Somerset
CC1 The Ultimate End Game - Surrey at Taunton Roll the Dice
By Grockle
September 24 2026
The last game of the season, the only thing in our hands is whether we win the gsame or not. The points combinations after that are wide and varied. Us Warks or Notts take yer pick. All we can do is wortk with what we have and see how the chips fall. Surrey have won the toss and TKC comes in for Jake Ball and other than that it is the Leeds line-up. Off we go on the rollercoaster of the CC1!!
CC1 v Surrey @ Taunton Thursday 24 September 2026
Somerset, once again in this decade, go into the last match of the season looking for aplace at the top of the table but probably having to take a runner's up or runner's up runner's up spot. Going into how this might pan out is irrelevant at the start of this game because we have to get ourselves into a position of winning it otherwise the top spot is not in our vision. A win will then be related to the position of Warwickshire v Leicestershire and in some circumstances Nottinghamshire v Yorkshire.
Surrey have won the toss and will bat first against the side;
Thomas, Lammonby, Abell, Nicholls, Rew, TKC, Vaughan, Gregory, Overton, Pretorius, Leach
So Jake Ball loses out for the bat of TKC and Archie keeps his place for his bowling one would imagine (he can't buy a run). Migael receives his county cap before the game - suggests he may be returning perhaps? The weather is bright and the sky is clear, just a smattering of people around the ground early on but the press box is heaving with bookings from the press who are nowhere to be seen during the normal CC1 season.
The pitch is pretty central for this game with a rope bounmdary on both sides of the ground. Lewis Gregory will open the bowling to Burns and Sibley from the MT Pavilion. They are 8 after one with Craig coming in from the River and his over ends with the visitors on 12 - 6 apiece.
The nature of the game is pretty much set out when Jack Leach comes on at the River in the 8th over - the odds are now being worked out for how many overs he is going to bowl today. The first slog swept six off him from Burns comes in the 10th. Meanwhile Craig changes ends to relieve the skipper.
With 47 on the board, Burns goes to sweep, gets a top edge off the spinner and is caught by Abell for 31. In comes Patel. The 50 arrives in the 17th though Patel is still not off the mark while Sibley has moved to 19 from 44.
New Cap Migael comes on to bowl the 19th over at 52 for 1. Archie also spells Leach at the River and in the 30th he takes another scalp as Patel is caught by Craig in the slips at 78 for 2 for 16. This brings Pope to the middle. He is immediately off the mark with a single.
Jack returns at the MT end. Lunch arrives at 86 for 2 with Sibley on a 102 ball 35 and Pope on 3 from 8. Archie has 14 for 1 from his 4 and Jack has 20 for 1 from his 10 (with 4 maidens towards the end of his spell). the next over will be the 34th with 63 to go in the day. Surrey will be happy with this start. Meanwhile Leicestershire are 78 for 5 at the interval but Ben Green has yet to march to the crease.
Craig starts proceedings again after the break from the MT. Archie partners him at the start. Against these two, Surrey move past the 100 in the 38th over.
Sibley take the single to move him to his 50 at 51 from 138 balls with the score on 122 for 2 off the bowling of Gregory in the 45th. In the 47th Gregory gets Pope with a mediocre (to try to be fair) attempt at a shot that he misses. He is LBW to the skipper for 24 art 131 for 3.
In comes Lawrence and together thLewisis pair take the score past 150 as there seems to be few worries with this pitch. But Migael sets up Sibley and at 72 from 188 at 174 for 4 he is strangled down the legside edging to Abell who gratefully takes the catch. Pretorius is bowling a sharp spell with 16 for 1 in his 8 overs with 3 maidens. Foakes is the next man in and they have moved to 183 for 4 with Lawrence on 34 (64) and Foakes has 1(7) whern the Tea break arrives.
Migael opens the bowling after the interval from the pavilion with the 67th and 30 remaining in the day. Josh Thomas gets a go with the ball with the second over of the last session. As we move into the 70th the 200 arrives with Lawrence on to 45 and Foakes on 7. Lawrence looks very solid and he passes 50 in the 75th from Archie moving to 52 from 88 balls at 214 for 4.
Josh is replaced by Tom Kohler-Cadmore at the River end in the 79th over - moving us to the new ball perhaps? Lewis takes the new one with Craig but unfortunately very little changes as Surrey move to their first batting bonus point in the 83rd with a Foakes cut four. 252 for 4 and Foakes has 33 from 68.
The 100 partnership arrives at 274 for 4 in the 87th over. Foakes goes to 50 at 51 from 93 balls at 288 for 4 and it is becoming a little predictable and predestrian in the bowling context at the end of Day 1. Maybe the news from Edgbaston is bleeding through but a [positive result in this game is looking very doubtful less than 25% into this match irrespective of what Warwickshire produce against the Foxes.
We come into the last 5 overs of the day's play and it has been a taxing one for the home side in front of about 3000 people. The club has sold 1000+ tickets above membership for Saturday and they may not have a lot to see at the moment. Presently on this pitch this may be the first game of the season where we do NOt get maximum bowling points (we need 6 wickets in 17 overs for that to happen).
Lawrence completes his century before the end of play with his fourth six in the last over to go there in 135 balls to 104 it comes with 9 fours. He really was not in any trouble to be honest. 327 for 4 ends the day as Jack completes his 26th over with 1 for 77. Pretorius ends his 17 with 1 for 62. Lawrence has 105 from 136 and Foakes ends the day with 64 from 121. After 96 overs the partnership is a 153 and looks like going on tomorrow.
Day 2
As we move into this day the comment around the ground is that "the Championship will be decided today". Warwickshire may well put their game almost to bed to dispell any doubt and without a reversal in Somerset's fortune in the first hour this morning our game will not be a significant factor in the title's location.
