CC1 The Ultimate End Game - Surrey at Taunton Roll the Dice

The last game of the season, the only thing in our hands is whether we win the gsame or not.  The points combinations after that are wide and varied.  Us Warks or Notts take yer pick.  All we can do is wortk with what we have and see how the chips fall.  Surrey have won the toss and TKC comes in for Jake Ball and other than that it is the Leeds line-up.  Off we go on the rollercoaster of the CC1!!

CC1 v Surrey @ Taunton Thursday 24 September 2026

Somerset, once again in this decade, go into the last match of the season looking for aplace at the top of the table but probably having to take a runner's up or runner's up runner's up spot.  Going into how this might pan out is irrelevant at the start of this game because we have to get ourselves into a position of winning it otherwise the top spot is not in our vision.  A win will then be related to the position of Warwickshire v Leicestershire and in some circumstances Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire.

Surrey have won the toss and will bat first against the side;

Thomas, Lammonby, Abell, Nicholls, Rew, TKC, Vaughan, Gregory, Overton, Pretorius, Leach

So Jake Ball loses out for the bat of TKC and Archie keeps his place for his bowling one would imagine (he can't buy a run).  Migael receives his county cap before the game - suggests he may be returning perhaps?  The weather is bright and the sky is clear, just a smattering of people around the ground early on but the press box is heaving with bookings from the press who are nowhere to be seen during the normal CC1 season.

The pitch is pretty central for this game with a rope bounmdary on both sides of the ground. Lewis Gregory will open the bowling to Burns and Sibley from the MT Pavilion.  They are 8 after one with Craig coming in from the River and his over ends with the visitors on 12 - 6 apiece.

The nature of the game is pretty much set out when Jack Leach comes on at the River in the 8th over - the odds are now being worked out for how many overs he is going to bowl today.  The first slog swept six off him from Burns comes in the 10th.  Meanwhile Craig changes ends to relieve the skipper. 

With 47 on the board, Burns goes to sweep, gets a top edge off the spinner and is caught by Abell for 31.  In comes Patel.  The 50 arrives in the 17th though Patel is still not off the mark while Sibley has moved to 19 from 44. 

New Cap Migael comes on to bowl the 19th over at 52 for 1.   Archie also spells Leach at the River and in the 30th he takes another scalp as Patel is caught by Craig in the slips at 78 for 2 for 16.  This brings Pope to the middle.  He is immediately off the mark with a single.  

Jack returns at the MT end.  Lunch arrives at 86 for 2 with Sibley on a 102 ball 35 and Pope on 3 from 8.  Archie has 14 for 1 from his 4 and Jack has 20 for 1 from his 10 (with 4 maidens towards the end of his spell).  the next over will be the 34th with 63 to go in the day.  Surrey will be happy with this start.  Meanwhile Leicestershire are 78 for 5 at the interval but Ben Green has yet to march to the crease.

Craig starts proceedings again after the break from the MT.  Archie partners him at the start. Against these two, Surrey move past the 100 in the 38th over.

Sibley take the single to move him to his 50 at 51 from 138 balls with the score on 122 for 2 off the bowling of Gregory in the 45th. In the 47th Gregory gets Pope with a mediocre (to try to be fair) attempt at a shot that he misses.  He is LBW to the skipper for 24 art 131 for 3.

In comes Lawrence and together thLewisis pair take the score past 150 as there seems to be few worries with this pitch.  But Migael sets up Sibley and at 72 from 188 at 174 for 4 he is strangled down the legside edging to Abell who gratefully takes the catch.  Pretorius is bowling a sharp spell with 16 for 1 in his 8 overs with 3 maidens.  Foakes is the next man in and they have moved to 183 for 4 with Lawrence on 34 (64) and Foakes has 1(7) whern the Tea break arrives.

Migael opens the bowling after the interval from the pavilion with the 67th and 30 remaining in the day.  Josh Thomas gets a go with the ball with the second over of the last session.  As we move into the 70th the 200 arrives with Lawrence on to 45 and Foakes on 7.  Lawrence looks very solid and he passes 50 in the 75th from Archie moving to 52 from 88 balls at 214 for 4.

Josh is replaced by Tom Kohler-Cadmore at the River end in the 79th over - moving us to the new ball perhaps? Lewis takes the new one with Craig but unfortunately very little changes as Surrey move to their first batting bonus point in the 83rd with a Foakes cut four.  252 for 4 and Foakes has 33 from 68.

The 100 partnership arrives at 274 for 4 in the 87th over.  Foakes goes to 50 at 51 from 93 balls at 288 for 4 and it is becoming a little predictable and predestrian in the bowling context at the end of Day 1.  Maybe the news from Edgbaston is bleeding through but a [positive result in this game is looking very doubtful less than 25% into this match irrespective of what Warwickshire produce against the Foxes. 

We come into the last 5 overs of the day's play and it has been a taxing one for the home side in front of about 3000 people.  The club has sold 1000+ tickets above membership for Saturday and they may not have a lot to see at the moment.  Presently on this pitch this may be the first game of the season where we do NOt get maximum bowling points (we need 6 wickets in 17 overs for that to happen).

Lawrence completes his century before the end of play with his fourth six in the last over to go there in 135 balls to 104 it comes with 9 fours.  He really was not in any trouble to be honest.  327 for 4 ends the day as Jack completes his 26th over with 1 for 77.  Pretorius ends his 17 with 1 for 62.  Lawrence has 105 from 136 and Foakes ends the day with 64 from 121.  After 96 overs the partnership is a 153 and looks like going on tomorrow.

