Glamorgan Friendly - less rain more cricket?

By Grockle
March 27 2023

We have a game at Taunton, though on a very creative pitch becvause of grass and water issues. Nevertheless they have started the three day game with Somerset bowling in sunshine

V Glamorgan (Friendly) @ Taunton Monday 27 March 2023

A second warmup game in the South West may fare a little better with the weather. The Cardiff game ended pretty much at lunch on Day 1 with no bowling from the home side. Hence the decision to bowl in this game at 12 noon on the first day. The water is still pooled in front of the Colin Atkinson (CA) Pavilion and the 'beach' is still the condition of the area in front of the Marcus Trescothick (TA) Pavilion. They have decided not to use either parts of the ground which makes for a very intersting boundary, at the MT end it's not 10 meters behind the slip cordon to the right hand side of the pitch (which is the same strip as was used last week).

The side may be an amalgam of batting and bowling with different individuals in the eleven that operates for each function. Dickson is not present, nor is Lammonby and none of the overseas players (Siddle, Henry or Bancroft) are yet here. So the squad is;

Lewis Gregory (c), Kasey Aldridge, Sonny Baker, George Bartlett, Shoaib Bashir, Josh Davey, Steve Davies, Lewis Goldsworthy, Ben Green, Craig Overton, James Rew, George Thomas and Andy Umeed.

The bowling commences with Craig Overton coming in from the MT end to Eddie Byrom while Josh Davey opens from the River to Lloyd. After the first 12 balls the visitors are at 4 for 0

There is a test stream for this game on Youtube with a link in the News section of the club website or in the thread below this story. Lunch is at 1:30 and the day's play will end at about 6pm. James Rew is keeping though I would probably expect Steve Davies to bat given the absence of our probable opening partnership for the Warwickshire game of Dickson and Bancroft (?). The 4,5,6 section of the CC1 lineup is going to be interesting if Tom Abell makes it to the first game

Craig strikes first as the Glamorgan men get into their work. A sharply rearing one gets an edge from Lloyd and he is snaffled in the slips for 18 at 33. Good first one for COve.

Brooks is on first change at the Mt for over number 9 and Aldridge takes over from the River in over number 12. Glamorgan continue the 'Somerset' theme as their number 3 is Colin Ingram. Eddie looks well set and with the South African they take the score over 100 in the 16th without any real problem, the boundary on the right side isn't keeping the score down for the right hander at the MT end!! Anything past the infield is a boundary almost immediately.

Lewis Gregory gets his first bowl of 2023 taking over from the MT for the 17th and Bashir gets his first opportunity from the other ends with the 18th - a maiden isn't a bad start. Shaoib is very tall for an offie but he has a confident manner and a decent action on first impressions. The interim skipper is the next one to pounce as he gets Byrom knicking to the slips after a very good 71 at 122. This brings in yet another 'Somerset' consideration as Sam Northeast (a consideration at one time here) is the next man in. Bashir ends the morning session with another maiden.

After lunch Lewis Gregory opens the bowling from the MT as Craig changes ends and it works as Ben Green catches Northeast in the gully from the skipper at 138 for 3. But COve also adds to his tally with an excellent reaction catch from Gregory as the ball from Ingram comes off the hands of the third slip fielder. 158 for 4 after an excellent 39 from Colin.

The 31st over is taken by Josh from the MT and he has Carlson for 12 via an excellent third slip catch from Kasey Aldridge at 164 for 5. An attacking 4 slips and a gully is the order of the day at the moment but mostly because there is no where else to put fielders on the playing area with this amazing polygon of a boundary setup!!

Craig cleans up the new man Root in the 32nd, off peg flying out of the ground, only to turn around and find the umpires arm out for a no ball... great delivery though.

Brooks returns for the 34th and we see Sonny Baker for the first time from the MT next over. Jack has gone for some tap (52 off his 7) and Sonny goes for 10 off his first so Root and Cooke are looking to get a hold of this innings.

Although Sonny comes back well in his second (only 4 conceded) he does seem to be finding his way a little and his fourth becomes a bit of a task as he loses his stride pattern and run up towards the end struggling to finish the six balls and pulling uip on his run up more than once.

This triggers a move to Kasey at the MT just before Tea with Bashir coming back at the other end. This is also partly because the Glamorgan pair have taken hold of the game and have put on a 100 partnership for the 6th wicket.

We go into Tea with the score at 283 for 5 off 50 overs with 50 odd of those coming in the last 8 overs with both Root and Cooke over 50.

Not suprisingly Glamorgan decalare at the interval and Somerset will bat in the third session of the day.

Andy Umeed and Steve Davis open for us against Harry Podmore from the River and McIlroy from the MT. We are 9 for 0 after 2 overs.

Andrew was a guy last year who looked to be a 'stayer' he didn't score quickly but he did occupy the crease for time. It looks like he may have been asked to 'expand' his scoring this season. In the short innings against Cardiff he took the bowling on and hit as many as he tried at and missed before he was dismissed. Here he did something along the same lines going up the wicket to a wide delivery but not getting enough of it and snicking it to the keeper. It wasn't needed and last year's Umeed would probably have left it. He didn't and he went for 5 at 10 for 1. in comes George Thomas for an interesting innings after a year of injury and sidelines. How has he developed? He is a big strong lad but does he have the nuance to play red ball effectively? An innings of 75 2 years ago suggested he did.

It's a short stay for George as he gets one that deserves hitting out of the ground. Unfortunately he hoicked it straight up into the air and had to wait for Eddie to catch it. Eddie did and George departs for 12 at 30. In comes Lewis Goldsworthy

What then follows is a period of consolidation as Lewis finds his rhythm and Davis takes no gambles on balls from van der Gugen and Harris. The 50 comes and goes in the 14th over and Steve then becomes 'becalmed' in his problem area of the mid 30s as Goldsworthy also finds moving the score on difficult. However, this block is overcome and the older batsman moves past 50 and pushes the score on past 100 in the 21st with 53 to his name and 26 to his younger partner. He then moves into the 'elegant' and 'effortless' version of his game where batting and scoring boundaries suddenly seems to be of no problem to him at all. This is the Steve Davis we all talk about having seen. Then just as soon as it comes, it goes and he simply flaps one in the air to point where the fielder simply takes it out of the air. The contradiction that is our senior keeper batsman. Majestic and daft in semi equal measures 115 for 3 and Ben Green replaces Davis out for 61 out of a partnership of 86... valuable but still an 'if only' innings like so many before it in Somerset colours.

Green comes out and smacks 8 off 2 balls, he's becoming the man for this kinds of score (though that will probably do for him)! 122 for 3 at the end of the day with Green on 8 and Goldsworthy still there with a fighting 42. On we go.

DAY 2

Rain over the evening made an 11 o'clock start impossible for the second day. The Umpires had a look and decided on an early lunch at 12:30 and an inspection after that. They eventually got on the pitch at 3:30. Lewis Goldsworthy lost his wicket at 149 with a half ton only 1 run away and then Ben Green followed him back after knicking behind without adding to his score of 16 or taking the score over 150. James Rew and Lewis Gregory worked hard and added just over 50 to take the Somerset score beyond 200 before Gregory departed for 22 at 203 and when Rew was caught in the slips with a score of 36 at 231 for 7 Somerset called the men in and offered the last 45 minutes to Glamorgan.

Dan Douthwaite who hadn't batted in the first dig opened for his county but only lasted 2 balls as a dubious single call made him a victim of a swooping Jack Brooks in bobble hat cokming in and taking out the stumps with a direct hit with the Glamorgan man well short.

It got worse when Gregory got his second by removing Lloyd courtesy of the hands of Craig Overton with 21 on the board. Nothing else transpired and the visitors had reached 66 for 2 by the end of play.

DAY 3

Friendly conditions for 2023 continued with no play at 11 because of a damp start to the day. However there was a start at 12 for a change and Brooks provided the first wicket of the day 7 minutes later as Ben Green held on with a good diving catch at 3rd slip and Carlson strudged back to the Caddyshack. 78 for 3. He took another one before we had been playing for 20 minutes when Salter edged to Aldridge at 94 for 4. The second innings went past 100 as one of those things that happens in a pre-season friendly occured. Dan Douthwaite was given another chance to have a bat coming in at number 6 after starting at number 1. It didn't last long though because just before lunch Josh Davey got one past him into the hands of Rew (not sure Douthwaite was all that certain of the decision) and off he went again with 126 on the board. Then the weather moved in and the pplayers left the pitch as the rain started and that was lunch.

Rain stopped, covers came off and we were back on at 2:00. Somerset came out to field so the score was going to move up from 126 - not sure whether they have talkled about making a game of this or it will just be a case of playing while the weather lets them but we'll see I suppose.

148 for 6 (Ingram retired not out for 35 it seems) Davey to Harris caught by Rew as he slashes hard and misses most of it. The whole Someset side seems to have decided to field in woolly hats now including Rew behind the stumps.

Sonny gets another go after problems on Day 1 and he bowls Sam Northeast for 56 which results in a declaration with Glamorgan on 149 for 7 giving them a lead of 201.... back on at 2:45

Umeed and Davis start the home side second innings with 3 (the lights are on so unless it rains it is definitely possible) to score 202. 2 Umeed boundaries in the first innings get us off ot a decent start. But for how long? He continues to work in boundaries producing 6 of them in a decent spell before he does that thing that most Somerset bats do... without pressure waft at one and sky it to a fielder. In this case it is Root off Douthwaite, he goes for 30 and Somerset are 61 for 1 in the 12th. in comes Lewis Goldsworthy at number 3

The game is then called a draw at just before 4 with Somerset on 63 and nowhere near reaching the 200 odd required by 6.

Not sure what we can take from this one - it has been disrupted badly by the weather. A few more guys got a bat and everyone got a bowl and on we go to Bristol.

Keep an eye out on the site for information about later this week and for any changes to things related to the beginning of the season if anything comes to pass - the info would have to be out soon if it is coming.