Somerset
Notts the start that we wanted?
By Grockle et al
June 22 2014
No Alfonso as we go into this game with only Pete Trego representing the 'Old Guard' in the bowling section of the side. Johann Myburgh also sits it out as we win the toss and choose to bat. Down comes the cloud and the ball is doing all sorts!!
v NOTTINGHAMSHIRE@ Trent Bridge Sunday 22 June 2014
TuneIn App BBC Live Event 16
As I wander into the ground at 11:20 I watch Nick Compton leaving the field for a paltry 2. Chris Jones, on for the injured Myburgh, has already departed the centre for 4. Gurney and Siddle are getting lots and lots of bounce but with the odd one also keeping suprisingly low. Alviro and the skipper are being sensible and watchful but even then it isn't long before the first drop in the slips as a ball gets big on Petersen who follows it and luckily raises the ball above the shoulders of Patel and Adams in the slips. You do wonder why we are batting after winning the toss though the cloud cover was non existent at 10:30 and humid an hour later. There is a second slip drop a little later on before Petersen skies one and the whole four man slip cordon turn and sprint towards the boundary with only Wessels having enough faith it is coming down to pouch the catch after what seemd like an age. Hildreth comes to the middle but stays only a short time before shouldering arms to an Adams inswinger which cleans him up 44 for 4 is not good!!
Banger is riding considerable luck and we've moved, by no means confidently past 50.
By lunch Kieswetter and Trescothick have calmed things down a little and a 44 run partnership has got us to 90. However it is just the calm before another storm as Andre Adams 'continues to be a thorn in a Somerset teams side catching CK in front for 17 at 94 and Gurney has Trigger caught behind for 1 almost immediately. Craig Meschede joins his skipper and the now cloudy Trent Bridge atmosphere continues to cause havoc.
The problems remain, even though Marcus starts to look more confident and more expansive. At the other end however, mayhem carries on. The 100 and the skipper's 50 come in quick succession and Meschede looks more solid until he is well caught by Jacques at 137. Hopes are that the next Craig is going to do well after his big score in the last CC1 game. No chance though as Overton scrabbles around for a while beflfe being caught behind at 140.
Marcus now starts farming the strike as George Dockrell splits the twins at number 10. Strange situation to be in during the second session of Day 1 of a four day game.
The 'farming' gets his side past 150 as the Irishman flays a boundary to take it to 152. Then Samit Patel takes a leaping one handed catch at second slip (nearer third IMHO) to send the Somerset captain on his way for 87 at 155. Siddle has taken both openers but some 40 odd overs apart. In comes Jamie Overton to play a few but this is way down on expectations and NO batting points to us today.
At 168 it is done and dusted as first Shahzad bowls a huge wide which Jamie has a massive swipe at. That is followed by one a little closer to the wicket which the Somerset bowler has another mighty swipe at. This time however he snicks it and is out caught at first slip. Marcus 87.... the next highest score from a batsman? 17. Nuff said really.
After Tea Jaqcues and Mullaney start the home side reply in confident and aggressive mood. Peter Trego is targetted and the score starts to move at a rate Somerset can't be happy with. Craig Overton is raising eyebrows at the other end and keeping them in check but they still move past the follow on target in three overs and have a 50 partnership after 3. Jamie Overton does cause early problems because of his pace but he also is leaking runs. Both men have given away over 20 off their first 3 overs. by the end of the 13th over Notts are strolling this at 68 for 0 and a run rate of 5.23.
Listening to the local press ringing in asking for press you can't really argue with their assessment of day 1 of this game. 'Total decimation' seems pretty a curate as Phil Jacques goes to a 57 ball 50 at 94 for 0 after 20 overs. Meschede has tried to stem the tide with 3 overs for 13 since his introduction in the 15th but Pete has 36 off 7 and no-one really looks like breaking through. With 23 overs to go it is highly likely that the home side will overhaul the present total, possibly without loss before the end of the day's play.
Steve Mullaney's 69 ball 50 comes just after the Notts 100 arrives off 131. Nothing looks to be going right, fielding errors follow as 2 batsmen in full flow start to take the already damaged Somerset bowling attack apart. I start typing this part of the report at 108 and by the time I have reached HERE the home team are on 124. This is pretty quickly turning into a rout and at this rate I will be home by the end of Tuesday at the latest!!
And it happens as Notts take the lead off George Dockrell who was introduced with 15 overs of the day to go, why not? How could he be any worse. Phil Jaques took the first six of the day off him and finally hit 2 to take his county ahead with 12 overs and 1 ball of the day to go. Mullaney has 72 and Jaques needs 6 for his hundred. We simply have no answer at all and are a very long way from being in this game in any way at all. Presently the pundits are suggesting that this game will end sometime around Tuesday lunchtime unless something drastically changes. As Jaques goes to 100 off Dockrell's second ball of his fourth over (18 fours 109 balls) you can hear them knocking in the nails of the coffin at 194 for 0 with Mullaney on his way to joining his partner (86 off 104 balls).
But Mullaney does't get there as George tempts him to go for one which he top edges to Trego in the deep and Somerset take a Day 1 consolation wicket at 203 for 1 with the Notts man going for a good 91. To add onsult to injury, the home side send in a nightwatchman in Shahzad to play out the final 3 overs.
And so it goes. Play ends mercifully for South Westerners at 6:25 with Notts on 208 for 1, a first innings lead of 40 runs after Day 1.
More to come in the morning... it has to be better than this!!
Day 2
So here we are again for the start of the second day. Beautiful sunny morning with high wispy cloud, lovely walk in from the station but a distinctly sparse crowd, not suprising given the nature of the match.
Notts start the second day 40runs ahead with 9 wickets in hand, a position it is hard to see them losing from. George Dockrell courtesy of Pete Trego's hands gave us a point by dismissing Mullaney yesterday evening but today will be more about character than points I think. This may be the defining day of the Somerset 2014 season because the players will learn from Sunday's events and commit themselves to getting as much out of this game as possible and making individual promises that this will NOT happen again or this match will sputter to a conclusion with little being learned and with it will go our CC1 aspirations for the year. I'm sure we shall all see.
One hour into the day and the situation has become a little better. We have a bowling point after Jaques swiped an early Meschede long hop to the only legside fielder he could have found and Nick Compton gratefully took a good diving catch. 211 for 2 became 231 for 3 when Shahzad mistimed a ball from Craig Overton and presented Chris Jones with a mid on catch.
