v Nottinghamshire Pro40 @ Taunton Sunday 10 August 2008

Scorecard

Three games and 1 win to our name.  The position is still recoverable according to BR but it won't be if this becomes loss number 3 I wouldn't think. So will the selectors stay with the master plan or will today see changes being made to bolster up the batting and introduce more assertive spin bowling?

One would assume that the openers will not be touched because effectively they have done nothing wrong all season.  There might be a move to push Justin back to 3 but the question is then 'who do you pull in?'.  There have been forum comments about giving Neil Edwards a one day berth but that doesn't seem to be in the plan.  So Marcus Trescothick and Justin Langer will be expected to lead our batting.

Zander de Bruyn will provide the possible anchor at 3 and the bosses have kept faith with James Hildreth during the majority of the season so I doubt things wil change.  He seemed to settle well in the second innings of the Championship game but then seemed to have a 'thought shower' and smacked exactly the wrong ball to a fielder.  I expect to see him at 4.

Poor shot selection has probably done for any return of Ian Blackwell to the one day side despite the need for a tighter spin option.  His misjudgement in the first CC innings and awful shot in the second will stand against him and as he didn't bowl there is little on the plus side in the eyes of those who wrte the team sheet at the moment.  Peter Trego  will therefore take the number 5 spot or move back one for Arul Suppiah who is exected to come in at Ian's expense.

Craig will keep so number 7 is covered and then there is a real question about who will find places in the last 4 spots.  Caddick may rest so Charl Willoughby will take the eleventh spot and one would expect Alfonso Thomas to take one of the others.  That leaves a possible five players looking for the chance to take one of two places. 

Steffan Jones - good CC match with the bat aggressive with the ball at the end of the third day.  May lose out if....

Ben Phillips - has been seen bowling in the intervals but we're not sure if he's fit.  If he is he will play.

Omari Banks - extra bat/spin option?  Hasn't impressed on a consistent basis and will not play if the weather is damp-ish (unless Arul doesn't)

Michael Munday - real outsider but had 10 wickets in the seconds and they know him of old.  Very doubtful

Mark Turner - an outsider?  Could use him as a surprise pick and hope his pace gives Notts the jitters.  I'll personally be surprised to see him.

On that basis one would expect to see seam options and they would be Jonah and Ben with Mark coming in if there is an injury scenarion that keeps Phillips  out.  I doubt there will be room for two spinners and Arul's performance in the seconds game would put him in pole position for tomorrow....and maybe replacing Ian in the Tuesday game because of his more consistent performances with the bat.  But that's for later.

Gates open at 11:45.

The side is almost as expected except he plays his three spinners. Omari gets the second spinner spot and we do not see the return of Phillips.  Steff stays in. Wes gets a chance with the bat although I don't expect him to bowl and Trigger is rested?  Lots of faith in Banks - time for him to justify it.

Notts win the toss and choose to bat and go off at quite a pace against Willoughby and Jones.  It's sunny with the odd shower at the moment and once again they are playing on a wicket one over from the Championship (in front of the last third of the Botham) - central almost.  Jefferson and Swann open for them and although Willoughby gets Swann early (caught by de Bruyn) with only 15 up, they go at 6+ an over for the first 10 with Jonah going for 35 off his first 5 and the batsmen sharing the spoils. 

This brings about a change at 12 with Zander coming on at the River and Thomas joining him at the OP for the 13th.  Showers are still smattering the place but not enough to get them off the pitch.  de Bruyn seems to be up for today and he produces a wicket maiden for his second catching Wagh LBW at 84 trying to pull him.  But Will Jefferson is taking a liking to Alfonso who he deposits onto the roof of the cowshed in the 15th.  We aren't slowing them down at the moment as they move to 96 at the end of the 16th.

The 100 arrives at the end of the next one and announces the arrival at the River end of Omari Banks for his first spell.  Unfortunately we have to wait for it because it also announces the arrival of a torrential downpour which forces the players off and the cover on but disappears almost before the sheet is on the strip.  This game has to finish by about 7:30 but we don't lose overs as they reduce the time between innings instead and the players are back on the pitch in 5 minutes in order for Omari to bamboozle them. Voges has a good look at him, is fooled by the last one and he goes for a very creditable 4.

Jefferson goes to his first 50 of the season (probably why he isn't playing Championship cricket) in the 19th off 56 balls with 4 fours and a six and after 20 they are still moving at about 6 an over with 112in their 'run bag'.  But they don't get to 120 unscathed as Thomas gets Jefferson playing across the line and Arul  takes the catch at 117.  Patel replaces him as Zander changes ends to the OP for the 23rd.

