Cricket Luvverly Cricket
Not quite like this now!
By Grockle
July 20 2010
Championship cricket returns on a darkish day under rain laden skies. The coloured stuff goes the same way as the weather and we return to white kit and normal "summer" conditions. Clouds over the Quantocks accompanied my bus journey in and it will probably accompany my way home as well. It's gonna be a damp day.
v Kent CC1 @ Taunton Tuesday 20 July 2010
Day 1
Kent won the toss and chose to field first on a morning that started at 11;15 (to the surprise of many coming in from my side of the town). The conditions had to favour the bowlers and it was unlikely that the conditions at 11:00 were going to do anything but deteriorate during the day - sunshine was not going to be the order of the day UI would suggest.
Buit we are back in the BIG competition and we need to get ourselves sorted quickly because this is the one we really want. The Pro 40 and the T20 are just window dressing. You are not seen as a complete county cricket club without a Championship and I would suggest that we have rarely been closer to that as a possibility than this year after our short format break.
The side for today is much as it would be expected to be;
Trescothick, Suppiah, Buttler, de Bruyn, Hildreth, Kieswetter, Trego, Kartik, Phillips, Thomas and Willoughby
We welcome back Arul after a bit of a break to his number 2 slot, Jos Buttler seems to be preferred as the number 3 (no place for Nick Compton) and Craig Kieswetter gets the gloves and a chance to get himself back into some form - something that has been eluding him for most of the season except for the T20 World Cup. Ben Phillips returns after a rest on Sunday, Charl Willoughby returns to the strike bowler spot that his VC steps down from and Kartik also returns after resting the thigh injury that he carried for the first 60% of T20 tournament.
Khan (River) and Cook (Old Pavilion) open for them and the ball does wiggle around a bit but Marcus and Arul settle and we pass 50 in the 12th with both men scoring at roughly the same rate. Unfortunately the captain does not hang around much longer as he falls LBW to Stevens in his first over from the River at 64. Arul looks like the gap has done him no harm and we now need him to settle back into his opener mode as his new partner Jos strides out.
All seems right until we pass three figures just before lunch when the wheels come off well and truly. Suppiah seems keen to drive when it is possible and chooses to do it to one that isn't possible! As a result he pops it to Denley at point off Cook in the 23rd and we are 101 for 2 and out comes Zander. He hasn't even got himself settled before Stevens catches Buttler in two minds neither forward or back and Van Jaarsveldt says thank you at second slip - 101 for 3. It gets no better two balls later with Hildreth in the same frame of mind snicking one low to Jones off the same 'dibbly dobbly' bowler and we are 101 for 4!
Is this a product of the change of format? The change of weather conditions? The quality of the Kent bowlers? The unpredictability of the Taunton wicket? Well there seems to be a lack of true application - maybe it is because of a format change. The pitch is slow rather than 'minefield-ish' and the bowling is tight.
We survive to lunch which Craig heralds in with a superb cover drive to the scoreboard corner 105 for 4 and a bit of chatting to do about how to play after the interval perhaps.
After lunch Khan looks lively at the OP and ZdB is still looking to settle himself. He gets quite a bit of playing and missing. We are being very cautious indeed. Unfortunately Mr Kieswetter doesn't operate at too high a level of caution and spoons one from Stevens to Bandura for 6 and it is 'Nelson' for 5. The young man's season continues in roughly the same vein.
Peter Trego, (our last recognised batsman?) joins Zander as the bowling attack continues to make our batting lives very difficult - though it is really hard to explain why.
Nice to see Tractor back from his travels to Chesterfield to see cricket. Also we are joined on this occasion by LoL making his yearly trip to Nirvana. It was also nice to say hello to oldboy for the first time and I am reliably informed that Grizzzly has been sighted on the ground - though not yet by me.
It isn't however presently going to plan!
There is no hope on the horizon either as we continue to try and re-create the abject batting of Sunday. Admittedly, Khan is getting some seam movement but nothing particularly alarming. It is enough though for Trigger, who follows one moving away and is snatched up at second slip once again to take us to 116 for 6. He is closely followed by Ben Phillips who doesn't follow one moving away! He simply wafts at a straight one and snicks it to Jones. 118 for 7 and the sparse crwod starts to pray for heavy and prolonged rain. Alfonso Thomas comes out to partner the stubborn but uncomfortable ZdB but nothing here suggests any of our lot will be out there for long I am afraid.
The rain thankfully comes in large amounts at 2:25 and an hour later the covers are still on. It's dark all around the place and pretty touch and go whether we see anything else today. 122 for 7 with Zander on 7 and his vice captain on 4. We've presently lost 6 wickets for the grand total of 21 in 60-ish balls and it can rain for the next three days for me based on what I've seen up to now :-)
Day 2
Dawns a little brighter but there is a whole bunch of work to do to get the county back into this match. The crowd is about the same but the weather is drier and a little sunnier. Zander is looking to push it on against Cook (River) and Khan (OP) and moves to 25 with some aggression. Unfortunately, Alfonso has a marginal decision about whether a ball was a 'bump' one or not as Van Jaarsveldt catches one that may have come off the ground when Alf hit it. No doubt about the catch but the umpires consult on what it came off. They decide the bat and it is 154 for 8. He walks off not particularly amused by the decision and Kartik takes his place, prepares and 'heads' Khan's first delivery (a bouncer) over the slips for four to the CA Pavilion.
