What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:06:12:13:05:48 by Grockle.

I think batting will be very difficult in poor light and after a day of sporadic rain.

you going AG?

Still waiting on the weather, Ronnie. Going to escape from work in 15-20 mins and head up there if no further rain in the interim. It was sunny last time I look out (10 mins ago) but there were plenty of dark clouds about, as well.

Raining again now - drizzle type stuff. It's the sort of thing they could play through, but we need a big break in the rain, i would have thought, to give the ground a chance to dry.

The ground drying is never an issue,it goes straight through.

cheer the boys on for me AG.........need a win tonight!!!

We've left out Turner, Suppiah and Pollard according to cricinfo

fRed I only have ten names.

ME Trescothick*, C Kieswetter†, Z de Bruyn, JC Hildreth, JC Buttler, PD Trego, BJ Phillips, M Kartik, AC Thomas, MTC Waller

The link to my Photos on Photobucket - [s1152.photobucket.com]

Pollard is at 3

Oh yeah, BBC has Pollard, so Compton is left out. Hope we have enough batting.

That's number eleven.

The link to my Photos on Photobucket - [s1152.photobucket.com]

Is this thing being covered on television?

No Jim Derbyshire on later.On the radio though although you won't be able to see the dancing girls.Have to use your imagination!

No tv Jim. I'm in my seat behind the arm though. Magnificent view, as always.

Terrific line from Ben to ACG in first over - terrific

Derby v Warwickshire is the match on TV.

The link to my Photos on Photobucket - [s1152.photobucket.com]

Cheers one.
And all.
Are they selling those £12.34 pies,AG.
I remember our Both saying he thought they were good value.

Newman 4 through extra cover, Tres immediately reinforced area. Big shout for catch behind 4 th ball, did not look out to me.

ACG c and b Phillips0

TFC Gilly!

Alf off after one, Zander on.

Not looked at beer, yet Jim.

Zander's first over also a very good line. Pitch looks tricky for batting, seam movement and bounce.

Dexter looking dangerous. He beat us at Beckenham in 50 over QF.

Pete on, first over tidy to Newman.

Are you in the pavilion,AG?
Many of our supporters there?

Lovely stuff,Trigger.

Fairly evenly balanced, I would have thought, at the T with 20 to go.

Batting under the lights may be a slight disadvantage perhaps.

Good start for Pollard.

16 off Alf's last over wasn't ideal, but then I guess we'd have settled for 19 off the last two!

Come on, Banger, lead 'em home.

Trego gave his wicket up so Pollard could still be in.

The link to my Photos on Photobucket - [s1152.photobucket.com]

Erm... welcome to England Kieron!!!

BVI Grockle

I think we can partially thank PT for that win for unselfishly giving his wicket up.

The link to my Photos on Photobucket - [s1152.photobucket.com]

Astounding. Truly astounding.

Firstly that KP could put on such a show with bat and ball and secondly that, without him at the crease, we may have ended up a bit like at Hove.

Not sure whether to be excited or worried.

Great Effort from Pollard, Good Solid bowling effort from Mr K. Responsible support from ZdeB.

Needed that Win now onto the RB.

WCG

Sorry chaps. As you know I call our little short game 'tip and run'. That IS true for everyone except K Pollard which is 'hit and six!'.

He'll soon pay for his wages. The trouble is - will we be able to afford him next year?

OLDBOYBA!

WOW! Was there ever a debut like that?

Guys, I've not seen violence like that since Viv! His best shot was a flat, skimming 6 over extra cover off the left arm spinner.. That was no 'T20 shot' it was a very high class cricket shot executed with breathtaking timing!!!

I thought we were pretty good in the field, overall, but Morgan was brilliant.

Until Pollard came in, we looked overawed/ clueless with the bat, Tres apart. Hildreth acted selfishly in my opinion in not giving his wicket up in the mix up with Tres. Yes, mix up was probably Tres's fault, but he's our star and already had 20 or so. One thing's for sure, you don't decline to fall on your sword for your leader, and then play the kind of lame shot to point that Hildreth played.

Cheers for the updates AGod. Must have been a fantastic match to see in front of your eyes!

Roll on Saturday! (And the Rose Bowl on Friday, but alas I won't be there)

Yes, I'm afraid my 3G reception cut put after about 10 overs! BP was brilliant vs Gilchrist!

I was trying to add this earlier but had a computer problem.

Well done to the team, especially Pollard, Trego and De Bruyn for their support while he was batting.

Let’s hope this will now kick start their 20/20 campaign.

I am not a 20/20 lover but it don't stop me supporting the team.

The link to my Photos on Photobucket - [s1152.photobucket.com]

Well said, Mike.

I concur with every word.

I met some guy from Yeovil who was well oiled and claimed to have grown up in the Windies and watched and known Pollard since he was very young. No idea if this is true but great story if it is and judging by the smiles the guy was wreathed in, it just might be true!

Glad you had a great evening, AG, and I'm only slightly jealous!

Very enjoyable evening although I was rather worried at 31-4. Then came the hurricane. To give you an idea of the power of the man he straight drove one of his sixes OVER the pavillion wow.

We have to consider using him in the power- play. With his power, you have to say we'd get at least four pretty much every time he laid willow on leather.

At Taunton, opponents are going to have to try to bowl hi
or get him LBW, because they're not going to have him caught as any mis-hits are liable to go for six!

You kindly forgot to mention how truly awful the Sex were.
The bowling and fielding was a complete disgrace.
Morgan at 5 and Malan at 7 ,what planet are the powers to be on?
Enjoy Pollard..Gilly's turn will come

Best Somerset debut since Botham v Hants?

Or better than that?

Hampshire will include two specialist 20/20 overseas players - experienced Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq and rather less experienced Australian Dan Christian - in their side to play us at the Rose Bowl on Friday.

Dominic Cork is captain in the absence of the injured Dimitri Mascarenhas, and the full 13-man squad is:

Adams, Razzaq, Lumb, Ervine, Dawson, Pothas, Cork, Vince, Carberry, Briggs, Wood, McKenzie, Christian.

Not a chance SP! A pretty much complete unknown 18 year old spitting bits of teeth out, compliments of Mr Roberts at his fastest, and turning around a hopeless and certain defeat?

Kieron sounded dynamite and it was an extraordinary performance. But ITB's true heroics will live on beyond this routine 20/20 slog.

I agree Fozzie, but today was awesome on cricinfo so it must have been brilliant in the flesh

Tonight I had the pleasure of watching my first live T20 match and I live to tell the tale, despite Pollard's best efforts to kill me. I too had a fine seat, right under Cherie Blair's mouth, surrounded by cheerful young Middlesex men, most of whom knew less about cricket than I do about endogenous macro-economic growth theory by numbers. They didn't seem to mind the occasional triumphant snort from my direction.

The spectacle of floodlit, albeit not nearly full enough, Lord's from that position was immensely pleasing and the ground is large enough for all the dancing girl nonsense to be barely noticeable, though it was irritating to see them on the big screen immediately after the fall of a wicket when a replay would have been far more interesting. The announcer did his best to whip up enthusiasm for the peripheral nonsenses, such as the performance of the dancers or the antics of the mascot, but it seemed to me that, strangely enough, people were far more interested in the cricket - and at this particular match there was much to be interested in.

Morgan is a quite magical batsman; I've seen him twice now at Lord's playing against Somerset and on each occasion he has impressed me as someone with very special talent, though he will never be quite as good as Kieswetter is destined to be. There was was good bowling from Thomas and Pollard and Trego and some enthusiastic fielding in the deep by Waller and Buttler, though the latter was later to be out to a shot that no nineteen-year old should be allowed to play without a note from his mum.

I thought that the Middlesex total was well within our competence to reach, but at 31/4 we were already over 30 behind the D/L target - and the clouds seemed to loom a little more unkindly in that phase. The Tresecothick run-out was a real mess; I'm not inclined to blame Hildreth for not falling on his sword as everything happened so quickly. Trego batted with great authority and he clearly did appear to sacrifice himself. ZDB was his usual calm self and his steady presence ensured that that new bloke, what's 'is name, saw us safely home. It was probably the most awe-inspiring debut innings for SCCC since young Gimblett at Frome in the Thirties.

One of my friends called off at the eleventh hour, fearing that rain would ruin the evening. He's kicking himself now.

BJ would have loved it, if he could keep his eyes of those titillating spangly ladies.

LoL

Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter

I made my comparison with Gimblett's debut before I'd seen SP's mention of Botham against Andy Roberts. I agree with Fozzie that that was an even more inspired debut than Pollard's today, bearing in mind that Pollard already has significant experience on the big stage, while Botham had played previously only for Yeovil Under-Twelves.

But nobody will ever convince me to downplay the mightiness of that Gimblett innings.

I believe Friday's match is live on Sky.

Would it be fair to say that we don't seem to have learnt any lessons from the Sussex debacle, apart from needing to include KP?

That is correct Botham, two days on the trot.

The link to my Photos on Photobucket - [s1152.photobucket.com]

What an eloquent and atmospheric post/report Lol. Sounds like quite a night - glad you enjoyed it.

I can only surmise that is the one and only time that "Cherie Blair's mouth" and "endogenous macro-economic growth theory", have ever appeared in the same sentence - anywhere !

Grizzzly

I will endeavour to scribe something as worthy as LoL's after Friday's game. I will fail.

BVI Grockle

The rewards of success!

Craig and all the other England 20/20 World Cup winners have been loaned Jaguar XJS cars for the next four years. Hope he can drive.

On a more serious note, all the pundits are saying he is certain to replace Matt Prior when the England 50-over team is named later today for encounters with Scotland, Australia and Bangladesh.

If this is the case, the best we can hope for is his availability for our last two away T20 matches against Glamorgan and Glo`shire, and the home match with Kent.

Thank you LoL for a wonderful first hand report. Enjoyed every word.

I never though there was any doubt that Craig would be the 50 over keeper. Flower is clearly a huge fan, so case closed as far as I was concerned.

As for our lot, I'd think that Arul Suppiah will have to come into contention after a pair of "team," batting performances that were anything but distinguished as a whole. Craig and Jos played well in game one and Pollard like a God in game two, but as team batting performances they were poor.

I looked at the scores from last year's games at Lord's and, on that basis, Middx made a below-par total last night*. I think it's greatly to the credit of our side in the field that we held Middx down to a below par total, even though they had the sun on their backs and the likes of Gilchrist and Morgan in their ranks. By my reckoning, there were only about four bad balls bowled by our guys in the Middx innings.

* And, yet, but for Pollard that below-par total looked like being far too much for our guys, based on the way they played yesterday.

I thought the Middx bowling attack looked less than stellar on paper. And I didn't think they bowled especially well on grass in reducing us to 31 for 4, either. Rather, I thought our guys failed to show the necessary composure, more than anything else.

I don`t know, Grizzzly.

When you look at the Blairs` accumulation of wealth, especially since they left Downming Street, it might just be possible that Cherie Blair`s mouth and endogenous macro-economic growth theory have been bedfellows.

A slogathon,LoL.
A slogathon.
Full credit to Trigger I say,it was obvious he could have been the hero with the bat but due to his generosity decided to let the debut boy have the glory.
I bet you were in fancy dress.

Lol, it took I longer to read that there report, than to listen to the whole game!

Tractor: you certainly know how to please a chap, so to speak.

LoL

Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter

Quotation from another thread:

Pollard will probably be hit or miss but will not detain the scorers for long, either way. I don't think we'll see many innings of 40 off 38 balls!

Now I wonder which of us wrote that...

LoL

Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter

Well it's true LoL...he'll hit at least 70 off 38 balls!!

40! I ask you.

The man is obviously a liability in the shorter form of the game - if he scored 70 (7 x 6 & 6 x 4) off only 14 balls, what the hell was he doing with the other balls?

LoL

Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:06:10:15:48:14 by Loyal of Lhasa..

Yes, that was rather the point of the post - I wasn't expecting him to be in for as many as 38 balls very often and, if he was in for that length of time, I'd expect many more than 40 runs from those 38 balls!

And the thing that Brian and AH will, probably, need to be a bit wary of now is whether and to what extent there may - at least for the next couple of games, be a psychological over-reliance on Pollard with some of the rest of our batsmen thinking "Pollard will kill them anyway."

It will be interesting to see who opens with Tres when Craig goes off to the 50 over stuff. Any takers for Pollard?

Why not ZDB, who showed last night he can calmly score at a run a ball while fireworks are blazing away at the other end? He seems to me to be an unselfish and intelligent batsman well able to manipulate the strike.

LoL

Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter

Could be. The fact that he was held back to number 7 might also have suggested that they wanted somebody a bit sensible and measured to bat in tandem with Pollard.

I have to say I was very impressed with Pete in that regard. I rather feared that he might get drawn into a hitting contest vs Pollard which may not have been in our best interests. It will be interesting to see if Tres can resist that temptation, should he and the real KP bat together.

To come back to the opening thing, unless he is being rested due to his dodgy knees, I'd have thought Arul might get back in the T20 team soon, and he might also be seen as a sensible option whilst the likes of Marcus blaze away up front?

I think Hildreth needs a T20 score because he had a mighty struggle in the group stages of this thing last year, got dropped from the T20 team, and was then unable to reproduce his early season CC form in the second half of the season.

Now, two questions for you, specifically, LoL;

1) Were you as impressed as I was with the performance of Ben Phillips vs Gilchrist? If Keith's Sweater was around, I would ask him to find out how many other bowlers have ever bowled 7 dots to ACG to open a T20 game.

2) Were you ever so slightly disappointed that young Max Waller was taken off after one over? I know the first two balls were short and were played on their merit, or lack thereof, but I thought the subsequent four balls were much better. Therefore, I was slightly disappointed that he was taken off. However, we do have a lot of bowling options so the decision was, of course, understandable.

Pains me to say it, but...

Quote:

AGod
Could be. The fact that he was held back to number 7 might also have suggested that they wanted somebody a bit sensible and measured to bat in tandem with Pollard.
Probably true

I have to say I was very impressed with Pete in that regard. I rather feared that he might get drawn into a hitting contest vs Pollard which may not have been in our best interests. It will be interesting to see if Tres can resist that temptation, should he and the real KP bat together.
Rarely can an innings of only sixteen have been so well constructed

To come back to the opening thing, unless he is being rested due to his dodgy knees, I'd have thought Arul might get back in the T20 team soon, and he might also be seen as a sensible option whilst the likes of Marcus blaze away up front?
Yes, if Suppiah is recalled in place of CK, he should probably open

I think Hildreth needs a T20 score because he had a mighty struggle in the group stages of this thing last year, got dropped from the T20 team, and was then unable to reproduce his early season CC form in the second half of the season.
Although he is a quick-scoring batsman, he usually scores more if allowed time to play himself in; thus he needs to bat high in the order and his class will eventually prevail

Now, two questions for you, specifically, LoL;

1) Were you as impressed as I was with the performance of Ben Phillips vs Gilchrist? If Keith's Sweater was around, I would ask him to find out how many other bowlers have ever bowled 7 dots to ACG to open a T20 game.
Those seven balls from Phillips were what T20 is all about, mean and demanding with not a dancing girl in sight (BJ would have been bored after the second of them)

2) Were you ever so slightly disappointed that young Max Waller was taken off after one over? I know the first two balls were short and were played on their merit, or lack thereof, but I thought the subsequent four balls were much better. Therefore, I was slightly disappointed that he was taken off. However, we do have a lot of bowling options so the decision was, of course, understandable.
I was disappointed that Turner did not play in the first instance and then that his replacement was allowed only a single over

LoL

Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter

I am pleased that LoL and AGod inspired Somerset to victory.

The highlights suggest that many of Pollard's boundaries were scored from perfectly respectable balls and with apparently little effort. Both his strength and his timing are astonishing.

Incidentally, while Botham's match-winning innings against Roberts et al came early in his career, he had played a few first team matches before then. So, I agree with LoL that this was probably the most remarkable debut since Gimblett's.

It takes less of a performance to win a 20/20 game than in a longer innings though doesn't it?

Not wanting to downgrade Mr Pollard's fine effort though.

It does, though one wonders how much longer he could have gone if necessary. To say that he seemed to have the measure of the Middx attack might qualify as the understatement of the year!

Of course, there was no Andy Roberts in the Middx attack, however, and I think the difference in the quality of the attacks is possibly the best yard-stick by way of comparison.

Pollard's innings was certainly one of the most thrilling that I will ever have the pleasure to witness, though, T20 game or not.

When Michael Holding had his rant, I wondered if what WDeath meant was that he did not think Pollard was good enough to play Test cricket. Having seen Pollard in full flow, I have reached a different conclusion. My conclusion is that Mr Holding knows very well that Pollard is a tremendous talent (only just turned 23, as well) but Mr Holding is of the view, perhaps rightly, that Mr Pollard is much more interested in playing T20, with its attendant riches, than he is in playing first-class/Test cricket.

Perhaps what might happen is that Pollard will play another couple of years on the T20 circuit until he has earned "enough," money and then might go for the "glory," option of aiming to become a dominant Test batsman.

Young Hampshire all-rounder Liam Dawson, who has been selected to pay against Somerset at the Rose Bowl tomorrow evening, was run out without facing a ball when opening for Hampshire Seconds against Surrey Seconds yesterday.

Then when he came back halfway through the 50 overs as runner for an injured colleague, he ran out the Hampshire batsman at the other end - also first ball.

Can history repeat itself?

Maybe they'll field Inzamam and Boycott as well, to run with Dawson?

Eoin Morgan has been made available by the England selectors to appear for Middlesex against Somerset under the floodlights at Lord`s on Wednesday evening and also to play for the rest of the tournament.

Andrew Strauss, who has been confirmed as England`s 50-over captain for the rest of the summer, will miss the entire FP T20 tournament, however, as will Steven Finn, who has been told to rest until the Pakistan Test series begins in mid-July.

And we don't have these worries :-)

...tho we could still lose Craig for much of the T20 and/or one or two to England Lions.

That may explain why Finn was awarded an incremental contract, I don't suppose they couldn't stop him playing if they hadn't done so.



The ECB has announced that Middlesex seamer Steven Finn, who earlier this week claimed man-of-the-match honours against Bangladesh in the first npower Test of the summer, has been awarded an incremental contract for 2009-10. [www.ecb.co.uk]

The link to my Photos on Photobucket - [s1152.photobucket.com]

Australian 20/20 opener David Warner doesn`t arrive in the UK until Thursday, so won`t be available for Middlesex at Lord`s tomorrow.

Gilchrist and Warner would have been a formidable opening partnership.

Will the floodlights be needed at Lord`s tonight?

I see that Surrey were so comprehesively beaten by Glo`shire at The Oval last night - 10 wickets with more than 10 overs to spare - that the lights were not even switched on.

Surrey were even booed from the field by their own supporters. Young Rory Hamilton-Brown must feel he has the dressing room from hell uner his command.

Symonds and Younus Khan have both been suspended by their countries in recent times; Andre Nel was playing his first match back from ECB suspension; Ramprakash, Steve Davies and Usman Afzaal would hardly top anyone`s list of `team` players; and it is well known that Chris Tremlett has to be wrapped in cotton wool.

It's dark enough in London that they could probably put the floodlights on if they were starting the game in 10 minutes time.

I'd suggest that unless there is no further rain between now and 6.15 pm that there may be a delay before the game gets under way.

[www.middlesexccc.com]

ANDRE VOS/DAVID WILSON/NICK EVANS ARE HARLEQUIN LEGENDS

Good link, thanks.

Your welcome!

ANDRE VOS/DAVID WILSON/NICK EVANS ARE HARLEQUIN LEGENDS

Aye,nice on TBE.
I remember Mike Llewellyn's huge hit,tidy bloke as well.
Pollard's blow was something else though,as classy and elegant a shot as you're ever likely to see on a cricket field.
Beautiful.

My wife and I were sitting in the upper tier of the pavilion approx one third of the way back and directly behind the wicket. The ball was still rising as it flew over our heads and would definitely have cleared the roof when I lost sight of it. I then heard a thud and soon afterwards it was thrown back by a gentleman in the top tier of the south turret. I suspect that as the Middlesex report says, it did clear the roof but not the entire building. A roof terrace was contructed behind the upper tier (and behind the roof - which only covers the seats) a few years ago which is at the same level of the turrets and I suspect that having cleared the roof the ball fell and struck something in this area. All the SCCC players received a warm ovation as they returned (as a team) through the Long Room, especially from me!

Thanks very much, TBE.

Like BJ, I thought of Mike Llewellyn's shot (in a limited overs final). I was in the old press box and the ball landed in the vicinity.

I was at Lord's for Mike Llewellyn's hit onto the north turrett, Brian Lara's hit onto the south turrett (not mentioned in the article, but I think that was off Emburey as well) and now Pollard's effort.

I also saw Simon Cook, of all people, hit a ball over the roof of the (new) Mound Stand.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:06:12:17:05:15 by Haringey Racer.