By Grockle
June 23 2024
Jake Ball returns to his old haunt as we return to the Championship for a little oasis in the white ball mayhem. Craig Overton and Migael Pretorius also return to the ranks while the sun decides that it is summer and comes out in its full UK glory for a Sunday start. Sean Dickson is not here and as Renshaw has gone, the opening conundrum continues as Tom Lommonby looks for a partner for the second half of the season in the long format
Championship v Nottingham @ Trent Bridge Sunday 23 June 2024
Back to the long format for a fortnight and we go to Nottingham for the first of two. The wicket is well over to the New stand side of the ground making that boundary very very short indeed. The side is;
Lammonby, Abell, Umeed, Banton, TKC, Rew, Aldridge, Overton(c), Pretorius, Leach, Ball
This means Jake Ball returns to his old stomping ground but as Notts have won the toss and decided to bat, the question about who will open with Tom Lammonby is still a mystery until later. Sean Dickson has not made the trip to the Midlands though he did score 121 for Clevedon on Saturday so it is doubtful that his ommision was for injury reasons.
A beautiful summers morning by the Trent sees Overton open from the Pavilion end to Hameed and Slater while a nice round of applause greets Ball as he takes the second from the Radcliffe Road end. Craig bowls a maiden and after two Notts are 3 for 0.
A tight initial spell from the opening two means that after 8 the score has only moved on to 23 for 0 with Hameed providing the major share of that with 15. The Notts men do seem to be looking to up the rate a little now though.
But COve says "goodbye" to Hameed at 26 with a pearler with cleans him up and Notts are 26 for 1 with Young replacing his teammate. Craig has bowled 5 overs for 8 with 3 maidens and now a wicket. Seems he's ready for this game.
After 14 we get a double change with Pretorius taking over from the Pavilion at 39 for 1 with the 15th and then Aldridge doing the same at the Radclilffe Road at 45 for 1 with the next. The 50 comes up with a four from Young during this one and they end at 53 for 1.
A little spell of quiet control is ended by another blinder from Rew off Pretorius to see the back of Slater courtesy of a leaping catch down the legside. 71 for 2 in the 14th. This is followed by Aldridge getting himself in the wickets column by having Young LBW for 19 at the same score in the next over. 71 for 3 with Haynes and Clarke now facing, both on zero.
Jack is introduced at the Radcliffe to end a short Kasey spell. He goes for 10 off his first - maybe resetting from the Blast version of spin? COve also returns at the pavilion pre-lunch at 91 for 3. Leach tidies up in his second going for only 2 before Someset return to Aldridge. The 100 arrives in the next Overton over and lunch comes at 111 with Haynes on 23 and Clarke on 15. Craig Overton's morning spell was 10 overs, 3 maidens 1 for 21 but the bowling has been relatively tight overall.
Ball opens the afternoon session with Overton and the feeling is that things have levelled out a bit. Nothing really changes so Somerset turn to Aldridge and Pretorius but Haynes and Clarke take the home score past 150 with little problem and then Haynes goes to a 50 with Clarke close behind him and by half past two Notts have 175 for 3 without further loss and the impetus has moved towards them in the second session of Day 1. Clarke then passes 50 as well off 75 balls. This seems to promote extra effort from Aldridge from the pavilion who gets one past Clarke to Banton at 179 for 4.
This brings Tom Moores to the crease. Kasey has a huge appeal for LBW on the third ball faced by the new man but the umpire is not impressed. Pretorius is bowling well - 11 overs with 3 maidens and 1 wicket for 37 but the hard work is mostly without meaningful effect this afternoon. Then he makes the breakthough as he has Haynes caught in the slips by COve for 55 (73 balls) at 185 for 5. Somerset needed that one!! It brings the game back into more of a balance as Lyndon James marches out to the middle.
Both Lammonby and Leach are going through stretching exercises as we move towards Tea. It's a good thing actually as almost immediately Tom has to stretch well forward to take a diving catch at a wide 3rd slip off Aldridge to send Moores on his way at 185 for 6. Calvin Harrison replaces him. The bowling pair have closed down the scoring and got their side back in this game.
Aldridge continues and tempts James into a snick to Rew. 190 for 7. This simply makes more people wonder why this young man was 'rested' after his 5 fer against Kent at the start of the season and has only played 2 other CC games before this one. Ball comes back to rest Pretorius after his excellent work at the Radcliffe Road. Kasey is still roaring in from the Pavilion to ask new bat Stone questions before the interval. Nevertheless Notts slowly move towards 200. That target is reached with a straight drive by Stone off Ball.
With the Tea interval in sight, Harrison and Stone look to push the score along a bit with good running between the wckets in brilliant sunshine. To try and mix things up, Pretorius changes ends while Ball carries on at the Radcliffe Road end. As expected Jack Leach replaces Ball just before the break to add some more variation and keep the bats guessing at 214 for 7.
Tea arrives at 220 for 7 with Stone on 12 and Harrison on 16, a partnership of 30.
COve is back for the first over after the break to partner Jack who continues where he left off . He is bowling tightly but doesn't seem to be causing the bats any real difficulty though he is keepng them from boundary shots. 6 overs with 3 maidens and a mere 14 runs is the holding action he is presently providing. One hopes it makes the scorers try to get something from Craig at the other end and that they fail!
Craig does not get the breakthrough so they look to Kasey to hunt that five-fer and his best CC figures (presently on 4 for 58 with a present best of 6 for 110). The strip has been variable today. People were suggesting that it had a fair covering of grass this morning but it flattened for a while after lunch before seeming to get a 'second wind' (can that happen in a day?). Now it seems to have started to ask more from the bowlers again. It hasn't been easy for the Somerset attack and the wickets have come in flurries with flat spells between them - this seems to be another of those.
Meanwhile Stone and Harrison continue to do their job as they move towards a 50 partnership (presently 44 from 129 balls). It isn't pretty but it is moving the score on towards 250 while making the visitor's attack toil in the heat. Leach and Aldridge are presently dealing in maidens only as they both reach 5 from their spells. The score seems to have stalled on 234. Stone finally finds a way through the inner cordon to the New Sand boundary. A very loud Leach appeal is turned down just before the 50 partnership is reached with another Stone boundary to the same stand. 53 off 150 balls and 243 for 7 sets up the next Nottinghamshire milestone which Stone looks to get very close to this over as he puts another four to the New Stand from the Somerset spinner.
A quick two brings up that 250 from Stone who has moved on to 35 and is now scoring freely in a wide arc facing the Stuart Broad End. 50 off 150 balls has become 67 off 159 and this pair will now be looking to see out the day with 19 overs left to stumps. That would not be part of Somerset's plans as these two have already scored more than they would have liked when they came together. They would like to see the back of Nottinghamshire resistance tonight with no loss of wickets on their part before the close of play. They don't want this score to be over 300 and they will feel that they have not done their job if that happens.
To add more variety Craig now turns to Andy Umeed who has broken partnerships before but it also shows a little desperation at the end of the day. Nevertheless, he causes problems with his first two balls so maybe it is not as 'desperate' as one might think. He bowled very well in the Metro50 last year although the balance of sides in that doesn't give a good indication of levels of consistency. His first goes for 2 and that is all that can be asked for if wickets don't fall in an over. Somerset now have slow men on at both ends and they are looking to strangle the scoring rate if they can't take wickets. If nothing else, bore them out!!
So, just as I expound my theory, Craig brings himself back (not sure what the Umeed over was for in that case) and then Jake at the other end. Nothing really looks to be happening as we move towards the last 15 overs of the day. Ball is struggling to keep the four balls in check each over presently and the score is up at 269 with the partnership just outside the 80s. Craig is tight at 46 off his 20 overs but Jake has gone for 67 off his 17. It isn't huge amounts but fours are coming each over. Stone passes 50 with a squirted four to the Will Clarke Stand 52 off 89 balls, well played sir! Every boundary is a knife in the heart of the attack at the moment. They'd really like to get rid of these two as they move into the 90s and the score moves towards 280. There is nothing worse than a stubborn tail end partnership when you thought you had a side on the ropes. The 100 comes up, with 9 and a half overs to go, from 218 balls at 290 for 7.
Pretorius is re-introduced at the Radcliffe Road to see if he can break these two. While Kasey replaces his captain to also push the Notts pair as the 300 appears on the horizon and then arrives with 7 overs left in the day's play. 190 does seem like a long time ago. The Notts pair have played this intelligently blunting the Somerset attack and hitting the loose balls while scoring at a run every two balls so it hasn't streaked to this total and that can be harder for the opposition to take.
However, Pretorius has kept peppering them and he finally bowls Harrison for 35 at 302 for 8 and the breakthrough has happened. He has deserved that this afternoon (17.5 overs, 4 maidens and 58 for 3) as Dillon Pennington comes out. It has been a hard afternoon but the Somerset bowlers have kept at the task and though Notts have more than they would have liked Somerset have to believe they can do the same on this pitch tomorrow. Having said that I've seen a Notts pitch change overnight before and the morning session may be 'rocky' assuming we get the wickets to end Notts' innings
Rew collides with Overton going for the same ball... a few minutes of worry but it's OK and the keeper continues at 305 for 8 with about 4 overs to go. The scoring continues though it hasn't really got past 3.5 an over, it has just been all day. Kasey ends his day having bowled 22 overs with 5 maidens and 4 for 90 - a good day's work for the seamer.
Meanwhile Pretorius ends the day's proceedings. Stone is standing in the way and doing it very well indeed on 78 from 128 balls. Penington snicks one through the vacant 2nd slip position for four with 2 balls to go (we had a third slip in place, who then moves to second slip to plug the gap already used!!), he then dabs one down at his feet which does NOT roll back onto the stumps much to the bowler's chagrin!! The last ball is solidly is guided to the pavilion boundary to add to the injury and Notts finish Day 1 on 326 for 8. At least 100 more than Somerset were hoping for.
DAY 2
A sunny morning but with some low cloud coming in and out over the ground. Somerset would like to see the back of the last 2 Nottinghamshire wickets and then a solid base created by Tom Lammonby and ????.
If that happens you have to think that our batting line-up 'should' at least reach and hopefully pass the home side's first innings score and the game will move into its second half with honours somewhere near even. A good scenario would be a serious lead on first innings and a pitch that keeps some fire in it for Day 3 into 4. We have been there before on this ground when Johann Myberg put the Notts attack to the sword and won a famous victory against Imran Tahir. The alternative 'not so good' scenario is that we struggle to keep partnerships afloat and have to hope the tail will get us somewhere near the Notts total and then have to hope the pitch flattens out to allow us to get to a draw sometime on Wednesday afternoon. Both are possible, one is preferable to the other. Let's hope it's the good one as we look forward to Day 2.
Overton starts from the Pavilion as yesterday except this morning he is bowling to Stone, the man they need to see the back of. 326 at the start of the over and 326 at the end of it. At the other end Pretorius also takes up opening spell duties to Pennington who nurdles the first one to the Pavilion boundary but wafts at ball number 4 to get Westcountry hopes up. The score moves on to 332. First target for both sides is get or stop the next batting point at 350.
Presently it is more likely that Notts will reach that point than Somerset prevent them as by the end of the next Pretorius over the score has moved to 344. The assessment from the Somerset bowlers is that the wicket is flat and getting flatter though there was some suggestion of swing at times during Sunday (can't say I saw any of it to be honest).
Stone is dismissed at 345 by a ball from Pretorius into the hands of COve via the edge of Ollie's bat. Paterson replaces him 5 short of the batting point objective.An excellent innings from the Notts man that changed the look of this game yesterday and may be significant in the context of the four days overall by the end.
Paterson gets off the mark with a single. In the next over a high wide one is dropped by a diving Rew coming off the tip of his gloved finger. Not sure if Abell had a better chance of it at first slip but Paterson survives and the score moves on to 347. He gets a meaty piece of a ball in the next over and they run the 3 that give them the next bonus point. Objective achieved and now the batting pair's objective is to just rub as much salt into the wounds as possible. Paterson is down the wicket hitting over the infield to the New Stand boundary which pushes Lammonby back to the boundary and produces a change in bowling as Aldridge comes on at the Stuart Broad end. Paterson is not hanging about as he flails at one but does not connect. Nothing really to lose now to be honest. He's up the wicket again but makes no contact and finally falls on his sword driving in the air to the New Stand to be caught by Pretorius for 14 with the score on 361. Kasey gets his 5-fer with 5 for 94 while Pretorius retusn figures of 4 for 96. They stuck to their task well. Now we have to hope the batting lineup has a clear picture of what their task is.
The combination we did not expect comes out to open the Somerset batting. Tom Kohler-Cadmore moves up to opener with Andy Umeed. It will be interesting to know w-maker in the top hat the theory was behind this 'experiment' if it is that. Tom Lammonby has done pretty well at 3 so one can see that. Umeed has had experience at opening and has a air of stability about his batting but one would have probably theorised that a stroke-maker in the first two wold have seen Tom Banton moving up as the man with some form in the front end at least at white ball level. However we have what we have. However I suppose the theory is that it isn't the first time TKC has opened so why not. The jury is, as it has been for most of 3 seasons, out on the Somerset opening pair choices.
Stone and Pennington open the bowling and scoring is slow with neither bat looking to open up at first. Unfortunately Umeed does not get the chance as he snicks one from Pennington and is victom to an excellent third slip catch from Young for 4 with 8 on the board. Andy has the ability but like many Somerset bats, he can be 'fragile' at the start of his time at the crease until he gets into the 'zone' after which he can be very dangerous. Not to be this time. Out comes Tom Lammonby who has had little crease time himself since the start of the Blast though he was the bat in form before that in red ball cricket.
Paterson takes over at the Pavilion end for the 9th over at 20 for 1. He learns quickly that whatever the fragility of the Somerset batting line-up, 'gimme balls' to TKC will go the distance as he is deposited into the members seats in front of the pavilion for the first six of the game. 30 for 1 after 9.
As we move towards lunch progress is slow (and there is nothing at all wrong with that lads) with 35 for the loss of 1 being the score after 12 overs. James takes over from Pennington for the 14th and the score moves on to 41 with niether bat looking for 'white ball' glory. TKCs 24 has come off 43 balls and TLs 9 has come off a conservative 30. Absolutely no hurry gentlemen, get yourselves in for the long haul and the runs will hopefully come.
Just before lunch we pass 50 and reach the 50 partnership (off 75 balls) finishing the session at 60 for 1 with TKC on 36 from 53 and Tom Lammonby on 16 from 40. Could have been better but could also have been considerably worse.
Stone starts the afternoon session bowling to TKC, he goes to cut it like a one day player - get your head back in the game Tom! The second ball shot is better and the score goes on by one with the last. Paterson changes ends to start from the Radcliffe Road this afternoon. Lammonby gets the players on the changing room balcony to move as Stone comes around the wicket to him and then whips his first ball for four past a diving keeper. Unfortunately that gets TKC inspired and he also attempts to pull Stone but he just gets a top edge and delivers the ball into the hands of Moores to depart for 38. At 68 for 2. this brings Tom Abell to the crease with a job to do. Would like to see him still there at 200.
It is very slow going in this spell. The bowlers are not happy with the ball and we have a break in play while they find another one in the 24th over at 77 for 2. A few more conversations about the new one follow before Paterson bowls it and Abell hits it through the covers for 2. two overs later and they are still not happy with the ball. After one conversation at the pavilion between Stone and the umpire, Paterson has a mumble about it and the umpires confer in the 26th over then Hameed has a chat and they give the ball back to Paterson to finish the over with it. He does and an Abell cut is nearly caught square. The fielder may have got a decent hand on it but it went down. At the end of the over the score has wandered on to 81 for 2
Pennington comes back on at the Radcliffe Road end followed by James at the Stuart Broad in a double change. The Somerset pair are accumulating rather than looking for shots which is a tribute to the home side's line and length. No bat in this game so far has really been able to plunder the very short boundary to the New Stand side of the ground to any great extent even though Ollie Stone probably got closest to it. Boundaries are as rare as rocking horse droppings presently and the run rate of just over 3 has not really changed since 11am on Sunday for any significant period.
With 54 overs to go in the days play, Somerset start to bear down on a three figure score and Calvin Harrison comes on at the Radcliffe Road end with some slower deliveries. The short fielder pads also arrive on the pitch so some 'crowding of the bat' might also be taking place as Tom Abell prepares to face on 12 from 32 balls. Harrison is now asking about the shape of the ball after two deliveries as a flipped four to the Hound Stand boundary from Lammonby brings up the 100. at the end of the over the score has moved on to 106 for 2. The Harrison over went for 11.
Dillon Pennington changes ends (suggesting perhaps that Harrison may not be bowling another) Tom Lammonby is up on his toes steering the ball to the New Stand rope as he moves towards a possible half ton and the sun re-appears after a period of overcast skies. Harrison does continue and almost has Lammonby because of a poorly judged sweep.
Nevertheless the 50 partnership arrive at 118 off 90 balls with Lammonby on 45 and Abell on 23. The next milestone is the hard fought Lammonby 50. At 49 there's quite a bit of wafting about as Pennington tries to get Tom L to make a mistake. He survives that and is then held in check on 49 by Harrison .
James returns at the Stuart Broad end for the 41st over at 128 for 2. There is still a bit of spice in the pitch as the other Tom finds out as he nearly skicks on behind before taking a single. Lammonby faces again needing 1 and finally gets it with a drive down to the Fox Road stand. 50 off 104. It has not exactly been a slogfest!! They end the over on 131.
The question then becomes which will come first, the 150 or the Tea interval. At 40 overs to go Somerset have 143 but progress is slow but a Lammonby driven four moves the target closer and in the 47th Somerset pass the halfway to 200 mark.
Paterson returns at the opposite end with Abell also in hitting distance of a half ton (Meanwhile at New Road Dan Lawrence has let fly at Shoaib Bashir hitting hifor 5 consecutive sixes plus 5 wides to register 38 runs in one over...ouch!!). 160 for 2 after 49 overs with TA on 46 and the partnership on 93 (from 175 balls).
Tom passes 50 off 106 at 166 for 2
And so to the Tea interval which was missed along with all of the evening session because of another commitment which took me to the pub!!
However, as has been more usual this season, there was no Somerset collapse despite the best efforts spinner Calvin Harrison Notts best bowler (some indicators for Jack in the home side's second innings perhaps?). The solid batting of Tom Lammonby at number three continued, he takes fewer risks, plays better shots to scoring balls and doesn't revert to his white ball technique except where necessay. As such he is the more intelligent red ball player now. With Tom Abell finding his form at the same time all is right in the Somerset middle order as these two take the score from 68 for 2 to 225 for 3 when in the middle of the 69th over Paterson finally gets TL to miss one and has him LBW for a hard fought 87 off 173 balls. An excellent 157 run partnership and Tom Banton in next!! Things are looking up.
Ahh but this is Somerset batting. 4 balls later it's 226 for 4 as Bants chases one and provides a catch behind to Moores... the hearts sink and the word 'collapse' floats back into the supporter's mind. James Rew (in need of a decent first team score) comes out and steadies the ship with his 35 while helping the excellent Tom Abell grind out an excellent century just before the end of the day. They reach 293 for 4 by the close with Abell finishing on a masterful undefeated 105 from 205 balls with 12 fours - a hard days work from a hard working professional.
The report on Days 3 and 4 of this game will continue in the next front page story linked below






