v Gloucestershire 20/20 @ Taunton Tuesday 27 June 2006

Scorecard

The third competition of the season gets underway for us tonight at a windy and not too sunny County Ground. The opposition are 'The Bristolians' (are they still called Gladiators?).  The side is not much of a surprise after all

MJ Wood, JL Langer, *CL White, KA Parsons, JC Hildreth,WJ Durston, AV Suppiah, +CM Gazzard, GM Andrew, RL Johnson, CM Willoughby

No place for Andy Caddick and Peter Trego is once more asked to sit out in favour of Gareth Andrew in the shorter stuff.  John Francis will have to wait for his recall as we go with the settled approach and wait to see how settled it is and what it makes of Mr Spearman, Harvey, Lewis and Ball at this stage of the season.  We all have to hope it's a bit more than we made of them at the start of it. 

More to come later.  I'm not at the ground yet!

Missed the first two overs so I didn't see the slow one before Matt Wood decided to smack a few. By the time I'm in place we have over 50 but the VC is caught and bowled for 34 but we do have 52 off 5.2 overs and that isn't a bad start.

Big big crowd as well to watch our two Aussies give it a go and give it a go they do as Whitey starts slow but soon gets into his stride, moving Langer into top gear and putting the ball all over the place. 100 comes up in 10 overs and by 13, the captain has a 30 ball 50 and we are 143 for 1.

The 150 comes up 2 balls later and the 'shop' side of the ground is being peppered as a 100 partnership comes up off 60 balls. Justin goes to his 50 off 13.4 (his partner passed him but he is catching up and not so slowly). We are seeing a few sixes here as the two antipodeans take 20 off that one and prompt Rudge to come on at the River. He gets planted into the Barnicotts. Gloucestershire aren't the fielding side they used to be but they don't seem to be getting much of a chance to show any expertise as the ball is flying over most of the boundary ropes.

Five to go and 180 on the board. 4.5 to go and 184 on the board - It's all good fun. Misfields help so the "Gladdie's" are being ever so helpful. One bloke helps by stopping the ball, pointing at the wicket so Cameron knows where to run to and then throwing the ball in. Don't know what he thought was going to happen but it didn't!! Four to go and 8 for 200 with 8 wickets in hand. Both batsmen need about 10 an over for their 100's and we need about 40 for the highest 20/20 score we've made - which is the highest anyone has ever made!. A stand of 143 is fine but it would be nice for all these things to happen

200 up at 16.5 and a big flash brings up the 150 partnership off 71 balls. Whitey is still going big and Gloucestershire are still helping us along by dropping him when he goes over the top and miscues. So we stand at 220 at 18.1 when they ask for the third umpire to adjudicate on a possible catch with both players on 90 and 12 balls to score 20. It seems to be 'Not Out' and the record plus double tons is still on. We should hit the first and Cam's massive 6 to the shop suggests we'll get at least one as he goes to 100 off 48 balls and brings up the best 20/20 partnership in history.  It would be even better if Justin L got to his 100 but going for it, he is skittled on 90 and leaves to rapturous applause from the faithful.

James Hildreth looks ready to do battle, he's off the mark with a four, and on his way back to the pavilion after ball 2.  Keith Parsons is sent out to face the final 4 balls but they crossed so Cameron White is the man on strike and it looks like 250 is on with 3 balls to go.  They need 8.  A quick two puts it to six and a slashing boundary puts it in their sights, the last ball is scraped away and they come back for the second.  251 to win off 20 is a real tall order, even for the Boys from Bristol.  But until Harvey and Spearman are back in the hutch, nothing is certain.  But a real barnstorming innings worthy of the 20/20 champions!

Well it doesn't exactly look on at 43 for 5 off the first 7 of their overs! (Can't believe I've just written that.) The best score ever in 20/20 and stuffing Gloucestershire at the same time what more can one want in life?

Harvey and Adshead gone before the end of the first over (some smart overhead catching by KP for the second) and only 7 on the board and it just kept on getting better as they went for them and we kept catching the high balls - absolute stormer from Arul Suppiah on the run to get rid of the mighty Spearman with only 32 up. By the time Gareth took over at the OP they were looking down the barrell of more than a three figure defeat. But there's still a bit of fight as they go to 50 with a Colin Atkinson six. Keith Parsons is on at the River at we get number 6 before they pass 9 overs 56 for 6. Can you believe this??? 69 at 10 overs needing 82 NOT to lose by a cricket score.

Keith is going for a few but they still need 171 off 9. But they are getting boundaries and they are getting them frequently and they take 17 off the 12th. Whitey brings himself on at the River and they go past 100 with another CA six and they are at 109 when Arul takes over at the OP....and gets a wicket first ball as it goes straight down Wes's throat.

The run rate moves up to about 20 an over as we run out another at 124 (14.3 overs) and then Arul removes an off stump and "they've go it all to do" needing 129 off 4 and a bit. But as we bowl the last man at 133 off 16.1 we win by 117 runs - I wonder if "Gloucester" will put this score on the bottom of his thread.

Some real good bowling (Willoughby's 4 for 30 was just immense.  Arul  took 2 real important ones and Johnno going for a mere 12 off his 3 put the brakes on when required), some sharp fielding, some sticking to the job in hand and some awesome Southern Hemishpere batting and we look like champions at something.  The visitors, on the other hand, look very very ordinary

We've started this campaign off with something to talk about. The highest score of all time from the reigning Champions should get us into the papers anyway. Gloucestershire put up a fight but were absolutely blown away.  Warwickshire on Sunday then. Early afternoon start but no-one is quite sure when! If we get past them without a capitulation to add consistency to this massive effort then we could be on for this again but we have to keep it going!  Well played boys - more of the same please.

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