Thanks Captain!!

20/20 Semi-Finals and Final day @ The Oval 30 July 2005

Preview

The only real chance of some silver this year is today.

We meet last year's winners at 3 - Leicestershire Foxes - but not on their quagmire of a strip at Grace Road but on something resembling a cricket pitch.  The mighty Duncan has allowed Marcus Trescothick to play and this has been a matter for debate on the boards over the last couple of weeks.  Should he come in for the Final?  Well now he's available it is a moot point and he will play - as our most inexperienced 20/20 player of this season.  Who will make way?

It is Graeme Smith's last game before he returns home and one would expect that he will continue his opening partnership with Matt Wood but what will be the makeup of the rest of the team?  The squad announced includes;

Graeme Smith, John Francis, Marcus Trescothick, Matt Wood, James Hildreth, Arul Suppiah, Ian Blackwell, Keith Parsons, Carl Gazzard, Richard Johnson, Charl Langeveldt, Andy Caddick, Simon Francis and Wes Durston.

Certainties are Marcus, James Hildreth, Ian Blackwell, Keith Parsons, Carl Gazzard, Charl Langeveldt.  Who else?  The debate about Andy Caddick's role in 20/20 still rages but he is a gamble.  He will probably be hard to not pick on such a big stage but I'd personally go for Richard Johnson because he has more variation and is a hell of a bat if the front end collapses.  The problem is that if I had to choose between Si Francis and the Cadmeister then it would have to be the latter and we are short on pace attack if one of those two doesn't play.  The only other question then is do we go for a bowler of an extra batsman.  The obvious person to be replaced by Banger would be John Francis who hasn't seemed completely at home with this format but is an awesome fielder. Unfortunately he will probably lose out to Arul Suppiah or (my choice if he is fully fit) Wes Durston as the extra slow bowling allrounder.

So it will probably be Smith, Wood, Trescothick, Blackwell, Hildreth, Parsons,Johnson, Gazzard, Durston, Langeveldt, Caddick for the Foxes and our bowling might get murdered but we can kill with the best of them in this format and even Lancashire in full pomp in the first semi didn't pass our present 20/20 record posted against the old enemy from Bristol in the regionals.

Will we give that llittle extra as a present for 'Smiffy' and send him home with a little something to remember us by?  Hope so.  More later.

The Semi Final

V Leicestershire @ Brit Oval

Scorecard 

Thank you very much Smiffy (that's Mike Smith the bar manager for opening up the CA bar for those not in London).  We are the 'underdogs' according to Sky.  Leicestershire are the present champions but they will be fielding as we win the toss and decide to bat.  Lancashire have already destroyed Surrey and scored over 200.  We start with the team as above (quite pleased by that I was).

So Otis Gibson is opening and in we come with Smith and Wood.  GS is up for this and is going for everything.  MW is playing his supporting role with confidence now.  The great thing to see is that Somerset are not phased by the event or any of the opposition.  It takes an absolute blinder from Masters to get Smith with 40 on the board and him taking 29 off 20 balls.  Out comes Marcus T but Wood takes charge as the England opener starts exactly like that - an England opener.  The bowling is tense and tight and Matt knows how to play this and MT is still learning. 

The 50 arrives 1 ball into the 7th off Maddy and he keeps us on our toes and we only take 5 off his first.  It's slow and we are not off to a flyer.  We aren't used to this but the conditions have changed and this is not going to be a huge score.  Nevertheless, we only get to 68 off 9 and the rain starts.  Marcus starts to realise that the rain could have an effect so he takes 10 off the first 2 balls of the 10th and we come off for rain at the end of it with 85 to our name.

It isn't a big gap though and we are soon back.  The outfield must be a bit wet though because Matt W skies one to Mongia who fluffs it completely.  He then smacks one to Willoughby and he misfields.  Banger is turning for the second while, Willoughby doesn't move, thinking the ball has shot to the boundary.  It hasn't, Matt hesitates as well, Willoughby recovers first and Woody is run out at 86 one ball into the 12th.  In comes Ian Blackwell and Trescothick goes after Mongia when he comes on to bowl.  The first two balls shoot to the boundary, but the third is pulled into Ackerman's gut and the England man has gone at 98.  It's getting scary as James Hildreth comes in with 12 down.  Snape is on and Blackwell is bowled round the legs with his first ball.  He completes a wicket maiden to rub our noses in it!

