By Grockle
November 2 2005

The first home game of the simulated season versus Essex does not go well! We may have the full line-up but we aren't playing with a full deck in these games!! The Yorkshire four day defeat by over an innings was followed by a 9 wicket one day defeat at the same hands. It's worse than the real one!!

v Essex CC2 @ Taunton 27 April 2005 (Simulation)

Nil points in anything at the moment but the boys return home to carry on in familiar surroundings.  The four day squad is unchanged (at least for now);

Smith, Trescothick, Jayasuriya, Francis, Hildreth, Blackwell, Laraman, Turner, Johnson, Caddick and McLean

We won the toss and Smithy put us in on a bit of a seamer's wicket.  Gough immediately took advantage and Banger was bowled for 7 at 19.  SJ seems to be looking a lot better as a simulation, but not today as Irani had him caught in the slips for 19 before we reached 50.  John Francis helped get us past this first milestone, but only just before he was caught behind off Clarke for 4 and although Smith is holding one end, Hildreth didn't stay long before flipping one to mid-wicket at 79.  Then, as usual, just before lunch Smith snicks one to the slips and we go in at lunch in Day 1 at 118 for 5.  Blackwell and Laraman (also better as aa simulation) putting up some resistance with 19 and 17 respectively.

We aren't exactly setting the simulated second division alight with the bat are we?  Aaron continues to make sure we don't by being bowled off a full toss without adding to his score and although Rob Turner adds 30 before he is LBW, we are floundering at under 200 for the third time in as many games.  One ray of light is the fact that Blackwell reaches 50 at 190, so his individual form is starting to improve.  He gets good support from Richard Johnson until he is bowled for 19 (but having added an important 43.  Adams finally gets IB at 69 but Nixon adds 15 out of 20 for the last wicket before he is LBW and last man out at 245.  A bit of a recovery but way below what is needed in a first innings at home!  Essex manage one over for 5 before Tea.

McLean comes out firing after the break and gets Jefferson for 13 when they have amassed 22.  Flower is dropped by Noddy with only one to his name (oh dear!) but the situation is retrieved when Laraman gets him with his 5th ball for 18.  That's the last one of the day and Essex stage a minor recovery to finish the day with 3 figures at 102 for 2.

Day 2

Dawns with Somerset needing early wickets.  The bounce of Caddick gets us one with Cook gone for 4 and McLean comes around the wicket to Foster to get us another.  Early doors at 121 for 4.  Six runs later and Laraman gets in oon the act by sending Irani back LBW (127 for 5) and although Middlebrook stays about for a bit, the introduction of Blackwell returns him to the CA at 161.  Then Tudor goes on the rampage and we seem to be able to do very little to stop him.  Although he edges one to the boundary and survives a very good LBW shout just before lunch, he has rocketed his side on to 231 for 6 by the interval and into a probable lead at the halfway stage.

Caddick traps him for a final 65 at 259 and then goes on to have Adams caught for 0 and Gough bowled for 7 to hold them to 281 for 9.  Smith drops Napier at 286 (with the main man on 65) but luckily Clarke is caught next ball and they are gone for 286. We've pulled it back but they are still 41 ahead and we have a tricky time before the end of Day 2.

It is clearly defined how tricky this period is going to be when Smith is LBW for one with the score on 4.  Marcus and Sanath steady the boat and we have 70 by the Tea interval and are back in the lead!  Not so good when Goughie C&B's SJ for 37 with the third ball after Tea or when MT is LBW at 102 for 35, add to that JF LBW at 103 for 24 and we are in brown stuff up to the chin!

There is then loads of playing and missing as the ball does all kinds of things (the wicket is also a strange simulation!!) before Ian B is caught down the legside for 27 at 144 and with Aaron LBW for 0 one run before the 150, we are digging a deeper and deeper hole for ourselves.  We finish Day 2 on 166 for 6 with most of our hopes on some great innings from James Hildreth to take our present 125 run lead to something we can defend.

Day 3

And there is loads more playing and missing going on while Hildreth staggers to a fighting 50 but his partner Turner is caught behind at 'double nelson' for a solid 32 and resistance all but ends when James snicks one for 68 at 252.  The heroics of the first innings don't repeat.  RJ is bowled at 255 and Nixon is out for 0 at 258.  Caddy gets his second 'not out' of the game.  Essex need 217 to win and have 5 sessions to get them.  Don't think they'll need them myself.  They reach lunch with 32 for the loss of nothing.

By Tea on the same day, they still haven't lost a wicket as the strip dries out.  Will Jefferson has 100 and Essex have 153.  The only excitement in the last session is John Francis dropping Jefferson on 148 as the opposition romp home by 10 wickets!!

For some reason the 'Man of the Match' is awarded to Nixon McLean who bowled quite well and had a little cameo in the first innings.  But Jefferson hammered us in the second innings so we gave it to him instead.

So, no joy in the Championship and little to smile about in the one day competition either.  With no points, the management decided to forget the youth policy for the time being and the same side met Leicestershire in the TSL2 on Mayday.  We whupped 'em by 6 wickets.

So we kept the same side again on May 2 against Surrey and we whupped them by 7 wickets.  So we kept the same eleven for the Challenge Trophy once again against the Foxes, at Grace Road.  The travesty of the real season was redressed as we beat them by 5 runs and went through to the next round.

So, beginning of May.  Bottom of CC2 and 5th in TSL2 with a Challenge Trophy game against - no idea yet - to come.  Off we go to the Riverside to play Durham.  Wonder if they are any good in this version?  Do we change anyone I wonder?  Maybe we should stick the youngsters in the long game as they couldn't do any worse at the moment?  Comments more than welcome if you have any suggestions.