v Derbyshire CC2 @ Taunton Wednesday 21 September 2005

Scorecard

Caddick still unfit, Johnson still with thigh problems, Langeveldt still in South Africa, Francis still unable to bowl anything with any venom doesn't leave a lot to choose from in the pace department and that is what will kill this game stone dead.  Garaway chooses to go with his youngest pace attack of the season.  Michael Parsons is recalled now there is nothing to play for and he joins Gareth Andrew and Robert Woodman who, between them, have amassed the massive total of 8 first class wickets this season.  Keith Parsons adds a little more experience (and credibility - although he only increase the total by 7) and we are down to looking for wickets from the slow men again.

Luckily we choose to bat first and with the line-up of Wood, Francis J, Suppiah, Hildreth, Blackwell, Durston and Gazzard, we expect a little more from the willow against a poor attack from the lowliest of county sides.  We don't get much though as the little bit of life that Phil seems to have left in the pitch causes us far too many problems and gives them far too many wickets!

After a 50 partnership for the first wicket, there's another one with Francis and Hildreth and a final spurt with Hildreth and Durston but the rest is too little with regular losses and too few runs.  Arul Suppiah fails, Ian Blackwell finishes in the teens and is only just overtaken by Keith Parsons.  The resst are also rans exccept for fine knocks from John Francis (54) and and excellent 84 from James Hildreth.  259 in 65 overs is not enough and our demise lets the opposition get a decent foothold on the first day.

Derbyshire take full advantage of the time and the lack of attack from our pace bowlers.  Although no-one gets particularly creamed (Mike Parsons with 5 for 22 being the most noticable and nothing to write home about) no-one gets wickets until Wes Durston gets Bassano with 87 on the board.  39 overs and one wicket will not win us matches and the visitors leave the field at the end of day 1 with 129 to their name and 9 wickets standing.  It's all a bit flat and uninsipiring.

Rob Woodman ought to get a mention for his 7 overs for 12 with 2 maidens but it won't win us Championships and at the end of Day 1 the best we seem to be able to hope for in this game is a 'bore draw'.  Ho Hum! 

Day 2

Well what more is there to say than Derbyshire ended the day on 549 for 4.  A burst of wickets falling between 370 (when Stubbings went to Andrew after a stand of 283 in 252 minutes) and 470 when Botha also went to Andrew for a meagre 11.  Adnan was run out on a mere 191 (he loves us doesn't he) in the middle of that lot.

I got there just in time to watch the last bit of paint drying, we expected them to declare with a lead of over 250 with about 12 overs to go.  Nope.  It hasn't happened to them this often, it is the highest score they've ever put up against us at Taunton and there's a few looking to fill their boots it seems.  They went through to the end of play..and on into Day 3 when Moss went without adding to his overnight score (which put him over 1000 runs for the season).  It gave Gareth a third wicket (and then he got Borrington - such well known names these are!) and figures of 29 overs 5 maidens 115 for 4 - the only one to have a real haul in this game.  Other bowling figures are huge - in terms of overs rather than scores I suppose.

They will declare sometime, the only question is whether we will bat out or collapse.  We won't win.  A bit of rain this morning and a late start to Day 3 but they are playing at the moment, even though it is raining this side of Taunton.  Present score 583 for 6 and a lead of 324...I'm losing the will to live!  The score carries on rising and there is speculation that Darby are going for their highest Championship score of 645.  It arrives, they pass it and on they go, past 700 and another player Welch moves towards the ton mark with a 70 ball score.  Then, at 707 with 44 overs to go Luke Sutton is out and they declare!! Finally..but Welch is standing on 99 as his captain walks off and he is up to win the Wallace trophy as well for the fastest ton of the season.  What a nasty thing to do we all think.  Sutton's semi-final act as captain is to do an Atherton to one of his players!  We find out later that we were wrong and it was Welch who threw away the money because that was the plan and he stuck to it!!  Team player or what?

Ah well, we have a day and 44 overs to play to save this game - and nothing to play for except not losing!  No-one gains from the result but it is a batting wicket and we have to show we are better than the first day suggested.  We need a mere 448 to make them come out with the bat again.  No problem?

John Francis and Matt Wood walk to the crease and look for a better start and it comes as they put on 89 for the first with Francis looking the more promising of the two - a good sign after a quiet second half of the season.  Arul Suppiah stays around for an hour but doesn't have a lot of influence on proceedings as Frank notches up a half ton and then an excellent ton but Botha and Welch get Hildreth, Durston and Suppiah for not a lot while this is going on and we are looking at a big innings defeat.

Somerset go into Day 4 with 170-ish and a long haul to a draw.  Hilda and Wes have managed 1 between them and JF goes as well without adding to the 174 on the board.  Blackwell and Parsons have a big big big job to do - but is there any motivation or desire to do it?  After 172 for 2 became 174 for 5, the sixth wicket produces a stand of 127 and as IB scores 107 with 18 fours and 2 sixes in 74 balls and is the next man out C&B to Botha, it suggests that KP didn't have too much to do!  Will that take the fastest century - most people think so.  Perhaps Welch knew he wouldn't get it anyway!!  Awesome and a bit of a gamble really.  It seems that Ian decided to make a game of it and give the people who had been there for the whole game a bit of a spectacle (there hadn't been a lot else to watch and we aren't talking about hundreds of loyal supporters I'm afraid).  Still 147 short though.

Carl Gazzard and Keith P tried to carry on the run fest and make Derbyshire have another go but Botha and Welch had other ideas on the pitch we couldn't take wickets on and dismissed everyone but KP for the addition of 129.  Keith managed a solid 93 but no-one else stayed with him really and the captain's efforts were in vain as we die 18 runs short and receive an innings defeat from the lowest side in both divisions!

Lost on Day 1 really and a pretty insipid sort of game.  We didn't play on our home pitch and Derby did.  Few of our lot could bat on it and the bowling didn't seem to scare anyone.  One spark of brilliance, one solid century and four wickets gained by hard work were really the only positives.  Thank God it's over and we can build for 2006.  Tomorrow's TSL finishes it off.  If we bowl like we did here it will end with another defeat but I suppose we ought to be thankful that we got home cricket at the end of the season and didn't spend five days dodging rain showers.

Give us a better send off on Sunday boys!!

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