v Nottinghamshire TSL2 @ Taunton 8 September 2004

Burns, Gazzard, Blackwell, Hildreth, Keith Parsons, Suppiah, Laraman, Andrew, Mike Parsons, Simon Francis. That's the published side although until I get to the ground I can't identify who may not start. No Caddick, Johnson, Cox, Dutch, McLean, John Francis - some are conscious policy and some are injuries. I can't quite work out which is which although I woulkd assume the game against Yorkshire has become paramount after the Nottinghamshire CC2 game. Let the guys have their heads, what excatly have we got to lose?

First report will be here about 2:30 if I can get away from my desk and find a place to park...more later!

The team is as shown which probably means we have probably seen Keith Dutch for the last time in a Somerset shirt - personally I'll miss him, he's produced some great memories in his time with us. Good luck Mr D.

By the time I've found parking, we're an hour in and Anurag Singh is already out caught KP bowled MP. The Outlaws are 91 for 1 at the 15 and they hit three figures with the first ball of the 17th. Gareth Andrew and Blackie have put the brakes on and Laraman has now put paid to Hussey, Gallian and Pietersen. .not a bad haul! At the start of the 26th it's 134 for 4 and they're on the back foot after a good start.

150 off the end of the 31st with Arul Suppiah wheeling in from the OP and Blackwell from the River. Ealham and Reed are doing their partnership thing though. But at 38 Blackie gets the tubby one - 173 for 5. Although they are treating Mr Blackwell with a bit more respect, the score's still creeping up. Until Reed holes out to Laraman off Arul S at 191 with 37 balls to go.

200 up in the 41st heralds Mike Parsons' return at the River End. Franks takes a shine to him and nearly returns the ball to the Tone! He then starts on Andrew next over and bounces one into the Straggleers Tearoom! 229 by the end of the 43rd. 248 by the next over and Franks celebrating a 31 ball 50 with 3 sixes and the odd 4! 250 with 4 balls to go and we'll be chasing 260 after Franks took a shine to the Stragglers' roof.

And off we go! Gazzard and Burns start and we're 1 down before 20 as Gazz weakly flips the ball to a fielder and trots off with 19 runs on the sheet. Nothing new then, except Woody is in at number 3! Then it's 19 for 2 with Burns caught behind.

50 up at 9.2 and Smith is taking some hammer. But they pull back the initiative with a long pondered LBW that goes against Matt Wood at 59 in the 11th.

At 15 we are still making hard work of it although KP keeps smacking the boards. It gets harder when Hildreth tries the same and it's 71 for 4. Made for Ian Blackwell... Not for the first time!

Only 91 by tne 20th, way behind the rate with a lot to do but Blackwell's going to play any further part as he's caught on the boundary and we are 96 for 5. Arul replaces him

With 100 up before halfway and Keith Parsons reaching 50 off 54 there's still life in the side. Unfortunately the game seems gone with 144 required off the 20 overs left and Suppiah caught close in for 6 at 116. Not so much the runs required, it's more the wickets that keep going down. Aaron comes in to have a go at saving this one.

At 30, it's still slow, eventually they're going to have to go for it. 120 off 90 is getting a bit steep. KP still sees a win as a possibility as he pushes it past 150 in the 32nd, then they push it below 100 needed with 66 balls remaining. The pressure's too much for AL who tries to smash McGill and is gone caught - 167 for 7. Still not over but uphill from here. While Parsons is there it's possible and Gareth Andrew looks up for it. Then again so does Keith as he passes the ton (102 balls a six the odd 4) and we pass 200... 58 off 30. 50 off 24.

Gareth tries to hit over the top and dies for a fighting 18 but at least he's made a game of it.Simon Francis can hit but the strike needs to be in the hands of Mr Parsons. It's 40 off 18! When Francis is bowled at 225 we are down to the last pair with Mike Parsons.

A run out decision Mike strolls to the bowler's end with his bat in the air and it'ss a damp squib ending on a basic, fundamental error! Notts win by 44 - good game, bad ending, great performance from one of the Parsons boys!!

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