v Middlesex FPT @ Bath Monday 4 May 2009

Scorecard

32.4 overs.  111 runs and an 8 wicket victory in front of a festival crowd.  Great result but possibly not for Bath as the game lasted less than four hours!

Peter Trego found swing and took 4 for 17 in 10, Phillips bagged 3 in 7 and Alfonso 2 in 2 for 5, Charl took the other one.  Middlesex murdered and more points in the coffers.  On to Trent Bridge

v Nottinghamshire CC1 @ Trent Bridge Wednesday 6 May 2009

Scorecard

First away Championship game of the season and a few problems still in the bowling department.  Caddick still sidelined, Turner coming back from injury in the seconds and Jones still turning his arm over for the Kent outfit.  David Stiff is once again given the opportunity to impress and Ben Phillips is back from the pull that kept him out of part of the Durham game.

The toss was ors but there will be a question about the decision to bat.  Another failure in real terms with the willow.  138 with Zander making almost half of that was simply not good enough.  Even though a Charl fivefer kept us in the game and an excellent tight 20 over spell for Stiff suggested we may have found a real asset, we were constantly chasing this game. 261 all out for the home team left us over 120 adrift.

The second innings showing was better with a near ton for MT and lost of mid scores for others.  But in a finely balanced game without weather interuptions, if you give the other side an advantage then you lose the game.  Lo and behold! In spite of 383 on the board we had too little to defend on a flattening pitch and Notts were home by early afternoon on day 4.

Same problem.  We only batted properly once and our bowling isn't incisive enough to defend that at the moment.  Not a Championship winning start I'm afraid but we have until June 6 to sort it out and a lot of game to try things to get it right. 

Scotland?  Warwickshire? Kent?

the seconds gave us something in the spin department.  Max Waller is called into the 13 for the Scotland game.  Mark Turner is also in but as he didn't look fit during the same game it is doubtful that he will play.  Is the 'Grocklee' up to a full season of first class cricket?

Zander is working well in the one day format but is that causing problems for the more local talent in the four day frame?  Neil Edwards seems to be making runs in the seconds but can't get a look in at number 2 in the full side.  Arul Suppiah is worth his place in the top 5 but are we pushing away another player with a future at the club by consintuing to rely on a kolpak batsman?  Will Langer ever bet on the youngsters until the top 6 consistently perform in both innings?  It isn't Mr de Bruyn's fault now is it?

We still see one of our own bowling in the South West while we have bowling issues at third (and possibly second) seamer.  Has Steffan's time at Taunton come to an end?  Hope not but he must be wondering wher his future lies given that he is on loan but the problems at home have not required the management to ask for his return.  Big month for him if he comes into the reckoning for the next few games or the 20/20.

Ben Phillips may have to come up to the line and play a much more significant role in the season than expected because of the increasing doubt that we will see our beneficiary playing in many games in 2009 (or ever again for that matter). Andy Caddick our talisman and 'go to guy' for a decade or more seems to be unable to shake off this presdent injury (a re-occurance of an earlier version?) and the time many hoped might never come has arrived.  We seem to be entering the "Post Caddick" era without an adequate replacement unless something changes.  Charl Willoughby will continue to provide but he needs consistent wicket taking service to do that.  Maybe that is going to come from David Stiff?

Plucked out of the relative obscurity of his third county in a short career, we seem to have a little more than expected in the big man.  His first outiing was very variable but showed intersting aspects,  His second was still not wicket filled but 20 overs in a championship with an average of just over 3 is worth looking at.

Spinners?  We need one that takes wickets.  Mike Munday took 7 of them in the second run out at the County ground mid week but it isn't enough to get himn a one day place for this next week.  he has been pipped to that post by the young seconds captain Max Waller who doesn't float it as much and beats his older colleague in the batting and bowling areas.  But it might be a good omen for both forms of the game.

It is also a call to arms for another two spinners.  Omari Banks has been the choice for the teams up until now because he is the best spin option we had.  if that position is usurped and the batting continues to be unreliabel then it opens the door for Wes Durston to put forward his claim.  A second spinner really BUT an immeasurably better batsman than both he could be preferred to the West Indian if the two young twirlers start to lay a claim to the slow man spot.

