The Welsh arrive to give us our last run through before the serious stuff starts in Cambridge next week. Rain forecast after a beautiful morning but it does look ominous. Some questions have already been answered but there are players still making a case for first team inclusion and with Thomas being cleared to bowl for us today the seam attack question is upper most!
v Glamorgan (F) @ Taunton Thursday 10 April 2008
No scorecard available I'm afraid.
Andy Hurry has announced a 12 man sqaud for this and underneath here you wil find a post identifying the representatives of Glamorgan expected to appear. there are a number of absentees still who will figure in the Sunday game next week but what does the squad named tell us about Rosey's apparent headaches about selection for the start of the season?
Unless there is a real problem during the next week, we would expect a number of players who have not yet been seen in Somerset colours to be there against Hampshire.
Andy Caddick is expected to bowl against Cambridge and play against Hampshire. Justin will captain. Charl will be here and on the field. Marcus will open. So...what about the other 7?
Craig Kieswetter will have the gloves. The fact he is keeping today and Carl Gazzard is not present has to mean that. James Hildreth has to play and every indication is that he is ready to do his job. Ian Blackwell will also play if he is ready to do that and he ought to play against Cambridge next week if that is going to happen - but it may not. Peter Trego is a definite? Fourth seamer and back up batsman? Pinch hitter?
So 5 or 4 places left. Who will open with Banger? John Francis has a chance to show the Bristol 50 was the start of a comeback today. Neil Edwards isn't playing today but may make a claim next week. Omari Banks may get a chance if Ian is doubtful or may be pushing Trigger for his place? We haven't seen a lot yet but there is today and tomorrow for him to change that.
Is there a place for Arul and Wes? As one day batsmen I think the answer is Yes. As one day bowlers? If ITB and Banks get themselves set I'm not so sure. Wes has a stronger batting record while Arul has the edge in the bowling - are they allround enough? The opportunity is there. Show us what you've got guys.
Assuming the seam attack starts with AC and CW then who is the third seamer? Suggestions are that it is between Phillips and Jones, especially in the one day format. But Turner is on the sheet still (Sutton has probably moved into a second team role for the first part of the season now) and Thomas is now part of the puzzle after his kolpak registration has been approved.
And then there's Munday who has been named n the squad today and should play irrespective of whether the strip takes spin or not. If he is what we hope he is then he needs to play whenever he can - a great spin bowler takes wickets on the strip provided, NOT only on spinning wickets. His presence complicates all kinds of equations and determines the use of Banks, Trego, Thomas, Phillips, Jones, Turner, Suppiah, Durston.
Hmmm interesting....who will perform today and how will this picture have latered or become clearer by the end of Friday?
No mention of him on their website,perhaps they don't want to do too much with him early on.
He's still a sprog.
I see young Tom Maynard getting a mention on their site.I've heard he is turning into a very destructive batsman,much more aggressive than his Dad.
One to watch.
He was named in the 14, of whom MT didn't play.
From the report's emphasis on the 2nd wicket partnership, I had kind of jumped to the assumption that he had opened but on this occasion fallen cheaply.
According to the official site Ian Blackwell is alive and well and living in Cricket St Thomas (nr Chard).
It also seems that this new kit is only for the FPT and we're back to blue and red for the later events...they are all on the photo anyway it seems and Blackie's wearoing one of them (and a cowbot hat!!)....Don't ask
Grockle According to the official site Ian Blackwell is alive and well and living in Cricket St Thomas (nr Chard).
It also seems that this new kit is only for the FPT and we're back to blue and red for the later events...they are all on the photo anyway it seems and Blackie's wearoing one of them (and a cowbot hat!!)....Don't ask
Thinking about the statements about fast food and obesity making the rounds at the moment, maybe it isn't the right client group anyway.
But they want to get them centrally and Mac's does have the space to do it I suppose. I don't now how widely it is being advertsised about the place (I got it off the website but if kids are going on their then they probably are already members).
Schools are on Spring break and there is a number of them across the town so you'd be pushed to use the really recognisable noggin of banger in all of them.
Grockle According to the official site Ian Blackwell is alive and well and living in Cricket St Thomas (nr Chard).
It also seems that this new kit is only for the FPT and we're back to blue and red for the later events...they are all on the photo anyway it seems and Blackie's wearoing one of them (and a cowbot hat!!)....Don't ask
I'm confused.
Surely Blackie is on the extreme left, in the new shirt. CK is third from the right, also in the new shirt. The other players (and shirts) are from other teams.
How does that indicate that we'll revert to any other shirt?
Am I being dense?
Cheers for that Ajay,those pictures really cheered me up.
It's good to see the marketing men/women/people are on the ball.
And no,you're not being dense FE.
you were spot on.
The picture I saw only had Craig in the grey stuff and Blackie in the middle in the major red with blue kit. Can't see why he would be wearing that unless it is going to be used later. Then again it was all at quite a distance so it could be me mistaking faces. If that is the case however, there are a couple of sides whose kit is soooo similar as to be a waste of time!!
Big Mike it is,he looks like he's been getting stuck into the SA over the Winter.
Makes our Blackie look like Kate Moss.
Well not quite perhaps but definitely better looking and with more personality.My wife is still madly in love with Blackie and made me write the bit about better looking.
Mind you a coat hanger has got more personality than Kate Moss.
I ramble.
Again.
Sorry guys and gals. Have now seen the second photo on the official site and it is far clearer that the guy I though was ITB wasn't.
That is partly because he does look a little more sylph-like despite Wurzel's assessment.
