Somerset
Hampshire Friday or Somerset Saturday?
2008 cricket is here?
By Grockle
May 9 2008
Will today be the day we lose this one? The weather is predicted to change and we still need a decent score to pass Hampshire's first score. Is this Langer's day? Either we go through a considerable part of today with a bat in our hands or there'll probably be no Saturday play at all because the game will be over.
v Hampshire CC1 @ Taunton 7 May 2008
Hampshire are on their third keeper this morning with Pothas and his replacement both injured. We've allowed them to use their second team keeper - very magnanimous of us. Let's hope that's the last thing we allow them on Day 3. We need 500 on the board or a load of weather instead!!
So we've had....
Day 1 Morning the Tomlinson Spell from Hell
(Thanks to "Empics" and Mike for the photos)
The man who found his 'Golden Arm"
He found himself taking wickets at will as he powered through Somerset's great and good and reduced us to 126 all out!
Ian was just one of many 
and ohhh how they enjoyed it all. He had a really good day
Day 1 Afternoon - A bit of Somerset Hope
Then.....Kev adds Kapow
Then he gets started
Day 2/3 Somerset come out fighting
These two get their big bats out and start the comeback
MT smacks a ton
But Justin smacks 150 plus
While Zander follows through to a possible third one...
326 ahead....1 DAY to go!!
Saturday
The question of when the declaration will come continues for the first hour of the morning as Zander de Bruyn moves towards what seems like the inevitable ton but at 633 he misses one in front and falls short by 2 runs. 400 ahead and no call. Craig Kieswetter comes to join Peter Trego who is looking for his first hundred of the season. It looks like they've been told to move it along and he's certainly up for it as he moves to 84 and takes his side past 650. Langer calls them in at 654 with 421 needed to win and 82 overs to win it in.
Going to be an interesting afternoon.
But it starts in the morning BEFORE lunch as Brown and Adams face the might of the Somerset bowling fraternity. They proceed to smack 11 off the first three from Willoughby and Phillips and mumbles about generous declarations and worrying signs start to reverberate about the place. So Langer does a bit of re-jigging bringing Trego on at the River and moving Charl to the OP. Hampshire manage to add another 10 in the next 7 overs and finally go under 400 to win in the 11th. Presently with 10 minutes to go of the morning spell we have Blackwell turning his arm over at the River end, 25 off the grand total and four men around Brown's bat. Ian's giving it some air and saying "Ahh go on Bruno Have a go".
Surprise surprise, Michael Munday is coming on at the OP as well so Mr Adams is being given the same opportunity. MM gets some turn and he has Adams flailing both sides of the wicket. We now have a silly mid-on, keeper, first slip and leg slip within inches of the Hampshire man. They are not having a happy time out there.
31 for 0 at lunch. 67 overs for the last two sessions. The wicket is taking spin and Hampshire may be at least one batsman down. They aren't going for it so we have to win it rather than waiting for them to throw it away. The question is whether this afternoon will be mind numbing boredom or glorious bedlam. Too early to tell but we could do with a nice early breakthrough about 2:00.
Session 2
Langer opens up after lunch with Willoughby and Trego but we all expect the spinners to be on in the near future because they will win this one if anyone does. At the end of the 20th with Charl going past the bat the conversation turns to whether the declaration was too defensive and whether the spinners should already be on...On comes Ian Blackwell at the River for the 21st over. The Hampshire batsmen have no interest at all in going for the total. They will happily leave anything seaming outside off and there isn't enough in the air or on the ground for the fast bowlers to get 10 wickets in 63 overs. However, the situation is perfectly set up for a lesson in spin bowling, it's warm and there are enough runs available to tempt the batsman. But for the moment Charl is asking questions although the early breakthrough is looking unlikely as the visitors move towards 50.
As Adams takes them past that milestone we miss our first chance at Hampshire 'blood' as Craig K misses a stumping oportunity off Blackwell. But there is still hope as his spin parter Mike Munday takes over from the South African lefty at the OP end for the 26th. This could be a long long spell for both the slow men. The alternative is an early bath at about 5:00. I have to say I expect the early end as the most likely result given the present postion. The bowlers are both giving it loads of air but the visitors are chancing their arm with absolutely nothing and playing most deliveries in a confident manner.
The situation 'wanders' on towards 3:00. The run rate must be miniscule, the chances are as rare as hen's teeth, Adams got one wrong and there was a very difficult close chance to Neil Edwards which would have been a miracle catch. We have 43 overs left and 93 on the total section of the scoreboard. Zander de Bruyn has replaced MM at the OP ( a statement in itself) and it's all drifiting 'drawards'. No wickets down, no prospect of wickets falling.
And then one falls. Just before tea, as they are moving towards 100 we finally get through as Adams goes to Munday who has twirled away for quite a while now. It's 99 for 1 and Crawley strides out to do battle. 100 arrives not long after. Brown gets his 50 - commendable with an injury - off 156 balls!! Tea and another debate about the declaration. Sorry, in these conditions a draw is what we should be happy with - and what we would have taken with gratitude at 6:00 on Day 1 I think.
Justin turns to his 'secret' weapon after tea (the secret of it passes a number of supporters by as well as the opposition) as he throws the Old Pavilion ball to his 'Changmeister' Mr James Hildreth. I have to tell you though at 4:15 and in the 56th over that the plan hasn't worked. Brown is on 71, Crawley has 8, Hampshire have 142 for 1, we have 27 overs to get them out, they have 27 overs to get another 280 and no-one has a cat in hells chance of seeing a win at Taunton today.
Brown reaches his hundred before the close of play off 231 balls. Good knock to see his county home and especially with a dislocated finger (at least I think that was the injury that stopped him keeping yesterday). Hampshire should pass 200. They are presently 196 off 66 overs with about 10 minutes to go.
But there are still a couple of surprises as Justin bowls himself in the 68th and then invites Neil Edwards to turn his arm over for the last over of the game. Neil is quite pacey really and the ball comes from a great height. He therefore must have been "unpleased" to say the least when Kieswetter capped of a pretty unremarkable game behind the stumps by dropping the batsman off the penultimate ball. Craig didn't have a great game with the gloves and although it didn't actaully make any greatl difference in the end, sharper keeping has to be part of his game because it certainly won't always be the case.
So 7 points and on to the car park tomorrow for a one day game against the Bristolians. News is that we will field this side with two changes. Neil Edwards and Mike Munday will step down and Alfonso Thomas and Steffan Jones will step up. Let us know how it's going if you're there. I'll be following along with the Somerset Sound listeners because this is a match you can guarantee they'll report on for the whole game.....unless Forest Green Rovers haven't finished their season or there's a really interesting kick about in a park somewhere to take their attention away.
Night one and all from the County Ground.
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StumbleuponAfter rain last night, its is quite muggy again this morning, dull, and the Quantocks surrounded by rain clouds which might move away, about 50/50 chance of rain at some point today.
Here in London, I'd lay a bet that a thunderstorm is imminent. It's unpleasantly humid this morning. Maybe you guys will get a thunderstorm too and then it will clear down in Taunton?
If you can people please use this thread for Day 3 and 4 because they get a little long if you're going through them if we use the same one for all four days. Because the first post is the story I can't close them down you see.
Thanks.
A batsman's hell it's going to be this morning.
Let's hope we can see it through.
,,, as in your modest way I'm sure you'd be the first to agree.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
They'd not have a chance.
It's hot and cloudy here.
What it's like in Taunton is another matter.
I once instructed a bowler to bowl under-arm.
Perhaps Hampshire need to start thinking along those lines pretty soon.
Can't see it getting any clearer here (2 miles from ground zero). I owuldn't expect there to be late play tonight though because the light won't be too good later this afternoon.
Welcome to the site, by the way.
If you're thinking of us batting on normally until we're about 200 or so ahead and then throwing the kitchen-sink at Hants and trying to force vistory, then I think that's a disctinct possibility. I know the odds might appear to be against us being able to get far enough ahead quickly enough, but if Ian were to get in then...
09/05/2008 13:39
The worrier in me is, however, delighted that we've made so many runs for this 2nd wicket. After their unconvincing starts to the season, I was entertaining dark worries about the sub-conscious drive of both of these men, given that one has quit international cricket and one is about to quit all cricket, bar hit-and-giggle.
Thoroughly delighted to have had any such fears assuaged.
Let's be clear, though. Still no room for complacency as one wicket could always bring 2 or 3 and we're not exactly hundreds of runs to the good.
I think the first 45 minutes, post-lunch, will decide whether or not we have a genuine chance to win this one, or whether we will have to scrap to save it.
09/05/2008 14:15
never get too high when you are on top and never get too low when you are down
well done lads - long way to go
And yes I was thinking of the second option. I'm not a great student of pitches but something usually happens by the last day so 200-250 might be ineresting for our twin spin attack.
Long way to go but it's an exciting thought.
60-70 balls of the great man and it could all be set up for MKM and Ian himself to spin the visitors to a devastating defeat.
And then Lord Grockle's front page 'Hants must be sick of the sight of us," will look thoroughly prophetic.
