v South Africa (Tourist)@ Taunton 29 June 2008

Scorecard

White clothing, international batsmen at the crease, an abundance of Platinum members in the crowd and a full press box.  It must be a dream!  But no, it's the tourist game on a Sunday.

The Somerset promise of the Bok's versus the cream of "English" Somerset youth is about right but not what we expected entirely. The side that lost the toss and have been put in the field is;

Edwards, Suppiah, Hildreth, Trego, Durston, Kieswetter, Jones, Turner, Caddick, Munday AND (fanfare) de Bruyn

I have absolutely nothing against Zander but I fail to understand the logic of this.  No Banks (injury?).  No Gazzard with the gloves (with Craig as a batsman)? No Blackwell (poor Twenty20 does he need to rest really)? But we have chosen a South African - must be because the skipper doesn't have faith in the backbone of the front five (may have a point but wouldn't Ian have been a consideration as well - too many spinners perhaps).

So we field and Neil Mckenzie faces his ex-teammate AC to start the game.  The following conversation oculd have taken place.

"Hello Neil welcome back to Taunton.  I won't be facing you in the Tests but why don't you go and ponder your strategy for those games while I get my teeth into the rest of you.  Oh I'm Andy Caddick by the way".  Neil seems to agree with this suggestion, puts his pad in front of the ball AND the wicket and goes LBW first ball of the morning.

Caddick says goodbye to McKenzie

It all looks promising but Amla and Duminy are not phased and get into their zone despite the aggression of Turner and Jones and the persistence of Caddick.  They reach 50 in the 12th and the 100 comes in the 21st (very slow over rate) along with Amla's 50 (63 balls with 8 fours).  Munday is introduced at the OP in the 22nd and Duminy follows his partner off 67 balls (with the same number of boundaries).  Fair first over by the young guy - one wide delivery gives the batsman his half ton.

Amla                                                                         Duminy 

By the 29th and lunch the tourists look ominously in touch on 136 and we don't look like worrying them in overcast cnditions where we'd expect the likes of Willoughby et al to be worrying these blokes.  I know it's that kind of game but it doesn't look that much of a contest at the moment.

After lunch Mike M stays on at the OP but it's that man Caddick who gets the next one - as the Soput African press are waxing lyrically about Jean-Paul Duminy, the big man sends one down the leg side which the batsman flips and Craig Kieswetter takes in a full length dive at 146.  The man goes for 64 and we welcome Jaques Kallis to the middle.

Amla has taken a real shine to MM though and just after the 150 comes up in the 33rd he opens up at the spinner.  The six ovedr wide long on is followed by three consecutive boundaries and a century for the batsman (105 balls 15 fours and that six), 18 off the 34th and a deep hole for our young slowie to get himself out of. 

Caddick shows the way with a maiden in the 35th but the SA batsmen milk him for another 9 in the 36th and by the 40th, with the captain showing faith in the man the tourists have pushed the score past 200 as Kallis also gives the young man some welly.  201 up at the end of the 39th.

Arul Suppiah ends the pain of Munday's 10 for over 70 in the 41st but the two batsmen continue on with Kallis simply taking over where Duminy left off and by the end of the 53rd they are looking at passing the 25 mark.  The only question is will it take kallis from 48 over the half ton or will it simply add to Amla's move towards 150 (although he has taken the back seat since Kallis arrived).  It is still 247 for 2 at the end of the 54th but it all seems inevitable, even though we now have Mark Turner and Steffan Jones working away for us.  Suppiah's spell was a very creditable 6 overs for 16.

The 250 comes at 54.4 overs courtesy of a sublime four to Kallis splitting the fielders with real precision. His fifty is almost identical to the first two of the innings - 64 balls and 8 fours. 35 over to go and a score well into the 300's is looking very very possible.

Jacques opens his shoulders

At Tea things have gone almost entirely South Africa's way and they have moved on to 274 for 2 with 30 overs of the day to go.  Amla is on 136 and Jacques Kallis has moved to 67.  Based on that kind of score, 400 by the end of the day is definitely on.