Zander looks to get us past 200 with some good stroke play and solid defence. Unfortunately he looks to carve Cook to the Caddyshack at 192 and snicks the ball to Jones 192 for 8. Good defence and daft aggression but he did make a very valuable 44. In comes Charl and mayhem could very well ensue. He takes a daft single off the first ball he faces and Coles looks to throw the stumps down, misses all three and he gets 5! Kartik looks to throw the sink at the ball before CW goes. But that is not the case and the lefty reaches a Khan ball to swipe it for four and take his county over 200.
Willow goes to double figures and prompts a change in bowling as Treadwell comes on from the River. This is playing into Charl's hands because he deals with spin better. Unfortunately Kartik doesn't and is caught behind trying to cut. 205 all out and our number eleven carries his bat for 11.
Thank you Zander for giving the score some semblence of decency...but it is not impressive at all and we have to bowl damn well to make them worry about this game. The one aspect that will affect the game more is the rain and as the players leave the pitch the rain starts to fall heavily.
Play starts again at 12:45 after a bit of rain and some limited cover work. Denley and Northeast face Charl at the OP and Ben from the River. Northeast merits four slips but there is no early breakthrough. After four overs the sides leave the field for lunch with 29 for no loss to Kent and some deep thinking required by the home side.
After lunch Charl continues to Northeast from the Old Pavilion while Ben Phillips has the River end berth to Denley. The sun has pierced the cloud but showers throughout the afternoon are predicted and at 1:45 we have just been told that it is belting down in Portishead - not sure which way the wind is blowing so that may totally relevant or irrelevant information but it does not look settled by any stretch of the imagination. This could be a good thing as the afternoon is possibly mapped out as Northeast's first scoring shot after the break is a glance off an edge along the ground which evades FOURTH slip to go for four!
However, there is something there for the bowlers and after Phillips has roughed them up a bit from the River Charl gets Northeast playing down the wrong line and snicking the ball through to an ecstatic Kartik at 35 for 24. Jones arrives at number 3 and he helps Denley push the score past 50 at the end of the 13th.
Trigger is on for the 14th but Denley takes a liking to him and puts two deliveries out to the Somerset Stand in his first and there is a double change because Alfonso comes on at the OP for the 15th and simply carries on his T20 level of accuracy going for 1 and causing the batsmen all kinds of problems. Unfortunately Pete isn't doing that at the other end and after another over he is replaced by Kartik. He takes on Jones - who puts him on the Botham Stand roof with an excellent straight hit. However, our man has a brain and he gives him a little bit of air on the next one, catches him in two minds and then catches the return 'plop' before running whooping down the wicket. It's 76 for 2.
Van Jaarsveldt is next in and facing a nagging vic captain and a tricky spinner. He isn't in for long as he plays around a straight one from Alf and is judged LBW (he isn't impressed by the decision) after hitting one boundary in a two ball life. 82 for 3 and a danger man has gone.
Kent are now struggling against some very good bowling from both ends. Alfonso has a very good LBW shout turned down and then what looks like a done and dusted catch behind turned down. Denley and Blake survive although Blake looks so out of touch with things one wonders where the county got him from. It is Kartik who benefits as he gets past Denley's bat and has him LBW at 87. The base of the Kent reply has gone, Blake looks like a rabbit in the headlights and Stevens comes in as their main hope of getting up to 200 and beyond. At 3:00 the score is 98 for 4 and the game is looking far more interesting than it was at lunch.
The 100 comes up with the introduction of Ben for the 26th (I personally don't understand this as he replaces Alfonso after five dangerous overs). The cloud is starting to close in and it is starting to get a lttle more oppressive. However the fun continues as Blake (who has looked completely out of sorts with MK) finally manages to place the ball in the hands of a fielder (Jos Buttler at short leg) and it is 114 for 5 just before the end of the 30th over.
Treadwell joins Stevens and this is all looking very interesting indeed. Rain can stay away and we'd like a spell after Tea if we can manage to remove the Stevens bloke.
My wish is granted with the re-introduction of Willoughby for the 32nd over. He has Stevens trying to thread the ball through the infield but Trego is there and takes a very good low catch at point to remove the man at 126. In comes Coles for Kartik to have a play with but it is a bit of a battle as Coles open his shoulders on more than one occasion deposting the ball past the scoreboard refreshment hut for one huge six. At 159 in the 40th over however our man wins as he bowls the new man for 23. Bandara comes out with 10 minutes or just one over to deal with before the break. It seems to be the longer of the two periods,
They don't survive until Tea as Treadwell pops it up to Buttler and Kent leave at 164 for 8 with Mr Kartik with 5 for 46. Off to radio commentary - have a chat if you are about.
A long session with the last ball being bowled just before 6:45. But a very satisfying one from a Somerset point of view as the last two Kent wickets went in no nonsesn quick fashion. Bandara didn't hang around because Thomas was too good and too fired up for him and he went caught behind at 172 followed very quickly by Khan to the same man after a mere 4 balls. Kent all out for 172 and we have a 33 ball lead and 31 overs to play before the end of Day 2.
