Somerset
Metro 50 Game 1 - Middlesex @ Radlett
By Grockle
August 6 2025
The start of the 50 over competition away to Middlesex at the Radlett outground. An interesting year for the Somerset boys as they go into the tournament with more experience and more established first team talent than in past campaigns while looking to use the games to make some decisions about this September and the 2026 season. James Rew captains the side this year and there are some stern tests ahead for him and the boys.
Metro 50 Game 1 - v Middlesex @ Radlett Wednesday 6 August 2025
The start of the third domestic contest of the season sees Somerset away with Paul Tweddle in charge of the backroom and James Rew in charge on the field. The game starts on time with Somerset winning the toss and putting the home side in to bat first.
The side picked from the 17 man squad is;
Tom Lammonby, Archie Vaughan, Lewis Goldsworthy, James Rew, Ben Green, Josh Thomas, Thomas Rew, Alfie Ogborne, Jake Ball, Migael Pretorius, Jack Leach
No real surprises in that side and they will go with experience first but a decent smattering of youth and first team regulars. Good to see Alfie finally given the ball and Josh Thomas gets a first team berth after extending his contract. There are some player here who definitely won't be here next year though only Green is chosen today. The one probably regretable departure and someone who could be significant in this format. James captains and keeps today even though his brother Thomas is also in today's side. No Josh Davey in this side so one assumes the red ball opening experiment is not going to continue into the long format white ball games - at least not at the start anyway. As mentioned elsewhere, No Andy Umeed in this 50 over tournament squad which suggests that his announcement that he is leaving Taunton is more of an immediate statement than an 'end of season' statement. He does not seem to be in the equation for Metrobank 50 2025.
Radlett is defintely a batting ground and we have set this up to chase a total against a strong Middlesex bowling outfit.
Migael and Alfie open against Cracknell and de Caires who are looking to set a soid base in the first few overs. By the end of 5 overs they have put on 33 runs so they are going for it in the early stages.
Jake comes on for the 8th to spell Alfie at 44 for 0 and he has de Caires dropped on 26 by Green at a wide first slip and the bowler shows movement in his first. He then has another drop by the keeper who drops a regulation nick from Cracknell. This is not good behind the wicket I'm afraid and despite a boundary off his last, a very good over from Ball which should have given Somerset their first wicket. 49 for 0.
The 50 arrives from the first ball of the next Pretorius ball as they move to 53 in the 9th. Cracknell has 19 and de Caires has 30.
At the end of the Powerplay (10 overs) Ball nearly generates another wicket with a close run out on a sharp single. The ball misses but he is asking questions and we have held them at 53 for 0 after 10.
Ben Green is introduced for the 13th to look to hold this opening pair in check. In the 14th Ball gets just rewards as Cracknell edges to Green as the only slip and he goes for 23 from 44 at 63 for 1. Ball and Green have stemmed to flow of runs and now are into the batting line-up. Robson comes out at 3.
The 19th sees our first spin input. Jack comes on to replace Green and operate in tandem with an excellent spell from Jake (6 overs 1 for 17) who has introduced some control on the proceedings from the Somerset bowlers. 76 for 1 at the start of his first and it moves to 82 for 1 at the end of it. Green changes ends to replace Ball. He has gone for 8 from his first 3 but de Caries takes him on to move to 49 with a six straight down the track. This pushes the Somerset 'fox' to work really hard to hold him and de Caries fails to get past 50 in the rest of the over. Jack also hold him until the 4th ball when he goes to 50 with 7 fours and 1 six in his 64 balls. But he cuts that ball for 4 and Middelsex move towards 3 figures after 21 overs.