At midday on Day 2 Notts have Hales and Taylor at the crease. They face a change in bowling at the press box end as Pete gets his first spell of the day and are 77 runs ahead of the Somerset first innings total with 7 wickets in hand on a pretty unhelpful pitch. But never mind, the sun is out.
And then Notts give us a door back into this game. Taylor is strangled by Pete at 258 and then Hales skies one at 266 and Craig takes a catch off his brother Jamie. Then then the heavens open and the promised thunder shower brings an early lunch with Notts 111 ahead and some glimmer in the Somerset gloom.
Hope is unfounded however as we return after the rain and lunch break. George Dockrell openss from our end and is dispatched twice to the boundary, Jamie opens from the Ratcliffe and has better fortune but in the next 30 minutes, Wessels and Patel go to a 56 ball 50 partnership and the Notts lead goes over 150. Whatever the plan with GD, it doesn't work and we take the new ball with a deficit of 163 and no further inroads into the home side's batting line-up. Craig O and Pete are back in the firing line.
The new ball has almost no effect as Wessels starts to climb into the new ball pair. He goes to 50 just after his side go to 350 and by the time his partner reaches his 50 off 63 balls the optimism that existed when they were 5 down and only 111 ahead has become pessimism that Notts can declare whenever they want as they already have a lead of 224 and Patel and Wessels have a partnership of 135.
The 400 comes up at 3:00pm and prompts the return of Dockrell - are they trying to prompt the declaration? Poor old George the man is on an absolute hiding to nothing.
It does however come right for him as he gets Wessels caught by Cove at 427. Then, just as Patel sets his sights on a century, Craig himself gets reward for his collossal hard work by getting lne to move away from Samit's bat into CK's gloves. Suddenly we are on a roll because he then bowls Read trying to play across one for only 2. Out comes Andre Adams, gets 2 off his first before absolutely bludgening one towards Banger, who, with the reflexes of a teenager, simply snaffles it and rolls it along the floor to the umpire. 454 for 9 sees Craig on 4 for 102. George finishes it off by having Siddle at 461 so its tea taken and Notts ready to come out afterwards leading by 293. As someone posted online, it's over to the batsmen now!!
The long way home starts with Jones and Trescothick playing nothing that is any kind of gamble, no risks, no loose shots, just defence and easy stuff. The skipper looks masterful on this pitch and his understudy is watchful and careful. Gurney is building up a head of steam but for 10 plus overs everything goes to plan. Gurney tries MT out and gets spanked for three boundaries, unfortunately the next one spits off the deck and the skipper gloves it to the four man slip cordon and is ln his way for 22. We have lost our most vital wicket with only 41 to our name.
Nick Compton replaces him and confidently gets on with a job he is admirably suited for, the 50 comes up on the 22nd over but the runs are really immaterial. The important thing is TIME AT THE CREASE. 17 overs in Shahzad starts at the Radcliffe road end and Adams takes the other. 20 overs to go to the halfway stage of the game and we need to go in only 1 down. Andre has other ideas and skittles Nick for 12 at 66. 2 down and still 227 to go to avoid the innings defeat!! One bright spark in this second part of the day is Chris going to 50 off 80 balls with 7 fours at 89 for 2. It would be even more excellent if we are celebrating his highest career score this time tomorrow with his partner Alviro Petersen because any kind of base for survival in this game relies on something VERY special from this pair.
Unfortunately it isn't going to be AP's glory match as Siddle gets him in front for 4. Somerset finish at 106 for 3.
Day 3
It's a day of targets if there is going to be a Day 4 in this game. No special shots, no risks, no concern about the run rate or the total. Half hour by half hour, don't take risks just play all balls on the merits and defend, defend, defend. The Jones century will come under those rules and has to. The James Hildreth ton also must come but on a much longer time frame. Today is about being there at 6:30 and nothing else. Tomorrow is tomorrow and that is for later. Cloud cover and a close atmosphere at 10:30 suggests the first hour, once more, might be tough but it isn't as if we aren't aware of that danger now. Hang in and fight the good fight boys.
For the first 50 minutes it all looked solid. Jones seemed in control, the rate was nothing impressive but Somerset accumulated. James also played it safe and we dealt with everything Notts put in front of us - The opening attack of Gurney and Siddle, Shahzad first change and Adams introduced in the 13th over. All was going swimmingly until Hilda unaccountably wafts at a wide Shahzad delivery and deposits it in Adams' hand. Soft dismissal after 31 hard fought runs when we needed a 1 in front from a man who has struggled to provide 'beef' in the middle order for some time now.
Craig K enters the arena needing a good score for a number of reasons and we pass the 150 behind target shortly afterwards. 4 runs later he is dropped by Wessels at first slip, a difficult diving chance, and we have to hope he will make them pay while doing his own summer some good at the same time. However, Shahzad is giving him a torrid time as we pass 150 and close on the next target...lunch.
The target is achieved without further loss and we go in 105 runs from an innings defeat at 188 for 5. Craig Kieswetter has 28 and Pete Trego has 9. Losing Chris Jones to Gurney's first ball on his return in the 25th over was not anything like what we wanted. His 240 minute innings of 77 with 10 fours was the backbone of this reply and has hopefully put paid to questions about his ability or desire to play county cricket. He simply got beaten for pace and Gurney got his first ball straight. It goes to show that if you have a bowler with a change of pace, get him to hit the stumps straight away because after Adams and Shahzad, Gurney was an unexpected level of speed. Jamie O take note.
After lunch? More of the same. Rebuild the base, keep Pete in check and watch the sneaky Adams. Next target? 2:30. There have been almost no 50 partnerships in the Somerset batting. It would be very nice to have 2 or 3 without a wicket falling!
We get a 50 run partnership. First the 2 Somerset men take the runs needed under 100 and then they bring up the 200 in the 33rd over. CK celebrates with a six. His 50 comes up in pretty short order as he plays solidly but murders any loose stuff. A boundary takes him to 53 off 69 balls at 225 for 5. Notts react by introducing Patel for the first time. A pretty clear indicator that we are getting to them. So the message is 'calm down' and just play. Unfortunately this message does not seem to get through to Craig as he tries to take on Andre Adams and dies in the hands of Hales in the outfield trying to go over the top. 54 wasn't enough for him or for us and that has effe tively closed the door on any real fight as quite soon afterwards Craig Meschede top edges one and Hales, running back takes another one as we slump to 237 for 7 just as hope of making Notts bat again becames a possibility.