Marcus and Arul got to work making sure they did not lose wickets during this period. The captain scratched around for a considerable while on 3 while his partner took most of the scoring on himself. He took the strike and blunted the efforts of Khan (straight from his early discussions about becoming a Somerset man next season), Cook and Coles. No sign of Stevens which surprised many, no effort from theman to influence his captain by doing exercises and when it seemed little was happening it was Treadwell who got the nod. Balls did nove past the bat and Arul was guilty of the odd 'waft' and it did for him in the 13th over just before we passed 50 when he 'wafted' one to Jones from Coles.
But the batsmen did their job. Nothing daft. Hit the very loose one. Don't scramble. Plenty of time. Jos Buttler came in at number 3, a real indication of the confidence of the man himself and his county's view of his ability. He was so confident that at times his skipper had a word about goind after the young man Coles who put a few juicy wide deliveries his way which didn't need hitting but tempted Jos to have a go. He did not hit anything thank heavens and the two men put on a decent partnership of 79 before the unpredictability of Bandara (long hops followed by jaffas followed by leg side followed by off side) found Jos missing a straight one (high to me however) and being adjudged LBW with 42 to his name and 124 on the Somerset second innings sheet. Banger had by this time passed 50 with a mixture of patience and huge boundaries (6 fours, 2 sixes and 70 balls). Alfonso was sent in to play out the two and a bit overs left and did so without incident. We ended the day on 128 for 2 with the Boss on 59 and his VC yet to score. 161 ahead and in a commanding position - a really enjoyable and long days play and something to look forward to...
Day 3
The rain started at 10:45 and stopped just after 12. The Players have taken an early lunch at 12;30 and they are drying the ground out (lots of surface water on the outfield) as I type. It is brighter but not by much and play before 3:00 will be very lucky. Hoping for a 'non' damp squib.
But my hopes are dashed. It rained again at 12:40 and wet everything that had been dried. The ends of other strips are underwater and the covers are saturated. They are going to inspect at 2:30......bated breath is not necessary because it will rain again before then.
Lots of inspections today. 3:30, 4:15, 5:00 and then ........ inspection at 5:30 and the game ends at 5:32.
Day 4
Interesting morning. We start on time and the discussion in the box is when will we declare. General consensus is 12:40 givng us about 6 before lunch at the Kent openers. That means 120-ish this morning, Marcus and Alfonso seem up to it, especially the VC who has been given leave to 'welly'. The 150 arrives halfay through the 35th - mostly from the allrounder's bat.
The ball is moving about and Khan is looking like someone they should keep an eye on. Banger smacks him to the Somerset Stand and that seems to make Kent think and they introduce Bandara at the River end ion the 38th at 176 for 2. The Somerset men are pushing it along though and the skipper flat bats one from Khan straight to Treadwell and leaves the field for 80 with 190 to his side. We surprisingly then send in Zander de Bruyn when most people would have expected Trigger. He finds Khan a definite handful and is nearly caught off his third ball. Alf continues to swipe the ball but misses a particular swipe in the 40th and is bowled by Bandara for 30 at 194 for 4. In comes Hildreth? No Peter yet?
The 200 arrives in the 42nd and then ZdB shows that he is more than an 'accumulator' by hoisting Khan into the cemetry with the next delivery to double his score of 6. James is taking a little longer to get himself sorted and has simply moved to 4 as we end the 43rd on 209.
Then Hilda puts the boot down and starts to pepper the boundary taking us over 250 in the 48th with a six followed by a four off Bandara after 48 overs we have 289 in the bank and James has gone to 36.
Treadwell arrives to bowl the 50th as we near a 300 run lead and the expectation of a declaration. ZdB hits a double to take us into the third century. The prediction is 12:30 OR 75 overs left with JH just four runs from a 50. Marcus is on the balcony for the 52nd with James looking for a 50. But he top edges a reverse sweep and is caught behind for 48. In comes Craig ? Why? and things get even wierder when Peter arrives when ZdB is caught behind the next ball when the ball lodges in Geraint Jones' pads and is prised out! Pete dispatches his second ball for four and we expect the declaration to come at the end of the 53rd...not really sure about the pooint fo sending these boys in? But it isn't over as Peter skies one to Bandara and out comes Phillips (along with the 12thman with instructions). 290 for 7 at the end of the 53rd. No declaration and.....what the hell is going on?
The 54th starts and CK is off the mark with a boundary from Treadwell. He brings up the 300 with a straight driven four. He finally declares on 301 at 12:35 leaving them 335 to win off 70 overs.
The four overs before the break show little. Charl and Alfonso give little away to Northeast and Denley and they finish the session with 12 up for no loss. After the break, the anticipation is for the introduction of Murali Kartik but before that the Kent men have to avoid anything silly agains our 'leftie' and Ben Phillips who opens from the River. The run rate is about 2.5 and therefore they have 26 after 10.
Kartik is introduced for the 14th with Kent on 36. 2:10 for anyone checking. The game starts here...or ends here.
Well we start with a maiden and that is followed by Alfonso Thomas taking over at the OP. Kent are wary of the spinner and playing and missing like there is no tomorrow against Somerset's adopted son. The ball is moving after passing the bat and jagging back off the pitch and the VC looks the more dangerous at the start of this phase of the game.
However it isn't until the 21st over that we get anything, luck has been with the visitors until that point when Thommo does through sheer athleticism what fate won't allow him to with the ball. Denley looks to knock one out to the inner field and is wonderfully caught and bowled by the man in form. 1 for 67 - is this the start of the rot?