Another aspect of the Metrobank starting is the gaslighting of the BBC who make out they cover all domestic cricket but have hidden the radio coverage of this game so far into their website that the only way to find it is to go onto the BBC Sounds app and search for the game. For those looking, it is on BBC 5 Live Sports Extra 2... at least at the moment. The BBC "BS" massive these days. They play lipservice to this competition and I believe are not covering every game of this season but only 'selected' games (ones with Surrey in them I would assume :-))
The 100 arrives at the end of the 22nd with Robson on 18 from 21 and de Caries 52 from 68. At 105 in the 23rd, Jack gets one to grip and then go away from Robson to be snaffled by Rew. He goes for 18 from 22 and is replaced by skipper Geddes.
Alfie is back for the 24th as he and the England spinner put the brakes on and hold the home side to 116 fo6 at the halfway stage. The 8 and over in the first few overs has changed to 4 and a half by this stage of the game. A good reaction from the Somerset bowling unit in the teens and early 20's overs started by amuch more aggressive approach from Ball in the last stage of the 'Powerplay'.
James Rew is still not looking totally comfortable behind the sticks and he has another error which is unusual during the 26th, not a drop but a regulation misfield while standing back. He has not had a good middle stage of the season with the gloves unfortunately.
Geddes and de Caries look to consolidate the Middlsex innnings in the middle part of the game but as he tries to sweep Leach he is given out LBW. He thinks he got a bit of glove on it but the umpire disagrees though the replay suggests he did ( he questions it with the umpire but the decision has been made and there is no way for the umpire to review). 138 for 3 and the main scorer is gone for 71 from 86 with 10 fours and a six. Without review it is one of those things. In comes Davies to work with his boss.
Somerset bring on Archie Vaughan just after another son of a former England captain is dismissed unluckily. He takes the 30th at 141 for 3. They move on to 150 in Leach's next over as Geddes takes over the key scoring role with Davies in support but the Somerset spinners are working hard to keep their rate below 5 an over and it is not the bat friendly surface it seemed in the first 10 overs of the morning. After 33 overs the score is 162 for 3.
Ball replaces Vaughan after a few and Geddes takes him on early in his second spell. He hits him for a four and a six in the 34th as his good first spell figures take a hammering. He goes for 13 from his 8th and Middlesex move to 175 for 3 with 16 overs to go. Jack will bowl out at the other end but as Geddes takes on the spinner and he is foold and pops it down the throat of Miggy P in the deep. He goes for 40 from 38 deliveries and it's 177 for 4 at the end of the 35th. Luke Hollman is the new man in and he ends the over without adding to the score. 15 overs to go and 177 on the board. It is an important part of this game. if Somersert hold the line they are in a good position but they have to hold the Middlesex back 5 and not let them get this up towards 300.
Vaughan is back for his third with Davies looking to take the lead role. However, the bowlers are keeping Middlesex under 5 an over still and the pressure to push on must be starting to tell. He has gone for 14 from his 3. Pretorius makes it a double change as he takes the 38th - they will probably hold the last 2 Ball overs for the end of the innings. He is certainly asking questions of this pair and he goes for only 2 in the important over.
Davies pushes the score on and goes on to 50 from 46 at 238 just after Hollmand falls to Ball, bowled with the first ball of the 45th over for 21. At 241 for 5 with 5 overs to go a score very near or over 300 is still on as long as they can keep wickets and Davies stays there. 245 for 5 with 5 to go.
Psychologically, holding the home side under 200 before the last 10 overs would be a target as they would be thinking 100 in the last 10 is a possibility so the 300 target is in sight. Archie holds them at 189 for 4 with 11 overs left. His partner Fernandes is on 2 from 2 while the main scorer is Davies with 56 from 50 which is a decent rate. The rate has moved to 5 and a half which is not surprising. Green takes the 46th with 39 from his first 7. The 250 arrives in the over and they finish with 254 with 4 to go as Ball bowls out with the 47th starting it with 2 for 39. He takes the pace off the 5th ball of the over and Davies holes out to Archie Vaughan at long on for 64 from 66 at 257 for 6. In comes Toby Roland-Jones for face the last ball from Ball. Jake completes an excellent days bowling work with 10 overs for 48 runs and 3 wickets. Brilliant. He shold have had a wicket in his first over and one of his overs went for 13 so that is some spell.
3 overs left at 258 for 6 with Green taking the 48th. Fernandes picks Ben's slow ball and flips it for four to move into the 260s and then it's Roland-Jones against the Somerset bowler. Green goes for 10 and it is 268 for 6.
The penultimate over is in the hands of Pretorius (his final over, having gone for 42 from his other 9). Some good boundary fielding from young Rew and Archie saves a four and it keeps Miggy's over down to 9. He finishes on 0 for 51 and Middlesex are at 277 for 6 with Greener taking the last one.
His first is into the car park from Fernandes. They take 2 from the second. The third is a good slow full ball and it's a dot. The fourth is just over Leach and they run 3. Roland Jones holes out to deep midwicket and the hands of Jack Leach He goes for 10 from 8 as Brookes comes out for the last ball. It's a single and they finish on 289 for 7.
The Reply
Somerset will need 290 to win this and they will have to set a base to get there. If the front end works then this could be a good game. if not then it could be over a little quicker than we would like. It's not just the case of getting the first pair moving, it is the consistency of the line-up as a whole as this is a side coming together for the first time in many ways although most of the front 5 or 6 have played first team cricket with each other in some line-up or other this year.
.Lammonby and Vaughan open for us against the new ball attack of Cornwell and then Roland-Jones. We have 7 after the first and have pushed the score to 12 by the end of the second with Tom L on 9 and Archie off the mark with 1. The Middlesex commentary team have a lot to say about the quality of their bowling attack. We have a potentially equal quality batting line-up but it is yet to be really tested so this could be a good and useful contest. By the 5th over the openers have moved to 29, a run rate of just under 6 with Tom on 19 at a run a ball and Archie on 7 from 11.
It's all looking good as Somerset move towards 50 in the 9th with Lammonby on 26 from 25 and Vaughan on 18 from 24 but them Cornwell pushes one across and Archie follows it into the hands of Cracknell and we lose our first at 49 caught behind. In comes Lewis Goldsworthy who takes a single to bring up the 50 and we finish the 9th at 52 for 1. The first 'Powerplay' ends with only one bowling partnership having been used as Cornwell and Roland-Jones have bowled through. The 10th over ends with a straight on driven four from Lammonby to take the score to 56 for 1. Tom has 31 to his name.
The next ball heralds the changes in Middlesex's bowling as Josh Little comes on for the eleventh. It looks like it will be a double change as Brookes looks to be warming up for the 12th over. That is how it pans out as Somerset face him on 63 for 1.
A dangerous maiden over from Brookes highlights that concentration is needed as this innings progresses. Middlesex were "on it" until this part of their time at bat and then struggled for quite a while before getting back into the swing in the last 10 overs or so (98 from their last 10). Somerset have to maintain the momentum if they can. We pressed well, we have to make sure that they don't if we are to get near to winning this one. Little also is more into his bowling with his second which only goes for 1.
With 15 overs down Somerset are 75 for 1 as Lewis looks to get his own innings progressing to help Tom who is reassessing the way he works based on the new bowling partnership who offer new challenges to a man who looks in decent touch. Brookes has only given away 4 runs in almost 3 overs so he is definitely onw to watch. The tightness seems to be frustrating Lammonby who is dancing down the track and missing. He'll sort it or he won't be there for long it seems. He's trying to change the dynamic though it's not certain that he really needs to in such an aggressive way. Goldsworthy is the one who actually gets the bowler away with a straight punch to take the score to 81 for 1.
Little has 12 from his 3 overs but has also got into a groove that the visiting pair will work to get him out of. Unfortunately the frustration gets Lammonby feeling at one outside off stump and he guides it to the keeper for 38 from 50 at 81 for 2. In comes the skipper, earlier than he hopes to be out there as his in form bat is frustrated out by a more patient bowling attack who kept at him until he cracked!!