Craig Overton arrives to bat with us still trailing by 55 and most people now expect it to be over pretty soon. Craig and Pete look to continue move the score towards the level score but Adams tempts Craig with one that goes away and another Somerset man bites the dust. At 9 for 253 with only the defensive George and the expansive Jamie to come it seems the right time for Trigger to start to go for it. The young Irishman accumulates and rotates while PT heads towards 3 figures in real style, cutting, pulling, driving but with a level head to not try too hard. He and George put on a 50 partnership (Pete 40 and George the rest) and we go into the lead and it isn't until 331 that the spinner is tempted by a full toss which he doesn't get all of and the ball pops up. This is great but with one wicket left we are no where near far enough ahead and Jamie is still an unfinished item as a batsman. Having said that he has a championship 50 from the last game and does not come out looking like he is overawed by the situation. The Trego 100 and the 350arrive about the same time along with rain and bad light and a break in play. We are going to be back tomorrow it seems though everyone seems to be eager to get out and get it sorted. After an early Tea we are out again, the light is not good and the position might be precarious but Jamie seems to have decided to take it on, he begins to outscore Trego to the tune of 3 to 1 and the second 50 partnership arrives from a tailend pair. The young number eleven then goes to a 50 at less than a run a ball (48) before he finally is victom of one that goes away and the excellent work is all over with PT unbeaten on 107.
402 runs scored 110 needed by Notts to win a game they thought would be over sometime mid afternoon. now they have about 24 overs, if they ask for the extra 8 this evening. Some pride has returned to the club and we are all wondering what might have happened if we hadn't capitulated so completely on the first day.
Alex Hales has injured his shoulder and will probably only bat if he is needed so Jaques and Mullaney open again with Taylor moving up the order. We know that because Cove comes steaming in and removes Mullaney with his third ball caught by Hildreth at second slip. Two balls later he forces Taylor to play on and the home side are 2 for 0 and in some disarray. Samit Patel tries to calm things and nearly becomes the third victim but the young Somerset bowler finishes his first over with a double wicket maiden giving all of us a little hope that something amazing can happen. Jaques and the little man look to stop that coming true and gradually they reassert the batting control as Mesch and Trigger try to keep the momentum up. Patel is in his groove though and although he could go at any moment he does pile into Jove while taking a the lion's share of a quick 50 paretnership and putting this all but to bed. He tries to take Craig O on once too often and perishes caught by Craig M. Then the umpires decide it is too dark and take the sides off with Notts on 66 needing 44 while Somerset need the unlikely 6 wickets.
We go into Day 4. Hands up all those who expected that?
Day 4
Thanks to the excellent service of Trent Bridge reception staff and the nice people at Nottingham Forest I am able to witness the final death throes of this morning without it costing me and arm and a leg to do so. High cloud this morning but once again it is 'muggy' first thing. If anyone wants a decent cheap and quiet hotel right in the middle of Nottingham then you can do worse than the Welbeck Hotel on Talbot Street, cheap, cheerful, quiet and no nonsense.
Anyway, the Somerset boys are out warming up with the obligatory game of football though a couple are in the nets. I think Jason Kerr was taking James Burke through his bowling paces on the break yesterday afternoon. Besides the press there are 6 supporters on the ground and Tractor, who is presently the only occupant of the 'New Stand'.
Off we go with Craig O from the Pavilion starting to Jaques and George opening from the Radcliffe. Shahzad breaks his bat the fifth ball into the session and so we have a stoppage and then he nearly runs himself out taking a run that was never on.
11:25 under 20 runs to go and it's all pretty anti-climactical ( ?) after yesterday afternoon. There is little in this pitch and little for the bowling attack to play with. The batsmen are going to take no chances at all so there is nowhere for this game to go but to the inevitable end. No major gains for Somerset this morning have meant the motions are now being gone through and one only wonders why George did not bowl last night. It might have meant more overs in the evening but it would also have probably meant more runs to play with this morning as Jamie got pummelled.
Immaterial I suppose, this game, for all its interesting twists and turns and the glory of the tailend fightback, was effectively over 3 days ago with the abject collapse of our first innings batting and our poor defence of the pathetic total it produced. It has given Chris Jones the chance to stake a claim with Johann sidelined. It showed what a batsman Peter Trego can be on his day. It highlighted the immense potential of Craig Overton as a bowler and the strength of the Somerset tail with the willow. The other positive thing was that this side were never down in this game and there was every excuse to be there. They have fought to regain some pride and taken the Notts boys into the 4th day making them win a game rather than just finish it off.
I'd have loved to see my first win of the season today but if I have to see a defeat I'd rather see this type of fighting loss even if it was inevitable from mid afternoon on Day 1. Shahzad hits the final boundary on the 13th over of the day at 11:38 and we move on with the 3 points we have gained and the lessons of the match. Essex on Friday and then the chance to put this behind us with Lancashire at home ln Sunday.
Digg
Delicious
Facebook
Reddit
Stumbleupon22/06/2014 12:41
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:06:26:23:13:51 by Grockle.
My personal view is that we will probably be unchanged and should probably be unchanged.
We currently have four seam/swing bowlers and a spinner in the side.
And with the signing of TG and the imminent fitness of Lewis Gregory, we may soon have as many as 8 fit seamers available, from which to perm 4. I've not included AD but he would be a ninth if he gets fit.
There are much closer options on the Radcliffe Road but I could find nothing cheaper than 60 ish quid a pop.
I personally hope that Notts try to do something to spice up the pitch a little bit, whether it's leaving extra grass on (the most likely option with the make-up of their side) or starting the track bare or very dry or what have you.
Otherwise, it will scarcely surprise if the match is an absolute run-fest.
I did not bother with this fixture last season as there was nothing to play for, but I went up in 2011 and 2012.
IN last year's game, James Hildreth made a ton.
In the games in 2011 and 2012 that I personally witnessed, James also scored a ton in each of those games. Arul Suppiah and Craig Kieswetter also made tons (CK in 2011, AS in 2012) and Nick Compton hammered a double ton in 2012 (and the second half of the double ton genuinely was hammered!)
Meanwhile, Samit Patel seems to me to have a very good record against our bowlers (although perhaps more so in TA1). And virtually the entire Notts batting line-up have been in good form of late.
This could be the kind of arduous game for bowlers that might lead DN to shuffle our pack for the following game (home vs Lancashire) with, maybe, Kirby or Groenewald in contention.
A run-fest and maximum points draw from Trent Bridge would do Somerset little harm in our race for the CC but my absolute preference would be to see a good balance between bat and ball and, of course, an away win.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:06:21:10:14:29 by AGod.
Hales, Jacques, Mullaney, Taylor, Patel, Wessels, Read, Siddle, Fletcher, Gurney, Adams and Shahzad.
