Somerset 2019

[Luton Roman]

Ahem. Season starts Sunday, definitely...

[comrade powell]

or maybe not....

[Luton Roman]

Today, ohhhh yessss the season most certainly started today !!!!!

[comrade powell]

[Beau Nash]

[Luton Roman]

Outplayed by Middlesex in all parts of the game. Our bowling not tight enough, fielding too loose, and we lost some wickets to casual batting as well as some great Middlesex fielding.
Some changes to be made for remaining games. Middlesex made good use of slow bowlers, so let's bring in Waller, that's why IPL wanted him !

[Luton Roman]

Enjoyable day out at Taunton yesterday, first visit since early 80s. Clearly some changes but certainly retains the charm of a traditional county cricket ground. Both teams built partnerships but then lost wickets before they could really get going but Somerset had match winners in a composed Hildreth performance and a blitz from Gregory. What looked to be a tricky target was eventually reached with ease to earn Somerset a place in the knock out phase. Thanks GWR for delaying my train long enough to see the finish !

[comrade powell]

Blimey, St Albans to Taunton return for a 50 overs game! Worcester tomorrow?

I'd like to say see you at Lord's for the final but I'll be surprised if we beat Lanky, despite the Lawman's transformation of our one day side. Too many players missing.

[Luton Roman]

1pm start suited. 40 min train delay on return allowed me to see 7.45pm finish.
You guys have momentum. All over Somerset and saw them see off Gloucester. More than capable with your batsmen in form.
One good thing for us is being underdogs. We seem intent on batting long and fiddling with Van de Merwe and Azhar as spinners rather than specials like Sowter, and Batty who tied us down at Taunton.

[Ashley]

Enjoyable day out at Taunton yesterday, first visit since early 80s. Clearly some changes but certainly retains the charm of a traditional county cricket ground. Both teams built partnerships but then lost wickets before they could really get going but Somerset had match winners in a composed Hildreth performance and a blitz from Gregory. What looked to be a tricky target  was eventually reached with ease to earn Somerset a place in the knock out phase. Thanks GWR for delaying my train long enough to see the finish !

Enjoyed it a lot too. Ideally I'd like to get to Taunton more than once a year but work and playing cricket at weekends get in the way somewhat!

Always felt that Surrey were 20-30 light of a decent score but until the Gregory hitting at the end it was never certain of a home victory. Really impressed with the new lights too, Taunton joins the 21st century!

Going along nicely today too, fingers crossed.

[Luton Roman]

Winners at last. Comprehensively outplayed Hampshire in all forms of the game. Tight bowling and fielding, might have been disappointed with that last stand pushing on to a 244 score, but still well below par on that pitch. Then what a start from our openers, denied Hampshire any momentum, and the others calmly took us through to the end with Hildy stroking the winning runs. Great support from the fans and goosebump time with all on our feet singing Stand Up for The Somerset on a regular basis !

Some 16000 there so less than 2/3 full and then the presentation in front of the near empty Warmer stand with both sets of fans at the other end of the ground. Barking. This Somerset team have something about them. Lets see where it takes them.

[comrade powell]

Only the ECB could schedule the final on the same day as England were playing the Aussies on the home ground of one of the competing teams. Well done for killing off what was once a decent competition.

Your boys played well - to win every match is some record...

[comrade powell]

C'mon Gerry, hurry up with that match report from Richmond!

[Luton Roman]

Lol, indeed Richmond put on a good show, a model outground presentation, easy access, plenty of food and drink stalls, as well as toilets, and plenty of seats in the ground. They expected 4000 but attendance was announced at 2810, dont know how many members they expected. Off to Radlett next Sunday for Gloucs so lets see how they do. They set up well for the 50 over match v. Somerset.

So twice Somerset have won the toss in white ball games v. Middx this season to 'chase down totals on smaller grounds' and twice they have come up short. While AB de Villiers put on a master class, effortlessly stroking 9 x 6s, Somerset looked good with Banton and Hildy similarly finding the boundary with regularity, esp v Finn and TRJ. In fact Somerset hit more boundaries than Middx, but they all seemed in too much hurry and the introduction of Sowter seemed mesmerising. The Middx outcricket was very good, none more so than the flying Finn cutting Abell short when he might have been getting us close.

Somerset bowling was inconsistent with none really on the mark and the woeful Taylor looking down in the dumps. Dont see how they will turn this around to qualify with 4 losses already. So we will just have to get the better of you in the championship, oh.....

[comrade powell]

Thanks for that very fair appraisal of what sounds like a plucky performance against the new T20 kings. Demolished Surrey tonight in the televised game.

[Luton Roman]

Yep went yesterday also, always a great atmosphere, just shy of 28000 capacity under the lights. Middx looking a good unit. Finn and Sowter swapped performances from Sunday , Morgan and AB took the game away and once Finch had gone that was that.
Somerset hanging in there with other teams stuttering.

[Luton Roman]

To complete an unsatisfactory couple of days of west country sport, I watched Somerset's faltering championship bid falter further at Edgbaston yesterday (Monday, Day 2). After a promising opening which indicated Warks would roll over, they didn't and found scoring easily, both at the ludicrously short (50 metre !) boundary and the consequently longer one. Wayward bowling meant Warks got over 400 and Somerset only got 2 bowling points but more importantly faced scoreboard pressure and an uphill struggle to get anything out of the game.

The damning stat of 1 century opening partnership in the last 3 years of championship cricket is an indicator of upper order batting frailties yet to be sorted and so again Somerset found themselves at 3 down for not much inc Babar Azam going first ball. Application and patience from Davies, Banton and Bartlett stabilised the situation until the potential game winning wicket of Bartlett in the penultimate over means Somerset are staring down the barrel of a 2nd successive innings defeat leaving the Essex challenge, albeit rain affected, to move into pole position.

The plus notes were:

1. the batting of Davies in the unusual opener position. A season best score looking relatively untroubled perhaps he should be left there for the final 3 games with the hoped for return of Matt Renshaw to try and give some impetus at the top of the order; and
2. Indications that Gregory, the one player Somerset have truly missed recently as he is someone who can make things happen, may return for the championship run in.

Its not over til its over....

[comrade powell]

You must have been delighted with the turnaround. Worry not, the title is yours. Essex only have the one home match remaining. With two to play at Taunton your groundsman knows what to do...

[comrade powell]

Well that was an enjoyable evening’s viewing.

[Peter Newman]

Yes it was a game between Somerset's 3 overseas players and Middlesex's ovetseas players that went the way of the latter. I suppose it was a game between the current and the future that Middlesex won deservedly. I just hope that Somerset can keep hold of their future stars as we must be doing something right to bring all this talent through.
Sad to see that Peter Trego has now been sidelined. I know he played for us but did he turn out for Chippenham as well?

[Luton Roman]

Saw the denouement today and a confident Somerset side that crushed Yorkshire by, well, loads. Decent crowd in and win well received, all realising that it's another big step towards the title. Will be on top into the penultimate week. One game at a time.

[comrade powell]

Bad luck - that defeat at Hampshire really came back to bite you. Almost had an incredibly tight finish today but Sir Alistair is true class. Always next year and good that another west country team is joining you.

[Luton Roman]

We didn't lose the title, we just ran out of time....
Tbh our top order batting frailties needs sorting, our averages well down compared with Essex. Plus points is a young team that has now won a cup, has a good captain who leads from the front, and a squad with more depth. We may need some of that depth with likelihood of more England call ups and other counties eyeing our talent. Gregory was touch and go earlier before signing a new contract.
Today we needed Cook, who showed great application, to be out early 2nd time around which would have frayed Essex nerves. In the end the table doesn't lie, and we are, again, one year nearer the title.

[Beau Nash]

Too much rain in the west compared with the eastern counties. As Gerry says, need the top six to score more runs.
Local derby next season with Glarster.

[comrade powell]

James Hildreth was the guest at The Cricket Society meeting in Bath yesterday. Very entertaining with some amusing anecdotes. Not surprised to hear that he rated Ponting as the best he ever batted with and reckoned that the county bowlers who move it each way off the seam on sporting wickets are more difficult to face than the real speed merchants he has come up against. He felt clueless when facing Murali. He’s clearly in awe of Tres and was very diplomatic about no test caps.

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