Author: 'farmer white'

A reluctant meander – Warwickshire v Somerset – County Championship 2024 – 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th August – Edgbaston – Third day

'farmer white'

County Championship 2024. Division 1. Warwickshire v Somerset 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th August. Edgbaston.

Lewis Gregory was unavailable due to a groin injury. Craig Overton captained the Somerset side. Migael Pretorius had left the Club at the end of his contract.

Warwickshire. R.M. Yates, A.L. Davies (c), W.M.H. Rhodes, H. Shaikh, J.G. Bethell, E.G. Barnard, D.R. Mousley, M.G.K. Burgess (w), M.D. Rae, C. Rushworth, O.J. Hannon-Dalby.

Somerset. T. Kohler-Cadmore, A.R.I. Umeed, T.A. Lammonby, T.B. Abell, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), K.L. Aldridge, C. Overton (c), M. Pretorius, M.J. Leach, J.T. Ball.

Overnight. Warwickshire 337 and 27 for 1. Somerset 239. Warwickshire lead by 125 runs with nine second innings wickets standing.

Third day 24th August – A reluctant meander

In the context of modern cricket, this was a curious day. Warwickshire had ended the second day in a position of considerable strength. By the end of the third day, they still held a significant advantage, but in terms of winning the match, they had slipped back. Somerset were helped, no doubt, by the loss of 51 overs due to overnight and morning rain. But in the 53 overs that were bowled, Warwickshire added only 152 runs. In the final ten overs of the day, they added just eight, although the fall of two wickets in those final overs may have contributed to their caution. Even so, their progress over the first 40 overs or so did not speak of ambition. Rather it seemed to reflect the season of a team that had drawn six of its nine matches, including all five of their matches at Edgbaston, and won none. They were the only team in the First Division still without a win. Their draws though, worth eight points each, had kept them above the relegation places.

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A mountain to climb – Warwickshire v Somerset – County Championship 2024 – 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th August – Edgbaston – Second day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Warwickshire v Somerset 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th August. Edgbaston.

Lewis Gregory was unavailable due to a groin injury. Craig Overton captained the Somerset side. Migael Pretorius had left Somerset at the end of his contract.

Warwickshire. R.M. Yates, A.L. Davies (c), W.M.H. Rhodes, H. Shaikh, J.G. Bethell, E.G. Barnard, D.R. Mousley, M.G.K. Burgess (w), M.D. Rae, C. Rushworth, O.J. Hannon-Dalby.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, A.R.I. Umeed, T. Kohler-Cadmore, T.B. Abell, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), K.L. Aldridge, C. Overton (c), M. Pretorius, M.J. Leach, J.T. Ball.

Overnight. Warwickshire 277 for 6.

Second day 23rd August – A mountain to climb

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A day of three halves – Warwickshire v Somerset – County Championship 2024 – 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th August – Edgbaston – First day

'farmer white'

County Championship 2024. Division 1. Warwickshire v Somerset 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th August. Edgbaston.

Lewis Gregory was unavailable due to a groin injury. Craig Overton captained the Somerset side. Migael Pretorius had left the Club at the end of his contract.

Warwickshire. R.M. Yates, A.L. Davies (c), W.M.H. Rhodes, H. Shaikh, J.G. Bethell, E.G. Barnard, D.R. Mousley, M.G.K. Burgess (w), M.D. Rae, C. Rushworth, O.J. Hannon-Dalby.

Somerset. T. Kohler-Cadmore, A.R.I. Umeed, T.A. Lammonby, T.B. Abell, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), K.L. Aldridge, C. Overton (c), M. Pretorius, M.J. Leach, J.T. Ball.

Toss. Somerset. Elected to field.

