Tag: Cricket

“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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Stokes makes a difference – County Championship 2024 – Durham v Somerset 24th and 25th May – Chester-le-Street – First day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Durham v Somerset 24th and 25th May. Chester-le-Street.

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

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

Durham. A.Z. Lees, S.G. Borthwick (c), C.N. Ackermann, D.G. Bedingham, O.G. Robinson (w), B.A. Stokes, G. Clark, C.F. Parkinson, P. Coughlin, B.A. Raine, P.M. Siddle.

Toss. Durham elected to field.

First day 24th May – Stokes makes a difference

Newcastle is a long way from Taunton. Five-and-a-half hours by direct train. Given the flooding across significant parts of the country through which the train travelled it was something of an achievement for the railway system to bring the train from Taunton into Newcastle just one minute late. Three other companies had to cancel their trains and those of their passengers who could, joined mine. Even without the extra passengers, four coaches for a train which runs from Penzance to Edinburgh sounds like a victory of hope over anticipation, and so the effect of suffering an influx of passengers from three other companies is better imagined than experienced. Every seat was taken, and every aisle and vestibule was full. Good humour was the only viable survival technique, and it was applied by every passenger within my sight. “People have got used to crowded trains,” someone said.

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Disbelief – Durham v Somerset – County Championship 2024 – 24th and 25th May – Chester-le-Street – Final day

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County Championship 2024. Division 1. Durham v Somerset 24th and 25th May. Chester-le-Street.

Jake Ball replaced Migael Pretorius as a concussion replacement after Somerset’s first innings.

Durham. A.Z. Lees, S.G. Borthwick (c), C.N. Ackermann, D.G. Bedingham, O.G. Robinson (w), B.A. Stokes, G. Clark, C.F. Parkinson, P. Coughlin, B.A. Raine, P.M. Siddle.

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

Overnight. Somerset 171. Durham 177 for 6. Durham lead by six runs with four first innings wickets standing.

Final day 25th May – Disbelief

It could be seen in the faces of the small coterie of Somerset supporters who had made the 350-mile road trip, or five-and-a-half-hour rail journey, to the North East. This was a crushing Somerset defeat. Worse for the spirit, it had been far from inevitable at the start of the second day, even less so half an hour later. Durham had lost three wickets in that time to find themselves 28 ahead with only one wicket standing and Somerset pressing hard for the last. It had been an exceptional fightback by Somerset from a calamitous 84 for 7 immediately after lunch on the first day. Now, half an hour into the second day, the match was back in balance and there was Somerset hope that it might yet be won. Half an hour before tea, the match was over, and Somerset had lost by an innings. They were bowled out for 88 in their second innings, losing their last six wickets for 43 runs in the face of some exceptional bowling from Durham’s pace attack. The fall from hope was so precipitous, so total, this match may bedevil the memories of the Somerset supporters who were there as do Horsham 2013, Guildford 2018 and Southampton 2019.

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Watching cricket in April – Worcestershire v Somerset – County Championship 2024 – 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th April – Kidderminster.

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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, A.R.I. Umeed, T. Banton, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory (c), K.L. Aldridge, M. Pretorius, J.T. Ball, S. Bashir.

Overnight. Somerset 309 for 9 dec and 5 for 1. Worcestershire 451. Somerset trail by 137 runs with nine second innings wickets standing.

Final day 29th April – Watching cricket in April

The wind that blows across a cricket field in April bites with the teeth of a prairie dog which does not let go. No-one escapes. At Kidderminster, where the ground is open on all sides, the wind enjoys free reign to do as it pleases to whom it pleases, and it did as it pleased across most of the four days of this match. The girl serving burgers from a hot plate in the burger van was frozen. Matching their coats, the umpires wore white snoods which encased their necks and faces up to their ears. They looked like the invisible man from the 1958 television series with his face swathed in white bandages. To match their trousers, they wore black gloves. The stewards were bulked out with enough layers to have passed for an American police SWAT squad. Spectators, those brave enough, or lacking sufficient discretion to know better than to watch cricket in such weather, wore a mottled array of defences. They ranged from tightfitting, designer fashioned, windproof jackets zipped so tightly to the larynx that if the cold did not get the occupant a lack of oxygen would, to anoraks and scarves so battered by a winter without apparent end that they seemed on the point of abject surrender. Not that their owners would dream of letting them surrender, for the next match was only three days away.

