives away the second four byes of the game and they move to 114 by the start of the 13th to be bowled by Alfonso.  We need something special to stay in this one as they are looking at a target of 72 off 8 which is dropping all the time. Crofty goes to 50 during the over off 36 with 5 fours and 1 six. Then he has a moment of madness and one hands a wide ball straight to Trescothick.  Joke ball and daft wicket but it is a chink that we need to open into a gaping chasm of we can!! Powell comes in and Alf finishes the over with a wicket and only 120 up. 

66 off 7 but while Gibbs is still in we are chasing this game.  They've moved Arul to the River end and a Powell single moves Gibbs onto strike.  His second ball finds Gibbs stranded and run out!!  The umpire (Jesty) gives it and then they realise that Kieswetter broke the stumps WITHOUT the ball and Herschell gets a reprieve.  Would the decision have been the same if it hadn't been for the fact that Gibbs just didn't walk?  We'll never know. It was pretty easy and he really should be watching the rest of the game from the balcony. 125 at the end of it but is that the minute that decides the game? 

Or is the next one where Thomas fields off his own bowling and destroys Powell's stumps at the non strikers end with him nowhere near his ground at 127?  Well Powell will take no more part and Dalrymple joins Gibbs.  Thomas gets another wicket and goes for three 128 for 3.  They need 58 off 5.  At the other end Arul is having a bit of a battle with Gibbs who is having a prblem getting him away.  He goes for 6and they still need 52 off 4.  Well done Arul!

The fielding goes up a level (except for probably Blackie's dive over a Dalrymple four) and the Glamorgan guys are only getting singles.  142 at the end of the 17th.  43 off 3.  Blackie delivers the 18th but the first goes for four and so does the second.  Long hop follows full toss.  The fourth goes for six.  It's 160 after it and a really poor over from the man!

It's 26 off 2 with Thomas bowling the important one.  The first is a swing and maybe a miss but Craig misses catching it so if he hit is it doesn't matter!!  Kieswetter has had a mare tonight! But Alfonso hasn't once again and bowls a wonderful over with only 5 off it!  They need 21 off one. Phillips should bowl the last but Langer has turned to Mark Turner with Dalrymple facing.

Ball 1 - dot, Ball 2 - Wicket from a real wide swipe caught Trigger 165 for 4  Ball 3 - Gibbs facing 21 needed. Excellent straight ball and a single, Ball 4 - four, Ball 5 - same wide ball, same swing and Wright goes to Trescothick.  Ball 6 - dot.  We win by 15 runs with Gibbs 76 not out and Wallace finishing on 0.

Great perfromance with the ball from Alfonso once again 21 runs and 1 wicket (plus the Powell run out).  Excellent support from Suppiah.  Peter T gets the Man of the Match but we also have to thank Glamorgan for at least 3 wide wickets and Turner in particular ought to thank the Welshmen for his last over figures.

But a win is a win is a win and the 'dream' is still alive.  Bring on the next victims!!  Nite!! 

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