We are witness to a surprising event as the Outlaws move towards the 150 mark as Zander gets Patel to go over the infield and Arul drops a semi-sitter on the boundary.  Not something you see every day and not really something we wanted today because not long after that Ptel brings up the 50 with a one bounce four to the open area by the cowshed.  At the end of the 29th they are 156 for 3 with the little man on 18 and Voges on 35.  This is the base for a big push towards the 250+ score although Banks is keeping it moderately tight at the River and fools Patel with a quicker ball which he misses and Craig stumps him on the leg side.  157 for 4.

164 after 30 overs so 250 is on if they push it.  Zander  has bowled his 8 and his one wicket cost 41.  Fair to middling and his last only went for 4.  Omari finishes just after him and his wicket went for 36 - the best he's bowled in a full allocation of overs. A decent session for him and only 4 off his last as well.  Steffan is back on at the OP with the jb of keeping the 'press' on. but he goes for 9 and Voges celebrates his 50 off 58 balls with 5 fours. 

There are questions about the next choice with Arul on for the first time at the River and they finish his 34th on 187.  Decent start mr Suppiah.  Alfonso now takes over at the OP to finish his spell and one would expect to see Charl at the other for his last 2 although don't put money on it yet.  Shafayat is looking to get Thomas away but a large full toss from the little man in the 35th is missed and he loses his off AND leg stump while the middle one stays up!! 191 for 5 and in strides Matt Wood for a bit of a thrash.  Woody versus Thommo  with his tail up...this could be intersting.  Well he's off the mark and they have 192 with 5 to go.

But that was all she wrote for Woody as his return to the County Ground ends quickly and not particularly happily as he tries to glance Arul down the leg side and is bowled around his legs for 1 and Notts move to 192 for 6. Mark Ealham last two balls as he smacks the second one he faces straight to Justin. 192 for 7 and Arul has justified his selection today and has possibly put into question Ian Blackwell's championship appearance for Tuesday's game against Surrey. 

Thommo gives them little in the 37th and they still haven't broken the 200 barrier with 3 to go.  Arul stays on (not surprisingly) at the River for the 38th and it comes up off the 2nd ball but he only gives them 5.  202 as Alfonso bowls the 39th and we've held them really well in the second half of this innings irrespective of what happens in these 12 balls.  Omari doesn't help letting one through for four. 

But Thommo finishes with 2 for 42. 212 with 6 to go and Arul has the last one.  2 boundaries from the first two balls for Franks and he puts the third into the scoreboard seats and the fourth into the carpark beyond it.  The fifth goes into the Botham without a bounce and they get 2 off the last one - 28 off the over and all to Franks (4,4,6,6,6,2).  Errr - you know the bit in italics?  Forget I wrote it!!  We need 241 to win!!  Arul still finishes with 2 for 37 off his 4 which means he had 2 for 9 before that massive "Franksfest" of a last over. 

Our start?  "Usual Start" is the comment from a supporter.  Justin inside edges the first one for four after a massive 'wahoo' and is caught inside edging the second.  What the hell is going on?  4 for 1 after 2 balls.  Craig Kieswetter is in at number 3 (no Trego).  Marcus is then nearly run out ball four coming down the wicket while CW stays exactly where he is.  4 for 1 after 6 balls from Schreck.  Andre Adams is on to do mayhem at the other end and MT is nearly run out again at the end of the over as he looks to get on strike on a single that isn't one and has to scramble back.

We have moved, scarily on to 24 after 5 overs but it's not settled and commanding at the moment one has to say - lots of scrambled singles.  By the 15th we've pushed it on to 74 and we look a bit more settled.  Craig is putting bat to ball solidly but we still only see glimpses of Marcus in full flow.  Andre Adams isn't particularly impressed as Kieswetter murders him but we still don't look in command.

Greame Swann comes on at the River end for over 17 and this is where we lost it in the Championship game  we've played spinners poorly and Swann certainly had a significant influnce in the longer meeting between the sides.  Have we learned anything? Well if we have it isn't immediately obvious as Craig tries to hit big shots off most of the balls he faces rather than having a look and Marcus is completely foxed and is bowled for 29 off the first ball he faces.  When did we forget how to play spin?