Our move away from the old kit does show how similar the coloured kits were getting though. I can't see all that much difference between one of the kits on there and our old version!!
AGod I do rather wish we could have found more credible opposition than Gloucs and Glam.
A warm-up versus a first division county, i.e. the calibre of opponent that we will be facing this season would surely be a better yardstick?
It's potentially double-edged though AG.
There's a lot to be said for keeping on winning.
Very wet and miserable 12 miles towards the coast. I'm hoping for a good afternoon because I'll be there this "arvo" but it's going to have to dry up for that at the moment.
It's like the wet season here and very cold.A great day to have new windows put in.
Might snow this afternoon apparently.
You know the cricket season has arrived when the weather plays up like this.
As they'd say in Brizzzle,it be all they global warning.
Second wicket - high catch by Craig Kieswetter (right over the top of the slips) off the bowling of Turner from the River End. Bye bye Hemp 122 for 2 with the captain contributing 42
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008:04:11:17:00:08 by Grockle.
A Matt Wood (not that one) has retired at 135 (with 42 to his name). We all think it's because he can't read Munday and doesn't want to face Turner who is generating a load of pace at the River End. So in comes Dalrymple and Wallace
They've replaced Turner with Arul at the OP and he's taking a hell of a belting. 174 for 5 with 14 overs to go but we don't think it's a target....or at least Bill doesn't think it is...and as we all know - "Bill Knows!!"
Bit previous I'm afraid. We're back on for some overs because some of the Welsh want a bowl so Phillips and Kieswetter are out to try and smack the ball about.
It was Turner who looked really good FE. Mike was giving them trouble but went for a few boundaries (good that he was willing to give it air). Caddy is expected in the Fenners game Fred.
Thanks, Grockle.
Turner sounds the real deal.
And hopefully when it matters, the batters will give MM enough to work with that the odd boundary won't stop him attacking.
I'm SO optimistic it's untrue!
All the advertising and ticket sales relates to home games being at Taunton. I can't see how it could be moved without losing a lot of money and upsetting a lot of people. Goodwill is everything, particularly during upheaval.
If you get 6K people at Bath the chances are a load of them would be paying punters and are you going to take them to court for the repayment of your membership W?
How can they lose in that situation? they've lost some of the goowill before but the members still pay the next year.
I'm not sure how much caring and sharing is involved and whether they'll gamble.
It could all be speculation but there was a distinct lack of scotching the rumour this afternoon.
I would say on the subject if you have already bought the tickets and they do announce a change in venue, they would have to give a refund if requested.
All joking aside Bath does make sense as we discussed a while back before Rob's April fool.
The number of people it peeved would be far outweighed by the number of punters coming through the gates as Grockle rightly points out.
I know it would be a shame for those who enjoy their T20 at Taunton but I'm afarid they might be told,in the words of CC,"get over it".
Interesting to see what happens.
Yep it looks like Rob's jolly jape has got them thinking and may have put a spark of an idea in the heads of the planners.
I don't expect it to happen but they may very well be thiking about the logistics of moving a second game there perhaps.
The argment about the tickets isn't really going to hold water as it's in a package for the whole season. Stats say loads of VP's don't watch the 20/20's and you'd still get two/three here. They wouldn't be stopping you watching the game, it would just be in another place.
I knw what you're saying but on a cost benefit analysis I can see how they could identify that the costs of loss of goodwill and claims for refunds would be more than offset by the revenue from 6000 paying punters.
I don't think they'd get 'em but then what do I know? The people of Bath claim demand for cricket is high.
The other thing here is the perception that Richard Gould isn't looking to increase the size of the Bath commitment and this would do that even if it was billed as a one off because of circumstances.
It's an interesting one and something we discussed a good while back,even before Rob's joke.
There is a high demand for cricket in Bath,many of the users of this site were very unhappy with the decision to end the festival there.
When it was suggested that T20 might be an idea to fill the void nearly everybody thought it was a good idea.Given the fact that Bath is a University City,with training hospitals and many many visitors during the Summer months it could well prove a huge hit.It has a lot of young people,with money to spend always on the look out for new and exciting ways to fill their leisure time.
Having lived and worked there for close on a decade I can guarantee you that if you packaged T20 properly it would sell out in no time.It would also be a superb atmosphere,for those that enjoy the slightly rowdier side of life.
With Taunton being developed it just made sense to look elsewhere and with everything that has gone in recent years Bath was the obvious choice.
Of course it probably won't happen as there are also many reasons for keeping it in Taunton.
It would be a good idea to keep it on the burner though.
It might just be a success.
I do hope that you haven`t taken your own advice, scrumper, and bet your mortgage on James Harris playing for Glamorgan against Glo`shire in the county championship at Bristol at the end of April - `A` Levels or no `A` Levels.
Still, if you did, I understand that nice Alistair Darling might be able to bail you out.
Yes, the blighters haven't picked him. Which is a pain the proverbial for my fantasy team. According to CEEFAX he was in the squad, which means that they'd rather play some of their medicore 'veteran,' in preference to him!
Not a case of not being picked - he's a "shoe-in" in the team !
James Harris has an ankle injury which required a cortisone jab last week. (Glamorgan not happy at the fact he was overbowled by England Under 19's during the winter !).
His selection as 12th man was to enable him to continue his rehab at Bristol under the supervision of Dean Conway (Glam physio).
Will be back for the next Championship game v Derbyshire and maybe 1 more after that, before A levels commence.
Happy days cruising past a poor Gloucestershire yesterday - serious question marks over Jon Lewis' captaincy !
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