Rew gets a second ball free hit to help him get off the mark. He edges it for four but he then needs to apply himself and re-establish the manner of the scoring in the first 10 overs with Lewis. Brookes is a real handful though and they are going to have to work hard to get much from him. After 18 it is 94 for 2 as Goldsworthy clips Brookes off his legs for four.
The 100 arrives in the 20th over with Rew on 9 and Goldsworthy (in his first real long term innings this season) on 21. Middlesex then possibly keep little on for an over too many as the Somerset bats look to push against him and move the score to 114 by the end of the 21st. Llittle has gone for 36 from his first 6 over spell.
Hollman is now introduced to offer some spin on this wicket and it is likely that de Caries will appear at the other end ot try out the double spin option as the innings moves into the 20 to 30 over segment. Middlesex don't want Somerset to get away in the next 10 overs and they want to keep them under 200 by the middle of the 30 to 40 segment if they can.
They persist with seam as they return to Brookes to bowl his fifth. He has only gone for 15 so they are hoping he will maitina the 'press' and allow them to save their spinners for later. Rew and Goldsworthy reach a 50 partnership at 132 for 2 with Lewis on 22 and Goldsworthy on 38. But the next ball a lower one nips back and Brookes bowls Goldsworthy off the bottom of his bat. 131 for 3 at the start of the 25th.
The Rews meet in the middle now as the younger joins the older for the first time in a first team match. Two players who have captained their country at different levels already in their career meet in the middle for what is hopefully one of many many times in the years to come. Thomas gets off the mark immediately but Hollman looks to tie him down at one end and after 26 overs the score has moved to 135 - 10 runs from the halfway point in the target.
We move onto the downward slope at the end of the 28th at 147 for 3. Roland-Jones returns to the attack for the 29th and we move to 150 with a James Rew double. In the 30th over de Caires opens his bowling account as the second spinner to be used by the home side.
They are now 14 runs ahead of the DLS target as they take 15 runs off Roland-Jones 33rd over and move to a 50 partnership at 183 for 3. They need just over 100 to win this as James Rew faces de Caires in the 34th and moves to 50 from 52 with 7 fours. His brother presently has 25 from 29.
Hollman returns for the 35th over with Somerset 105 from victory with 7 wickets in hand and with 1 ball to go of his over they put the runs needed under 100 at 193 for 3 courtesy of a James Rew four to the cover boundary. With 15 overs left Somerset need 96 from the 90 balls. Middlesex needs wickets as de Caires continues.
The Rews are starting to move now the 36th over sees the 200 arrives from the 4th ball of de Caires over from Thomas as he moves totwards the 30s. By the end of the 38th they have shifted the score to 217 for 3 though James is llucky to still be there aftertr a very tight run out claim at the end of the over. Probably with a review he would have been walking but the partnership goes on.
Cornwell is re-introduced to try and find a wicket from somewhere as Somerset are now in the driving seat with this game. They are on double 'Nelson' by the end of the strike bowler's first over of the new spell. Hollman changes ends for the 40th as we need 68 from 66. James is down the wicket and driving through the covers for 4. That is followed by a reverse for 3 and the sent for six by Thomas to bring up the 100 partnership at 104. These two are dominating this game as Thomas hits 50 from 61 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes.
With 10 overs to go the target is 53 needed at 237 for 3 with James on 76 from 66 and his brother on 51 from 53. The last 'Powerplay' is in effect.
In the 41st Thomas pulls Cornwell straight to midwicket to leave the fray for 51 at 238 for 4. Great first partnership between the two. In comes Josh Thomas to help his captain put this one away. Now we need grit and determination to put this to bed like we should.
At the endof the 42nd it is 243 for 4 and Hollman has figures of 9 for 52. They then put their hopes in the hands of Cornwell who has 2 for 33 from his 7. While James Rew is there you have to put your money on the Somerset win but if he goes then it becomes a bit more of a lottery. The next ball hook for four to take the skipper into the 80s helps the cause to be honest and the visitors need a run a ball from the last 7.
Hollman will bowl out with the 44th and during it Somerset pass 250 and Josh gets into the act with a driven four to allow Hollman to finish with 0 for 60. Somerset need 34 from 36 and James? He needs 14. Cornwell bowls and Rew needs 10.
With 5 to go the score is 264 for 4 and Brookes is back so the danger goes up. He has 3 overs left so he will bowl all of those and he presently sits on 1 for 28. The over ends on 271 for 4 and the skipper is on 98 from 86 with his partner on 10 from 14. Cornwell will now bowl out with the 47th with us needing 19 to win.#
Thomas puts one into the stratosphere and Fernandes is under it and DROPS IT!! It was up there for a very long time but you've gotta take them!! Cornwell then thinks he has Josh pulling and gloving it to Cracknell but the umpire doesn't and that is followed by Josh hitting him back over his head for a straight four. Cornwell looks distraught. Thomas then hits him over mid on before taking a third four at the end of the over.
14 off the last over and Somerset need 5 to win with the Boss on strike to Brookes. He hooks him for four as he goes to an 89 ball 100 at 102 with 14 fours. A REAL captain's innings and we need 1 to win. A 50 partnership with Josh at the same time as he punches the ball through to win it at 106 not out with Thomas on 24 from 20
Somerset win by 6 wickets hitting 293 for 4. A very very good starting win. Really consistent performance and hopefully a historic start of things to come with the Rew brothers taking us home along with good bowling from Leach and Ball and a couple of decent 38s from Lammonby and Goldsworthy. A most promising start. On to Taunton and Durham on Friday
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:08:07:21:50:09 by Grockle.
Somerset have eight players away at The Hundred, slightly less than last year when they were Metro Bank runners-up after a rain-affected final against Glamorgan.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:08:04:21:21:06 by Grockle.
This season has seen James continue his rise to prominence and he was called into England's Test squad for the recent match against Zimbabwe.
He captained the Club for the first time earlier this season during our Rothesay County Championship match at Hampshire and has also captained England Lions.
After being named Metro Bank One Day Cup Captain, James said: "I feel very honoured to have been asked to captain the Metro Bank One Day Cup side this year. It is a great privilege as I love representing this Club in all formats and I'm delighted to be able to lead such a talented and close-knit group.
"I've already been lucky enough to captain the County Championship side earlier this season, and I loved the experience, so I am looking forward to leading a slightly younger side.
"I’m very excited to hopefully play alongside my brother in a Somerset shirt, which is something I’ve always dreamt of, and of course a few other talented youngsters that have come through the Pathway. With the experience of Tom Lammonby and Jake Ball to add as well, I’m hopeful for another strong showing this year."
Vaughan, Lammonby, Goldsworthy, Hill, Rew J (c), Rew T, Thomas, Green, Aldridge, Roberts, Davey, Pretorius, Ogborne, Ball, Leach, Langridge, Theedom
James Rew has been named as the captain. No one is identified as the regular keeper in the side though both the Rew brothers can perform that function and it is probably the case that Rew the Younger will do that when his brother is also playing as skipper but that may not be the case. If Thomas does not play then James will obviously keep.
The significant aspect of this squad is the absence of Andy Umeed from it. It looks like the ties with the county have already been cut by the messages going out through the official site this week and although the Scot will be effectively on the books until his departure at the end of the season, he does not seem to be part of this next few weeks as we compete in a format he has dominated with the bat for the past 2 seasons.
It seems a little strange as other players who will leave at the end of the season are included (Green, Davey & Aldridge as well as possibly Ball). Shame really. He hasn't made a place for himself in the red ball setup but he most certainly has in this format and I for one would have liked to have seen his swansong as a Somerset player in a type of cricket where he really did excel at times.
Good luck Andy in whatever is next. Sorry it did not work out here for you long term and I hope this is your decision and not a lack of value put on your contribution by the club.
