Somerset
The Dragons and the weather (which is also dragging on)
Snelly back again!
By Grockle et al
June 22 2012
Steve Snell joins us for the T20 once again as he takes over the gloves even though Jos is available. No internationals in this side to face Glamorgan but we ought to be glad we may get a game after the washout in Brum last night. Looks like we might start on time even.
v GLAMORGAN FPT20 @ Taunton Friday 22 June 2012
Alfonso watches his T20 side go through another transformation as the Saffers head back to Zim for the incredibly important T20 tournament. Craig Kieswetter is off with England and although Jos Buttler is still here we invite Steve Snell back to take up the gloves for this comptetition. George Dockrell is off on international duty so Max Waller will be asked to do the slow ball heroics - something he is already used to this T20 tournament. Almost everyone else who can play actually does. The sun is out...... but the cloud is black.
The side is;
Trego, Compton, Meschede, Buttler, Hildreth, Suppiah, Snell, Gregory, Thomas, Waller and Kirby. Alex Barrow is the twelfth man.
The crowd is sparse - not surprisingly though it is filling up and the sun is shining. People seem to think we'll get away with it... it'll make a decent change if we do because this is the one we need to win. Glmaorgan have won the toss and decided to bat first.
A minute's silence for Tom Maynard starts the proceedings this evening (came as a surprise to me I have to say). Marsh and North open for the Welsh Dragons (we didn't do anthems though it does seem to be the way Glamorgan want to look at it now... semi- internationals. Steve Kirby wil open from the OPand we are underway on time.
The first over is the usual aggression from Kirbs and one run from Marsh (with some excellent acobatic keeping from Mr Snell). Alf takes the second from the River and concedes the first boundary with his 5th. 7 after 2.
After 5 it's 23 for 0 with Lewis being introduced along with Meschede after two from Kirbs and one from the skipper although the captain brings himself back on for the 6th. The Welsh boys don't look in any particular trouble against any of our front 4 though Steve did get one past the bat in his second over. Nevertheless the infielding is good and with 31 on the board after 6 you'd think that Somerset would be happy with 5 an over.
Max is introduced from the OP for the 7th and nearly has North LBW off the toe with ball number one. He nearly gets him with a googlie ball two as North completely mistimes it. The slow fourth ball does for him completely and he is C&B'd for 17 popping the ball tamely up for the slow man to run in and pocket. 31 for 1 and North is absolutely disgusted while Max and his team mates are over the moon.
It's 56 for 1 after 10 but Alleby has now played himself in and by 2 balls into the 13th it's 97 for 1 when he dies at 33 due to a very cool catch running backwards from Pete Trego but the game is on because of him. Craig Meschede got murdered in the 12th going for 19 with Allenby hitting the first two sixes of the Welsh innings, one of which completely cleared the OP. 100 up at the start of the 14th with Van Jaarsveld joining Marsh.
With 5 to go it is 124 for 2 and Marsh has reached a 30 ish ball 50 with 1 six and 7 fours. Lewis takes the 16th and goes for 8 but Max takes the 17th and is taken for 18. The 150 is up as Alf returns for his last 2 with Steve K taking the one in between. He's being really tight until his last ball is put into the Tone by Marsh. 160 with 12 to come.
Steve, a bit of a scary choice in his early T20's has come on in leaps and bounds during this year. His 18th over is full of full length, difficult balls with finally causes Van Jaarsveld to try and go over the top, he fails and Kirbs gets a wicket. He goes for 5 and takes out the very dangerous Dragon. Well played.
The last over sees Marsh start on strike on 73 and Cook newly arrived at the wicket. Full length first one goes for 1. Ball 2 is a beaut which sees Cook's middle stump cartwheeling backwards and the batsman on his way back to the Caddyshack. Walters takes his place and nearly gets the same, managing to plop his bat on the ball and scramble a single. Marsh finds a gap on the Caddick boundary and takes the four. Alf mistakenly tries to bounce him and is clubbed for six to the same place. The final ball sees Marsh unable to get back for the second and they finish on 178 for 4. A score about par for here and no mean score for Somerset to pass.
