v Leicestershire CC2 @ Taunton 24 May 2006

Scorecard

As Ian Blackwell prepares for his first championship game of 2006 in charge, he is looking at a resource base of players that needs to find itself.  The hopes that the Cornwall game last week would allow some fringe starts to shine was eclipsed by the weather and some bowling performances.  Neil Edwards might feel that he had done enough to be considered for his first start and we don't know that he wasn't but it was not good news for Simon Francis, Rob Woodman or the struggling (and missed) John Francis.

The squad includes:

Definite starters - Wood, Suppiah, White, Parsons, Blackwell, Gazzard, Caddick, Willoughby

Probables - Hildreth, Durston, Johnson

and Optionals - Andrew, Cullen, Trego

No disrespect to the guys on the third list, they are 'optional' purely on the basis of what Somerset want to go into the match with.  If they want to go in bat heavy, then James Hildreth may hold his place, althoguh he lost it to Trego on Sunday because he has shown some bottle with the bat and offers a better bowling option.  If they want to go in with spin options then Cullen may turn out at the expense of possibly Wes while Johnson and Gareth Andrew may be in competition for a third seamer spot.  It looks healthy to have 14 people fighting for eleven spots with another two probably in the wings.  But there are inherent weaknesses here, especially in the bowling department that are hidden because everyone is fit.  Let's hope it stays that way because the backup pantry is pretty uninspiring and bare at the present moment.

The weather may have a say in this game, it isn't going to be hot and pleasant at the County ground over the next few days.  IF, the climate allows a significant game then expectations of big improvements abound within the Somerset faithful and we'll be looking for Blackie to steer this wobbly ship back to calmer and happier waters with a victory.  Log on to see how it all pans out over the next four glorious days!

Day 1

This was always going to be a reduced day and , to be quite honest, it is amazing we got as much in as we did given the appalling weather we experienced at the other side of the town to the County Ground.  But the match started roughly on time, we won the toss and inserted them in grey overcast conditions to see what we could do with the ball.

Ian Blackwell led a side roughly along the lines of that suggested.  The full 'Old Guard' pace attack was there and Peter Trego remained in place (quite rightly in my humble opinion) as the long game pace allrounder.  Wes Durston gave way for his captain and there was little need for Cullen on a pitch that probably would never dry out enough to give anything to a spinner.  It was a seamer's day and probably a seamer's match (well we can but hope) and that became painfully apparent to the Foxes after less than a quarter of an hour when Darren Maddy got the left arm of Willoughby wrong and went LBW for an unusual 3 (he's a 'fill yer boots agin Somerset' regular) and good riddance!!  Maunders and Ackerman started to make a game of it after that little glitch and for about a half century, we could do little but keep them quiet.  The pace men did the bulk of the work while Cap'n Blackwell turned his arm over for a mere 12 balls.

Early Venom from "Charly Boy"

(photo Alain Lockyer)

Tight bowling seems to have kept the visitors in check until Johnson struck at 50 getting Maunders LBW for 27.  He struck again 13 runs later, clean bowling Ackerman for 25 and leaving Leicestershire at 63 for 3.  However the ever dangerous Mongia is still there and looked to form a valluable partnership with Sadler to take his side over 100 but only 9 runs later, Sadler was 'unsaddled' by Trego and became the thirs LBW victim of the day.  109 for 4.

With 'Trigger' taking wickets at the Other End!

(photo Alain Lockyer)

The game staggered on for a while in drizzly conditions and with poor light one would imagine until Tea was taken early and the sides never got back on the grass as the weather closed in and call an end to proceedings early with only 42.1 overs managed in the day.  Tomorrow is predicted dry and we could do with more of the same at 4 wickets every 40 overs please so we can try and make this into the start of a move to winning ways.

While 'Whitey' is just asked to keep his eye on the ball and his hands ready - NOT a spinner's day

(photo Alain Lockyer)

Day 2 and 3

Clearing the decks and a solid batting performance was what was required on Day 2.  Charl Willoughby and Andy Caddick (who had been devilishly unlucky on Day 1 to go wicketless) provided phase 1 as the Leicestershire batsmen were cleared out for 254 with CW taking 4 for 86 off his 27 overs and AC coming in with 3 for 58 off his nearly 21.  Excellent tight and incisive bowling saw 6 for 150 in the first half of the day with only 10 overs of spin and a bit of dibbly dobbly from Keith Parsons.

Phase 2 was then required.  A good base and a total up over 300 to put the game firmly in our court. The weather was changeable and liable to break at any time so getting them in for a second go, in deficit and on the back foot was vital.  So don't let one of their bowlers (hypothetically, let's pick Broad) get into the wickets early and set up a difficult afternoon.

Guess what.  1 for 20 Matt Wood, caught.  2 for 23 James Hildreth caught. 3 for 31 Cameron White for a duck caught and finally the aforementioned Parsons out at the same score playing some airy fairy shot into the hands of Maddy.  Broad with 3 wickets, the only Somerset batsman putting up any kind of defence was Arul Suppiah and Ian Blackwell is walking to the crease with another collpase on his county's hands after bowling into a possible winning position.  Leicestershire are cockahoop and we need some solid work to get back on a par with them.

Thank heavens that Arul and Ian work hard and stabalise 129 before the captain is unhappily caught by Nixon off Maddy one short of his 50 and just short of the end of play.  Peter Trego has to come out to finish off what is still another poor show with the bat on Day 2.  A fragile batting line-up didn't seem to be helped by a strange batting order with White, an impatient attacking stroke player, coming in at number 3 less than half an hour from the start of the innings while Keith Parsons a more solid and patient batsman, is left to come in after another 2 wickets have fallen.  He did waft at one himself though so he may have gone the same way as his predecessors even if he had come in at number 3.  The ball was doing a lot of seaming around most of the day.

So we get to the third morning and we need a good partnership to keep up the forward movement re-established by the captain and his opener the night before.  Arul deserves to be supported to three figures we all hope that Trigger can do that for him.  A valiant effort with early day movement is finally brought to an end at 186 after a 57 run partnership.  Trego is the man to go caught and bowled Mohammed Asif and it is left to our wicketkeeper, who needs a decent score, to help our remaining opening bat to a hundred.  a 40 run partnership gets him 99% of the way there before lunch.  BUT the next to last ball before the break and 1 short of an excellent effort, Suppiah mistimes one and is C&B to Henderson. Without him there would have been mayhem and more demands for the season to be put to bed because of our woeful batting.  Arul has shown some backbone and at times looked majestic.

Lunch arrives with Somerset not yet out of the woods.  Richard Johnson, nursing a calf injury  is the new batsman and we are still 28 behind.  Gazzard has not hit any kind of form and there are only bowlers to come.  We are level when Carl seems to lose concentration for a moment and is caught off Clark but Johnno has brought out his shot book today and is smacking fours all over the place.  He does have a range of quite glorious strokes when he want to play them and if he puts a ball to the boundary, you could say it has the legs to get there.

40 off 35 balls before he goes and Andy Caddick also seems to be keen to show the front five how to play the game with the bit of wood they aren't using effectively.  He puts on another 25 before he becomes the last man down clean bowled by the excellent Broad (4 for 62) and we have a slim but vital lead of 60 at 314 all out.

Not great by the front third (with the obvious exception of Arul "Superior" Suppiah).  Fighting middle order and excellent wagging got us there with time to have a go at them before the end of play.  And have a go at them we did!! Willoughby is becoming very effective from the Old Pavilion, so much so that Caddick has moved almost entirely to the River end, coming up the hill for the the first time in a long time.  Effective they are as they remove Maunders at 7 and Maddy (when was the last time we got him twice cheaply) at 14.  We are rampant, the ball is moving and they are deeply under the cosh.....Well except for Ackerman and Mongia who put together a sizeable partnership, passing our 60 lead and adding another 50-ish on top of it.

But the day is not over as Johnson is brought back on at the OP, immediately stopping a 100 partnership by having Mongia LBW (a very important wicket in the whole shape of this game) at 113 but leaving Charl W to finish the day with the wicket of Ackerman at 138.  The light intervenes soon after and although the players leave and then return, nothing else happens although we don't get finished until about 6:45.

The final day is set up - if the weathr gives us grace to play it.  Nixon and Sadler are in, the morning sessions should give life to the pitch and our bowlers will be fresh.  The visitors have an 85 run cushion but 90 odd overs to survive for the draw with 6 wickets left.  After we got past Nixon in the first innings, the other 5 went down for less than 50.  Nixon is the key.  Get him and this game is ours to pluck from the Championship tree.  But rain may win or we may falter....but the points ought to be ours.....didn't they?

Day 4

It's 3:25 in the afternoon at a very grey Taunton. It's much worse here than at home so the weather must have been heading TOWARDS us. However, the main covers are off, just the wicket ones on. The umpires have inspected and if everything stays as it is there will be play here at 4:00 with 33 overs to play and pretty poor light at the moment (although the impromptu game below the press box doesn't seem to be bothered by it - and they are under cover as well!).  Chances of a win? Well less than slim to say the least. They are busy brushing the outfield at the moment but one has to ask why the hell they haven't just called it a day and all gone home

The 'highspot' of the afternoon is when Andy Hurry is stuck in front of the Ian Botham stand while the players belt a football at his backside for losing some game or other. The Somerset lads show exactly why they play cricket by failing to hit him at all (except Dan Cullen who smacks him around the legs). But wait!! 4:05, the bell goes and the lads are standing on the balcony while the rain suggests it might return. Then they are on their way down the stairs and it seems we have to bowl at least an over to not be docked for a slow over rate before lunch - that is why we are all still here.

We've lost another over so 148 behind with the visitors 5 down, we have 32 overs to get rid of them and get one more than their score in very 'iffy' light. Cameron White opens from the Old Pavilion (because of the light?) and there is no Ian Blackwell to be seen. Arul Suppiah is first up at the River to the delight of the only noticable crowd - a bunch of guys who have had a few sat in the cinema seats cheering everything, much to the annoyance of the sparsely occupied press box and scorer's hutch.

Nixon is past 50 and they look in absolutely no trouble whatsoever so we bring on Peter Trego (who seems to have had a haircut during the time off the pitch today) because the light has improved and with luck the umpires will call them off and put us out of this pointless misery. Richard Johnson tries his luck at the OP but this game is really going nowhere even though Leicestershire pass the 250 mark and Nixon seems to be moving towards a century. Then they all shake hands for some reason and the game ends at 254 for 5 wth 20 overs to go. A draw, better than a loss but not as good as a win! Ahhh well!!

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