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A bitter wind blows – Somerset v Nottinghamshire – County Championship 2024 – 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd April – Taunton

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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 38 for 1. Somerset 454. Nottinghamshire trail by 223 runs.

Third day 20th April – A bitter wind blows

On 25th and 26th May 1903, William Gunn and his nephew, John Gunn, added 367 for Nottinghamshire’s third wicket against Leicestershire at Trent Bridge. The nephew reached 294, the uncle 139, and Nottinghamshire declared on 739 for 7. The 367 for the third wicket beat the then Nottinghamshire record. It remained the record until the third evening of this match when Will Young (156 not out) and Joe Clarke (209 not out) passed it in the last over of the day. It virtually ended Somerset’s chances of victory. It would also, if pitches which produce this sort of cricket in the latter parts of a match return to Taunton, threaten interest in Championship cricket. At least, that was the view of a number to whom I spoke. That said, the two Nottinghamshire batters batted with prolonged discipline, skill and immense concentration to make the most of the conditions which they were offered. The same could also be said of the Somerset bowlers. With a modicum of luck, they might have taken a wicket or two, but against such disciplined batting on such a pitch, no more than one or two.

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“It ain’t gonna happen” – Surrey v Somerset – County Championship 2024 – Surrey v Somerset – 12th, 13th, 14th  and 15th April – The Oval.

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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 and 204 for 6. Surrey 428.  Somerset lead by 61 runs with four first innings wicket standing.

Final day. 15th April – “It ain’t gonna happen“

“It ain’t gonna happen,” were the words of the Somerset supporter with me at the end of the third day when I suggested that Somerset would have to bat at least until tea on the final day to have a chance of saving the match. It seemed a reasonable statement at the time. Somerset were six wickets down and only 61 runs ahead. Even on a flat pitch with the Kookaburra ball, the thought that Somerset’s last four wickets would last for four hours or more on the final day was, as they say, for the birds. Perhaps it was. The pigeons which pick at the grass at the edges of the practice pitches in front of the Galadari Stand gave their wings a rest and stayed the entire final day as a slow-motion drama unfolded in front of them. As to spectators, most had voted with their feet. Leaving aside those sensibly hidden behind glass as the cutting edge of winter returned for another swipe, by my count there were about two hundred in the ground, a far cry from the four thousand of the first day. Even with overnight rain delaying the start the match was essentially dead as a contest it seemed, and if Somerset were to save it, it would be by dint of a further substantial intervention by the weather. In the event, play began at ten minutes past twelve with 18 overs lost and the rain barely threatened again, but still, my Somerset brain thought, it ain’t gonna happen.

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“Dawson again” – Hampshire v Somerset – County Championship 2023 – 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th  September – Southampton.

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County Championship 2023. Division 1. Hampshire v Somerset. 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th  September. Southampton.

Jack Leach, (back), Josh Davey (family reasons), Sonny Baker (back), Craig Overton (back) and Kasey Aldridge (side) were all unavailable.

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

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, S.R. Dickson, T.B. Abell (c), A.R.I. Umeed, T. Kohler-Cadmore, J.E.K. Rew (w), L. Gregory, B.G.F. Green, N. Wagner, J.A. Brooks, S. Bashir.

Toss. Hampshire. Elected to bat.

First day 3rd September – “Dawson again”

The AGEAS Bowl is not the most accessible of grounds if you use public transport to get to the cricket, especially if you travel from the far end of Somerset on a Sunday. I do wonder if any of the great Victorian railway engineers ever had to travel from Taunton to Hedge End, for that is the nearest railway station to the cricket. Even so, it is nearly two miles away. Hotels near the ground are expensive, especially if there is a cruise liner or two in the port, and especially so, as with most hotels, on a Saturday night. If you stay in Southampton where there is a greater choice of hotels, but buses and trains to the ground are less than ideal, and, if you use the train, you still end up nearly two miles away. All added up, a back-of-the-envelope cost-benefit analysis led to my deciding to travel from Taunton on the day of the match, stay in a hotel near the ground and miss the morning session (Sunday trains do not get out of bed early).

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Overton v Overton – An hour to savour – Somerset v Surrey – County Championship 2023 – 25th, 26th, and 27th July – Taunton – Final day

'farmer white'

County Championship 2023. Division 1. Somerset v Surrey. 25th, 26th, and 27th July. Taunton.

Jack Leach (back), Roelof van der Merwe (hand), Josh Davey (rib) and Sonny Baker (back) were all unavailable.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, S.R. Dickson, T.B. Abell (c), G.A. Bartlett, T. Kohler-Cadmore, J.E.K. Rew (w), K.L. Aldridge, B.G.F. Green, C. Overton, M.J. Henry, S. Bashir.

Surrey. R.J. Burns (c), D.P. Sibley, T.W.M. Latham, J.L. Smith, B.T. Foakes (w), W.G. Jacks, J. Clark, J. Overton, T. E. Lawes, A.A.P. Atkinson, D.J. Worral.

Overnight. Somerset 170. Surrey 368. Surrey lead by 198 runs.

Final day 27th July – Overton v Overton – an hour to savour

This was one of those days when life gets in the way of cricket. A medical appointment falling during the first hour of play meant the best way to minimise the amount of cricket I would miss was to watch as much of the morning play as I could on the live stream and then catch the bus to the cricket in the lunch interval. The first part of the plan worked to perfection, aided by my appointment falling in the middle of an 18-over rain break which sent the players off four balls after the morning had started. The second part of the plan worked less well. My bus was late reaching my end of its route, delayed by some emergency roadworks and then, going back the other way to take me to the cricket, ran into them again. It cost me the first 40 minutes of the afternoon session.

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Advantage Surrey – Somerset v Surrey – County Championship 2023 – 25th, 26th and 27th July. Taunton.

'farmer white'

County Championship 2023. Division 1. Somerset v Surrey. 25th, 26th and 27th July. Taunton.

Jack Leach (back), Roelof van der Merwe (hand), Josh Davey (rib) and Sonny Baker (back) were all unavailable.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, S.R. Dickson, T.B. Abell (c), G.A. Bartlett, T. Kohler-Cadmore, J.E.K. Rew (w), K.L. Aldridge, B.G.F. Green, C. Overton, M.J. Henry, S. Bashir.

Surrey. R.J. Burns (c), D.P. Sibley, T.W.M. Latham, J.L. Smith, B.T. Foakes (w), W.G. Jacks, J. Clark, J. Overton, T. E. Lawes, A.A.P. Atkinson, D.J. Worral.

Overnight. Somerset 170. Surrey 138 for 4. Surrey trail by 32 runs with six first innings wickets standing.

Second day 26th July – Advantage Surrey

When the rains came during the middle of the afternoon they stopped this match neatly at its halfway point, in theory at least. If though, Somerset are to take it to the end of the final day, they will have to bat much better, and for considerably longer, than they did in their first innings. It seems unlikely that Surrey’s five-man pace attack, which so clinically dissected the Somerset batting , will bowl any less well the second time around. In the three hours or so of play that was possible on the second day, Surrey’s batters added 230 runs, 198 of those after they passed Somerset’s first innings total. By a curious mathematical coincidence, those 198 runs equated to two 99s for Surrey, one from Tom Latham and one from Will Jacks. For Somerset, there was an excellent afternoon spell from Matt Henry and a quietly incisive one from Ben Green. On the other side of the ledger, Craig Overton conceded 106 runs at five an over without reply and Kasey Aldridge, after some discussion, left the field with a side strain.

