v Northants 20/20 @ Northampton Wednesday 29 June 2005

Scorecard

V Gloucestershire 20/20 @ Bristol Friday 1 July 2005

Scorecard

V Northants 20/20 @ Taunton Saturday 2 July 2005

Scorecard

I got to this one late so by the time I'd settled into it, Graeme Smith had already given Steff Jones and the openers a good hiding and was settling in for the second half!  We were motoring at 85 for 0 off 8.1 overs in front of a big, vocal and enthusiastic crowd and all was right with the Somerset world.

Smith had decided that he'd let the other guys at the front end get in amongst the runs in the past games and it was his turn.  He had already passed 50 (in 31 balls with 2 sixes and 5 fours) and with Matt Wood had pushed us on at 9.3 per over for the first half.  Another 200+ looked on and we'd defended that score here before.

Woody also passed 50 as the 100 arrived for no loss (39 balls and 5 fours) in the 11th and by the 13th the South African was starting to push for a big score.  His 10 runs - massive six followed by a four to the OP boundary - set his stall out, but unfortunately his partner went for 54 off the very next ball and the Somerset Juggarnaut hit a wall.

Despite the fact that the order was altered and Ian Blackwell strode out next, the early pace faltered.  Ian hasn't been murdering the ball in these short innings games.  He strokes rather than smashes and so the onus was left to his captain to keep the big shots coming while he played the gaps and hit the odd bad one.  While Smith brought up the 150 with a series of sixes and fours and went to 100 halfway through the 17th off only 53 balls, Blacky only managed 18 off 15 balls and saw his boss go to Steffan Jones, on his return, for an excellent and well received 105 with the score at 180 for 2.

We didn't push on as we had on Monday against Glamorgan.  No 17 run overs in the last 5.  Blackwell went the very next ball to Jonah. Hildreth and Keith Parsons were left with few balls to do anything as a new partnership.  Steff's hatrick ball came to nothing but when Hildreth was brilliantly C&B'd by Louw in the 19th our stability had gone and Gazzard could only add a few snatched runs while KP was bowled with the fourth ballof this last over.  We only managed to double our 10 over score and set them 190 to win.  30 short I thought - of what we should have got AND what we needed.

But the crowd were in good spirits and there was a lot of them in so it was all down to the bowlers to keep it tight at the start and build the pressure up.  Didn't happen.  Caddick and Francis faced Afzaal and Love and Andy went for 11 off his first, including another patted down possible chance off Gazza with only the second ball.  I'm afraid Carl showed he doesn't catch enough again which takes the pressure off the batsman when he is standing up and also doesn't help the morale of his team-mates.  It doesn't get past him, it just isn't taken cleanly often enough.  You keep finding yourself saying "Rob wouldn't do that" too often. 

It's 15 after 2 but 45 after 4overs and they most assuredly have the whip hand.  Caddy is getting some stick from some of the crowd - then again, he's the only one a lot around me actually knew!  Some guy was very surprised.  He came down a lot he said but he hadn't noticed that Blackthorn had stopped sponsoring the team!!  Didn't notice a lot then really!

So called supporters with too much beer in their bellies then start on Gareth Andrew fielding in front of the Stragglers.  One guy comes up with the fact that Julie ANDREWS has the same name as Gareth ANDREW and from then on he is called 'Julie' for the rest of the game.  Now I don't know about you but I don't pop down to the ground to wear the colours and insult my own players - is that what happens at whatever sport these guys usually watch?  It goes on for the whole game as the alcohol consumption rises and the volume takes the same trend.  We haven't lost in front of this 'home support' before and the fickleness starts to rear its ugly head very early when the game seems to be going against us.  Next we get the "Woody Woodpecker" noises whenever Matt is seen being the excellent outfielder he has become - yawn.  Bring back the Old Gits - at least they are civil and have some idea about which side is which.

Anyway, back to the game.  Caddy gets amongst them first as he takes Afzaal with a catch from the bowling of Andrew in the 4th. 49 for 1.  Sales takes his place and by the 6th we are in trouble as the score goes on to 71.  Love is the man making hay while the sun shines but it's Sales who goes next to an absolutely storming diving midwicket catch from Wes Durston (a man who impresses in the field tonight). 72 for 2 but Love is still there.

Smith brings on Blackwell to try and hold back the floodwaters from the River End in the 7th but they still roll on to 88 by the end of 9 and pass 100 in the 10th.  Keith Parsons enters the arena in the 11th and at 'Nelson', Love tries one too many heave and IB bowls him.  A chink of light in the dull evening.  They need 78 off 9 and you have to fancy any side that gets under 100 needed off the second half.  Can we hold them?  Well Hildreth gives it a damn good go and gets Shafayet, who spoons one to Gareth.  With 5 to go they need 53...it's gonna be close.

The 17th is usually the big one.  If we can hold them there then Hildreth has been getting us home with the ball by bowling straight and cutting off the shots, or taking off the pace, as the batsmen try and go either side of him.  What we can't afford is boundaries and Northants have wickets in hand to try for them.  It's 41 off 4 and Si Francis is given the ball.  The visitors go to 150 off his first and then take him apart for the next 5!  10 comes off the 2nd and 3rd with a six and a four and we give away two sixes off the second half of the over.  They need 14 off 18 and we are gone.

Hildreth does very well to keep us in it with the first ball of the next as he gets Phillips but there is just too little to play with.  He goes for 6 but 8 off 2 isn't enough and although Gareth Andrew fights them all the way, they hit the winning boundary off the last ball of the penultimate over and we lose. 

We gave 'em too many at the start of their innings and couldn't shut them down enough to get that back. There were 4 byes and 8 wides - not all the fault of the bowlers.  We came up short and have to beat both Warwickshire at Edgbaston and Gloucestershire at Taunton next week to get ourselves back in the hunt for this tournament.

The Good?  Smith was very very positive and impressive tonight.  Excellent support from Matt Wood.

The Bad? Caddick and Francis went for too many and were off the boil tonight.  Sorry but we also need more confidence that the ball will not pass the gloves when it passes the wicket.

The Ugly?  Well it was where we were anyway.  Fickle support with no respect shown to guys on the pitch in Somerset colours trying to do their jobs in a cause these 'fans' are supposed to be signed up for.

There was the other side of alcohol fueled daftness when some guy, worse for wear, "borrowed" one of the eggs from the Blackacre Eggcups (they are hollow) and spent a humourous couple of minutes falling over things while wearing it.  Hope he didn't hurt himself.  It's doubtful because he certainly seemed well lubricated!!  As a general  atmosphere it was great and we could do with more of it but for some...they really do need to find something else to do while drinking far more beer than is good for them!

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