First day 22nd August – A day of three halves

If this had been a football match, one of the managers might have said, “This was a day of three halves.” The morning went Warwickshire’s way, or at least the half of it that was played did, the afternoon was Somerset’s, and the evening Warwickshire’s. The first half of the morning belonged to the weather, an hour being lost to rain. The players were off early for bad light at the end of the day too, the fingers of autumn beginning to stretch into the evenings of the cricket season. The rain was a stop-start affair. A half past eleven start was announced. And then rain fell again. Play was delayed. Then the sun came out. Summer.

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A hard watch – Nottinghamshire v Somerset – County Championship 2024 – 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th June – Trent Bridge – Third day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Nottinghamshire v Somerset 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th June. Trent Bridge.

Due to someone in my household testing positive for COVID, I opted not to attend this match. The reports are therefore written through watching the Nottinghamshire CCC live stream.

Lewis Gregory was unavailable due to a groin strain. Craig Overton captained the Somerset side.

Nottinghamshire. H. Hameed (c), B.T. Slater, W.A. Young, J.M. Clarke, J.A. Haynes, T.J. Moores (c), L.W. James, C.G. Harrison, O.P. Stone, D.Y. Pennington, D. Paterson.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, A.R.I. Umeed, T. Kohler-Cadmore, T.B. Abell, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), K.L. Aldridge, C. Overton (c), M. Pretorius, M.J. Leach, J.T. Ball.

Overnight. Nottinghamshire 360. Somerset 293 for 4. Somerset trail by 67 runs with six second innings wickets standing.

Third day 25th June – A hard watch

As soon as I switched on the live stream it looked like a day for batting, and as it turned out, it was. The sky was blue, the shadows sharp, and the pitch had a decidedly benign attitude, although there was some, if predictable, turn for Calvin Harrison’s leg breaks. Watching the players and people in the crowd, when the camera caught them, it quickly became apparent that it was a hot day. The shady parts of the stands were better populated than the sunny ones while, between overs or when retrieving a ball from beyond the boundary, players moved about with that hint of tired reluctance that overtakes the body as a searingly hot day wears on.

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Cricket for aficionados of the longer game – Nottinghamshire v Somerset – County Championship 2024 – 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th June – Trent Bridge – Second day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Nottinghamshire v Somerset 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th June. Trent Bridge.

Due to someone in my household testing positive for COVID, I opted not to attend this match. The reports are therefore written through watching the Nottinghamshire CCC live stream.

Lewis Gregory was unavailable due to a groin strain. Craig Overton captained the Somerset side. Matthew Renshaw had departed Somerset at the end of his contract.

Nottinghamshire. H. Hameed (c), B.T. Slater, W.A. Young, J.M. Clarke, J.A. Haynes, T.J. Moores (c), L.W. James, C.G. Harrison, O.P. Stone, D.Y. Pennington, D. Paterson.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, A.R.I. Umeed, T. Kohler-Cadmore, T.B. Abell, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), K.L. Aldridge, C. Overton (c), M. Pretorius, M.J. Leach, J.T. Ball.

Overnight. Nottinghamshire 326 for 8.

Second day 24th June – Cricket for aficionados of the longer game

This was Somerset’s day. It took a while, and some effort, to take the two outstanding Nottinghamshire wickets. But once that was done, Somerset’s new-found batting mettle took them through the day. They batted for the most part with iron composure and steadily accumulated runs as if they were coming off a production line. Try as Nottinghamshire might, they only occasionally interrupted Somerset’s progress, and no sooner had they done so, then it began again. This was cricket for the aficionado of the longer game. Ninety-six overs without a single six, despite one of the boundaries being virtually as short as the regulations allow. In the first 15 overs after tea, there were only two fours off the bat, but 51 runs were scored, 3.4 runs an over, precisely the pace of the Somerset innings as a whole. It was remorseless, tightly controlled batting across 85 overs, and it put Somerset in prime position to forge a significant lead.

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Nearly but not quite – Nottinghamshire v Somerset – County Championship 2024 – 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th June – Trent Bridge – First day

'farmer white'

County Championship 2024. Division 1. Nottinghamshire v Somerset 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th June. Trent Bridge.