Lewis opens the bowling and is then partnered by Craig who gets Foakes LBW with his second ball for 64 at 341 for 5. In comes Lomror. The conversation is that the ball was 'miles over the top' but the book says that the Surrey keeper is back in the hutch.
We have 11 overs to get 4 wickets for the maximum bowling bonus points in a season. Realistically we need to get another one to add to our bonus point tally. The 350 is passed in the 101st over and although there is evidence that the skipper is getting swing there are seem to be few problems with this pitch so hopes of a Day 2 'minefield' are dashed early on.
After a majestic cover drive by Lomror is followed by an edge on to the stumps and Lewis gets another one. He goes for 10 bowled by the skipper at 367 and we have another bowling bonus point. Lawrence after looking in no troublke at all thoughout his innings suddenly has a brainfart and flashes at a ball outside off and is caught behind for a superb 139. 371 for 7 and Gregory is on a roll with figures of 19 overs 2 maidens 3 for 80.
Worrall and Thomas are the pair in the middle suddenly without a run between them. On comes Jack within 10 overs of the start of the second day. At 110 overs we miss out on the last bowling bonus point of the season but the record we have achieved is far better than anyone would have given our bowling unit in April of this year. 378 for 7 with Worrall and Thomas as Pretorius starts his day of work with the ball from the MT.
The 400 arrives at the end of the 115th as Surrey pass 402 and then for no apparent reason Worrall shoulders arms to a Jack Leach straight one and is plumb in front (why would a tailender not play a shot to a ball in the zone?). Last man Chahar arrives and then retires for some reason and out comes Topley. Thomas then hits the next ball for six in frustration before going for a quick single that nearly sees Miggy take out the middle stump though Topley was in. 2 balls later the tall Surrey amn hits the first six of his career. He is then caught by Overton for 7 at 420 for 9.
We then wait to see if Chahar will return to the crease. He does and so we carry one. He moves to 3 before he goes to an 'absolute beauty' from Jack to finish the Surrey innings on 422.
There will be the 10 minute changeover and then we will have 2 or 3 before the lunchbreak. Oh Goody you all cry!!
An interesting decision starts the second part of the game as Lawrence opens for Surrey against Thomas and Lammonby from the River. There is some turn in the wicket at that end (Jack suggested there was something at the other at the end of the last innings as well). Worrall takes the MT end and Tom starts us off with a single from the last ball. We leave the pitch after 3 overs with 1 for 0.
Worrall starts the afternoon session with Lawrence and Josh is off the mark at the end of the 5th. But in the 9th the spinner gets one past the Thomas bat in the danger zone and the Somerset bat is LBW for 17 at 30 and out comes TKC. He squirts one past the close infielder for a single and is off and running. His second scoring shot is in the 11th over with a six into the Botham.
The 50 arrives in the 13th over as Topley replaces Worrall and then Lawrence is replaced by the spin of Lomror who finds the edge of TKC's bat into the hands of Thomas for 22 at 68 for 2. That brings Henry Nicholls to the crease. but before the 100 arrives he is LBW stepping back by Worrall for 15 at 97 for 3.
In comes Tom Abell needing 20 runs for his 1000 in the season. The 100 arrives and then Tom Lammonby passes 50 from 94 at 112 for 3 after getting past being on 49 with the score on 111!! The spin duo of Lawrence and Lomror does not break the next partnership so Reece Topley returns to the MT.
He takes the visitors through to Tea with Lomror and we go in at 126 for 3 with Tom L on 61 with Tom A on 9 from 30 balls.
Tea over and Topley continues and then Lawrence is back after a breather. At 139 with 20 to his name Tom Abell becomes the third player this year to get to 1000 first class runs in the season - he receives a well deser ved round of applause from the Taunton faithful and beats Dan Lawrence to it. The 50 partnership arrives in the 46th at 147 for 3
News on the Surrey team is that Chahar's problems seem to be related to his back and they have called up Ralphie Albert (young English spinner) as a replacement. They are also seeking a replacement for Lawrence as he has been called up to England as a replacement for Jos Buttler who has had to withdraw after pulling a hamstring.
Meanwhile we are back in the room with Abell on 46 and Lammonby on 92 with the score on 194 for 3. Thomas has come on at the MT end to partner Lomror who is wheeling in at the River. The 200 arrives at the end of the 60th over with Tom A on 49 and Tom L on 95. Abell steals the strike and goes to 50 from 96 - his 48th first class 50 at 201 for 3. Lammers goes to his highest first class score of the season with a double to 97. He then steals the strike to reach 98 and then takes a single to 99. He finally gets to 100 off Lomror with the century off 205 at 210. That is his 10th first class hundred.
. . .
Albert is on to bowl for the first time in the game with 3 overs to go in the day. He will finish the day with Lomror who has bowled 19 overs with 3 maidens finishing with 1 for 50 - a good stint for the man. The four Tom A gets in the last game makes 2026 his best ever Championship season with the bat as he passes 62 and a CC1 total of 1042 runs.
.
They have finished the allocation and after a bit of a discussion they decide to leave at 222 for 3 with the Toms on A - 63 from 117 and L - 103 from 217 a partnership presently on 125. 68 overs of the innings have taken place and we are back for Day 3. Somerset are exactly 200 behind and 28 from their first batting point. Somerset's probable target for this game is to take all the batting bonus points as the chances of Leicestershire winning against Warwicksire is very doubtful.
It's all still there though.
