Wales, Women and Warmth II - the Dragons.
Will he play again today
By Grockle
June 26 2011
Glorious sunshine...just the afternoon for cricket at Taunton. Glamorgan have travelled across the water into a foreign land to give us a game and we need to beat them. An exccellent opener from the England women who trounced the Indians and we all hope to see the same at 3:10 when the 'fireworks' may start. Cosgrove is in for them so he'll also be looking to hit big.
v Glamorgan FLT20 @ Taunton Sunday 26 June 2011
Both sides are out on the pitch getting themselves ready. We know that Cosgrove is in but who will be in maroon?
The side on the scorecard is;
Trescothick, Trego, Hildreth, Buttler, Pollard, Compton, Suppiah, Meschede, Kartik, Kirby and Hussain.
The differences to that side on Friday were that Gregory took Compo's place and Max Waller came in for Gemaal. It was dark and horrible and there was little bowling done so who knows what will happen today? Quite a few 'Grockles' hope they keep with Max but he may be the man who misses out. Can't personally see them not playing Lewis so I expect Nick to sit this one out.
Glamorgan have won the toss and will bat first. The side IS the same as Friday's so Hussain and Compton do miss out and Gregory and Waller play
Kartik opens for us from the OP and Cosgrove gets off the mark to the 4th ball. He has opened with Peterson who gets off the mark with the next ball. The Dragons end with 3 on the board. Pete gets the chance to open from the River but his first ball gets creamed to the Somerset Stand just over the skipper's head from Cosgrove. He gives the next one a bit more and the big man is surprised by the bounce and snicks it to Buttler 7 for 1 and second blood to Trigger.
After the first two we see Max for the first time in T20 in England this year and after a tight first ball Allenby goes for a totally silly single off the second and is left in the middle of the pitch as Banger fires the ball back to the keeper who demolishes the vacant stumps...10 for 2 and Rees is the next man in. Good start from the boys!
But it doesn't continue I'm afraid as Peterson piles into the second Trego over and takes 19 off the allrounder. Marcus turns to Kirbs for the 5th and Rees sends the first to the Ondaatje on the floor. The second is around the wicket and not there to hit and then the Somerset man nearly runs him out following through with his next. It must be scary lying on the floor with your bat outstretched and Kirby staring at you.
It's 40 for 2 after 5 and KP is on for his first over in Somerset colours. The 50 comes up with a guided Peterson four and they end the 6th at 55 without further loss. After Max the skipper returns to MK for the next from the Old Pavilion and he delivers by bowling Peterson with his 5th ball 60 for 3. The Glamorgan skipper leaves with 35 off 16 balls. So good is that that Trescothick decides to try spin at both ends and he cleans up Wallace first ball. He walks but is stopped at the stumps and there is a big discussion in the middle before he is given out. Not sure what that was all about but Max has a second with Wallace out bowled and Glamorgan 62 for 4.
By the 10th over Max has kept the score down to 76 with Lewis putting in a respectable and quite pacey 9th. KP takes the eleventh and goes for 5 before the man of the hour comes on for the 12th and has Rees reversing him to Murali K and another goes at 84. Waller now has 2 for 20 with a run out as well...not too shabby in front of an 8,000 crowd at home.
An eleventh from Lewis should have had another wicket as Cooke fires one to KP but he fumbles a pretty easy one just over his head, the young man is bowling with some real fire. The 100 comes up halfway through the 15th off Kirby which ends on 107. The Boss turns to the Spinmeister for the 16th to break through. Which he does as Wagg fires one out to James Hildreth on the Somerset Stand boundary. Murali finishes with figures of 2 for 29 having done the job he was asked to do both times.
With 18 balls to go Glamorgan have 132 and Kieron is back on. Cooke hits one from his bootstraps into the Somerset off his first and makes the big West Indian rethink his strategy for the over one would imagine. That was a BIG hit. The single off the next brings Croft on strike and a KP slow one gets him as he plonks the ball into Pete Trego's goalkeeping range and he takes a diving catch at mid on. 139 for 7 and out walks Dean Cosker to take his guard at the River end.
Lewis will finish off at the OP and he is lucky with his first, a missed long hop from Cosker. The next two however aren't as fortunate, a boundary to the scoreboard end of the Somerset is semi-fielded by a member of the crowd b ut the straight shot over his head on the next one goes smacking into the boundary. The Glams get 150 with another boundary from ball four and ball five also goes for four...slightly lucky with that one. The last is a single but they took him to the cleaners a bit. It can't always work so no worries Lewis.
Pollard gets the last over and they start it on 157. A single is followed by a skier from Cooke and KP takes the catch off his own bowling. 158 for 8 and we welcome Alan Jones who partners Cosker in a well run two. Some good outfielding keeps the score down with singles instead of rushed twos as Hildreth drills one 40 yard from the Somerset Stand boundary. The next swipe can't be cut off though and Glamorgan finish on 166 for 8. KP finishes with 2 for 35.
A decent target but if we hit our marks it is one we can get. Just take it easy boys!
The Reply
There's a lot of conversations between the Glammies and the umpires before the game resumes but Marcus and Pete come out to start the reply. Once again Pete will face the first ball from Croft. When did the Boss stop facing the first ball? 167 needed and Trigger is straight down the pitch putting the ball to the Gimblett for 6!!
Marcus takes up the strike for ball 3 after a quick single and is off the mark with ball 4. We end the first on 9 and that first ball prompts a discussion between Wallace and Croft. Welcome back to full time cricket Simon Jones who takes the second over from the River - this is his third game for the Welsh but it is good to see him bowling in anger again after his trials since 2005. We take 10 off his first - two Trego boundaries and two wides he bowled himself.
Wagg is Peterson's choice for over number 3 and Pete looks to get after him. He does this well until he gets an inside edge and plays on at the end of the over. 28 for 1 after 3 and PT was looking good. Meschede comes in at 3 again with Alex Jones coming in for the fourth. The skipper thinks he may need to move it along so he drives a four, puts a six into the Cider tent by the Cadyshack and then drives another to the CA. The Glams change the field so Marcus simply changes the angle and puts one to the off side boundary. 48 after 4.
Simon Jones changes to the OP for the 5th and they bring Cosgrove in to the slips. 50 up with a murderous pull to the Somerset Stand off an 90 MPH delivery. He tries a slower one and Marcus puts it to the Ondaatje with one bounce. 58 for 1 after 5.
Wagg moves to the River and MT sends his first just inside the CA boundary. Then to compliment the power he glides one to the OP past the keeper to go to 67. Wagg's last ball sits up and Craig M says thanks a lot and flails it off the back foot to the Garner gate. 72 off 6.
Croft is back for the 7th as the Welsh turn to spin after seeing what MT is doing to the pace attack. It doesn't help though as another boundary goes to the Ondaatje. The solution seems to be...get Trescothick off strike. Meschede also looks to place the ball and there is an excellent diving stop as the ball flies throught the covers. Wagg is very good there.
Cosker takes the 8th with Somerset on 79 - double spin attack seems to be the plan. Marcus waits and then goes to 54 with a six into the scoreboard seats off 24 balls with 8 fours and 2 sixes. Stop this man if you can!! The next boundary shot is a paddle almost between the keeper's legs for a straight four.
Allenby is in to keep the variation going and he gets the same treatment as he is dismissed by Meschede to the Somerset boundary. The rate has come down from 8 per over to less than 6 before we get to 10 overs...just what you are supposed to do. The 100 arrives halfway through the 9th over (45 balls) with the Boss on 58 and CM on 14.
Then Allenby yorks the Boss for 58 off 28 balls. 101 for 2 and out comes James Hildreth needing 66 off 11. A few singles is followed by a slow Cosker ball and CM straight sixes him...and then again next ball!! 115 for 2 and Craig goes to 28 two balls after being 16.
Allenby stays on at the OP as we need 52 from 10. He nearly has Hilda stumped second ball but the Somerset batsman was aware and made sure his foot was back in. Saying we have Glamorgan rattled is clearly shown by the fact that they then are no balled because they have too few men inside the circle. Keep 'em dancing boys!!
124 for 2 after 11 needing 43 off 9 as Wagg comes in from the River for over number 12 but he is finding the fact that Hildreth is walking towards him as he bowls a bit of a problem.
Simon Jones is back on for the 13th as we need 35 off 42. As SKY say this is the last throw of the dice for the visitors. Mark Cosgrove is getting a workout on the Caddyshack boundary as they keep firing it towards him. But he's doing well and keeping the runs down to one a ball...all we need really. A slight misfield at third man gives us the boundary we need - Simon not pleased as we move to 140.
27 needed off 7 as Croft takes over at the River. Hilda goes for 2 but Craig is watching the fielder and is nearly run out as JH nearly reaches the crease before his partner starts to run. He then makes up for it with another two consecutive sixes to take himself to 50 from 26 balls and 150 up at the same time. Craig has not been outshone here - very impressive, especially against the spin. But he is out going for his 5th six, he is caught in the deep by Cooke. 53 from 28 balls with 4 sixes and 3 fours. Jos comes in to help finish this up. Simon takes the 15th at 159 for 3 and we need 7 off some 31 balls. 160 for 3 at the end of the 15th.
The 16th is in Cosker's hand and we need 7. We seem to be happy to take them in singles. Well except for the four Jos hits to tie the game followed by the huge six onto the roof of the CA.
We win by 7 wickets with 4.2 overs left adn no need for Pollard.
Take a bow Craig Meschede!! In front of the TV....can't argue with that.
Marcus is the Man of the Match but we have some talent with the bat...IF ONLY they could do it ALL the TIME!!