Author: 'farmer white'

A match intriguingly poised – Somerset v Hampshire – County Championship 2024 – 26th, 27th and 28th September – Taunton.

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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.

Toss. Somerset. Elected to bat.

First day 26th September – A match intriguingly poised  

The defeat at Old Trafford and the consequent demise of Somerset’s Championship hopes had their effect on the crowd numbers for this match. A chill wind, if not as cold as some in 2024, and an indeterminate forecast probably had their impact too. I like to sit at the end of a row and made sure I arrived in the top of the Trescothick Pavilion at least half an hour before the start for the Surrey match. It proved to be a necessary precaution. When I arrived at the same time for the first day of this match, I was the only second person to reach the upper level. By the start, there were 20 of us up there and perhaps 500 in the rest of the ground, a third or less of a first-day crowd when something still hangs on a match and the weather is more clement.

With a 10.30 start so late in September, the announcement that Somerset had won the toss and would bat surprised many. The pitch though looked brown. Perhaps turn was expected, or at least hoped for, later in the match. Somerset’s team selection may have reflected that. There were three spinners in the side and only one experienced pace bowler, the captain, Lewis Gregory. Hampshire meanwhile had the destructive opening partnership of Kyle Abbott and Mohammad Abbas complemented by the experienced left arm spin of Liam Dawson. At half past ten on a cold September morning that, for the moment at least, seemed to give Hampshire the edge.

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Hat trick … – Somerset v Hampshire – County Championship 2024 – 26th, 27th and 28th September – Taunton

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

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 and 60 for 4. Hampshire 196. Scores level with Somerset having six second innings wickets standing.

Final day 28th September – Hat trick …

Out! Hat trick! Third ball of the Hampshire second innings. Hampshire 0 for 3. James Vince gone. That is how quickly the mind works when the ball is travelling from the edge of the bat towards second slip. Lewis Gregory, bowling, lifted his arm, one finger pointing to the sky in triumph. It was the third edge in those first three balls. All flew towards the wicketkeeper and slip cordon. Gregory’s fighting 59 had just given Somerset an unexpected lead of 120 and a ghost of a chance of winning this game. Now, that third ball, speeding from the bat edge, low towards Kasey Aldridge’s ankles supercharged the hope. The entire crowd, in unison, jerked forward in their seats.

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A match like no other – Taunton – Somerset v Surrey – County Championship 2024 – 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th September – Taunton – Final day

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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 and 194 for 9. Surrey 321. Somerset lead by 190 runs with one first innings wicket standing.

Final day – A match like no other

It was a day of hope. It was a day of despair. It was a day of drift. It was a day of frustration. It was a day of relief. It was a day of resignation. And it was a day of utter exhilaration. And anything else in between that you care to mention, in equal and opposite proportions depending on which side you were supporting and when in the day you were supporting them. It had been a match like no other and this was a day like no other. Essex at Taunton in 2019 had come close but this outmatched it. It lasted seven hours. It might have been seven days. In all its hundred years, the Colin Atkinson Pavilion clock can never have moved so slowly, or so quickly, depending on who consulted it and when. By the end of the day, the Cooper Associates County Ground was awash with emotion drained from players and supporters of Somerset and Surrey alike. If you were a Somerset supporter, there was strength left only to stand and applaud and talk, and what things there were to talk of. If you were a Surrey supporter, there was the prospect only of a long, numbed journey home, and the consolation that Surrey still led the table, just.

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‘Next year. Next year …’ – Lancashire v Somerset – County Championship 2024 – 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th September – Old Trafford – Final day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Lancashire v Somerset 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th September. Old Trafford.

Tom Banton was unavailable due to an ankle injury.

Lancashire. K.K. Jennings (c), H.P.N. Singh, J.J. Bohannon, R. Flintoff, M.F. Hurst (w), L.W.P. Wells, G.J. Bell, G.P. Balderson, T.E. Bailey, A. Phillip, W.S.A. Williams.

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

Overnight. Lancashire 140 and 398. Somerset 146 and 204 for 6. Somerset need another 189 runs to win with four second innings wickets standing.

