By Farmer White et al
September 9 2021

So the second half of this sttrange Championship competition starts with the county in second place in the first division competition a small number of points carried through behind Warwickshire.  Farmer White tells you all about the first day and beyond.  We start on a very cold August day.  Will we end up playing a final in October after taking our first Championship title?  All will be revealed in the next month or so. 

County Championship Division 1. Somerset v Nottinghamshire. 30th, 31st August, and 1st September 2021. Taunton.

Somerset. S.M. Davies (w), T.A. Lammonby, T.B Abell (c), J.C. Hildreth, L.P. Goldsworthy, T. Banton, R.E. van der Merwe, J.H. Davey, M.J. Leach, M de Lange, J. A. Brooks.

Nottinghamshire. B.T. Slater, B.M. Duckett, S.A. Northeast, J.M. Clarke, L.W. James, S.J. Mullaney (c), T. J. Moores (w), L.A. Patterson-White, B.A Hutton, L.J. Fletcher, D. Paterson.

Toss. Somerset. Elected to field.

First day 30th August – Pummelled

In the days of uncovered pitches batting first on winning the toss was virtually di rigueur. Captains ignored W.G. Grace’s dictum on the toss at their or their bowlers’ peril. The decision is not so clear-cut in these days of covered, well-prepared pitches, but inserting the opposition can still be a hazardous business. Imagine Tom Abell having to explain himself before W.G. after the disastrous insertions at Guildford in 2018 and Headingley in 2019. Interestingly, given the weight of history on the subject, in Somerset’s ten group stage Championship matches this season, the side winning the toss inserted the opposition eight times. When that news reaches the cemetery at Beckenham in which W.G now resides, the bearer may expect to be approached by a remonstrating apparition of the great man demanding an explanation. It might help pacify him if it is explained that on four of those eight occasions the side inserted lost the match, although in three cases leading on first innings. The other four matches were drawn, although two were so heavily impacted by the weather there was never a prospect of a result.

Prior to the toss for this match, it was difficult to pick out the pitch from beyond the boundary for it was a dark, if dull, shade of green. The sky was grey from Blackdowns to Quantocks, and as the cloud passed over the ground like a slow-motion conveyor belt running from the River Stand to the covers store there seemed to be no end to it. All that was lacking for a classic set of insertion conditions was humidity. Tom Abell clearly thought the green and the grey were enough, for as my friend from primary school days, and probably before, and I found our seat high in the Somerset Stand the announcement came that Somerset had elected to field. The group stage of this competition notwithstanding, I am a W.G man where the toss is concerned, for over time my anecdotal memory tells me that batting first carries the greater prospect of success, and my heart twinged accordingly.

Somerset begin the second phase of this year’s Championship in second place and a large crowd, even by Somerset first day standards, had come through the gates in support. There were somewhere comfortably in excess of three thousand by my eye, swelled by eight hundred club cricketers from over a hundred clubs from across the South West, all invited for the day by Somerset. The Somerset Stand was as well populated as I have ever seen it for a Championship match despite the deterrent effect of a wind that had arrived early for October. The ground, after the strictures at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, was bubbling, although a few rays of sunshine would not have gone amiss. The Gimblett’s Hill benches were full again, as if pre-pandemic times had never gone away. Every stand, apart from the section of the Ondaatje Stand closed as part of the cordon sanitaire for players, was populated as of old. The Championship was properly back at Somerset, and Somerset had turned out in force to greet it.

“That went straight through him,” someone said as Jack Brooks, bowling the second over of the day from the Trescothick Pavilion End, beat Ben Duckett. When in his next over Brooks bowled short and wide to Slater the batsman reached further than looked wise and cut the ball straight to Lammonby who caught it ankle-high at point. Nottinghamshire were 7 for 1, cheers erupted around the ground, and Somerset had a start. But from there, doubts about the insertion began to impinge as the bat fell in all too easily behind a ball lacking penetration or was kept safely away from it. Sam Northeast added to the doubts as he drove Davey confidently through the covers to the Temporary Stand boundary.

Only the left-handed Duckett, playing rather frenetically, as he looked to attack the bowling with some intent, seemed to give Somerset hope, although more from apparent over-confidence than from any apparent threat from the bowlers. He turned Brooks to the Somerset Stand boundary and, in successive overs, drove de Lange through long on to the Temporary Stand and cut Brooks square to the Caddick Pavilion. He was constantly on the lookout for scoring strokes, but never looked settled. A man in a hurry with all day ahead of him. It came as no surprise when he hooked Brooks, and the top edge looked destined for that conveyor belt of clouds. “That is going up a very long way,” someone said with more than a twinge of anxiety in their voice. I must confess to forgetting to breathe myself as I saw the cover fielder running in. I need not have worried, for the fielder was Roelof van der Merwe and there are few better in the game. He may sometimes give the impression of being a bolt of uninsulated electricity in the field, but at the business end his hands are as steady in waiting for a catch as a kestrel’s head is in tracking its prey. Duckett’s innings was essentially over the second van der Merwe’s eyes settled on the ball. Nottinghamshire 44 for 2. Duckett 24.

Duckett’s wicket served to temper Somerset anxiety about Nottinghamshire’s progress which had raced along at nearly four runs an over. But only for the moment, for Northeast was joined by Clarke and between them they began to build a foundation for Nottinghamshire’s innings. Slowly at first, although Clarke had announced his arrival by running three after late cutting his first ball from Brooks to the River Stand. Abell rotated his bowlers at a rate which must have, at times, had the batsmen wondering if they were entering through a revolving door. From the fall of the second wicket to lunch seventeen overs passed. They were bowled by five different bowlers.

As the bowlers rotated, Northeast and Clarke held steady, working to establish the Nottinghamshire innings. Occasionally they were beaten, but as the morning wore on any threat in the bowling began to fade. For a dozen overs the bowlers pressurized the batsmen. There was, according to the online watcher, enough movement to hold the batsmens’ attention, and only three boundaries and 22 runs came. Northeast produced a scintillating back foot drive to the Somerset Stand off Davey and, with Davey trying the other end, a searing clip, again to the Somerset Stand. Crucially though, no wicket fell.

As lunch approached and Abell worked down his list of bowlers, he could be heard imploring them with, “Come on boys, come on lads, come on.” But Nottinghamshire were now beginning to push and the bowling was beginning to lose some of its control. Clarke drove De Lange through the on side to the cover store boundary and Northeast twice deflected him behind square to the Colin Atkinson corner of the ground. There was lengthy applause for Jack Leach on his return from an extended period in the England COVID protective bubble during which time he had not been selected to play. Clarke’s welcome was abrupt, consisting of a sharp pull to the Somerset Stand boundary. When the Nottinghamshire batsmen walked off to lunch with the score on 88 for 2, they were somewhat happier I imagine than the Somerset fielders. “Their morning,” someone summed up.

Then, with lunch over, Somerset struck. Northeast was taken on the pad trying to turn Davey to leg. The appeal went up, followed by the umpire’s finger, followed by relieved cheers, followed by my friend saying, “Phew!” And “Phew!” is how it felt for, given the conditions, Nottinghamshire on 97 for 2 gave them a clear advantage. At 97 for 3, with Northeast gone for 34, Somerset were back within range. From there, as the afternoon unfolded, runs were at a premium, and it felt like wickets would have to be drawn like reluctant teeth. And all the while, Nottinghamshire slowly built on the advantage they had held at the end of the morning.

Lyndon James joined Clarke and both batsmen drew on their supply of batsman’s luck. Clarke hooked another short ball from Brooks and a top edge flew directly over the keeper’s head to the Trescothick Stand boundary. In an over, Davey twice beat James to gasps and then forced an edge which ran to the River Stand boundary. Davey, not quite at his best across the innings but the pick of the Somerset bowlers, was met with thankful applause when he returned to field in front of Gimblett’s Hill. Then, an over from de Lange moved Nottinghamshire forward again. Clarke drove him straight back past the stumps and James cut him directly over the point fielder to the Somerset Stand boundary, the ball travelling as if on a string directly towards me, curving slightly through the air as it approached. Between the two boundaries Clarke had taken a single to bring up his fifty. At the end of the over some Nottinghamshire supporters nearby looked to be breathing a little more easily with the score on 127 for 3. It had been a passage of play which epitomised the day thus far. Nottinghamshire steadily building a total, enjoying the occasional slice of luck, Somerset holding the batsmen in check and then periodically loosening their grip to be punished with a flurry of runs. They had taken wickets, but not enough it felt in the conditions.

Then, as so often happens with this Somerset team when it matters, Somerset again held Nottinghamshire in check, and then struck. Clarke, on 59, attempted to hook Abell and was well caught low down by Davies off the bottom edge. The score was 140 for 4 and it had taken Nottinghamshire seven overs to advance there from the fall of the third wicket at 127. Now, Steven Mullaney joined James and, having taken some time to survey the scene, attacked Leach, cutting him through backward point to the Ondaatje Stand, lofting him straight to the Lord Ian Botham Stand for six and turning him fine to the Trescothick Pavilion for another four. It took Nottinghamshire to 161 for 4 before Brooks, Leach and de Lange again applied something of a brake. In the nine overs until tea, ten runs were scored, and the ball never approached the boundary. Nottinghamshire reached tea on 171 for 4, their advantage re-imposing itself.

Immediately after tea, Nottinghamshire again attacked the bowling, 22 runs being added in three overs. Again, the assault was short-lived. Davey was driven fiercely off the outside edge by James, the ball flying through the air a yard beyond the horizontal reach of the point fielder and reached the Somerset Stand boundary just below me. A chip from Mullaney off Abell cleared the point fielder at the other end and ran down to the Ondaatje boundary. Three balls later, Mullaney drove square to the Caddick Pavilion. And then at 194 for 4, just as the score was looking daunting in the conditions, Abell broke through. James, having just taken a fresh guard, tried to defend against a ball which a replay shows swung away quite late and was edged to Davies. “Well bowled,” someone said as Somerset again closed the gap on Nottinghamshire before another passage of tight bowling from Abell and de Lange countered by solid defence and occasional scoring from Mullaney and Moores edged Nottinghamshire forward again.

When Mullaney pulled de Lange through the air towards the Caddick Pavilion, Banton, on the boundary, seemed to be positioning himself for a catch before stopping in mid movement only for the ball to bounce over the rope. “What happened there?” someone asked. “I think he might have lost it in our stand or the flats,” suggested my friend. Four tight overs and four runs later, Mullaney tried to clip de Lange to leg. The ball struck the pad with the batsman firmly on the crease and the umpire’s finger pointing to that still slowly rolling conveyor belt of cloud. Nottinghamshire 208 for 6, Mullaney 42. With those two wickets it felt Somerset had given themselves a chance of keeping the eventual Nottinghamshire score within bounds.

As if to mark the moment, the floodlights came on as the endless stream of cloud darkened the advancing day. Almost immediately, Nottinghamshire’s careful defence and periodic attacking flurries were replaced by a sustained assault on the Somerset bowling led by the new batsman, the left-handed Liam Patterson-White. It was a jaw-dropping assault for Somerset supporters to watch, for in an hour the balance of the day, always leaning slightly towards Nottinghamshire, shifted decidedly in their favour. A cut off Abell through backward point to Gimblett’s Hill set the tone, but it Patterson-White’s attack on de Lange which set the Nottinghamshire innings on a different course. The over began with a misdirected bouncer which sent four byes sailing over the keeper’s head. They were followed by drives, all for four, through midwicket to the Somerset Stand, straight to the Trescothick Pavilion and, to complete a wide ‘V’, through the off side to the Ondaatje boundary. A single and a no ball for the byes that cleared the keeper resulted in a 19-run over and Nottinghamshire finding themselves on 240 for 6 just four overs after the sixth wicket had fallen at 208.

There were worried faces along the rows of seats in the Somerset Stand as the Nottinghamshire score rattled along when most dismissals had suggested a ball moving in the air or off the pitch. I sent a text to someone watching online. “Is the ball doing anything?” “There is some movement, not excessive and not always, but some,” the reply. I often wonder if spasmodic or erratic movement is the worst sort if you are a batsman. Occasionally the bowlers got it right. Three times in one over Moores was beaten by de Lange. The first beat the bat altogether. The second was edged straight to Abell at second slip but bounced a couple of feet short of him, the third flew wide of the slips and, Nottinghamshire insult added to Somerset injury, ran to the Colin Atkinson boundary, but for the most part the batsmen held sway.

