V Durham CC2 Taunton 12 May 2004

After the very lacklustre performance against the Pheonix on Sunday we needed an uplifting experience and lots of points against the Riversiders on home turf.  Winning Championship games at Taunton is the key to Championship success - we've got less chance of losing here but we can't get afford a lot of high scoring draws.  That means quick, large first innings scores or more than one bowler having an in form spell and taking inexpensive five-fers.  I know that that is a formula for winning anywhere but 'quick' wasn't our style against Derbyshire and five-fers have been few and far between this year from our main strike force with the ball.

Somerset field a side decided  by injury in some departments.  The 'white ball only' duo of Keith Parsons and Keith Dutch come in as Francis J, who got a ball in the head on Sunday and Burns are still out.  That leaves the captaincy role to Jamie Cox.  Neil Edwards returns from illness and in the absence of Francis opens with Peter Bowler with Matt Wood at number 3.  James Hildreth also gets his first Championship run out of the season.  With Rob Turner having the gloves, the side is completed by the 'triumvirate' of Andy Caddick, Nixon McLean and a newly fit Richard Johnson all with something to prove as the season moves into a higher gear.

Durham always have a group of young hopefuls with them but they don't have Herschelle who seems not to have turned up!  They bring us the joys of the Rawlpindi Express, a Somersetian for all of one game (not here for the money again are you Shoaib)? But with Peng and Collingwood in the side there is experience as well.  The Aussie replacement is a guy called North who I have heard is 'useful' or 'useless' depending on who you talk to!

Day 1 starts with a Somerset toss win and a day (hopefull) in the Pavilion as we stick Durham in the field.  Bowler and Edwards  start the proceedings and put on 42 before Neil starts off John Hampshire's day of wierd and wonderful interpretations of the LBW rule...more to come!  6 minutes later there's another one and we are 42 for 2...without any help from Akhtar as of yet!  Matt Wood adds another 10 before it's another LBW!! Three seperate bowlers but the same umpire (later in the day, one comment was that 'Hampshire was having a bit of a mare')!  All three claim they hit the ball (well they would) and all three seem to have hit something...but they are out in Thursday's paper and we are back in 'seenitbeforeland' at 52 for 3.  Enter James Hildreth and Jamie Cox.  James seems to have no nerves at all!  Buzz is coming off a decent start to 2004 (quiet winter in Oz = stroming season in Somerset) and they proceed to put the bowling to the Sabre (sorry!). When we finally see Shoaib throw down a ball in anger to have Hildreth caught off one of the two Pratts, He's made his debut ton in only his third game and added 170 with his captain (65).  99, 101 and out to the man who was once the fastest bowler in the known universe and now looks more like the 'Rawlpindi Goods Train'.

Akhtar then seems to get a taste for it because he has Cox 9 minutes later after only adding 1. Rob Turner gets a first baller - LBW! - he reckons he missed it but it wouldn't have hit a second set of stumps! Second wave of defiance needed...enter 'The Two Keiths'. Dutch and Parsons have been here before, but usually at 70 for 5 or something.  This time it is 223 for 5 and they have a bit of time and a base to 'fiddle' from.  That is exactly what they do, they nurdle and frustrate and zip between the wickets.  Occasionally they lack respect for their 'betters' as when Dutch skied Akhtar over the Business Club for 6 and received a smack on the head three balls later from an angry 'fast' bowler.  After an hour and a half of cheek and for the addition of 127, Keith D (72) is skittled by Killeen.  We lose another clump of three wickets with Johnson LBW (plumb) for 2 and Keith P (55) the same to Davies.  Caddick and McLean have a bit of a swing - one of Caddy's almost clears the Botham stand - the addition of 21 is never a bad thing.  All out for 375.

Phase Two - Durham's reply

The messageboard has been suggesting that Durham's batting was 'fragile'.  Now add that to the return of Johnson, wicketless from his first 30 overs of cricket this season.  Spice it up with Caddick and the suggestions that he isn't the bowler he once was.  Mix in the calls for Nixon to be dropped after leaking like a drain against Yorkshire on Sunday.  Potent mixture and lots of SCCC fans rubbing their hands with glee.

It starts with 46 scored.  North falls LBW to Johnno.  Muchall flicks at his second ball and Turner gives the Swarthy Greek his second with no addition to the score.  Collingwood brings his international stature as an allrounder to the crease...unimpressed, Johnson sends him back for 9 thanks to the hands of Hildreth (not a bad fielder either!).  60 for 3 and Johnson looking much, much better. 