Final day 20th September – Championship challenge over

In the end, it was over quickly. Lewis Gregory was gone almost before he arrived, and certainly before I arrived. It is a two-mile walk from my hotel to the ground and I still had a vicious cold. A few extra minutes in bed and a slightly slower walking pace found me halfway around the ground to where I had been sitting at the Statham End for most of the match when Gregory‘s innings ended. Whilst behind the player and media centre, directly opposite the Pavilion, where the players’ dressing rooms are, I heard what I thought was an appeal. It was in fact a cheer. “Lewis Gregory bowled by Luke Wells,” said the announcement and, with Gregory bowled through the gate, defeated by the googly, any remaining Somerset hopes of winning this match had, realistically, been ended.

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“What a day that was!” – Somerset v Durham – County Championship 2024 – 29th, 30th and 31st August and 1st September – Taunton – First day

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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 of 2024 in which the Kookaburra ball was used.

Jake Ball replaced Migael Pretorius under ECB concussion regulations after Somerset’s first innings.

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.

Toss. Somerset. Elected to bat.

First day 29th August – “What a day that was!”

You would think that starting a circumnavigation of a small ground like Taunton forty minutes before the match is due to start would give you ample time to get back to your seat in time for the first ball. Not when you have been coming to the ground to watch Somerset since 1958 it doesn’t. I met seven people I knew, and talking cricket to seven people consumes more than forty minutes. The last conversation was still going on behind the covers store when the first ball was bowled. Ben Raine bowled it from the River End, Andy Umeed came forward to defend and edged the ball towards the right shin of Ashton Turner at second slip. Turner reached down, knocked the ball up a few inches and caught it. As Umeed walked off, the Colin Atkinson Pavilion clock showed the time as four minutes to eleven. Someone checked their phone which claimed it was 10.59. Out before the start.

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Leach supreme – Somerset v Durham – County Championship 2024 – 29th, 30th and 31st August and 1st September – Taunton – Final day

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

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 492 and 263 for 5 dec. Durham 336 and 15 for 3. Durham need 405 runs to win with seven second innings wickets standing.

Final day 1st September – Leach supreme

“Did you see that ripper from Archie Vaughan to get Borthwick last night?” was the first question I was asked as I passed the Caddick Pavilion on my pre-match circumnavigation. “Yes,” my reply. “Several times.” Oh, the joy of the Somerset live stream highlights. It was a masterpiece of a ball from the student member of the team, angled in before straightening perfectly off the pitch, passing the edge of the bat and rattling the off stump.

It was one of those circumnavigations which take time to complete. Anticipation was everywhere and when anticipation rules, people want to talk. To talk about that ball, about Vaughan’s debut, about Jack Leach’s rejuvenation, about Abell’s innings, about Somerset’s dominance of the match, about Gregory’s masterstroke of a declaration, about Surrey looking like they might struggle to beat Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, about Essex, climbing the table behind Somerset, looking like they would overwhelm Worcestershire at Chelmsford, and, with anxious eyes turned upwards, the sky. The forecast hinted at patches of rain in the morning clearing by mid-afternoon. The sky was as worrying as the forecast. High cloud, more off-white than grey, and smooth, covering the entire sky. Smooth cloud, in my experience, is liable to produce rain. Too long a rain delay would embolden Durham. It would be a morning of eyes on the middle and eyes on the sky.

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Frustration – Warwickshire v Somerset – County Championship 2024 – 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th August – Edgbaston – Final 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.

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 175  for 5. Somerset. Warwickshire lead by 273 runs with five second innings wickets standing.

Final day 25th August – Frustration

This was a day of hopes, dreams and frustration. In the end, consistent with Somerset’s long history of pursuing the County Championship, frustration won out. In truth, the County Championship had probably already been put out of Somerset’s, and everyone’s, reach by Surrey. Six wins in nine games coming into this round of matches, seven in ten going out of it, is hard to argue with. But hope is a persistent siren. It envelopes the soul and blinds the mind to rational thought. In short, throughout this match, Somerset supporters still hoped, even though Surrey led their team by 27 points at the start, and bowled Lancashire out twice in the space of 120 overs before the finish, barely breaking sweat in the process. “If we could win here, and beat Surrey at Taunton, and … and … and …” was a consistent refrain.

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A wonderful game of cricket – Somerset v Leicestershire – Metro Bank One Day Cup 2024 – Semi-final – 18th August – Taunton

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Metro Bank One Day Cup 2024 Semi-Final

Somerset v Leicestershire – 18th August – Taunton

Somerset had finished top of their group and qualified for a home semi-final.