The new ball can be a duplicitous ally to bowlers. Often, it will take the wicket of a batsman who has become set or begin a collapse. But sometimes, if the bowlers do not get their line or length right, it flies to the boundary. The one Somerset took as soon as it was due produced the latter result. In the eight and a half overs possible after it was taken, bowled by Brooks and Davey, 42 runs were scored, and no wicket fell. Patterson-White continued his assault uninterrupted. Brooks was cut square to the Somerset Stand in the first over. From his third, Patterson-White took ten runs, the ball being pulled through midwicket to the Temporary Stand, turned to the Ondaatje, where it was only kept to two by a last-ditch boundary dive, and steered to Legend’s Square for four more. When he pulled Davey furiously over midwicket to the Somerset Stand boundary my old schoolfriend uttered a resigned, “Hmmm.”

Moores meanwhile applied himself to rotating the strike but did pull Brooks over midwicket to the Temporary Stand. “Come on Somerset,” someone shouted, more in hope than anticipation. Then, “Shot!” one Somerset supporter cried, acknowledging an off drive from Patterson-White. The cascade of runs took Nottinghamshire to 282 for 6 and left the crowd feeling somewhat pummelled. The bowlers and the crowd were saved from further punishment by the umpires decreeing the light had sunk so low that not even Somerset’s state of the art led lights could keep the players on the field. And all the while that slow conveyor belt of cloud continued its endless march across the sky. Within minutes the umpires were seen pulling up the stumps, thereby signalling an end to a day that had started with Somerset struggling to impose their will after asking Nottinghamshire to bat, gradually losing ground, and finally seeing Nottinghamshire beginning to sprint unhindered away from them.  

Close. Nottinghamshire 282 for 6.

More on this game can be found in the thread details following this report or on Farmer's own website by clicking the link

It's Just Notts Cricket - The Championship Part 2

Discussion started by Grockles.com , 09/09/2021 15:38

Grockles.com
09/09/2021 15:38

What do you think? You can have your say by posting below.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:09:15:41:03 by Grockle.

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nelliec
28/08/2021 10:03

So the T20 can be put on the back burner for at least a couple of weeks, and we can get back to proper 4 day stuff, on a bank holiday Mon as well.
Somerset, Warwickshire and Lancashire are effectively one win ahead of the other 3 teams in the equation, due to the strange format that we have to put up with this year. Anyway it puts us in a very strong position to achieve the biggest aim of all.! Let's hope we go out to win every game , unlike the group stages which became very contrived towards the end.
On the pitch we have several dilemmas.
Has Ali arrived from the W .Indies and is he available to play.
If not who do we open with-Smeed, Banton,Lammonby or Green
Is Lewis Goldsworthy still Isolating
Can Lewis Gregory Bowl
One, two or 3 spinners.
Assuming the worst case scenario I would probably pick;
Ben Green
Steve Davis
Tom Abell
James Hildreth
George Bartlett
Tom Lammonby
Lewis Gregory
RVDM
Jack Leach
Josh Davey
MDL

Not ideal and really need Gregory bowling or Lewis Goldsworthy instead



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:02:20:54:48 by Grockle.

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AGod
28/08/2021 11:09

L Greg won’t be able to bowl. If you can’t bowl 4 overs, you can’t bowl 24!

Sadly, I think L Gold won’t quite be out of isolation, in time, to play.

I don’t expect Azhar Ali to have arrived in time.

We shall, therefore, have to select:

Steve Davies
Ben Green
Tom Abell
James Hildreth
George Bartlett
Tom Lammonby
Roelof Van Der Merwe
Josh Davey
The Great Matthew Jack Leach
Marchant De Lange
Jack Brooks

It isn’t ideal in terms of a pace attack, but it’s the best we can do and there are, at least, 7 bowling options (and 8 if Tom A is happy, hamstring-wise, to bowl).

Some might complain about two spinners, but VDM is there as much to balance the side, batting wise.

Alternatives to VDM don’t seem great to me:

- Gregory as a specialist number 7 batsmen and slip fielder

- Aldridge as a sort of all-rounder… he’s meant to have all-round ability.

- An extra batsman - Banton or Byrom..Sorry, but I see little current reason to expect them to make more runs than VDM, quite frankly, so I’d rather have VDM in the slips and as a second spinner.

- Josh Davey at number 7 and an extra seamer. Just not enough batting, so no thanks.

Note: If Azhar Ali has actually arrived and been cleared to play then he could open and Green could take VDM’s slot, if we really don’t want two spinners.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:28:11:19:37 by AGod.

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AGod
28/08/2021 11:22

Note: I expect that management will have ordered a flat pitch, the chief aim being to keep Notts well behind us. All the more reason, for me, to have two spinners, rather than have to flog the only three senior main seamers that we have left standing.

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nelliec
28/08/2021 11:31

I was wondering if we would use the same strip that was used in the Lancashire game. I can't recall any other ones protected.I'm still a bit worried about the batting line up with Davey at 8 that's while I feel Gregory will play and we'll hopefully bat and post a big score for Jack, and Roelof.What we can't afford to do is have two pitches like the Hants pitch for our home games, where it just got easier and easier to bat on.

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AGod
28/08/2021 11:47

Although management had previously played Gregory in T20 when unfit to bowl (the Middx debacle), hence it was predictable they’d repeat the policy Vs Lancs, they have never previously done it in red ball cricket and so I don’t think they’ll start next Monday.

Having said that? If we do prepare a turning track, then Gregory is the slip to the spinners so I suppose that might be a consideration.

If it is the Lancs pitch?

Well… that would confirm the idea of something very flat.

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Grockle
28/08/2021 11:52

The bowling options on Monday are different so the decision on Gregory's contribution will be different one would assume and a choice will be made accordingly

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nelliec
28/08/2021 11:55

I feel that to win the championship we need results against both Notts and Yorkshire.We would then be in total control of our own destiny with the Lancs and Warks games last of all, especially while the weather is set fair for the foreseeable future

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AGod
28/08/2021 12:02

I’m not sure management will have that positive, attacking mentality, Nellie. We’ve prepared some flat ones for recent home CC games and showed total negativity in not even trying to win the game at the Oval on the final day before the CC intermission. And these were decisions taken, presumably, because we were ahead of most of the pack (as we are now).

I think the plan may be two high scoring home draws and hope to win one of the away games - probably Edgbaston if Cove available. If they could get two high scoring home draws and win one then, as we start ahead of most then, if we beat Warks at Edgbaston, then that might be enough.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:28:12:08:41 by AGod.

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nelliec
28/08/2021 12:14

I think it was just the format this year and the fact there are now more points for a draw was the problem.We deliberately didn’t want to beat Hants at home because we were trying to help Hants qualify ,so we carried more points through.And against Surrey it was a rest players policy so we didn’t pick any more injuries up for the T20.
We just can’t afford to play like that now and need to go for the jugular.We don’t want to die wondering!!!

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AGod
28/08/2021 12:31

Rest players Vs Surrey? But all we’d have needed to do was put Leachy on one end and VDM at the other!?

We also produced a flat track at home to Surrey. And the eight points for a draw is precisely why I suspect our cautious policy may persist in the final stage!

Anyways… We’ll get an idea of our mentality when we see Monday’s pitch!!

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cricketjerry-mouse
28/08/2021 15:08

With Haseeb Hameed away with England, opening bat Ben Compton - grandson of Denis and cousin of Somerset`s former top order batter Nick Compton - is in line for a recall to the Nottinghamshire squad at Taunton on Monday.

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Mike TA1
28/08/2021 15:44

Remind me, what is Lewis Gregory's injury?

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AGod
28/08/2021 15:53

Back injury. Not specified beyond that. But he’s had it for weeks, Mike, so a sudden resolution seems improbable to me.

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Mike TA1
28/08/2021 16:00

Thanks AG, I feared somebody would say that, that's the worst news possible considering his history with back injuries.

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Whome
28/08/2021 19:53

Lewis was throwing himself around the field on Thursday back injury or not. Let’s cling to the hope he’s been saving himself for the CC knowing that Craig won’t be around, optimism is good for your health too!!

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AGod
28/08/2021 20:08

When all-rounders can play as a batsman but not bowl, the most common reason is a minor stress fracture of the back… a tiny, tiny hairline crack. But there’s no way they can bowl with it, for fear of making it worse.

Few other explanations would be credible - for example, if you have a muscular back injury, then you can’t bat or throw yourself around in the field. If you have a slipped disc, you can’t even stand Etc etc.

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Grockle
28/08/2021 20:18

Well unless you have access to x-rays and medical reports you'll just have to wait and see...

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Farmer White
29/08/2021 14:04

Match preview from Club website:

[www.somersetcountycc.co.uk]

Tom Abell and Lewis Goldsworthy in the squad.Lewis Gregory out of it (back injury).

Farmer

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nelliec
29/08/2021 14:06

No Craig or Lewis Gregory.Azhar not available yet but Lewis Golsworthy plays

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Grockle
29/08/2021 14:06

Yep thought the injury would be too much for Lewis in a 4 day. Amazing how quickly the other Lewis being available seems important.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:29:14:19:27 by Grockle.

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nelliec
29/08/2021 14:16

Different rules now if you’re fully vaccinated and get a proper test done.
I’m still going with just two main seamers plus Green,Lammonby, who bowled well Thursday,Abell plus 3 spinners.
Green
Davies
Abell
Hildreth
Goldsworthy
Bartlett
Lammonby
Roelof
Davey
Leach
MDL

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AGod
29/08/2021 14:59

They will pick:

Davies
Banton
Abell
Hildreth
Goldsworthy
Bartlett
Lammonby
Davey
Leach
MDL
Brooks

I would pick

Davies
Green
Abell
Hildreth
Goldsworthy
Bartlett
VDM
Davey
Leach
MDL
Brooks

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AGod
29/08/2021 15:02

At North Marine Road, If Azhar Ali is actually available:

Davies
Azhar Ali
Abell
Hildreth
Goldsworthy
Bartlett
Green
Aldridge
Davey
Leachy
MDL

My team has a big gamble at number 8… but you need height, pace and bounce at North Marine Road… so Aldridge, rather than Brooks.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:29:15:05:18 by AGod.

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nelliec
29/08/2021 15:05

Do you know if they’re using the same strip as Thursday Mike.One thing that is guaranteed is that it will be played on the back of a postage stamp to assist with batting points.

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nelliec
29/08/2021 15:49

Notts squad:
[www.trentbridge.co.uk]
Is Liam Patterson White they’re only spinner in the squad?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:29:16:06:12 by nelliec.

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AGod
29/08/2021 16:18

No.

Calvin Harrison is a wrist spinner.

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Grockle
30/08/2021 08:44

Good Morning. VERY black in Bicknoller

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nelliec
30/08/2021 08:51

Very grey in TA1.Jumper weather I Think!!!!

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AGod
30/08/2021 10:04

Hmmm.

I assume we’ll have prepared a flat pitch.

But the weather favours the bowler.

What to do should we win the toss?

Unless we’ve managed to produce something very dry, I’d suggest we bowl in the expectation that the pitch will get flatter and flatter, plus bowling conditions might not be so good in future, in terms of overheads.

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Scrumper
30/08/2021 10:10

Looks like the same wicket as Thursday.

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Whome
30/08/2021 10:11

The wicket looks very green compared to the T20 wicket. Looks like we are going all out to win this one.

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AGod
30/08/2021 10:17

Really!?

I’m 😦 astonished.

So if it’s the same wicket as Vs Lancs, that would imply it has been heavily watered since last Thursday…

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Scrumper
30/08/2021 10:17

Quote:

Scrumper
Looks like the same wicket as Thursday.

Oops no it's another one just east of center.

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Grockle
30/08/2021 10:31

Grey, cold and windy at the ground. Activity all suggests we'll get off on time Pitch is pretty central in line with the white double doors in the bottom of the Botham in line with the middle of the seats section.

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Grockle
30/08/2021 10:32

Won the toss bowling first

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AGod
30/08/2021 10:36

Super!

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AGod
30/08/2021 10:38

Bartlett, who had recovered form, surely extremely unlucky to miss out to Banton, who has no form?

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AGod
30/08/2021 10:40

Davies, Lammonby, Tom, Hildreth, L Gold, Banton, VDM, Davey, Brooks, MDL and the GREAT Matthew Jack Leach is the side.

