v Kent FPT @ Taunton Sunday 26 April 2009

Scorecard

Radio Coverage

The prospects do not look all that promising that we are going to get a full days play.  There are lots of sheets on lots of places around the boundary as well as the wicket itself.   Which is in the middle for a change.

Justin is sticking with the Warwickshire FPT side - at least as it is presented in the programme;

Trescothick, Kieswetter, Langer, Hildreth, de Bruyn, Suppiah, Trego, Phillips, Banks, Thomas, Willoughby

No "Grocklees" in unfortunately but their time will come hopefully and in Wes's case that will be based on the performance of Omari in games like this one.  A decent batting perfromance against the students which was dominated by Arul Suppiah and Neil Edwards didn't give the Anguilan the chance to show anything with the willow and that is the doubt at the moment.Anyway today is today and we will be bringing you up to date during the match as much as we possibly can and the thread for this will be live so comments will be answered if you have any.

More later but presently they are inspecting at 11 and we have a ludicrous 12 noon start!  There are a few wet patches on the pitch but presently there are about 30 cricket players playing touch rugby and practicing!!

43 over a side 3 can bowl 9 2 can bowl 8 and the powerplays will be 9, 4 and 4.  But things go on and the rain starts to cause problems and presently it's a 12:45 start with 38.  Kent have won the toss and we are going to bat first when things start.

I've had time therefore to wander around the ground and the Somerset stand (to be officially opened by Giles the C before the start of the Durham game).  The back is open and each entrance is commemorated to a former player - Rose (B), Marks, Langford and Denning.  There's a refreshment outlet there that is open at the Gimblett end of it and lots of doors for other things....no idea what yet though.  You can now walk all the way around the place.

The bell. has rung and we seem to be on for games. Trescothick and Kieswetter are on their way.  Warren Lee is opening from the River End with Banger facing.

He  takes 3 off his second ball to bring Craig in to face the young boy who yorks him first ball and we are 3 for 1 after 3 balls.  Hildreth is in and after Lee Saggers opens from the OP with 8 from the first over.  At least Kieswetter now has an average.  Good first over from the new boy while the experienced seamer at the other end hardly makes James play at the other.

Marcus looks good and is scoring at twice his partners rate driving to either side of the wicket and punishing anything wide.  because of that we are 26 after 4 with his contribution amounting to 16. Lee looks very useful though.  There is no Mahmoud in the eleven...Radio Kent were suggesting that anyone who could bowl would be playing today because they are really struggling to get four seamers out there.

By the end of the 6th and after Banger has introduced himself to Mark Saggers in no uncertain way - smacking him to the OP twice over his head and going to 31 off other boundaries at that end - we go to 50 as Kemp replaces Lee at the River.

This move is to get Lee on at the OP end for the 8th but Marcus is seeing the ball quite well and cuts his first to the scoreboard boundary prompting the Kent bowler to come around the wicket simply to be shaved down for another four to the other end of the CA pavilion.  The vice captain seems in decent nick as he moves on to 44 with few singles being run.

Banger goes to an immense 50 off 28 balls with 8 fours and then straight drives Lee twice more for fours. 84 by the end of the 10th and MT is 59. The 100 arrives after only 69 balls in the middle of the 12th as Stevens is used at the OP for the first time in a hope of keeping the VC in check.  Not really working though because Marcus has moved on to 67 and they continue to vary as Tredwell is introduced at the Botham end for the 13th.

Variation continues as the partners go to a 100 partnership in the 13th. Ferley is introduced (left arm spin) at the OP and for some reason Trescothick takes 2 steps up the wicket to him to loft him into the OP but doesn't completely follow through with the shot and instead deposits the ball straight into the hands of Lee in front of the cowshed.  108 for 2 and Hildreth is joined by Zander de Bruyn. A good knock marred by a lapse in concentration (41 balls with 11 fours).es the nature of the game not one jot and by the end of the 20th we have 137 with Hildreth now taking the premier role with his partner supporting. 

Jaarsveld is brought in on the River for the 17th but that changes not one jot.  James Hildreth takes up the premier role for us with his partner supporting.  He brings up his 50 off 67 balls halfway through the 22nd at 144 for 2 and Somerset pass 150 a few balls later.

Hildreth's involvement ends at 188 in the 28th when he punts the ball down to long on to be caught by Lee for 67.  This brings Trego to the crease and the two batsmen take the batting powerplay from the 30th (3 overs where they decide the field placings).  This enables Trigger to pull Kemp, coming in the OP, into the St John carpark to bring up the 200 and after 30 overs, Zander is on 45 and Trego celebrates the event with the second six of the over to the cowshed to bring us to 211.

Peter is dropped by Hockley in front of the Somerset Stand in the next over.  A difficult diving stop (almost) but still a chance.  Meanwhile almost unnoticed, Zander hits a 50 ball 50 with 2 sixes and 2 fours....faster than his recent partner.  After 32 overs we move to 227 for 3 while the Kent skipper continues to move his bowlers around to try and keep the maroon run machine unsettled.  Trigger looks like a man on a mission however....he just has to be careful as he nearly gets his partner run out looking for a risky single.