Somerset. G.W. Thomas, A.R.I. Umeed, L.P. Goldsworthy, J.E.K Rew (w), S.R. Dickson (c), B.G.F. Green, A.M. Vaughan, K.L. Aldridge, J.H. Davey, M.J. Leach, R.P. Meredith.

Leicestershire. I.G. Holland, S.D. Budinger, L.J. Hill (c), A.M. Rahane, P.S.P. Handscomb, O.B. Cox (w), L.P.J. Kimber, L. Trevaskis, T.A.R. Scriven, R.I. Walker, C.J.C. Wright.

Toss. Leicestershire. Elected to field.

A wonderful game of cricket

This was a match between two teams denuded of their best players by selection for The Hundred, playing in a competition which has received no television coverage and precious little press coverage. It was a match played in front of a crowd of about three and a half thousand. And yet, from my seat in the elevated section of the Trescothick Pavilion, it bore comparison with the classic encounters of the Gillette and Benson and Hedges Cups and the John Player League in their heyday, forty or fifty years before and the incredible atmosphere which accompanied them. Times when the crowd seemed as much a part of the match as the players.  

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Cricket in April – with a tinge of 1965 – Worcestershire v Somerset – County Championship 2024 – 26th, 27th, 29th and 29th April – Kidderminster – First day

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

This match was originally scheduled to be played at Worcester. However, due to repeated flooding of the New Road ground during the winter it was moved to 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.

Toss. Worcestershire. Elected to field.

First day 26th April – Cricket in April – with a tinge of 1965

Somerset had not played a Championship match at Kidderminster since 1965 in the days of Roy Virgin, Bill Alley and Brian Langford for Somerset, and Ron Headley, Tom Graveney and one B.L. D’Oliveira for Worcestershire. Captaining Worcestershire in 2024 was another B.L. D’Oliveira, grandson of the first, although Brett rather than Basil and the third D’Oliveira in line for Worcestershire after the late Damian, son of the first and father of the third. In 1965, both Worcestershire and Somerset had been bowled out for less then a hundred once in the match, Somerset had made 130 in their other innings, Worcestershire had reached 131 for 1 in their second innings to win by nine wickets, and the match was over inside two days. It must have been a pace bowlers’ paradise. Jack Flavell and Len Coldwell who took over 2,600 first-class wickets between them, each averaging 21, and yet played only 11 Test matches in total, took all 20 Somerset wickets. For Somerset, seamers Fred Rumsey and Bill Alley took ten of the 11 Worcestershire wickets to fall. Different times. Different, uncovered, pitches.

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A merciful end – Somerset v Nottinghamshire – County Championship 2024 – 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd April – Taunton – Final day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Nottinghamshire 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd April. Taunton.

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

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.

Nottinghamshire. H. Hameed (c), B.T. Slater, W.A. Young, J.M. Clarke (w), M. Montgomery, J.A. Haynes, L.W. James, C.G. Harrison, B.A. Hutton, L.J. Fletcher, D. Paterson.

Overnight. Nottinghamshire 193 and 418  for 2. Somerset 454. Nottinghamshire lead by 157 runs.

Final day 22nd April – A merciful end

The forecast for the final day was awful. The rain was a little late in coming, but it came in time to put the remains of this game out of their misery before things had dragged on for too long. There was no prospect of a positive result, so flat had the pitch become and all bonus points had been allocated. The forecast and the state of the match had reduced the crowd to 200 at most, and most of those were eyeing the gathering clouds, perhaps hoping for deliverance. The third day had brought back memories of the pitches and fourth days of a decade and a half before when wickets falling on the final day could be as rare as August snow.

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Overton and Pretorius take the breath away – Somerset v Nottinghamshire – County Championship 2024 – 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd April – Taunton – Second day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Nottinghamshire 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd April. Taunton.

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

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.

Nottinghamshire. H. Hameed (c), B.T. Slater, W.A. Young, J.M. Clarke (w), M. Montgomery, J.A. Haynes, L.W. James, C.G. Harrison, B.A. Hutton, L.J. Fletcher, D. Paterson.

Overnight. Nottinghamshire 193. Somerset 116 for 1. Somerset trail by 77 runs.