Due to someone in my household testing positive for COVID, I opted not to attend this match. The reports are therefore written through watching the Nottinghamshire CCC live stream. The live stream was watched with the sound muted to ensure the impression of the play which I developed was my own.

Lewis Gregory was unavailable due to a groin strain. Craig Overton captained the Somerset side. Matthew Renshaw had departed Somerset at the end of his contract.

Nottinghamshire. H. Hameed (c), B.T. Slater, W.A. Young, J.M. Clarke, J.A. Haynes, T.J. Moores (c), L.W. James, C.G. Harrison, O.P. Stone, D.Y. Pennington, D. Paterson.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, A.R.I. Umeed, T. Kohler-Cadmore, T.B. Abell, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), K.L. Aldridge, C. Overton (c), M. Pretorius, M.J. Leach, J.T. Ball.

Toss. Nottinghamshire. Elected to bat.

First day 24th May – Nearly but not quite

This was a day of hard labour for Somerset’s bowlers which brought both reward and frustration. There was some movement in the air, although much of it came after the ball had passed the bat. As to the pitch, it gave every impression of being content to leave all the work to the bowlers. The bowlers meanwhile, Craig Overton and Migael Pretorius in particular, stuck to their task. A late attack from Ollie Pope apart, the batters mostly had to work for their runs. Twice Somerset threatened to break the back of the Nottinghamshire innings with clutches of wickets, but twice Nottinghamshire redressed the balance with century partnerships. By the end of the day Somerset might have claimed a slight advantage. But for anyone watching in the Somerset interest, after those two century partnerships it had been a day of what might have been.

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“We’ll get ’em in singles” – Somerset v Kent – County Championship 2024 – 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th May – Taunton – Final day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Kent v 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th May. Taunton.

Tom Abell (hamstring) was unavailable.

Somerset. M.T. Renshaw, S.R. Dickson, T.A. Lammonby, A.R.I. Umeed, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory (c), C. Overton, M. Pretorius, J.H. Davey, M.J. Leach.

Kent. B.G. Compton, Z. Crawley, D.J. Bell-Drummond (c), M.K. O’Riordan, J.L. Denly, H.Z. Finch (w), J.D.M. Evison, B. Swanepoel, G. Stewart, N.N. Gilchrist, G.A. Garrett.

Overnight. Somerset 554. Kent 178 and 409 for 5. Kent lead by 33 runs with five second innings wickets standing.

Final day 20th May – “We’ll get ’em in singles”

At The Oval during the 1902 Ashes Test, when England’s ninth wicket fell in their second innings, they still needed 15 to win. When last man Wilfred Rhodes joined George Hirst, Hirst is reputed to have greeted him with, “We’ll get ’em in singles,” and get them they did, although not entirely in singles. The story of the greeting is probably apocryphal. Neither Hirst nor Rhodes remembered the words being spoken. The point though was the intent in their partnership. The intent, above all, to win the match. When they came together at the fall of Somerset’s second wicket in the final innings of this match, Matt Renshaw and Andy Umeed didn’t entirely get the 129 Somerset still needed to win in singles either, and neither is what they said to each other recorded. But a large proportion of the runs did come in singles, and the intently purposeful manner of their making created an overwhelming impression of masterfully controlled batting from two batters intent on ensuring a Somerset victory. Renshaw was at the heart of laying the foundations of many of Somerset’s innings in the first part of 2024, and he was not going to let this one out of his sight any more than George Hirst was going to let that Test match out of his sight in 1902.

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Crawley rampant – Somerset v Kent – County Championship 2024 – 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th May – Taunton – Third day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Kent v 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th May. Taunton.

Tom Abell (hamstring) was unavailable.

Somerset. M.T. Renshaw, S.R. Dickson, T.A. Lammonby, A.R.I. Umeed, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory (c), C. Overton, M. Pretorius, J.H. Davey, M.J. Leach.