Day 3
Welcome to 'Double Nelson Saturday' The two Toms start on 222 but the fist scoring shot of the day is a four from Abell and we can all put both feet back down since 5:30 last night!! Topley has changed ends to start from the River. Albert joins him from the MT to bowl the 70th (we have 95 programmed for the day from here). Surrey are straight on it Albert has something about his slow bowling and Topley has passed the bat more than once. After about 5 overs ALbert changes ends and Pope drops a clear edge from Tom Lammonby in the 75th over at 107. The 150 partnership arrives at 247 for 3 with Tom A on 77 and Tom B on 112. Thomas takes over at the MT and the 250 arrives with a four from him in the 78th over as Lammonby goes to 120.
We thought Albert was allowing Topley to change ends but he did not come back on. He then returns for the 81st with the new ball (of course!!) from the River. It was a surprise because he has been flying in this morning.
With a pulled four Lammonby goes to 136 his career best score in first class cricket. In the 87th off Lomror Tom Abell drives the ball on the up straight to midwicket where he is dropped by Thomas on 87 - another schoolboy drop to be honest, so bad the fielder struggles to meet his teammate's eyes as they change ends at the end of the over.
The 200 partnership arrives at the end of the 90th over wth Tom A on 93 and Tom L on 145, the 300 arrives the ball after with an Abell four taking him to 97. One four later Tom Abell reaches 3 figures with 101 from 194 with 13 fours at 305 for 3. The second centurion in a partnership that now stands at 208 and a treat for those who came with the hops of seeing the CC1 won but have seen a couple of excellent Somerset bats make the most of the game in front of them at least.
The fun continues as Tom Lammonby passes 150 at 310 for 3 from 293 with 17 fours. The consideration that may be surfacing now is that 5 batting bonus points are available and in order to get them all (we have 2) we need to reach 450 in the next 15 overs (about 6 and over). So... who would Somerset send in if we lost a wicket now? Surely it would not be Archie (who can't buy a run presently) or James (who can start quite slowly). Craig? Lewis? It's an interesting position to be in as we may be in Third place if Notts win and we do not (Notts have a 150 odd lead as Yorkshire bat again but they are 3 down for 4!!). If Notts draw we may need to be 2 points ahead of them. The 250 partnership arrives in short order as the Somerset pair go mad just before lunch at 349 for 3. The 350 arrives with a single just after. Lunch arrives at the end of the 101st at 353 for 3 with Abell on 114 from 223 and Lammonby on 180 from 310. This is the biggest partnership of the season for two Somerset bats.
Then of course as is it's wont, the internet loses all my posting for the last hour when momentous things happened for our batting partnership up until the moment when Leicestershire lose to Warwickshire and give the Burmmies the CC1 pennant.
Besides the partnership continuing, Tom Lammonby reaches 200 in 337 balls with 23 fours and 2 sixes at 382 for 3. The 300 partnership arrives just before the 400 in the game and then the two break the best 4th wicket partnership of all time by moving to 316 passing the 313 from Abell and Rew versus Notts at Trent Bridge in the 'Kookaburra' game last year.
Tom Lammonby then puts us into the lead with 3 consecutive fours to move Somerset to 426 off Worrall in the 118th over. As he continues to give Surrey the long handle he is finally given out LBW at 431 for 4 for a mammoth 229 from 359 to close a new record 4th wicket partnership of 334. James Rew passes him n his way to the middle.
It seems crazy that man on 149 has played 'second fiddle' in a partnership but he will have to complete his 150 with another partner as Rew is caught by Burns sweeping (why James) bowled by Lomror for 1 at 440 for 5. In comes Archie to bat out the over and get his teammate on strike. Thomas takes the 122nd and Tom takes the single to go to 150 at 441 for 5. It came from 282 balls with 17 fours and a six. He is 6 from his highest ever.
Meanwhile, at the other end Archie is struggling still to get an innings off and moving as his desperate form with the bat continues but he does get off the mark with a single. Albert makes it dual spin as we near the Tea interval. The 450 arrives with Vaughan's first boundary shot to the Somerset taking him to 6 and the score to 451 at the end of the 128th. Abell passes his earlier 156 careers highest Championship score at 157 at 463 for 5.
At 480 for 5 the Tea interval arrives. Tom Abell has 166 from 303 and Archie has moved to 23 from 53 and we go into the intervall 58 ahead on First innings.
Thomas starts the last session of the day from the MT. It is dual spin with Lomror. Tom reverse sweeps Lomror for four to move to 502 for 5. Archie also tries to sweep him in the same over and is caught behind by Foakes for 26 from 65. In comes Craig Overton but he doesn't stay long as he skies one from Lomror and is caught in front of the CA by Albert. He leaves for 1 at 511 for 7 and is replaced by Lewis Gregory with the lead now standing at 89 with 25 overs of the day to go.
At the end of the 141st Tom takes two to go to 199 at 520 for 7. He gets back on strike halfway through the over from Thomas. Gregory takes the lead over 100 with an up the wicket driven four to Lomror - moving to 525.
In the 144th the Surrey crew come in to save the single and they do as Thomas bowls a maiden. After the Lomror over Tom finally gets the 200 with 23 fours and a six from 338 balls. 532 for 7 which becomes 532 for 8 the next ball as Thomas has the skipper caught and bowled for 12.
In the 149th Migael hits the ball for six from a Lomror full toss to take us over 550 to 553. He then adds another six to it. 559 for 8 as Topley returns at the MT for the 150th over. Meanwhile in Nottingham, Jonny Bairstow and Yorkshire need 5 to give us second place but they only have 2 wickets left!! Sorry they have 1 wicket left. But they manage it and we are second in the CC1 for the 5th time in a decade all thanks to a £130,000 six from Jonny Bairstow
The 600 arrives in the 157th as Miggy adds value to the game with 34 from 39 and by the end of the 158th the pair have put on 87. Meanwhile Tom A moves into the 240s. Patel is given a bowl for the first time in the innings from the MT and goes for 9.
Abell moves to 250 from 374 balls with 28 fours and 2 sixes at 625 for 8. At 635 with a driven four frtom Pretorius, the partnership reaches 103 (off 87 balls) and Miggy moves to 49 from 50. He gets it from 52 balls in the next over at 637 (including 6 fours and 2 sixes).
Tom starts to go mad as he hits 4 sixes in a row off Albert's 161st over. Topley then takes the next over but NOT with a new ball. There are 3 overs to go in the day. The 150 partnership arrives in the 163rd off 105 balls as Pretorius moves past a run a ball with another boundary that moves him to 69 from 62 and the score to 685 for 8.
Reeces Topley takes the last and at 688 Somerset equal the highest score against Surrey bnefore Tom takes a single to move above it. It's the third of all time and surpasses to 2006 score at Guildford. The day ends at 691 for 8 with Tom on 284 from 385 and Miggy on 72 from 65
Day 4 - End of Term
It doesn't look like Somerset have declared over night as the Surrey bowlers are warming up. The place does have a kind of 'End of Term' feel about it as the CC1 table is pretty much decided except for the Leicestershire appeal against their penalty.
The question is whether these two can reach milestones Lomror will bowl his 49th (48/6/196/4) to start the day with the 165th over of the innings. There are 96 in the day and Tom is 15 from 300 while Miggy is 28 from what would be his second first class hundred (highest of 109*). Surrey will be in before Lunch and then what will be will be!! Hopefully 2 years ago again with them not making 109 either!!
Topley will take the other end. The triple centurions for Somerset are presently, Gimblett, Langer (2), Richards, Hildreth, Banton, Smith Cook. If Tom got there he would be the FOURTH Englishman to do it.
The 700 arrives in the 167th and just after that Tom slog sweeps Lomror for six into the Somerset The second highest total is passed of 705 for 9 v Hampshire in 2003 made by Blackwell and Neil Edward. It is also our highest ever 9th wicket partnership passing 183 that happened more than once it seems. In the 169th over Tom joins a very elite group at 300 from 402 with 30 fours and 8 sixes. This season 3 of the four highest scores of this season are against Surrey. His last 100 came in 64 balls (lots courtesy of young Albert). Whast a great achievement for a great servant of the county.
Worral takes over from the spinner at the River and he bowls his 27th of the innings. He gets Miggy for 84 from 83 LBW at 727 for 9 The partnership was 195 - and excellent for the fact that they only batted 25 overs together. Jack is coming out when we weren't sure he would. He is not there for long as Abell skies the ball into the stratosphere and is caught by Thomas for 307 from 407 at 731. The eigth highest individual score for Somerset and it is the second highest first class score of the season. What a mammoth knock (9 hours and 10 minutes) that was in a mammoth innings where Tom Lammonby and Migael Pretorius also had a significant say.
Somerset lead Surrey by 309 with 86 overs of the day left. Lewis Gregory starts the proceedings from the Pavilion to Burns and Sibley. As is becoming usual, he starts with a maiden. Craig O begins at the other end. In the 5th Sibley guides on to the hands of Tom Abell and leaves ther field without a run to his name and Surrey are where their media person in the Press Box said they would be "1 down without 10 on the board" (Ben is an ex Somerset intern for who this is his last Surrey match before he emigrates to Australia so he has started reverting back to a Somerset supporting view of things a little early - enjoy Oz Ben and good luck there).
The new man is Patel at 5 for 0 and he has 4 to his name by the end of the 5th. At the end of the 9th over Gregory provides a ball that Patel helpfully chops on to his stumps and he goes for 10 at 23 for 2 bringing Pope to the crease.
We introduce spin with his arrival but it is in the form of Archie Vaughan and not Leachy from the River. The wind is belting across the ground as we move towards the lunch break with the cloud also closing in as rain is predicted for about 2 this afternoon it the forecasts are to be believed. In the 16th over Tom Lammonby drops Pope on 5 close in - pretty regulation drop really.
The floodlights are coming on and the umpires may have said we must provide spin at both ends as Jack is on at the MT. The Surrey 50 arrives but not until the 19th over with Burns on 22 from 61 and Ollie Pope taking the single to move him to 10 from 24 off Leach.
Ollie Pope finally succumbs to pressure from Archie when he get one to pop up and the Surrey man is caught by Thomas off the glove from the young spinner's bowling who has bowled a really testing spell today to the international in a last hour of the morning. 52 for 3 and Surrey may have the 'Yips' over the early Lunch break
After the break Nikhil Gorantla gets his batting debut for Surrey. He has been named in a side before but was replaced by Pope before he got on the pitch but as he was on the eleven given to the umpires he did 'debut' in that game. He is facing Gregory at the start of the second session and has now put bat to ball as Lawrence's replacement while Dan sits and watches England play Sri Lanka at his home venue.
The rain is coming is over Staplegrove as Vaughan continues with his skipper and the players are taken off at 1:15 on 53 for 3 2 balls into the 24th over. The rain floats in and then out for an hour or so.... Then play is announced as restarting at 2:40 with 40.4 overs left in the day.
Archie will finish his over to Gorantla with two close fielders and leg plus first slips as well. In the 26th Archie gets Burns in the flight and the edge goes to Craig and the skipper retires for 25 at 59 for 4. Vaughany is bowling really well at the moment.
After 27.4 overs, the umpires take them off again for rain at 68 for 4 with Foakes on 4 and Gorantla 9. They are taking an early Teat at 5 to 3.
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For the lkast time this season, we'll close the report thread until the game ends and merge the two once the season is over.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2026:10:01:12:14:24 by Grockle.
A win keeps us in the mix for Champions but ONLY if Warwickshire lose their game against the Foxes.
We are also in the mix, if that doesn't happen to be in the second place spot in the CC1 for half the decade from 2016!!
There are no issues with the squad that we are presently aware of so one would expect a side that resembles very much the one from a week ago with the possibility of TKC returning to the first XI equation after his batting in the second XI at Kidderminster.
No squad announcements at just before 12 on Wednesday. But it is expected that ;
Thomas, Lammonby, Abell, Rew, Nicholls, Gregory, Overton, Pretorius, Leach, Ball will be named and that Vaughan, Goldsworthy, TKC, Shaw will also be in contention.
There might even be the outside chance of Smeed, Langridge and even Thomas Rew being in the mix.
Both Archie & Lewis minor have struggled at number three. With TKC getting plenty of runs in the 2nd Xi recently (as did Will Smeed), I'd bring him in for this game.
I'd also like to see Langridge in the team in place of Ball. Yes it's a risk, but our seam bowling lacked a bit of edge at times v Yorks.. Unsurprising as they must all be cream crackered. But JTL has a certain x - factor about him and has taken some stunning wickets for Gloucs..
If it's a spin friendly strip, then put Archie at number seven, with JTL possibly having to wait until next season for his opportunity.
Seam friendly strip:
1) Thomas
2) Lammers
3) TKC
4) Nicholls
5) Abell
6) Rew J
7) Overton
8) Gregory
9) Pretorius
10) Langridge
11) Leach
Spin friendly strip:
1) Thomas
2) Lammers
3) TKC
4) Nicholls
5) Abell
6) Rew J
7) Vaughan
8) Overton
9) Gregory
10) Pretorius/Langridge
11) Leach
Grizzers
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026:09:23:12:34:12 by Grizzers.
Thomas, Lammonby, Abell, Nicholls, Rew, TKC, Godsworthy, Vaughan, Gregory, Overton, Pretorius, Ball, Shaw, Leach
Dan Kingdom has worked out the points situations if anyone is interested
Dan Kingdom's scenarios (Twitter)
We go at 10:30 tomorrow and what will be will be
Website Preview is HERE
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026:09:23:17:48:28 by Grockle.
Let's hope for a good competitive game of cricket
We'll sort the rest out as we go through the next four days.
The first objective is to compete and win the game well.
On what Somerset face in the Championship in the final round of matches:
"When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions" Claudius in Hamlet
I trust he was not referring to Somerset's wait to win the Championship when he wrote:
"To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time," Macbeth
I rather prefer:
"Now the time is come" Joan la Pucelle in Henry VI Part 1 - However, I might have preferred it more had it been said by someone with a more auspicious end given that Joan la Pucelle (maid) is the name by which Joan of Arc referred to herself at her trial and Shakespeare used in the play.
Farmer
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026:09:23:23:35:44 by Farmer White.
Walking now, walking to the train station. Still dark, very dark, not a bit of inky blue peeping through the black night. No one around, not a soul.
Movement, sudden but it was movement. Residential street. I turn. Looking. Where? Nothing is moving now. There, there in the middle of the road. A fox. It is also now still. It is staring, staring straight at me. Staring me down. Stood in the middle of the road. Not scared but dominant, no fear, looking danger in the eye and not batting an eyelid. I wonder. We need the foxes today, boy of all days do we need the foxes today.
It prompts a feeling. A familar feeling. You know what it is. A burst. Awake and alive. Adrenaline. Anticipation. Today was going to be Christmas day. Still could be.
Still and quiet. Walking. Wondering. Still believing?
Santa, where are you?
Think of Shakespeare. To sleep. Think of anything but cricket. Seen all 37 Shakespeare plays. But where? Which one where? Saw seven in one weekend. Wars of the roses cycle. Where? Barbican. RSC. When? Mists of time. Why not the eighth? Richard II. Saw it at a warehouse in Islington. Saw Cymbeline. Outdoors. In a wood. With a petrol station behind. But where? Saw Robert Stephens as Lear. Personality disintegrating before my eyes. Can't sleep for not remembering who played Coriolanus. At the National. But who? Can't sleep, for Shakespeare steals sleep.
Look at the ray of light. And the ceiling beyond the dark. Can't sleep. Imagine the ray of light is a ray of hope. Is it a sign? Don't believe in signs. Desperate for sleep. But cricket tonight steals sleep. Switch on phone. Anything to distract from cricket. Anything to sleep. Try to look at anything but cricket. Can't resist.Then, a post about foxes. Sets me thinking. Is it a sign? Don't believe in signs. Yet it sets me thinking. Kindles hope.
Lying awake. At dead of night. Staring. Staring. At the ceiling. Beyond the dark. Trying. Trying to sleep ...
Farmer
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026:09:24:06:49:38 by Farmer White.
Still, Bobby Ewing came back from the dead, didn’t he.
So maybe it (last week etc.) was just all a bad dream !
Grizzers
Every season in which a non-Test/non-Hundred county such as Somerset retains its Division One status is by definition a successful one (and a slap in the face for the EC
.
Make no mistake: if a county like Somerset ever gets relegated, there is no way back. The best the club can hope for is the occasional yo-yo years (see Leics, Worcs, Kent, etc., etc.).
It's the games in which Somerset avoided relegation which have been the most important ones . Today is emphatically not one of those. It's a joyous one of celebration.
Quote:That Bloke With The Dog
It's the games in which Somerset avoided relegation which have been the most important ones . Today is emphatically not one of those. It's a joyous one of celebration.
I couldn't agree more sir. And I think back to the start of the season, when many were looking at Somerset's squad and saying it was going to be a tough season, and more than a few saying we would be in a relegation battle come September.
Yet here we are, whilst not looking down from the top of the table, nipping at the heels of the leaders and sandwiched between two counties with growing financial advantages bestowed by the ECB's magic wand. Last week was disappointing. This week we should be celebrating the performances our county has put in over the season to get us to this point. As Doris Day said, que sera, sera.
The sun is out. For one last time before we head into the season of mist and mellow fruitfulness, let's go.
Shame we lost the toss.
As said in this morning's report. the odds are being worked out for how many overs Jack will bowl today
We stuck at it pretty well, but on a road, we need an x factor.
Lawrence was very impressive for Surrey.
Grizzers
I expect everything has been said, so I will say no more.
Dan Lawrence off Migael Pretorius, James Rew just managed to keep hold of the ball, from this bouncer.
Ben Foakes 4 runs and his 50, he managed to get a thick edge along the ground.
Dom Sibley ct Tom Abell bld Migael Pretorius. Tom Abell mouth open seeing the ball heading his way.
Ollie Pope lbw Lewis Gregory
Ben Foakes, lbw shout not given.
This is going to be hard tomorrow, to rescue this match from Surrey.
Warwickshire always seem to have luck like the Kelly injury whereas we get Lawrence back from Test duty with even more confidence.
"I am to wait, though waiting so be hell."
Farmer
Grizzers
A very good day, save for Warks. seemingly inevitable grind to the Championship title.
Still hoping for a miracle.
An excellent time for a Ben Green double ton tomorrow I reckon.
Grizzers
Somerset did well today better than I thought they would.
Reece Topley ct Craig Overton bld Jack Leach
Ben Foakes lbw Craig Overton
Rhul Chahar bld Jack Leach
Dan Lawrence ct James Rew bld Lewis Gregory
Tom Lammonby 100 runs.
what can we wish for, if we bat well, 200 runs behind should be scored by mid afternoon.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026:09:25:22:11:59 by Des Platt.
It won't make any difference overall, with Warks close to a win and Notts looking rocky, but it would be nice.
As would a win, of course, but I suspect that's unlikely given the state of the match.
Hmm...
Yorks have won by one wicket, mainly thanks to Bairstow.
Worth a reminder that Sussex started the season on -12 thanks to a penalty from the ECB for their financial overspend. Without this, Somerset would need to beat Surrey to finish ahead of Sussex.
And what a day, I have difficulty comparing to any other day I have watched cricket.
Tom Lammonby 200 runs
Tom Lammonby, record for the fourth wicket with a stand of 334 with Tom Abell
Tom Abell 4 runs total score 600.
Lewis Gregory 6 runs, he didn't last long.
Tom Abell bringing up the 300 total.
Tom Abell 250 runs
declare over night.
Pitch inspectors on the way ; Somerset expected to be relegated for cruelty to Surrey.
An incredible double ton by Tom Lammonby & a truly astonishing one by Tom Abell.
To score the best part of 470 runs in a day, for the loss of just five wickets is not something you often see. Nor is four successive sixes being hit.
Had the title still been on the line, I imagine we would have declared with at least thirty minutes remaining. But with the result itself now being of no direct significance, perhaps Tom Abell will be given the opportunity of completing a triple century tomorrow. Following which it looks like weather could intervene.
Therafter, it'll only be 26 weeks & 5 days to go to the start of next season, when we can once again commence our quest for the ultimate prize.
Grizzers
Unfortunately, a win would still leave us frustratingly short of Warwicks in this scenario. Perhaps it’s just as well it panned out in a different way or we would be anguishing over missed batting points!
We will return next season, when hopefully our batters will remain injury free and our bowlers will be rested and fit for another tilt at the title. The bowlers should be boosted by the return of Alfie Ogborne and the emergence of JT Langridge. Work over the winter may bring out the bowler that they think is somewhere in Josh Shaw. If nothing else the last six weeks has demonstrated that, at the business end of the season, having enough bowlers to rotate a bit is a luxury that we maybe are going to have to afford.
There has been a lot of positives to take from the season. Top of the list, after many, many years of trying, we seem to have a pair of opening batters. (Best not shout about it too much, mind. If Duckett has a mare of a winter then the new England coach may be casting his eye around the counties early next summer.) Four of our six championship victories have been away from home, with just two at Taunton (so far). No one can accuse us of being home-track bullies. The academy production line rolls on and for once we gave reached the end of September knowing the contract situation of pretty much the whole squad.
The weather has been kind, on the whole, to our summer sport this year. And in fewer than 27 weeks, we will be back to start it all again.
The man behind me in the top of the Trescothick Pavilion said when I arrived, "I just want to see a lot of runs." When was a wish so royally granted?
And such runs. Such strokes. Such batting. And to Lammonby, Abell, Pretorius and those who perished trying, much thanks. They gave us drives straight, drives through the covers, drives through midwicket, cuts through point, cuts behind point, late cuts, sweeps, paddle sweeps, pulls - artistic not brutal, an uppercut over the keeper which made no sound as it slid majestically off the bat. This was indeed batting for royalty. Batting for the gods. Batting for and of Somerset. And, as the strokes flowed came a double century partnership, a century for Abell, the 250 partnership, reached with a Lammonby six.
And at lunch, on the outfield in summer-warm temperature. Hundreds. Looking at the pitch. Looking at the grass. Relaxing. Chattering. Meandering. Remembering. Photographing. Smiling. Dreaming. And above all, enjoying. Heaven.
And for the afternoon, back to the top of the Trescothick. Runs below, blue sky above, the Quantocks beyond, and all around, clapping, cheering people. The strokes flowing, the batsmen running, the fielders chasing, the bowlers toiling, the stands bubbling. Gimblett's Hill full. The Trescothick heaving. The Ondaatje teeming. People standing all the way between the Caddick and the Atkinson. The Atkinson, the Botham and the Hildreth all alive with people and three blocks of the Somerset Stand open and, to use the modern term, busy.
And then, the draw of the centre block of the Somerset Stand and a walk around the ground at the start of the evening session. And what a sight as I walked, what sounds and what an atmosphere. The ground had become an ocean of joy. And from the Somerset Stand, sitting square, old times back, and the utter elation of watching the Abell-Pretorius partnership. Four successive sixes. A six bouncing on and over the Botham Stand. A century partnership. 250 for Abell. Fifty for Pretorius. Five hundred up. Six hundred up. Nearly 700 up. Merciless. Majestic. Magnificent. And, as Kilmainham put it, magical.
Farmer
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2026:09:27:00:33:32 by Farmer White.
He is the 8th Somerset bat to do it and the 4th English version.
I was one of those wondering whether we would be fighting with Leicestershire at the bottom of the table and the bowlers have really played out of their skins AND stayed fit enough to do it.
I'll analyse the lessons a little later next week but it has been more of a season than we mostly thought possible and we were closer than I've ever felt we've been (maybe on a par with 2010). I'm one of the people who think that our 2007 side would have won whichever CC they had played in and of course you have to remember that we did simulate a win in the COVID season without any manipulation from me but with the help of Mike Carberry and Alexei Kervezee and Matt Renshaw in the overseas positions on "International Cricket Captain 2019
Tom Abell 300 runs
After a splendid inning Tom Abell was out for 307 ct Adam Thomas bld Reece Topley
Ollie Pope off Archie Vaughan nearly a catch.
Ryan Patel bld Lewis Gregory, can't help the fielder being in the way. Very thoughtless
Pity the season ended like a damp squib.
What a match, the club asked for a batting pitch and they got one, with no grass on the pitch and the rope in by two or three yards.
108
42
29
49
101*
50
41
86
71
119
65
72
37
45
1
58
0
6
307
To go through a season with only three single figure scores, and the next worst 29, is phenomenal.
A shame the game petered out, but in reality it was always going to be 'after the Lord Mayor's show', the moreso after Notts. lost, thereby securing us in second place.
As I left the ground for the final time this playing season, the very jolly steward said 'winter well', so I wished him a Happy Christmas. He seemed rather surprised !
Ah well, the fixtures for 2027 will be out in a couple of months.
Grizzers
I fear to say this as I know he is revered as a captain down here , and I revere him as a player but I think the game could still have been won. I know there tends to be a committee of players too and the coach has big input but I do think there should have been a declaration the previous night. Players much prefer their big landmarks to be in games they win and I’m sure the Toms would feel much happier about a game they won. I’d love to see Craig as captain though as someone pointed out on here , maybe his catching went down this year because of practising batting more at the expense of catching and another dimension might have its drawbacks.
Lewis was talking of another three or four years playing but can’t help thinking he should be kinder to his body.
Anyway, changing a whole bunch of records so they now say 'against Surrey' and also stricking it to them into the afternoon was pretty satisfying - the Surrey media guys were most definitely not as 'up' on Sunday as they had been on Thursday evening and that is always a nice thing.
As you said Des - we will be penalised for causing excess suffering to Surrey (big guffwaw in the Press Box to that comment by the way. But it was worth it.
26th September 2026. What a day.
Such runs. Such strokes. Such batting.
Bats flowing. Bats flashing.
Straight drives, cover drives, on drives.
Cuts through point, cuts behind point, cuts late.
Sweeping, paddle sweeping. Ball racing.
Pulls through field deep set.
Uppercut, over keeper. No sound,
Sliding majestically off the bat.
Batting for royalty. Batting for the gods.
Batting for the ages. Batting for Somerset.
On the outfield. Sun summer warm. Hundreds.
Looking at the pitch. Looking at the grass.
Relaxing. Chattering. Meandering.
Remembering. Smiling. Dreaming.
Heaven on Earth. Faces beaming.
Top of the Trescothick.
Runs below, blue sky above, Quantocks beyond,
All around, smiling, clapping, cheering.
Strokes flowing, batsmen running,
Fielders chasing, bowlers toiling, score rising.
Gimblett’s Hill full.
The Trescothick heaving. The Ondaatje teeming.
People standing from Caddick to Atkinson.
The Atkinson, the Botham, the Hildreth, alive.
As more blocks open, the Somerset revives.
Evening. Walking the punctured boundary.
Watching. Listening. Feeling. Sensing.
What sights. What sounds. What atmosphere.
Inside the rope, strokes to flood the memory.
Outside the rope, an ocean of joy and good cheer.
Somerset Stand, sitting square, old times back.
Abell and Pretorius. Batting without frontiers.
Four sixes in succession.
One. Bounce on, bounce over the Botham Stand.
Utter elation. Joy unleashed. Joy of tears.
Double century Lammonby. Triple century partnership.
Triple century Abell, surely in the making.
Five hundred up. Six hundred up. Near seven hundred up.
Merciless. Majestic. Magnificent. Twenty-sixth September.
What a day. What batting. What future memories embedding.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2026:09:28:21:03:20 by Farmer White.
It was an enchanting day. At one point late in the afternoon I just wanted time to stand still, and to be forever held in the moment, sitting in my seat looking out over the county ground watching magic happen.
To quote T.S. Eliot "You are the music while the music lasts".
As Farmer said in his poem, it was like heaven on earth.
And as autumn begins it's journey to winter, it will be a day to recall all over again and warm the heart and soul on cold thankless days.
Be grateful that we were blessed to be there.
In the end I don't know who I found the more annoying: Abell for coming out to bat again on Sunday morning or Gregory for letting him.
The team also ended the season with more batting points than any other county, 28 against the 27 of Sussex. Behind Sussex were Nottinghamshire with 25. Warwickshire finished with 24.
Farmer
Would we have won the match if they'd declared overnight? I think it's pretty unlikely. In the seven snd a bit overs Somerset batted on the final morning we saw an overseas left arm spinner bowl with the old and then the new ball, a right-arm quick(ish) and a left arm (quicker) bowler both with a new ball. None got much out of the pitch or overhead conditions.
After the declaration came I don't think Somerset's bowlers looked any more threatening. Add to this the weather forecast, which was always going to result in time lost, and the final day was always heading one way. As far as Somerset was concerned, it wasn't affecting their final position in the table. Nor, for those like me of devious minds, was it going to affect Surrey's final position
Prior to this week in 151 years only seven batsmen had reached the heights of a triple century for Somerset. If anyone in this Somerset team this season deserved half an hour on Sunday to become the eighth, it is Tom Abell.
And I'm with you on the Leicester game - I think the chance of a win was very unlikely. And a victory wouldn't have made a difference to Somerset's position.
I will say something I've said here before, though: last season I think Somerset should have declared when Tom Banton reached 300. That was potentially a sliding doors moment that impacted on the next few games and on Banton personally.
Would it have made a difference? I don't know and there's no way of knowing, but I still think it was the wrong decision.
********
All the best for the winter, fellow Somerset fans, and here's to an even better County Championship next season.
The squad looks promising, especially if Ogborne can get up and running and Langridge lives up to his promise. A Gloucester fan said in the Guardian that he looks the real deal, or words to that effect.
We also have an opening partnership for the first time in, well, ages...
I'd like to see Henry Nicholls come back and Perera given a chance.
There were however comments about a meeting between Henry and officials during the game and it seems "pens were present" so keep that hope alive at least. There was earlier discussion about a return for Jordan Hermann though one has to hope that neither would be at the expense of signing bowlers!!
Let's hope we get good early news rather than waiting around in April to hear something before the first game.
Agree wholeheartedly re being too late to declare when Tom Banton got his 371. That game ended up being not far short of a disaster in terms of it’s impact on the two subsequent games.
As for last Sunday, as the outcome of the game was irrelevant to our second place league position, it would surely have been churlish indeed to leave Tom Abell stranded on 286 not out, despite the somewhat underwhelming Surrey bowling ‘attack’.
Grizzers
I’m on the positive side on this last game. I’m glad I was there, although I would’ve been just as happy with a 250 and a 200 or even a 200 not out and a 200. I acknowledge that getting a mass of runs allows the setting of attacking fields .
Bagpuss’s cricketing knowledge is superior to mine, but I would’ve liked to have seen seven or eight overs with the new ball on the third night. Given that they hadn’t done that, and accepting what was said about the wicket, I would’ve brought Craig back after Lewis’s excellent opening spell and just said give me one last great effort ; giving one of the leading bowlers of the season only three overs seems pretty strange to me. As strange as the fact that neither Craig or Lewis bowled on the last day in 2019 ; yes, it was a spinners pitch then but three or four overs each with the new ball from two of the best seam bowlers in the championship is always worthwhile. Also thought the ratio of second innings overs bowled by Jack and Archie was odd especially as at one time in both innings, Archie was bowling to 2 right handers without Jack at the other end. I completely accept that Luis knows far more about the technicalities of cricket then I would know in five lifetimes and I don’t think I would’ve been a good cricket captain but old farts do spot these patterns . Of course there may have been niggles that we don’t know about.
Like an earlier poster on the Yorkshire game, I was pretty disappointed with the shot Nicholls got out to in the second innings. It needed compact defensive shots and not expansive drives though it probably would not have changed the result. I think our need is more for bowling strength than bats for next season. Henry would be great, obviously but I always think the signing should be there for most of the season not a few games but acknowledging how difficult that is nowadays.
I very rarely disagree with TBWD but , although Abell is probably consulted amongst several players by the captain about whether to bat on and strategy decisions, I don’t think we can blame him for going out to bat. Like TBWD , I didn’t like the ropes being in.
So we got at least as many bonus points of both types as anyone else but we lost too many matches. That’s something that boring old Warwickshire does very well in all their championship wins; they don’t lose very often ,the classic being 2005 when they only won five but lost none. I don’t think the points for draws serves us very well really as I think it makes LG too tempted to fall back on a draw earlier . I’d prefer to see fewer.
Did we think that Surrey would bowl first as they usually do when that pitch was prepared ?
[x.com]
Some quirky facts from Dan Kingdom on X (thanks for the link, Bagpuss).
Looks like winning the toss didn't prove that crucial in the first division: Notts were worst, with Somerset and Warwickshire not much better.
Good news re Nicholls if it comes to pass; I'd forgotten about Hermann already. O for the days of an overseas signing who'd stay for years, or at least a season!
Richards, Garner, Greenidge, the other Richards, Lloyd, Sobers, Kanhai, Imran et al... now I lose track entirely, with Surrey apparently having multiple Indian spinners to call upon in September alone.
*****
I hope to get down to Taunton next year more than I did this, and also to meet some of you.
The day I was going to meet some of you this year I spent clearing the flat of a friend who died or was at her funeral - one of the two, either of which sadly had to take precedence over cricket.
I'm hoping next year to still be at my new, lower weight. Having retired in March, I started a concerted get fit/weight loss programme in late June and as of today I've lost 23lbs, down to a much healthier 11st 8lb. I'd like to get down to around 11st but I'm very, very pleased.
Oddly enough (or really not!), this makes a huge difference when cycling up hills or playing football, which I do with an over 50s group in Bath. At 63 it's fair to say I qualify.
And now that my rotator cuff issue has cleared up, I may look for some social cricket next year. I'd love to play again.
DOM BESS!
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Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter
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