v Lancashire Pro40 @ Liverpool Sunday 14 September 2008

Scorecard

We come to the end of a baffling (used that word twice in a week about Somerset selection) 40 over one day campaign on an out ground in Lancashire against our fellow relegation possibles.  Whatever the master plan was, it hasn't worked for Justin Langer and the strategists at the County Ground.  The decision to go with a one day setup concentrating on the presence of spinning allrounders not called 'Blackwell' has seen us facing Lancashire with only one option allowing us to remain in the top flight of the one day league - a victory.  Little suggests that we will be facing Glamorgan in the play-off in Cardiff at the end of the season but I'm very willing to be wrong about that. A win might keep us up without that option - not sure we would deseerve that but we'll take anything at the present moment.

Justin goes into this game with a side from the following squad;

Trescothick, Langer, de Bruyn, Hildreth, Trego, Durston, Gazzard, Banks, Thomas, Turner, Willoughby, Jones, Suppiah, Caddick

The boss has left himself with a bit of a quandry after not playing Caddy in the Championship match.  Does he want him going into a big four day game at Scarborough rusty because he has had little match practice?  That may mean he partners Willoughby in this last main season one day game.  (I doubt he'll rest the lefty but it is a possible option I suppose).  One would expect the first seven names to be on the team sheet.  The official site suggests that Turner will play in this game so that would leave one place for Banks, Thomas, Suppiah and Jones to fight over.

I've not been impressed by Omari with the bat but it hasn't seemed to be seen as a problem by the selectors and he has played even though his form with the willow has been indifferent to say the least.  Alfonso has done nothing wrong in his games this season and would be a perfectly acceptable choice but it would leave Wes as the only spinning option.  Arul would therefore be a choice should spiin be a possible match component.  Add to that the fact that Steffan comes into this game off a hat-trick in the seconds and it's a real problem for the men with the teamsheet and the pens.  Too many components to predict ahead.  We'll wait and see what transpires at 12:45.

A meaningless game at Chester-le-Street may possibly mean we get no coverage on Somerset Sound but I'm sure Radio Lancashire may cover the game.

They start on time.  The pitch is slow and there's little carry it seems.  Charl is playing and they expect Peter Trego to take the new ball with him so no Caddy.  The side is;

Trego, Thomas, Hildreth, Langer, Trescothick, Turner, Durston, Suppiah, Gazzard, Willoughby and de Bruyn.   Justin won the toss and has decided to field first.  It looks like an inspired choice as all four front line seamers get movement and the Lancashire lads xan do little withh the ball other than play it to fielders.  Willoughby, Trego and especially Turner get the ball doing things and Brown, Vincent Law and Horton all vacate the field of play before the score passes 50.  It's looking good and looks even better when first Thomas gets into the act and then Turner cleans up the last recognised defence from de Plessis at 74 and takes Cross at 75.

A score over 100 looks doubtful but Glan Chapple has other plans and marshalls the Lancashire tail to put up a fight.  At the same time, we take our eye off the ball for a while and let them get a bit more comfortable.  No spin is employed and the faster guys lose focus a little.  Nothing huge but the home side do manage to get the score beyond 150

As Smith, Chapple and Keedy top score within the 40 overs.  The last wicket goes in the last over and we panic for a while as the umpires think about whether to penalise us for a slow over rate and add 6 runs.  They decide against it and we are set 157 to stay in the first flight of one day sides.

They got away a bit but Turner continues to impress and even thought the final figure is higher than we would have liked everyone had a good day and everyone got wickets.

The Reply

Things don't go to plan.  We should belt this lot off and walk away relieved but the Lancashire bowlers have other plans.  Marcus misreads one from Chapple and is steepled.  Langer snicks on behind and de Bruyn  steps in front of one.  Even though Hildreth gets the plan right and settles himself, he only scores one before he also goes and we face 73 for 5 and a non too easy second half of an innings.

Enter Arul Suppiah who does everything right and puts me in mind to say that in this game the presence of Ian Blackwell is not obvious in its absence.  Just as I think he and Wes will sort this they bring on Keedy and his spin and Arul belts up the pitch, misses the ball and is bowled with him in the 30's and taking action he really did not need to take.  Bad bad boy.  Mr Langer will be most displeased and this may come back to haunt you if we don't make this  total.

It gets no better when the confident Peter Trego manages to snick a wide ball and is caught behind.  100 up and no recognised batsmen to partner Wes  to the total.  Carl Gazzard finds himself having to take on more of the Kieswetter role than he expected,  He kept very well but now we need him to bat the game out as the run rate rises and the total still looks a long way off.

When Durston is LBW to Keedy then the introduction of a spinner looks like Law's winning strategy.  Alfonso is in and no mouse with the bat but the rate is up to 8 an over and there afren't many overs left!  Carl however seems non plussed by it all and even when there is a need for 15 off 10 balls, the two Somerset men seem quite cool about it.  

Lo and behold we never needed to worry.  With 2 balls to go Thommo pops the ball past the infield and runs the two needed to win the game and keep us in the first division by taking us above Worcestershire in terms of games won.  They go to Cardiff and we breath a buge sigh of relief!!  Well done boys but why oh why do you insist in leaving it so flaming late?

There are real problems with ouor one day performances but we have the winter to sort them before another season in the top draw to show we have learned some valuable lessons and accepted some home truths about how we face the short format game.

Left it late but better late than never.   

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