The Taunton Four - Innocent and Ok
Playing for opposition
By Seaxe Man
July 6 2010
Seaxe Man gives a comprehensive report on a comprehensive defeat. If you scan over this you may miss an over. Read on
Preamble
The day started well, blue skies in Middlesex and lower pav arrived on
time at 8.15 for pickup and we travelled onto Cowley to pick up Beefy
before heading for West Drayton to get Ken. The blue skies turned cloudy
as the day wore on, in more ways than one.
We were as it turned out , the four representatives of the Middlesex
aficianados amongst the 7,000 crowd.
This left circa 8496 behind as we headed for West Drayton Station and
the 9.30 Reading train for oncarriage to Taunton.
On arrival, we headed for a pub, which we eventually decided to be The
Black Horse. Here we had lunch and a pint served by a 6'6'' Australian
who looked about 280lbs with barely a square inch of skin without a
tatoo.
They sold real ale and the pint I quoffed 'Cousin Jack' was 'all right
Jack'. The others had various brews of lager.
We headed for the ground and the usual bag search etc. On looking for a
perch in the members areas, we were told that there was no
reciprocal arrangements with other county members for T20 matches, and
were directed to an area behind the red tape in front of one of their
new stands.
This matter is being dealt with in detail elsewhere.
The weather as forecast , was cloudy with occasional spots of rain, but
nothing to get alarmed about.
And so to the match.
Middlesex won the toss and elected to field. Strauss,Morgan and Finn
were absent and the ACB relieved us of Warner for the Edgbaston T20
match v Pakistan. Jackson Thompson made his debut in Warner's
place. Somerset were without Keiswetter and Trego on England duty.
Somerset Powerplay (overs 1 to 6).
Over 1. Bowled by Murts to Tresco. The first three balls were dot balls.
However as though he was getting his range, Trescothick launched the
4th ball for 6, followed by an off driven four and a single. So 11 off
over one.
Over 2. Pedro to Tresco. No easy task, the man looked in nick. Pedro
conceded singles until Compton hit the last ball for four. His joy was
not to last long. Over total 9. Score 20.
Over 3. Bowler Murts. A leg bye off ball 2 put Compton on strike. He
attempted to smash ball 3 from Murts over the mid wicket boundary but
was taken by Berg on the ropes. This brought Hildreth to the wicket and
the start of a matchwinning stand of 108. However he played out the
remaining three balls of the over, to give Murts a wicket maiden. His
first maiden in T20 cricket, so I am told. Over score 0. Match score 20
for 1.
Over 4. Pedro to Tresco. At this point Trescothick decided it was time
to get going. Three fours and a six followed. Over score 18 Match score
38 for 1.
Over 5. Murts came in for some stick from Tres and Hildreth with three
fours and three singles. Over score 15 Match score 53 for 1.
Over 6. Hendo was brought on for the final powerplay over and the two
Somerset batsmen now in their stride, took 12 off the over including two
boundaries. Over score 12 Match score 65 for 1.
From observation, the par score in powerplay is around 60 and Somerset
had exceeded this. It is a fast scoring ground and the playing area not
the largest.
With that kind of start, you should push on to get a competitive score 9
times out of ten. And this the home side did. Cornerstone was
Trescothick's 83 in 38 balls. When in this touch, the bloke is a class
act. He was well supported by Hildrith with eventually 48.
Overs 7 to 20.
Suffice to say, the momentum stayed with the home side. The 7th and 9th
overs both went for 14 , over 11 went for 16 though we took a wicket
last ball (Hildreth) to end the 108 run stand. Smith the bowler. The
scourge of Lord's a few weeks ago, Pollard, this time missed out. Bowler
Shah. Homeside to 130 for 3 and a slight wobble.
There were however 8 overs left and Somerset have a deep batting
order. De Bruyn joined Tresco. Over 14 was hammered for 13 runs taking
the score to 147 for 3. After that, a bit of success for The Middle when
Tresco and de Bruyn were dismissed in quick succession. 151 for 5 at
end of over 15. Bowlers were Shah and Smith.
Was there to be a sudden late rally and we could maybe restrict them to
180ish? The answer was no, as Buttler and Suppiah had an unbroken stand
of 53 to post an imposing total of 204 from Somerset's 20 overs. This
included over 18 going for 15, and the final one for 14.
Shah took 2 wickets for 26 from 3 overs and Smith two wickets for 32
from 4 overs.
Middlesex Innings
It wasn't exactly rocket science to figure out that chasing 11 an over,
we were going to need a good start in the powerplay.