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AGod
30/08/2021 10:40

VDM presumably included at least as much for his batting, given that we’ve opted to bowl?

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AGod
30/08/2021 10:44

A quote from the Guardian T20 write up that you might like:

“Somerset prevailed at Taunton, where the runs flow as freely as the cider and the ball seems to be sucked through the air and over the ropes by the unbridled enthusiasm of the home crowd.”

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AGod
30/08/2021 10:56

PA announcer implying that Banton is going to open with Lammonby? Surely it’s not a good time - at the business end of the season - to go back to the two young openers route?

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sfwithers
30/08/2021 10:58

I'd have gone with Davies to open every time. Let's hope I'm proved wrong.

We know that Banton has the talent, but let's hope he can find some form...

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Grockle
30/08/2021 11:02

Ben Green also missing out after being listed on the scorecard as opening

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AGod
30/08/2021 11:07

Sfwithers… the team sheet on the club site shows Steve opening with Lammonby. So it’s just a question of whether the PA guy was given a different team sheet and, if so, which of the two is correct.

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Grockle
30/08/2021 11:09

Both opening bowlers going past the bat. 'Interesting' amount of wind across the pitch from the River Stand to us behind the covers

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Grockle
30/08/2021 11:12

The club team sheet has Lammonby opening with Ben Green as stated above... then again it also has Lewis Gregory at 8 so no idea when that was printed

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AGod
30/08/2021 11:14

Gift wicket!!! Lovely!!

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Owain Glyndwr
30/08/2021 11:15

Terrible ball, first wicket of the day. Lovely to see.

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AGod
30/08/2021 11:22

Warks already in big trouble at Old Trafford - 7 for 2.

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AGod
30/08/2021 11:33

This looks one of those “It’s green but does much less than you would think,” Taunton tracks.

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Owain Glyndwr
30/08/2021 11:39

I agree, the pitch looking very docile.

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Grockle
30/08/2021 11:42

Can't say there is a lot happening, it's overcast but quite' brisk' and definitely NOT humid

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AGod
30/08/2021 11:47

Another amateurish giveaway by Notts!!!

Perfect.

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Owain Glyndwr
30/08/2021 11:47

Get in, another soft one...but who cares?

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Grockle
30/08/2021 11:54

Certainly not Brooksie

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Loyal of Lhasa
30/08/2021 11:56

I am wondering if Banton has been picked to give him the chance to regain some form before the T20 finals.

LoL

Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter

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AGod
30/08/2021 11:59

I think there’s a seconds game, in which he could have played?

In any event, Banton will be in a shoot out, presumably with Lammonby, to retain a place for the trip to North Marine Road as it’s been confirmed that Azhar Ali will be available.

I suppose we might alter the balance up there, though, and have 7 batsmen?

Edited for correction: There is not a seconds’ game until next Monday.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:30:12:27:44 by AGod.

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AGod
30/08/2021 12:28

Josh has slowly worked his way into a groove as this session has worn along.

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Owain Glyndwr
30/08/2021 12:35

Time for a bit of spin?

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Grockle
30/08/2021 12:36

He's the only one getting anything interesting this morning. He does drop into a CC vogue that is pretty effective... has struggled a little more with the white ball.

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AGod
30/08/2021 12:44

Well, Onen, it’s an interesting one, viz spin.

I mean we could have picked an extra batsman (Bartlett) or a seam bowling all-rounder (Green) instead of VDM….. so one assumes we see at least a possibility or turn, albeit maybe not until the second half of the match.

With most of the seamers not looking unduly threatening, then I’d be inclined to take a longish look at the redoubtable Mr Leach after lunch. We might see him for the exploratory over before lunch prior to that.

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Grockle
30/08/2021 12:47

And here comes the "Nut"

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Grockle
30/08/2021 13:04

Don't forget the Q&A session for members after play today ...should be interesting.

Any comments after it would be gratefully received here

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AGod
30/08/2021 13:06

Hmmmmm..2 wkts, both to awful shots.

A handful of balls past the bat but, really, it looks a decent batting track.

It could be quite hard work this afternoon.

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Grockle
30/08/2021 13:47

Bit of warmth coming as the sun breaks through at the back of the MTP... summer may break out this afternoon!!

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Grockle
30/08/2021 13:53

Josh has worked damned hard for that one... well done sir

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AGod
30/08/2021 13:54

Thanks, Josh!

Mr “I’m too important to be omitted from the Hants T20 team,” is gone.

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AGod
30/08/2021 14:12

Tractor - Pete Trego has just given rather a good impression of you on the commentary for today’s game.

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AGod
30/08/2021 14:21

I think it’s probably time to get both spinners on and try to bowl dry. Not much in this track. Try to bore them out?

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Grockle
30/08/2021 14:25

Tractor and Mike in nearly their natural habitats today for the first time in a long time. Mike was saying he'd almost forgotten what to press on the camera!!

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AGod
30/08/2021 14:37

Dearie me, after spending 30 mins chatting to Pete on the commentary, the guy who isn’t Stephen Lamb, has twice referred to Pete as “Traygo.”

How can any SCCC fan possibly still be unaware of Pete’s actual name?

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Phrench Phil
30/08/2021 14:42

I can't recall ever having heard Peter Trego commentate on cricket before, but I must say he is rather good.

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Grockle
30/08/2021 14:47

He has done it before, he's no novice at that aspect

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Phrench Phil
30/08/2021 14:50

I have seen and heard him presenting football matches, Bristol City, but I found his dress sense distracted somewhat from his presentational skills.
Obviously this is not a factor on the stream, and I enjoyed his input.

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Owain Glyndwr
30/08/2021 14:51

Great work Skipper, a huge wicket.

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AGod
30/08/2021 14:52

Yes!!! Third giveaway of the day!!!

I wonder if there’s something spongy in the deck with that being the third apparently unthreatening short ball to produce a wicket? Or just fluke? Probably the latter?

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Grockle
30/08/2021 14:54

His dress sense has gone through interesting phases... Should have seen it in his first Somerset phase before he went away for a while... Bling wasn't in it!! Along with sort of goatee beard and blonde highlights of course.....

He's always had a fluency in front of a camera or microphone

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Grockle
30/08/2021 14:56

The impression is that you have to work really hard or lose concentration pretty comprehensively to get caught behind on this

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AGod
30/08/2021 14:56

Long on self-deprecating humour, is Pete.

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Grizzers
30/08/2021 15:44

Hard work.

Grizzers

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Owain Glyndwr
30/08/2021 16:15

Fear not, it's all going to kick off after tea, we'll be batting before close of play.

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AGod
30/08/2021 16:21

Would be nice. Would be quite the collapse.

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AGod
30/08/2021 16:22

Getting a ball change, anyway, albeit only for 15 overs or so.

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Grockle
30/08/2021 16:26

I can't work with this constant negativity BJ!! Stop it immediately!!

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nelliec
30/08/2021 16:34

I don’t know if anyone else down the ground today has heard the rumours going round that Tom Banton is on his way

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Grockle
30/08/2021 16:36

Where Nelliec?





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:30:16:37:18 by Grockle.

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Grockle
30/08/2021 16:40

A question for this evening's Q&A?

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AGod
30/08/2021 16:42

If Banton’s Offski then playing him in this one would make less than zero sense, given that he must have been a marginal selection.

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nelliec
30/08/2021 16:43

Several counties mentioned.including Middlesex and SurreyIf we need to cut our playing budget one would assume he would be near the max

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hantssabre
30/08/2021 16:45

I expect he’s been poached by Glamorgan after playing for the Welsh Dire!

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Grockle
30/08/2021 16:57

Well he makes his decision. The counties are going to be looking. On a positive note he could consider a move because he may struggle to get into our Championship side... a considerable statement about our resource base. I'd still hate to see him go and would rather see him looking at the challenge to play here as more important but we could be worse off.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:30:17:06:46 by Grockle.

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AGod
30/08/2021 17:07

Bottom line with Banton?

If he ever finds top form?

He’ll spend his summer in a variety of franchise stuff, anyway, being a possible for IPL and CPL and certainty (if in form) for the Blundred.

So what would Somerset really miss?

T20 only. As wouldn’t be available for other forms.

I’ll be embarrassed for him he’s going to useless Glamorgan, though.

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AGod
30/08/2021 17:09

What do you mean, Nellie, by Banton would be near the max, budget wise?

I’d hope not. But if he really is one of the biggest earners on the wage bill? It would be the right call to let him go, in my view, as we don’t get that kind of bang for our buck.

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Grockle
30/08/2021 17:21

The other thing is.... not enough glove work? Steve gets the nod in Championship games (for all the right reasons IMHO)

Tom would be a major resource for some other clubs and they may be willing to pay for that. On his day he is phenomenal - Somerset seem to have been here before I think.

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AGod
30/08/2021 17:26

Yep.. it might be that he wants to keep. If so? There are few chairs open though. For example, Middx were mentioned… no good reason for them to give Banton the gloves over John Simpson. Surrey were mentioned, but they have both Foakes and Jamie Smith.

If he wants to keep, maybe he really would have to go somewhere like Glamorgan.

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Grockle
30/08/2021 17:30

MdL has just gone for 19 in the 80th over of a Championship match!

He may be able to produce express pace in the last hour of a day's cricket but if the batsman gets the bat to it if fires into the boundary at a hell of a pace as well

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Grockle
30/08/2021 17:50

After holding it together for the majority of the day, it is getting away from us a little in this last session and the 300 in the day is on for Notts and a target for us to make them miss!!

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AGod
30/08/2021 17:51

Pretty flat pitch. Not really our finest day from a bowling discipline standpoint. Getting some tap now.

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Grockle
30/08/2021 18:01

Bad Light - close of play

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AGod
30/08/2021 18:02

I don’t think we’ll mind going off for light. Hope to re-group and have a better day tomorrow.

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Owain Glyndwr
30/08/2021 19:23

They're still there for the taking, a few early wickets tomorrow and we're back on top.

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Mike TA1
30/08/2021 20:41

I am back taking photos, the only problem was camera didn't like the battery not being in it and all my camera setting disappeared.
So today's photos is more or less getting back into the swing of it. Not much to choose from in the way of dramatic shot. So here goes.



Steve Mullaney lbw Marchant de Lange.



Steve Mullaney 4 runs



Sam Northeast 4 runs



Liam Patterson 4 runs



Joe Clarke



Joe Clarke ct Steve Davies bld Tom Abell, down the leg side.



Celebrations after Tom Lammonby ct Ben Slater off the bowling of Jack Brooks



Ben Duckett 4 runs

After losing all my camera settings they were better than thought they would be!

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Grizzers
30/08/2021 20:44

Lewis Gregory won't bowl again this season according to Anthony Gibson.

Messrs Davey, Brooks & MDL are going to have sore bones by the end of the month. Guess it' s possible we might have Craig back for the Warks. game .

Grizzers

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AGod
30/08/2021 20:47

No surprise.

And unless he plays in the seconds as a batsman only, then he will have had 3 weeks with zero cricket by the time we roll him out as batsman only on August 18.

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Owain Glyndwr
30/08/2021 20:52

Brilliant pictures, Mike. I've missed them.

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Des Platt
30/08/2021 20:56

Quote:

Owain Glyndwr
Brilliant pictures, Mike. I've missed them.

Agreed 👍

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Des Platt
30/08/2021 20:57

Quote:

AGod
Warks already in big trouble at Old Trafford - 7 for 2.

Thanks for that 🙂

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AGod
30/08/2021 21:04

Whoops!! Sorry, Des!

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Grizzers
30/08/2021 21:55

Thx for the photos Mike.

Good to see the ‘master of the lens’ back at work !

Grizzers



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:31:00:42:48 by Grizzers.

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Loyal of Lhasa
30/08/2021 22:20

Shock! Horror! Normality returns. Mike the Lense is back - and in his usual good form.

thanks for that.

LoL

Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter

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Des Platt
30/08/2021 22:46

No problem AGod. I don’t really think you can influence a game 200 miles or so away by a comment! Unusually for me nowadays, I watched a bit more of Lancashire than Somerset for the first few hours when I could watch. Lancs bowled pretty well actually on a typical dead OT wicket ; Chapple probably playing for a draw even as early as the pitch instructions.

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AGod
31/08/2021 06:36

You didn’t really miss much, Des. Somerset have played some very entertaining cricket over the past several years but yesterday was not one of the more interesting days of CC cricket that we have produced.

