v Leicestershire @ Oakham School TSL2 5th June 2005

Scorecard

"The only change from the championship side for Sunday’s game will be Keith Parsons who will replace Nixon McLean which means that the Sabres side to face the Foxes will be - Graeme Smith, John Francis, Mike Burns, Sanath Jayasuriya, Keith Parsons, Ian Blackwell, James Hildreth, Aaron Laraman, Rob Turner, Gareth Andrew and Simon Francis."

This is the info from the official site so we take that as the eleven who will take the field at 1:00 today.  Once more we seem to have batting to spare, although it has yet to fire together more than once (against Surrey) and a need for an extra seamer from the injured.  Unfortunately, Nixon McLean didn't seem to be fit enough to play at Oakham only managing a decent first innings performance before pulling up (why do they play people when they are on the edge of being fit enough).  No sign of Caddick and Johnson so we hope for a tighter performance from the younger boys after they got hammered on Monday last.

Assuming that Smith opens with Burns (his usual position), then Francis and Jayasuriya will swop the 3 and 4 spots (probably depending on who goes first from the two openers).  One would like to see Blackwell in at 5 but he'll probably have to wait until later, unless the first four really cut loose!!

Hildreth will share the 5 and 6 position with the big man and then we see Parsons, Laraman and  Turner, probably in that order - Noddy at 9!!  Andrew and Francis will bring up the rear.

Bowling is going to be a whole different thing!  Simon Francis will have to hold the whole thing together and hope that we see the thrifty Gareth Andrew today...God help us if Darren Maddy gets hold of him.  Aaron Laraman needs a big game and we need one from him and we expect Keith Parsons to put in a tight performance.  Burns may have to be called in as a bit bowler if we received some 'tap' and we should also see some variation and run control coming from ouor expanded slow bowling arsenal with Blackwell (definite), Smith (probable) and Jayasuriya (likely if seam doesn't get us anywhere) all turning an arm.

The Foxes aren't strong but they can be nasty and we are vulnerable so we need a good start with bat or ball.

The Game

Well it looks like the ball because we've won the toss and Smith has decided to field.  Maddy and New versus Francis and Laraman (opening for the first time - faith in him or concern about Andrew?).

An excellent first spell from Francis keeps the rate very slow.  The commentators on Somerset Sound were referring to the differences between this wicket and the Grace Road one.  This should be suited to our batsmen because it is much more like a South African or sub continent one.  Lazza takes a while to get his eye in but after two or three he is also into a rhythm and once Maddy is out for 14 off Frank Senior I feel an awful lot better. Ackerman becomes the second wicket to Andrew who is under less pressure today because of the accuracy of the first spell men.  At 54 for 2 there is a feeling of control and although New and Mongia put on 83 before New becomes the third victim (run out) we always seemed to be holding them back.  Mongia becomes Andrew's second victim and then Sadler lets fly for a while as the Foxes realise that the run rate is not providing a competitive score (really?)  He hits his 47 off 35 and gives Frank S some stick which makes his figures look much worse than they are. 

We hold them to 217, well below par - one would think.  Excellent containment from Keith Parsons, Aaron Laraman and Ian Blackwell.  Sanath got smacked because of when he came on and the wicket takers suffered from being the one's to return at the end of the innings when the bat was swinging.  A good bowling performance overall though..much better than Monday.

So we need 218 to win and Francis and Smith head out after it with application. Smith looks like he's had some sleep and got over his jet-lag.  He seems to know which part of the world he is in and which end of the bat to hold.  John is slow and methodical and allows his captain to push the score along - although there is little pressure as long as they keep accumulating.  An 85 run first wicket partnership really puts us in the driving seat...even though it does come at a slowish rate - its a small target.

Francis is the first to go, caught Mongia bowled Henderson for a fair 27.  He was never really at the races in this innings but he kept up his end.  The commentators think this is an SJ wicket and he has said he wants to put some runs on the board before he leaves at the end of the month because he doesn't feel that he has done himself justice in his stay.  It's good of him to be concerned and we'd no doubt agree with him but he doesn't change the state of the game today because he is the next to return to the tent after 4 runs and 4 minutes at the crease, also caught but this time by Maddy.

The Leicestershire bowlers start to put the press on the scoring rate and we go into 'rabbit in the headlights' freefall.  We are 89 for 2 with just over half the overs to go.  The run rate is creeping up but nothing spectacular and we have batsmen coming out of our ears (Rob Turner is at number 9 for pity's sake).  The big blow comes when the rock at one end, Smith, makes an error and flops Mongia to Masters at 101 for a good 61.  He isn't best pleased and it wasn't long before he must have been incandescent with rage.

Smith 101

Burns 103

Parsons 121

Blackwell 121

Hildreth 129 (run out for God's sake!!)

Andrew 140 (stumped!!)

Laraman 142

Francis 146

Rob Turner was not out 10 and must have been wondering what the hell was going on.  Mongia returned 7 overs 4 for 12!!  We throw away another wining position on a pitch with more runs than either side scored, against a poor bowling attack, with a batting side that has recognised batsmen to number 9.  What the hell is going on?  I hate to think what Smith thinks of what he has inherited.  We can't bat ourselves out of a paper bag and when we do we leak like a sieve..and if we are really bad, we do both in the same game.

We have just lost to the poorest side in the one day game at the moment by 71 runs when we were 40% towards the target without a wicket down.  What can you say?  What the hell can they do to rescue this abortion of a season? 

They can't play four day cricket without collapsing or allowing the opposition to re-establish themselves when they have them floundering. 

They can't defend a one day total or pass a small opposition score. 

They've not shown themselves to be a convincing 20/20 side and in case you're reading this boys...the real support doesn't care whether we win a 20/20 pot! 

This isn't what we pay to see or listen to. 

This isn't what people in other parts of the world stay up all night to hear. 

This is absolute, unadulterated rubbish and the squad should be ashamed to call themselves professional cricketers if this is the best they can provide!

Now I'm accused of being too 'positive' so I hate to think what some of Somerset's critics are making of this.

Last week I wrote about the negative comments made by supposed supporters of the side.  After today's performance and on the back of the 105 collapse in mid week, I am starting to question whether we have got it wrong and they are correct in their assessment of the ability, strength of character and desire of the players we watch. 

Is this really all you've got guys?

Is this really the best you can do? 

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