Quickie Peter Siddle will be paying one of his last championship matches before being recalled next month for an Australian training camp. Notts are replacing him with New Zealander Jim Franklin - but only for T20 matches.
I hesitate to say this at this juncture, but I suspect Notts will be somewhat disappointed with the overall returns that they have got from Siddle.
I did wonder if he would prove a less than ideal signing because i remember him having to be told by Lehman to buck his ideas up having not exactly run in hard vs SCCC at Taunton last season and I wondered whether that suggested he would only run in really hard for Aus in "live bullet," games such as Tests, and be less interested in doing so in the County game.
I've no idea if that has been why he has been less prolific then one might expect from a Test bowler - it may be very flat tracks at TB that have been the big problem.
But I'd think the only conceivable way that TG might play at TB, in the absence of an injury that we do not know about, might be if DN decides that CM has yet to really hit the mark with the ball after returning from injury (and thus could possibly do with a seconds run-out instead). To be honest, CM arguably has not actually done enough bowling since returning from injury to actually recover his full form...... an issue which can arise in a side that has as many as five front-line bowling options.
24 wickets - an okay volume, but at a cost of more than 33 runs per wicket. I think most clubs would hope for a better bowling average from a Test bowler.
I wonder when the last time was that we could say that at the mid-way point of our CC season?
Don't worry. The England skipper has vast religious experience as a chorister at St Paul's Cathedral, and it doesn't seem to be doing a lot for him just at the moment, sad to say.
He's not listed as being in the squad on the official site.
Tres is fit and expected to play
Jones has been called up to replace one of our top 6 batters, but not Tres to my knowledge, watch this space....
Bad news in either case.
If it was Hildreth or Kieswetter one would expect Barrow to play, not Jones, as middle order cover.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:06:21:18:11:55 by AGod.
My guess is Alviro as he was busy watching the SA/Wales rugby this afternoon so wasn't involved in any training for duration of that match, we'll see.....
However I am also delighted that he has not been immediately put in the squad. for his inclusion would have given a very negative message to the attack who have got us to where we are.
Need to get him familiar with the boys asap.
I think he'll have a part to play before the end of the season.
If the track proves as flat as I expect, then part of the SCCC strategy must surely be to target Samit in order to make the Notts' seamers bowl far too many overs each and wear them down.
One would think that, on a flat track, GD should give Marcus more control than Chris Read is liable to get from Samit.
If you look at the bowling averages, it looks like we have a huge edge in seam bowling over Notts, as well. However, I expect that part of the reason that the Notts bowling averages are as ordinary as they are is precisely because TB has been something of a motorway this season.
Looking forward to a full days play, with Somerset's mind set on the County Championship.
I assume neither TG nor SK considered match fit given that they weren't in squad and so we're having to revert to Jamie O as Alf's replacement.
With him in the side and Myburgh out of it, Tres will really have to chivvy the team in the field to keep up with the required over-rate as JO slows the rate down and JM has been the guy that gets thrown on to bowl overs lasting 2 mins to get us back up with the rate.
Crucial thing is not to lose.
Myburgh has a fractured finger btw, in case that's not already been posted.
Thing is, Tres has not been keen to bowl J Overton very much in his last few CC games that he has played so will things be different here?
Logically, if we are expecting a high scoring game then I suppose it makes more sense to risk JO in that sort of contest as runs less likely to be at a premium.
Bat sensibly today, get some runs on the board, and see what happens. The old scoreboard pressure tactic we saw at Old Trafford.
That said, in Notts last match, Middlesex hit them for over 400 on the first day and still lost!
Losing Alf looks like a big blow but who knows, it might not have been his sort of wicket or weather conditions, if it's warm and sunny.
Pity TG hasn't played for Derbyshire this month or we could have thrown him straight in.
No word yet on Alf..strangely the club said about Myburgh's finger but no mention of Alf.
Not a good start for him. Seems to get bowled all too frequently.
It sounds like quite a green pitch, and he tends to be an inserter. I wonder if not having Alf available influenced his decision.
#clutchingatstraws
It sounds as if we've fought back well after a very bad start. You can't win games on the opening morning but you can go a long way to losing them, and who knows, the way we've fought back from 46-4 could yet be very important as the match develops.
Tres has had a few lives but great to see he's battled to lunch. I doubt he'd have done that last season.
First thought? Execrable outfield. So slow that even drives to the (very) short boundary are not getting over the rope.
SCCC fan behind me says track did all sorts for first hour.
I imagine it was like it was in 2011 when Notts started it damp and Jones did well to block for an hour helping to set up tons by CK and JH after lunch on what, by then, was a flat track.
It is VERY humid so I assume it would have swung earlier too. And the long green grass of the outfield would maximise the amount of time that the shiny side would stay that way.
After I arrived I saw one ball pop at Tres which was the sort of thing that happened pre lunch in 2011.
James misread the line and Adams got one to dart back a mile.
He's come off and had a massive go at a moron who had been standing behind the arm, got in the moron's face and has sworn at him a couple of times.
Gonna be a looong afternoon I'm afraid.
KB
Quote:Little Bird
You heard anything about Alf, Grockle?
Marcus said on SSN after the toss that Alf had a stiff back that need managing at his age.
Oh the benefit of 20/20 hindsight.....
Interesting that every side who won the toss this morning decided to bat, and wickets have been tumbling everywhere.
Not good news for us but Yorks have reduced Warks to 90-6 (from 64-1).
Maybe we should have kept up our trend of inserting, but it seemed a good decision at 10.45, especially without Alf! And still a long way to go yet...
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014:06:22:14:18:01 by Little Bird.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:06:22:14:17:50 by North Berwick John.
A bowling day, it seems.
GD won't feature much if conditions stay the same and we don't know if we can trust JO to pitch it up. So need CM in song to support CO and PT with ball.
Craig O just gone too so time for the boss to have a thrash.
We're going to be defending only 150/160 by the looks..
Extras could well be our second highest scorer at this rate
Clearing up a bit and some hot sunshine.
Still feels very sticky though.
Will need a Herculean effort now by our bowlers! Come on lads
I do think you're right AG. We have been shafted by the change in the weather, Alf's absence probably 'swung' the argument. BUT if you want to win the top title you have to play to the conditions irrespective of what gets thrown at you.
Not at all impressive. Let's hope they get the same and we give it to them in equal measure.
In fairness, we've had very few bad sessions all season, let alone bad days. Today may be the first but still plenty of cricket left in this one. Time for the bowlers (and slip fielders hopefully) to bring us back into this one.
