Somerset
Thoughts on a Spring Day
By Grockle and Tractor
April 3 2009
While watching Glamorgan run down a 384 total in a 50 over game, winning with a four off the last ball, we turned our thoughts to whether Somerset actually has a short game and who would be given the job of getting 20 wickets and all the runs on a four day setup. Wanna know what we came up with?
I sat with my master tactitian a Mr T Driver and debated the format of our Championship and one day game. Meanwhile, Messrs Philips, Banks, Trego, Suppiah, Waller, Stiff and Caddick were being smashed all over the place by Glamorgan batsmen looking to get to a score of 385 in 50 overs. With a requirement of 15 an over with only 10 to go, one has to wonder how they won off the last ball with a boundary and what that means for our short game.
So.......the four day first. We reckon there are two places up for grabs in the Championship eleven and that has real implications for some players.
Marcus looks to be expecting to open with Neil Edwards and after the first game of the season will expect to see his captain Justin Langer coming in at number 3. despite some difference of opinion in the order, we both reckon that, at least for the beginning of the season James Hildreth and Zander de Bruyn will make up the rest of the top 5. I'd like to see Craig Kieswetter coming in at 6 and we expect the other end to be Charl Willoughby and Andy Caddick at 11 and 10 with Alfonso Thomas in (for Tractor) at number 8
That leaves 7 and 9 available for the following players
Peter Trego, Wes Durston, Arul Suppiah, Omari Banks, Mark Turner, Ben Philips, Steffan Jones, David Stiff and Mike Munday
Arul may look to make his play for a top 5 batting position at the start of the game and Wes does not seem to be being considered as a bowler but as a batsman as well.
IF Mike Munday looks like a starter he will play at 9 and 6 players will be fighting for the last place.
Now I know there are a lot of people who believe Peter Trego is a 'first name on teamsheet' player but I'm afraid he'll need to prove his prowess with both the ball and the bat to make the number 6 spot his own however much the supporters think that.
James Hildreth has also got to come out of the gate firing on all cylinders to keep his place in the top 5. The management were remarkably patient with him last year - they may not be able to afford to be this year. Certainly two other players will be making their play for the number 5 spot.
Starting Eleven for Warwickshire?
Trescothick
Edwards
de Bruyn
Hildreth
Suppiah/Durston
Kieswetter
Trego/Banks
Thomas
Phillips/Jones/Turner
Caddick
Willoughby
But what about the one day eleven? How will that change given that some of the old boys won't be used all season and some players are not seen as one day specialists and others are?
More to come...
Digg
Delicious
Facebook
Reddit
Stumbleupon03/04/2009 21:58
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2009:04:16:23:58:44 by Grockle.
We thrashed nearly 400 off 50 overs and when I left after 25overs Glammy were nowhere in it.Suppiah and Hilders had good hit ,both hitting tons,I think.The others got the rest
It turned out a nice day after the early fog.
Team of 12 was Marcus,Neil,Craig,James,Arul,Trigger,Wes,Ben,Omari,Waller,Caddick,Stiff.
Nice to see Mike Powell playing for Glammy again.
"The others got the rest" - I like that - you could get a job as the Daily Star's cricket reporter!
I also forgot to mention that Glammy had a pair of bald headed bowlers bowling in tandam.Is this a new way to confuse the batsmen?
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Edited to eliminate a total nonsense!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:04:03:20:46:20 by Bobstan.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Alistair was a very brave full-back, and of course played cricket with some success for the county of Grace, Hammond and Graveney. What's it called now?
Trescothick
Edwards
Kieswetter
Hildreth
Suppiah
Trego
Durston
Phillips
Banks
Waller (good little fielder)
Caddick
Stiff
11 batted 12 fielded (Marcus didn't field)
And together they couldn't defend a total of 384.
Let's hope they are just getting all this out of their system before the season so it doesn't happen in the season.
Arul is a much better all-rounder.
Trescothick
Edwards
De Bruyn
Hildreth/Langer
Suppiah
Kieswetter
Trego
Banks
Thomas
Caddick
Willoughby
The fog didn’t seem to effect Marcus he scored 10 runs off the first over.
(if I didn't know what a superb photographer you are, Mike, I'd suggest you clean that glassy bit at the front of your instamatic)
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:04:04:11:05:01 by Loyal of Lhasa..