Second day 20th April – Overton and Pretorius take the breath away

In the end, this proved to be a day of accelerating Somerset progress, at first gradual and then, like water unleashed by the lifting of a sluice gate, the runs gushed across most of the final session. The sun, as it did on the first day, shone all day, but the wind across the face of the elevated level of the Trescothick Pavilion continued with its unrelenting winter chill. The cricket held the attention across all three sessions, but in the intervals, the lack of access to the outfield at lunchtime and the closure of the Somerset Stand and the Brian Rose Gates still entered the conversation.

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“Come on Somerset!” – Somerset v Nottinghamshire – County Championship 2024 – 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd April – Taunton – First day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Nottinghamshire 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd April. Taunton.

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

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.

Nottinghamshire. H. Hameed (c), B.T. Slater, W.A. Young, J.M. Clarke (w), M. Montgomery, J.A. Haynes, L.W. James, C.G. Harrison, B.A. Hutton, L.J. Fletcher, D. Paterson.

Toss. Nottinghamshire. Elected to bat.

First day 19th April – “Come on Somerset!”

The Quantocks and the ground looked very different places. The Quantocks looked on, resplendent in the sun with the bright yellow of the oilseed set against a spring green background with one glorious sandstone-red ploughed field having pride of place. The ground was stark in comparison. Stark because the crowd was the smallest I can remember for the start of a Championship match at Taunton. It looked well down on the two thousand plus spectators which were commonplace on a sunny day before the pandemic. I would be surprised if it reached a thousand at the start. The pandemic doubtless had an impact, perhaps the chill wind, perhaps the cost-of-living crisis too, Somerset entry charges are among the most expensive in the country.

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Surrey turn the screw – Surrey v Somerset – County Championship 2024 – 12th, 13th, 14th  and 15th April – The Oval – Third day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Surrey v Somerset 12th, 13th, 14th  and 15th April. The Oval.

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

Surrey. R.J. Burns (c), D.P. Sibley, O.J.D. Pope, D.W. Lawrence, J.L. Smith, B.T. Foakes (w), C.T. Steel, J. Clark, J. Overton, A.A.P. Atkinson, K.A.J Roach.

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, K.L. Aldridge, M. Pretorius, S. Bashir.

Overnight. Somerset 285. Surrey 358 for 6. Surrey lead by 73 runs with four first innings wicket standing.

Third day 14th April – Surrey turn the screw

Entry to my seat was delayed, this time because I came across a London-based Somerset cricket-watching acquaintance on the concourse a quarter of an hour before the start, and a quarter of an hour is no time to catch up on a winter’s news. It had to be done on the concourse because we had each arranged to watch the game with other people in different parts of the ground. And so, each other’s news updated, we went our separate ways, to meet again when we next chance to find ourselves at the same match, as is the way of things with people who meet only at the cricket.

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“They never let Surrey get away” – Surrey v Somerset – County Championship 2024 – 12th, 13th, 14th  and 15th April – The Oval – Second day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Surrey v Somerset 12th, 13th, 14th  and 15th April. The Oval.

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

Surrey. R.J. Burns (c), D.P. Sibley, O.J.D. Pope, D.W. Lawrence, J.L. Smith, B.T. Foakes (w), C.T. Steel, J. Clark, J. Overton, A.A.P. Atkinson, K.A.J Roach.

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, K.L. Aldridge, M. Pretorius, S. Bashir.

Overnight. Somerset 285. Surrey 42 for 0. Surrey trail by 243 runs with ten first innings wickets standing.

Second day 13th April – “They never let Surrey get away”

London is a different place. Busier than any other city I visit on my perambulations around the country following Somerset. More cosmopolitan than any other city too, at least to my eye. In making the case for London to host the 2012 Olympic Games Ken Livingstone said, “You see the world gathered in one city.” Sometimes it seems you can see it gathered on one Tube train. It is a city teeming with young people too. Most cities are, but in London, perhaps because of the sheer numbers of people, the madding crowd seems overwhelmingly young.

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“It’ll be over in three days” – Surrey v Somerset – County Championship 2024 – 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th April – The Oval – First day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Surrey v Somerset. 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th April. The Oval.