Jason Kerr summed it up rather well as (I paraphrase), “We didn’t bowl as well as we usually do and we thought the track would do a fair bit, but it didn’t.”

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AGod
31/08/2021 06:49

Is Mike’s surname “lense”?

If not, why are both Grizz and Lol spelling this word with two es in it?

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Grockle
31/08/2021 08:19

Another grey day in West Somerset unfortunately. Yesterday was only bright when they put the lights on... today doesn't suggest it is going to be much better

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AGod
31/08/2021 08:50

The forecast, for most of England is similarly bleak for the week, by the looks of it.

There was a lack of light, everywhere, at the games yesterday.

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AGod
31/08/2021 10:25

I guess we'll find out in a few hours but, thinking about it, perhaps the PA announcer was right and Banton has been picked to open the batting. If management were looking for somebody to open, that would explain his selection over George Bartlett in logical fashion.

It would be a surprise, for me, if Davies is moved back down the order to accomodate a Banton/Lammonby opening pairing, though. I mean my assumption was that Azhar Ali had been signed to form an experienced pair at the top of the order, with SD, but perhaps the plan is, instead, for Azhar's presence to allow SD to slot back into the middle order? If that's the case, and Banton and Lammonby open today? The two of them will be in a shoot-out to be Azhar's partner at North Marine Road. In which case, things would get interesting if both men were to score well on what, admittedly, seems a rather unresponsive surface.....

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Shepton Paul 2
31/08/2021 10:55

Batting orders should always be flexible. Maybe Davies would open if we batted first, but Banton would do so if SD had just had a day and a half keeping?

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AGod
31/08/2021 11:03

Track already looks markedly less green than yesterday.

50 for their spinner. Well played to him.

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nelliec
31/08/2021 11:14

Early chance put down but the track looks full of runs

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Bobstan
31/08/2021 11:28

Great to see you back, Mike BoS, TA1, the Lens. Pictures well up to your normal high standard of course. Hope to see you at the Lancs game.

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AGod
31/08/2021 11:31

The risk of not getting maximum bowling points seems to be growing. Josh unlucky. He’s really the only one to have extracted much from this surface. I’m glad we’re not bowling second.

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Loyal of Lhasa
31/08/2021 11:42

For years I have had difficulty with a particular word. Is it lens or lense? And I usually get it wrong, as I did yet again yesterday. The problem for me is that neither spelling looks right to me. The shorter form looks as thought it ought to be a plural but isn't, unless referring to the two men called Hutton and Goodman.

Apologies to Camera Mike, by which name I shall in future refer to him, and to all pedants everywhere.

LoL

Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:31:11:44:05 by Loyal of Lhasa.

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AGod
31/08/2021 11:44

At last, well done, Tom!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:31:11:47:10 by AGod.

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Loyal of Lhasa
31/08/2021 11:46

Lammonby?

LoL

Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter

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Old Boy!
31/08/2021 12:04

Interesting selection policy adopted by Somerset, which I was pleased with, a few seamers AND three spinners. Unfortunately TA for some reason has decided two of the spinners are no good and not worth trying, even when everybody else has failed! I'm sorry but perhaps he has been occupied elsewhere when Van de mere and Goldsworthy were doing quite well - I know it was one day stuff BUT why not try them out - wasn't that part of the reason for picking them?
Old Boy!

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Grockle
31/08/2021 12:05

Looks like we'll be 2 wickets short of maximum bowling points today. Only 5 overs to go and not a lot in this pitch for anyone. Well until WE bat of course.

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AGod
31/08/2021 12:19

Well, L Gold is in mainly for his batting, Old Boy.

VDM is partly in the side for his batting.

I guess they decided on VDM, rather than Green, because they don’t think Green is better with the ball than Abell is.

Jason Kerr was talking about “only batting once,” in this match. That seems rather ambitious to me, but it would bring VDM into the game as a spinner.

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Bobstan
31/08/2021 12:23

Not usually a good sign when the skipper bowls 20+ overs in an innings!

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AGod
31/08/2021 12:24

Viz the pitch, Grockle, my rule of thumb is that, if Josh Davey can’t get anything out of a track, movement wise. their bowlers won’t do, either. Josh has got a little bit, but only a little bit. So their best bowler might also get a little bit, and the rest nothing.

Of 7 Notts wkts to fall, 3 (3 of the first 4) were daft giveaways.

Só, concentrate, Somerset! No daft T20 type shots and one would hope we will be alright.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:31:12:25:34 by AGod.

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AGod
31/08/2021 12:29

Warks about to drop 2 batting bonus points, and Yorkshire 3.

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Scrumper
31/08/2021 12:41

Did anyone go to the meeting yesterday?

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Grockle
31/08/2021 13:02

Notts in control at Lunch one would say

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AGod
31/08/2021 13:05

Lancs Vs Warks seems to be going nowhere fast. A result appears probable at the Ageas Bowl.

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AGod
31/08/2021 13:33

If Hants lose to Yorks, then they’ll be all but out of it in this mini-league after only one game. That would not be a good result for us because we wouldn’t want Hants losing motivation Vs the other teams in our group and we don’t play Hants, so couldn’t take advantage of a disheartened Hants.

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Scrumper
31/08/2021 14:16

200-2 meh.

Quote:

AGod
Lancs Vs Warks seems to be going nowhere fast.

You could say the same here, but we don't do we.

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Mike K
31/08/2021 14:19

A bit of rain in the air

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cricketharris
31/08/2021 14:24

Listen….
Is that the death knell of county cricket, I hear?

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Goonie goo goo
31/08/2021 14:35

Just a quick question. Why are we even thinking of offering brooks any contract ? Absolute nonsense !!

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Grockle
31/08/2021 14:42

Because some of our guys need a year and there's not a lot about looking for jobs in the provinces?

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AGod
31/08/2021 14:43

Tedious though this innings has been, a sample size of one does not constitute a “death knell,” Cricketharris.

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AGod
31/08/2021 14:46

Warks, with 355 runs from 133 overs for only 6 down, do appear to be trying to bore Lancs to death, however.

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AGod
31/08/2021 14:57

Thank God that’s over.

Now, bat properly, please.

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Old Boy!
31/08/2021 15:03

iF YOU CAN'T make use of all your available BOWLERS When IT IS 448-9 WHEN WOULD YOU?
Old Boy!

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Old Boy!
31/08/2021 15:06

448 all out by the bowler considered useless by the skipper! I rest my case!
Old Boy!

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AGod
31/08/2021 15:07

Yeah, strategy and team selection is all a little strange, Old Boy.

Jason Kerr strongly implied we were expecting a seaming track … which makes one wonder why they didn’t play an extra batsman or seam bowling all-rounder, rather than a second spinner?

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AGod
31/08/2021 15:11

Awful start.

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AGod
31/08/2021 15:17

We usually start red ball competitions slowly and in a competition with only four matches, we obviously can’t afford to do that this time.

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Goonie goo goo
31/08/2021 15:23

Quote:

Grockle
Because some of our guys need a year and there's not a lot about looking for jobs in the provinces?

What is brooks going to offer? Has more injuries than wickets

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AGod
31/08/2021 15:30

I’d rather save the money that would be spent on another deal for Brooks, and add a second overseas bowler instead - and all the more so if we go back to two divisions and thus have the spectre of possible relegation.

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Goonie goo goo
31/08/2021 15:40

Me too AG . He adds nothing for me and we need to be ruthless . We have Kirby paid to do the mentoring of youngsters and davey and de Lange on the pitch if we are to persevere with him too

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AGod
31/08/2021 15:41

De Lange under contract, so we have to assume he will, indeed, be one of the overseas for next year.

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Goonie goo goo
31/08/2021 15:45

So is Banton though snd we know the rumours there

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cricketharris
31/08/2021 16:34

I think we ought to double Abell’s salary.

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Scrumper
31/08/2021 16:40

Uh oh! Ball change. Light not great here.

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AGod
31/08/2021 16:46

Not looking great. Another 220 or so needed even to save the follow on. All looking very dependent on Abell and probably wishing we’d picked a slightly longer batting line-up!

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AGod
31/08/2021 16:50

Awful.

Might lose in three days, at this rate, depending on whether or not they enforce the follow-on, should they get the chance to enforce it.

Edit: escaping the field for bad light.

Will have to hope for a less chastening day either tomorrow or when they can get the floodlights back on.

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Scrumper
31/08/2021 17:02

We've been in worse positions than 55-3 quite often this season.

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AGod
31/08/2021 17:04

Yes, but seldom (if ever) whilst responding to 440 odd!!

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AGod
31/08/2021 17:19

Jesus wept.

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Grockle
31/08/2021 17:28

Ref Brooks Goonie I wasn't putting it forward as the reason - you asked a question I simply provided a possible answer. I'm not sure he is worth the offer either but that may be the reason why

We'd all love loads of international quality stars to just fill our problem areas - the problem is whether they are available and will come.

We are all assuming MdL is a long term international signning?

Presently they won't be coming to join the Champions of four day cricket if this performance doesn't improve

2 leg side snaffles in 4 wickets

Time for Tom B?





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:31:17:30:12 by Grockle.

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AGod
31/08/2021 17:33

Middx, apart (who are playing Derbys who finished with the lowest points total of all teams), the teams that qualified from our group are getting uniformly pasted in their respective games.

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AGod
31/08/2021 17:35

Second-rate performance in this match, I’m afraid.

And only 2 points from this pitiful performance unless we find some backbone in the game’s second half.

Going to be some way behind Warks and Lancs after only one game and Yorks, who started 13 points behind Will already be about 5 points ahead of us, heading into North Marine Road.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:31:17:37:34 by AGod.

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Devonboy70
31/08/2021 17:37

I would have no problem retaining Jack Brooks . Allowing for Cove being on England duty and Lewis Gregory being an unknown quantity next season that otherwise leaves us with 2 experienced specialist seam bowlers in MDL and Josh Davey .

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AGod
31/08/2021 17:40

We left ourselves woefully short of experienced bowlers this season and we need to recruit and recruit well next season*

That doesn’t mean we should aim to keep people who aren’t really any threat and have dodgy fitness records.

* That assumes we have money to recruit with.

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AGod
31/08/2021 17:41

77 for 6 on a track that hasn’t done much?

Pathetic, I’m afraid.

Yorkshire Will be licking their lips ahead of getting our lot in on the North Marine Road trampoline.

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Goonie goo goo
31/08/2021 17:43

Yeah we have lost many seamers in last couple of years and brought in only MDL who is probably only to replace Overton . Brooks was brought in to deliver so much more than he has done I’m sure and at a high cost too . No thanks

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AGod
31/08/2021 17:47

I can’t help thinking that a contributing factor to this utterly dismal performance may have been the negative attitude that we showed towards the end of the first stage. We prepared a really flat pitch for Hants, possibly as we wanted them to go through with us, then made zero attempt to win at the Oval on the final day, after Leachy had bowled us into a winning position.

It doesn’t pay to *willingly* get out of the winning habit.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:31:17:52:58 by AGod.

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AGod
31/08/2021 17:52

Off for light.

No sign of any in forecast, but we need to do a rain dance, anyway…

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Devonboy70
31/08/2021 17:55

I wonder what excuses will be trotted out yet again for another painful batting display by the top order in red ball cricket .

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Grockle
31/08/2021 17:58

We hear this - "must recruit in the winter" a lot

The answer is usually "recruit what from where"

We have seen that we have a number of young bowlers we need to push through to fill the gaps we have. I'm personally a little disappointed we did not push some of the RLODC bowlers forward in this match if Brooksy was looking a little stale and Gregory was not going to bowl seeing as we weren't going to use our spinners despite picking them.

Kasey, Ben Green or even Sonny might have been worth a gamble because it is going to have to be done some time - one more international is NOT going to solve our problem and buying in domestically is always a lottery of what is available. That is why Brooks might just be a safe option.

But if you play safe you don't win championships

Ho Hum - how many 'there's always next year's are there going to be?

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Old Boy!
31/08/2021 18:02

Who is that young bloke Bess who is making runs and getting wickets for Yorkshire BECAUSE he IS PICKED. Pity our selectors didn't take the same attitude! I am entitled to say that he, Leach and Abel would always have been the first three on my team list and we would fit the rest around them, because I was always saying that in my posts.
Old Boy!

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AGod
31/08/2021 18:10

Yeah… it’s not our job to know who is or isn’t available though, Grockle. That’s Mr Hurry’s department.

The maths are 4 out in recent times (pace wise) and only 1 in.

We have some young bowlers. And if they’re not yet deemed ready, then we need to address the gap IF we have the funds to do so.

North Marine Road is a trampoline, so I think it’s worth gambling with Aldridge up there next week. You need height up there. It’s not the deck for 6’0 medium fast bowlers.

To be honest? We’ve had a great run of being very competitive in red ball without ever getting over the line and now, with Cove possibly about to become an England fixture and bowling depth in short supply, I suspect that we might be about to suffer a dip in our fortunes. Sadly that will be at the worst possible time with the Tom Harrison “destroy the non TMCs,” plan moving into overdrive.

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AGod
31/08/2021 18:13

Unless absolutely no overseas bowler was available, then the AZ signing looked a little curious, given the Cove and Gregory situations.

I hope we don’t go down the road of an overseas batsman next season. Yes, our top order is a problem but the list of foreign top order players with strong records in England is a short one.

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Goonie goo goo
31/08/2021 18:16

You won’t win many matches with jack brooks opening the bowling . He’s clearly past his best and beset with injury

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AGod
31/08/2021 18:26

Sadly true. Six or seven years ago, bowling for Yorks? He was a real handful. But he was already past his best when awarded a 3 year deal here (part of the reason Yorks were offering him only 2 years then) and it makes little sense to give him a new deal. Nevertheless, he has been offered a one-year deal, very possibly for the reason outlined by Grockle. But I’d really rather Brooks take the 2-year deal that he has, reportedly, been offered elsewhere.

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Goonie goo goo
31/08/2021 18:29

Let’s just hope there isn’t two divisions next year then .

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AGod
31/08/2021 18:34

If there are not two divisions, it would give us time to maybe play Baker, Leonard and Aldridge more, minus the threat of the drop. Even then, though, due to the high risk of stress fractures in young bowlers, you can’t count on them being consistently available.

But I think two divisions will probably be re-instated as the 12 counties playing a meaningless 4 games now, won’t be thrilled.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:31:19:06:41 by AGod.

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Grizzers
31/08/2021 18:40

We are very very good sometimes, but this type of collapse happens just way too often.

With Cove away and Lewis injured, our bowling resources do indeed look pretty thin. Maybe it was/is time for Sonny to play.

Did anyone go to the Q & A last night ?

Grizzers

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Goonie goo goo
31/08/2021 18:58

Who is gilchrist AG ?

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AGod
31/08/2021 19:06

New signing. I just made him up.

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AGod
31/08/2021 19:21

No excuses from Abell. Admits we lacked any real fight.

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Grockle
31/08/2021 19:29

To be fair Jack has worked hard yo stay competitive this year but his good results have been in white ball and particularly in T20. He was worled very hard to get back from injury but when the years catch up it's a long term losing battle. We have to assume he'll be if use in short bursts with time to feal with niggles.

MdL is the same to be honest though he has more 'shock & awe' while he needs using when he's good and not when he isn't. There have been times when the environment in a gane is one where we can't rely on Marchant and we need alternatives

Josh needs support when Craig isn't here. He bowls well 'in tandem' So we need more Craig's either homegrown or bought in.

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AGod
31/08/2021 19:43

Yeah, Craigs obviously don’t go on trees.

But we definitely need somebody that can step up and take the new ball if we’re down a couple of bowlers.

We don’t like to use express bowlers with the new ball, since the likes of MDL / J Overton tend to get less lateral movement than your “typical English seamer.” So it’s really more of a younger, fitter version of Brooks that we need, not another out and out fast man.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:31:20:47:49 by AGod.

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AGod
31/08/2021 19:47

Unfortunately poor old Brooks, even with the two wickets gifted to him yesterday, has a bowling average for the year of 66 and strike-rate of 118.

To be honest, whilst I’ve enjoyed watching him bowl at times, MDL’s figures haven’t been up to snuff, either. Only 14 wkts in 8 matches. Average 40. Strike-rate 80.

The team figures tell the story - a top heavy pace attack relying very heavily on the Cove/Davey axis.

Gregory’s figures were okay, but nothing more.

[stats.espncricinfo.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:31:19:49:01 by AGod.

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Mike TA1
31/08/2021 20:18

Second day photos.

It didn't go as we had hope today with Somerset showing what a bad day is like.


Tom Moores ct Steve Davies bld Tom Lammonby


Tom Lammonby


Tom Abell ct Tom Moores bld Luke Fletcher.
It would be interesting to know how many time Tom has been out down the leg side.


Tom Abell hitting 4 runs


Luke Fletcher hitting 6 Runs


Liam Patterson-White 4 runs


Dane Paterson


Brett Hutton 4 runs

Tomorrow I have an eye appointment in Bridgwater, I do not know if I can make it into the ground, it all depends on what time I return to Taunton.

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nelliec
31/08/2021 20:29

2 bass days this game and one obvious against Gloucester.Even if we lose we will probably be at worst 10 points behind the leading team with 3 games left , plus a finals day also.Considering the restraints with budget still an exceptional season, and the only county still capable of winning everything, if you discount Hants.if the strip gets flatter as has been happening lately its still not out of the equation to score 500 second time around.
Azhar Ali is in the country now so should shore up the batting, and we will probably need 2 younger faces against Yorkshire to rotate the bowlers maybe Green and Aldridge for Brooks and Roelof.
Too much of the season left to get too critical of this side

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AGod
31/08/2021 20:47

Having started in second, we seem likely to be down to fifth after only one round, with only Hants left behind us.

More to the point? We don’t seem to have a pace attack likely to win us any games.

And we haven’t won a game in this competition since our great win at Hants in a game which began on 06 May.

This will be our sixth successive CC match without a win. Not exactly form that suggests we’re capable of competing to win this mini-league.

Azhar Ali didn’t shore up the batting last time (averaged 24) and is two years older now than last time.

After six straight games without a win, it would take a very considerable turnaround in form from here.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:31:20:49:44 by AGod.

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Grockle
31/08/2021 21:06

Well it can only get better and tomorrow is another and hopefully warmer day.

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nelliec
31/08/2021 21:13

Hindsight is a wonderful think but George Bartlett was starting to show a bit of form in both the 50 format and seconds with a couple of hundreds, and it was probably a very close call between Tom Banton and George .



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:08:31:21:20:55 by nelliec.

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AGod
31/08/2021 21:27

Given Banton’s complete absence of form, it was a rather mystifying call unless there was something we didn’t know about such as, perhaps, a slight injury to Davies that we were concerned about (in which case having somebody who could take over the gloves, in-game, would make sense).

Alternatively, perhaps, as LoL suggested, it was an attempt to get Banton into form for August 18. If that was the motivation, then I guess it shows where management thinks the greater chance of success lies.

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Loyal of Lhasa
31/08/2021 21:36

Please don't breathe a word to anybody, but I shall not be desolated if Somerset fail to win the CC this year - and that's not because I am not allowed to die until they do win the thing eventually. No, I want Somerset to win a properly contested two-division competition, as requested in AGod's excellent letter. And please let's not have a final at Lord's; that should only be for knock-out competitions and no proper county cricket should be associated with Bob Willis.

LoL

Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter

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AGod
31/08/2021 21:53

It’s true that some might place an asterisk alongside the name of whichever side wins this year - all the more so if the eventual winners came second in their group stage.

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AGod
01/09/2021 09:16

Well, new day.

It’s still a 300 deck, minimum (our efforts yesterday, notwithstanding).

Só, if we show the fight that Tom Abell demanded we show, we ought to be able to get 300 second innings to salvage some respect from what has, thus far, been a chastening and humiliating experience against a Notts side that we had thrashed, eight times in a row, in the CC. Usually, it’s been them that have shown zero resolve. Boot on the other foot, so far, in this one.

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Grockle
01/09/2021 10:06

Getting past 250 is the main target... well after 100, 150, 200 I suppose. Following on is NOT what we want to be doing.

We'll see how this morning goes

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AGod
01/09/2021 10:32

Yeah, I was really thinking of a second innings 300.

It’s surely too much to ask of MDL and Brooks to last long enough to get us to the follow-on target of 298 or so. I mean 211 or so runs for the final 3 wickets would be one hell of a recovery even by Somerset lower order standards.

In terms of salvaging pride then it’s about not losing by an innings for me. Do whatever we can this morning and then 300 minimum with a proper batting effort, second time around.

MDL is awful in blocking mode.. no blocking skill at all so, despite the situation, he might as well play his usual way when he comes in.

If Leachy and Josh can bat for an hour before MDL has to come in, then that would be a decent effort. It would also mean that most of our second innings would be taking place in the second and third sessions today, when batting may be at its easiest.

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Nailsea_Fizz
01/09/2021 10:58

We'll be done by 11:15 is my guess

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AGod
01/09/2021 11:02

World class back foot drive from Leachy - reinforcing what a decent batting surface this is.

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AGod
01/09/2021 11:16

Damn.

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AGod
01/09/2021 11:25

Davey gone too - good ball in that case.

It’s a quick fold job this morning.

Will those that are paid for their batting show some backbone, second time around, one wonders?

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Mike K
01/09/2021 11:43

Follow on enforced unsurprisingly

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Devonboy70
01/09/2021 11:44

So no wagging of the tail today and an utterly abject performance all round so far !

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AGod
01/09/2021 11:49

And I fear that it will continue with another batting fold job.

We haven’t been at the races at all, are carrying one or two with little or no form and confidence is liable to be low.

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Devonboy70
01/09/2021 11:53

I’ve just looked at the CC averages on the BBC which gives the Top 50 batsmen and bowlers . 4 of our batsmen feature ; Tom A , Lewis Gregory , RVDM and Devon Conway . 2 bowlers Cove and Josh . Significant that of our players who are classified as batsmen and fully contracted and not all rounders only Tom A is doing what he is supposed to this season in red ball cricket !

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cricketharris
01/09/2021 12:14

I wonder if this will be Hildreth’s one red ball innings of the season? Or have we already had that, I can’t remember?

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Grockle
01/09/2021 12:32

Well there aren't that many left so we can but hope. He's been pretty far from form since the first half of the RLODC so it would be good.

We are usually a better second half Championship side. Maybe the late winter early spring weather has fooled us.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:01:13:08:18 by Grockle.

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AGod
01/09/2021 13:00

Huldreth’s ton was in the last match; Cricketharris, at the Oval.

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Grockle
01/09/2021 13:09

Short period in CC games. An age in terms of this season

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AGod
01/09/2021 13:41

Bad news from elsewhere, I’m afraid.

Kyle Abbott is not bowling for Hants in the Yorks second innings.

Without Abbott Hants have little chance of beating anyone, which is bad news for us as the one side not playing Hants.

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cricketharris
01/09/2021 13:43

That’s a shame . It presumably means we won’t get another then. I would, of course, prefer to see it to win a game rather than to prevent losing but there’s always next season. And I guess the season after that…

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hantssabre
01/09/2021 13:47

Brad Wheal off the field too but Abbass should be available for the remaining matches

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AGod
01/09/2021 13:53

Right, well that’s something for them.

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AGod
01/09/2021 13:58

Abell goes and Notts, tellingly, celebrate wildly, as though they fully expect that to be that. A reasonable assumption.

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Grockle
01/09/2021 14:15

I've heard nothing from the Q&A from Monday anywhere. So it was non controversial? Poorly attended? No idea

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AGod
01/09/2021 14:23

Not really making much of a better fist of this, second time around, really.

Personally, I’d be looking at a number of changes for North Marine Road, with Azhar Ali, Bartlett, Green and Aldridge all being candidates to come into the side.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:01:14:24:43 by AGod.

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Mike K
01/09/2021 14:24

Oh dear James

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Whome
01/09/2021 14:31

These games happen folks, just unfortunate at this critical time of season. On the plus side we should be able to play with a lot more freedom in remaining matches with the sense of expectancy somewhat diminished.

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Devonboy70
01/09/2021 14:32

So good to see the top order applying themselves to the cause second time around 😂

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AGod
01/09/2021 14:37

They’ve got themselves into a position where they almost have no choice other than to try to block every ball. As a method of playing , that doesn’t really suit them.

We’ve been rubbish in all three innings of this match and we look nailed on to lose the match, by an innings.

Sixth straight game without a win in the CC. To be honest, if it goes back to two divisions then we either need to recruit significantly (something we haven’t done during Andy Hurry’s second tenure) or we’ll be a pretty hot favourite for the drop.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:01:14:52:22 by AGod.

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Devonboy70
01/09/2021 14:51

I take your point AGod about the need to recruit but in recent years that just hasn’t happened. Almost a total reliance on youth coming through irrespective of whether they are up to playing first team cricket in whatever format for far too many years .



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:01:14:52:20 by Devonboy70.

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AGod
01/09/2021 14:55

Yep, unless we’re flat broke (but then - if we are - why are we offering Brooks a new deal?) then we have to change tack.

We’ve got plenty of young batsmen, but too few of them have developed as one would hope and we just don’t have enough bowlers, per se.

Since Andy Hurry returned to the club, I think we’ve only signed 3 players to play any amount of red ball cricket?

Azhar Ali
Jack Brooks
Marchant De Lange

Yeah, we had Conway for two matches, which doesn’t really count.

With 5 bowlers, 4 of them pace bowlers leaving in the past couple of years?

It’s really caught up with us.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:01:14:59:55 by AGod.

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cricketharris
01/09/2021 15:17

It was a members q&a on Monday, Grockle. Members, not all-and-sundry.

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Grockle
01/09/2021 15:19

We'll do well to see this one into Day 4 I think

I'm not so sure it's as dire as is being painted. We are without our international front end batsman (it was Conway it will be Ali) we have lost Lewis Gregory in the batting and bowling part of the team structure, we do not have out number one bowling option and have decided to pick a spinning one without applying it.

The problem of the front ennd is still a problem but there are a number of options in the batting that still offer options. George Bartlett probably should have played in this game as he had started to show some form. it looks like Eddie has been sidelined after a number of attempts to develop him as an opener annd he has a lot of work to do to revitalise his Somerset careeer one would think

Tom Abell has established himself as our number 3 I would say and though James Hildreth may be less solid than of late Lewis Goldsworthy is looking like a candidate to operate is that part of the batting lineup with a decent season behind him

The number 2 and 5 spots have a number of candidates in Banton, Lammonby and Green and we may be pushing James Rew forward is rumours of Tom Banton being hunted by other countiees comes to fruition for when Steve Davies finally gives up the gloves George Thomas has also looked promising for that late order batting setup should a reorganisation be required. Will Smeed and George's younger brother are also looking to move into a first team squad possibly int he red ball and Sam Young suggested that the red ball was more of his area of expertise as well.

The batting resources are there, we need someone to marshall them and develop a cohesive and coonsistent unit from them - it may have to be done a little earlier than our people traditionally like to do it - but that may not be a choice and personally I'm of the opinion that if you are good enough you are old enough.

Bowling scenarios were discussed earlier in this thread and the issue is - where do your 20 wickets come from? Well presently the answer is 'From and attack led by Craig Overton'. So we aren't getting them at the moment.

Will the inclusion of Sonny Baker, Kasey Aldridge, Ben Green, Ned Leonard, Tom Lammonby and Ollie Sale provide us with seam bowling options to work with Josh Davey in the absence of Craig in the medium term? Brooks, de Lange and possibly even Gregory are short term fixes for a medium to long term issue. Where is the mid 20's Somerset bowling attack that will take wickets whether or not the Somerset batting line up makes runs?

If Craig establishes himself in the England side of the same time period we need serious consideration of where the county gets its 20 wickets in a Championship and who pushes the contributions of the unit as a whole by leading from the front.

Many are inferring a mistake in allowing Dom Bess to move on. It was only a mistake if Jack Leach is not seen as your front end spinnner or suddenly the county is going to change the position of decades and consistenly pick two front line spinners. Dom was and is a talent but he was always going to be an underused talent in a one spinner county. He's now becoming the top man in a one spinner county.

Maybe we are looking for a leading, dynamic pace bowler - maybe we have kept Brooks because we are not plannning to keep Marchant as part of that search though I don't believe that is the case.

The problem becomes if you have Marchant AND your front end batting keeps capitulating, how can you employ a solid opener and a front line new ball bowler with only one overseas pick? Interesting

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Grockle
01/09/2021 15:23

Quote:

cricketharris
It was a members q&a on Monday, Grockle. Members, not all-and-sundry.

Gosh was it? Is that why it was called a members Q&A?

Your point being?

Did Members ask questions? Did Members attend?

It's not the Communist Party as far as I know and although the County don't like Members telling people what happened behind closed doors they nearly always do if anything was remotely interesting.

So one sort of assumes it wasn't or members didn't

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Devonboy70
01/09/2021 15:28

Interesting point that you make Grockle about the up and coming bowling attack . I have my doubts that of the 6 you mentioned, whether more than one or two will ever be as effective as Davey and Overton . No doubt we will persevere with them all for several seasons with mixed performances ,because that is the way the current setup does things .

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AGod
01/09/2021 15:45

Well, I think that seals VDM taking a breather rather than playing at North Marine Road, anyway. Doubt Banton keeps his place either. Brooks shouldn’t do but management will probably stubbornly pick him regardless.

Goldsworthy gone.

Start the car.

Well played to Notts but this has easily been one of our worst performances since we got promotion back to CC1 at the end of the 2007 season.

Up there (or should that be down there) with the debacle at Horsham and the home opener Vs Warks of some nine or so years ago.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:01:15:48:56 by AGod.

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Devonboy70
01/09/2021 15:58

I wonder in the history of CC cricket have Somerset started the day with 2 batsmen ,and, had the same 2 batsmen at the crease prior to tea , with the other 9 batsmen all having been out in between !

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AGod
01/09/2021 16:04

Many times, I would imagine.

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AGod
01/09/2021 16:09

Watching Caddy, Johnno and Jonah beat Leics. What I would give for them now!!

We’d be winning at North Marine Road next week… which is not what I expect from this team.

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Grockle
01/09/2021 16:21

I think you are right Devonboy

As AG said bowlers like Craig don't come along very often though I have hopes for Sonnny Baker I have to say. You need 2 main people - Josh works well with another man taking wickets but it is too much to ask him to be the point of the spear on his own.

I think that was the plan with Philander but maybe that was a lttle too hopeful. We do need another established strike bowler and it isn't Jack Brooks I'm afraid or MdL. If Lewis Gregory is also limited then we need 2 more to fill gaps in an established line-up.

Kasey may be one of them - haven't seen enough also not sure about Leonard.

Lammonby and Abell with never be more than variation additions - though Lammonby has suggested that his left handedness can be an advantage. So we do need some investment from somewhere.

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AGod
01/09/2021 16:38

I forgot about the attempt to add Philander.

At that point, at least, we must have had funds for recruitment because VP would have been very pricey. Don’t know if our having funds has survived the Covid apocalypse, though.

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cricketharris
01/09/2021 16:42

My point, Grockle, was that it was for members and not for everyone else. How can that not be clear?

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AGod
01/09/2021 16:48

One thing that has now changed as a result of the attrition to our bowling resources is that we can now offer a strong chance of first-team cricket for a bowler who may feel he’s not getting the opportunities that he may yearn for at his existing county.

We let certain players go and/or lost players we wanted to keep but because we weren’t able to give people the chances they wanted, and now it’s quickly come full circle.

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Grockle
01/09/2021 16:59

So the rest of us are not allowed to know what went on then CH? Is that what you are suggesting?

My point is that many other members meetings have been for members only - I've been to some.

NONE of them were completely confidential and the only time there was no information leaking out of them was when that meeting had nothing to talk about. I just asked if this one was like that

How can that not have been clear as well?

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Loyal of Lhasa
01/09/2021 17:05

I've had to miss most of today's play as I was playing cricket with my two older grandsons, 8 and 5, on the common. I am not sure they could have done much worse than our unfortunate batsmen in the current match.

LoL

Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter

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AGod
01/09/2021 17:09

Best get them on the train to Scarborough, LoL, for we need reinforcement.

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Old Boy!
01/09/2021 17:11

I know it is all about opinions . IMO I think it is time to trust in our youngsters because the oldsters are too inconsistent. Davies out and Banton keeper and bat 5,
Brooks and delange and two young ones in, van de merwe out and Bartlett in. Although perhaps not in the next game but JH has become very iffy these days.
The bowling of all the Notts seamers was outstanding. The easiest balls to pull for 4 nor 6 are just short of a length - can you remember more than a handful in our two innings? I'm afraid our three main seamers fed them to Notts all the time - and I'm afraid the skipper was afraid to use the alternatives - Van de merwe and Goldsworthy - in a total of 448??
Old Boy!

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Grockle
01/09/2021 17:18

Consistently good bowling performance from Notts . Josh Davey was unlucky on Day 1 but that doesn't change the nature of this defeat.

We may need to use the rest of this competition to blood new players because they can't do any worse than this - presently you don't have to be phenomenally good to beat us you just have to do your job consistently and wait for us to give you the game.

Craig is a great loss to us - but people on here were identifying that as an issue for these games in early July. Azhar should offer more fibre with the bat but we have to get 20 wickets so it's down to you 'Sarge' to work out how we do that given our present resources because even if the batting line-up performs better I can't see that 2 innings harvest coming at the moment I'm afraid.

But the game is still on - off to Scarborough

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Loyal of Lhasa
01/09/2021 17:21

High spot of the match? Listening to VJM speaking with typical warmth, humanity and humour at the unveiling of the plaque commemorating David Foot.

LoL

Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter

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AGod
01/09/2021 17:38

Realistically?

The Somerset bowlers have been carrying the Somerset batsmen for the past 4 years or so. Both by often being excellent as a bowling unit and by cleaning up the batsmen’s messes with the bat!

The bowling group, shorn of Craig and Lewis Gregory and with Brooks seemingly on his last (playing) legs no longer seems capable of bailing the batsmen out… and that, I’m afraid is going to end up shining a rather uncomfortable light on a batting group that have made very little progress and are too often lightweight and ineffective. When the bowling group was so effective, we could get away with not really addressing the persistent batting failures, but now…

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Goonie goo goo
01/09/2021 17:39

You are allowed 2 oversea now unless I’ve misunderstood you



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:01:18:19:00 by Grockle.

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AGod
01/09/2021 17:42

5 of the bottom 7 places in our batting averages are occupied by people that are chosen either mainly, or exclusively, for their batting

[stats.espncricinfo.com]

You want your bowlers at the bottom of your batting averages, not the batsmen!

And most of our home games this year have been played on flat pitches and yet STILL our abject batsmen (most of them) can’t get the job done.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:01:17:51:56 by AGod.

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AGod
01/09/2021 17:56

Unsurprisingly, none of the other sides in this mini CC1, have the bottom positions in their batting averages dominated by their batsmen!!!

Lancs have one guy at the bottom (Livingstone for whom white ball has gone to his head, probably) and Hants have one guy (Weatherley) but nobody has FIVE of their batsmen at the bottom!! Useless!!

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Grizzers
01/09/2021 17:58

Desperately poor performance, which highlights both our batting frailties and the paucity of our bowling resources. That has to be down to AH ,who as others have said, has allowed too many to depart in recent years, without adequate replacement.

We miss Craig’s energy, enthusiasm and passion but we can’t simply rely on him & Josh alone, so someone else has to step up. Jack B is keen and eager, but it’s tough to see him putting the wind up many batting line ups these days.

More generally, I think we have to be honest and say that we have likely over achieved in the Championship this season. We’ve got out of jail a number of times, so perhaps shouldn’t be surprised that our inconsistencies caught up with us big time in this match.

I just can’t get the Hants game out of my mind either. Having done superbly to get ourselves into a really strong position, we simply batted on & on to take the easy option of a draw, ostensibly on the basis that we would gain more points to carry forward to the second stage. As it turns out we did, but firstly that could have gone badly wrong if other results hadn’t gone in our favour and secondly (& more importantly), we mIssed a golden opportunity to put down a marker and go all out to win, thereby sending a firm message of belief and positivity.

Until we develop and cement in that mindset, I fear we will still continue to wait for the Championship title we all crave.

Grizzers

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AGod
01/09/2021 18:05

We took a negative approach to a number of games towards the end of the first stage and got into the very bad habit of not winning games as a consequence.

Grizzly is right that we got out of jail in the first stage. We didn’t play to our best in any of the first three games but, because two of them were against woeful Middx, we got away with it 2/3 times, the other game being a massive home defeat by Gloucs.

That home win over Middx is, I think, our only home red ball win of the season?

Failure from our batting group has been tolerated for far too long and Andy Hurry and Jason Kerr need to do something about it for the 2022 season.

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Grockle
01/09/2021 18:20

You are Goonie but one of ours is Marchant.

So the only way to get TWO is not have MdL

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Goonie goo goo
01/09/2021 19:06

I couldn’t follow what you meant hence my comment Grockle . MDL under contract next year so only one space then

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AGod
01/09/2021 19:22

Yeah, MDL will, presumably be back.

No chance of the one overseas space available fixing all that ails us on its own, but it would certainly help to get it right.

If we have the money, we must recruit well from domestic sources.

If we don’t have the money? Well then we’re probably set for some lean years unless and until our current young group of pacemen really emerge at CC level.

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AGod
01/09/2021 19:27

Bizarrely, no mention of the double batting failure from Andy Hurry. Just “we didn’t get the ball in good enough areas often enough when the game was evenly poised.”

Such comments imply, to me, a defeatist attitude along the lines of ‘once Notts had made 440 we expected to lose.’

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Nailsea_Fizz
01/09/2021 19:53

No more Bizzare than slicing and dicing a much longer quote so that it fits a negative view point of the man in charge.

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AGod
01/09/2021 20:10

Wrong. Nowhere did he mention the batting.

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nelliec
01/09/2021 20:26

There are very few county player of high esteem who are out of contract this year. Someone like Adam Rossington at Northampton could provide a short term batting option on loan. He is out of contract I think this winter so although a wicket keeper could add some short term option to our batting line-up. It would also put a couple of other players on their toes.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:01:20:29:08 by nelliec.

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AGod
01/09/2021 20:55

There seldom are obvious talents out of contract.

We need to do some top quality scouting and find the odd under the radar gem, if at all possible. Identify the odd under rated player who may not be properly appreciated by their current employer.

We may be late to the party, though. We possibly could have taken the opportunity to take advantage of Middlesex’s problems but I think all their out of contract guys have either already been snapped up by other counties, or re-signed now.

Of course, it’s also the case that, sometimes, players move regardless of whether or not they are out of contract.

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Goonie goo goo
01/09/2021 21:02

We definitely need something . We have a bunch of inexperienced young players and some older ones over the hill a bit and just some who aren’t moving forward . Not a great recipe

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Owain Glyndwr
01/09/2021 21:10

Not a good few days. but we're a very good side. We'll bounce back quickly enough, no point in dwelling on things.

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Loyal of Lhasa
01/09/2021 21:17

As ever, I agree with our Welsh correspondent.

LoL

Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter

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nelliec
01/09/2021 21:40

Impressed with Lammonby. batting almost 4 hours in total combined. Doesn't seem far away for from big score and will surely open with Azhar Ali
Tom Abell at 3 a cert.
Lewis Goldsworthy. Maybe at 4

Steve Davis at 6 for me
Ben Green at 7 deserves a chance to fill Gregorys boots

Davey at 9 is a must

So Ive got only 7 names who deserve to start at Yorkshire.
4 spaces to fill . Any thoughts

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Loyal of Lhasa
01/09/2021 21:58

As advised by AGod, I've already put my two older grandsons on the train to Scarborough, equipped with buckets, spades and bats, so you only have to find two more candidates.

LoL

Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter

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Grockle
01/09/2021 22:01

Yep we have people we simply don't yet have a unit. There are areas that could do with some serious consideration of strengthening if someone becomes available but we have people

There are experienced players who have lost form but not class. There are inexperienced players who won't get experience without playing and there are a couple carrying injuries who need time but may not be the players they were

I'm not sure which team mates involved in this squad are defined as 'not going anywhere'. Most of the people presently involved in this squad are expected by the club to be significant players for the county aren't they? They are expected to progress.

The basis of our side is here we need to organise it under one of the best county captains about and we need to analyse how it becomes a unit that is hsrd to beat and where its weaknesses are. We've done it before and will do it again.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:01:22:02:38 by Grockle.

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That Bloke With The Dog
01/09/2021 22:22

The problem with Lammonby's innings was that he survived for long periods by not attempting to score a run at all. He was the reason Paterson had all those maidens.

You don't save matches like that. You have to look for singles to disorientate the bowler just a little bit, or else you simply end up with Paterson being able to do what he eventually did.

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Goonie goo goo
01/09/2021 22:23

Byrom and for me Bartlett haven’t really moved forward .Ben green is one though who hads enhanced his reputation and I’d like to see more of him going forward . Remarkable he is out of contract !!

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Grockle
01/09/2021 22:28

As was said earlier Eddie is effectively sidelined and isn't in these equations any longer as far as I can see. The other 2 are in the mix and George has offered more this year than a number of his colleagues with bigger names. Ben.... older.... seems to have found a new lease of life. Will probably be given the opportunity to do something with it.

But they all can't hide behind 'lacking first team experience' now can they?

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AGod
01/09/2021 22:34

Nellie C - although you rightly identify a scarcity of players who “deserve,” to play at North Marine Road and despite the nature of the debacle Vs Notts, I would not be all surprised if management make just one single change, Azhar Ali for Roelof.

That would do nothing to alter the fact that our pace attack seems unlikely to pick up 20 wickets at reasonable cost but management will desperately hope that adding a seventh batsman will add up to more runs. In fact, despite his double failure in this one, VDM is averaging 36 for the season and, as a strong back foot player, may be well suited to the North Marine Road trampoline. So management will have to hope AZ does a lot better than the 24 per innings he produced last time he was here, otherwise the lone change (if that’s it) will produce no benefit at all.

Personally, I think I’d go with:

Davies
Azhar Ali
Abell
Hildreth
Goldsworthy
Bartlett
Green
Davey
Aldridge
Leach
MDL

I would be lying if I said that I had any great confidence that this XI will do significantly better than the XI we had out for the Notts game. But you need height and bounce at North Marine Road, so we can’t go with Brooks. Banton has zero form so selecting him doesn’t make sense. Since we’ve bought Azhar Ali, he will have to play. Bartlett has a recent red ball ton in the seconds and white ball ton in the Royal London, so he should be able to bring some confidence in. I think Green - having played very well at the Oval - deserves a chance and is more of a direct replacement for Gregory than is VDM. At the Oval Green showed good ability to “bowl dry,” something which was lacking in the poor bowling performance Vs Notts.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:01:22:39:02 by AGod.

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Goonie goo goo
01/09/2021 22:51

Maybe Eddie is sidelined but he IS there and would have been expected to be in a position where he can do something . The fact hd isn’t suggests he hasn’t moved forward .

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AGod
01/09/2021 22:53

To Goonie’s list, you can certainly add Banton as a player who, in red ball terms has gone absolutely nowhere.

21 matches. Average 24. Zero tons.

In truth, of all the young batsmen who have come into the team over the previous 5 years or so, only Tom Abell has actually developed as might have been hoped. And even Tom hasn’t made anything like the volume of tons one would hope for - only 8 in 90 matches (the best players are reckoned to get 1 in 5 and Tom has converted only 8 of 36 50s.)

All of the rest average less than 30. And it’s not as though they started with a super low average and have been steadily getting better.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:01:23:17:01 by AGod.

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AGod
01/09/2021 23:09

The three Bs are all still relatively young - Byrom 24, Bartlett 23 and Banton 22. So the greater problem is not necessarily their career records to date so much as the fact that there is no sense that they are improving with time.

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Devonboy70
01/09/2021 23:12

In my humble opinion we now have a number of players who quite frankly aren’t very good . Most have come through the academy and most will be with us for seasons to come purely because they are home grown players . If the management were doing their jobs properly they should have a long list of potential new signings from the current CC. I live in hope !

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AGod
01/09/2021 23:22

In my view, technical issues abound. For example, both Banton and Lammonby are inclined to plant their front foot and then end up having to play around their front pad. Bartlett tends to go back and across and then has the bat come down at a skewiff angle, at times.

Goldsworthy Is the one who, to me, has the soundest technique. He looks compact and well organised and has no glaring technical flaws.

Obviously technique isn’t everything and some players enjoy great success despite unorthodox or apparently flawed techniques.

But, after a while, if a player isn’t moving forward, then it’s worth looking at technique, IMO.

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Nailsea_Fizz
01/09/2021 23:25

I would also suggest that at certain times we have a Captain, often referred to by some as the best around, that appears not to be able rally his troupes when things go astray, either starting games slowly or coming back after a bad session.

Does he need to improve in this area.

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Des Platt
02/09/2021 00:13

Quote:

Owain Glyndwr
Not a good few days. but we're a very good side. We'll bounce back quickly enough, no point in dwelling on things.

It would be interesting to look back on the euphoric comments after the win over Lancashire last week. I am inclined to agree with OG, Lol, and Grockle that things are not as bad as they seem (they rarely are). I’m probably a bit more dispassionate than most people on here but nonetheless, I am sick to the stomach at this performance. I think there are plenty of promising cricketers there; I don’t know them as well as all of you do. I don’t think it has been easy for any young batsmen to develop their game the last two years with Covid and all the pub cricket ( 100 , 2020 , players abroad under flags of convenience).

Look at the variance in results in the last two England V India test matches. It just seems to be the modern way of things that things fluctuate from one extreme to another both in performance and people’s reaction . We are all vulnerable to it. I’ve had a rant on the Lancashire forum today that I just wish Livingston would p... off back to pub cricket for good and he is the most talented bat I’ve ever seen ; leagues ahead of Atherton,Hameed, John Crawley, Frank Hayes. I hope he does come back to play in Test cricket but I’ve no expectation anymore.

Anyway, I am digressing on Lancs. I have faith that Tom Abel will be able to rally the troops. There’s plenty of evidence of good team spirit there.

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AGod
02/09/2021 06:13

I’ve always tended to take the view, Nailsea, that a Captain is only as good as his bowlers.

Tom Abell has, arguably, been somewhat fortunate in that his ascension to the top job coincided with the development of a really strong bowling group, so that he’s had a strong attack at his disposal over the previous 4-5 years.

Regrettably, it appears that we are about to enter a period where we have a rather less strong attack at our disposal. So his captaincy skills will get a greater test, in terms of tactics and so forth.

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AGod
02/09/2021 07:42

Des mentioned the effects of Covid.

It is likely that some of the wintering abroad "placements," that may usually be arranged for our young players will have been disrupted such that, instead of playing Grade Cricket Down Under, they may have been stuck with nets in Taunton instead, which are surely likely to be less beneficial.

An additional issue, frankly, may be that we have lots of young players in the team all at the same time and that, over the past several years, more senior batsmen haven't necessarily carried the load as they might have done.

We hung on to Marcus for rather too long... and he had an extended not very good trot in his last few years.

James Hildreth is now in his third straight underwhelming season.

And we brought Azhar Ali in two years ago, and he averaged the same sort of number - 24 - that James Hildreth has been stuck on for the past few years.

But if too many young batsmen all being in the team at the same time is a problem, then leaving out the more experienced men, on the grounds that they're not really performing, is not an obvious solution to said problem!!

Do we have a batting coach at the moment - is it that role that Jim Troughton was hired to fill when Marcus left?

I guess we have to hope that, by the law of averages, given that we have so many young batsmen, some of them will really kick on and develop in the not too distant future.

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AGod
02/09/2021 08:13

Given our shortage of bodies on the pace bowling front:, then, if I were Andy Hurry, I'd be tempted to ask Steve Kirby to meet with every single pace bowler released from a TMC Academy, either at the end of this season or the end of last season, and run the rule over them.

All of these guys, by definition, were once deemed to have the potential to "make it," in first-class cricket. And that judgement would have been made, in most cases, only 3-4 years ago.

Okay, in many cases the more recent judgement of the coaches at the other sides' academies (that they are no longer deemed to have such potential) is/was probably correct.

BUT...... mistakes do get made by talent evaluators. And, sometimes, maybe a player hasn't made it because they haven't, quite, worked hard enough but maybe with a second and (probably) final chance, the light might go on? And then guys do develop at different rates... maybe there are one or two who really do have the ability to eventually play first-class cricket but they just developed a bit more slowly than their peers in their academy.

Maybe this is the sort of thing Steve already gets asked to do, I don't know but, if not, such is our need for bodies, that it has to be worth a crack. And, yeah, I know that, ideally, we'd be getting in a couple of experienced bowlers, but if they are not available then we still have to add some bodies .

There is that South African guy, whose name escapes me, who played a number of games in the seconds this season and looked presentable. I thought we might sign him on a short-term deal, if he is eligible to play county cricket. I think the name began with a 'k'? Perhaps he might still come into the reckoning?

Certainly, I hope this season will have disabused Andy Hurry of the notion (if, indeed he held it) that having only four main seamers not under England control is sufficient to get us through a season.

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AGod
02/09/2021 08:20

Whilst we no doubt won't do this, I'd prefer management to be realistic about the remaining three games - we really don't have the horses to win this short CC1, as a run of six red ball games without a win shows.

So I'd like to see some team selection with an eye on next season. Get Ben Green into the team and bowling regularly because it seems likely, to me, that he will need to do so next season as Josh Davey is really the only senior man whose fitness is at all reliable - De Lange had a terrible fitness record at Glamorgan - yes, we've got him through this season, but will be so lucky next season? I doubt it. Lewis's back has been a long-term problem. And then there's Jack Brooks - if he signs his new deal.

In addition to getting Green into the team for the final three games?

Give each of Aldridge, Leonard and Baker a game. Start with Aldridge at Scarborough where the pitch should suit him and then give Sonny and Ned a first-class debut each in the final two games. We are likely to need these guys next season!!

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Grockle
02/09/2021 10:10

As said Byrom is sidelined and will find it hard to return and may simply go at the end of what ever contractual period we have.

I disagree about Bartlett, he has shown resilience but maybe has to learn consistency not easy when you don't have a stable place in the side and keep being asked to fulfil different roles (sort of Catch 22 that).

I don't think Banton knows what he is yet. I think most would say he isn't a red ball opener and maybe if he stays he will become that batsman keeper who comes in at 5/6 and smokes the white ball.

There is a difference between progression and perceived potential. Only the exceptional progress to their potential. Others get somewhere towards it and 2 of those 3 are doing that, albeit in one step forward one back mode at the moment. Expecting them to simply go from newbie to consummate reliable professional and then criticising them for not doing is a bit unrealistic. At 25 you may have a point perhaps.

There are Smeeds and Thomas' to come who may move better who knows

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cricketharris
02/09/2021 10:34

An article in the Somerset Gazette on-line says that Botham had his first game for Somerset 48 years ago today in a John Player game against Sussex when we “had a disastrous start with the bat”.

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cjbowyer
02/09/2021 11:33

Sonny Baker, James Rew and George Thomas have been named in the squad for the Eng U19 v WI U19 series from 4th - 17th September, so won't be available for selection in Somerset's next two Championship matches [www.somersetcountycc.co.uk]

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AGod
02/09/2021 11:34

Congrats to all 3.

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Devonboy70
02/09/2021 11:49

I take AGods point about James Hildreth and note that Jack Leach , MDL and Josh Davey are all currently above him this season in the CC batting averages, albeit marginally.

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AGod
02/09/2021 11:50

As the article makes clear, should Somerset want to pick Sonny Baker in their first team squad, that would take precedence. So, technically, none of the three are unavailable for selection.

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cricketharris
02/09/2021 12:31

Yes, it surely must nearly be time for Hildreth to be made batting coach or take a job with Cooper Associates ( the company not the ground).

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AGod
02/09/2021 13:02

And Lewis Gregory, and Craig Overton and Roelof Van Der Merwe, Devonboy!

But the worst thing is not just that Hildreth is down there but that 5 of the 6 or 7 worst averages are specialist batsmen. As I recall, only Brooks is down there, of the bowlers!

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Devonboy70
02/09/2021 13:13

Yes AGod the averages for the batmen this season are nothing short of grim . The only 2 that are the right side of 30 are TA and GB . To depend so much on the allrounders and bowlers for the runs has been going on for too long .

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AGod
02/09/2021 13:46

Yeah. Andy Hurry has to be pondering the following probabilities:

A) As our bowling resources drop away, so opponents will start making bigger totals more often.

Ergo…

Our batsmen will be under scoreboard pressure more often. This seems unlikely to help our struggling batting group.

And..

C) As we necessarily start to introduce the Bakers and Leonards, we may find that the bowling group are no longer able to bail out our batsmen with the same frequency, by getting loads of late order runs.

There’s no doubt, in my mind, that had we been equipped with just an average bowling attack over the past 4-5 years, we would have been relegated to CC2. Or, to put it another way, we have only a CC2 calibre group of batsmen, IMO.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:02:13:48:04 by AGod.

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That Bloke With The Dog
02/09/2021 15:50

But if they had actually been playing in CC2, they might have looked like CC1-calibre batsmen.

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AGod
02/09/2021 16:45

Well they didn’t overly distinguish themselves against CC2 Middx nor, in most cases CC2 Leics . Bartlett and Abell did quite well in those games but the rest largely failed.

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That Bloke With The Dog
02/09/2021 17:16

Lewis Goldsworthy shines on debut as Somerset beat Middlesex
Youngster backs up first-innings 39 with 41* in match-winning stand with Steve Davies

[www.espncricinfo.com]

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AGod
02/09/2021 17:20

And what was the collective level of performances? They were weak.

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Grockle
02/09/2021 17:36

Difficult to criticise a winning performance against weak opposition

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AGod
02/09/2021 17:39

Of those with 4 or more innings, the averages in the four games Vs CC2 opposition were:

Banton 10.66

Lammonby 19.33

Abell 60.2

Hildreth 23.5

Bartlett 40.2

Davies 38.6

Collective average? 32.08 Vs CC2 teams. Or about 192 for 6 to put it another way.

It doesn’t exactly confound suggestions that this is a CC2 calibre batting group, overall, does it? I mean a CC1 calibre group should expect to dominate CC2 level teams, all things being equal.

It is, however, a slightly better average than the collective average of 29.5 recorded by those same six individuals for the season as a whole, though. Or about 177 for six, to put it another way.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:02:17:45:24 by AGod.

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That Bloke With The Dog
02/09/2021 17:44

And what was the collective level of performances? They were weak.

[i][/i]Eh? They collectively scored 461/9 dec in a one-innings draw against Leics, and collectively delivered a 4-wicket victory against Middx.

If the lads were so weak against these CC2 outfits, how come our lot are in Div. 1 while theirs are now going through the motions in Division 3?

Abell, Bartlett, Goldsworthy all did the necessary against the CC2 teams, but found life harder against Notts in Div. 1. They're not failures. They've done enough to prove they're better than CC2 level. We aren't going to find any better by recruiting from anywhere else.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:02:17:45:51 by That Bloke With The Dog.

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Grockle
02/09/2021 17:53

Bloody Hell!!

If they can be that bad and we can be here, just imagine the other option to 'we're all going to die'

What if they get better? 😀🤤🤪👍👍👍

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AGod
02/09/2021 19:05

No, Bloke with Dog, our batting group have not proven that they aren’t a CC2 standard group. They have been carried by our bowlers for years - both in the sense that our bowlers have bowled teams out for below-par totals and in the sense that the second half of the order has repeatedly been called upon to bail the first half of the order out, with the bat.

Even if they had proven themselves “better than CC2 level, “ our problem would still be that that haven’t, collectively, shown themselves to be capable of achieving any consistency in CC1… that being a problem since, if we revert to two divisions for next season, we shall be in CC1.

Other recent encounters with CC2 sides?

Worcs (away) last season, top six scores: 8, 28, 59, 18, 30, 9, 0, 107*, 7, 2, 12 and 14 Average = 26.72

Glamorgan (home) last season, top six scores: 22, 41, 3, 16, 23, 81*, 27, 8, 119, 45 and 18 Average 36.63

If you average those 2 games, you get an average of about 32, which was exactly the same
as that recorded in four games Vs CC2 opposition this season.

Só, in a sample size of 6 games Vs CC2 opposition in recent times (the only six games that we’ve played Vs CC2 teams since 2007) the top six average 32.

How does averaging 32 Vs CC2 teams show that the top six is “better than CC2 standard”?

Yes, we won the games, but that’s because our bowlers generally blew people away, with opponent totals in these games including 131, 166, 200, 184, 144, 233, 199 and 117. There were two decent scores, both of 330 odd, both by Middx but in separate matches and they made naff all in the other innings in those two matches.

So, our team, when having a full-strength attack proved itself clearly better than CC2 standard. But, if our bowling gets weaker (and it already is with Jack Brooks as a new ball bowler!) there’s no evidence that this batting group is capable of picking up the slack.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:02:19:08:18 by AGod.

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AGod
02/09/2021 19:09

What happens if they get better, Grockle? Then things get better from a batting standpoint. However, there have been few signs of collective progress from the top six over the past 3-4 years. And each season has featured numerous collapses that have had to be bailed out by the lower order. Still, we have to hope they get better, clearly!

What happens if they stay the same? Trouble unless we can get our bowling attack back in tip-top shape, since the bowlers have been carrying the batting group for years.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2021:09:02:20:47:32 by AGod.

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Grockle
02/09/2021 20:53

If things get better then things are.... better

You can give us all the doom prophecies you like AG but as we constantly tell you though you never seem to get it.......

All this posting is prophecy and speculation NOTHING more than that. You constantly post as if your 'analysis' is the only option and is as near to fact as is possible because you quote some number or make some attempt at 'fly on the wall' psychoanalysis babble

No matter how many posts you make, no matter how many times you tell us about Brooks (I'm counting 3 at the moment) or whoever no matter how many averages and stats you quote.

It is simply opinion and prophecy.

The only thing it allows you to do sometime in the future.... possibly is say

'I told you so'

Whooppeedo

The rest of us will see how next week goes and assess after that as we move to the Lancashire game after Scarborough. What happens at the end of 2022's seasom is presently irrelevant in the grand scheme I'm afraid

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AGod
02/09/2021 21:06

Never denied that comments viz the future were an opinion.

What is a fact, rather than merely an opinion, is that we have fewer options with much red ball experience as bowlers than we have had for some time. Same is the inevitable consequence of five out and only one in over the past couple of years. What's also factual is that, sadly, MDL hasn't provided much red ball cutting edge and Brooks isn't providing any this season.

It's also a fact that Abell, Davies and Hildreth are our only players with a career batting average of more than 30, but that Hildreth has averaged comfortably below 30 in recent times (this year and the two before it).

Unless players suddenly improve dramatically, we can, therefore, say that it's very unlikely that we will win games of red ball cricket with bowlers with bad (De Lange) or awful (Brooks) strike rates allied to a top six that tends to struggle, collectively.

Now, Scarborough is very, very likely to be a result wicket, so probably De Lange and Brooks won't have strike rates as bad as 80 and 118, respectively, in this fixture but then one fears for our top six on a result wicket. North Marine Road has been a happy hunting ground for us, much as games vs Notts have generally proven really fruitful, but..

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Grockle
03/09/2021 16:16

As suggested. Eddie moving on to Glammy.

Loan first then probably permanent from 2022

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AGod
03/09/2021 16:37

Good luck to him. A real trier. Will be remembered for his Lord’s final ton and for having gone berserk for a run of a few games in T20 a few years ago, immediately after his format debut.

Had 5 years here. That’s the right time-frame, I’d suggest.

After 5 years, all of the young intake should either be a proven force or, at a minimum making clear progress towards that aim… otherwise it’s time for chances to be handed to other youngsters and/or if needed to recruit from without to fill gaps.

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Grockle
03/09/2021 16:44

And s new place may very be the catalyst he needs. Hope he'll be one of the succesful ones though they are few & far between leaving Taunton.

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Grizzers
03/09/2021 18:26

Yep. Think this has to be the right move for all parties involved.

Wish Eddie all the best.

Grizzers

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Onen hag all
03/09/2021 22:45

Yes, a good move, plenty of goodwill and no hard feelings. I always liked Eddie, but I‘m sure he knows better than anyone that he never really ‚trained on‘ as he needed to.

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Farmer White
04/09/2021 16:53

My belated report on the first day of the Notts match for anyone still interested:

[farmerwhite.co.uk]

Farmer

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AGod
04/09/2021 17:19

If they were ‘sprinting unhindered away,” on day one, then far, far worse was to come on day two.

In terms of movement off the pitch, I think it did a bit more on day one than on subsequent days so I suspect that, had we batted first, The outcome would have been the same…. Or worse.

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