Anyway the Metro50 gives some space for the likes of Finn Hill, Josh Thomas, Kian Roberts, Thomas Rew, Alfie Ogborne, JT Langridge and James Theedom to stake their claims to next level berths. Some have been here before with differing levels of success and some are here for the first time but they are all in the mix for 2025 and this is where they can shine and prep for a 2026 drive for regular first team cricket.
One would assume that the main backbone of the side will come from the more experienced batting of Lammonby, Vaughan James Rew and Goldsworthy, the all rounder skills of Green and Davey and the bowling expertise of Pretorius, Ball and Leach but one would hope we will spread the younger skills in there to give experience and test these younger players out.
Given the changes that will have to happen in the spring of 2026 one would imagine that this is a very important competition for Alfie Ogborne and JT Langridge. Finn Hill will be keen to suggest a bowling allrounder position as will Kian Roberts given that both our present red ball allround options in Aldridge and Green after Lewis Gregory will be leaving along with 1 seam bowling option and possibly 2. The opening bat positioms are also still uncertain given that our Metro50 significant top order bat is not being considered and our red ball new opener - Josh Davey will be moving on. Thomas Rew and Josh Thomas must be looking there for opportunities while James Theedom must be wanting to put his name in the hat for the first time really.
I thought Seb Linnet might be in the squad and Joe Heywood has been here before albeit as a very young man last year but maybe 2026 is more their time.
Anyway a lot to look at and some meat for later discussions about the makeup of red ball sides in September and the plans for 2026 with a significant change in some aspects of the present first team set up. @#$%& the franchise stuff. Let's get into this tomorrow.
Squad: Geddes, Brookes, Cornwell, Cracknell, Davies, De Caires, Fernandes, Hollman, Feldman, Little, Robson, Roland-Jones, Sawant.
A semi-drop from Green off Ball's first over and a regulation drop by the keeper in the same over which should have given us our first wicket. We may be on a hiding with this one. It looks like a good batting wicket!!
I seems that there is no guarantee that there will be 'comprehensive' coverage of the fixtures so it's a kind of 'suck it and see' form of 'coverage'
Jokers!!
Think it also depends on how much the players coming in want it as well. Never felt that with Surrey seconds I'm afraid until they get to being embarrassed. Then they start to fight for it.
Well done BoysI didn't see any of this but it sounds like the bowlers kept the total achievable, and the run chase looks like it was very well judged.
Fingers crossed.
I find it interesting that the Rew brothers sound and look alike, and both are wicketkeepers, and yet one bats right handed and the other left. I've often wondered how / why people develop as right or left handers. And, of course, there are some who bat right handed and bowl left handed, and probably vice versa. All very fascinating! (Perhaps I need to get out more?)
Left-arm bowlers who batted right-handed include Denis Compton, Wilfred Rhodes and Somerset's Farmer White...
(I had to look up the latter.)
Interesting that Woakes was planning to bat “left-handed” on Monday at the Oval rather than his natural stance. So I think he’d have been all top-hand with nothing coming from the bottom hand.
Cowdrey's physical courage should not be doubted though. In 1974/5 with England having had two of their top order incapacitated by Lillee and Thompson in the first Test, Cowdrey, at the age of 41 and not having played a Test for four years, flew to Australia, had a three-hour net, and was playing in the second Test within two days of landing. Another England top-order batter was injured in the first innings, and Cowdrey opened in the second.
I remember watching the impossibly tense end to the 1963 match on the BBC and the BBC cutting away from the match for the six o'clock news before a flood of irate phone callers brought the match back on air. Those were different days. No minimum number of overs in the final hour, no reviews, no helmets, no floodlights (and this match ended in very poor light), not even a sight screen at the Pavilion End at Lord's from where Wes Hall was bowling, and no smartphones to keep up with the score if you were on the move.
Here is the scorecard:
[www.espncricinfo.com]
And here is archive film of the final four balls of the match:
[www.google.com]
Farmer
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:08:07:21:58:39 by Farmer White.
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