Metro 50 Game 8 - And so finally Northants
By Grockles
August 26 2025
The last game of the Metrobank 50 group stages and we await the next game after this one. Will it be at home? WIll it be away? Either way it will be on Thursday somewhere. It is NOT a 'quarter-final' it seems. It is a 'playoff'. No specialist spin today, no return for Alfie Ogborne, who was struggling with his back at Hove - he may be doubtful for the rest of this season IF it is a back injury. Migael Pretorius is also still injured so he cannot qualify for the knockout section by playing it seems. Northants have won the toss and have elected to bat first.
Metro Game 8 - v Northants @ Taunton 26 August 2025
Somerset go into the last game of the group stages unsure where they will be playing their 'play off' if they get that far (probably but there is a mathematical possibility they won't it seems).
The side is
Vaughan, Lammonby, Goldsworthy, Rew J (c and wk), Rew T, Thomas, Hill, Green, Aldridge, Langridge, Ball
Alfie Ogborne is working on a back injury - if serious, it might have done for his season, if not we have to hope he may get to the backend of this competition and be in the mix for the late CC1 games. Migael Pretorius was looked at as a possibility for this one in order to make him eligible for the knock out phase but unfortunately his late season injury has not responded either. We have decided to go into this one without Jack as a specialist spinner and so JT Langridge and Kasey Aldridge return to make up the seam attack.
Northants have won the toss and will bat first. Ball opens the bowling against Vasconcelos and Sales (not that one). The first boundary arrives off the former's bat in the first over. Langridge is his partner today who starts with a wide.
George Bartlett will be back with the visitors who get off to a decent start taking 17 from JTs first 2 overs on a pitch well over to the Caddyshack side of the ground meaning THAT is the short boundary today. By the 5th over they are starting at 6 an over with 30 on the board.
In the 7th Ball gets Vasconcelos to top edge one high and handsome into the gloves of the skipper for 10 and it is 31 for 1. In comes Bopara as Ben Green comes on earlier than usual for the 8th at the River as we look to start to tie the Steelbacks down. There is rain in the air as we move into the 9th, it is a muggy damp day so there may be small showers.
Off we go as the rain gets a little more persistent at 39 for 1 at 11:35. They are back on within the 30 minute window so no overs are lost and the game re-commmences at midday? Seems not. The game is now a 47 over game as both sides have lost 3.
Kasey comes on for the 9th and Lammonby nearly runs out Bopara at the non-striker's end. The umpire does not agree but the replay suggests he was short - luck for the bat. and 40 for 1 for Northants. The 'Powerplay' remains at 10 but the second one will be at 38.
So, as Green brings us to the end of the first, the score has only moved to 42 for 1 with Sales on 24 and Bopara fortunate to still be there on 4.
The visitor's 50 arrives at the end of the 11th. But just after that Bopara smacks one out to the Somerset stand boundary and Hill takes a good confident diving catch . The ex England man leaves for 9 and Ben Green gets a wicket. 50 for 2. The new man in is Robinson who is dropped by Ball for 12 at 70 for 2. He really should have taken that one.
Kasey is on at the Pavilion but he's not causing any real problems in his early overs and he goes for 20 in the first 3. At the other end we introduce Tom Lammonby for the 17th and he is tighter, only going for 3 from his first. The 20th sees Lewis Goldsworthy coming on at the River as Northants move towards 100 while Lammonby changes ends. 98 for 2 after 20and they move past 3 figures with a boundary from Sales which also brings up the 50 (53) partnership between Sales and Robinson. 103 for 2. But almost immediately Archie picks up the ball on a quick single and drops the wicket with a brilliant return running out Sales for 45 at 103 for 3. In comes Broad (no relation) and he helps his side to a score of 123 for 3 courtesy of a huge six into the Ondaatje from Robinson at the halfway point.
Robinson, dropped on 10, goes to a run a ball 50 off the bowling of Lewis in the 28th as the visitors move to 140 for 3. That leaves 19 overs to go and so this is the point where they should double what they presently have - takes them into the 280s if things go well. Robinson is opening up after his half ton and putting the bat to the ball as he sends a second in the over into the Gimblett followed by a four to the Ondaatje. 140 becomes 160 after the 29th.