Day 2

As we move into this day the comment around the ground is that "the Championship will be decided today".  Warwickshire may well put their game almost to bed to dispell any doubt and without a reversal in Somerset's fortune in the first hour this morning our game will not be a significant factor in the title's location.

Lewis opens the bowling and is then partnered by Craig who gets Foakes LBW with his second ball for 64 at 341 for 5.  In comes Lomror.  The conversation is that the ball was 'miles over the top' but the book says that the Surrey keeper is back in the hutch.

We have 11 overs to get 4 wickets for the maximum bowling bonus points in a season.  Realistically we need to get another one to add to our bonus point tally.  The 350 is passed in the 101st over and although there is evidence that the skipper is getting swing there are seem to be few problems with this pitch so hopes of a Day 2 'minefield' are dashed early on.

After a majestic cover drive by Lomror is followed by an edge on to the stumps and Lewis gets another one.  He goes for 10 bowled by the skipper at 367 and we have another bowling bonus point.  Lawrence after looking in no troublke at all thoughout his innings suddenly has a brainfart and flashes at a ball outside off and is caught behind for a superb 139.  371 for 7 and Gregory is on a roll with figures of 19 overs 2 maidens 3 for 80. 

Worrall and Thomas are the pair in the middle suddenly without a run between them. On comes Jack within 10 overs of the start of the second day.  At 110 overs we miss out on the last bowling bonus point of the season but the record we have achieved is far better than anyone would have given our bowling unit in April of this year.  378 for 7 with Worrall and Thomas as Pretorius starts his day of work with the ball from the MT.

The 400 arrives at the end of the 115th as Surrey pass 402 and then for no apparent reason Worrall shoulders arms to a Jack Leach straight one and is plumb in front (why would a tailender not play a shot to a ball in the zone?).  Last man Chahar arrives and then retires for some reason and out comes Topley.   Thomas then hits the next ball for six in frustration before going for a quick single that nearly sees Miggy take out the middle stump though Topley was in.  2 balls later the tall Surrey amn hits the first six of his career.  He is then caught by Overton for 7 at 420 for 9.

We then wait to see if Chahar will return to the crease.  He does and so we carry one.  He moves to 3 before he goes to an 'absolute beauty' from Jack to finish the Surrey innings on 422.

There will be the 10 minute changeover and then we will have 2 or 3 before the lunchbreak.  Oh Goody you all cry!!

An interesting decision starts the second part of the game as Lawrence opens for Surrey against Thomas and Lammonby from the River.  There is some turn in the wicket at that end (Jack suggested there was something at the other at the end of the last innings as well).  Worrall takes the MT end and Tom starts us off with a single from the last ball.  We leave the pitch after 3 overs with 1 for 0.

Worrall starts the afternoon session with Lawrence and Josh is off the mark at the end of the 5th.  But in the 9th the spinner gets one past the Thomas bat in the danger zone and the Somerset bat is LBW for 17 at 30 and out comes TKC.  He squirts one past the close infielder for a single and is off and running.  His second scoring shot is in the 11th over with a six into the Botham.

The 50 arrives in the 13th over as Topley replaces Worrall and then Lawrence is replaced by the spin of Lomror who finds the edge of TKC's bat into the hands of Thomas for 22 at 68 for 2.  That brings Henry Nicholls to the crease. but before the 100 arrives he is LBW stepping back by Worrall for 15 at 97 for 3.

In comes Tom Abell needing 20 runs for his 1000 in the season.   The 100 arrives and then Tom Lammonby passes 50 from 94 at 112 for 3 after getting past being on 49 with the score on 111!!  The spin duo of Lawrence and Lomror does not break the next partnership so Reece Topley returns to the MT.  

He takes the visitors through to Tea with Lomror and we go in at 126 for 3 with Tom L on 61 with Tom A on 9 from 30 balls.

Tea over and Topley continues and then Lawrence is back after a breather.  At 139 with 20 to his name Tom Abell becomes the third player this year to get to 1000 first class runs in the season - he receives a well deser ved round of applause from the Taunton faithful and beats Dan Lawrence to it.  The 50 partnership arrives in the 46th at 147 for 3

News on the Surrey team is that Chahar's problems seem to be related to his back and they have called up Ralphie Albert (young English spinner) as a replacement.  They are also seeking a replacement for Lawrence as he has been called up to England as a replacement for Jos Buttler who has had to withdraw after pulling a hamstring.

Meanwhile we are back in the room with Abell on 46 and Lammonby on 92 with the score on 194 for 3.  Thomas has come on at the MT end to partner Lomror who is wheeling in at the River. The 200 arrives at the end of the 60th over with Tom A on 49 and Tom L on 95.  Abell steals the strike and goes to 50 from 96 - his 48th first class 50 at 201 for 3.  Lammers goes to his highest first class score of the season with a double to 97.  He then steals the strike to reach 98 and then takes a single to 99. He finally gets to 100 off Lomror with the century off 205 at 210.  That is his 10th first class hundred.

Albert is on to bowl for the first time in the game with 3 overs to go in the day.  He will finish the day with Lomror who has bowled 19 overs with 3 maidens finishing with 1 for 50 - a good stint for the man.  The four Tom A gets in the last game makes 2026 his best ever Championship season with the bat as he passes 62 and a CC1 total of 1042 runs.  They have finished the allocation and after a bit of a discussion they decide to leave at 222 for 3 with the Toms on A - 63 from 117 and L - 103 from 217 a partnership presently on 125.  68 overs of the innings have taken place and we are back for Day 3.    Somerset are exactly 200 behind and 28 from their first batting point.  Somerset's probable target for this game is to take all the batting bonus points as the chances of Leicestershire winning against Warwicksire is very doubtful.

It's all still there though.