However, he mashes a huge six to the possible "Joel Garner" gates - the ones behind the Trescothick stand leading to the river side of Taunton - and then continues to give Ferley some straight drive hammer in front of the OP to move us to within 2 at the start of the 35th.  After nicking the strike he flips Tredwell's first ball to the same boundary to bring it up.  He repeats the shot with the same result next ball and then goes to 47 with a quick single off the third.  After Zander takes an easy single we do see the allrounder's mindset as he continues to look for big shots all over the offside boundary.  He's hitting the ball hard and long whenever possible unfortunately it's going to fielders and he's getting singles.

Saggers is back at the OP for the 36th and PT gets there off 28 balls with 3 sixes and 4 fours.  Let's hope he can push them with the ball later on to make this an allrounder game.  He sixes Lee to the Trescothick stand first ball of the next and he's looking to score off everything, the next is a full swat over Lee for four to the Botham boards and the last ball is taken from way out of the off stump into the middle green seats of the Somerset stand 282 for 3 at the end of the 37th. 

The two guys finish it off in style as Pete passes Zander with a wonderfully delicate leg glance to the Botham to finish on 73 and take his side to 291 for 3.  Excellent batting performance...good use of the line-up buy the skipper who sent the right man in at the right time.  Now we need to bowl to it.  Well done to Trigger for pushing us along and scoring 102 off the last 10 overs.

292 to defend in 38 overs.  The weather looks like it will hold off so there will be no D/L to blame.  Phillips is nowhere to be seen when we come out.  Max Waller is fielding and it seems Ben has a back problem (worrying for the Durham game). We open with Charl from the OP but first Trego from the River with even more to prove today.

7 off the first over is followed by Mr Key hitting one to midwicket where Marcus T whips around at full stretch and takes an absolute blinder to say goodbye to the captain.  One to Charl. Van Jaarsveld replaces him and the score moves on a little quicker.  The 50 comes up in the 8th off a Trescothick drop that was far far easier than the one he took.  Just after which van Jaarsfeld nearly kills his partner with a full bodied drive off Trego which van Jaarsfeld runs into and it drops him just outside the popping crease.  Peter retrieves the ball and considers for a moment running the guy out before he checks he is still alive!

Next ball...Trigger cleans the Kent man and they are 54 for 2 before the end of the 9th.  Banks is on at 64 from the River end for the 13th over and Thomas takes over at the Op for the 14th. Denley nearly goes C&B to Banks but it's a difficult chance and he couldn't hold on.  However he is bowling nicely and they are struggling to get him off the cut strip and make anything but singles from him. At the end of the 17th Kent are 94 for 2.

First ball of the 18th the situation changes as Alfonso Thomas comprehensively foxes Hockley (who hasn't played for 7 years it seems) and skittles him for 26.  It's 95 for 3 and Stevens arrives to take up the fray.  He doesn't stay long however as he tries to go big to one from Banks which he only manages to put down Max Waller's throat for 4 and Kent are 104 for 4 at the end of the 19th.

Zander returns for the 22nd and gets his first to nip back and beats Denley for 43 at 110.  Five down and who would leave de Bruyn out at the moment?  Excellent ball.

At the other end Banks is showing why we are keeping faith in him as he bowls tight overs, giving the opposition batsmen just enough air to get themselves out.  In the 25th he does exactly that to Justin Kemp who smacks the ball to Waller and departs for 8 at 124.  Only to be followed almost immediately by Tredwell who doesn't get the whole of the bat behind another Omari delivery and is caught behind without score at 125.  Banks 7 overs 26 for 3 - can't argue with them figures - 127 for 2 and kent are 102 behind on the D/L.  Another two points?  I think so.

Thomas replaces Banks at the River and Ferley tries a reverse sweep in the 29th which he misses and is caught plumb in front from....149 for 8.  Then Lee misses a straight one and gives Alfonso  another one 149 for 9 and that puts Thomas on a hat-trick ball at the start of his next over....which comes to nothing but Kent are just trying to finish the game with a wicket standing as Saggers and Jones try and stave off being all out with 8 overs to go.  It's 168 for 9 at 32 overs as Omari comes on to finish his spell - and is smacked for 6 by Jones onto the Botham roof with his first.

And it ends in farce as Trego bowls to Jones who gets one on his toes.  Trigger appeals and everyone stops (including Saggers).  The appeal is denied but the Kent batsman doesn't really start to run again and is run out at the River end!!  181 all out with Saggers on 11 and Jones not out on 43 at the start of the 34th.

A good win - mostly because of the bowling performance against a decent Kent line-up rather than batting against a scratch Kent pace and slow attack.  Excellent figures from Banks. Excellent aggression with bat and ball Trego.  Some clever bowling from Alfonso and solid support in both disciplines from Zander - a victory by 110 runs and done with 3.5 overs to spare.  Maximum points ibn a one day competition who would have thunk it!!

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