Jones is in at number three which says lots about the Kent line-up. After him there is Van Jaarsveldt and Stevens and a lot of blockers, nurdlers and bowlers...can we get through the fragile frontline before the Tea break? It does look possible as Kartik starts to get into his rhythm and cause both batsmen problems with pace and flight and pitch. It is a case of another wicket falling beinf inevitable and after some staunch defence it is Northeast who succumbs popping one up to Arul Suppiah (who may have an influence on this game with the ball yet) in the 26th with the score on 77. This brings the opposition skipper to the crease and a vital phase of this game starts with two relatively new men at the crease who may well be the last of the visitors really recognised batsmen.
One question is who will spell Thomas to keep him fit and roraring in. In the 29th we find out that Willow is the first to take on that role as he returns at the OP. Whatever he does, he does get their boss to belt one out to Buttler and 94 for 3 breathes new life into the innings and sets up my after tea commentary to be very enjoyable hopefully.
I won't be able to give you any written stuff on the rest of this but if you want to get the audio up then I'll try and reply to Grockle comments during the final session of this absorbing game.
Blake has arrived at the wicket - he looked all at sea in the first innings so he will probably save the game for his county. However, MK is getting turn and bounce....... whoopee.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:25:13:09:52 by Grockle.
Their 12-strong squad is: Van Jaarsveld, Denly, Northeast, Jones, Blake, Stevens, Tredwell, Coles, Bandara, Cook, Khan and Shaw.
Cricket's coming home it's coming home etc....
Was raining, not raining, will rain.
See you later Rob, I hope.
I assume it is swiging like mad for Stevens?
To me, our batting can be really suspect, and this is another example unfortunately. You know that we haven't scored over 400 all season?
It is time for CK to come out of his bad trot methinks.
How the hell did we manage that? Surely it must have been watered extensively to achieve that? I thought plan A would be to win the game mainly with Kartik as with both Warks' games?
Do we think the presence of Bandara in their team put Rose off this approach? I do not think it should have done.
If so, this may be case of too much T20 and not enough match practice more than anything else.
I still think we must have been frantically watering the pitch to produce something really green though?
The pitch was the greenest I have ever seen for a first class match. Clearly heavy watering on the Head Groundsman's instigation. I think SCCC may have banked on winning toss and putting Kent in. We scored a 100 by lunch because of some juvenile seam bowling from Kent's youngsters - extras (mainly wides) were 20+?. Stevens proved what is possible so Thomas and Trego are favourites for me.
OLDBOYBA!
COACH
Let's hear a big hand for our Head Groundsman, Mr Brian Rose. Well done, Sir!
Two collapses in 3 days against a supposed weakened team.
Its definitely reality time now. We will need to bowl out of our skins now.
Thank God after the rubbish we've seen up until now.
Poor stuff!! We've gone from "one of the best 20/20 sides in the world" to 204 runs for 17 wickets. Hopefully Willo and the rest are sufficuently rested to rectify our "powerful" batting" efforts
Do we blame
the batters?
the opposition inspired by Sunday?
the umpires?
the management?
the Head Groundsman?
the grass for growing too quickly?
TRES for losing the toss?
Send your answers on a postcard!
OLDBOYBA!
OLDBOYBA!
BUT..... correct me if I am wrong but we had just won three CC matches on the bounce without having to gamble on a deliberately manufactured green-top in any of them?
So why the hell did the guy that has "overall responsibility for our pitches," decide to return to the same stupid gamble that has cost us in the recent past?
Couldn't we be trusted to stand toe-to-toe with Kent and have a decent chance of winning the game without hoping to win the toss and put them in on the greenest pitch that Old Boy has seen at HQ?
Very, very, very, very poor thinking by Rose, in my opinion.
I can accept errors of execution. What I find very hard to accept are plans which are non-sensical even in theory.
Just then was that we won the toss and bowled....and 129 was the result. Don't think we will get much more here if even getting there.
Have a thought for only three groundsman trying to cover up as soon as they can, the first stoppage there was no rush needed the second stoppage was different the rain was far heavier. And it is obvious they can’t cover up as quickly as four.
But don't read to much into that, that is often done.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:20:17:29:57 by Mike BOS.
Insipid and poor execution of shots did for Phillips, Trigger, CK, Buttler,Suppiah and Hildreth. Doesn't leave much to be fooled by the massively deceptive greentop at Taunton.
It is presently raining!
now at the time of posting the full scorecard has disappeared from both sites.
.
I do agree with Grockle some bad shots were played but I wouldn’t put it all down to bad shots.
Something was making the batsman play and miss a lot, if it wasn’t the green damp looking pitch it was something else.
I will try and show it with my photos. But not the first one.
B Langford & G Atkinson being presented with I think a photo to add them a the “Wall of Fame”
This is an outside edge off James Hildreth’s bat ct Jones bld Stevens
This is Jos Buttler finding it hard to bat off Stevens bowling.
This time it was Peter Trego finding hard to play the ball. (He missed it)
The law of averages eventually you will get an edge and Pete Trego was caught by Van Jaarsveld bld A Khan.
This is my photos for today
Stumps.
Didn't he toss it and MJV call?
Suppose we could acuse him of not tossing it high enough!?