Kent. B.G. Compton, Z. Crawley, D.J. Bell-Drummond (c), M.K. O’Riordan, J.L. Denly, H.Z. Finch (w), J.D.M. Evison, B. Swanepoel, G. Stewart, N.N. Gilchrist, G.A. Garrett.

Overnight. Somerset 554. Kent 108 for 5. Kent trail by 446 runs with five first innings wickets standing.

Third day 19th May – Crawley rampant

On the third afternoon of this match, Taunton matches of a decade and a half previously were evoked. Matches when the pitch would lose all semblance of life on the third day and dominant first innings positions would melt away in the face of second innings batters dispatching a ball devoid of all threat. On this day, a long afternoon of Kent batting mayhem brought unrelenting toil for the Somerset bowlers, and fielders found themselves chasing the ball to all parts of the Cooper Associates County Ground. As the Kent batters raised the ghosts of those earlier times, they punished the ball so unmercifully that it had to be replaced four times before its 80 overs were out.

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Momentum to Somerset – Somerset v Kent – County Championship 2024 – 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th May – Taunton – Second day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Kent v 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th May. Taunton.

Tom Abell (hamstring) was unavailable.

Somerset. M.T. Renshaw, S.R. Dickson, T.A. Lammonby, A.R.I. Umeed, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory (c), C. Overton, M. Pretorius, J.H. Davey, M.J. Leach.

Kent. B.G. Compton, Z. Crawley, D.J. Bell-Drummond (c), M.K. O’Riordan, J.L. Denly, H.Z. Finch (w), J.D.M. Evison, B. Swanepoel, G. Stewart, N.N. Gilchrist, G.A. Garrett.

Overnight. Somerset 440 for 7.

Second day 18th May – Momentum to Somerset

Somerset played their first innings in this match at warp speed. There were 440 runs on the board by the end of the first day and 99 more were added in the hour and a half possible before lunch on the second. Twenty of those runs came in the first two overs. Migael Pretorius found the boundary three times including with an on-driven four which brought up Somerset’s 450 and their fifth batting point to a comment of, “That was a lovely stroke.” He was though soon caught off a leaden-footed drive by Marcus O’Riordan off Grant Stewart for 19 from 13 balls, O’Riordan diving hard to his left from a wide second slip because there was no first, Kent stretched in defence. Somerset 460 for 8. Josh Davey continued Somerset’s charge with a drive off Stewart square to the Caddick Pavilion before the umpires took the players off to the sound of rain falling on the roof of the Trescothick Pavilion.

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Push and counter push – Somerset v Essex – County Championship 2024 – 3rd and 4th May – Taunton – First day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Essex 3rd and 4th May. Taunton.

Jack Leach, (knee injury) and Tom Abell (hamstring) were unavailable.

Somerset. M.T. Renshaw, S.R. Dickson, T.A. Lammonby, A.R.I. Umeed, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory (c), C. Overton, M. Pretorius, J.H. Davey, J.T. Ball.

Essex. N.L.J. Browne, D. Elgar, T. Westley (c), J.M. Cox, M.J.J. Critchley, N.R.M. Thain, H.G. Duke (w), S.R. Harmer, S. Snater, S.J. Cook, J.A. Porter.

Toss. Somerset. Elected to field.

First day 3rd May – Push and counter push

We were no nearer knowing where this match might end up at the end of the day than we had been at the beginning. Except that it would take something extraordinary, or a major incursion from the weather, for there not to be a victory for one side or the other. Essex ended the day 34 runs ahead with all their second innings wickets standing which, in the context of a day in which 20 wickets had fallen, gave them the edge. But, with the imponderables arising from a close match and a spicy pitch with a reputation for becoming easier as a match wore on, it was not enough of an edge for Essex supporters to relax as they left the ground.

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A titanic struggle – Somerset v Essex – County Championship 2024 – 3rd and 4th May – Taunton – Final day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Essex 3rd and 4th May. Taunton.

Jack Leach, (knee injury) and Tom Abell (hamstring) were unavailable.

Somerset. M.T. Renshaw, S.R. Dickson, T.A. Lammonby, A.R.I. Umeed, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory (c), C. Overton, M. Pretorius, J.H. Davey, J.T. Ball.

Essex. N.L.J. Browne, D. Elgar, T. Westley (c), J.M. Cox, M.J.J. Critchley, N.R.M. Thain, H.G. Duke (w), S.R. Harmer, S. Snater, S.J. Cook, J.A. Porter.

Toss. Somerset. Elected to field.

Overnight. Essex 156 and 6 for 0. Somerset 128. Essex lead by 34 runs with ten second innings wickets standing.

Final day 4th May – A titanic struggle

The second and final day of this match was a titanic struggle between two sides who charged relentlessly at each other just as they had on the first day. Essex edged the morning session, walking off for lunch with a lead of 123 with six wickets standing on a difficult pitch on which Somerset had been bowled out for 128 in their first innings. Then, in a stunning fightback after lunch, the Somerset bowlers took the final six Essex wickets for 43 runs to leave their side needing 167 to win. It would mean making the highest score of the match with little sign of the pitch easing. It would be a long second half of the day for supporters of both sides as the two teams fought, gruelling ball by gruelling ball, over those 167 runs.

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“You can walk a wicket” – Worcestershire v Somerset – County Championship 2024 – 26th, 27th, 29th and 29th April – Kidderminster – Third day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Worcestershire v Somerset 26th, 27th, 29th and 29th April. Kidderminster.

Jack Leach, (knee injury), Tom Abell (hamstring) and Craig Overton (rested) were unavailable.

Worcestershire. J.D. Libby, G.H. Roderick (w), Kashif Ali, R.P. Jones, A.J. Hose, B.L. D’Oliveira, J.O. Holder, M.J. Waite, J. Leach, B.J. Gibbon, A.W. Finch.

Somerset, M.T. Renshaw, S.R. Dickson, T.A. Lammonby, L.P. Goldsworthy, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory (c), C. Overton, J.H. Davey, M. Pretorius, S. Bashir.

Overnight. Somerset 309 for 9 dec. Worcestershire 107 for 1. Worcestershire trail by 202 runs with nine first innings wickets standing.

Third day 28th April – “You can walk a wicket”

There was evidence everywhere of heavy overnight rain when I looked out of the window at half past eight. Everything was wet, rain was spattering heavily into puddles and people were scuttling across the courtyard on their way to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. It was a scene which gave no confidence that play would start on time, and the rain didn’t relent for another hour and a half. No play before lunch I concluded. However, after the unexpectedly prompt start after rain on the second day, I kept a close eye on the Somerset CCC live blog, the most reliable and prompt source of information on playing conditions I have found at Somerset away matches. With half an hour’s notice, the blog conveyed the announcement that play would start at ten minutes past twelve. The ground was a mile and a half from my hotel, and I needed to buy lunch on the way. Kidderminster was a quick-drying ground I had been informed, but two hours after a night of heavy rain on already wet ground?

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A bitter wind blew – Worcestershire v Somerset – County Championship 2024 – 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th April – Kidderminster – Second day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Worcestershire v Somerset 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th April. Kidderminster.

Jack Leach, (knee injury), Tom Abell (hamstring) and Craig Overton (rested) were unavailable.

Worcestershire. J.D. Libby, G.H. Roderick (w), Kashif Ali, R.P. Jones, A.J. Hose, B.L. D’Oliveira, J.O. Holder, M.J. Waite, J. Leach, B.J. Gibbon, A.W. Finch.

Somerset, M.T. Renshaw, S.R. Dickson, T.A. Lammonby, L.P. Goldsworthy, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory (c), C. Overton, J.H. Davey, M. Pretorius, S. Bashir.

Overnight. Somerset 309 for 9 dec. Worcestershire 14 for 0. Worcestershire trail by 295 runs with ten first innings wickets standing.

Second day 27th April – A bitter wind blew

It was not a day to be in a hotel a mile and a half from the ground, virtually all of it a steep upward gradient. Flecks of rain on the bedroom window and wet ground outside joined forces with an indeterminate weather forecast for the morning to throw me into confusion about when to set off for the match. Ever the optimist (who isn’t where cricket and weather are concerned?), I ventured out, large Somerset umbrella in hand. The umbrella was a mixed blessing, for if Somerset supporters were to carry only one memory away from Kidderminster, it would be of the icy wind which cut into the face. The rain, a few spots, turned into a persistent drizzle as I walked. Combined with the wind, the drizzle made for a formidable opponent. Walking into it meant holding the umbrella horizontally in front of me as it was buffeted furiously from side to side obscuring first one oncoming pedestrian then another. Turning a corner would transform it into a sail, dragging me headlong, point first, towards another unfortunate pedestrian while threatening to blow inside out.

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Anticipation fulfilled – Somerset v Kent – County Championship 2024 – 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th May – Taunton – First day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Kent v 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th May. Taunton.

Tom Abell (hamstring) was unavailable.

Somerset. M.T. Renshaw, S.R. Dickson, T.A. Lammonby, A.R.I. Umeed, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory (c), C. Overton, M. Pretorius, J.H. Davey, M.J. Leach.

Kent. B.G. Compton, Z. Crawley, D.J. Bell-Drummond (c), M.K. O’Riordan, J.L. Denly, H.Z. Finch (w), J.D.M. Evison, B. Swanepoel, G. Stewart, N.N. Gilchrist, G.A. Garrett.

Toss. Kent elected to field

First day 17th May – Anticipation fulfilled

It was a glorious day to watch cricket and, if you were a Somerset supporter, a glorious day of cricket. After an April, The Oval apart, trapped in the grip of a cling-on winter, the sun shone much of the day with no hint of rain when cloud put in an appearance. The temperature was as near perfect as it could be for cricket, there was no wind and shirt sleeves were the order of the day, even at the top of the north face of the Trescothick Pavilion. The bells of St James’ church rang out from behind Gimblett’s Hill before the start and continued as the match got underway. Earlier the annual church service had been held on the Hill. The Quantocks looked even more relaxed than usual, and the crowd flowed into the ground until the number present pushed hard at 2,000. In such a throng, the four closed blocks of the Somerset Stand looked as starkly out of place as a great white whale stranded on a Brighton beach crowded with sun worshippers. The pitch was set well towards the Caddick Pavilion, almost in line with the gap between the Lord Ian Botham Stand and the Colin Atkinson Pavilion. The empty blocks of the Somerset Stand apart, it was an idyllic scene which fed the anticipation of a buzzing first-day crowd.

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An arm wrestle – Somerset v Durham – County Championship 2024 – 29th, 30th and 31st August, and 1st September – Taunton

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Durham 29th, 30th and 31st August and 1st September. Taunton.

This was the third match in 2024 in which the Kookaburra ball was used.

Somerset. A.R.I. Umeed, L.P. Goldsworthy, T.A. Lammonby, T.B. Abell, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), A.M. Vaughan, K.L. Aldridge, L. Gregory (c), C. Overton, M.J. Leach.

Durham. A.Z. Lees, B.S. McKinney, S.G. Borthwick (c), O.G. Robinson (w), A.J. Turner, B.F.W. de Leede, B.A. Carse, B.A. Raine, G.S. Drissell, C.F. Parkinson, D.M. Hogg.

Overnight. Somerset 395 for 6.

Second day 30th August – An arm wrestle      

Justin Langer used to say that every match in the County Championship was an arm wrestle. The second day of this match, particularly the Durham innings, was just that. There was push and counter push. Half an hour after tea, Durham’s arm was leaning back, almost to the horizontal, but an unbroken seventh wicket partnership of 102 from Brydon Carse and Ben Raine kept their hopes alive. Before that, they had lost their first six wickets for 170 to some accurate, pressurising bowling from the Somerset spinners. At that point, Somerset’s lead was 325 with hopes among Somerset supporters of seeing Durham bat again before the close. By the close, Somerset’s lead had shrunk to 223. Durham, although still six wickets down, were also still a long way behind, but avoiding the follow-on, 74 runs away, was now a reasonable hope.

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“No! I’m not sure about this” – Somerset v Surrey – County Championship 2024 – 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th September – Taunton.

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Surrey. 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th September. Taunton.

This was the last of four Championship matches in 2024 to use the Kookaburra ball.

Brett Randell from New Zealand had just joined Somerset on a three match contract.

Somerset. L.P. Goldsworthy, A.M. Vaughan, T.A. Lammonby, T.B. Abell, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), K.L. Aldridge, L. Gregory (c), C. Overton, B.G. Randell, M.J. Leach.

Surrey. R.J. Burns (c), D.P. Sibley, R.S. Patel, B.B.A. Geddes, B.T. Foakes (w), Shakib Al Hasan, T.K. Curran, J. Clark, C.T. Steel, K.A.J Roach, D.J. Worrall.

Overnight. Somerset 317. Surrey 169 for 3. Surrey trail by 148 runs with seven first innings wickets standing.

Third day – “No! I’m not sure about this”

“No! I’m not sure about this. I’m not sure about this at all.” It was a comment from a Somerset supporter sitting behind me in the top of the Trescothick Pavilion. It was replicated by several others in front of me. It was an uneasy moment. Tom Banton had injured his ankle in the football warm-up before the start, gone to hospital and returned to the ground during the lunch interval on crutches with his foot in a protective boot. Now, accompanied by Tom Abell as runner, he was hobbling and hopping out to bat in considerable discomfort. It was uncannily reminiscent of that day eight years before when James Hildreth had scored a century on a broken ankle. I was there that day, sitting in the then Trescothick Stand, now the James Hildreth Stand. Both used their bat as a walking stick. If anything, Banton looked in more discomfort than Hildreth had done on that occasion, although there was no information to the effect that Banton’s ankle was broken. Hildreth had played his innings when Somerset had needed it to stay in the race for the Championship. Now Banton found himself in the same position. Somerset were perilously placed with him as their last wicket and a lead, for which ‘slender’ would be overstating its extent, of 149.

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“Awesome for an 18-year-old” – Somerset v Surrey – County Championship 2024 – 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th September – Taunton – Second day

'farmer white'

County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Surrey. 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th September. Taunton.

This was the last of four Championship matches in 2024 to use the Kookaburra ball.

Brett Randell from New Zealand had just joined Somerset on a three-match contract.

Somerset. L.P. Goldsworthy, A.M. Vaughan, T.A. Lammonby, T.B. Abell, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), K.L. Aldridge, L. Gregory (c), C. Overton, B.G. Randell, M.J. Leach.

Surrey. R.J. Burns (c), D.P. Sibley, R.S. Patel, B.B.A. Geddes, B.T. Foakes (w), Shakib Al Hasan, T.K. Curran, J. Clark, C.T. Steel, K.A.J Roach, D.J. Worrall.

Overnight. Somerset 317.