The Reply
Compo and Trigger open against Jones from the OP and Nick is immediately off the mark with a single. The sun is pretty well out now and the crowd has improved considerably, suprising as it's 25 notes on the gate to get in (compared with 15 on the gate in Cardiff and 10 booked in advance)! Jones is on the money though and Pete finds the runs much harder to get from the rest of the over and scampers a risky one on ball number 5. 2 for 0 after the first. The second from the River is taken by James Harris, Pete swings and gets the smallest of bottom edges and is gone, caught behind, at the start of the second. 2 for 1 and in comes Craig Meschede far too early I'm afraid. Harris' fourth ball has CM fishing outside off and getting another feather - it's 2 for 2 and Jos in after only 10 balls!! Not sure whether that is a good or a bad thing if he shows the form he has in the last couple of games. Excellent double wicket maiden to Harris and Somerset in batting trouble for the umpteenth time!!
By the 4th Jos and Nick have a better handle on the game and Buttler looks in some kind of form. 24 for 2 is not where they would have wanted to be but it is better than 2 for 2. Unfortunately, this is when Compo plays on and Hildreth is called to the crease needing to play support to the young strokemaker if we are going to make a game of this!!. After 5 we have 28 and we are heavily in need of a significant partnership.
By 10 overs the two have pushed the score to 76 for 3 with them both taking runs from the Welsh. Glamorgan were 56 for 1 so we need to push along in the same way. Hildreth goes to 50 off 27 balls with 8 fours at 86 (10.4 overs) - he's looking for runs off every spinner ball as the Welsh rely on Cosker and Croft to hold Somerset in check. After 11 we have 88 but Croft keeps wheeling in and he gets Buttler plumb in front 2 balls into the 12th at 90 trying to swing a straight one down the leg side .
Arul is Hilda's next partner needing to double the score in the second half. 93 after 12. North comes on as the third spinner for the 14th with 3 figures on the very small scoreboard facing the pressbox. Hildreth scarily tries to slog sweep him into space but Arul goes for the straight hit over the bowlers' head for his next run. There aren't enough runs coming though as it is 105 after 14 overs meaning they need 76 off 6 overs or about 12 an over. Somerset need a BIG over and look to take it from Cosker in the 15th as Arul boundaries the first delivery. Hildreth sixes the third ball into the scoreboard stand but nearly skies himself back to the pavilion with the fourth ball which he top edges but lands safe. More circumspect with ball 5, he then reverse sweeps the last and takes 17 off the over. 122 for 4 plays 124 for 2 at 15 overs.
Glamorgan asks Croft to readdress the balance and the old campaigner does exactly that by tying Arul down at the start of the 16th. Suppiah tries to step away to cut one, it's too close and he goes for 18 at 126 bowled by the old Welshman!! Snell is out there to try and pull it home with James but it gets harder and it is really all down to JH if we are honest. 129 after 16 leaving 24 balls to get a big 50.
Over 17 includes 5 fours as Hildreth takes the game to the Daffies and although he is caught off an abovbe shoulder no ball, Harris goes for 24, we pass 150 and finish off 153 for 5. Snelly skies one and goes at 155 halfway through the 18th but Hilda goes for a brilliant 100 off 53 balls with 15 fours and a six.
Jones starts the 19th at 162 needing 18 off 12 balls with Lewis joining the centurion. We need a boundary but Jones is a canny bowler and keeps putting it in to the feet of the batsman. The last ball of the 19th is Jones versus Gregory and a misfield gives them 2 and a score of 169 needing 10 to win and Allenby to bowl from the River. Hildreth faces and flips a single but no more. Ball 2 sees Lewis smack a six off the CA boundary board. 3 to win. Ball 3 puts JH on strike needing 2. The bowlers and fielders have a chat and now the batsmen have a chat and then..... they take a single. 178 score tied and Gregory flips the ball over the infield for 4!! Somerset win with a ball to spare. What a great game and a superb batting performance from a certain Mr James Hildreth who leaves the field to a standing ovation!! Well doen also to Lewis Greogory who came in at a very difficult time and did his fair share of getting us home.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:06:29:15:36:21 by Grockle.
