Blast Game 9 - Glam Rock up for the restart of the Blast
By Grockle
July 4 2025
Back to the T20 competition with proper balls!! Glamorgan come to the County Ground to start the second part of the Blast qualifying section. We look to add to our 7 wins presently from our 8 games. Lewis Gregory has won the toss and we will bowl. Others will be returning after a the longer phase bit in. No Eddie Byrom but Ned Leonard will be in the line-up.
Blast Game 9 - v Glamorgan @ Taunton Friday 4 July 2025
Lewis Gregory is back as captain after the birth of 'Frankie' his daughter. One would expect Ben Green, Will Smeed and possibly others to also be gracing the pitch in this Blast First team. He has won the toss and we will bowl first.
The side is;
Banton, Smeed, TKC, Abell, Dickson, Gregory, Green, Overton, Goldsworthy, Henry, Meredith
No real surprises there, though Tom Lammonby must be knocking on Sean Dickson's door if he doesn't perform in the white ball arena.
As mentioned before, Eddie Byrom will not be in the side but ex colleague Ned Leonard is part of the Welsh bowling attack. It's a busy and good crowd which is pretty much always the case on a Friday at Taunton
For those of you wondering. Matt Henry is with us until July 8th. He therefore can do this one, Hampshire and Essex and that will be yer lot. Riley is with us until the end of the qualifying bits of the trophy and then is here for the "August Franchise Fun" when he was originally possibly available for Metrobank 50s and CC1... keep your eye on him. Migael Pretorius is with us for the whole season I believe and now Thomas Rew is a contracted Somerset player - congratulations sir and welcome.
Craig opens the bowling in his 100th T20 game for the county. He bowls to Glamorgan captain Carlson who is partnered by Smale. Some excellent early fielding from Ben Green saves the first four. 5 from the first and Matt Henry with the second. Smale skies a huge one and Craig sets himself under it and takes it. He goes for 1 and Horton is in at 7 for 1 and he helps push it to 8 at the end of the second.
Craig's second is expensive as he goes for 14 and the score moves to 22 for 1. Henry strikes again early in the next as Horton looks to put him over the rope but finds Riley Meredith in front of the Gimblett. He goes for 10 from 9 and it is 22 for 2. In comes Kellaway. Craig continues to go for 10 an over. Meanwhile at the other end Henry has gone for 4 from his first 13 balls for 2 wickets. Kellaway does look like a man on a mission though as he moves to 16 from his first 9 as the 'Powerplay' comes to an end with 42 on the board.
They aren't going to bowl Overton out tonight as Gregory takes the 7th from the MT and they are a run from 50 as Lewis Goldsworthy takes over and is witness to an absolutely brilliant boundary catch on the Somerset side from Tom Abell to remove Carlson for 14 without a change to the score. Ingram gets the 50th (and the 51st) immediately and the new pair finish the 8th on 60 as Colin gets into his work instantly with a confident boundary to move to 7 from 3.
Ben Green has the usual 9th and he varies length and pace to keep the Glamorgan guys guessing producing a very good 4 run over. Captain Lewis changes ends for the 10th. He gets Ingram caught by Banton but it's a 'no ball' 75 for 3 as Golders switches ends and takes a wicket with a Kellaway reverse sweep landing in the hands of TKC and it is 75 for 4. In comes Tribe. The first Glamorgan six comes from the bat of Ingram followed by a flip past the keeper for four. He moves to 27 from 15 and they move up to 87 for 4.
Riley is finally introduced with the 12th and his first 'loosener' goes to the rope. But latere in the over Tribe really does't see much of one he snicks to Bants and he goes for 2 at 94 for 5. In comes Douthwaite. The 100 arrives in the 13th which they end at 101 for 5. Meredith is moving up the gears and he nearly gets Ingram with a pace one but Bants doesn't keep hold of one that surprises him wth the pace. Green takes the 15th at 106 for 5 after a really speedy one from the Tasmanian.
115 for 5 and Matt Henry bowling out at the River and he finishes with 4 overs 2 for 15. Riley then changes ends and Douthwaite says 'thank you' to his first which goes to the Ondaatje boundary. Ingram goes to 54 with a massive six into the Gimblett. From 31 balls at 132 for 5.
Green takes the next and Douthwaite puts him into the River to start the over as the bowler looks for that yorker length and gives him a full toss. They don't make the 50 partnership though because at 49 with the last ball Ingram top edges to Davey (on for TKC) - a lame catch for 55 from less than 40 and in comes Imad at 143 for 6.
At the start of the 19th from Gregory. Douthwaite puts his first two to the same place, the boundary in front of the scoreboard at the side of Gimblett's. This is followed by a straight six into the Pavilion seats. The next is a half volley and the Glamorgan bat puts it into the Caddyshack side of the ground without bouncing. 20 off the over so far! To his credit the skipper comes back with a dot and Henry stops a last ball four to keep Douthwaite in the 40s He goes for 22 as they move to 165 with one over to go.
Riley takes the last and another Douthwaiter six takes him to 53 from 39 and Glamorgan into the 170s with 3 balls to go as Imad watches from the other end. He's on strike for the last at 175 and Glamorgan finish on 176 with Douthwaite run out going for the second. 176 for 7 means we need 177 to win this one.
The Reply
Smeed and Banton versus the spin of Imad from the Pavilion We start with 2 for no loss. McIlroy takes the second and gets one past the edge of Bants' bat but there is no slip so it goes for four. The second ends at 13 with Banton taking the lion's share with 10 from 8. Imad has the strangest bowling action as he sort of comes in sideways and then turns straight just before he delivers. Somerset move to 22 after 3. Ned is on for the fourth. He does well with a leading edge last ball and Banton goes to an easy catch in front of the CA. 25 for 1 as Tom B goes for 12 from 13. In comes TKC as McIlroy changes ends.