Of course we should have batted better but we have surely signed Kartik to be our main wicket taker and that plan had been working. Thanks to Rose's brilliant tactics, one is bound to wonder whether Kartik will be able to have any influence on this game at all?
OLDBOYBA!
All the torrential rain that decimated the T20 programme?
If you look at the bottom of the stumps that is near to the colour of a dry wicket, judge for yourselves.
Prophetic words from Mr Hurry on the official site about the need to make the mental switch back to proper cricket. He said he'd take full responsibility if the players failed to make the switch. Quite frankly, though, all AH could have done would be to hammer home the point as best he could. Not much he can do if it went in one ear and out the other.
I note that most other teams that batted today do not seem to have had such a problem with adjusting back to the CC. Then again, other teams may have bigger personnel differences between their T20 teams and their CC teams.
Remember also that some sides have played CC cricket before us - we were not in the last round of CC1 matches I don't think,
Unfortunately, my all too rare attendances at the ground seem to co-incide with pretty abject performances.
The pitch was very green, but the bowling was nothing special (far from it at times), & our batting (save for a few nice shots by MT, AS & Joss B.) was poor, lazy & unfocussed.
Have no idea why, but the grey sky seemed very apt as we tossed away a pretty good start.
Let's hope for a lot better tomorrow.
Grizzzly
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:21:00:20:43 by Grizzzly.
If conditions today resemble those from yesterday, will Tres 'do a Langer' and simply declare in order To start bowling before the moisture leaves the pitch? I doubt it very much but unless we are confident that the pitch will play the same all day it might not be the most stupid idea ever?
Championship cricket requires application and it's been a while since we've had to do that.
We've got out of the habit and relied on "welly the thing" a bit too much!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:21:09:07:15 by Grockle.
Ideal for Zander and Thomas to have 250 8th wicket stand plus 50 each from Kartik and Willoughby. Gives us 450+ to bowl at.
Bowl them for 150 and 300 and we've won by innings and 10 runs approx.
Don't you have wonderful dreams sometimes!
OLDBOYBA!
Lets get wired in........today is a new day!!!
Kent have not had a good season so if our first innings can somehow scramble up to 200 that might sow a few seeds of doubt in the minds of their guys.
Hasn't helped our boys though as Thomas came back in at 154 off a possible 'bump' ball
Raining here and the covers are on. It is brighter but it is going to be an on and off day.
Just to tell those who are interested that my computer problems continue and that I shall now be away for just over a week on holiday.
Fear not about this match.
It's ours,all ours.
Take care everyone,see you soon.
Can anybody hear the sound of me grasping at those straws?
I think Van Jaarsveld and Stevens are the two big wickets, though of course we have to get them to the crease first..
OLDBOYBA!
He's a really powerful guy in absolute prime form, though.
Coles is now out for Kartik's fourth wcket.
[www.cricinfo.com]
To keep people occupied while refreshing the score, have a look at this match.
In the style of Mark Nicholas "One of THE great games!"
Now let's bat properly this time!
BVI Grockle
OLDBOYBA!
Thanks
Kartik's CC performances for SCCC so far seem to be of a completely different quality - in terms of his efficacy - than what he produced with Middx. His numbers with Middx were okay, but they've been superb here so far. I wonder if it's the product of a happier dressing room here?
Quote:Grockle
If anyone is listening to the commentary can you give me some idea how it is coming over because there have been some technical issues in the last couple of days.
Thanks
I'm listening Grockle - quality is excellent today, although there are occasional dropouts of 10 seconds or so.
KB
OLDBOYBA!
After the first innings collapse, I think Jos's rapid 42 at first wicket down should not be overlooked either. I'm afraid that I don't think Compton will be getting that number three slot back.
And so by the time I got to the ground mid afternoon Kent were 87/4 and we'd suddenly started to look the stronger. There was barely a shot against Kartik that looked under control and it was only because I have to work tonight that I left early and by the time I'd ridden home they had lost another couple of wickets.
It sounds like Banger and Buttler particuarly led a superb response. I wonder what we'll see tomorrow, the forecast is for heavy showers sadly.
Willo in action
Buttler takes this catch
I'm sure the most talented inhabitant of the SCCC flats will be checking in later, too.
‘A good day at the office, I feel.’
Hope to see some more tomorrow. I live in hope that we will score 300+ in our second knock.
Yes, a couple of good photos, fRed, and from a different perspective.
Thanks for sharing them with us here.
A chap who sat behind me said that I knew a lot of people because of all those that stop to talk to me not always at a convenient time, but who cares, who said it is good to talk.
It has been good to see LoL, Bristol Rob, Grockle, Grizzzly (Yesterday) and few other who user names I can’t remember at the moment, and I also had the privilege of meeting “William Blessing” today
Kent were playing a county championship match against Durham, whose sponsors are the North East Regional Development Agency, one of those notorious government quangos. As this is rather a mouthful, Durham just had North East printed on the back of their shirts.
When Kent`s Sam Northeast came out to bat, with his name blazened across the back of his shirt, one youngster in the pavilion looked round the field for a few moments and then turned and asked his father: `Why are there 12 people called Northeast playing in this match, Dad?`
Well, I rather liked it.
[cricketarchive.com]
It's clear there's a strategy that is trying, via a number of methods to turn Taunton from a draw heavy batsman
's paradise to a wicket that is balanced and where results can be obtained.