We'll be without CK,Levi,Albie,O'Brien, Tres and George for both games one would assume,although Jos is apparently available for both.Whether we will see Snell now i'm not so sure.
Warks will also be missing Trott,Bell and Woakes so both teams will be well understrength.
The weather doesn't look good for thursday so I would personally settle for 3 points from the 2 games.
My personal choice;Trego,Compton,Meschede,Buttler,Hildreth,Barrow,Suppiah,Gregory,Thomas,Kirby,Waller
Fortunately, he seems to welcome such situations.
We need some of our player lower down on the batting to start scoring a few more runs!
Quote:geordie moonraker
Fear not, these are Pete's games.
I wonder if (sensibly) we've decided to give Pete a week or two off from bowling?
Or if he is just not really in the T20 bowling plans?
I think it would be sensible to have him do a bit of bowling after his week or so off from bowling, if only because that would mean he wouldn't be under as much pressure with the bat.
I suspect that most all-rounders are unused to a situation when the focus is entirely on one of their two suits and it probably creates added pressure. And Pete is probably already under enough pressure with the bat, with us being down 4 or 5 big hitters for these games.
Craig Meschede also did not bowl at all the other day and he certainly looked as if he was feeling the pressure when he came out with the bat!
He was back training with the squad today.
I suspect Lewis Gregory will get the other spot (with Dockrell and O'Brien missing from Sunday's team).
I think Craig Overton is worth a shot, think he could do a job at 8 with bat if needed and given our options with ball unlikely he'd have to bowl all 4 should he have any problems.
Saying that sure Snell will not let us down, not that the keeping seemed to adversely effect Jos's batting much on Sunday!
I think I've seen enough that I'd be tempted to keep him on for the rest of the T20 campaign, possibly with a view to giving him an on-going deal to play one day cricket for Somerset (depending on how he goes in the rest of the T20.)
George Dockrell has put his place at Trinity College, Dublin, on hold for next year. I wonder what the Overtons` plans ae for university.
Quote:cricketjerry-mouse
It really brings it home what a young squad we have at the moment when you learn that the Overton twins are not available this week as they are taking `A` levels.
George Dockrell has put his place at Trinity College, Dublin, on hold for next year. I wonder what the Overtons` plans ae for university.
I'm 99% sure that a poster on this board (although I thought it was you, CJM!) told us that the Overtons, unlike somebody like Chris Jones, are 100% certain that they wish to pursue long-term careers in cricket and that, therefore, they would be unlikely to bother with going to university any time soon.
Obviously, I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the info provided but I'm sure that one of our posters said that.
Jim Troughton (c)
Keith Barker
Neil Carter
Varun Chopra
Rikki Clarke
Laurie Evans
Ateeq Javid
Richard Johnson (wk)
Darren Maddy
Jeetan Patel
Paul Best
Steffan Piolet
Chris Wright
They will open with their two Australian overses players, Shaun Marsh and Marcus North, with former Kent batsman Martin van Jaarsveld, who is now English qualified, at No.4.
Squad: Marsh, North, Allenby (c), van Jaarsveld, Walters, Wallace, Wright, Cooke, Harris, Cosker, Croft, Jones and Owen.
Warwickshire have won the toss and will bowl first.
Wonder if the weather will hold long enough for them to bat.
Edited because I got result of toss wrong (doh!)
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:06:21:18:55:13 by Bagpuss.
Bit of luck for the club though with no home games affected so far.
If we can get another home win tomorrow we'll be well set for the return of 4 big players for the last 5 games.