Can only assume they started it damp as pitch apparently did all sorts early on.
Think we'll be reliant on movement through the air
Just perhaps we are a little fortunate to have done so well thus far - time for a reality check ? - are we really that dependant on one bowler ?
Now take 6 wickets before the close and prove me wrong - pretty please !!
Quote:Grockle
Did anyone suggest that is what you said?
No no..I was just making it clear in case it came across that way!
Jamie has gone for 8.6 an over off 5
Craig M was initially tight but has now gone for 28 off his 5
Peter has been hammered as well and they trail us by 35 runs.
NOT a great day to be a Somerset cricket watcher I'm afraid. I'll get my coat and book myself on the next plane back to Muscat.
Jamie goes around the wicket and saves the over...sort of.
Notts need 18 to take the lead. 16 overs to go.
Good job Marcus got a score, as there's not much else positive to take from that scorecard.
Grizzzly
It can't always be luck... though having said that we are now batting in glorious sunshine with the home side at 200 without loss. It must be solo difficult to get a bunch of guys up after a drubbing like this for the next days's play.
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2014:06:23:10:00:10 by Grockle.
Bowled nearly as badly as on day 1, session 3 vs Notts at Taunton (when we conceded 186 in the session)
I'd somehow booked the wrong night for hotel so that settled matters, wasn't going to buy another one and back to London as watching Somerset get absolutely slaughtered is not my idea of fun, I'm afraid.
Tresco and Craig O about the only people to emerge with any credit from this most dispiriting of days for SCCC.
I'm here for at least 3 though I can't guarantee my county side will be in my own county's capital.
Well done to Craig O, his figures look commendable in comparison with the rest of the seamers; others are certainly playing for their place with hopefully Alfonso and Lewis back soon and Tim G available.
What I would say, from 200 miles away, is today was our first genuinely bad day of the whole CC season so far, and in our 9th match that's not so bad considering low expectations at the start of the campaign. Although they've shown considerable improvement this season, an attack of Mesh, the Overtons and Dockrell is still a relatively young one, and there are bound to be bad days to go with the good. With no Alf or Gregory, we've lost 49 CC wickets this season in this game. Pity TG was considered too rusty to play.
It's been one of the pleasures of the season to see Marcus return to form, but I don't think many would disagree his/our decisions on winning the toss over the past season and a half have not always been the best. Hindsight maybe today, but still.
So we've had a bad day and will probably need to bat for 2 days to save this one. Let's see how we react out of adversity!
After Peter Siddle's first spell he requested a change of boots, a selection were brought out by the Notts 12th man Luke Fletcher, after changes for new Siddle must has said bin the pair he had been wearing.
Upon return through the members area, Fletcher asked if anybody wanted the old boots, one spectator( not playing age) said yes I will have them
So if you see a pair of Peter Siddle's smelly boots for sale on EBay, you will know were they came from.
Oh, and Somerset 12th man today was James Burke.
I have to say that, had Tresco decided to field (or had NOtts won it and decided to bat) I think it's very unlikely that we would have bowled Notts out for only 160 odd.
The reason I say that is that Notts bowled well as a four man seam unit but it's very unlikely that we could/would have done the same because one of our four is nowhere near being at the races. Even if we'd had helpful conditions in favour of our bowlers at the start you still have to bowl line and length to exploit them and I'm afraid that there's no reason to think that Jamie O would have done so.
I understand that TG had not bowled since the start of the month so might have been a bit ring rusty. But, still, it's surprising that JO was considered a better option.
Steve Kirby? I think he's fit now but is he judged to be in such poor form that JO represents a better option with Alf out?
I do rather wonder whether JO is bowling well in nets/training because it's very hard to believe that he would have got picked if his radar is nowhere near functioning in practice?
I don't wish to worry anyone, but in 2012 the scores were thus:
Notts: 162 all out. Chris Read 104, next best score Mullaney with 10.
Somerset: 445-2 Declared (Suppiah 124, Hildreth 102 not out, Compdog 204 not out) and we only declared at 445 because significant time had been lost to rain. I saw that whole innings and I think we could have made 600-700 had we wanted to.
Obviously, this was a match where batting was tough in the first dig and then conditions swung sharply in favour of the bat - and I fear that is the exact situation that we face now.
I'm not absolutely sure why we failed to swing the ball. It was still humid when we bowled and there was still quite a bit of cloud cover around. I suppose, sometimes, you get a cherry that just does not swing. But we're not going to end another one for 40 overs or so...
Won't be easy but on the other hand there's considerable scope for possible improvement on yesterday, with Trego the most obvious potential source of it. He was too short too often yesterday on a day where everything seemed to go wrong for him - poor shot with bat and even his goalkeeping letting him down at long leg a couple of times.
But he's been in decent bowling form in the CC in recent games and should have learned from yesterday what length not to bowl.
I thought Craig O was steady yesterday but could have made the batsmen play more - a bit too wide of off-stick yesterday so there's a chance he'll get them playing more today.
Meschede bowls that lovely wicket to wicket line and only needs a smidgen of movement and hopefully he can get that if there's extra cloud around.
Failing all the above, perhaps when we get to a new cherry then we'll get the new one to swing!
I was impressed with Gurney who must be next cab on the rank for England. The afternoon was beautiful for batting and Notts facing a low total obviously decided to be very attacking. I felt we were slightly disadvantaged as tea was taken at the close of our innings which meant we had to bowl 44 overs without a break in very warm conditions.
So what of today in sultry conditions. My best hope is for us to slow down the run rate and get them out for under 500. Looking at the batting to come that will take some doing.We then have to bat long and slow or I shall be checking out early.
Quote:Little Bird
I'm sorry for those who paid good money to go up to Nottingham. They're entitled to be as critical as they wish. Those of us frustrated back in Somerset didn't shell out any money at least.
What I would say, from 200 miles away, is today was our first genuinely bad day of the whole CC season so far, and in our 9th match that's not so bad considering low expectations at the start of the campaign. Although they've shown considerable improvement this season, an attack of Mesh, the Overtons and Dockrell is still a relatively young one, and there are bound to be bad days to go with the good. With no Alf or Gregory, we've lost 49 CC wickets this season in this game. Pity TG was considered too rusty to play.
It's been one of the pleasures of the season to see Marcus return to form, but I don't think many would disagree his/our decisions on winning the toss over the past season and a half have not always been the best. Hindsight maybe today, but still.
So we've had a bad day and will probably need to bat for 2 days to save this one. Let's see how we react out of adversity!
WHAT HE SAID!