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

Surrey. R.J. Burns (c), D.P. Sibley, O.J.D. Pope, D.W. Lawrence, J.L. Smith, B.T. Foakes (w), C.T. Steel, J. Clark, J. Overton, A.A.P. Atkinson, K.A.J Roach.

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, K.L. Aldridge, M. Pretorius, S. Bashir.

Toss. Surrey. Elected to field.

First day 12th April – “It’ll be over in three days”

Surrey had been County Champions in 2022 and 2023 and were favourites to win the title again in 2024. They had greatly increased their membership in the years leading up to 2024 and have a huge population catchment area. Those three things, plus the fact that they have always been a well-supported club may have been factors in the size of the crowd on the first day. I first became aware of the potential size of the crowd as my Tube train pulled into Oval station. Virtually everyone on the train stood up. Then, an endless stream of people trailed up the road towards the Hobbs Gates. Once there, they formed a continuous crush waiting for tickets or membership cards to be scanned. I remember, not so long ago, paying cash to go through a turnstile at The Oval. Now, my digital ticket was scanned on my smartphone in an instant and still the crush continued. Four years ago, I didn’t have a smartphone. The world moves on and, eventually, I catch up with it.

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And the labrador slept on – Kent v Somerset – County Championship 2024 – 5th, 6th, 7th  and 8th April – Canterbury – Final day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Kent v Somerset. 5th, 6th, 7th  and 8th April Canterbury.

Jack Leach, (knee injury), Craig Overton (back), Tom Abell (hamstring) were all unavailable.

Kent. B.G. Compton, T. S. Muyeye, D.J. Bell-Drummond (c), J.A. Leaning, J.L. Denly, H.Z. Finch (w) J.D.M. Evison, W.A. Agar, N.N. Gilchrist, M.W. Parkinson, G.A. Garrett.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, S.R. Dickson, M.T. Renshaw, L.P. Goldsworthy, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory (c), K.L. Aldridge, J.H. Davey, E. O. Leonard, J. Ball.

Overnight. Kent 284. Somerset 374 for 7. Somerset lead by 90 runs with three first innings wickets standing.  

Final day 8th April – And the labrador slept on

That Tom Banton ended up bowling the final overs of the day from the Nackington Road End, and a labrador, fast asleep at its owner’s feet, had, by that time, more life in it than the cricket, tells you most of what you need to know about the final day, at least after lunch. However, the first day having been lost to rain, and given Somerset’s history of poor starts to the season, most Somerset supporters were satisfied with the outcome. Above all, the top order had produced runs in early April, albeit on a white pitch. There were also 15 points on the board, enough to secure second place in the embryonic Division One table. Further bonuses were Tom Lammonby looking comfortable in his number three shoes and Kasey Aldridge looking a better bowler than he had hitherto whilst still performing well with the bat. Early days to judge it was true, but it at least brought hope that progress was being made. As to the weather for the final day, the cloud was white and high, thin enough for the sun to cast weak shadows. In its sallow glow, its warmth could be felt, but in the shade a chill wind still blew. There was little in the conditions to encourage Somerset hopes.

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A spring in their step – County Championship 2024 – Kent v Somerset – 5th, 6th, 7th  and 8th April – Canterbury – Third day

'farmer white'

County Championship 2024. Division 1. Kent v Somerset 5th, 6th, 7th  and 8th April Canterbury.

Jack Leach, (knee injury), Craig Overton (back), Tom Abell (hamstring) were all unavailable.

Kent. B.G. Compton, T. S. Muyeye, D.J. Bell-Drummond (c), J.A. Leaning, J.L. Denly, H.Z. Finch (w) J.D.M. Evison, W.A. Agar, N.N. Gilchrist, M.W. Parkinson, G.A. Garrett.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, S.R. Dickson, M.T. Renshaw, L.P. Goldsworthy, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory (c), K.L. Aldridge, J.H. Davey, E. O. Leonard, J. Ball.

Overnight. Kent 284.

Third day 6th April – A spring in their step

The walk to the St Lawrence ground from Canterbury is about three-quarters of a mile, mostly up the New Dover Road, straight most of the way, uphill, along tree-lined streets, not unlike that from Southport to the Southport and Birkdale CC ground where Somerset played in 2022. The walk passes more quickly if made while chatting to other Somerset supporters, and on this occasion there was plenty to talk about. The kookaburra ball and the rail strikes, the latter of which probably contributed to the small number of Somerset supporters present, being prime among the topics. Canterbury is a long way from Somerset, and suffers from having the M25 or the need to cross London on public transport separating the two. The latter has at least been much improved by the opening of the Elizabeth Line, 18 minutes from Paddington to Stratford, then a ten-minute walk through the Westfield Centre to Stratford International for the HS1 train to Canterbury.

