479-6 batting last…

I could scarcely believe my eyes. With a day to go, Yorkshire were still batting against Somerset last week at Taunton and so the match had draw all over it. The home side were not going to get nearly 500 in less than a day….

Ore were they? Trescothick’s 96 and a century for Suppiah (131) set the foundations for an improbable thrash with an opening stand of 187. David Stiff’s 49 off 32 carried on the momentum though Hildreth went cheaply. Langer (24) and Kieswetter (17) didn’t have the innings hoped for so whilst a highly commendable effort, it seemed just too much. Enter Peter Trego.

His103 not out in 54 balls is the quickest century of the season and will likely as not be the swiftest in the 2009 county campaign. With 27 not out from De Bruyn at the other end, Somerset managed 479-6 in 85.3 overs to beat Yorkshire in a thrilling finale, especially as the rain came soon after.

Absolutely astonishing and the second highest run chase in County Championship history to boot. These fireworks have propelled Somerset up to third and closed the gap on Durham who are still the team to beat in 2009.

With Hampshire looming on Friday, Somerset have masses of confidence and now know, if they didn’t before, they can chase down pretty much any score batting last…

June Summary – T20 chaos and county cricket

It’s been a frenetic first half of the cricket season with England lurching from triumph to disaster in the World T20 competition (well done to Pakistan), Australia forced to spend a fortnight in Leicester and Somerset proving themselves a decent punt for the later rounds in the domestic competition.

Well, the international scene has been dominated by the hit and giggle form of the game during June – which isn’t everyone’s idea of entertainment not least because it is yet another form of cricket that England pioneered then watched glumly as the world overtook them at it. My sympathies go out to Graham Napier who has probably spent more time waiting forlornly in bus shelters than he ever thought possible.

After Chris Gayle’s men proved a slighty uninterested aperatif – which England duly dispatched with nonchalance – comes the Ashes. The squad was perhaps unsurprising given that it is loyal to those who were given a chance in the first series of the summer (is a two-match event a series?) but eight bowlers??! Picking three spinners is also a little odd as Monty is not remotely in form to face Australia right now. No Vaughan (no runs tends to do that) or Harmison (probably has had his last Test hurrah) but room for Bresnan, Onions and I’m glad to see Rashid in the mix.

Shane Warne has been chipping in with his pearls of wisdom and while backing Rashid, he strangely doesn’t like Ravi Bopara who for me could be a massive player for England. Either way, there are plenty of new faces on both sides so it has the feel of a potential upset by England but Flintoff and Pietersen need to fire.

Meanwhile, Somerset have been putting teams across England to the sword in the T20 and found time to beat Yorkshire and Sussex in the County Championship which lifts them into third last time I looked. It will be the track at Taunton which may yet frustrate them though Durham are still out in front. In the current match, Yorkshire have scored nearly 400 but good to see Andy Caddick back in the side – though there will always be a question mark over his fitness with the desire to have a fit and firing AC something Somerset will crave.

England winter post mortem

Ok, so England lost a series they shouldn’t have. They seem to have played some decent cricket along the way and the pitches had a large part in delaying their victory charge in the previous matches. Nonetheless, are England better or worse off for the forthcoming English summer and the prospect of facing the Aussies?

Selection…

It’s been an experimental tour in many ways with Bell, Harmison and Monty all dropped due to a trot of poor performances. Encouraging that this has happened to scotch the idea of an England closed shop and hopefully players like Shah, Khan and Rashid will take their opportunities.

Captaincy

On all sorts of levels, Andrew Strauss is in for the long haul. He’s batting sublimely, is conducting himself well and doesn’t seem worried about shaking things up if the team isn’t aachieving what it should be. A 1-0 defeat in his first Test series shouldn’t detract from a decent debut tour in difficult circumstances.

Bowling

When fit again, Swann clearly has taken the first spinner’s berth from Monty who at least is taking wickets again and squeeling excitedly, if over-jealously. A shame Rashid didn’t get a chance in the last Test but then he has the ODIs to show what he’s made of and if he impresses then that makes things interesting for the selectors for the return series and Australia.

Batting

First Test aberration aside, the batting is racking up the runs, in the Windies at least, though the number three slot remains an issue. Having deposed Ian Bell finally, it was a crying shame that Owais Shah did not capitalise and being run out does not help his cause. I suspect Bell will return for the Tests back in England. Cook, Strauss, Vaughan, Pietersen, Collingwood, Flintoff has a ring to it….

Bowling

Clearly English wickets will not be dreadfully flat, run-laden beasts unless Somerset gets surprisingly awarded Test venue status anytime soon. So, the good news is that taking wickets shouldn’t be quite so taxing. The issue that continues to linger like a bad smell is that when the going gets tough and Andrew Flintoff isn’t on the field……………………England tend to struggle. Yes, they have a fine record without him in the side but there might just be that unconscious reliance on the big man to step up.

Pace bowling slots are by no means nailed down for the Windies at Lords. Ryan Sidebottom, Steve Harmison and James Anderson might all be jettisoned or retained en masse. I guess the endless ODIs in between might play a part there…..what price a rejuvenated Matthew Hoggard in seaming conditions early May? Of all the pace options, I’d imagine Stuart Broad is the only one whose place seems cemented.

England in decent nick?

You only have to see how Australia are mashing SA in their own backyard to see that tales of the Aussies’ demise (see the 14 pages or so in Wisden for starters) have been somewhat over-egged. Losing away in India can happen to anyone and narrowly at home to  Graeme Smith’s troops was unexpected but not life-threatening. Ricky Ponting’s team has cast aside the ageing drift wood, embraced young talent and come back in spades. They will arrive in form and with serious confidence.

England must now try and win something in West Indies (at least it’s limited overs cricket so a result is assured) and then thrash the West Indies when they return to England. By then, the unwelcome diversion of the IPL will have made millionaires of some in the England upper echelons but one secretly hopes Andrew Flintoff avoids wreaking further havoc on his body at the IPL as his presence against Australia is absolutely unerringly crucial…

In defence of the West Indies…

Forgive the international cricket slant rather than county cricket but I was listening to Test Match Special this evening – something I’ve discovered is excellent background noise after work to usher in the weekend, indeed it almost drowns out the 45 Bulgarians living next door and clattering around.

I was surprised to hear how vehemently Jonathan Agnew and Geoffrey Boycott rant against the West Indies. I was, it has to be said, in fairly strong agreement that playing Test cricket purely to draw as seems to have obviously been the case from the first day of this series clincher is a shoddy state of affairs – nonetheless, they seemed to run out of ways of running down a side who are going for their first series win for 5 years.

Again, the two did not wholly spare England in this verbal attack though obviously Andrew Strauss continues to wave his bat around like a light saber at present – and it got me thinking how often England have played dreary but effective cricket. Grinding out results is not everyone’s idea of fun but it’s hardly surprising to see Chris Gayle’s side do it just so they can taste victory for once. They’ve played plenty of calypso cricket whilst embarrassing England in the Stanford farce so from the West Indies point of view, it is job done. Boycott’s point that winning 1-0 in this vein will not be a step forward, well, what would England do to be in the same position? Again, the pitches have been the biggest killjoy over this series rather than the home side and yes, a shame for all those England supporters who’ve come out to watch England play but they’re in the sun, downing rum and watching cricket for goodness sake, it can’t be all bad!

Given that I refuse (for the moment) to give in and get Murdoch TV, TMS is the only way I get cricket and ok so the day’s play might not have been a thriller but Mr Boycott himself was not world renowned for his cavalier approach to playing the game but now he’s happy to dole it out. Like I say, I couldn’t watch the pictures so I’ll take their word that the West Indies were at their most muzzled worst but for a Test nation rocked with the furore of a texan fraudster, a Test series win, however achieved, might just lift a little of the gloom for a day so give them a break….

England must be bold for finale

 

As Tests go, the one at the Port of Spain ground later this week is a really crucial one for England. Momentum to be taken into the ODIs and English summer is essential if the Aussies aren’t to bulldose all over Andrew Strauss and his new era.

Losing to the West Indies in the Tests was not expected by most pundits but then England are not playing well enough against obdurate sides on decent batting tracks. If they are to snatch parity in the series and gain some confidence then a one-off selection is key.

I’d be surprised if the selectors are bold enough to shake things up too much but a few humble suggestions…

Scoring 600+ and then conceding over 700 won’t win Tests so pick five bowlers. Matt Prior should not walk back into the England side and given that the West Indies will prepare the mother of all dead pitches then wickets, wickets and more wickets are what England should be hunting for…

 

ENGLAND XI

Strauss
Cook
Shah
Pietersen
Collingwood
Bopara
Ambrose
Broad
Rashid
Swann
Khan

Somerset turn to David Stiff

As signings go, it is not one to get ardent Somerset fans necessarily drooling but for a county with limited cash and few opportunities to sign top-class English county bowlers then this is a very sensible move by Somerset. On first glance, the club has signed a young fast bowler with a poor fitness record and Somerset have not been short of those in the past few years. But it suits everyone with the club snapping him up until end of May with the contract then reviewed if the speedster has got his fitness sorted out.

The Christchurch Duracell Bunny known as Andy Caddick will not go on forever and 2009 needs to be the year when someone steps up at Taunton to lead the attack and get 50+wickets. It might be the big man does it again himself but I suspect AC’s body is starting to tell him a few home truths, whispers that other quicks might have listened to years ago in all fairness. So, there is a slot or two for a younger paceman to make the grade and there’s no reason it can’t be David Stiff. Currently playing out in Brisbane under the tutelage of Andy Bichel, let’s hope this signing for Somerset turns out to be a shrewd one.

England cricket – bloody shambles

Ok, so they might have been paid in pounds, who knows but you get the subtle nuances…!

Well, what a bloody shambles. When the Stanford farce broke, I almost felt a sad smugness that the ECB had come a cropper thanks to some tactless Texan tosspot (and that’s being kind). It was so obviously wrong to get into bed with this grinning buffoon and as we’ve all now learned, there was no substance behind the rented helicopter and groping hands.

Giles Clarke won’t go though he’s bloody lucky there’s no one else willing to give him a run for his money as the reputation of English cricket is a joke right now.

On the field, it seems that England will likely as not have to accept a series defeat against the West Indies as I can’t believe the home side won’t produce a track equally as moribund as the last two. A series win against England is not to be sniffed at however it’s ground out but I can’t believe these kind of stalemates are good for the game.

True, there’s something highly admirable at these marathon innings from Sarwan – especially as twenty minutes at the crease is pushing it for me – but entertainment?

Where England go from now is interesting. I would give Adil Rashid a go in the last Test, persevere with Shah, hell, give Amjad Khan a bash to freshen things up and see what happens but a series defeat is on the cards.

England simply have to accept they’re not as good as they think they are and with the talent and resources on offer, certainly not as good as they should be. They’ll need SA to wallop Australia and a stonking series against WI in May to produce any momentum at all.

And one last plea to the ECB, don’t let Freddie go to play a few meaningless IPL games for Chennai when he should be resting and play a game games for Lancashire in English conditions at home.

I’d have thought the problems with the lure of money and its pitfalls is something the ECB should have finally learnt and the hard way.

Somerset CCC go all hi-tech…

Well, about time…I remember a conversation I had with Peter Anderson many moons ago when I suggested video clips, e-newsletters etc etc but finally, Somerset are dragging themselves into the technological age.

Sniping aside, you can now support SCCC on facebook and search for video clips on YouTube. I’m all for this stuff, not everyone’s cup of tea and probably not for those dedicated few that watch county games in mid-April, but more the merrier in terms of ways of seeing Somerset CCC action.

Facebook (the one with 75 fans! Search for Somerset county cricket club):  http://www.facebook.com

Marcus Trescothick Pre-Season Interview on You Tube -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZNPynRcSFg

Other Somerset content on You Tube -

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=somerset+cricket&aq=f

Trigger Happy

March is a perfectly marvellous time of year. For one, the expert cricketing pundits start to churn out their thoughts for the new season.  A scour of the web now will allow you to dig up ‘players to watch out for in 2009′ and sure enough, All Out Cricket magazine which arrived in the post a while back did just that.

An interesting mix of established players and new talent was earmarked for great things from Alistair Cook (presumably 2009 will be the year he scores a century, NB: Cook promptly scores a century that day for England!) to David Malan.

But for Somerset fans, there was the welcome sight of Peter Trego in there as a top 10 player to watch. Another big season expected of the man from Weston but I can’t help feeling his face doesn’t fit at some back office of the ECB because he’s had a couple of eyecatching seasons now but England aren’t interested.

Obviously, England have more pressing problems right now, namely how to take 20 wickets in a match – but it’s good to see Somerset talent recognised by the press if not the selectors. Trego himself, quoted on the official site, wants to be one of the top English allrounders this year which will hopefully lead to recognition via a tour with the English Lions.

Blackwell leaves for Durham

Bugger.

It did seem a little odd that whilst our one day side spluttered along – and ultimately avoided relegation at the last turn - that Ian Blackwell was not a key component of the side. There have been mutterings for a while about IB leaving but it was hoped that the popular allrounder would stay and sort out whatever backroom problems there were. After all, it can’t have been his ability in question….

The truth is that this is probably the best result for the player but not for the club. Allrounders of IB’s quality do not grow on trees and especially not at a club of Somerset’s size and means. A great shame as those 1,000+ Championship runs a season will be harder to replace than some think. And no, he didn’t get prolific amounts of wickets but he chipped in and 239 first-class wickets is not to be sniffed at.

All of which interestingly leaves Somerset with a number of key issues for 2009…

IB Replacement – if the regional AGMs are to be believed then there is no money to go out and snaffle the next Murali so it’s down to the young spinners at the club to step up. Messrs Banks, Durston, Munday, Suppiah…the trouble being of course that none of those will offer the sort of runs IB did and there’s actually a rather large question mark on how many wickets they’ll take too…my bet is Arul Suppiah but then do you want wickets (is Michael Munday going to bounce back?) or runs? Not easy and Somerset are weaker from this departure no question.

Caddick - While we go about trying to replace a servant of SCCC of nine years, another long-standing squad member is in the winter of his career (well, clearly I think autumn is a little optimistic). A fired-up, fit Andrew Caddick would be in any County side but after back surgery and now 40, it is not unkind to suggest this should be his last year. Quite how you replace 1,170 first-class wickets is anyone’s guess but Somerset do need that frontline grunt to bag early wickets…thoughts anyone?

Langer – Not actually a problem as such given his battling leadership qualities and the fact that he seems happy to continue for a year or two then hand the baton to Marcus Trescothick. Yet, it does mean no room for an overseas acquisition should the money magically re-appear. Say, Murali or Brett Lee!

Willoughby - is 34 tomorrow (many congrats) and has been an inspirational signing for Somerset. However, he is not likely to carry on as long as Caddick, who could, after all….so, that’s two new pacemen then…ok, admittedly I’m stretching the argument given that both should play in 2009, but it is a worry and not sure if management have an ace (or two) up their sleeves.

But for now, let’s wish IB good luck at Durham and hope that Omari Banks or Suppiah is ready to step up to the challenge….