Thes next few games are time for us to settle this side,  We need to know what the position is with our lanky Mr C.  We need to see this spin option sorted and some performance with the ball and we need to see batsmen cementing their places for the long haul.  The 20/20 is an opportunity for some.  the lay off from four day cricket is an obstacle for others - will Edwards finally get a shot in a short game as many have requested for more than one season?

It all starts tomorrow with probably a familiar side unless Waller makes a play.

More after that game.....

V Scotland FPT @ Taunton Monday 11 May 2009

Scorecard

Commentary

The online commentary team have given us the news that Justin Langer is absent because of 'illness' rather than injury.  It gives a chance for the first class first appearance for 'Grocklee' Wes Durston who is favoured to Max Waller and brought into the squad of 13 that only had one real eleven that was ever going to take the field.

Trescothick, Kieswetter, Suppiah, Durston, Hildreth, de Bruyn, Trego, Banks, Thomas, Phillips, Willoughby

We won the toss and chose to field and then we proceed to beat them to death!  Nice fresh conditions, lovely pitch and fair to mediocre bowling.  Enter Marcus Trescothick and Craig Kieswetter  although the wicketkeeper didn't get into the runs today being bowled by Nel (not that one).  After that we get 270 for the second wicket against Scotland (new record for the home side) with the captain taking 144 off 108 balls and Hildreth taking 151 off 141!  Sheer bloody murder and no mistake.  When the skipper went in came Peter Trego at number 3 - light relief?  Not really.  He smashes 74 off 39 balls with 6 fours and 4 sixes before Stander gets some joy after having two catches dropped off him by bowling Hildreth before he ends with 1 for 106 off his 10 overs!!

Somerset finish on 403 for 3 - a winning score?  Well it is at Taunton where 10 an over is perfectly easy for the most mediocre of batsmen. We need to be very tight and get rid of them quickly.

Gavin Hamilton opens with Poonia against Charl Willoughby and Peter Trego and Pete gets Poonia to stand in front of one at 18 so we are among them.  However, Hamilton has become a cricketer at one with his lot and he sets himself down to anchor his side's innings as a captain batsman should.  So we move through the first half of the innings with Scotland making little in-road into the run rate but not giving chances for us to skittle them.  Willoughby gives way to Phillips and then to Banks.  Trego gives way to Thomas while Hamilton moves past 50 (54 balls 6 fours).  It is the south african who does get the Scots captain after he realises that they are getting too far behind and tries to push the score along with shots in the air just over fielders at mid off and mid on.  He swipes at an Alfonso straight one and loses his off peg at 62 with his side on 91.  that is the end of credible attempts to keep up with the rate.

By the time Watson gets to his 50 at 149 (65 balls and 3 fours) we are in the 29th over they are 77 behind the D/L required score and this game is effectively over.  Scotland take their powerplay here at 151 with Alfonso back on at the OP.  Then Borgas was beautifully stumped off his bowling at 154.  Watson left the field at 67 bowled by our one day bowling star Zander de Bruyn and Stander made little impression being caught plumb in front after providing a score of 1.  5 down 15 short of the 200 and over 100 behind the D/L required score.

Smith and McCallum took the Saltires past the doubkle hundred before ZdB skittled Smith out for 15 and it seems unlikely that they will pass 250 as we come into the 49th over where Parker was bowled by Trego at 244 for 8 - 244 for 7.  The D/L score required?  393!!

Rogers doesn't bother the scorer as he becomes Trego's second bowled victim of the over and Scotland slump to 244 for 8.  Weeraratna is in at number 10 facing the last over from Alfonso Thomas.  A misfield for 4 off the first and leg bye off the second gets the Northerners to 250 and also allows McCallum the chance to go to 50 off the next ball.  His innings came off 61 balls with a six and 2 fours - good middle order effort that in a losing cause.  Unfortunately he is caught behind of his 62nd ball - the last ball of the game and we win by 151 runs.

Four out of four people....next one on Thursday against the Bears.

Odds on five out of five?  The Man of the Match award was shared between Marcus and James who scored his highest one day score today. 

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