However, even in the final session yesterday there was the odd bit of uneven bounce, so that's something else to work with when we bowl, albeit not a good thing when we come to bat again. One ball from the Pavilion End from Jamie O kept absurdly low. If it had been straight Mullaney would have had no chance and would have been lbw.
Although I only made it for the last 20 mins of the first session, it did possibly look to me as though the ball swung more after lunch for Notts than it was doing in the 20 mins before lunch. If so, then it could be that the ball swung more once it got a bit older. For conventional swing that would be unusual but, hey, it's a straw and I shall grasp at it.
Please read this carefully...the weather conditions changed MARKEDLY in the hour before the game started. EVERYONE without fail that I have talked to, journalists, Notts supporters, Somerset supporters were very surprised by the nature of the pitch in the first hour of Day 1 and nearly all of them expected the toss winner to bat.
There is ample criticism that can be focussed on how Somerset dealt with that or praise for how good Notts were. However...
I understand you all have your own opinions of MT as a captain but please either come out and say what you mean in terms of your opinion or base your comments on the factual info from those who are actually there. This kind of...'I'm not saying he made a bad decision but evidence suggests he probably did (because I really think he's no great shakes as a captain and this allows me to have another dig)' stuff is really quite.... what's the word I'm looking for.... tedious.
That is of course my own opinion of these comments. I'd like to point out that I am not a full advocate of the present skipper, am not paid by the county and have no SCCC credentials.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:06:23:10:28:11 by Grockle.
So even if you take the view that we were ambushed a bit by the weather, one could say that we got through the "ambush," session okay.
Arguably, with 6 wickets still in hand at lunch, we should have made a much better fist of the second session of the day.
With the exception of CK and JO, none of the wickets that fell in the second session involved guys getting out defending their wickets.
PT flashed at a wide one. CM was caught at mid-off, driving. I think it was a slower ball. CO looked all at sea in his brief time at the crease and, I think, actually ended up managing to get an inside edge to a ball some way wide of off-stick. Marcus was obviously trying to get a move on by the time he was out playing at a wide one that he was trying to hit either over or past the slips.
Not for the first time, George Dockrell looked very tidy from a defensive stand-point and might, perhaps, have been able to keep his Captain company for some time.
Yes- toss would be at 10.30
Last week the first 3 days at Trent Bridge were played under cloud, with the floodlights on most of the time it was so bad, Different pitch obviously- but in fact high scores throughout- cloudy or not.
It may well be that Marcus was in a bit of a quandry by the time the toss took place, depending on exactly how overcast it was at 10:30am, especially as the track was apparently quite verdant at the start.
BUT.. we've heard from Marcus in similar situations to this before - for example at Horsham last season, where his view has been that things might be tough for an hour or so, but he backs the top order to battle through and then the team to prosper when it flattens out.
Our position at lunch was NOT at all dissimilar to the position in 2012 when we were sent in at TB and the ball did all sorts... In 2012, we lost Tresco to Adams for 22, Jones to the same bowler for 10, Arul for a duck to Broad and Compdog for a duck to Fletcher. So we were four down for not all that many (I think it was about 85 if I remember rightly) at lunch in 2012.
BUT.... in easier conditions after lunch, Hildreth made 137 and Kieswetter 164 on that occasion. And so we totalled 386.
The conditions when I got to my hotel at 10:20 and the conditions when I reached the ground just after the start of play were VERY different in terms of humidity and cloud cover.
I mentioned earlier that the injury to Alf might have been the deciding factor in Trescothick's decision on Sunday morning but it is the almost constant hindsight carping about toss decisions which continue even when people at the event have explained the situation that I personally find worthy of comment because they seem to be more geared to looking for reason to discuss fault in the skipper rather than in investigating the particular circumstances of the specific game.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:06:23:11:15:59 by Grockle.
Jamie warming up with blue sellotape strapped on the calves above both knees
Jacques hit a nothing ball to the only midfield player and NC took it well.
MT has 2 slips and point 6/3 offside field with only one man either side in the deep (Long Off and legside sweeper)
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:06:23:11:39:37 by Grockle.
Things is looking up
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:06:23:11:44:51 by Grockle.
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Will bring out Patel to join Hales and this will be the partnership that has the potential, for Notts, to accelerate them along at a very rapid rate.
Did not sound as if Taylor was very happy with the decision, either.
The trick now is to make sure that we make them bowl at least 10 good balls to bowl us out when we get to bat again. Before that, let's at least get a second bowling bonus point, and hopefully all three with the help of the second new ball.
Lots of short stuff. He'll be off now.
I see the no-balls have crept back in.
Unless it's absolutely ridiculous in terms of volume of short stuff, then I can't see that he should be removed - not for bowling at Patel? Some inept tail-ender would be a different kettle of fish?
All this and Read, Siddle and Adams still to come.
Will have to bat rather well to avoid an innings defeat, one would think.
Wessels seems to have voiced his concern to Pete and then to the umpire and at the end of the over Marcus simply seemed to ask if anything was amiss. Jamie did seem to get a little carried away but it was the over before the new ball and it was going to be all change anyway. Since then the Notts men have got on with it and the workhorse that is Craig Overton is getting nothing for the massive effort he has put in to try and keep this in check.
Of course, we know it's not always that simple, but still, top six in need of some sustained time in the middle and feel of ball in the middle of the bat!!
Salvage some pride!
(Time for another nap)
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
I'm personally not sure about this strategy of taking wickets by the boys. It may backfire.
Shame about the lengthy patnership otherwise it would have been a great response. Over to the batsmen now.
Curtains for us, really.
Worryingly, quite a few Lancashire players have built up some form/momentum all of a sudden too - Prince, Croft, Buttler and Smith have all scored heavily in the current game, albeit vs Northants.
Smith has been in good form with the ball all season and Kyle Hogg did well with the ball in their previous game, so all of a sudden it looks as though Lancs look considerably stronger than they did when we went up to Old Trafford.
As it is it looks a good score compared to almost all of the other scores made by our top six in this match.
Both bowling and batting below par and below the opposition standard. Don't win titles like that.
What is it with Somerset - well supported, financially in good shape, keep changing the management and the players, seem to have good youngsters coming through BUT always not quite there. Is there a significant malaise we are not aware of or what. I have my own opinions but would really welcome yours chaps and chapesses. As Grockle says we can't blame luck for ever can we !
It wasn't good that we were apparently forced to pick a guy, in Jamie Overton, that does not seem to have his skills remotely where they need to be.
I still think the CC is very open this year, though there can be no hiding from the fact that taking only 3 points (barring sudden bad weather) from this match will be a huge blow, points and position wise and that the manner of the defeat may be a significant check to whatever confidence had built up in the lads over the first half of the season.
