Wrong ground,right bowler

By Big Harvey
April 8 2012

Big Harvey gives us the scoop on Day three v Somerset. Rather like Rail replacement buses (or some of Harvey's trains) you don't see one for days and then three come along together.In this case it's match reports being published.

Somerset v Middlesex Taunton Day 3 7/4/2012

Approaching Taunton on the train, I could see that the cloud base was low over the Mendip Hills, and was not surprised to be greeted on arrival with a light drizzle.

I ordered a “bacon torpedo” from the Old Pavilion, and on receiving it, I felt gratitude that allied torpedoes in World War Two weren't that shape. It was round! Still, it was filled with good quality bacon, so I didn't complain.

I went to look for Vermin Corner. I thought the park benches would be a likely spot, but it turned out to be in a block right next to the alcohol-free seats. According to Beefy, the park benches had been “full of yokels.”

Somerset resumed on 202/3, a score which made our own total of 246 look decidedly inadequate. Compton was on 58, Kieswetter  50. We needed quick wickets, especially with Kieswetter at the crease, and other big stroke-makers to come. With Iceman and Murts opening the bowling, it wasn't until half way through the fourth over that the first runs were posted, an impressive driven 4 by Kieswetter.

Not even he was able to cut loose, and they made pedestrian progress for the first hour, although with few alarms. With Kieswetter in particular looking more and more fluent, it seemed only a matter of time before they sought to seriously increase the scoring rate, especially with the new ball now due.

With the new ball, Murts finally found the edge of Compton's bat when he was on 76, only for AC at first slip to spill a sharpish but definitely catchable chance, injuring his hand in the process. It's at moments like that during a long partnership that heads can start to drop. Thankfully nothing of the kind happened, and the team kept its shape.

Colly was troubling Compton at the other end, but the ball kept beating the outside edge. Then at long last he got his just reward, as the better batsman of the two, Kieswetter, managed to nick one through to AC at first slip, bringing a fine, and today at least, almost flawless innings of 83 to an end. 255/4.

His replacement Joss Buttler doesn't look to be the kind of player who likes to hang around, and hang around he didn't, losing his off stump to Murts for a quick-fire 14. Lunch was taken at 281/5 with Compton still there on 81 and Trego on 4.

During the interval we retreated to The Ring O' Bells for a liquid lunch. We were immediately greeted by an uncouth drunkard, who for some reason first took us to be firstly Derbyshire supporters, and then Essex fans. He told us he'd rather “watch grass grow than watch cricket.” Had we wanted his tiresome opinion, we'd have asked for it, but we were far too polite to mention the fact that we would far rather watch kitchen waste turn into compost than associate with the likes of him. It doesn't take too many customers of that nature to put people off visiting a pub, and we didn't return there at the close of play.

After lunch, the impressively disciplined bowling continued. A short ball from Iceman eventually tempted Compton to play a hook shot, but since he wasn't used to playing the hook or attacking shots of any kind, he got it all wrong. Thankfully for him it fell half way between two fielders.

Trego, desperate to play some shots and possibly compensate for what was happening at the other end, slashed one through the slips off Murts. Murts' next over saw him try another attacking shot, and playing on, losing his middle stump. 298/6.

Meschede, like his predecessors, also saw a need for some quick runs, but the soporific Compton at the other end seemed to prefer to prod and scratch around. Comparisons were made with David Steele and Chris Tavare before he finally fell, pulling straight down the throat of Chris Rogers at square leg off TRJ for a tortuous 99.  333/7.

Philander (2) lost his off-stump to Colly, and Dockrell followed next ball for a golden duck, taken by Ollie Rayner at 2^nd slip. 342/9.

Sadly the hat-trick ball went for 4 byes! We didn't have to wait long for the final wicket though. Meschede gave it the big heave-ho, and skied one off TRJ to A.C., who had presumably been “hidden” at  deep mid-wicket to protect his hand. Thankfully the ones that stick hurt less than the ones that don't.  AC courageously didn't flinch, and took it perfectly. 350 all out (a Somerset lead of 104), and Tea.

After the interval, it took until the 5^th ball of the 5^th over for the first Middlesex run to be scored, a quick single by Joe Denly off Philander, which was greeted rapturously by the Middlesex contingent. With poor light and heavy cloud cover, everything was in the bowlers' favour apart from the pitch, which still looked to be an excellent batting track. It looks to be the kind of pitch where the ball can be safely left purely on length.

Robbo was badly dropped by Trescothick at 2^nd slip off Kirby when on 12, but thereafter grew in confidence. Joe Denly (9) fell LBW to Kirby (27-1), and Middlesex had progressed to 38/1 when at 1653 the umpires called the players off for bad light. They didn't return.

This was a fine, battling, professional performance from Middlesex. The players never let their heads drop and the reward is a great opportunity to force an away draw against what is possibly the strongest opposition in the division despite losing what was an important toss.

We retreated to another pub, The Plough, where surprise, surprise we encountered another seriously annoying drunk. He insisted on calling me “Big Boy,” and even in my current poor state of health I thought it better to move to another part of the pub to avoid doing something I might have severely regretted.  I should emphasise that neither of the two drunks actually appeared to originate from Somerset, and most people  we met were absolutely fine.

I'm certainly not going to let these nuisance encounters cloud my memory of what was a good, tough day's cricket, spent in fine company, and played at one of the finest county grounds in the country.