v Northamptonshire @ Northampton 20/20 Monday 18 July 2005

Scorecard

Woody gives it Welly!!

Is it Greame Smith that has put the fire in the belly of this team or simply that we found a format that we could win at and have won most of our forays into it?  I think it might be a little bit of the first and a whole lot of the second.  Smith has no little ability and some grit and determination not to be beaten and that was distinctly lacking from our county pros up to this point.  BUT some guys have found something in the 20/20 campaign - now we want more success there and to see them bring it back into the main format and start to build something a little special!

But first the game.  The Northants radio team were absolutely petrified of Andy Caddick because this was the game when he got it right in the preliminaries.  He actually looked like he might do it again when he opened with Charl Langeveldt against the home side who elected to bat.  It was a surprise to see Mr C in the side but he was favoured over Simon Francis who has not really made a name for himself in this format this year.

Charl has played this before and has quite a reputation in it for an international but all his experience up until now was under lights and tonight was not really his forte.

Langy has a go!

His 3 overs for 30 will not be his best figures of the year but he has a lot of promise and may have learned something for the 30th at Wantage Road. We can but hope!  He did help Caddy get rid of Love and that has to be a good thing.  Especially as Northants had 40 on the board at the time.

But it wasn't the strike duo that really made the difference.  Things changed when the 'second string' came on and varied it, slowed it down, picked it up and tied the Steelback batsmen in all kind of knots.  It was the "Parsons and Blackwell Show" as they got Afzaal and Sales respectively before they passed the 100 mark.  Excellent fielding and tight bowling made the whole 20 overs a real trial for the home side as the captain elect took 3 for 16 off his 4, KP added 3 for 24 off his allotment and James Hildreth provided excellent back-up with a mere 24 off his 4.  Between them they kept Northants down to 154 and removed 8 batsmen in the process, Shafayet being run out and Gazzard pulling off a stumping to the superb spell by Blackwell which saw him facing another hat-trick ball in one of these games!!

At the turn around, the commentators on the radio had basically given up the ghost and were extremely impressed by the professional way the whole side put the Steelbacks to bed.  The only problem was that if Blacky was getting predigious turn then so would Jason Brown and that was a bit of a worry and their only hope in the opinion of the home radio side!

And, when Smith was run out with only 14 on the board, there were a few tremors of doubt.  But we needn't have worried.  Brown went off with what looked like a ball in the throat not long after and IB plonked 31 off 16 to steady the ship.

Blackwell sticks it to the Steelbacks!!

Shafayet brought the tremors back when he got Blacky and Hildreth in succesive balls but we always have Keith Parsons  to keep up the pace.  Radio Northants were not particularly complimentary to KP's style but they couldn't deny they'd rather have him playing for them than against them.  By the time Woody was run out for an excellent base setting 58, we were almost home but Northants hadn't made it easy and, had their fielding been a little more consistent, we could have been struggling.  John Francis felt the pressure and didn't stay long and Wes Durston was run out trying to keep up with the run a ball demands of the last few overs. However, we bat a long way down in this stuff and Carl Gazzard has the same kind of 'no fear' attitude as James Hildreth has shown in all forms of cricket.

With Keith in charge and Gazza backing up, we moved towards the required score.  Northants fielding was alternatively brilliant and child-like.  A fluff by Ben Phillips finally turning the corner for us, as a single turned into a four through his legs.  We scraped home in the end with one ball to go but it didn't seem like there was ever a time when we wouldn't.  A game controlled by the Somerset bowlers and batsmen and a deserved trip to the Brit Oval on July 30.

We are getting something else from this competition.  We are getting a brash and confident bunch of blokes who are learning how to win.  Graeme Smith seems to have been genuinely impressed by what he has found here and has the fibre to do something with it.  Matt Wood has become the batsman we know he can be and we have seen an aggressive side that he has rarely been able to show at number 8 in a batting side falling apart!!  James Hildreth is going to be a hell of an allrounder on these showings and we can only hope that the fact that we have stuffed Northants more than once this year will entice him to stay in Somerset when it comes time to plan his next move. 

And then there's Ian Blackwell.

He may be horrendously ugly but he is approachable, up for it and extermely talented.  He could be the domestic captain we are looking for and all credit to Brian Rose for having the guts to give him the chance.  Also he's quite useful for the odd photo or two!!  Thanks also to Mark and Lom for the others used here.  I'll get the others in somewhere lads!

We must also mention Keith Parsons. A player who was not guaranteed a first team game at the start of this season and who now ought to be on the card for every game in every format.  He may not be pretty (although he's probably ahead of his captain) but he is so very effective.

Charl Langeveldt seems to be a prospect for 2006 but we need him to help finish off 2005 yet and the pressure may well be off the ever present Cadman if he holds his end up.  The bowling isn't there yet - it may be effective here but we need another strike man to take the lead and show his worth.  It should be Simon Francis but he's not there in the wicket taking stakes yet.  Hildreth and Parsons can provide the 'change' stuff and who can fault Blackwell in the slow department but we need another long spell pace man. Can that still be Richard Johnson?  I would personally like to hope so but he has to come in and stay fit - that I'm not sure he's capable of.

What of others?  Is there a role for Mike Burns in the future?  Is Carl Gazzard now the first choice keeper and where does that leave Rob Turner?  When will we see Mike Munday join this new look side and is he as good as people say?  What has happened to Aaron Laraman and Mike Parsons? Do they have a future here - could one of them be that third pace man?  Is there a place for Neil Edwards once Smiffy goes home?  And what about the Smiffy v Punter Ponting debate?

It will be a fitting end to his visit to Taunton if Mr Smith takes us to the final and wins it.  The season is not over then however and we have very important matches before and after the party at the Oval.  There's the little matter of the Championship leaders Durham, at home next week and Kent before that in the TSL on Sunday.

Lots to do, but so much more hope that we can actually do it.  Bring it on!!

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