Day 2 Scarborough

Finishing on 160 for 3 looked promising for the County's hopes of Championship Glory.  The early in-roads made by Yorkshire had been settled by Suppiah and Hildreth and we looked forward to a productive morning.

Unfortunately Arul went early adding only 3 to his personal score and helping to put a mere 7 more on the our first innings total.  Blackwell  was next man in and helped James  take us over the 200 mark.  Unfortunately Hilders couldn't take it any further and Craig's return produced only 19 runs. Not a great position to be facing in our penultimate Championship game.  But we have Peter Trego coming in at Number 8 and Ian B was already at the crease.

Peter Trego hits out moving towards 50

So from 219 for 6 the two men move the score to 318 before Hoggard gets one past Trigger for an excellent 51.  But Ian isn't finished and with the help of a flurry of boundaries and 14 from Charl Willoughby the Mighty IB ends the inniinigs on an unbeaten 127 from a score of 380 all out.  What would it have been without the contributions at the back end from a couple of players who seem to be 'out of favour' with the management?  Something around the 200 mark.

And Just after that landmark he goes to Hoggy

But this man is still there!!

There seems to be an unspoken issue about the future of Ian Blackwell as a Sabre. Rumours of character clashes with the captain and disagreements about attitudes to the game have been rife for two months.  Ian has not played a Pro40 one day game for the county this year even though he is without doubt our most experienced slow bowling all rounder and has been performing in the four day tournament at a level above many of his peers in the squad. 

And still there.... Does that look like the stroke of an "out and out slogger"?

No comment has been made by the club about the position but something strange is afoot and if it ends in the departure of this excellent cricketer to ply his trade elsewhere then the club will be diminshed by not only his absence but the nature of that move to new pastures.

Are we really sure we can do without this power at our call?  Do we really want to face this man in another team's colours in 2009?  Are we out of our tiny minds?

What we now needed was a bowling performance that would give us a possible winning position in a shortened game.  When Michael Vaughan was caught by Blackwell off Willoughby (not doing too much for his winter prospects unfortunately) we did start to hope.  But that was it as McGrath and Lyth both passed 50 before stumps.

Two days to go and it doesn't look like top points for us.  It does however for Notts and Durham could go further than us as well.  We need a huge morning tomorrow with loads of wickets, more incisive bowling from our big men and sharp fielding.

Looks like this one might go down to the wire........

Day 3

Well it doesn't go to plan I am sorry to report.  Marine Road does not play to plan and wickets are as rare as roicking horse droppings.  Although no bowler really gets a lot of 'tap', they don't take wickets either and Yorkshire reach 146 before we get Lyth for a well fought 65 courtesy of Alfonso Thomas.  It's another 140 before he bowls Anthony McGrath (what is it about us and him - he gave us grief at Scarborough last time I went there!) for 1 more than Blackwell's score yesterday.

It doesn't look hopeful but the day isn't over yet and although they sit at 287 for 3 they don't get fully away after that thanks to a better spell from Alfonso Thomas with a fiver-fer, ably assisted by Zander de Bruyn and Mr Blackwell wiith 2 each.  Yorkshire fight, especially Rudolph who nearly follows McGrath to 3 figures but we pull them back and they end only 34 ahead of us before the end of the day.

There are overs left and Justin seems to be ready to make a day of the last one by sending in Arul Suppiah and Craig Kieswetter to open our second account.  Is this a kind of 'nightwatchman opening partnership' or have they been given carte blanche to put the bat to ball leaving tomorrow morning for our big guns to put a score on that we can tilt at in the afternoon.  There is little to lose and a result would be a great boost to a flagging Championship push.  Anything here would make the Lancashire game something to behold.  Here's to a dry day and an exciting end to this match.  Go for it Somerset let's show them what a true Championship side is willing to do.

Day 4

Problems!  Marcus is not waiting for a big blast it seems, he is injured and we are putting together a scratch opening pair to keep Yorkshire out it seems.  With Notts motoring towards an innings victory against Surrey we are damage limiting the fact we cannot win by making sure we do not lose.

And it doesn't start by going to plan as Arul and Craig don't stay around or set a real base for a big second innings score.  That bloke Gough decides to get among us on his last appearance for his home county IN his home county.  Kieswetter is bowled at 26 and Suppiah is snapped up by Bresnan at 35 and Goughie has the skipper caught behind for a measly 1 at 39.  It's all looking bad and we find out that Marcus will bat at number 7 (it doesn't look like it ill be too long at this rate).  However, de Bruyn and Hildreth steady the ship with a coupleof scores around 50.

Zander hits 45 and hangs around until we pass 139.  James does better with 63 and we have 166 before he becomes Rashid's second wicket.  Peter Trego and Ian Blackwell continue to take control back.  Trigger  has added 45 before Rashid gets him at 236 and although Trescothick does come out, obviously in pain, he makes only 1 but Blackwell adds to his first inngs centry with a second spell 55 to help the game to a draw. 

Two of England's best say goodbye for the last time

And one of our best ever says goodbye to his county career - See ya Goughie Thanks a lot mate!

We declare on 314 and the Tykes call it square.  Darren Gough leaves a Yorkshire field dor the last time after quite an emptional farewell to Andy Caddick his partner at international level in so many games.

Notts finish this session 8 poiints clear of us and we have Durham coming up behind.  It's down to beating Lancashire and hoping others fail nest week.  I'm not personally optimistic.  It could be a game too far.  BUT we are still in it and there's another game to win.  On to Taunton.

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