We all know what a good fielder Arul Suppiah is, and for a change this is a sequence of four photos of is fielding.
It was a caught and bowled off a skier from a delivery. (Does anybody know who the batman was; I forgot to write it down?
When is it going to come down?
I see it.
It’s in my hands.
I mustn’t drop it.
I like the look on the umpires face!
I've tried scrolling through the pictures a millions miles a nano second to create a moving image effect, but lack sufficient hand-eye coordination.
LoL
Sixty-six Seasons a Somerset Supporter
I am able to complete the details of those photos and also the run-out by Caddick.
Marcus may have taken 10 off the first over but unfortunately the Glams took more than 15 off most of the last 10 from our woeful bowling attack.
Botham You're probably right that Arul will start the first game in the spinning spot (his batting was quite tremendous today) but it won't be on merit with the ball. I've seen only one spinner in the three matches I've watched up until now and he isn't going to worry too many - but at least he serves up something like a difficult ball.
Arul is presently a batting change bowler and Wes isn't bowling at all. MM went past the bat a few times in the Home v Away game but that was in between four balls. Pete Trego international all rounder? Not quite yet in 2009.
I just hope this is all working out the kinks before they focus. That's what these games are for so we can't read too much into them yet.
We didn't seem to be able to contain in the 1 day game last year and, admitedly in meaningless pre-season stuff, it doesn't look like we have learned much :-(
Ho Hum
Alistair Hignell was a throwback to an earlier era when multi-talented sportsmen could excel in more than one field. He won Blues at Cambridge at both rugby and cricket - four years running in both - and by the time he left university in 1977 he had already made several England appearances at full back. He made his England debut in 1975 in a brutal encounter with Australia at Brisbane - eight days later he was playing for Gloucestershire against Middlesex at Bristol and five weeks later he made 60 in the Varsity match. [content.cricinfo.com]
The spinner issue is a problem. Wes is understandably pursuing a role is a reserve 4/5 specialist batsman.
Arul looks to me like a reserve opener, I can't see him taking wickets.
So it's either Munday or all an seam attack at the moment at least.
MY TEAM
Trescothick
Edwards
Langer
Hildreth
De Bruyn
Trego
Kieswetter
Jones
Thomas
Caddick
Willoughby
Blackwell was never a big wicket taker but his accuracy was what helped us to win matches. (when he played)
I have just finished watching Somerset v Surrey C & G 2006 Suppiah got MOM for his batting and bowling.
The link to my Photos on Photobucket - [s1152.photobucket.com] Look at my signature
The link to my Photos on Photobucket - [s1152.photobucket.com]Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009:04:05:21:41:24 by Mike BOS.
Was there an extremely short boundary?
Was the bowling (on both sides) just plain appalling?
Or is Mr Frost's pitch already in 'mid-season,' form?
I can't believe that it was just that both sides were amazing with the bat. You don't normally get that many runs in a 50 over game without at least one of my three previous situations obtaining..??
As Grockle said on another thread, Langer needs to show that the team, as a unit, are now better (especially in one day cricket) than they were with Ian in it. Otherwise, the crowd will get on top of him, to say the least.
More Somerset headlines
- MetroBank Game 3 - v Warks and a change of Weather
- Metro50 Game1 - Welcome to the next stage - Notts at Welbeck
- Blast Finals Day Semi 1 - It's Northants Again!!
- Blast Quarter Final Here We Go at Headingley
- Blast Game 12 - Simple Beat the Pears!!
- Women's Blast Game 12 - Fanx Tara Towie
- Blast Game 11 - Northants Part 2 - Gregory Back?
- Women's Blast Game 11 - Blazing Away\!!
- Blast Game 10 - Derby to the Wire as well
Somerset latest threads
- Two more years for LewisÂ
- MetroBank Game 3 - v Warks and a change of Weather
- Poll: 2026 Best Blast Player
- Poll: Best CC1 Player Part 1
- Metrobank 50 Game2 - Home Derby
- Members online forum - the future of SCCC
- Metro50 Game1 - Welcome to the next stage - Notts at Welbeck
- Blast Finals Day Semi 1 - It's Northants Again!!
- RIP the GREAT Gary Sobers
- Metro50 NOT "Developmental" by choice