Some of us have been calling for this for a couple of years. Yes it's high risk and it may sometimes backfire but it's essential if want to win the cc.
The equation is this; if we can get the upper hand in a game we can win it rather than have the opposition bat out a draw.
Brian Rose has gambled big on changing the pitch and the personnel who tend it and it appears to be working.
Excellent day at the office for us today. Wish I could have been there !
Grizzzly
Nothing to do with the introduction of our first real wicket taking spinning option at Somerset since Mushtaq Ahmed?
Nothing to do with the rich vein of form of Alfonso Thomas?
Nothing to do with Marcus Trescothick, James Hildreth, Peter Trego, Zander de Bruyn, Jos Buttler, Ben Phillips all hitting consistent form at the same time?
Nothing to do with a summer not destroyed by rain?
It's all to do with a manager of a pitch and a bit of water is it?
Well at least you've toned its importance down a bit since 2007 but you still struggle to understand that a number of factors affect the winning of a game and Rosey has changed far more than just one of them.
It’s a day when we may have seen what effect of not using the heavy roller will have on a pitch. Other club have said it has made a big difference to how a pitch plays and this may have helped Kartik today.
This was one of Kartik’s Wickets. A Blake ct Buttler (out of shot) bld Kartik.
A Blake the ball trickled back onto the stumps off Thomas’s bowling.
Trescothick is just staring; Thomas can’t believe the bails are still on, the batsman is wondering what he should do use his bat/hand or foot, he used his foot.
Repair work to the visor of Arul Suppiah helmet after the ball hit him.
How this ball missed Willoughby’s off stump I do not know.
Now for some controversy, this shot from J Denly was caught by Kieswetter (Thanks for the correction from CP) all I saw was the fielders celebrating and Thomas upset by the decision of not out, what else could it have come off but the bat?
I haven’t seen Kartik bat much before he knows which end of the bat to hold.
He posed for his photo. He is a very nice man.
The link to my Photos on Photobucket - [s1152.photobucket.com]Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:21:23:38:05 by Mike BOS.
There was a big deviation from somewhere and it looked like bat to all those on the Gimblett and most of the players on the pitch but the umpire (I don't think it was Gough) was unmoved and Alf was very close to dissent in his reaction.
It didn't matter in the long run but there was little (as Mike's picture shows) that would generate the movement - the most obvious culprit was in the batsman's hand.
Roll on tomorrow and those 20 points...
BVI Grockle
At 9am I was on my balcony in the sunshine, 30 minutes later it has now clouded over with some low cloud but the sun is trying to come out.
OLDBOYBA!
But for those who like the pitch green and well watered...getting your way this morning :-)
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:22:12:02:21 by Grockle.
And, yes, Bloke the accursed ECB have a lot to answer for. Weeks of hit and giggle in perfect weather, and now this in the real cricket. Entirely unacceptable to have stopped the proper cricket for such a long time to allow that stuff.
The only photo today so far will be of the remaining three groundsmen trying to cover-up, I felt sorry for them watching them trying to move the largest sheet when it was covered with water, at one point they had a job to move it and were trying to get some air under it.
I don’t know what photos I have yet because it was difficult to take photos in the rain and trying to hold my umbrella at the same time
The link to my Photos on Photobucket - [s1152.photobucket.com]
This is the largest sheet that takes a lot of effort once it has got wet, it is bad enough when it is dry, and at one point they couldn’t move it.
You could see even the smaller blue cover is not easy once it is wet.
The nets had to be taken down before the electric roller cover could be put on the west side of the square, it all take a long time to do and all the time it is raining hard and the square is getting wet.
The groundsmen are no way to blame if it takes longer, three can’t do the work of four.
Nothing to do with the introduction of our first real wicket taking spinning option at Somerset since Mushtaq Ahmed?”
Most of the players on the pitch yesterday were the same ones who have been around for a few years.
I agree that Kartik is Somerset’s first wicket – taking spinner since the days of Mushtaq Ahmed, but he didn’t find taking wickets at Taunton quite so easy in 2007 did he?
[cricketarchive.com]
I am sure that some will continue to contend, until the proverbial cows come home, that a game in which 1,659 runs were scored for the loss of 13 wickets, with 7 centuries plus one triple century, over the course of 4 days, was not in the least bit boring, but a joy to behold. Oh, how they wish that they could witness more of the same.
And all this excitement took place just 3 years ago.
I must stop, for I am getting ahead of myself. It couldn’t have anything to do with Brian Rose supervising the preparation of the Taunton pitches this season, could it?
No, I thought not.
Who the hell cares what Kartik did on here in 2007 as a member of the opposition?
It is what he is doing here as a member of an entirely different unit of players under a different captain NOW that is surely important.
We were laughed at when we signed Thomas by people at Warwickshire
We were laughed at by some Middlesex fans when we took on Kartik
I was personally damn surprised when we took on Willoughby
All have produced the goods on this batting paradise and it isn't (as you point out with the history lesson...I think) because we've watered the pitch recently.
Brian (or the work of the groundstaff) is PART of it but ONLY part of it. These men ENJOY playing here on this "moral sapping" piece of ground AND they take wickets on it - and have been doing so since 2007 in some cases.
Pick out the odd game by all means. I ought to go on to Cricket Archive and pick out one to suggest a less one sided view of the place but what would be the point.
Cricket is played by a group of players on a piece of grass. Get any aspect of the dynamics wrong and things aren't wonderful. Get them right and we're all happier chappies. It's a balancing/juggling act. What seems to elude some though is that there is more than one thing to balance.
It couldn’t have anything to do with Brian Rose supervising the preparation of the Taunton pitches this season, could it?
Of course it could. Has this been the ONLY thing that has done it? Emphatically NO.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:22:14:30:53 by Grockle.
Need to as Notts will win their game......(by the way eaxctly the same forecast for Birmingham as Taunton and they are playing).
Grockle's last report did sound more optimistic so Im hanging onto that.
To wit;
1) Driest first six months in the UK for 80 years.
2) Heavy roller banned.
Sorry, it's been a long day (and I've gotta commentate if they do decide to have a go;-)
Whilst it might not be what you want to hear re: having to commentate (which we appreciate very much) I'm not sure why we could not have play after 5, but not before, unless there is a new law about this that I am unaware of?
May rain again before then. The cloud isn't really moving and it is about half dark grey and half white-ish.
But might be easier to lose 3 or 4 quick wickets?
The umpires are out. No warming up by any players, No sign of Kent players since about 3
Very little chance of any play and I expect the game to be off in minutes.
OLDBOYBA!
If we want to win the league, we almost certainly need to win this game. We won't be relegated so go for it.
Current lead 161.
Should get 32 overs in before lunch?
My plan then.....
Bat for 25 overs.
We have 8 wickets left, 200 runs should be acheivable, ie 8 an over.
This sets 360ish off 65ish.
Gives them a theoretical sniff but main thing is giving us the necessary time.
That gives Murali 25+ overs to get the 10...
Don't see how we can manage 8 an over v Kent for 25 overs, we couldn't manage with 10 wickets to get 7 an over on Sunday...
i'd prefer being all out having got another 160 in 20 overs than drag out a 300 lead and taking 30+ overs to do it.
aim has to be to have 5 overs at them before lunch.
if we are still batting after lunch we are eating into our bowling time
They were talking about having the spheres to go for it in semi finals and finals in the AGM's. They also need to show the desire for it in the Championship where such things do not exist.
When we went for it against Yorkshire last season it raised the feel of the place for more than just an afternoon and we could do with that again tomorrow.
If it all goes horribly wrong we should still get a lead of 260-270 which may encourage them to go for it.
We need 2 sessions ideally so first hour need to go for it.
Even if we lose so be it, we arent going to win this thing by playing safe
And it is only three points for a draw anyway.
Kartik seems to be in prime form. Kent have struggled with the bat this season, in general. They did not appear to show tremendous form or resolve in their first innings.
I'm not necessarily saying that I think we should bat until lunch, just that I do not believe that it will be the end of the world if we do.
Of course, if any more time is lost to the weather, then your asssessment will be spot on. However - touching everything - I understand the forecast is very good?
cant see Kent going for any target so personally a quick smash for 25 overs, hoping to get lead up to 300 will be plenty.
lets just hope the weather doesnt interupt our plans...
At the moment there is high cloud, dull and cool.
We reckon about an hour and declare - maybe 80 minutes
BVI Grockle
We have to do it although it does bring the Kenties into the equation a bit
Heres hoping!!!
BVI Grockle
It's all a floor show for the main man - Kartik will do this or not....nice to see if Arul gets a go as well. It is all we are waiting for.
As i've said on the frontpage...the game starts or finishes here!!
Perhaps I should go out again.
Last hour. 16 overs.
OLDBOYBA!
I meant victory hopes looking a bit flat, Grockle.
With hindsight, Grockle, I think you were right with what you said this morning before start of play - and we probably have batted on slightly too far.
But the winner is the weather as Old Boy said.
It looks like another terrific match by Kartik though? He's been incredible. I'm sure he must have been not fully motivated at Middx or something like that, because his performances here are knocking spots off what he did with them. I'd guess he averaged about 27-28 overall for Middx and, so far, he's averaging about half that for us!
This would be a major blow. We really need 4 good days and a win over Notts next week. nothing else will do really.
Cant fault the guys they seem to have put in a shift. Dont know about declaring too early AG, Its a tiough one to call and hindsight is a great thing
Good experienced work by Jones (especially), Stevens and Tredwell however for the Kent men today.
Double spin attack to get as many in as possible.
Surely a big win next week is due.we haqvent beaten Notts in CC for a while eiether.
With only four overs available before lunch, I would certainly have had Kartik on for the second and fourth of those four, if only to spread a double or two in the Kent dressing room.
In the end it was 14 overs before he was thrown the ball, which allowed the openers to get their eye in against slightly mixed quality seam bowling.
Once the last hour began, spin at both ends would have speeded up matters, and squeezed in at least two, if not three more vital overs for Kartik. As it was Arul bowled just four overs.
It is very easy to captain from the terraces, I know. But when the very last over arrived as the clock approached 6pm, I feel Alfonso, who had looked the most menacing of the pacemen, should have been given the last throw of the dice in the outside, outside hope of a blitz against the Kent 9, 10 and jack.
Easy from the terraces - and a fine effort all the same.
I know ball is turning into left handers but Blake was just prodding very unconfidently every ball, every chance of ball popping up anywhere.
Really impressed with lads today, kept trying right til the end. Very positive declaration by Tres, top marks.