Hello Streeter,welcome to the wonderful world of Grockles.
LoL is always right and I'm always wrong,you'll soon get used to us.
I love Justin Langer.
I just love Justin Langer.
Forecast for Bristol is looking good as well, so I may well attend to see us grind the Gloucester into the dirt. They MUST be crushed!!
09/05/2008 18:14
Do we need to take just a little more time out of this game and give them something between 380 and 420 in around 75 to 80 overs?
09/05/2008 20:12
what we will declare on do we think? you have to factor in the pietersen and crawley factor but i think we should look to bat the first 10 overs of the day and treat it like a 10 over slog and try to stick on 80
then attack before lunch with the new ball
and let blackie and munday spin a web after lunch
I didn't see Justin and Treco today but captain's and VC's put themselves on shwo when the tough are needed and that was a true leader's display. And as much as I am loathed to say it - Zander is no mean batsman! Some truly glorious sweep and straight drives this evening plus some imperious stuff from Trigger - Steff raises the bar and Peter steps up.
Great stuff and nice to meet you Sloop JB
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008:05:09:20:19:46 by Grockle.
This captaincy lark is easy from behind a PC isn't it!
Just shows the value of absolute pure class.
Justin Langer 100 runs, Nice to see Pietersen Clapping.
Justin Langer 150 runs
Zander de Bruyn.
The link to my Photos on Photobucket - [s1152.photobucket.com] We must bat for an hour tomorrow morning and get a lead in excess of 400,nothing less.
We then rip into them with real menace.
They are going to be mentally and physically knackered.
They must have thought this was in the bag at the end of day one.
They have now been out on the park for a long time,a nice bit of chasing leather is just what we need to poke home the advantage tomorrow morning.
This has been an incredible match.
Lose faith?
I haven't seen much of that on here.
Hammer them boys and let's get this season well and truly on the road.
Other people have mentioned it and I agree that spin could hold the key to a result.
Blackwell said that he got several turning in the first innings, On the forth day it should spin more.
The link to my Photos on Photobucket - [s1152.photobucket.com] And while I hope as much as everyone else that Somerset win tomorrow, the great thing about cicket - which is perhaps all the more salient after the dereadful events in Burma this week - is that it is only a game.
Later on I had my answer when they hoisted a safety net from each pole as protection for the workmen.(Maybe because Trescothick hit a ball into the river yesterday)
The link to my Photos on Photobucket - [s1152.photobucket.com] 
Remember Gareth Breese.
I need to lie down just thining about it.
It has to be over 400,it has to be.
The Laws are absolutely categoric:
"no substitute shall act as wicket-keeper" (law 2(2))
"A substitute shall not be allowed to bat or bowl nor to act as wicket-keeper or as captain on the field of play" (law 2(3)).
There's nothing in the Laws which allows the captains to agree to change the Laws for any particular game if they fancy it. So while I understand Hants wanting to have a substitute keep wicket, and JL being magnanimous enough not to object, why did the umpires allow it?
With agreement replacement keeper is allowed.Middlesex in similar situation at Chelmers.
It has happened on a few other occasions in recent season - at Middlesex and Nottinghamshire, for example, if memory serves. The sub keeper is, of course, not allowed to bat.
Whether this amendment is in place in other countries, I`m not sure.
Wasn't there an occasion when three different players kept wicket in an England match, one of whom was a former Test keeper there as a spectator who just happened to have his kit in the boot of his car?
After the first day who would have thought it would end like this!
Langer came to the party when it was needed and was brilliantly assisted by Tresco.
So today, lets go and finish these guys off, show them what we're made of.
Ecspecially that cocky Kevin Pieterson, thinks he owns this country!
Cumon Boys, Lets be havin you!
If so, in a strange sense, both father and son kept wicket for England.
The wicket is drying and could become easier on Saturday so we need that 400+. Nothing would be more galling than see Kevin Pietersen take us apart and win it for Hants after the big fight back.
Big question is whether there is enough spin in it for Ian and Mike Munday.
It was a great day too to meet the Lord Grockle and the Mighty Tractor!
One possibly sour note yesterday - on the resumption after tea Pietersen shouted at Tres (who was walking towards his family in front of the scporeboard) ' Marcus - you're a joke!' Marcus looked less than impressed and, although KT did have a smile on his face, the members who heard it (including me) were very unimpressed.
Let's hope the last laugh is against KT and Hants.
It was 1986, New Zealand at Lord's.