Eleven balls later and Caddick takes his obligatory one wicket an innings at the moment.  Peng is ajudged LBW and Nixon, not to be outdone has Pratt G caught behind at 71.  Durham have a few problems it seems, but Lewis is still in and Breese seems to be keen to stay around for a while. He adds 65 before Johnson gets bored and puts the ball, via Breese's bat, into the hands of Noddy. 136 for 6.  Lewis is still a problem so Johnson goes to 5 by skittling him at 145.

The tail wags.  Andy Pratt and Shoaib put on 54 before Nixon skins his opposite number on 25 and Killeen and Davies put on a few before they contribute to Johnno's final figures of 232 overs, 4 maidens, 7 gor 69.  They are 140 runs behind and we have an hour and a half before the end of Day 2...looking good! No follow on but hey, we're still in the driving seat.

Watching paint dry would be more exciting than the next 29 overs!  We are cautious and we have the time to be. They are as slow as hell!  We finish at 7:15 with a rate of 4.5 minutes an over.  20 overs in 1 hour and 49 minutes for heaven's sake! Caution doesn't help poor shots and just after Bowler went for 25 (another LBW), Edwards played a shot he was so disgusted with, he nearly forgot to leave the field!  The slowest return to the dressing room I've ever seen.  Wood didn't get going again and we were left with Cox and Hildreth to put us back together at the start of Day 3.

Friday morning sees us in a very strong position.  Some two hours later many would say it is unassailable!  Hildreth and Cox put on 140 for the fourth before Breese got the youngster.  Cox then adds another 93 with Parsons before he makes a mistake after an excellent 124.  310 for 5, that's 451 ahead and Buzz calls them in.  There's a day and a half left and nothing indicates that Durham will get anywhere near.  The purists murmur that we've left them a gettable target and the time to get it and should have gone for 500 but you makke these calculations and then you have to put yourself in the hands of luck and your bowlers.

The last part of this strange match starts then with 43 overs to play and Durham looking for a BIG score (highest one they will have ever reached to win in the fourth innings.  It gets off to a good one for us..Caddick gets Lewis flicking to Turner with 10 runs on the board. Within and hour it's got a whole lot better as the Cadmeister gets North caught behind. Then Muchall gets a rocket from Nixon that he really doesn't see.  He stands there looking at his destroyed wicket trying to work out where the ball actually went.  It's 3 for 57.  Well done Mr Cox, the plan is going to schedule.  When Collingwood becomes Caddicks third victim then there's a big problem and our bowler adds the icing by getting his fourth before the close when Pratt G holes out to Edwards.  174 for 5 at stumps needing 277 more to win, a whole day to get them out in and a lot of Somerset fans are making plans for the afternoon!! 

Then it all goes pear shaped!  To be honest, no-one actually has a reason for it.  The Saturday experts are there to give their opinion about poor bowling and poor field placing and the like but the ball was passing the bat all day and lucky shots went to the boundary because the batsman had no idea where the ball was going!  We were a bowler short and as someone said, Laraman would have been an asset because he would have had the ball doing all kinds of thing on Friday.  Our slow bowling option was hardly used Dutch bowled 6 overs and the three main seamers bowled 104!!  There was always the possibility but there was also some inspired performances from Peng and the tail to help the man of this game Breese score 165 and win the game for them. 

No excuses. As a poster on the messageboard said tonight, a side that can't defend a 450 total is in serious trouble.  Caddick got his 5 but for 149.  Johnson  battled manfully but couldn't repeat the first innings heroics and McLean looked very fast at times and cleaned two batsman as comprehensively as possible (the last one to bring hope back when they only had 13 to get and Killeen looked like helping Breese gat them).  But in the end, for whatever reason, we lost a game that was there for the taking for 25% of it.  We held the reins on this game from start to finish and the loss will be a very bitter pill for the whole team. I didn't see the whole of Day 4...I was in at the end and we were still passing the bat and we were still having Chinese cuts going into the boundary fence and we still had possible catches just dropping short of fielders desperate to get the ball.

Yes, the fielders were in the wrong place and yes the bowlers have to take wickets.  We didn't and we'll have to do better.  OUr weaknesses on an unforgiving pitch that gets better for batsmen as the game goes on were shown up very very clearly.  But before we all jump down Cox's throat and start the sack everyone and their friends routine.....Durham had to bat to win and it wasn't easy for them.  They'll be thanking God for their fortune today and blessing the points they really shouldn't have gone away from Taunton with.  Bitter blow....excellent work from Breese and the Durham Tail. Well done guys, see you at the Riverside in August.  On to the next one, turn the page and to quote Billy Joel

"...get it right the next time that's the main thing..."  Ho Hum.

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