I still think that if we can get all of Alf, Gregory and Craig Overton fit and on the field at the same time (and I think Lewis and Craig O have possibly played in the same match only once this season) then we have a pace attack that could take us a long way.
On the other hand?
Batting. Shades of last season in the last couple of first digs with 5 for naff all vs Sussex and 4 for 40 vs Notts.
Still not sure we have enough batsmen with the requisite concentration and stickability to tough it out when conditions are tough.
Where there's life there's hope, they say, and if we ca bat through tomorrow and into day 4, we'll have some sort of lead by then, and all four results may yet be possible.
Notts have been able to hunt as a pack, which is a big difference. There's no Luke Wright or Will Beer to come on and bowl really loose stuff. Nor is there anyone as innocuous as Piolet or Anyon.
Therefore, you'd get long odds indeed on us batting through even more 3 sessions in this match, let alone the 5 that we'd need to bat to be reasonably sure of getting out of dodge.
Personally, I shall be surprised if we are still batting after tea tomorrow.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:06:23:20:06:58 by AGod.
We restricted Notts to 251 for 9 which considering their batting and our bowling was good.
Jamie needs more control and more nous. Jones has shown some lovely offside strokes while the ball that Gurney bowled to take Marcus was an absolute beauty. Nevertheless unless JH discovers the form of yesteryear I fear tea time may be our limit
Very much spoilt by an awful first day but oh well.
Lovely B+B, great weather, my favourite test ground, friendly stewards, just the cricket that let things down!
Sure most has been said but lets remember given last year we are going to have a record from 9 games most likely of 3 wins 5 draws 1 defeat, pretty good I'd say?
Jove looks so lost, really sad, he's trying so hard but radar has completely gone.
Resorted in end to just bowling half way down around the wicket, not pretty but at least a tactic. Umpire wasn't happy and the Notts fans gave him plenty of stick for it.
Good fightback today but obviously way too late, a bit of fight tomorrow may possibly take us just into day 4 but wouldn't bet on it!
Notts look a strong side to me, I'd imagine them and Yorkies will be final top 2.
The Alviro lbw looked a stinker to me, he had fallen way over to leg, maybe just hitting another set!
The Tres ball was a brute, jumped off a length so no blame for that one.
I assume all the tres bashers were full of praise yesterday for avoiding us a complete embarrassment!!!??? He looked a class above whilst carnage falling all around him.
We have Northants to play twice, no guarantees but every chance of 40+ points there with decent weather.
As I say we aren't favourites and I think we are not quite there this year for a title winning 4 day team but who knows.
We have Lewis back soon, I like Timmy G so he will not hurt, assuming Alfie isn't long term and with development of Cove I think we do have a seam attack to get us a few more wins.
There is a lot more to come from the batting too, you'd say only Tres and Alviro are having seasons they'd say were ok, Hildy, Tregs, CK, Jones, Compo all have much more to show us in the second half.
My glass is still half full, bring on the "Lankys" Sunday and the return of Jos.....
In truth 5, 6 and 7 have struggled to find their best form since the 2012 season ended.
I thought, last season, that Tres's struggles, those of Arul and the early season absence of Compton probably lay directly behind the issues of those three guys at 5, 6 and 7(too much exposure to the newish ball.)
But this season, with a better return from the top three, not much has really changed.
They certainly have theoretical scope to bat for a very long time in this match and we could very much do with them finding some form ahead of the Lancs game.
Notts will shortly lose both of their Aussies. Later in the season they will lose Gurney to the ODIs. And if they get stuck on a turning track away from home then Samit as the spin option does not inspire much confidence.
For all the hype around Yorkshire, they've still beaten only one team not named Northants.
And, yes, they seem to be in a strong position vs Warks in the current match but Edgbaston often gets slower and flatter for the seamers, offering only turn towards the end of the match so I wouldn't be shocked if Warks manage to wriggle out of trouble.
Quote:Ronniesabre
Comment was tongue in cheek FE.
Oh, sorry. Too tired to spot TIC.
Hildreth, and the next two to come, CK and PT only about 800 between the three of them. Hildreth, in his 8th match of the season has only 277 CC runs, meaning he is currently "on pace," to score fewer than 600 for the season.
Number of innings wise, the three dismissed have had only one more innings each than JH, two than CK.
So it's obvious where our batting most needs to improve.
If those three could score well today then hopefully that would set them up for the second half of the season - a season where we clearly need more from this 'engine room,' of 5, 6 and 7 if we are to mount a sustained CC challenge.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:06:24:07:24:56 by AGod.
And provided that the team itself manages to avoid thinking in that way, then the two Northants games would seem to offer scope for two more good results.
Yorkshire would NOT be to the fore at present had they not "swept" Northants.
In previous seasons, they've been a very grumbly lot when I've been at Trent Bridge. In 2011 and 2012 every time one of their batsmen went out to bat there were dark mutterings. And much in the way of gallows humour.
I didn't hear any of that on Sunday so assumed that they were feeling better about things.
Then again, to judge from the averages, up until this match the pattern of their season was their batsmen scoring loads of runs and their bowlers conceding loads, so maybe it's their bowlers that have urinated them off this season?
I wouldn't start the huge plaudits for Gurney just yet either. He's tidy and looks good but before he got MT with a ball that reared unusually off a decent length our man had made him look decidedly ordinary
England most certainly do not deserve to be rescued by the weather today.
It might well be time to give Alex Barrow a chance in the middle order.
You may be right about Alex. Vice captain dropped?
Averaged an underwhelming 32 last season. A worse 27 this season.
CK dropped on 4.
I can't remember the last time SCCC dropped an established batsman from the CC side. It's happened occasionally from the one-day team, including to Hildreth himself (dropped from T20 in his case.)
But a guy like Alex can't just be a guy who only ever comes in if there's an injury for the rest of his life. If he's in the squad, IMO, then he ought to be seriously competing for a place/seriously considered for a place if somebody else is out of sorts and/or he's in better form than they are. He did seem to make some strides in the second half of last season, including effectively saving a match against Durham (home).
Unless somebody is very young, like Abell, I don't think a club ideally wants batsmen in the squad that are not seriously pushing for a first-team place?
When you set that against the Notts scorecard, it's pretty urine poor.
Yes, it was very difficult in the first hour and we lost four before lunch.
But we've had eleven opportunities since lunch on day one in which we've not mustered one single 50 stand.