Kasey returns from the River having not impressed all that much from the other end in his first 4. He has a bit more luck as Robinson fires the ball to Fin Hill who measures it, catches it, steps out while throwing it up, steps back in, nonchalently retakes the catch and it is 163 for 4. Good to say farewell to Mr Robinson who was starting to motor!!
Ben Green also changes ends to the Pavilion for the 31st as McManus joins Broad who takes up the mantle with a straight six off Ben in the 33rd to move himself to 32 (39) and the score into the 170. Green comes back with a lovely slow ball which has McManus all ends up. He is bowled for 2 and Northants are 174 for 5 as George Bartlett joins Broad. He is straight off the mark. Ben finishes his 7th with 2 for 26 - showing us again what we will not have next year.
Ball is back on for the 35th from the Pavilion and Bartlett flips it to Thomas Rew who drops an easy one with the ex-Somerset man on 3 at 182 for 5. Broad looks to hook Aldrige but he top edges the ball and dies to a diving James Rew catch for 38 from 49 at 188 for 6. In comes Stuart van der Merwe (no relation). With 10 overs to go it is 195 for 6 with Bartlett on 11 and van der Merwe on 3 as Kasey bowls his 9th with better looking figures at 44 for 2. George misjudges one and is LBW for 12 to Kasey (3 for 47) and it is 197 for 7 as Procter is the next man in. Lewis is back at the Pavilion for his 6th (5 overs for 27) and the Steelbacvks pass 200 from a 4th ball four off the bat of van der Merwe. At 206 for 7 Tom returns from the River and he has Procter LBW with his 2nd ball of the 40th. 206 for 8 as the last bat leaves for 6 and in comes the next one, Leech (no relation).
With 7 overs to go the score is 208 for 8 and Ben Green will fire in his eigth of today (7 overs 2 for 29). He goes for 10 and is followed by the return of Jake Ball (9 overs 1 for 40). Kasey will bowl out at the Pavilion. Leech hooks one to the scoreboard and the fielder (Roberts on as 12th man) can't keep it in despite a decent effort. However the next ball sees the Northants man plumb in front on 1 knee and LBW to Aldridge for 9 at 231 for 9. Kasey bowls out with 4 for 54 - probably his best 50 over performance of the series so far. 232 for 9 with Chahal as the last man as van der Merwe seems to have deicided it is 'hit out or get out' and puts one on the roof of the CA Pavilion. He tries agin with the next and is caught by Kasey on the CA boundary to end to end innings at 238. VdM is out for 27 from 25 and Chahal is not out without scoring. Tom L ends with 2 for 50 from his 7 and a bit.
We need 239 but it has been adjusted because of the loss of 3 overs and so Somerset will need 240 to win (It seems they have an extra run because they thought the were playing a 50 over match for the first 8 and a half overs).
The Reply
For the last time in the group stages of 2025, Tom and Archie come out to face a first over from the MT bowled by Luke Procter. It goes for 2 as Dom Leech prepares to open from the River. The first boundary coes from Tom Lammonby, a quite lucky one through the infield to the Gimblett scoreboard rope and we reach the required 5 an over with 11for no loss after 12 balls.
With 5 gone the openers seem to have settled into their job and have accumulated 29. However they then take a liking to Leech and move into the 40s with the 6th and it is in the next over from the Northants man that Somerset pass 50 with consecutive Lammonby fours. 53 for 0 from 48 balls with Tom on 26 from 24 and Archie on exactly the same.
Once more we have two keeper/captains and McManus, the keeper/skipper of Northants brings Justin Broad on from the River for the 10th at 53 for 0. The 'Powerplay' ends at 55 for 0. In the 12th over Tom again dismisses a Northants bowler, this time, Broad to the boundary for consecutive fours and we move on to 69 for 0 with the introduction of Chahal from the MT. The first spin of this innings. There is a double change as Ravi Bopara comes on from the River for the 14th.
In the 16th, our bat with a 100% conversion rate of 50s to 100s in 50 over cricket reaches another 50 at 93 for 0 from 53 balls while his partner moves into the 40s. The 100 arrives off Bopara from 106 balls with Lammonby on 55 from 57 and Vaughan 42 from 49.
VdM comes on and Vaughan goes to 50 from 60 from his first as the partnership moves on to 117. The highest List A partnership v Northants for Somerset presently is between Cox and Trescothick of 155 in a Norwich Union 45 over game in 2001 at the County Ground Northants. Can these two move this one beyond that one by scoring another 30 runs?
At the 'halfway point' (23 overs) we stand at 128 for 0 and it is a struggle to think of a mistake either bat has made in this chase presently. Broad starts the second half and Vaughan sends the first ball to the boundary. There's a close decision against Archie who is lucky to still be there in the 28th at 146 for 0. Very close LBW decision to Broad. But they move on and reach the 150 partnership with Archie on 71 from 85 and Tom on 76 from 88. A misfield means they equal the best partnership ever with a boundary. Then Lammonby takes the single that beats it.
The highest ever in List A is 241 which is possible.... ???
An excellent caught and bowled by van der Merwe sends Tom Lammonby for an excellent 83 from 96 balls with 12 fours at 168 for 1. In comes Lewis Goldsworthy. To support Archie Vaughan on 82.
They push along until Lewis goes for 26 caught by Vascocelos off Leech at 208 for 2 but then Archie Vaughan reaches 100 from 110 with 12 fours at 214 for 2. James Rew is in and we need 25. Archie's debut List A century and very well deserved today. Except for a close LBW decision Archie has given no chances and produced some pure quality shots this afternoon punishing some pretty mediocre bowling the only way a player oif his quality should.
With van der Merwe on to bowl and 18 needed in the 401st a four off the first ball is happily welcomed by the fans. James gets into the act going over the infield for a one bounce four totake the runs needed down to 10. With 6 to win Rew looks to finish it with a six but gets a one bounce four instead. This leaves Archie to face Leech to take single to tie the scores and with 5 overs to go van der Merwe bowls to Vaughan on 108 who gets the single off the 4th ball to go 20 240 for 2 with his skipper on 17 from 19 and Vaughan on 109 not out from 121 balls.
We win by 8 wickets and it looks like we have Gloucestersire here on Thursday but don't quote me quite yet.
The only people to score more in a LIst A game than Archie Vaughan are Viv Richards and Ian Botham not too bad then young Vaughany!!
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Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2025:08:27:16:12:26 by Grockle.
The preview will come later today or maybe early tomorrow morning. Can't see the first six spots changing unless there is injuiry (none quoted as of typing this). So expect;
Vaughan, Lammonby, Goldsworthy, Rew J (c and wk), Rew T, Thomas
The other five may be a little harder to predict as they have been very keen to rota the bodies through the bowling.
Jack hasn't been particulary successful in the home games but they went with spin at Canterbury and it came off to some extent.
Alfie was feeling his back and hip in the Sussex game and didn't play in Kent so that might have been precautionary or something more serious so he may be a doubt for the last one.
It looks to be a straight Ben or Kasey for this format so expect something along the same lines.
To some extent it is the same for Jake and Josh but Jake has been by far the better performer in these games, though he has also had more chances.
The question with these 2 will also be which is expected to be facing Yorkshire in just under a fortnight in the CC1. Ben will be going to his new county, will Josh be joining him?
The other gaps in the side will be filled with Fin Hill who has done very well at number 7 in his games and may probably play to extend that batting line-up, plus a choice from Kian Roberts, James Theedom and JT Langridge Of those my choice would be the latter.
They will probably rest James after Canterbury and choose Fin's batting over Kian's more allround skills. If they don't most people would probably be fine with that as both have performed well.
As I seem to say a lot. I suppse we will see tomorrow.
Archie Vaughan
Tom Lammonby
Lewis Goldsworthy
James Rew
Thomas Rew
Josh Thomas
Fin Hill
Ben Green
Kasey Aldridge
Alfie Ogbourne
Jack Leach
Jake Ball
JT Langridge
Migael should be in our strongest available 11 particularly with qualification on the line.
The more worrying one is Alfie's back injury which might be slight or might be something that puts him out of contention for the rest of the season. What a shame we have not kept one of our present backups on the books to help with that scenario - especially as it seems the Notts franchise may have broken Lewis Gregory
No specialist spin todayVaughan, Lammonby, Goldsworthy, Rew J, Rew T, Thomas, Hill, Green, Aldridge, Langridge, Ball
The Alfie situation is not a 'back' on, it is a niggling hip one which comes and goes but can be worked on so he will be about for games in September. How many and when? Well that is for another time I suppose.