Second day – “Awesome for an eighteen-year-old“

The recurring sight of the day, if you were seated at the top of the Trescothick Pavilion, was of Archie Vaughan’s right foot being kicked back towards you before propelling him into his short, hopping run to the wicket. Then, of the ball looping unerringly towards the batter, pitching tantalisingly in front of him and, too often for the batter’s comfort, fizzing past the edge of the bat into James Rew’s gloves. The science involved in spin bowling doubtless played a key role in what was unfolding before us, but it was the spinner’s art which impressed itself indelibly on the eye. In a day of 70 overs, Vaughan bowled 25, conceded only 45 runs and took three wickets. He is 18 years old. This, on top of the 44 runs he had scored opening Somerset’s innings on the first day. He richly deserved the applause he repeatedly received at the end of an over, and again when he returned to field on the boundary. It was a day and a performance to lodge in the memory bank of every Somerset supporter who witnessed it, and of some Surrey ones too if some of the comments I overheard were typical.

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A Winter’s Tale of a day – Somerset v Surrey – County Championship 2024 – 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th September – Taunton – First day

'farmer white'

County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Surrey. 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th September. Taunton.

This was the last of four Championship matches in 2024 to use the Kookaburra ball.

Brett Randell from New Zealand had just joined Somerset on a three match contract.

Somerset. L.P. Goldsworthy, A.M. Vaughan, T.A. Lammonby, T.B. Abell, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), K.L. Aldridge, L. Gregory (c), C. Overton, B.G. Randell, M.J. Leach.

Surrey. R.J. Burns (c), D.P. Sibley, R.S. Patel, B.B.A. Geddes, B.T. Foakes (w), Shakib Al Hasan, T.K. Curran, J. Clark, C.T. Steel, K.A.J Roach, D.J. Worrall.

Toss. Somerset. Elected to bat.

First day – A Winter’s Tale of a day

Four blocks of the Somerset Stand were closed, and the crowd must, by my eye, have climbed towards 2,500 by lunchtime. The effect was for the remaining stands to appear as packed as stands ever are at a Championship match. The weather matched the crowd, at least as far as the sun was concerned. Some early cloud had virtually cleared by midday and the sun shone brightly. It was a summer day perfect for cricket, if you were behind glass. If you were in the open, the wind blew with all the force of autumn and with a chill that took away most of the sun’s warmth. In the top of the Trescothick Pavilion, facing unforgivingly north, a mountaineer’s bivouac might not have been out of place and anoraks were de rigeur.

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Wilting under pressure – Somerset v Hampshire – County Championship 2024 – 26th, 27th and 28th September – Taunton.

'farmer white'

County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Hampshire – 26th, 27th and 28th September – Taunton.

Tom Banton was unavailable due to an ankle injury.

Somerset. A.M. Vaughan, T.A. Lammonby, A.R.I. Umeed, T.B. Abell, T. Kohler-Cadmore, J.E.K. Rew (w), K.L. Aldridge, L. Gregory (c), M.J. Leach, A.R.J. Ogborne, S. Bashir.

Hampshire. T.E. Albert, F.S. Middleton, N.R.T. Gubbins, J.M. Vince (c), T.J. Prest, L.A. Dawson, F.S. Organ, B.C. Brown (w), J.K. Fuller, K.J. Abbott, Mohammad Abbas.

Overnight. Somerset 136. Hampshire 62 for 5. Hampshire trail by 74 runs with five first innings wickets standing.

Second day 27th September – Wilting under pressure

The day began with the covers on and, for the first time I could recall since the drainage had been improved in the previous winter, a pool of water just beyond the covers at the River End. It was barely enough to fill a bath, but there had been a huge amount of rain overnight and the umpires decreed an early lunch and a start at five minutes to one,15 minutes before the afternoon session had originally been scheduled to start. Twenty overs were lost from the day.

When play eventually began, it seemed as if it would follow the same grinding pattern of the first day. After seven overs, there had been three maidens, 14 runs, 12 of them from Felix Organ and two from a Lewis Gregory no ball, one boundary, one beaten bat, two plays and misses, a thick edge for two, and a single boundary. Then Jack Leach found the edge of Organ’s defensive push, the ball flew low to Aldridge at second slip and Aldridge took the catch with apparent ease. It was about par for the course after the first day. Hampshire 76 for 6. Organ 12. Deficit 60. The match still in balance.

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