98 for 4 and it is becoming a bit of a problem.  Hildreth is joined by Keith Parsons and we need boundaries and a decent partnership.  The 100 arrives with 6 overs to go but less than 150 is really indefensible and the runs have dried up.  It gets worse when Mongia runs backwards to catch a Hildreth skier - daft shot though - not playing to the circumstances.  It's 102 for 5 and Wes is in with Snape bowling very well taking the pace off the ball.  He finishes his spell by bowling KP to record 4 overs 2 for 18.  'Nelson' for 6.  Is it going home time?

Carl Gazzard doesn't seem up with the pace of this wicket and is nearly caught and bowled by Mongia before the end of the 16th, which we finish with 119 on the board and 150 the target.  They take 10 off the next and Wes is going for it and snucks one over Nixon for a lucky 4...gotta be done.  These two are doing a job and have pushed the score to 137 by the start of the 18th.  150 is on but it's about 30 short in most of the bar crowd's opinion.  By the third ball of the over, Durston has skied it which heralds the arrival of Richard Johnson.  We need some fireworks from the mighty hitter!  Unfortunately he is run out to a direct hit trying for two off his first and at 140 for 8, Langeveldt is facing a big job at 141 with 6 balls to go.  Danish Mongia has finished with excellent figures of 4 overs, 30 for 3 - a dropped catch but excellent bowling.

Lucky for us, the other Carl - Gazzard -  is on strike and he puts Gibson to the sword with 4 fours from the first 5 balls (and the other was a wide) before he dies on the last ball but he's got us past 150 - to 157 in fact - but it doesn't look enough.  They have a score but can they defend it?  An excellent end fight but the middle didn't fire - however, we didn't give up and we didn't collapse. 

It's a day for Andy and Richard and Charl.  We need big things and lots of wickets in the first 6 overs.  Maddy needs to go early and we can't afford 42 off the Cadman's first two. Smith sets the usual field.  8 on the off and two on the leg.  Put it in the right place Andrew! Well he does and goes for 1 off his first - excellent.  Langeveldt is opening at the other end with the same heavy off side field and although he gives a free hit off his second ball, he fools Maddy and gives nothing away with the free ball.  The big men keep the Foxes to 7 off the first 2.  Ackerman isn't in the game until the third when he produces the opposition's first boundary but this game can change so quickly and although we only concede 18 off the first three, Charl then gives away the same amount to that Maddy man off his next 6!  Maddy is getting away and we need a change.

The change is Richard Johnson who takes over with 61 off 6 and we need a wicket.  Ian Blackwell is called into the attack to get it in the 7th.  He's left arm over the wicket and the first goes to the boundary from Maddy, the second is top edged over the rope and the Leics batsman goes to 50 off 27 and they only need 87 off 78 balls.  We are up against it as Keith Parsons is on to pull the score down - he goes for only 3 off his first.

Finally, Ian B gets the breakthrough as he fools Ackerman and has him stumped at 74.  Mongia joins the man in form, who is so LBW to KP but not given! They reach the same score as we did at 10 - 86 but we are looking down the barrell of a big gun unless we get this Maddy man!  Well Mongia is next to go as he smacks IB to MT at 86 but the big moment is after Allenby comes out and the strike rotates to puts Maddy in front of Mr Blackwell, who has him stumped with the score on 90.  The big man did like that one!  Snape is in and Wes is on as Smith turns to his spin men to do the job.  It is turning for Wes and the Foxes need 64 off 48.  The press is on but the scores are so very close!

Another turning point.  Snape flips one short and belts down the pitch.  Gazza storms out of the traps, picks the ball up, spins and throws down the stumps at the bowler's end before Snape arrives!!  98 for 4 and Blacky finishes with 3 for 28 off his 4 - brilliant work with Mr Gazzard.  It's 104 for 4 at 14 and both Durston and Parsons are doing a hell of a job to keep the score down.  When Keith finishes they need 47 off 5 and Smith turns to.....Langeveldt?  Why?  The spinners and the 'dibbly dobbly's are doing it.  Why choose your pace man?  Well because he bowls inswinging yorkers and he is one of our 'death bowlers' and he doesn't go for lots.  120 at 16 and Johnson is on at the other end?  Seems the wrong decision...until Allenby sticks one to Blackwell immediately 120 for 5 - only 4 off the 17th - Johnson is iin the zone.  Maunders smacks Wes to Marcus from his first ball of the next over and the score keeps going up as the wickets keep falling.  36 off 17 but the man coming in is Otis Gibson "Otis doesn't usually block offspinners" says Mr Lloyd on Sky.  Well he doesn't get too much but Nixon reverse sweeps the last Wes ball for 6.  Big hit.

The 19th.  Otis and Nixon v Johnson.  1,1,and an important 4 - 18 off 9.  RJ pulls out the magic.  Inswinging yorker, Gibson plays on!! Next ball, absolutely beautiful inswinger and Henderson is castled first ball - best ball I've seen from a Somerset bowler this season - glorious!!  The hat-trick ball is a dot and Johnno ends with 21 for 3 off his 3 - welcome back!

Daft as it might be though, they have the same score as us at the same point.  Smiffy gives the ball to Charl.  Will they do a Gazzard? Well not straight away, as Langeveldt starts with a dot.  That is folowed by a single with an almost run out and they need four boundaries!!  Another single, a wide, a couple of twos and Nixon finishes with a massive 6...but it's too damn late and we've whipped it from under their noses by 4 runs.

Superb effort by the bowlers and fielders.  Carl Gazzard got the Man of the Match for his batting and his work with Ian and his run out.  It could have been any one of three.  Richard Johnson showed why we missed him and the new captain was as brilliant with the ball once again.

One we go...who'd have thunk it?  Well nobody at the end of our innings!! 

The Final

v Lancashire @ The Brit Oval

Scorecard

It starts to rain almost the moment we complete the defeat of the men from Grace Road and it gives us more of a rest because it delays the start of the Final by about an hour.  It's a 16 over game, same side and we decide that Caddick will have the four overs.  Can he do it for us?  Someone has to against this massive batting line-up from the Red Rose - Loye, Law, Flintoff, Symonds and Cork...arrghhh!

They win the toss (bad move) and they choose to bat (good decision and another bad move for us).  It's going to be damp and dark by the time we get on the strip.  But you do what you can and we've not let our heads fall yet so off we go.

Caddy knows the TV is here and the pressure is on him.  Getting Loye for 6 is a good start.  Both for him and Richard Johnson who catches the danger man after dropping him with a dolly three balls earlier.  One down!!  Charl is on at the other end and keeps it tight.  Then Caddy faces 'Freddy' and wins that one as well as he scoops one to Ian Blackwell and we are on top at 15 for 2.  The lanky one is on fire and Lancashire are in shoulder length brown smally stuff!!

But they keep on coming!  Symonds joins Law and we are still under the cosh.  The score moves along and we need to keep them unbalanced.  Enter Wes Durston who comprehensively runs out Symonds with the score on 40, sharp as a knife!

Richard Johnson was on the money in the semi and he now comes on needing to get into his stride as quickly as he can.  His old partner Caddy has been bowled through and he has excellent figures of 2 for 21. Now the man shows why we have missed him as he has Cork caught at slip and then totals Chapple first ball to face a second hat-trick ball in the day.  It's a bit of a leg side mare but he's done what he does so well - he's taken his wickets in lumps just when we need them.

It's 41 for 5 with captain Chilton joining his English Aussie, Law - the only guy doing anything really.  We have the strange situation of less than 10 overs of a 20/20 game gone and Somerset fielding with 2 slips.  On comes the slow men Blackwell is bowling while Smiffy mixes Keith Parsons and Johnson at the other end.  Chilton keeps it going but is bowled around his legs by the mighty Blackwell at 69.  They are all trying to support Law but we keep at them and they aren't scoring quickly and cannot settle.  Keith puts in an excellent 3 overs for 13 and Johnson completes his spell by taking Crook out caught behind to record 3 overs 3 for 26!  101 for 7 shouldn't be enough and although Law and Hegg get it to 114 by the end, we run out Law with the final ball and produce a real turnabout by decimating their much vaunted batting line-up.

Excellent work by our pacemen.  Caddick really shouldn't bowl in this but he was stupendous today.  Richard Johnson illustrated my faith in the fact that this is a format he would excell in.  KP - wonderful spells from a man who should be murdered in this stuff and Ian Blackwell - not a quality spinner?  Well he bowls and fools a lot of class willow men!

Can we finish this off now (Please God!).  It's horrible batting conditions.  The fielders can't see it but neither can the batsmen and they have some very very good bowlers in Cork, Flintoff and Chapple.  Let's see.

We need 115 off 16 overs (96 balls).  Marcus Trescothick opens with Smith.  A good move, this is an England opener's situation and they need to blunt the initial Lancashire attack.  That they start to do. But Flintoff is smouldering and the battle between him and MT goes to the man from the North who has Banger caught behind for 10 with only 28 on the board.  It is going to be hard work but while Smith is in this score is always going to be on.  That wicket brings in Matt Wood in and the score keeps moving against the best that the Lightening can fire at us.

Then we get to the 5th over and the world see what we have been seeing for a while now as Mr Wood turns up the heat with loads of fours. That could be the turning point and it is right that Woody is the man to provide it. He goes to Flintoff in the next over but he has pumped 22 off 13 balls and put us at a run rate of one a ball. In comes Blackwell who flashes a four off his first and Chilton turns to Keedy to try and keep Lancs in this game with spin.  His first ball tempts IB who "runs down the strip and gives it a big mow" (courtesy of Tuffers) and is out 65 for 3.  In comes Hilda is the pressure going to tell?

Greame needs to do the captain bit now.  If he stays we will win this.  Symonds (the Brummie Convict - like it Bagpuss!!) is on at 73 for 3 and we have to hope that James Hildreth's time with Ricky Pontiing last season will keep him calm and let him support his captain to get the 40 required from 37 balls.  If Smith goes, then we are in real trouble.  Keedy is keeping it tight and the Lancashire men are pressurising the South African.  He is going to have to work for his cup, which is sitting at the side of the dug-out.

Symonds is going around the wicket for the 5th over with 34 needed off 30. Just knock it about guys, you can only lose this one they can't win it!  So close but it could be so far away.  A bit of pressure is released as Smith turns his wrists and crosses the ropes with an on-side drive.  With 4 to go, they need 26 off 24 balls.  Down to the wire!!  All the cliches are coming out on the radio and a buzz from the Somerset crowd I can hear in the background.  They think it is over...Somerset watchers of longer standing know better.

Keedy bowls the 4th and with the third ball Smith sixes him to take it under a run a ball as he goes past 50.  But with the next ball there is a direct hit which the third umpire gives not out.  15 off 18 balls and they bring Flintoff back on!!  He is going to do it if anyone does but we are past 100 and the captain is on strike and past half a ton!  Smith goes airwards and Keddy stops a four but we have it into single figures and Smith sixes another one and we need 1 from 12!!  It's coming to Taunton people and Smith has been brilliant in his last game.  Hilda drills the last one and we've won it.  The players belt on and we've stonked this one!!  7 wickets and 11 balls to go!

This was a real team effort and we now have a team rather than a bunch of individuals. 

Ian Blackwell - "It shows what the young guys have in them and Smithy was the catalyst to kick us on.."  "Johnno has bowled fantastic and the celebrations will be 'messy'"

I wasn't there but it felt good from here.  We'll hear how it was from lots of people over the next couple of days I am sure.

Well done Mr Garaway, Mr Rose and the boys from the Blackthorn stuff - just wish they'd stop calling us the Cidermen!!

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon