By Grockle
September 7 2003

While Pieterson is destroying us in the NCL at Trent Bridge I have been pondering the week and those to come...ho hum. What happened at Headingley? What has been said in Taunton? What is going on? While Mr Pieterson is taking 141 off 104 balls to make our life in the one dayer really difficult (been here before) at Trent Bridge, I have been thinking about what is going on...these are me thoughts.

Headingley was not brilliant! We decided to bat but it wasn't exactly brilliant - 3 for 45 was pretty normal, 91 for 6 was also pretty normal - it stood to Jonah to hold the innings together (JONAH??)with a fighting 61 - hasn't HIS batting come on? Hasn't his season become a bit more succesful? Johnno helpped him with 79 and the bowlers got us over 200 - no help from the batting line-up again (which included Edwards and Wood - some stuff to learn yet obviously).

228 wasn't enough and although we took the fiirst three for 79 White and Martyn made us pay. We just didn't clean up the tail - Gough 83 for heaven's sake! Dawson and Gough put on 108 foor the 7th and took Yorkshire to 410 - nearly 200 ahead and we were back where we've been so many times in the last two years.

So, what to do? Well not lose Woody for 1 would have been nice (what a season he's had). But Neil Edwards does look like quality - he also looks so much like Marcus Trescothick at the same point in his career. A storming 90 with good support from Burns (34)and then Cox(59) but other than Blackwell what else was there? 6 batsmen only managed to add 65 and we were out for 313. Not enough ahead on the third day. Too much time, too little to get - we'll learn one day I suppose.

Johnson got White for 8 at 29 and we let the Yorkshiremen get the 132 they needed off 26 overs at 5 an over - another whimper really and another Championship loss. It's not what we got, it's what we let the opposition get and the speed we let them get them! We don't occupy and we don't pressurise...and we lose!

Bad loss. Bad performance from some who need better - Rob Turner must be wondering what is in store for him - he's lost his one day position (he is injured I might add) to Carl Gazzard and he managed 24 in two innings. Woody is struggling and Edwards is still learning. Coxy has been effective, but in large scores and not in consistent performances. He either goes large or is out for little and that is making stability hard. Burnsy is making little scores but not extending those to substantial innings. Tom Webley is in the thick of it (what does that mean for Dutch) and learning. Blackwell is another big or little batsman at the moment.

The news from Taunton is that we are talking to Nixon about next year but he's not sure if he wants to work all year around. It's interesting that McLean is the main international we are talking to - he's certainly been a success (and there haven't been many of those this year). Cox wants to come back but we want more - we're talking to Dravid (and it seems we have been since the Scotland match). We want more than two to choose from it seems.

That puts the kybosh on the theory of a Waugh arriving. If one of them was, we wouldn't be talking about two internationals. If one of them is, it isn't as a player!

Domestic players? Well we don't know what the Blackwell position is. Has he been discussing taking the captaincy and staying or are Headingley or Hove beckoning? Rumours are that Rob T and Keith D were letter receivers and may be considering their positions. Rob's injury and poor batting form this year have opened the door to Gazza and he's taken his opportunity to storm a fortress we all thought was impregnnable! Keith? Well he's not been used as a bowler with any regularity and will his batting prowess give him enough games? Jones also got one but he seems to have read it and got down to business with a vengance in the second half. Bryant? Seems to have disappeared from the picture after a promising last innings! Peter Bowler? Will he appear at the start of next season? Don't think his heart is in it any more personally but I could be wrong.

Will Burnsy fight to keep the captaincy? If he doesn't succeed then what will be his position? Keith Parsons hasn't been happy with his 'one day specialist' label this year so how will he work during his well deserved 'testimonial' season if he can't guarantee a Championship berth one a regular basis?

The Youngsters? Promising form from Edwards, Mike Parsons, Webley, Durston, Hildreth and Andrew - although the latter seems to be used on a very variable basis. Suppiah? Is he a bowler? If Dutch and Blackwell are not here, he's going to have to be. Mike Munday isn't ready yet but might find himself appearing when studies allow.

Johnson? If he gets fit and back to form, we'll lose him and it seems churlish to hope he is erratic in order to give us some venom. Matt Bulbeck has gone effectively bar a miracle. Andy Caddick? Hands up all those who believe that if his fitness is a struggle and England aren't interested, he'll come back to bowl for Somerset? He has been loyal to the county but would we want to see such a great bowler continue in pain and with poor form?

A true melting pot of an end to the season. There will be more discussion about what's going to happen in 2004 than the results in 2003. If you're at all interested in today, Nottinghamshire Outlaws made 279 for 5 off their 45 (6.2 an over) and we are 52 for 1 off 11 losing Hildreth (who opened with Gazzard!!)with 11 oon the board. Nixon took 2 for 34. Johnno was a bit off the mark. How close will we get this week I wonder before the collapse comes and the bowlers have to try and push the score along?