The 274 has turned into 330 plus by the 70th and moving Suppiah to the River end and then Munday seems to make no difference.  Amla moves past 150 and at 341 Kallis moves past 100 with a ton off 125 balls with 13 fours and a six (seems like more than that actually).  A good workout for the batsmen?  You might say that while I.......

So...who wants the ball?  with 350 up and two batsmen into three figures Caddick introduces....Wes to the attack!  Just what you want, your first bowl to two men seeing it like a baloon.  To give him credit he probably has Kallis dropped by Kieswetter off his second ball and Amla strolls down the wicket on his last ball and is run out by Zander de Bruyn for 172 - the highest score by an SA batsman against Somerset.  362 for 3!!  Amla called as the ball went to backward point but he sort of realised that he wasn't going to get there and he gave up.  Then again, when you've cracked 172 you've done your job for the day I suppose.  But well done Wes and Caddy for stupendous strategic changes of field and bowling. Great innings from Amla one has to say (217 balls with 22 fours and 1 six).  Ashwell Prince, the South African captain for today comes out with his side well on top in this game and Kallis looking to pile on even more before the end of the day.

It seems that Wes has shut down one end and now Jonah is getting the hammer - though Kallis is trying real hard to hit anything near him (or far away for that matter).  Unfortunately he keeps on connecting.  But Mr Durston is keeping them down at the OP so the captain brings Arul back at the River in the hope of more of the same because with 12 overs to go they are 13 from the magic 400.

After 80 overs they haven't quite made it - the score is 398.  The captain brings himself on for the 81st over with Kallis looking to finish off the day by passing Amla's new record of an individual score of 172.  The first ball goes to the boundary, sending Jacques over 150 (153 balls 2 sixes and 21 fours) and the Boks over 400.  Caddy isn't particularly impressed with this and puts a bit more in.  the third balls of the over rears unexpectedly and belts Kallis on the point of the elbow....very painful.  However, after a bit of sorting he is fit to continue and then proceeds to smack Caddick's next two balls for 4. But that looks like a bit of bravado because we next see Mr K walking off to the pavilion.  It seems that it is just bruised - no structural damage - but that announcement came very quickly so one wonders how much they've been able to assess and it could be a problem.

So...Kallis off with 160 at 410 for 3 and De Villiers replaces him for the time being at least to finish the day against Caddick and the returning Turner at the OP.  The big question is can the 'gold and greens' get over 450 before the end of the day.  At the end of the 87th it looks highly likely with 442 up and 3 sets of six to go.

As an aside...I took a wander over to the new members stand that has replaced the River Stand.  It holds about 450 and is fully open now. not a bad view ether really.  The only problem with it is that you cannot get around the back of it so people will have to walk across the front to get to any other part of the Brewhouse side but it does give you a very nice view of play, especially frm the higher seats.

Anyway, a fairly decent over from Turner provides 4 dot balls and then one four before ending with a dot.  446 with 12 balls to go.  450 will come and Somerset must view the day in perspective.  We faced a big batting side and did not hold them.  Too many short balls, Mike Munday did not contain from the OP (he looked better from the River but by then the damage was done) and at times served up boundary fodder.  Amla batted beautifuly, but was allowed to, we really missed the accuracy of Willoughby and Thomas.  The younger players have to learn the lesson that presently thay are not pushing to replace the four seam attack of Caddick, Willoughby, Phillips and Thomas.  We have yet to see what the batting line-up has to say for itself.

The 450 arrives off Caddick's third ball of his last over and Turner finishes off the proceeddings from the OP.  They have stuck to their tasks manfully and heads have not dropped noticably but they've also been given a lesson in where not to bowl to good batsmen on a batting wicket - a hard day in the cricket academy.  Let's hope lessons have been learned.  456 for 3 (4) at the end of the 90th.  Welcome to the real world gentlemen.

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