The sixth stays with Ned as we start it on 34 for 1. His first goes to the Somerset for four from Smeed but later, he bowls TKC around his legs!! He goes for 7, we are 41 for 2 and the ex Somerset lad has 2 for 10.
Douthwaite is introduced at the Pavilion for the 7th and he takes Abell out with a stunning caught and bowled. The upset is definitely on now at 44 for 3 as Dickson comes out. The 50 arrives from Kellaway in the 9th via a Dickson six. Smeed joins in before the end of the over as we move to 67 for 3 with Dicko on 12 from 8 and Smeedy on 36 from 25. Imad changes ends for the 10th and we need 108 so this is a game!!
Will Smeed has passed 2000 T20 runs with his last score and we need 100 from 10 at 77 for 3. Douthwaite tries to bounce Sean who just flexes down and ramps the ball over the keeper to the Botham. The 11th from Douthwaite ends at 83for 3 as Gorvin takes his second and Dickson puts him into the Hildreth. The 50 partnership (27 balls) comes off a Gorvin wide after that monster at 94 for 3. Dickson mishits one into the Somerset infield and is caught by the fielder (Kellaway) running in for 27 from 14. In comes Gregory at 97 for 4 to face Ned who has changed to the Pavilion. We need 80 from 8
Will Smeed goes to 50 from 35 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes at 98. The skipper runs the 2 to move us to 100. 77 required. Ned gets a bit of bounce and the skipper snicks one for 2 and he goes. Ben Green replaces him as Leonard goes to 3 from 13 ending his third on 17.
McIlroy takes the 13th and we need 64 at the end of it. We may not get this one I'm afraid as they are finding fielders more often than not. Imad is bowling out at the Pavilion and he finishes with 29 from his 4. 122 for 5 needing 11 an over.
Gorvin takes the next and Smeed puts one to the CA scoreboard but we still needs 11 and over at the end of it. Douthwaite takes the 17th but we are finding fielders more than ropes and the pressure is increasing. It's still in the balance though as Ben does find the Somerset boundary. We need 35 from 3 overs at 142 for 5. A Smeed straight six keeps it open as the 150 arrivers alongside the 50 partnership. Smeed holes out to Smale from McIlroy (who finished with 40 for 1) in front of the CA at 153 for 6 for a score of 72 off 49
Ned Leonard takes the 19th against Green with Overton at the other end. He gets Ben with his second ball for 27 caught in the infield trying to push it on. Lewis Goldsworthy comes in needing 24 off 10. He puts his first over the CA scoreboard to move us to 159 and we need 18 from 9. We now need 17 off 8. Overton fires it to the fielder and Ned Leonard gets 5 for 23 and he ends on 5 for 24 - well played Ned. Henry is in and puts Lewis on strike.
We need 16 off 6. They run 2 off ball 1. Ball 2 is a sliced back end 4. 10 off 4 Ball 3 is a single. Golsdworthy on strike against Douthwaite. A single full toss. Henry on strike needing 8 from 2. They must run two but Henry is run out coming back. so we need 7 to win or 6 for a tie. Riley comes in for the last ball. He drives the ball for 4 and we lose by 2.
So over-confidence chasing a score and Ned Leonard and the Welsh outfielded us to take this one. Lewis And Craig gave them 50 from their overs and that was the difference in the end.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:07:06:15:18:12 by Grockle.
The bore draws of the "Key Kookaburra Balls Up" are over and we get back to the short stuff tomorrow night at home to the "Glam" "Daffs" of Wales!!
Glamorgan will be in Taunton to restart the second part of the T20 tournament our 'Powers that be' would like to ignore and are hoping to shorten in one option of the new plans.
Nevertheless it is what it is for now and we will be looking to get to the Finals Day again and become the T20 Champions of the UK that Cricinfo will also then deny ARE "Champions" of the T20 in favour of who ever becomes the August Fanchise Party Favourite of 2025.
We'll see Will Smeed, Riley Meredith, Ben Green and the Lewis's return to the squad consideration I am sure (Congrats to the Gregory's on the birth of 'Frankie' I believe).
It will be interesting to see how the side lines up after the batting of the last two weeks, though it has to be taken with a large bit of 'Aussie pudding salt' I'd suggest.
Let's hope for some excitement because there's been a distinct lack of it in a Somerset cricket match in the last 12 days, that's for sure!!
Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2025:07:04:18:56:46 by Grockle.
Banton, Smeed, Kohler-Cadmore, Lammonby, Abell, Dickson, Gregory, Green, Overton, Goldsworthy, Davey, Henry, Meredith, Ball.
Craig bowled 3 overs in the powerplay with 2 fielders out for his 18 balls. (And TKC let 4 straight through him)
Lewis had 5 fielders out for protection in his overs and went for 22 off the 19th over.
The difference was Banton dropping a sitter & Lewis getting a wicket but not keeping his foot behind the line, again!
The question was whether Kasey would have done better? Your assessment suggest the fielders would have missed the deliveries there as well so the assessment is still valid.
Those two bowlers would not have been who he replaced so the question is still would you replace Henry, Meredith or Green with Aldridge with confidence presently?
The 5-fers are great and well done to the bowlers for getting them but they only become important if 3 wicket plus games are common. Ned is in Wales because they weren't for whatever reason for us. Kasey isn't playing for the same reason to be honest.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:07:06:22:16:06 by Grockle.