77 for 2 at the end of the 17th and in comes Zander de Bruyn to show his colleagues how to play a slow bowler.  Meanwhile Ealham is trundling in at the other end but will probably soon be replaced by Patel or anyone who can spin one or two unless we show some application.  Swann's second over shows that ZdB hasn't got a clue either.

Craig fulfills his role as number 3 batsman by going to a 72 ball 50 with 6 fours and even though Patel does come on at the OP end we pass 100 in the 23rd but we are 20 runs behind the D/L requirement.  It doesn't get any better when Swann bowls the keeper playing a backfoot defensive shot to a ball that beats him and takes out his off stump.  57 is commendable but the loss f his wicket doesn't help the momentum. 104 for 3 with James Hildreth the next man in. 

The two batsmen look to push it along and certainly Hildreth looks better against Swann but the 'ask' is getting bigger all the time and at the end of the 28th over they need 105 off 12 overs.  Patel has changed ends and with 10 an over required and a solid batsman and one out of form at the crease it doesn't look like a confident prediction to suggest a Somerset win.  However as Hildreth puts Pattel's first ball of the 29th into the new stand that may be too pessimistic.  Especially as he puts the next "Patel Pill" to the Botham boundary.  It's 92 off 11 and "Jim" starts on Adams with 10 off his first two of over 30 and takes us past the 150.

With 15 off the 30th Notts bring Swann back on and Hildreth misjudges one and puts it straight up in the air and into Shafayet's gloves.  The hopes move down a gear again and it all falls on Wes's shoulders.  James hit 38 off 22 balls with 3 sixes ad the same number of fours.  Shame really but at least we are back in the hunt for a while needing 70 off 9 with Zander on 40 and Wes yet to score but he is the batsman you could do with at this end because he will keep the scoreboard ticking and make de Bruyn run or hit big.  Franks is on at the OP and we need 66 off 8 - four is not enough.

Zander does look to push it along, taking a two off the first ball of Swann's last over but he is then bowled trying to leg glance it for a good 44.  177 for 5 needing 64 off 46 balls. Arul  is going to be Wes's partner for the last bit of this innings. At least Swann may finish before they do!! Swann puts in 8/1/35/4 - and may have won this for his side.

61 off 7 as Arul faces Frank.  They all think he's hit the first but the umpire doesn't and it puts the Notts man off as the next ball is a wide. 2 off the next...these two will run everything.

The 34th over sees the ball being changed and we need one big over to neutralise the Franks 40th.  They need a tight over to put it out of our reach and Mark Ealham is on at the River to keep the Somerset men in check.  It's fitting that it is down to Arul to be involved in winning this one if we actually do that but the 34th doesn't seem to be that vital 6 balls until Wes puts Mark into the new stand and we need 45 off 5. Franks v Durston brings us to 199 off the first 2.  Franks v Suppiah brings up the 200 but he is really struggling to put bat to ball at all.  Notts are back on the boundary so Wes does the obvious and puts it into the pavilion for 6.  he then hits a four off the last ball - excellent.  31 off 4 looks more like it - we need no daft stuff.

Patel in on at the River and Arul is facing.  He gets Wes on strike and he sixes him into the new stand once again.  They move it on to 222 - 19 off 3.  Notts throw Ealham in at the OP end to try and keep this in their sights.  Wes is facing and while trying to smash him is bowled for a fighting 36 off 30 balls that put us back in this game. 

In comes Omari Banks and he takes a single off his first.  Arul goes for the safe option and takes the single as well and that is how the over goes so we have 226 at the end of it.  14 off 2.  Franks is back on at the River.  Banks is facing - single.   Arul puts a full toss away and we go below a run a ball for the first time.  He starts to hit the ball, a second four to the new stand puts it down to 5 off 8. Then 5 off 7. Banks runs for the next single and we have both batsmen at the same end.  Arul tries to get up the other end but fails and he is run out on 326 - headless chicken time!! In comes Alfonso but not to face. The scamble another single and it's 4 off the last over with the West Indian on strike.

Last over Ealham v Banks ball 1 - dot. Ball 2 - dot. Ball 3 - single. Ball 4 - single and finally Ball 5 - two!!  We win with a ball to go.  Thank the son of God for that!! A victory by three wickets with a ball to spare.  Well done to Wes Durston for bringing us back into this one and well done to the whle side for sticking with it and getting us there.  One of those sticking out vein ones that doesn;t do the heart rate or the stress level any good at all!

But two points is two points guys and gals and we are still in this Pro40 thing!!  Nite!!

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