With so many draws the points for getting through could be very tight, i think even 11 or 12 could be enough, 5 wins and i think that'll do it
And here's me sitting on the patio under clear blue skies, sipping a soft red wine and waiting for the barbie to heat up.
Whoops - just woke up again and realised I was sitting in a large puddle. ;-)
I tend to think this competition should possibly be moved to July (the first half thereof.) Should still be light enough. Historically the weather in July is quite a bit drier than in the first three weeks of June, and a little warmer.
Would avoid competing with a European soccer Championships every 2 years. And no need to compete with Wimbledon for media attention either.
It is cloudy spotting with rain and the wind is strong.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Very impressed with Steve Kirby - wouldn't have picked him from choice in his first year for T20 but his 19th over was brilliant
Levi's one game apart, we've made a horlicks of starting our T20 innings.
Quote:AGod
So... Did we give away too many for the conditions or is it more a case of being out-gunned with the bat in good batting conditions.
from the commentary, questionable bowling choices (leaving Max and Suppiah on when they were being hammered around, not bowling Gregory for his full overs - is he injured again?) let them score too many.
If not then we risk having him come out of T20 with poor batting form and a bit rusty with the ball?
We;ve put ourselves in the noose by not taking early advantage. They are using Croft and Coskert in the middle but we are 20 ahead of them in terms of run rate at 10.
Interesting game
All down to Arul and Jimmy H now I'm afraid. 100 up at 12.4
Si monumentum requiris, circumspice.
I'm sure others will join you in criticsing the original decision.
BUT... Perhaps James re-appraised his game in the wake of being left out?
But my computer had the same problem as Wickham's for a while; I think it must have got over-excited.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:06:22:20:32:58 by Loyal of Lhasa..
So to Tuesday...
Levi to return surely as nobody else has done anything at the top of the order?
Morkel and Dockrell surely likely to return.
Kieswetter likely to be available? If so where should he bat?
O'Brien? Will he get a place?
Meanwhile, Glamorgan will be stunned. For they have paid absolutely megga, megga bucks (including, I`m told, regional aid money from the European Union) to hire Shaun Marsh and Martin van Jaarsveld in a bid to reach this year`s final at their own SWALEC stadium.
They could still do it, of course, with the top two and two best thirds` going through to the quarters.
I also don't understand why you should be surprised about James Hildreth. When he has his eye in in any form of cricket he is almost impossible to bowl to and sublime in his shot selection and delivery. In this game he took the game to the Glams from ball one, passed Buttler without a glance and then just powered to the line irrespective of who tried to get him out.
This was Hildreth at his very very best and it was a joy to watch from beginning to end.
This season may not be going as planned but they have turned in some amazing performances at times, with pretty much the only eleven they have available. Incredible stuff.
Morkel for Craig M.
After that? Some pretty tough decisions for Brian and co for Tuesday?
Not sure his form with the bat means that his place is nailed on.
Plus, the plan seems to be to rest his bowling for T20.
So, for me O'Brien ahead f Tregs.
Cheers
BB
PS is feel so bad suggesting this....
Quote:Grockle
Gregory did well with ball and bat - nothing special with the ball but certainly part of the end of this game (possibly should have been caught on the boundary but it would have been a hell of a catch). The end shot was just beautiful.
I also don't understand why you should be surprised about James Hildreth. When he has his eye in in any form of cricket he is almost impossible to bowl to and sublime in his shot selection and delivery. In this game he took the game to the Glams from ball one, passed Buttler without a glance and then just powered to the line irrespective of who tried to get him out.
This was Hildreth at his very very best and it was a joy to watch from beginning to end.
Absolutely spot on Grockle. James's knock can best be entitled 'poetry in motion' - no hurry no slogging just sublime - the real reason for coming to watch cricket and hoping for what? Just such a performance. It is clearly what the England selectors spotted when he was first pushed to the front of the young pretenders!
Meanwhile I shall revel in tonight.
If anyone deserves a rest this year it's Trego, send him away for a week and reassess when he comes back and time to confirm what we already new, Compo is not suited to T20.I would be tempted to ask James to open after this.
I think Keiswetter is out for the rest of the group stage.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012:06:22:21:59:31 by Railboy.
Great innings from Hildy, a real pleasure to watch.
Kirby bowled really well, as did Lewis. Max bowled a great first over, but after that bowled too short.
Lewis bowled no more than medium pace. Either not totally fit or concentrating on line and length and not out and out pace.
Probably the best t20 innings I've witnessed and certainly one of the best games. The way the players rushed out to celebrate spoke volumes of how the bond of this team is. Strong.
Pleasure to witness it and say I was there, the only shame was the Sky cameras weren't around to capture it.
Next game I'd rest Compo and Trego, save them for the return of the proper 4 day stuff.
Hildreth is a very experienced T20 performer (only Thomas and Trego have played more matches) and his average of 23 is the same as Trego's AND Buttler's. Of those who have scored substantial runs only Buttler (135.00) and Trego (121.01) have superior stike rates to Hildreth's (119.51).
While a less spectacular batsman than Buttler and Trego in their pomp, Hildreth has always been a fast scorer, aided by his exquisite timing, his ability to penetrate the gaps in the fields and his rapid running between the wickets. I was not remotely surprised by what he did tonight, though absolutely delighted and wishing I had been there. Even Tractor would have enjoyed it.
I'd always assumed he WAS possessed - it must be great to have such a man as a colleague.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
I am still a bit perplexed by putting Arul down the order although with the big hitters coming back I presume that isn't going to change.
I'd put him opening instead of Compo, who I would save for the championship where he brings exactly what we require.
I wonder if Tregs needs a bit of a rest
Quote:AGod
Not sure where they got the idea from but Beeb team were claiming that Craig K is available for Tue.
Looking at the schedule they might be right. There's the T20 on Sunday but then after can't see anymore games up to and including Thursday so England may want players to have a knock?
Interesting he says on the SCCC site that being dropped "shook him up".
In which case, well done Brian as well.
Cunning strategy !
Grizzzly
The bowlers all did well, bowlers will always have some bad overs in t20 even Alfonso Thomas did.
The photos.
Nick Compton got an inside edge onto the stumps off S Jones the ball just about to hit the stumps.
M North edging this ball from Steve Kirby just out of reach of Peter Trego in the slips.
One of James Hildreth’s sweep shots going for four runs
Another clever shot by James H and another four runs. I can’t remember when I last watch James play as good as this; it’s an innings to remember.
It was nice of James to give me a wave after scoring a four and reaching his hundred.
It was silly of C Cooke to step back and give himself room when Alfonso Thomas was bowling.
We mustn’t forget Arul Suppiah (4 runs) help in winning this match (along with the rest of the batsmen) even Lewis Gregory at the end.
The table look interesting. [www.espncricinfo.com] a nice gap in the points.
The link to my Photos on Photobucket - [s1152.photobucket.com] Five of their six batters last night were born in Australia and the sixth, Martin van Jaarsveld, in South Africa.
Three of their bowlers were Welsh, however - Robert Croft, Simon Jones and James Harris. And all three were born in the same suburb of Swansea - Morriston.
Quote:cricketjerry-mouse
Somerset’s aim was two wins out of three while they were without the SA and Irish contingent. They have actually done better than that, with the point from yesterday`s abandoned match at Edgbaston.
Meanwhile, Glamorgan will be stunned. For they have paid absolutely megga, megga bucks (including, I`m told, regional aid money from the European Union) to hire Shaun Marsh and Martin van Jaarsveld in a bid to reach this year`s final at their own SWALEC stadium.
I have always considered (but am always open to being otherwise convinced) that two permitted overseas players per county in our domestic Twenty 20 competition is one too many. The shortness of the competition itself, as well as the incredibly short length of each innings, IMHO can seriously diminish the effect that any overseas player can have on a team’s performance.
Can county clubs who are not as efficiently run as our own Somerset, afford to pay big money for overseas players who come to these shores as ‘hired guns’ for a few weeks each summer?
Do they justify the cost being paid for their services, and do club’s recoup that expense by virtue of them being solely responsible for putting more backsides on seats?
And yet, cricketjerry-mouse tells us (and I am not for one moment disputing what he says) that Glamorgan “have paid absolutely megga, megga bucks” to hire a couple of players who were on the losing side last evening. Not only did they lose, but also they lost to a team who were missing at least six players who, under different circumstances, may very well have been playing last evening.
I confess that Twenty 20 cricket holds little appeal to me, so I accept that I am not best placed to offer a balanced opinion on this particular form of the game.
However, I still followed the evening’s events from home, and am delighted that our team (without any overseas ‘stars’) did us proud.
Well done, Somerset.
Quote:Clarence ParkerQuote:cricketjerry-mouse
Somerset’s aim was two wins out of three while they were without the SA and Irish contingent. They have actually done better than that, with the point from yesterday`s abandoned match at Edgbaston.
Meanwhile, Glamorgan will be stunned. For they have paid absolutely megga, megga bucks (including, I`m told, regional aid money from the European Union) to hire Shaun Marsh and Martin van Jaarsveld in a bid to reach this year`s final at their own SWALEC stadium.
I have always considered (but am always open to being otherwise convinced) that two permitted overseas players per county in our domestic Twenty 20 competition is one too many. The shortness of the competition itself, as well as the incredibly short length of each innings, IMHO can seriously diminish the effect that any overseas player can have on a team’s performance.
Can county clubs who are not as efficiently run as our own Somerset, afford to pay big money for overseas players who come to these shores as ‘hired guns’ for a few weeks each summer?
Do they justify the cost being paid for their services, and do club’s recoup that expense by virtue of them being solely responsible for putting more backsides on seats?
And yet, cricketjerry-mouse tells us (and I am not for one moment disputing what he says) that Glamorgan “have paid absolutely megga, megga bucks” to hire a couple of players who were on the losing side last evening. Not only did they lose, but also they lost to a team who were missing at least six players who, under different circumstances, may very well have been playing last evening.
I confess that Twenty 20 cricket holds little appeal to me, so I accept that I am not best placed to offer a balanced opinion on this particular form of the game.
However, I still followed the evening’s events from home, and am delighted that our team (without any overseas ‘stars’) did us proud.
Well done, Somerset.
Clarence, I agree with much of what you say. In addition, despite my preference for local talent to be given a chance, I think results have proved that Brian Rose's judgement (I have queried it sometimes in the past and accept he has proved his point) regarding overseas signings is pretty sound with one or two exceptions.
However there is some irony in the fact that if the full squad had been available, last night's hero would almost certainly not have been playing!
The SWALEC has found it difficult to sell Test matches to the Welsh public - they aborted plans to play the first West Indies Test in May there and it reverted back to Lord`s. So the feeling may well have been that it was commercially vital to involve Glamorgan in T20 finals day.
IMHO of course.
At 79 needed off 7, and 50 off 4 it's a small miracle we did this one, the 24 off Harris in 17th over really was the key, Hildy literally toyed with each change in field placing they made.
Big mention for Lewis too, that 6 in final over clinched it, for all Hildys heroics, they would have been in vain if Lewis hadnt finished it, as with 9 needed off 5 with Hildy off strike it could easily have had us end up short.
On a negative i thought we were quite poor in the field. Snell missed a straight forward stumping off Max when Allenby was still scratching around. I thought after that we looked very flat, Thomas didnt bowl well, the timings of him bowling spin was all wrong too, Marsh was itching to lay into them both, also thought Lewis was worth another over or 2. Kirby was the one who looked the part.
Still, nice to be able to say we can improve a lot whilst still reflecting on a win!
Great sign seeing Tres back on 2 feet too, guess he's a way to go but he looked to be walking around freely, and even gentle jog to retreive some balls during his catching practice prior to the start of play.
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