Why batsmen think it's a good idea to take on the short ball with fielders out for it when the only order of the day is to bat time, I do not know.
Sounded like Meschede tossed it away with too much ambition too early in his knock.
Pete was keeping himself in check and Craig was seeing it well but going over the top when you are over 50 runs from an innings defeat with half your men back in the hutch suggests he hasn't quite made the move to the longer format yet
Craig M top edged one plain and simple. Knocking off the final 50 and making them come out again is probably the best we can hope for now.
We're just not a shutting up shop team unfortunately, haven't been for years.
Did think he had a perfect opportunity today to put himself apart and he threw it away a little.
10 runs needed.
Floodlights are on as the cloud moves in. At home we would be off by now.
Now take that form into Lancs and give them what for from Sunday onwards..
Now, all we have to do is get 10 wickets for 60 odd !
Grizzzly
50 partnership up off 48
Suspect Notts will get these tonight unless we go off for light but some respect salvaged today. Means we don't have to go into the Lancs game on a complete downer.
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
- as the wickets at Headingley almost all went to Bob Willis from the Kirkstall Lane End.
8 for 34, I think.
Not that I think for one moment that a miracle is imminent.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:06:24:18:01:17 by Grockle.
Can I put in another request to please NOT make Craig O play hit and giggle on Friday!? Too valuable, please give the man the day off so that he has a full three days' rest before Lancs!
In the seconds until he realises he needs a lot more than he presently has. I fear his head has gotten a lot larger than his current ability.
Unless of course we pay him as a batsman.................!
That's what he's always said before.
Confidence is a fragile thing, the more so when one doesn't have years of experience to fall back on.
And because the disabled car park spaces were full when we arrived today the steward invited me to park in the Chief Execs space. Felt good.
Had those two done what the tailend batsmen had done with the Notts attack we could be in a fairly decent position presently. It may not have happened but it was more likely with him and Trigger than the later heroics with George and Jamie. Bloodrush to the head? Maybe but we should expect him to work against that nowadays.
It was a real opportunity for a man with such potential but as Ron said he showed why he isn't in the contention he should be for an international Test call up.
Those were the three partnerships that would have to last for a long time to give us a really strong chance of getting out of trouble as everyone to come after those partnerships is a less gifted batsman and/or less experienced and still learning their games.
Those three partnerships, sadly, did not last long enough and two of them were ended with soft dismissals.
If you want to play with hypothetical 'realism' we shouldn't have been bowled out for 160 odd in the first innings. Now that would have really turned the match on its head!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:06:25:11:09:06 by Grockle.
Of course, we have no way of knowing whether PT/GD and PT/JO partnerships would still have happened as they did if those first three partnerships had gone on longer with two of them not being curtailed by soft dismissals.
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
The damage is 22 points (behind both of the teams ahead of us).
42 points - the equivalent of a couple of wins separate 8 teams.
Anyone that claims to know the destiny of this CC race is either a psychic or a liar.
Equally, SEVEN of those teams are arguably one bad run of games (it would only have to be about three) from taking the place of Lancashire in the relegation area.
Very close, very compelling....
-----------------
Yorkshire: Champion scenario: Bresnan not required by England all summer. Sidebottom, who has already been injured this season does not get injured. Brooks, who has a chronic back problem, keeps going. Bairstow does not get summoned ahead of Jos to replace Prior. Rashid returns from injury and bowls well.
Somerset: Champion scenario: We keep Alf, Lewis G and Craig O fit and in-form for the rest of the season. Tresco’s revival continues. Petersen is adequately replaced if misses more than one CC match. We start to get the odd ton out of Hildreth/Kieswetter.
Durham Champion scenario: Onions and Wood get fit and stay fit and bowl well. Young bowlers like Arshad and Harrison continue to emerge. Collingwood stays fit as Captain (his batting far less important!) Summer is damp so questionable spin resources are not an issue.
Notts Champions scenario: Hales recent revival in the CC continues in absence of Jacques (going back to Aus). Franklin does well as overseas player. They avoid losing Harry Gurney to the Test team. They lose no more than just Gurney (i.e. not Hales, Patel as well) to the ODI team. Summer is damp – so not stuck on turning tracks with only Samit as spinner (!)
Warks Champions scenario: Dry summer gives them the edge with arguably the division’s best spinner (Jeetan Patel). Varun Chopra regains his form. They find somebody (whether development of Hain or revival of Evans/Javid) to fill the number 5 or so role reliably.
Middx Champions scenario: Chris Rogers stays injury free (most important of all!). Steven Finn finds top form but escapes an England recall (unlikely as top form would surely equal a recall?). The out-grounds that they have to play on outside of Lord’s prove result friendly. Somebody (Patel?) develops well enough to give them a good shout if they have to play on turning tracks.
Sussex Champions scenario: Ben Stokes takes Chris Jordan’s England place. Arguably, that could give Sussex the chance of fielding the best new ball attack in the division if they were to use Jordan to take the new ball with Magoffin (yeah, I know they often use Anyon anyway). Chris Nash finds top form with the bat. Yardy gets fit and is in form. The summer is damp to avoid creating an issue with lack of spin.
Lancs champions scenario: Khwaja fulfils the “immense talent,” that he is supposed to have. Davies continues with the promise he’s shown as an opener. Prince goes out with a bang (retiring after season). Chapple and Hogg stay fit. Summer is dry and Kerrigan regains top form. Jos is not taken away by England for Tests.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:06:25:12:24:05 by AGod.
(but I did stupidly get my sums wrong, Mike, on our deficit, apologies)
More Somerset headlines
- Metro50 Game1 - Welcome to the next stage - Notts at Welbeck
- Blast Finals Day Semi 1 - It's Northants Again!!
- Blast Quarter Final Here We Go at Headingley
- Blast Game 12 - Simple Beat the Pears!!
- Women's Blast Game 12 - Fanx Tara Towie
- Blast Game 11 - Northants Part 2 - Gregory Back?
- Women's Blast Game 11 - Blazing Away\!!
- Blast Game 10 - Derby to the Wire as well
- Women's Blast Game 10 - Down to the Wire v Essex
Somerset latest threads
- Poll: 2026 Best Blast Player
- Poll: Best CC1 Player Part 1
- Metrobank 50 Game2 - Home Derby
- Members online forum - the future of SCCC
- Metro50 Game1 - Welcome to the next stage - Notts at Welbeck
- Blast Finals Day Semi 1 - It's Northants Again!!
- RIP the GREAT Gary Sobers
- Metro50 NOT "Developmental" by choice
- Blast Quarter Final Here We Go at Headingley
- England One Dayers