v Nottinghamshire CC2 @ Trent Bridge Friday 3 September 2004

Well Day 2 was a turn up for the books wasn't it?  After Richard Johnson's original salvo had been repulsed by the likes of Ealham and Read and it looked like Notts had hit a draw-based first innings score of 337 we come out, all guns blazing and the whole front end fires together!

A rare occurance in our season but Johnson's 5 for 69 did have an effect, it stopped Gallian, Read and especially Ealham's 104 from taking the game beyond us.  I thought that we'd let this slip away by not sweeping up the tail but I assumed we would capitulate in the first half of our innings and how wrong I was.  After the usual loss of a batsman (in this case Peter Bowler) within sight of 20 runs, the top order set out their stall and filled their boots from the Notts bowlers.  It has been too damn long since Jamie Cox  has hit this kind of Taunton 1999 batting form.  It happens to have occured when we put faith in the right guys and gave Matt Wood  the berth he really should have had a long time ago (one only hopes his spirit and desire to play for Somerset hasn't been affected by the enforced absence).  A 203 partnership with Cox  for the second wicket and a 19 four ton should have established his place in the new starting line-up for next year.  Out for 113 Matt helped put us back in this game but the next man helped out Tasmanian put us in control of it.

James Hildreth has been the find of this season.  We may lose him so enjoy him while he is here.  We ought to be fighting tooth and nail to keep him and I assume we are because at his age, produciing scores of 108 for a side that has only been adept at losing all season is remarkable.  Another 207 added for the third wicket...am I dreaming.  Not only that but when Hilda went, we are in the lead AND Buzz is still in!!  Haven't seen many scores of 412 for 3 posted by this team in the 21st century!!

Still, Coxey can still manage the odd run out!  Burns helped get the score to the 500 mark by adding 87 before he was run out - run out at 499 for 4!!  How the hell do we manage it?  Blacky failed to get his hand into the trough, going for 1 but Rob Turner, another doubt for 2005, helped Jamie  keep shoving the score up as he put together an 81 run partnership to give the Australian his 250.  He bowed out here after a monumental innings of 250 from 428 balls with 35 fours and a six.

How can people not appreciate this man?  He has spent five years helping us through rivers of brown stuff.  We should be clapping him onto the plane after this year and offering to put him up in every home in Somerset should he need the bed!!  Glorious swansong for a clinical batsman who was a pleasure to watch in his pomp.

Anyway, at 581 we need to put the game past them so that we can take them out and not bat again.  Wes Durston  playerd the kind of role we would expect him to, quick runs - 47 in 59 - he's gotta be a consideration for next year.  He can add you a half ton at number 7/8 in rapid time...come on guys! Sending in Johnno was probably a good idea - get us lotss off very little Richard and then we'll declare.  He got 8 off 8 but 6 of them came off 1 ball so when he was out, Burnsy called it a day and gave them 317 to get before we have to put on the pads again.

A day and a half to get them?  We are going for the throat but there is still fight in the Notts dogs yet.  At this moment in time they've put on 70 without loss and it looks like we need heroics from a man with the pill to get us into the soft underbelly.  And if we manage it, have we lost the chance?  Can we get close to the third spot boundary if this win is under our belt?

Well, at the moment, according to the table we are 7th with 130 points chasing Glamorgan, in the third spot with 157.5. Three games with maximum points (including bonus) would give us a possible 200.  So we need Glamorgan to lose preferably.  Essex also have two games to go and we have no control over them but we do face Yorkshire and Leicestershire in their final games and they are both on losing streaks.  Could we do it?  Well we've got to win this one but that would put it on the table and we could pip the Welsh to the final position...wouldn't that be fine.  Keep your eyes on Day 4...it could make or break our season!!  Oh what wouldn't we give to go back to the last hour of the Hampshire game so that we could all have shouted "DONT PANIC!!"

 Day 4

Lots of time but a batting wicket taking spin and a spin attack consisting of Blackwell and Durston (was it a mistake not to play Dutch?).  70 ahead and no wickets down, Bicknell (how I hate that name) and Gallian on familiar territory with Somerset lookinng set and immovable.  But Ian B has done it before in these conditions and although the first wicket didn't fall until the score was on 121 (Gallian caught Wes bowled Blackie), we kept chipping away with slow from one end and variation from Johnno particularly at the other.  The slowies bowled a huge amount of overs (Blackie  40 + and Durston 19.  Perish the thought that Burnsy would get the credit for keeping faith with his guys but it paid off in the end. Johnno got Harris and Singh but it was IB's day (has anyone else noticed the similarity in initials?  Surely such initials have to make their name at Taunton - he said hopefully).

Hussey went to him, Bicknell (spit) was still there.  Shafayet (we're looking at him) went to him and Wes added Read - all making stands but none getting set. Then at 256 we broke their back when Bicknell went to the England allrounder caught by George for a phenomenal 142.  If we could winkle out Ealham then we had a distinct chance of an innings win.  Well, Blackie started by winkling out Franks before he got the vital wicket of "Marky boy" - hhe then added the final flourish having McMahon caught behind off his first ball.  Tied scores, 7 for 90 - equalling his earlier season and career best figures and giving us a sniff of something for 2004.

We needed 1 run and who better to go out and score it but Peter Bowler in one of his last long game appearances.  10 wicket win and something to come to Taunton for next week.  Glamorgan have to lose a game and we have to win both handsomly (tall order, requires consistency)!  The Welsh have Notts (smarting one hopes) at Sophia while we have the Tykes (also smarting from Scarborough) at home.  It could all be decided there by Hurricane Francis.  If they lost and we won/drew then it would come down to Grace Road and Headingley on the 16th and THAT would be interesting.  We have the harder second part of that scenario so we need to give Yorkshire such a good hiding this weekend that they welcome the Dragons with the desire to take scalps in their last match. It's highly unlikely that Glamorgan will slip up, more likely (with our recent record) that we will but it's still possible people....it's still possible!

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