Powerplay (overs 1 to 6).
Over 1. Jackson Thompson opened with Scott Newman who took strike. The
first two balls were dots and Newman struck the 3rd for 4, a further
single was added. Over score 5
Over 2. A further 5 were added, a boundary by Newman off ball 3.
Jackson Thompson got off the mark with a single. Over score 5 Match
score 10 for 0.
Over 3. This was more productive and brought nine runs including a wide
and another boundary to Newman. Over score 9 Match score 19 for 0.
Over 4. Another 10 were added with two boundaries to Jackson Thompson.
Over score 10 Match score 29 for 0.
Over 5. As at Cardiff this over was a disaster producing only 3 runs and
the wicket of Newman. Over score 3 Match score 32 for 1.
Over 6. Shah joined Thompson at the wicket. This over produced 9 runs
with a further boundary to Thompson. Over score 9 Match score 41 for 1.
Comparison with the Somerset score at this juncture showed that they had
a comfortable cushion of 24. It was going to be an uphill struggle from
here.
Overs 7 to 14.
Over 7 was a highlight with 18 being taken off the over but we
were still 20 behind Somerset's score. Over 9 produced 10 runs but
Jackson Thompson went at 73 for a top score of 32. There isn't a vast
amount to report beyond this point for the remaining overs, as wickets
fell regularly with the rising run rate and we we all out in the 18th
over for 125 and a crushing 79 run defeat. After the boost of a win on
Friday, just a touch disappointing.
Some stats. We bowled 11 dot balls in the Somerset Powerplay. They
bowled 14 in ours. Boundaries. Somerset. 12 including 2 sixes.
Middlesex. 5.
Epilogue
During the match we enjoyed banter with the five First Great Western
lads from Plymouth who sat in the row in front. They agreed that Steve
Finn being unavailable for Middlesex was ridiculous. They also reckoned
we were Northerners, which to blokes in Plymouth I suppose is correct.
However they shook our hands on departure and wished us well.
With a two hour wait for our train, we watched the autograph hunters for
a bit in the car park as some of the players emerged. Full marks to
Pedro. He patiently did allcomers for as long as he could spare. After
searching around for a pub, we finally headed back to the Black Horse
for a pint to drown our sorrows. A bloke came around flogging raffle
tickets for ' Help for Heroes' which we dutifully bought. He informed us
that the pub was used a lot by 40 Commando. Just goes to show.
Anyway we headed for the station had an amusinig time ordering burghers
and chips at a fast food outlet, before boarding the train home.
A win at the Gasworks on Thursday would be very welcome and if followed
by two more at Uxbridge, would keep us just in the hunt. There are
continuing to be unexpected results in this group.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:09:18:23:53 by Ged.
I lked the reported football chant by Torquay fans when they played a home match against Exeter a few years back:
Dirty Northern B******s!
Prior to deciding a couple of years ago to work out the distance between London and Devon, I had always been under the impression that that there are few places in England more south than London. I had been aware of places like Gillingham, Brighton, Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth, Exeter, Plymouth and Torquay, but I didn't realise how far from London some of those places were (not so much the first five, but more the last three) as people from those places tend not to have accents that I struggle to understand.
When I worked out the distance between London and Devon I was shocked to find it a lot greater than that between London and my boarding school in Cheshire and equatable to that between London and the North-East. Goodness knows what the distance is between the North and the South-West.
Steven Finn is unlikely to be seen in a Middlesex shirt any time soon as he wrote on his blog on lords.org that his strength and conditioning course will be going on for another four weeks. England's next Test is v Pakistan at Trent Bridge, starting 29th July. Surely he would benefit from getting a few overs under his belt for Middlesex before then, and in fact if he isn't allowed to play for Middlesex then I will pray he comes across as rusty at Trent Bridge. Angus Fraser said on Cricket Writers on TV a couple of weeks back that he hoped Hi-Fi would be available for the County Championship match v Sussex at Uxbridge starting 21st July, but I don't know now. At least let him bowl eight overs v Yorkshire at Lord's on 25th July in the Clydesdale Bank 40.
Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford
(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:06:12:08:35 by Jonathan Winsky.
Btw: one point I overlooked in the report. I did not see this as I was scribbling notes at the time. But lower pav and Beefy said Kartik's send off of Ace and I think Dex was OTT.
One can never be certain on these things, but from where I was seated, and of course I was not making notes at the time, I thought Kartik went OTT after dismissing Ace and I think Malan,which also seemed to involve some hand gestures.However I suppose I may have been mistaken.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:06:16:49:19 by lower pavilion.
