Real Stature!

v Yorkshire CC2 @ Taunton Wednesday August 10 2005

Scorecard

Welcome to the Tykes and their followers for an important 5 days at the County Ground.  The four day game is the vital one as it allows us to keep in the hunt for the third promotion spot and allows us to ask some searching questions about our leaders and some new recruits against better quality opposition.  Craig White and his men will not be any kind of pushover.

Richard Johnson has failed yet another fitness test and surely must be doubtful as a long term member of the the county side for the rest of this season and the 2006 campaign.  Fighting against injury must take its toll on his ability to perform and on the patience of the new regime who need a fit quality bowler that can be relied on for more than one four day game out of three.  Simon Francis returns in his absence and will relish the opportunity, one hopes, to allay fears that he hasn't got the wicket taking capabilities that Somerset need in their new look side.

Arul Suppiah and Wes Durston will hope to show the same level of ability in their respective places against the stronger challenge of the Yorkshire side while John Francis will hope get amongst the runs while Charl Langeveldt still needs to convince the more sceptical viewing public that he is the man for that second overseas berth as a tight wicket taking bowler.  It is to be hoped that we don't leave it all to the rangy Mr Caddick or one of the batsmen and we can put in a solid and succesful team performance.

Day 1

Yorkshire won the toss and decided to bat on an overcast morning which promises to become a much warmer and clearer afternoon.  Caddick started our attack, looking for his 1000th first class wicket - and found it almost immediately as he had Sayers caught by Jamse Hildreth with one on the board.  Here's to the next 1000!  McGrath and Wood regrouped and moved the score on to 40 before Caddy made it 1001 with Wood snicking to Gazzard.  Si Francis also announced his return with a third wicket before lunch, the dangerous Anthony McGrath flipped him into the ever present hands of Mr Hildreth to open his account on day 1.

At lunch we stand at 115 for 3.

Well not a lot has goe right since lunch. Jacques and his partner took the score on for most of the afternoon as Blackwell made attempts to keep the opposition in check on a batsman's pitch. Jacques hit about 17 fours and about 17 edges but none into any Somerset hands I'm afraid.

A 144 ball century moved Yorkshire over 200 and even when Jacques finally went to a third catch from Hildreth off the bowling of Durston, the ball continued to evade the fielder and fall short when in the air. Lumb passed 50 at 244 and just before Tea we are chasing 277 for 4 after 73 overs. This pitch is not holding any surprises at all.

Blackwell has tried Durston, Suppiah and himself but the score keeps rising and no-one looks in too much trouble.  The score just kept rising with very little hope of anything other than a 500+ declaration by Yorkshire until almost the end of the day.  Lumb went to a hundred and White passed 50.  There was still balls passing the bat but no luck at all and far more scoring shots.

Then, just before the end of play - last 8 overs - things changed.  It wasn't drastic but it was much needed.  Charl Langeveldt was brought back on and belted in to help Caddick finish off the day.  After a partnership of 140, he got White to snick one and we broke through.  Caddy got in on the act by sending Kruis back in his next over for 1, caught Gazzard and then CL pinned Lumb in front and he went for an excellent 130.  We'd moved them on from four down at 368 to 7 down with 377 on the scoreboard.  A move in the right direction.  It would be great to think that we could dismiss them for 400 and get in on this featherbed but it will probably grow horns over night and be a minefield when we bat on it.  Yorkshire's day but Charl has at least brought us back into contention.

Day 2

The objective of this morning is to get Dawood and Dawson out as quickly as possible and get strated on pulling this game back to an even level.  Yorkshire managed to pass 400 but not before Caddy had Dawson LBW at 399.  The Lankyman continued to be the bane of the Tykes and finished them off by having Dawood the same way as Dawson at 406 and then bowling Silverwood first ball.  All out for 406 with the mighty Cadmeister returning figures of 6 for 96 off nearly 30 overs - what would we do without him?  The Almighty only knows!  Run restricting support from Blackwell with 21 overs at well less than 3 each (47 runs) and a good burst from Langeveldt to start the rot during the evening session of Day 1 but it isn't enough really to support the great paceman.  OUr bowling attack asks him to do too much and it is only the fact that he is back in the rhythm that means he provides.  One wicket for Francis on his return but still 79 off 13 overs and the other to Wes D.  We've still got issues here boys and girls.

Now let's see if we can come back at the Northerners at the same pace with the bat and turn this into a two day, one innings each game.  Wood and Frank J open against Silverwood, Kruis and Bresnan.  The South African takes some hammer in his first spell of 9 overs, which go for 42 (coming off 7 of them) but Chris Silverwood is bowling well, still in single figures after 5 overs and so is Tim Bresnan with 19 off 7.  With Matt Wood outscoring his partner at a rate of 2:1, we are moving towards three figures without loss and Woody passes 50 (54 runs, 74 balls and 9 fours) moving to 87 without loss at the lunch interval.

231 for 4 at Tea with an excellent 130 from Matt Wood and worthwhile contributions from Wes Durston after Arul Suppiah snicked one for 6. It's good to see the guys batting with authority against decent bowling, even though the pitch is offering very little to the Yorkshire bowlers. Another excellent crowd following on from the 2500 who watched proceedings yesterday.

But apart from the Stragglers nearly burning down just before tea this is a game that someone needs to take by the scruff of the neck in order to stop it moving very slowly towards a draw on Saturday. Did I mention that Ian Blackwell is at the crease with Matt now?

As I sit here we are 246 for 4 off 66 overs with Matt on 135 and IB on 16. However, you got the distinct impression that Mr Blackwell wanted to move things on and when they brought on the spinner, Dawson, things began to motor.  A six into the cemetary let Dawson know that the Somerset captain was quite happy for him to bowl and Yorkshire went into a phase of making sure that Ian wasn't on strike when he was bowling, not always successfully.  As Matt Wood confidently increased his stature as a batsman by moving effortlessly past the 150 mark we started to move in on the Yorkshire target.  Bresnan kept up what pressure there was from the River End and finally got rid of Blackie (note the 'ie' Mr B Senior - sorry) for 62.  However we were under 100 behind and as the overs ticked away, Keith Parsons and the ever present Wood kept the boundaries coming.  Chris Silverwood - nice guy chatting to the crowd and being courted by Tractor as a signing for next year - was brought on to bowl but got the same treatment as everyone else from both batsmen.  When he came back to field after his first over of the spell he shouted over to Bresnan to get rid of Matt before he had to bowl to him again.  He couldn't and the mighty MW ended the day on 182 with KP in the late 20's and 373 on the board.  Let's get past it, get 'em in and get 'em out.  Today is the day that decides this game I would expect. 

Day 3

Is Matt Wood's day.  The man turns a decent hundred into something very special as the tail supports him to within 3 runs of a triple century. I didn't see him make a mistake or offer a chance until Bresnan got him and it was a real shame the guys couldn't manage to stay with him unti he got there.  Will he get close again?  With the ability he is showing at the moment I wouldn't put it past him.

The game needed time to run it's course.  Unfortunately it didn't get it.  We had them 4 down at the end of the day thanks to Andy Caddick and a much improved Charl Langeveldt but we only managed 27 mintes of play on Saturday and the game dwindled into a draw as no-one had the time to create a finish.  But a draw is better than a loss - but not as good as a win, which is probably what we and especially MJ Wood deserved.

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