Ravi Bopara, it seems, is lucky to still be there. The run out was close on the field but out on the replay I believe. Anyway a 47 over game now.
Excellent run out by Archie though.
Grizzers
Good overall effort to contain Northants to that score, despite a couple of catches going down.
Very much hoping we make light work of this.
Grizzers
However, our home form has not been wonderful so.... and we are Somerset after all.
Well done boys. The best ever is 241 and presently they are on course for it because they've hardly put a foot wrong up to now.
Somerset v Gloucestershire - winner plays Worcestershire at New Road on Sunday.
Hampshire v Middlesex - winner plays Yorkshire at Headingley on Sunday.
Hampshire v Middlesex is going to be played at Radlett because the final 💯 group matches are being played at the Rose Bowl on Thursday.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:08:26:19:59:06 by Bagpuss.
Tom Lammonby 100 runs and 100 partnership
Tom Lammonby 4 runs
Ravi Bopara ct Fin Hill bld Ben Green
Lewis McManus bld Ben Green
James Rew 4 runs
George Bartlett lbw Kasey Aldridge
Archie Vaughan 1oo runs
That all folks, I had a bit of time not available to take photos.
EVERYONE NEEDS A TICKET - your membership card won't get you in.
1875 and Long Room members I think your ticket is free with your membership but you still need to get one; you should have a link for this in your Somerset online account.
For everyone else tickets are £15 which I think is a good price and hopefully we can get plenty in the ground.
Life members - I didn't see anything specific about whether you have to pay for tickets, best contact the club tomorrow if there isn't a link in your Somerset online account.
[somersetcountycc.co.uk]
Absolute insanity.
Grizzers
Grizzers
Standardised boredom does what standardised boredom does I suppose.
We go again against a pertty much unaffected county but you have to beat the best to play the best so Thursday it is.
Three games (if we get to Sunday) in a week will make demands on our players but professional sport does so let's see how strong our guys are.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:08:27:09:12:07 by Grockle.
My experience at Lord's last year suggested that the ground was more concerned with selling advance tickets than on filling the ground.
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Long Room and 1875 are £20 per Ticket they are not free, no guest tickets allowed, and can only buy 1 ticket per membership
TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE ST JAMES STREET GATE FROM 9.00 AM ON THURSDAY, in addition to being available online (the Club's preference), by telephone and from Reception at the Ground from 9 to 5 tomorrow Wednesday. THIS IS UP TO DATE AT THE TIME OF WRITING, and it may be that the Club website has been updated since LoL saw it.
But, don't take it from me, CHECK THE CLUB WEBSITE. The main purpose of this email is to quickly correct a possible false impression and direct readers to the relevant information from the Club.
At the time of writing the latest information can be found in the news item on the Club's website relating to tickets. The relevant paragraphs are: How can I buy tickets? and the final paragraph : Can I buy tickets on the gate?
Link below:
[somersetcountycc.co.uk]
Farmer
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:08:27:01:53:27 by Farmer White.
It's not really the club's fault. It's wholly the ECB. The people setting everything up, ticketing, info etc were all having to wait at the end of play yesterday for the end of the other games and official confirmation to get info out to fans so they at least had about a day to sort things out.
We ended early but that made no difference because what happened in the other games affected the draw. They though it was Gloucestershire but only probably and things happen in cricket.
As LoL said, selling on the gate makes sense but they aren't all that good at organising that as has happened in the past. hope they are opening the gates earlier so people can buy, get in and sorted before play starts.
And with luck we'll have our normal stewards on the gate. After yesterday, the 'bought in guys' are not all that welcome to be honest. ICE agents have more finesse when dealing with the general public who are paying their wages.
Grizzers
With the help of their main stream media partners they like to keep the whole thing as low key and out of the public eye as possible... except when it comes to the Final when they suddenly seem to realise it exists again only to forget it entirely the next day and hope no one but the SKY subscribing punters noticed there was a final at all.
I turned Cricinfo off as a link last year because they were swamping MSM with Hundred info about 6 times an hour during the knock out stages of the 50 over competition. They do the same with the Blast and I've already mentioned the fact that last year the 'Disney' owned "cricket" site was advertising that the "Oval" franchise lot were the champions of UK T20 and that the cricket season was over for another year the day after the Franchise final. It's all part of the ECB agenda to close eyes and ears to non franchise cricket in the UK.
