Another top innings
Durham at Ground Zero
Another top innings
By Grockle
September 22 2002
Durham come to Taunton to play on the last pitch prepared by Phil Frost. Changing times in the West Country. 254 for 6 by the end with Matt Wood producing 88 not out in a better than normal display. But are we 20 short or will the bowlers do the busiiness?
Another top innings
September 22 2002
Durham come to Taunton to play on the last pitch prepared by Phil Frost. Changing times in the West Country. 254 for 6 by the end with Matt Wood producing 88 not out in a better than normal display. But are we 20 short or will the bowlers do the busiiness?
v Durham @ TAUNTON 22 September 2002
The End of Days...
The end of a season that we'd probably all rather forget and we have Durham at home on a sunny day with a smallish crowd - is that because of the Countryside March or lack of interest after some very poor performances in the Championship? No Bowler (in comes KP), No Blackwell (making hay in SL) No Johnson (injured again and replaced by Arul, Suppiah) and nothing really to play for. We all say goodbye to Phil Frost our award winning groundsman who has resigned after one too many run ins with Mr Anderson - he's "...had enough". He CAN walk away, we have to put up with it.
So we win the toss and decide to bat. We even manage some runs before we lose the first batsman. Piran Holloway goes for 6 with the score on 9. We've got to 27 before the captain snicks one he should have left alone and Burnsy is in with Mr Wood to shore up another front end 'collapse'. They actually do it very smartly and when we hit 55 after 10 overs, Mike Burns is in full flow smashing 6's to the short Brewhouse boundary and popping the odd one straight into the sightscreen and the Stragglers Pavilion. The one into the sightscreen bounced back and was caught one handed. Durham players seemed to think that this meant something but one Burns went to his 50 off 37 balls (3 sixes and 6 fours).
Unfortunately, once he'd got his eye in, he couldn't actually stop and at 54 he tries one high one too many and is caught. The run rate then calms down a little as Keith Parsons and Matt try to do the accumulation thing. 140 up at the start of the 25th so...all being well....in the fullness of time....other things being equal...we should be on for a plus 250 score. 145 for 3 at the end of the 25th.
KP is looking good until he gets into some strange running sequence with Wood where they both turn up at the same end while the wicketkeeper receives the ball at the other end. 164 for 4 and Parsons departs for 40. Don't worry though, Matt Wood is still there. He goes to 50 at 173 off 72 balls with 6 fours and we reach 200 in the 37th. Arul Suppiah is trying to push the score along but he smashes one straight into the gut of the mid-wicket fielder with one more run scored and we're 201 for 5. In comes Rob Turner to push the score along with his reverse sweep speciality (Keith Dutch might have been a better decision but then he hasn't had a great year with the bat I supppose). He nurdles and chips while Wood looks to push the score along. 221 a 40 and 250 plus is still on, although the 280 we though about at 25 is probably beyond them. The 250 actually comes in the last over and as Turner tries to go the ariel route, he loses his wicket to a catch in the deep for 21. Dutchy comes in to finish off and the two batsmen add another 4 before the end of the innings. Matt Wood finishes on 88 not out - another good innings from one of the only successes of this year.
255 to win? Is it enough? Most people think that it's 20 short and we have a weakened bowling line-up. With hope, Bulbeck and Francis will be inspired, Parsons will not be affected by his limping during his innings and he may get some. Will Arul Suppiah come into his own with the bat? Or will Dutch do what he's struggled to this season and take wickets? have to wait and see won't we.