I suppose this tends to happen more in games against a county that a player used to represent.
That certainly doesn't excuse or justify it.
As they do not own Lord's, Middlesex will prevented from giving Murali a bad reception or treating Somerset supporters like Middlesex supporters were treated on Sunday.
Unless the two counties meet in the knock-out stages of this season's Clydesdale Bank 40 or are drawn in the same group of next season's Clydesdale Bank 40, they will not meet until next season's Twenty20 Cup by which time some people will have forgotten about the exchange. With the exception of those who were at Taunton, Middlesex supporters tend to associate Kartik with taking 51 wickets in the 2007 County Championship and taking 14 wickets in the 2008 Twenty20 Cup.
Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford
(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:06:17:25:53 by BeefyRoberts.
Without condoning the incident, I suspect it arose from Shah hitting Kartik's first bunger for 6. Perhaps Ace also had something to say about Kartik's bowling at that juncture - who knows? I suspect also that Kartik wanted to stay on at Middlesex and was well sprung for the contests against us this season.
It is brilliant to see that Middlesex supporters are not the only ones to disagree with this strength and conditioning course.
Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford
(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)
Date: 06/07/2010 10:48
Good report; thanks.
I lked the reported football chant by Torquay fans when they played a home match against Exeter a few years back:
Dirty Northern B******s!
Bob. I can recall the same amusing chants from the Thamesiders in SW6, directed at our northern neighbours from N5 and N19.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:07:12:56:46 by selincourt.
Quote:BeefyRoberts
Wrong,but thats Somerset for you!!
That's a tad harsh, mind you I live in Dorset!
Hughes also became the latest person to voice concerns at Steven Finn's regime, saying he appears not to be eating well (in spite of three of his 25 tweets being food-related, and besides how else is Finn expected to look when he is so tall?) and echoes the thoughts of anyone who has seen him walking around the ground at recent Middlesex matches by saying he looks bored.
Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford
(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)
He is the most vocal/in your face player I have ever seen and to start talking about Kartik without knowing the facts and what really happened is a bit rich.
I bet Shah started it. Well what do you know I don't know the facts either.
What a rather odd posting.
Shah is as far as I am concerned, one of the calmer and more laid back cricketers you could ever meet.
I was also at the game.
It always find it a shame when any team that I support becomes embroiled in arguments with other teams or simply becomes unpopular, and it is a greater shame when those arguments are with teams with whom my club have historically had a great relationship.
Unfortunately, Middlesex's relationship with their Sportnetwork neighbours Somerset has been threatened by the following events over the last 18 months:
• Middlesex being all out for 65 at Bath in the FPT in May 2009, which can't have been good for the revenue streams of Bath CC or Somerset CCC
• David Willey and Michael Gough awarding Somerset three more Powerplay overs than they should have in an FPT match at Lord's in May 2009
• Murali Kartik signing for Somerset (although I don't think Middlesex supporters minded this as it was long-known that he was likely to leave due to the cliub being keen to avoid a repetition of the situation in 2009 where both the captain and overseas player were spinners)
• Nick Compton showing lack of loyalty to Middlesex by asking to leave mid-contract to sign for Somerset
• Middlesex losing five times to Somerset's arch-rivals Gloucestershire in 2010, with potential for a sixth defeat coming at Cheltenham in August
• Middlesex members being refused entry to members areas at Taunton
• Murali Kartik and Owais Shah arguing
I take no pleasure from supporting a club who are disliked and are often getting into arguments with other teams, and had my dad not been a supporter of Middlesex I doubt I would be attracted to the club considering how obsessed Middlesex supporters are about Surrey and how Middlesex and Somerset are constantly getting into arguments.
Personally, I cannot be bothered to develop an obsession with Surrey and I have great respect for Somerset, writing on 18th April that they have recently achieved more than Middlesex and that supporting Somerset and Weymouth is preferable to supporting Middlesex and Watford and on 9th July that I rate Somerset as the strongest county out of those who do not stage Tests.
Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford
(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)
Quote:Jonathan Winsky
• David Willey and Michael Gough awarding Somerset three more Powerplay overs than they should have in an FPT match at Lord's in May 2009
I meant to say Peter Willey. David is his son.
It is very hypocritical of me to complain about people refering to the England fast bowler as Chris Broad if I can't even get Peter and David Willey's names right.
Click here to read why I sensationally sacrificed the big bucks of Chelsea for the adventure of Watford
(image on left not representative of how relative my support of Watford is to my support of Middlesex)