It stinks but it happens
Quote:Grockle
hope they are opening the gates earlier so people can buy, get in and sorted before play starts.
As indicated in my post above of last evening, the gates will open at 9 o'clock, an hour earlier than normal for a 50-over game. In addition to tickets being available online, the Club Reception will be open until 5 o' clock today for the purchase of tickets. Tickets will also be available on the St James Street gate.
Full details here:
[somersetcountycc.co.uk]
Farmer
Some people present will know that there was an incident involving Mike on Gimblett's Hill yesterday when one of the extra stewards forgot how to enquire of people in a normal situation what they were doing and why.
The same individual had a later interaction with a couple of members of the Press on the Thatcher's balcony and obviously hadn't learned much from his first experience. That will be referred as well.
There were some other people around both incidents who were less philosophical about them than Mike was and I was not in the area when they happened so I can't complain about them to anyone in anything but a general manner. But if you were not happy about how it was dealt with then please let the ground know your displeasure.
It will certainly be dealt with internally as a number of people on the staff became involved but lessons need to be learned about how people paying for the right to watch a game are treated by those supposedly protecting and serving them.
There are some for who these roles become a 'power trip' and they don't seem to learn easily about respect and dealing with the public so there is a need to call out poor beahviour when you see it.
I'm not saying 'make a stink about it' there should be no need for that but if you feel it was inappropriate, and a number of people I talked to did think that, and you feel it needs highlighting, then it is possible to do that through the club website should you think it is important.
Mike was fine by the way and the club dealt with it for him personally promptly and well in my opinion.
But it should still have not happened and it doesn't seem to be the first time from what people were saying though I can't talk to other incidents.
It was also nothing to do with the job the extra steward was doing - it was the way he was doing it that rubbed people's backs up.
It was also nothing to do with the regular steward team this was one of the extra 'bods' brought in for these games I am informed.
Anyway I was asked to put it out there for comment and/or action and that is what I've done. Do with it what you will.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:08:27:13:12:49 by Grockle.
I want to thank Spencer on how he dealt with it, he was most upset and apologised several times.
I now have a letter to cover me if it happens again.
Even some of the Somerset stewards apologised to me. Saying it shouldn't have happened.
I have been told that the private security firm have somebody in one of the rooms mentoring the ground on a CCTV camera.
WHAT IS SOMERSET CRICKET CLUB COMING TOO.
I hope it is 'coming to' a realisation that the support and protection services at the ground should be just that and doing that at one of these events is not some kind of 'police action' .
Any initial interaction should be respectful and appropriate, especially if your are unsure of what the actual circumstances are
Unfortunately it's a 'power trip' for some I'm afraid.
Glad it got sorted.
We've highlighted the issue to the powers that be and I think they will take notice.
As you say, quite a few were as shocked as the guys around you were and mostly it comes down to a lack of communication and information before going into a situation 'mob handed'. (sortof
I recall a classic example of this in Esther Rantzen's great consumer rights programme many years ago when a driver found himself in an argument with a parking steward at a motorway service area. He was told he could not park in an area reserved for the disabled as he was not displaying the appropriate sticker. He admitted to that fact and that he himself was not disabled but pointed out that both his passengers, his mother and his sister, were registered disabled and that their disability was clearly visible. Ms Rantzen's programme (was it called "That's Life"?) presented the steward, presumably in absentia, with the Jobsworth of the Year Award.
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:08:27:22:14:41 by Loyal of Lhasa.
My indignation was stirred by memories of my attempt to attend a one-day match between Middlesex and Somerset in a previous year. The Lord's website stated that tickets could only be obtained in advance through the internet, to which I had unreliable access at the time. Then when I watched the live stream of the match I was far from pleased to see many empty seats. Fellow supporters told me that they had turned up on the day and bought tickets at the gate. I telephoned Lord's to express my dissatisfaction with this failure in communication and was told by a very polite and blameless young woman that the policy was to encourage the practice of all tickets being bought in advance. I am not sure how impressed she was by my my statement that the policy should be to get as many bums on seats (I did not express myself so inelegantly) as possible.
LoL
Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter