Grockles.com - Swansea Whitewash

v Glamorgan C&G @ Swansea 4 June 2006

Cameron leads out his boys in a dead rubber of a crazy format this morning. This game has little point because the structure of the C&G disallows any progression for any side that doesn't win their regional league. We can't do that and so these games over the next month become experimental practice sessions for a team trying to settle itself in certain positions. With that in mind, and the campaign ahead, Somerset have rested the two guys who murdered Glamorgan earlier this week - Andrew Caddick and Charl Willoughby. Their places are taken by Gareth Andrew and the now fit Richard Johnson. Dan Cullen also keeps his place in a side of;

M J Wood, A V Suppiah, W J Durston, J C Hildreth, C L White, (capt), K A Parsons, P D Trego, C M Gazzard, (wkt), D J Cullen, G M Andrew, R L Johnson

Personally I would have liked to see some rehabilitation and experimentation in the batting against a weak Welsh top order but I suppose the problems of the early season preclude this on the basis that the men who take the positions regularly need all the practice in favourable conditions that they can get. One hopes we might see John Francis and Neil Edwards in the line-up for the game against Ireland in a couple of weeks perhaps. For today we put out our usual first choice top six and give the younger seamers their heads. The weather this side of the Channel is warm and humid - in Wales, where the tides influence so much it seems, we have won the toss and put them in. It is hoped that Johnno will take advantage of the early conditions and make some in-roads - it looks promising as he already has Croft back in the hutch with only 6 on the scoreboard. The test comes when the experience gives way to the hopeful exuberance of our younger guys.

It will also be interesting to see whether Cullen can influence this game. He has been very quiet up to now after the hype of the early pre-season, doing more with the bat than with the ball. These conditions should start to allow him to exert a force on games...we only really have him for another 3 weeks so we need some repayment on the investment if his signing is to be seen as a good one.

Early doors it is Johnson who is putting the frighteners on the Dragons on a spongy pitch. He has Cherry at 17 caught behind and those early breakthroughs allow us to use Cullen early. He breaks the partnership between Powell and Cosgove as it passes 50 having Powell caught by Suppiah and Keith Parsons provides excellent support for the young spinner taking the wicket of Cosgrove to put the home side four down 3 runs short of 100. Unfortunately, the young seamers have been variable with Peter Trego bowling a tight line and lenght while Gareth Andrew seems to have been a bit expensive. KP continues to show his value with the Grant's wiclet at 132 and Cullen gets his second at 162 when Wallace walks in front of his wicket but forgets to hit the ball!

Gareth finally strikes in the rush for end of innings runs and traps Peng LBW and with Wharf being run out shortly after, there aren't enough men left for Glamorgan to push for big runs in the final overs. They close at 203 - very poor in the usual 50 over game but one this wicket???

Excellent work from Cullen, Parsons and Johnson. Trego gave particularly 'thrifty' support with 7 for 23. Andrew was expensive and still has to prove to this writer that he is the next stage of Somerset seam - I hope to be convinced.

203 at just less than 4 an over should be a 'walk in the park'. But the St Helens' strip should have proved something to us earlier this week although we walked away victorious. So the orders should have been "Take your time we have loads of it".

At 26 for 3 you had to wonder whether anyone had been listening. Wood is out at 6 and it doesn't stop there. Gazzard is not a "pinch hitter". Why won't anyone listen to us? Why do we keep pushing Carl out first in one dayer after one dayer to see him walking back early in the first 15. Please re-think this strategy. He goes with 8 on the board and the Welsh are back in the game. It seems Suppiah got a good one but it doesn't help when you've only got 26 towards your winning total.

Once more, it is down to Keith Parsons to bring the realism back. He and White this time (it was Durston on Thursday) start to put the bricks back in order and the foundation of a win looks like it is there. At least it is until KP goes at 108 for a solid 34. Whitey is over 50 and has played a wiating game. For some reason, with James Hildreth at the crease, in no sort of form, he decides the wait is over and charges both Croft and Cosker is successive overs. Hildreth is pushing singles to seet himself and his captain is going stark raving mad. Luckily, nothing goes to hand and Cameron eventually calms down, except for the odd six. It seems llike he gets anxious when he hasn't hit a boundary for a while.

This game is still not won though and when Hildreth departs for a sedate 17 (but an important 50 partnership) at 162 and Durston makes the ill advised decision to sweep Cosker at 166 (he doesn't make it) we are in trouble and still 40+ short. Trego helps the score along a little but is bowled around his legs at 185 and we are into bowlers with a 'slogger' on his way in the form of Richard Johnson Worries start to rise again that White, the key to our win, will go for it again. But we don't need to worry, he doesn't and the "Swarthy Greek" smacks a four and then a final six to win the game with 3 overs to spare.

And as always, it's good to read an eye witness report so here is Mr "Botham" (no not that one)

...Sensing a big crowd and knowing what difficulty parking might be we set off from the hotel around 8am and parked adjacent to the ground, in hazy weather, wondering whether we had had the best of the weather over the previous couple of days, but soon afterwards the clouds cleared away and perfect cricket watching weather ensued.

We walked back to the hotel for breakfast and noted that the captain ate alone, probably because he was an early riser (surely not still jet-lagged!), but poor old Wes was left on his lonesome, possibly because the team knew what a terrible shot he was going to play later on! Off to Tesco to stock up with lunch and tea, then on to the ground to find a good vantage point. There was a supporters’ coach from Berry’s, but the Somerset contingent were pretty quiet throughout.

Somerset won the toss and decided to field, which seemed to be a sensible decision based on the hazards earlier in the week. Caddick and Willoughby had been rested, so in came Andrew and Johnson, with Frankie (S) as 12th man. His duties revolved around sunbathing and endless supplying of bottled water.

Johnno and Trigger opened the bowling and bowled a pretty good line and length, soon having the Glamorgan openers in trouble. First to go was Crofty, a fine catch by Parsy, off Johnno. A Glamorgan ‘supporter’ thinks it’ll be all over by 2.30! Both batsmen really struggling and next to go is Cherry, who according to the locals left his bat out to dry. He was ct Gazza, bowled Johnno.

Approaching us is a weird character in an animal suit, looks rather like a hedgehog, but my wife thinks he is Uncle Bulgaria, from the ‘Wombles’, which is correct, as he is promoting a Bulgarian property exhibition!

Cosgrove, an Aussie, has come in, to rapturous applause, and is later called a Welsh man (Cozzie is a Welshman), by the inebriated locals! He strokes the ball around confidently, taking a particular liking to the wayward Gareth Andrew, who deservedly goes for nearly seven an over! Anything short is unceremoniously despatched. Dan Cullen is bowling an excellent line and length and he and Cam White, later, are getting the batsmen well tied down.

I am now wandering around the ground and cheer when Cullen takes a wicket, only to be met by chicken noises from the home fans. They really are a strange bunch and were it not for some beautiful countryside, I’d be in no hurry to return. Luke and Rosy feel that Johnno isn’t putting in enough effort chasing around the boundary, he looks like he is jogging. Cam White then takes a stupendous one-handed catch, diving away to his left, to dismiss the dangerous Cosgrove, off Parsy’s first ball.

Wallace, foolishly tries to reverse sweep Cullen, misses and appears plum lbw, which the umpire agrees with and he’s on his way, but is he as he stands his ground, but he has to go. The man in front suggests he was about four yards down the wicket, which is strange as I thought he played back when standing in his crease! This guy (about 80!) is now really upset and it spoils his day. He’s later to be seen wandering across the outfield, during play, presumably in a sulk! Trigger makes a great diving stop, on the boundary, throws it in and runs the batsmen out.

Somerset innings (abridged version as I forgot to take notes!)

The Glamorgan guys appear to be fired-up and our young batsmen appear to be nervous! Gazza opens with Woody and the both look tentative Gazza is first to perish, wafting his bat at a wide one, ct behind. The openers are bowling very well and giving nothing away. Superior comes in and soon falls ct behind, wafting! Next is Hilda who skies one to midwicket. The Glamorgan boys aren’t having to work too hard, we are giving our wickets away too cheaply.

A brief interlude from this suicidal behaviour as Cam White despatches two successive fours. Somewhere along the way Woody has surrendered his wicket and Parsy joins Cam. The two of them look really comfortable, with both playing really well, until Parsy is caught behind off Crofty. Cam hits some great sixes onto the beach and soon gets a well-deserved hundred to his obvious delight. We stand to applaud. But most of the crowd appear to be too tired to join us!

The game is soon over and I stride on to congratulate a great man, Cameron White, what a leader. The game finished at about 5.15. We were in the car by 5.30 and got back to Dorchester at 8.00, a really pleasant ride home.

An excellent victory, but most of our guys gave their wickets away and offered little support to Cam. Maybe a few more will be eating breakfast alone!

Thanks Mr B

A double over Glamorgan, while welcome, is not a great achievement. This is not the creme de la creme of Division 2 sides at the moment. But good bowling performances and recovery in the batting was welcome. White has shown he can win games, now he needs to show he can do it patiently. The seam issues are still there but Trego did what a third seamer is required to do. Cullen got in the wickets and Parsons proved his worth for the umpteenth time. It's a move in the right direction, but on a very very long road.

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