Metrobank Game 5 Bash and Derbyshire
By Grockle
August 4 2024
The main question of this game centres around whether Shoaib Bashir will be in the starting line-up for today. The press from the club suggests that will be the case but the question would then be who would be left out of a side that is moving successfully through the league stages of the Cup with excellent wins against Durham and a deeply disappointing Lancashire in the last week. We will soon know I suppose.
Metrobank Cup Game 5 v Derbyshire @ Taunton Sunday August 4 2024
The side on the scorecard at the moment (10:30) is the same one as Friday but with Josh Davey replacing Alfie Ogborne. The press suggests we may have a different spinner name on there somewhere as Shoaib Bashir has returned from a 'decent' Test series against the Windies. Lots of speculation suggests he will start today but it may not be the case.
The toss went to Derbyshire and they will field first.
The side is;
Umeed, Thomas G, Goldsworthy, Rew, Dickson, Thomas J, Kasey, Davey, Leach, Cassell, Bashir
Well little surprise there. Alfie possibly could do with the rest and Ned has been rota'd already. George may also be asked to bowl again one would imagine as a backup of the seam attack as was the case at the last game.
Chappel will open Derbyshire's attack against George Thomas from the MT. One run from a wide results from it. Conners takes the first at the River with Andy facing and he gets a leg glance four (though signalled by the umpire as byes) to get his account going. 5 after 2 with no balls off the bat as Polly changes the scorecard to 5 extras.
George actually glances the first boundary to the CA before he gives Chappell a leading edge C&B for a quite weak dismissal. 11 for 1 and Goldsworthy sees the third out.
Goldsworthy isn't there long, after a decent four he chooses the wrong shot misses it and is LBW to Connors for the 4. 20 for 2 and it's looking like the winning spree may not go past today at this rate. In comes James Rew and he completely misreads his first which should have been pouched behind but is missed and goes for four as the cordon leave it for each other. Whoops. Got to hope he capitalises on that.
Umeed is as out as out can be but Ian Blackwell is umimpressed though he really should have been giving him the finger... he then gives it as leg byes so he did not think the Somerset man had got bat on it. Very very fortunate indeed as we move to 29 for 2 (ought to be for 4). Another glance that zips past the edge of the slips sees Rew get his second boundary with luck and he is presently edging everything but is still there.
Things settle down a lttle as we move into the 8th. Both bats seem to have decided it is probably better to get the bat behind the ball rather than swish at it, Andy even steps into a drive to the scoreboard at the River end to move us into the 40s
Harry Moore comes on at the MT for the 9th and the River end also changes with Dalb taking over there for the 10th after Moore went for a single. During his next over he goes straight through Umeed but hits nothing, very unlucky. Rew then top edges one just over the keeper for four. As someone said it's the "luckiest 15 he'll ever make". He does keep us under 50 though at 49 for 1 after 11.
The 50 arrives off Dal via Umeed in the 12th. The first six comes from James in the next over as he pulls one around the corner to the Hildreth to take us to 59. It's slow but it is coming as the 50 partnership arrives at 68 for 2 off Dal at the end of the 15th. Rew on 24 and Umeed on 23.
Samit finally comes on for the 17th and then Chappell changes ends to the River James seems to have settled into the game a bit more now as he moves forward at a quicker scoring rate and we set our sights on 100 in the 18th which ends at 93 for 2.
The 100 arrives at the end of the 20th over as Umeed joins his partner in the 40s at 103 for 2. They introduce spin from the River as Wagstaff joins the attack. This only lasts two overs though because Moore returns and replaces his captain at the MT for the 23rd.
By the end of the over we have moved to 115 for 2 with Andy looking at a 50 on 49 and James 5 away. The first 50 comes from 62 balls and 5 fours for Somerset's "Number 1" at 116 for 2. Rew tries to go to 50 with a six but doesn't get enough on it and it zips under Conners the fielder coming in in the hope of a catch going to the rope for four- it takes him to 49 and he gets the single to pass 50 off 66 balls with 7 fours and 1 six. It also brings up the 100 partnership at the same time. He won't have scored many luckier half tons than that!!
At the halfway point Somerset have reached 122 for 2 with Umeed on 50 and Rew on 51. By the start of the 30th they are eying up the 150 target at 141 when Wagstaff upsets the apple cart by fooling Umeed with something that the bat pops to Samit Patel pretty limply to take the score to 141 for 3. In comes Sean Dickson who isn't fooled by the first ball HE faces and gets off the mark with a single from the 4th of the over.