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Kookaburra day – County Championship 2024 – Kent v Somerset – 5th, 6th, 7th  and 8th April – Canterbury – Second day

'farmer white'

County Championship 2024. Division 1. Kent v Somerset 5th, 6th, 7th  and 8th April Canterbury.

Jack Leach, (knee), Craig Overton (back), Tom Abell (hamstring) were all unavailable.

Kent. B.G. Compton, T. S. Muyeye, D.J. Bell-Drummond (c), J.A. Leaning, J.L. Denly, H.Z. Finch (w) J.D.M. Evison, W.A. Agar, N.N. Gilchrist, M.W. Parkinson, G.A. Garrett.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, S.R. Dickson, M.T. Renshaw, L.P. Goldsworthy, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory (c), K.L. Aldridge, J.H. Davey, E. O. Leonard, J. Ball.

Toss. Somerset elected to field

First day 5th April – No play – wet outfield

Second day 6th April – Kookaburra day

The Kookaburra ball came to this round of matches with a reputation for swinging less than the Dukes ball, at least after the first 30 overs or so, and for becoming softer more quickly. In English conditions, with generally softer pitches than in much of the rest of the cricket-playing world, the Kookaburra might be expected to assist bowlers less than the Dukes. That was the idea apparently, in order to encourage the development of faster pace bowlers and better quality spinners who, with the Kookaburra, would stand out above the common run and make their impact in Test matches. Whilst conclusions should never be drawn from one day of cricket, on this issue or any other, the first day of play here did lend support to the reputation of the Kookaburra.

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The watcher on the Trescothick Pavilion terrace – County Championship 2024 – Somerset v Warwickshire – 30th June and 1st, 2nd and 3rd July – Taunton – Final day

'farmer white'

County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Warwickshire 30th June and 1st, 2nd and 3rd July. Taunton.

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.

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

Overnight – Warwickshire 412 and 281 for 8. Somerset 284. Warwickshire lead by 409.

Final day 3rd July – The watcher on the Trescothick Pavilion terrace

With Somerset in sight of a stunning victory, but with nothing certain, one watcher in particular caught my eye. As over followed over, he stood intently and motionlessly at the safety rail of the Trescothick Pavilion terrace, high above the play, eyes fixed firmly on the cricket. I wondered what was going through his mind. The tension in the ground was such that every ball was bowled in silence, every run applauded or cheered with most watchers as motionless and watching as intensely as the one on the terrace. No one moved from their seat or from where they stood, nor him from the rail. No one dared. One of the age-old superstitions of cricket saw to that. When a side is on the cusp of winning a tight match, their supporters do not move. It is the eleventh commandment.

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Push and counter-push – County Championship 2024 – Somerset v Warwickshire – 30th June and 1st, 2nd and 3rd July – Taunton – Third day

'farmer white'

County Championship 2024. Division 1. Somerset v Warwickshire 30th June and 1st, 2nd and 3rd July. Taunton.

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.

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

Overnight – Warwickshire 412. Somerset 208 for 6. Somerset trail by 204 runs with four first innings wickets standing.

Third day 2nd July – Push and counter-push

This was Somerset’s annual schools’ match. The Priory Bridge Road Stand and the family section of the Ondaatje Stand were resplendent with the massed ranks of 1,200 schoolchildren. They were not mentioned in my reports on the first two days of this match. They could not be ignored on the third. Perhaps the wind had shifted. Something brought the never-ending shriek of those high-pitched voices to my ears. They had little to cheer in the first over of the day, bowled from the River End by Michael Booth. Playing an indeterminate stroke across his pads, Tom Abell was leg before wicket to the third ball. My impression over the years is that Abell, if he is undefeated overnight with significant runs to his name, is liable to be out early the next morning. He is not alone in that, but my impression, and it is only an impression, is that it is particularly noticeable in his case. Somerset 208 for 7. Abell 61. Deficit 204.

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