By Grockle
June 21 2024
The last game before we go back to 4 day for a fortnight. A sold out Bristol game with both sides in soe kind of form. We bring in Leach to go into thisone with two spinners. The rest is pretty much as expected with Davey and Meredith as the seam attack
Blast Number 8 v Gloucestershire @Bristol Friday 21 June 2024
The side is;
Banton, Smeed, TKC, Abell, Dickson, Gregory, Green, RvdM, Davey, Leach, Meredith
Two spinners in for this one then. Have they brought Jack in for his batting?
Payne starts versus Banton who gets us to four while being dropped in the first innings. Will Smeed doesn't hang around putting his first ball down Price's throat from Shaw in an act of gross stupidity. 4 for 1 after 7 balls and TKC is in.
Taylor takes the third and it's 15 for 1 with Shaw changing ends for the next but the home side are bowling tightly. Banton takes the initiative and hits 3 fours in the 5th moving into the 20s while TKC has only 2. With one over of the 'Powerplay' to come Somerset have moved on 33 for 1 taking 18 with TB on 27. Taylor takes the 6th. TKC starts to get into this with the first six of the innings into the flats, he then squeeks a four and they bring up the 50 with asigle off the last ball of the 6th.
Webster opens his account with the 7th. They end it accumulating to 55 for 1 as Marchant de Langer comes in (Bancroft is also playing in this one) to open his bowling for the evening. Somerset were 15 for 1 after 4 and are 57 halfway though the 8th so they have the tracks on again after the daftness of their opener. He may have done it last year here but they have to do it without him in 2024. 63 for 1 after 8.
Wester is greeted by Banton with a six off the first ball of the 9th but TKC chases a wide and he goes (25) caught by Taylor at 70 for 2. Tom Abell replaces him. By the end of the 9th he has helped move the score on to 72 for 2.
Ollie Price takes the 10th so there is a bit of spin introduced - not a lot of them in the home side though Taylor can also turn his arm over. Again the batting side are accumulating with Abell looking to get his keeper o strike as he is in. It's 77 at halfway. A good over from Price.
Taylor opens the back side of the 20 overs. Boundaries are few and far between now after a flurry in the 5th and 6th overs. The 'press' is on a little now as the 11th ends with only 83 on the board. MdL takes the 12th and Banton get a 50 off 41 balls before they end on 89 for 2. Webster continues with the 13th and the Somerset men hae stated to move as they pass 100 with Banton four from the 5th ball of the 13th. They take 12 off that one.
Glos bring Payne back early to try and make a breakthrough. But it hasn't worked and two fours from Banton at the end take us to 115 for 2 with 6 to go. They turn to Shaw for the 15th and Abell puts him into the crowd ball 1 for six!! They have put the pressure on the bowler and he bowls two wides in his over but he gets Banton to fire it to Hammond... who drops it!! Jack Taylor dropped him on 2 as well. Abell finishes a four and we move to 131. We have 8 wickets in the bank if we want to look to belt it!!
MdL continues and Bants straight sixes it back over his head. He picked the slower ball!! The run rate is up to 9 with wickets in hand. More wides come as the bats push the bowlers. Banton keeps it coming with six more but he holes out to Price for 79 from 53. Well played TB 146 for 3 and in comes Dickson. No addition before the 16th is over.
Somerset are looking at 180 plus on present rates as Matt Taylor bowls the 17th. No real time to get the feel, just get Tom Abell on strike! A four takes us past 150 but the rate has fallen. A four from Dickson takes it to 157. Shaw is back for the 18th. Abell miscalculates and lobs the first ball to a fielder 157 for 4. In comes Gregory who is off the mark with a single. But they are only managing singles as they move to only 161 with 12 balls to go looks like 170 ish might be all it is. Payne will take the 19th - he usually takes the last with either MdL or Webster taking the last.
The Somerset pair are looking to run them if the boundaries don't come and they aren't coming. Gregory finally opens his shoulders with a six into the crowd to move into the 170s They reach the last over at 174 for 4. MdL will take the last with Dickson on strike. Single off the first. Gregory outside edges and is dropped, just a single, followed by another. The skipper finally pulls one for four to take us into the 180s. The next is a single leaving Dickson to six the last. Massive hit into the Kennington Avenue car park. 188 for 4
They need 189 to win.
The Reply
Hammond and Bancroft face Josh Davey first up. The initial objective is to keep the home side in check as there are dark clouds around the place. 5 overs in and the D/L comes into the mix. Davey goes for only 1 in the first. Riley Meredith will take the second and is straight into pace. Nearly gets the first as they go for a dicey quick single. 6 for 1 after 10% of the legal balls.
Davey continues and Hammond has the first four of the innings. Josh goes through him with the next but the third also goes to the boundary. He finally goes for 16... not a great one!! 22 for 0 with 4 fours in the over. Meredith also continues as the rain starts to fall and Glos are ahead on the D/L by 1 run!! Riley then gets Bancroft LBW 29 for 1 which affects the D/L total of course. Bracey is in and is hurried by the first. D/L is up to 34. The 4th ends at 30 for 1
Gregory takes the 5th - it's a game after this one. The D/L is up to 41. Bracey skies the ball and Dickson doesn't get to it. They take a single. With an over to go in the 'Powerplay' Glos have moved on to 37 with a miscue from Hamond for a one bounce four over the keeper's head.
Meredith takes a third with the D/L up to 48. Bracey takes 12 off the over in boundaries and they are also at 50 at the end of the 6th.
The question becomes, how will the spinners do here? Once Gregory and Green have been used we look to RvdM and Jack Leach to get us home in this one. Not sure that is a good option but we shall see. Gregory continues and Hammond takes him for 10 off the middle of the over as Glos move to 61, ahead of the D/L. 63 for 1 after 7 and this is on for the home side.
RvdM is introduced as the first part of the Somerset 'press' one would expect. The rate is still 9.66 but they are up with it presently and there is a need for scoreboard pressure if the wickets are not coming. Hammond looks to work him legside and is bowled by Roelof 70 for 2. This brings Webster to the crease. Glos ae just above the rate of 68. They end with 71 after 8. Jack comes on at the other end. We hope that this will press the score. I think Leachy last played a T20 during Covid days? The rate is back up to 10 already but they are in pace with the D/L so they don't want rain. 77 for 2. They are ahead of the pace of Somerset who were there one over later.
Roelof is swept by Bracey for four at the start of the 10th. He takes another and a total of 11 off the over is too many. 88 for 2 at halfway. We introduce Ben Green for the 11th. He went for 2 off 5 balls but then Bracey sixes the last to move to 96.
Jack changes ends for the 12th. Bracey is looking good however as he takes himself to 44 and his side over 100 (101 for 2). But he then goes up the wicket to Leachy and is caught in the deep by Abell - 101 for 3. I comes Jack Taylor needing 88 off 50 balls. The captain cuts for 1 to get off the mark.
Green continues and he get Taylor with his 4th ball - 106 for 4. Ben does his thing!! Chalesworth is in and the pressure is starting to push on the home bats. A wicket and 6 is a good return. 108/4 means the D/Lis now 6 behind for the home side.
After idiot streaker action he game continues with Jack's third. Webster was nearly out ball one... a close 'not out' decision. But he goes aerial next ball straight into TKCs hands on the straight boundary 108 for 5 and Price comes out. 80 needed off 39 balls so the press is well and truly on. Leach has gone for 15 off 2 with 2 wickets. The 15th continueswith Green but Price takes him for six first ball so they may be deciding to use the 'long handle'. Charlesworth joins in with a huge six off ball 3. This could be the 'BIG' over they need to stay in this one. Price takes another six and the total for the 5th ends at 24 with a scoop for four off the last. The game is back on now needing 54 off 30 as Jack looks to bowl out.
Price takes another six off the second as he goes to 25 off 7 and then 29 off 8 with a reverse four. A masive six to the Mound Stand puts Glocestershire to 152 and this is getting away from the visitors. He takes a final boundary to take 21 off the over.
They now need a gettable 33 off 24 Price has hit 39 off 11 and that has brought Meredith back early. Riley oversteps ad it goes for four but the last one is a dot. 168 fo 5 as they take 12 off the over. 21 off 18 balls with Riley bowled out and Davey needing a good over.
If Gloucestershire bat intelligently they have this game I am afraid as they only need just over a run a ball and we possibly don't have the guys to take the wickets that would put us back in the driving seat here.
Its now 13 off 13 as Davey bowls a legside wide. It's probably done as with 12 balls to go they need 11. Green is the last throw of the game though Gregory would bowl the last oneif we get there. A six of the first and this is over - an excellent win for the Bristolians as they need 4 off 10. Price has hit 42 off 14 and Charlesworth has 33 off 19. A four finishes it as he finishes at 36