With 20 to go 150 is still ahead but 142 for 3 is a better than the score after 10. Samit returns to make things as difficult as he possible can in the back half of the innings as the Somerset skipper looks to stabalise and push on while supporting his keeper to a large score we could do with. Derbyshire are trying to 'press' while a new bat is still raw. Meanwhile Rew looks to keep the scoring going with a whipped four to the Ondaatje car park and the 150 arrives in the 32nd over off Wagstaff at the River end.
At 35 overs Chappell returns from the River as we move into the 170s with James on 82 and Sean D in double figures. The visitors are looking for a breakthrough as they don't really want these two taking us into the last 10 with possibly 200 on the board and 7 wickets in the bag. It could get messy if that was the case.
Unfortunately James gets too expansive and tries to pull Chappell only to loop the ball to Lamb as it cramps him for room. He goes for 88 off 105 at 182 for 3 and in comes Josh Thomas. The young bat takes on the first ball he gets trying to pull the experienced Derby bowler to the Caddyshack but all he manages to do is smash it into the ground. He does get one to the boundary fielder in front of the Ondaatje later in the over to get off the mark however. With 12 to go Somerset reach 183 for 4
Moore changes ends for the 40th and we look at that 200 target with 10 to go. Dickson (22) is now the leading bat with Josh (3) playing accumulator for the time being. We have to be looking beyond 250 as a first inning total target from this position and anything less has to be seen as under par.
With 10 overs to go Somerset are 193 for 4 and Samit is back at the MT to start the run in. The 200 arrives courtesy of a confident lofted drive from Thomas to the Gimblett boundary and the first of 10 ends at 202. Dickson starts the 41st with consecutive smashes to the Trade Nation boundary as Moore delivers a coupld of juicy half volleys with signs on them saying "hit me please". 212 for 4 with 8 incoming.
Samit bowls out with the 43 with no wicket for 52 and the score moves on to 217. Conners has a few left and has looked rapid and dangerous with his 1 for 28. Josh sees him for the first time and straight drives him for four to the Botham boundary. They take 9 off him and Derbyshire move Zak Chappel to the MT end to take over from his skipper. Somerset's captain climbs into him and puts the ball to the Ondaatje boundary to move to 39. The 50 partnership from 43 balls comes from Josh cutting the same bowler to the Hildreth rope and moving the score to 236.
Sean moves to 50 with a straight one bounce four to the MT off 51 balls with 6 fours at 245 for 4 He then moves his side past 250 with a six to the Somerset stand at the end of the 46th over. They look at the last 4 from a score of 254. The changes keep ringing as Moore then comes in from the MT. His first is a full toss that disappears into the Trade Nation from the Somerset skipper. The second is the same and goes to the Ondaatje in the same manner. The third is a one bounce four straight to the MT as Dickson moves to 73 off 57 and he isn't stopping as he whips another four to the Botham to move the score for the over to 21 off 4. Sadly his skipper is too flat footed to move in and take a pretty easy mid off catch to his 6th ball as he goes for 22. The 17 year old has bowled quite well up to now so it is a bit of a shame. 276 for 4 with 3 to go as Connors takes the next and it seems pretty obvious that the Somerset pair are going for the 300!!
The 100 partnership comes off 64 balls with a Josh pulled six to the Gimblett as he moves to 38 from 32 meanwhile Dickson moves into the 80s off 60. The over ends at 294. Chappell will bowl out with the penultimate over with 40 coming off the last 2 overs and 55 off the last 3 with 68 coming off the last 4. Chappel has taken 2 for 49 presently and will not want those figures mashing up by these two going to town.
Zak does hold it back a llittle but it doesn't stop them getting to 300 with a Dickson 'cloth' for twoas he records his highest score for Somerset before he dies going for it, caught in the deep for 86 off 64 to give Chappell 3. Good score from the 'boss' with 8 fours and 3 sixes. 300 for 5 with Chappell finishing with 3 for 54 and Connors taking the last with Kasey joining Josh needing 9 for his 50. He faces and hits the scond striaght for four. Unfortunately he takes a single off the 4th on 46 but is back on strike for the last ball. Connors knows this as well of course. It's a no ball and the youngster gets back on striek for the free hit which he then hits for kneeling six to the Hildreth for his 50 from 41 and a final total of 316 for 5. Derbyshire need 317. 77 from the last 5 overs and a big score afer a very iffy and probably llucky start where we were 20 odd for 2 and really could have been not much more for 5!!