Only negative is Kent never looked like going for runs so having long on deep mid wicket and long leg to Kartik at expense of a silly mid off seemed odd.
If only Kartik hadnt needed that rest after IPL could have turned 2 of those early season losses into 2 wins...
Photos from the 4th and final day.
A sight I have not seen very often two close fielders for A Blake when Kartik was bowling.
A Blake waiting for the umpire’s decision, given not out.
D Stevens ct Trescothick after a juggle with the ball, the lucky bowler Kartik.
G Jones thinking how close to being out he was, B Phillips just missing the edge of his bat.
The look on J Tredwell’s face said it all, Thomas nearly had him.
Robbed by the weather. To hell with T20 and ECB!
Must echo the above = weather wins unfortunately.
Grizzzly
However, there are three obvious flies in their ointment. To wit;
1) They played an overwhelming amount of games at home early in the season.
2) They will probably not see their England players again this season, including S C J Broad who was primarily responsible for two of their wins (us and Warks.)
3) In an abnormally dry summer, spin is dominating and yet their best spinner is - who? Samit Patel?
David Hussey is a machine to be feared next week but Murali Kartik vs Samit Patel in the spin bowling stakes is a match-up to be relished!
Murali Superb again, but are we becoming too reliant on him to win us games ?
Good News about CW`s contract and also that we`ve signed GD.
Tuesday`s forecast is depressing.
WCG.
Planning to be Down Tuesday PM and Thursday next week (WP)
I haven't seen a greener wicket since I used to bowl to SMJW a couple of centuries ago, but I think it was movement through the air more than off the pitch (in overcast conditions) that did for our first seven batsmen on Day One. We made an excellent start (101/1 - 101/4 - 122/7) and on the way home I saw a lorry responsible for removing rubbish bearing the legend "Somerset Waste Partnership" and I thought that might be a fair summary of the day.
The high spot of Day One for me was not the cricket but the lunchtime introduction into the Hall of Fame of two of my boyhood heroes, two fine gentlemen of cricket, Brian Langford and Graham Atkinson. It is very gratifying that the county remembers its splendid history and those who created it.
Those I spoke with at the end of day two all agreed that one could hardly have wished for a better day of county cricket. Fifteeen wickets fell, which might have summoned in the inspectors, but 380 runs were scored. Towards the end of the day I endeavoured to circulate the news that Phil Frost has been recently appointed a pitch inspector and would be down on the morrow (to say "It was perfectly flat in my day, but it's all gone downhill since then").
For the first time in years I watched from upstairs in the Old Pavilion and it was total joy to watch Kartik dismantling the Kent batsmen and appreciate the enthusiasm and alertness of the fielders. Kartik seems particularly effective against keft handers.
I was hugely impressed by the confident and authoritative batting of Buttler, belying his tender age. Eventually he lost his battle with probably the best leg spinner he has yet to face, but he will learn and he looks an almost certain England player in the making. He's also a superb fielder in the deep and I don't think his ability to keep wicket should have any bearing on whether he's selected, whether for Somerset or for England.
Day Three was a massive disappointment; it was being said that the umpires were doing everything by the book as they were being scrutinised by Mervyn Kitchen. Certainly they were very prompt at getting on to the field before the agreed inspection times, but it would probably have been better if we had been warned earlier in the day of the extreme unlikelihood of play because of the state of the outfield, notably in the area of the practice pitches.
Posting resumed after a break
As on Tuesday and Wednesday, Day Four started started with some very bright batting by Somerset, with about 170 runs scored in under 100 minutes before a declaration. Most of us thought that Kent would then fight vigorously to reach what seemed a very attainable target – and it seemed to be in the best interests of each side to seek to win the match. Sadly, however, Kent soon appeared to give up and the main interest for the rest of the afternoon was as to whether they would survive some more wily spinning bowling. This they duly did, though only just, Had the game not lost about five sessions, there is little doubt that Somerset would have scored more heavily in their second innings and bowled Kent out for a second time. It was, all in all, a very encouraging performance, my chief concern being the untidiness of Kieswetter's keeping when standing up to the stumps - and his batting still seems very nervous.
One often encounters eccentrics at cricket (our very attendance marks our own eccentricity), people who talk incessantly or bizarrely and engage strangers in deep conversation whether reciprocated or not. On Friday I found myself behind a man who - during a particularly fascinating period of play - attempted to engage my interest by showing me half a dozen photographs of alpine snow scenes taken (and this he suggested was significant) in 1999. My reaction was not characterised by outright enthusiasm.
Initially I had expected him to respond, when I asked whether the depicted mountains were the Himalayas (an obvious link to my alter ego), with the well rehears remark to the effect that the jungfrau buys her favourite bratwurst in Interlaken. But no such response came and so I fled to seek the advice of Tractor, leaving Mike to the mercy of his co-photographer. Mike has rightly been commended on the quality of his snowy photos taken in deepest winter, but he shows no evidence of being a mountain man and it was unfair of me to opt out as I did.
So nothing really changes: Somerset still play some quite brilliant cricket; Taunton is still my favourite place to watch cricket; and there are more eccentrics per square yard to be found at the county ground than on any other acreage in the world.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2010:07:26:10:27:20 by Loyal of Lhasa..
Grizzzly
His job, surely, was to get Somerset back on the field!
Oh, right.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter