By Grockles
May 5 2002

The B&H is over and we are out. There's more to the story but not a lot more. Keith Dutch and the benefit boy put up some fight but where was the rest?

OVER AND OUT - GOODBYE B&H

Somerset left the B&H race for 2002 at the hands of Gloucestershire this afternoon, losing by 39 runs.

Collapse...now there's a thing

The writing was on the wall within five overs of our reply.   With Matt Wood and Jamie Cox out of the equation and Somerset at 9 for 2 it was going to be uphill all the way against a side famous for putting the hammer down when they got on top of a game.

Marcus Trescothick and Mike Burns were in little trouble for most of their innings but Gloucestershire kept the run rate at about 3 and a half while we needed 5 plus and the pressure mounted.  In the end, Banger went for the big hit to get things going and succeeded in being the third victiom when he was caught off a skier by Snape with 47 to his name.  83 runs with Burnsy wasn't enough, we needed him there for the whole innings.  Keith Parsons didn't last long although he did add 25 but he went at 117 and Blackwell continued to cause the opposition very little worry when he was caught behind for 8.  We were dead, buried and the heaadstone was up at 138 for 5.   Less than 90 minutes into our reply, over half the overs gone and we were being written off by everyone.  The support was heading for the motorway and the Bristolians were singing in the stands.

Lots of fun but too damn late!

Rob Turner had been at the crease for very little time when the defiance of Burns came to an end.  He went 3 minutes after Blackwell for 61 when he misjudged the pace of a ball from Snape and looped the ball back to him for a C&B.   142 for 6 brings Keith Dutch to the crease and it's only a matter of time.   The euphoria of that wicket was replaced  by sighs of relief when Dutch went with the score on 228!  Turner and Dutch put on 86 off less than 60 balls and brought the run rate down to just over 6 by the 44th over.  When he left in the 44th, a victim of ....who else but Harvey we needed 43 off 36 balls and Gloucestershire had been rattled by agressive hitting and run plundering.  Alleyne had used all types of   bowlers to keep the rate down but at one point the Somerset lads took 28 off two overs and scared the living daylights out of the partisan crowd.

It wasn't to be though and to be honest we would have been robbing Gloucs if we had won.  From Dutch's dismissal, it was the Harvey show and our tailenders were not up to one of the best 'death' bowlers in the world.  Rob Turner didn't last long when he also misjudged a spinners length (Ball) and dobbled one back to him.  Matt Bulbeck swiped across the line and went LBW, Caddick came in ahead of Francis (who belted it around for 29 off 11 on Friday) and was last man out for 1.....LBW to Harvey.  He took 5 for 20 and we were all out for 231 - 39 short.

B&H Aftermath

One point from four matches is not enough and we cannot qualify.   One point from four matches begs questions about our quality as a one day side and I would imagine Cox, Trescothick and Shine are worried men.  Our early form has been hampered by injury but early batting collapses can't happen when we are giving the opposition 250 to 300 starts in 50 overs.  Last season we had problems with early batting collapses but our bowling kept the scores down and the middle order kept us in the game.  This year our batting collapses are not compensated for and the middle order has too damn much to do.  It seems that there was a big chat after Friday and one has to hope that the heroics of Turner and Dutch don't let the squad off the hook today.   Harsh words are needed and because there are few options for tomorrow because of injury, some players need to work hard to keep their places.  After Worcestershire (and what will Mr Hick make of our bowlers tomorrow I wonder?) we need to re-start this season.  Forget the B&H and go on....but for heavens sake give us better than this!