Bruce French was struck by a Richard Hadlee bouncer and was groggy. Bill Athey took the gloves until lunch, when it was discovered that Bob Taylor was at the ground (not as it happens as a spectator but in his then job with Cornhill). Bobby Parks was then summoned from Hants and took over the next day, to become the fourth England keeper in the innings. Johnners writes
Quote:Bob, at the age of 45, had kept beautifully for over seventy overs, wearing other people's trousers, shirt, box, boots and socks. But like a true wicket-keeper he always carried his own gloves around with him - just in case!
Quote:Frome Exile
So what do we think folks?
Do we need to take just a little more time out of this game and give them something between 380 and 420 in around 75 to 80 overs?
Now let's do the business and show KP who the real joke is.
Is it time for a bit of kiddology?
Bring Banger and the Emperor on to bowl and make them think we've given it up? Might they get careless?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008:05:10:14:47:29 by Frome Exile.
Dew dew,it aint half hot out there today.
Fingers crossed the pitch starts to break up very quickly.
There has been some talk, lately, about how test cricket might be reduced to only four days.
I think today's game is a good example of precisely why that would be a retrograde step. If this game had five days to run, there would surely be a decent chance of a result. Four days is not enough unless conditions are very much more favourable for bowling than batting and/or both sides are much better at bowling than batting.
This game will end at 5 and we'll take the draw and 3 bonus points.
We were unlucky to get a damp wicket in the first innings but battled back superbly.
We can take plenty from this.
Both Championship matches have shown that not only can we compete with the best in the division but with a bit of luck beat them and be serious contenders for the Championship.
There is no way Test cricket should be shortened to four days.
That's a complete nonsense.
Mr Rose has tried to suggest that 'it was unavoidable,' playing on the wet pitch. However, this stance was undermined by his own comment about how we considered using the pitch from the Glamorgan FP Trophy game.
Furthermore, I thought Justin Langer's comments after the game today also gave the game away;
"We took a risk by playing on a damp pitch ..........."
Mr Langer's comments appear to confirm my original suspiscion - namely that we produced a damp pitch as a means of compensating for Caddy's absence (obviously hoping to win the toss!)
He reckoned he had raely seen such an abject display of technique as the one we exhibited during that first session. A wet pitch can and should be dealt with by batsmen expecting to be categorised as a first division line-up. Let's hope it's the last 'abject display' we see this year.
It was a superb recovery.
Key players are coming into form.
Upwards and onwards,the season has kicked off without too many mishaps.
Let's win the lot now.
The signs are good however,we're obviously more than able to punch our own weight.
A few wins without the weather intervening would be nice.
I don't think there's anybody to be scared of in this division.
Positive attitude and play to our strengths and that should do it.
I'm not sure that, in the CC, we have yet seen us bat in what one might call 50:50 conditions, that is conditions in which batting is neither really tough, nor really easy.
It was really tough, I think, at Old Trafford, on a fast, bouncy pitch where the ball moved around and it was really tough on the damp pitch here.
It's fairly evident that this Taunton pitch became progressively better for batting on as the game moved along. It sounds as though, by day three, it was very good indeed for batting on.
As far as the bowling is concerned, I'd say that the Hants first innings here probably did represent 50:50 conditions, at least if you take the innings as a whole. Given that we were without AC and they did have KP, I thought we did fairly well, to be honest.
Re test cricket; the CC was lengthened from 3 to 4 days precisely because theres was insufficient time for a result and finishes were being manufactured because of the higher totals being scored.
If you made test cricket 4 days you'd have the same problem, plus many test matches are 4 days anyway when a team wins.
We have to bat well twice not once trying to retrieve a situation after a poor first innings performance.
More worrying was Munday turning the ball before lunch but being moderately ineffective in the last two sessions. I know we can bat but do we have the Championship slow attack to keep the momentum going when pitches lose their seam advantage as the conditions dry out?
The season is young and we're unbeaten.
We all know it's about getting every session right and as the players bed in and their roles become defined this is what will happen.
Michael Munday will not be a match winner in every game he plays,he's still only learning his trade.
Please don't expect too much of him yet or we'lll end up burdening him with too many expectations.
We're unbeaten in the Championship.
Let's move it up a level and we'll be fine.
But he did also say;
"We didn't bowl very well on the final day."
So I think that's a fair indication of what he thought of the bowling performance.
Mind you, it was a shame that Edward's wild ball was followed by a missed clear wicket chance.
I thought Munday put too much way down the leg-side, and so did the batsmen. Those around me were comparing Munday to Ian Salisbury - 4 good balls in each over and the other two could be anything.
It's clearly not ideal to be thinking that we have to rely on one so inexperienced to win matches, as distinct from contributing to wins.
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