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A clinical finish – Northamptonshire v Somerset – County Championship 2023 – 19th, 20th and 21st July – Northampton – Final day

'farmer white'

County Championship 2023. Division 1. Northamptonshire v Somerset. 19th, 20th and 21st July. Northampton.

Jack Leach, (back), Roelof van der Merwe (hand), Josh Davey 9rib) and Sonny Baker (back) were all unavailable.

Northamptonshire. R.S. Vasconcelos, E.N. Gay, J. Broad, S.M. Whiteman, L.A. Procter (c), R.I. Keogh, S.A Zaib, L.D. McManus (w), T.A.I. Taylor, B.W. Sanderson, C. White.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, S.R. Dickson, T.B. Abell (c), G.A. Bartlett, T. Kohler-Cadmore, J.E.K. Rew (w), K.L. Aldridge, L. Gregory, C. Overton, M.J. Henry, S. Bashir.

Overnight. Somerset 351. Northamptonshire 180 and 151 for 6. Northamptonshire trail by 20 runs with four second innings wickets standing.

Final day 21st  July – A clinical finish

There were no surprises, just a continuation of all that had gone before. There was no miraculous Northamptonshire revival, just a clinical finishing of the match by Somerset. Flurries of Northamptonshire runs were interspersed with wickets which cut the flurries off in their prime. As on the second day, one Northamptonshire batter, this time Luke Proctor, battled virtually alone against the Somerset storm. Northamptonshire did avoid an innings defeat, the runs which took them into the lead coming off the edge of Proctor’s bat. As in their first innings though, when Somerset’s turn came, they scored with freedom to bring home the points which would take them, just, into the top half of the table. There was an extended visit too from the heavy cloud which had threatened the second afternoon, and which, if the forecast were to be believed, would wreck the final day. And finally, just as the match was ending, the threatened rain that had hung over the match since the start, began to fall.

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Relentless Henry drives Somerset on – Northamptonshire v Somerset – County Championship 2023 – 19th, 20th and 21st July. Northampton – Second day

'farmer white'

County Championship 2023. Division 1. Northamptonshire v Somerset. 19th, 20th and 21st July. Northampton.

Jack Leach, (back), Roelof van der Merwe (hand), Josh Davey 9rib) and Sonny Baker (back) were all unavailable.

Northamptonshire. R.S. Vasconcelos, E.N. Gay, J. Broad, S.M. Whiteman, L.A. Procter (c), R.I. Keogh, S.A Zaib, L.D. McManus (w), T.A.I. Taylor, B.W. Sanderson, C. White.

Somerset. T.A. Lammonby, S.R. Dickson, T.B. Abell (c), G.A. Bartlett, T. Kohler-Cadmore, J.E.K. Rew (w), K.L. Aldridge, L. Gregory, C. Overton, M.J. Henry, S. Bashir.

Overnight. Somerset 351.

Second day 20th July – Relentless Henry drives Somerset on

“You could hear the snick from here.” It was the fifth ball of the Northamptonshire innings and it set the scene for the rest of the day. Matt Henry had opened the bowling from the Lynn Wilson End and angled the ball across and six inches outside the left-handed Emilio Gay’s off stump. Gay came down on the ball with an angled bat and edged it straight to James Rew. What followed was a succession of Northamptonshire batters going to and from their dressing room as Somerset took a steady stream of wickets through the day. A constant theme of the Somerset bowling was the relentlessness of Henry. His line, length and pace persistently challenged the batters. He bowled full so was likely to be driven, but woe betide any batter who erred in the attempt, or in the attempt to defend. Only Ricardo Vasconcelos, and to a degree Saif Zaib, stood against him and the rest of the Somerset attack in Northamptonshire’s first innings. Vasconcelos played with the same attacking intent that Somerset had demonstrated on the first day with similar results.

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