Second fiddle?
Ponting in the land of the Apple!
Second fiddle?
By Grockle
July 31 2004
So all the press is about Ricky's impending arrival was true. Delayed but here and on the sheet as opener. He got 20 but it's abit much to ask for sharpness straight off a plane. It'll come Ricky old bean..don't panic!
Second fiddle?
July 31 2004
So all the press is about Ricky's impending arrival was true. Delayed but here and on the sheet as opener. He got 20 but it's abit much to ask for sharpness straight off a plane. It'll come Ricky old bean..don't panic!
Good crowd and the man is here and going in at 2. Banger's in as well but at 7!! Burnsy opens with Mr P as we've won the toss and decided to give it belt. Blackwell at 3 followed by Hildreth, Francis and KP with Dutch, Andrew and Frank S completing the side.
Banger opens with Dutchy and Marcus seems to have been spurred by Ricky's arrival as he launches into the Northants bowling and we take 30 off their 3rd. 50 up after 3.2. 11 extras doesn't help.
77 off 5 and a half with Mr T playing "my score's bigger than yours" with 50 off 23 balls. 89 without loss off 6. 100 up with a Dutch 6. 102 off 41 balls. Marcus goes a bit quiet and then goes in front of the OP. Out comes RP. But before he gets the chance Dutchy chips it and we're 118 for 2 after 9. The first Ponting scoring shot is a two, followed by him running out Hilda for 0.
121 at halfway but it's slowed down and we've only reached 135 at the start of the 13th (only?). RP seems to need a bit of time to get into this and when he does straight drive, it hits Frank J's bat and runs him out. In comes KP. These 2 bring up the 150 at the start of the 14th. First Ponting 6 into the school but he's a little woolly round the edges - not surprisingly. He starts to open tthe shoulders but finds a fielder and departs for 20 at 165 with 4 to go
.Will Blackie do it tonight? He still looks out of touch but he hasn't had a lot of time at the crease - never mind, KP's eye is pretty much in and Ian follows suit with 6 into the graveyard.
200 with a Parsons boundary at 18.3 and 203 with 6 to go. 205, 206, 207, 208, 210 and finally a single. 211 ain't exactly bad but 240 was definitely on at 10!! Or are we just getting greedy?
So what have the Steelbacks got? They need over 10 an over and have got to go like the clappers. Roberts and Swann G versus Francis S from the River and Aaron L at the OP.
For the stat geeks - 'Pongo' is fielding sort of mid off and he has chosen number 14 for his squad designation.
10 off the first and 16 by the end of the second. But at the start of the 4th 'Larry' strikes and Swann goes for 13 to the sound of clattering stumps. 33 for 1. Good over.
On comes Andrew and we are treated to a brilliant catch from Ian Blackwell who leaps backward as the ball seems to have cleared him and plucks it one handed out of the air - 40 for 2. More excellent bowling from AL and the sharp fielding continues. Northants try and push it but they can't find the boards and the pressure keeps growing. 'Larry' finishes with 1 for 34 and they're 76 for 2.
But they do start to motor with 11 off the 8th. Andrew changes ends and looks better with 6 off the 10th.
Dutch on for the 11th and gets a wicket with his first ball as he bowls Roberts coming up the track. At 13 they need 92 off 7 but it is still in the balance. Sales has his eye in and the 150 arrives at the start of the 15th. Nip and tuck...and getting nippier by the ball. Frankie goes for 17 off the 16th and they need 50 off 4.Dutchy is brought on to put the brakes on and he does as Hildreth takes a steepling catch to get us back on track. 6 and a wicket and 45 off 3.
Gareth puts one in at OP but it's not a good one and they take 17 off it but run one of theirs out from the last ball. 183 for 5 and it's 29 off 2. Keith D finishes with 4 overs for 23 with 2 wickets and an excellent last one that leaves the visitors with 22 to get.
Blackie has the job of the last one. 22 needed, 6 off his first! 4 leg byes off the second! 1 off the third! 1 off the fourth! 1 off the fifth! 4 off the last. A lot of character to keep your head and bowl it out. We win but fail to qualify (I think).
A positive end that we need to turn into league and CC form. Let's hope we use this to get some momentum while Pont's here and at least finish this season on some kind of high. On to Scarboro and some sun - please God!
v Worcestershire 20/20 @ Taunton 13 July 2004
Although we are all expecting some kind of run fest at the County Ground on Thursday, it is tonight that determines whether that game means anything or not (if you believe that any 20/20 game means anything). We've not got anywhere near the Pears in games this season and they will come expecting to win this one wuite easily. Can Simon Francis continue the excellent spell of bowling he produced on Sunday at Trent Bridge? Will we once again rely on Hildreth and Wood to sort out the batting after we lose the third wicket? Will Woody come in at some figure lower than 8?
There isn't a lot of optimism about these games and we will probably not get near to qualifying if we won both but there have been improvements over the last coupld of weeks from the massacre at Edgbaston. We produced a defendable total here last week buit failed to defend it and we bowled well at Trent Bridge on Sunday but failed to post a good enough target to defend. It seems simple really...all we have to do is put the two performances together and hope the rain stays away. It is looking hopeful but there are some black cloouds about. Bring yer brollies just in case.
We hope to see better from the fron ot the batting order Mike Burns and Jamie Cox need to provide a better platform for the middle order. We hope to see some fireworks from Ian Blackwell who has sigularly failed to set the 20/20 scene alight up to now. We hope to see Keith Parsons able to bowl 4 overs and the slowies giving us some control. Gareth Andrew needs a tighter spell...he can be dangerous, he just needs to be less 'leaky'. It is down to Laraman and Francis Senior to give us wickets and maidens!! Either would do, I suppose we ought to expect the former rather than the latter. Will we build or will we fail....watch this space later!!
Well we've won the toss and have decided to bat through a fog of flying ants. The guy next to me is ringing the office to find out which player is not playing - probably Thos Hunt.
Before we start we are treated to a strange 'guest' announcer with an interesting slant on the English language. He insists on telling us the score after every over just in case we can't focus on the huge scoreboard I suppose! He's not one of ours and has little knowledge of cricket...can't even pronounce Vikram Solanki's name!
Out come the umpires to 'Stuck in the Middle with you' (Clowns to the left of me.... ) Matt Wood is opening with Burnsy and facing Bichel. 4 leg byes and a huge snick for 4 more isn't a bad start though. Hall opens from the OP with 10 up. Burns goes for one and connects then goes again and is skittled for 4 - 15 for 1 - Ho hum!
Maybe, even in this form, it might be a good idea to have a look at the bowler before you try and tonk him George.
Dutch is next in and they psh on to 45 off 5. Woody certainly looks more at home at this end of the innings. Now he immediately hits the ball into the hands of a fielder as I type this (put the death on him then!)and Hildreth arrives at 46 for 2 in the 6th. The first 6 arrives at the start of the 7th - from the bat of Dutch. In the 8th Hildreth puts his first into the Tone - a key moment in any Somerset batsman's life. 80 off 9 with Dutch on 44 and Hilds on 12.
But he seems happy to leave it to John F and he is happy to oblige 150 at 17.2. Blackwell is lethargic and goes for 6 pretty unimpressive runs (worrying lack of interest). 166 at 19. We get a single, wicket John F for 31, no ball, dot, 2 (well run), 4, 2 (also well run). 178 for 6.
Si Francis starts the ball rolling against Hick and Solanki. We need a good spell from him and we get 8 - 2 wides though.
Laraman from the OP. 6 off that. Frank is generating some pace and puts in a very decent 3rd over. Then AL gets Hick caught behind off his 7th ball 20 for 1. Then he whacks in a 3 run over.
But the game stands or falls on the performance of Gareth Andrew and the other change bowlers. Andrew comes on in the 5th and goes for 11. Laraman keeps the pressure on though with Hall for 8 at 35 (caught Dutch) and another wicket when he castles Solanki with his 5th ball - 35 for 3. We are making a real fight of this.
On comes Blackie at 6 - 41 at the end. "Lara" gets another at 43 as Smith scoops to KP. In comes dangerman Bichel. AL - 4 overs 4 for 15 - pick that one out!!
The 50 arrives in the 8th but they are under pressure needing over 10 an over. On comes Dutchy for the 9th and Leatherdale deposits him into the OP but, importantly, KD keeps the foot on the gas and it's still only 69 by the end of the 10th.
75 for 4 at the end of 13 and IB has made up for his batting with 4 overs for 13 runs. Dutchy keeps the press on and they need 96 off 7. The Fat Lady has just got to the ground..but will she sing? The run rate is up to 18 per over, Somerset are attacking the ball off the boundaries (especially Matt Wood) and 'yorking' like god 'uns. It's very dark but that doesn't take away from the bowlers. Dutch finishes with 27 off his 4 but 12 of them came off 2 balls!
100 up on 16.4 but they need 74 offf 3 and we can hear the overweight one humming! Frank's back on at the OP and GA will bowl out at the River End.
Requiring a mere 29.5 an over, we finish 'em off in a very impressive fashion. Matt Wood runs 35 yards to make a diving save. Gareth finishes with 33 off his spell. They need 50 off 6 balls, 46 off 5, 40 off 4, 39 off 3, 35 off 2, 35 off 1 and that's yer lot 144 for 4 and the best 40 overs I've seen this season.
Laraman gets a very well deserved MOM and that was easy to work out as well. More light in the darkness boys and girls!! It makes Thursday far more interesting and may put some fight back in the squad now that they know they can do it. It may not be much but it is a start!
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