Good recovery, now can we defends it? Our highest 50 over score of the season. That is the equal second highest score for Somerset against Derbyshire in this format and the highest at home.
The Reply
Josh Davey will start from the MT to Harry Came opening with Luis Reece for Derbyshire. He is off the mark with 2 runs and Reece also gets a single to start his account off. 4 for 0 after 1. Cassell takes the other end but he's a bit loose first up and they have 16 after his first which goes for 12 with Reece particularly saying 'Thanks very much' .
Davey has gone for 12 from his 3 overs while Charlie Cassell has leaked 25 from 2 mostly from the bat of Reece. While it is always good to see young players get their chance, they have to put the performances in. Not surprisingly there is a change of bowling for the 6th as George Thomas takes over at the River end with Derbyshire on 37 without loss. He goes for 3 - that is more like it.
7 overs and 44 for 0 keeps them up with the required run rate of 6.3. Not a good start even though the score is a decent one to defend. It still needs defending. The visitor's 50 arrives at the end of the 8th with Came on 17 and Reece on 32
After 10 overs it's not all that impressive as Derbyshire push the score to 60 but George Thomas makes it a bit better by getting Came LBW for 19 off 33 with the last ball of the over.
Jack Leach comes on for the 13th at the MT and he goes for 5 and they keep GT on as he has kept them in check from the River as well. By the 15th it has been pulled back a bit as they move to 80 for 1. George keeps at it and finally gets a reward as he has Guest caught behind for 15 at 82 for 2. In comes Lloyd at number 4.
At 88 they take a quick single to Umeed and is run out by some sharp infielding for 44. 88 for 3 in the 18th which is a little better. It improves even more as Jack bowls Matt Lamb for 1 at 89 for 4.
Lloyd and Patel have a bit of a job to do this afternoon needing 228 from 31 overs. Uphill task for the visiting side and we may be top of the table tonight as Gloucestershire are struggling.
The good feelings for George continue as Smit Patel hits one back to him for a reacti0on C&B. He nonchalently throws it up but the only reason it was there was he put the ball where his arm was. Excellent reactions but a pure fluke. However 91 for 5 is where they find themselves with the skipper gone for 0 and Thomas on 22 for 3 off of 8 overs.
It's one of those games where with 20 overs gone it is pretty much over as a contest unless there is something phenomenally good from a Derbyshire tail not known for it. Somerset continue to bowl George, and why not if he's getting results. At the other end,"England's other spinner is showing how to bowl in a 50 over game and keep it tight.
Derbyshire go past 100 with Lloyd having a job to do after running Reece out and Dal looking to try and do the job his captain was planning to do before he went. Together they look to move the score along with the probable plan of working 5 over spell by 5 over spell and reassessing after each one. The next reset comes at 25 overs after George Thomas bowls out at 3 for 41 in the 24th. He has definitely done his job with the ball.
The 25th over is the first for Kasey Aldridge this afternoon. It ends with a comical mixup by the bats and a possible run out as they go for a second, Dickson tries to break the stumps and it results in 6 runs as overthrows take the ball to the boundary. 135 for 5 at the turning point in the innings.
On comes Bash for his first spell at the River end. What has he learned for the 'master' :-)? Derbyshire bring up the 6th wicket 50 partnership during his first with Lloyd on 29 and Dal on 27 from 36 balls. Shoaib contributed 6 of those as they move to 141 for 5. Up comes the 150 at the end of Bash's 2nd while we continue with the seam of Kasey at the other end. Lolyd and Dal are building quite a nice partnership even though the run rate is climbing over by over as they fail to meet the demand. It is now stanmding at 7.7 while they are moving at 5.3 in the 29th. Having said that, this pair are making a go of this game and we are not as tight as we usually are so the runs keep coming. With 20 overs to go we are at 165 so they need just over 150 from a T20 size number of overs and that is quite gettable for most sides these days. By the end of the 31st they have added 9 and the run rate required has dropped for the first time in quite a few. We need to retake control of this innings as the two bats move towards 50s.
Jack comes on to try and settle this game down. Dal goes to 50 from 36 balls with 4 fours and Lloyd goes to past the same point with the next ball via a reverse sweep to make people start to wonder if the Somerset score is enough. They need 129 from 17 overs - which is gettable on a flat pitch with loose bowling which is what we presently have here.
For the first time in both their careers as first team cricketers, Bash is bowling with Jack and they have a job to do. Leachy has gone for 39 from his 7 and the 100 partnership arrives as Bash has gone for 26 off his 4 and a half. That partnership came off 82 balls - quicker than they need the next one to come in to get them close to our total!!
After 34 it is 193 for 5 and you could say it is 'Game On'. The 200 arrives on ball short of the end of the 35th and this one has gone for 8 to 201 for 5. 206 for 5 at the end of the 36th results in a chat about strategy. It does look a little easy with 'nelson' required from more than 10 overs. Jack continues but the questions is who will bowl after the two spinners have bowled out? Cassell was loose, Davey has 4 and Aldridge has 6 plus there is more slow stuff available from Josh Thomas and Andy Umeed if required. None of that suggests defending less than 100 will be easy. It is in the balance at the moment and it really never should have been.
Jack bowls his last over which is the 39th he starts it having gone for 51 off his 9 and ends it with 1 wicket for 59 runs. Derbyshire go into the 40th with 229 for 5 needing 88 - you have to say this is now their game to lose.
With 10 overs to go they need 85 (a good return over from Cassell at the River end goes for only 3). Josh Davey returns to the MT with a job on at 232 for 5. He provides the breakthrough when he has Lloyd caught by Jack Leach at short third for 71 at 235 for 6 after an excellent partnership of 145 with Dal that has kept his side in this game. Well done Josh Davey. Who then provides another as Zak Chappell miscues one to Bash fielding in clo se at mid on and its 235 for 7 with Wagstaff walking out to help Dal get this Derbyshire train back on the rails as Davey changes the game in 3 balls. He looks to finish the over but bowls a wide and then a dot. Excellent return.
They now need 81 from 9 and we need 3 wickets. Cassell then bowls to Dall who hits him for six off his first and while he is still in this game is not certain as they move towards 250. It is 248 after the 42nd but Charlie has gone for 10 an over.
Josh continues but so does Dal, hitting his first for a four to the Ondaatje car park to pass the 250 mark and go into the 90s. Wagstaff wants to get off strike and tries only to lose his stump as Sean Dickson swoops in and pings the leg stump out at the non striker's end . Wagstaff goes for 2, Moore arrives and it is 253 for 8 with Derbyshire still needing 64. But Dal is STILL there and pulls for four off the next ball to move to 95 from 64. 60 to win. He takes a single to get back on strike.
258 for 8 with 7 overs to go. Dal facing and Cassell given the ball. Dal takes 1 putting Moore in the firing line. 2 dots increases the pressure but he flasehs it to the boundary which at least keeps him on strike. He is nearly bowled by the next as the young man comes up the wicket. Only 5 off the over but it leaves Dal on strike and they bring Kasey on to replace Josh at the MT.
6 overs to go 54 needed with 2 wickets required and Dal on 97. Dal takes the single followed by Moore taking one. They take another to move Dall to 99 and Moore then glances a four to the Botham as Moore passes his best ever score. With 5 overs to go they need 44 at 273 for 8 but Dal is NOT on strike with Cassell taking the next.
Dal takes it to an fighting 100 off 69 balls with 9 fours and 1 six. He has kept his side in this game and they are still in it with 1 ball of the 46th left at 278 for 8 needing 39 to win this game. Dal hits the Scot into the CA for 6 off the last one. Cassell has gone for 56 from 6 - we need another option from the River.
33 runs from 4 overs and the first goes from Moore for four. He then scoops another four off the second ball. He is cuaght off a no ball and they move through the over to end up needing 12 from the last 3 overs and we have thrown this away as we return to Josh Davey too late for it to really mean much. But he then bowls Dal for 115 - a superb ball and a superb innings. You just can't make it up. 305 for 9 with 17 balls and 12 needed.
With Moore (25) and Conners (0)on strike. Connors does the right thing and takes one!! Davey bounces Moore smacks it into the Botham for 6. One blow needed with 5 to win. They take a single and Moore to 3 times his best score ever (actually 4 as his previous high score was 7!!). Conners faces and blocks twice.
So... 2 overs and 4 needed or 1 wicket. It is Derbyshire's to lose here as the Somerset brain trust discuss tactics for the next over which is bowled by Kasey who will not be able to defend 4 I'm afraid. The first is a dot to create some hope :-) and the second is glanced for four to give the visitors a win with 10 balls to spare and Moore ends with a very mature 36 from 20 for the 17 year old.
The tactics there were poor, the performance was loose and we let them get away from a losing position partly through the excellent innings of Dal and the support he got from Lloyd. Very very very disappointing end to a decent week., We could have been top but we gave it to today's opposition unfortunately.
I'm not sure why we took Josh Davey off when we did and then brought him back when we probably would not use all his overs. We did not bowl out Bash and though our much vaunted spin twins were used we did not vary our slow ball delivery when they were getting nowhere and going for some even though we had three other spinners in the side in Josh Thomas, Lewis Goldsworthy and Andy Umeed (who has been known to clear the back end of sides in this competition) It might have been an option to bring back as slow man when Moore came in to keep him honest when the glance to the boundary was costly and we let him play it. Did we also need fielders on the boundasry when he was on strike at the start as well? Wasn't the objective to keep him there and stop anything but the single? Ahhh what do I know?
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:08:06:13:10:39 by Grockle.
Squad: Dickson (c), George Thomas, Umeed, Goldsworthy, Rew, Josh Thomas, Vaughan, Aldridge, Ogborne, Davey, Leach, Leonard, Bashir, Cassell, Heywood.
Derbyshire, captained this year by England and former Nottinghamshire all-rounder Samit Patel, add young paceman Harry Moore, leg-break bowler Michael Wagstaff and all-rounder Anuj Dal to those who played against Worcestershire. Squad: Came, Lamb, Dupavillon, Reece, Moore, Bin Naeem, Patel (c), Wagstaff, Guest, Chappell, Brown, Lloyd, Connors, Dal.
Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2024:08:04:12:42:38 by Grockle.
15 into 11 won’t be an easy call.
Nor will Jack/Shoaib. Has to be Jack for me, unless he fancies a day off.
Grizzers
Umeed
George Thomas
Golders
Rew
Dickson
Aldridge
Josh Thomas
Josh Davey
Jack Leach
Alfie Ogbourne
Shoaib Bashir
No team info at present but a large crowd is in queues at the gates and there are a significant number coming down from the station so there may be a decent Derbyshire contingent today.
And the sun is breaking through after a moderately dull journey in from West Somerset.
As normal I'll keep a check on the game with the frontpage while this thread will be the comment one and I'll merge them afterwards so as not to bother the mobile users during the game with unnecessary uploads of the story. So any match comments here please
Mr Griffin is indeed here - presently inspecting the wicket with camera in hand and chatting with the groundstaff.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:08:04:10:26:23 by Grockle.
We'll probably also see our English spinners bowling in tandem - that'll be interesting given the 'Nut's new affinity with white ball cricket - maybe he will have some stuff to show the young "Padawan"
Mike Hendrick, Bob Taylor, Viv Richards...
That's my era, and I just looked up Hendrick's stats: 770 wickets at just 20.5.
And Taylor: 633 first-class games (!) with a record 1649 dismissals. That's a career!
But it is what it is and you have to make them pay when the luck goes your wsy.
Grizzers
Hope the spinners are tighter later.
And George Thomas is presently on 3 for 22.
Taking nothing away from Dal and Lloyd but we gave that one away with strange field placings and bowling changes that made little sense. Plus some pretty shocking bowling as well to be honest.
Anthony has just been in and wants to talk to Sean Dickson - think he might be asking the same questions to the Somerset captain.
But really, that was absolutely brainless bowling in the last twenty overs. On an unresponsive strip, what on earth is the point in repeatedly bowling half way down the track ?
When we had them five down we thought we had won, but were taught a hard lesson, not helped by some pretty ropey fielding as well.
Cracking day, but there really is no way we should have lost that.
Very frustrating.
Grizzers
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:08:04:20:39:12 by Grizzers.
Never saw that result coming...
Sean Dickson hitting a big six..
Samit Patel hitting the ball straight back to George Thomas. c&b.
David Lloyd ct Jack Leach bld Josh Davey. He looks a bit disappointed.
Sean Dickson scoring 4 runs and bringing up his 50,
Brooke Guest ct James Rew bld George Thomas
Anuj Dal hitting a scoop shot.
That all folks.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024:08:05:09:02:00 by Mike TA1.