Somerset not waving white flag yet, says Hurry
The Somerset director of cricket, Andy Hurry, insists his players will not “wave the white flag” despite rivals Essex being on the brink of County Championship glory heading in to the final day of the season.
No play was possible on the third day of the Taunton title decider, with umpires Alex Wharf and Rob Bailey ruling a damp area in front of the pavilion unplayable after the rain finally relented. Somerset, who must beat leaders Essex to overtake them, are in the unenviable position of needing to take 20 wickets on Thursday to claim the title for the first time.
Hurry said: “It’s definitely not the end. Our challenge now becomes stiffer, but it’s important having demonstrated throughout the whole season courage, conviction and belief that we don’t lose that overnight.
We’ve put too much on the line for too long a period to wave the white flag. It’s not what we’re about. We’re also about the future as well, and making sure we put down a marker for next year.”
In the play that has been possible at Taunton this week, Somerset made 203 in their first innings, with Essex 25 for no wicket in reply.
Even if the weather improves, and there is a kinder forecast for Thursday, Essex should avoid the ignominy of being bowled out twice to win a second Championship title in three seasons.
But Hurry said: “It’s important we turn up in the morning in the right frame of mind and give it 100%. And it’s a funny old game. This summer we’ve seen some amazing cricket and some huge twists and turns.
“Anything can happen - and we’ve got to keep believing.
“We’ve got to get runs on the board and bowl them out.”
Summing up
So, Essex are ever closer to a second title in three years and an eighth in their history, leaving Somerset still chasing that elusive pennant. The home side are going to need an almighty clatter of wickets tomorrow to snatch the crown and Essex are surely too strong to let that happen. Aren’t they? Elsewhere, the weather also looks like confirming the promotions of Northants and Gloucestershire, who are at least playing at the moment, against each other (Gloucs 164-6 since you ask).
Anyway, stick around on the site for the thoughts of our man in Taunton, Vic Marks, and why not give The Spin a listen on your way home? Thanks for your emails, tweets and comments and we’ll be back tomorrow for – hopefully – some of yer actual cricket, any cricket. Bye.
Play at Taunton abandoned for the day
No dice from that 4.30pm inspection, problems being not just the ever-present rain threat but the state of the outfield, so today is a washout. The 2019 championship, the 2019 season, doesn’t deserve such a damp squib of an ending.
It’s been dry for an hour or so now at Taunton, so “we might get an hour or so in”, says Sky’s Nick Knight.
Meanwhile, let’s have a scores-on-the-doors roundup:
Division One: Canterbury: Kent 147 v Hampshire 80-3 (no play Wednesday, rain); Taunton: Somerset 203 v Essex 25-0 (inspection, 4.30pm); The Oval: Surrey 402-6dec v Notts 5-0 (in play); Edgbaston: Yorkshire 261-2 v Warwickshire (no play Wednesday, rain)
Division Two: Chester-le-Street: Durham 262-8 v Glamorgan (no play Wednesday, rain); Bristol: Gloucestershire 143-6 v Northants (in play); Leicester: Leicestershire 155 v Lancashire 118-7 (in play); Lord’s: Middlesex 260 v Derbyshire 138-4 (in play)
“If Durham and Glammy do forfeits, then Glammy can’t get enough bonus points to catch TMN,” points out Rooto below the line (my miscalculation – this is why I’m not a county captain), “so Rossington might be tempted to do the same with Gloucs – or at least dare Gloucs to set a target. This thought got me slightly excited about tomorrow’s cricket, until I then looked at the weather forecast for Bristol tomorrow...”
Well they’ve taken the covers off there again now, which constitutes excitement on a day like this.
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No sooner do I report that they’re playing at Bristol then a Gloucestershire-supporting source texts. “Off in Bristol,” he parps unhappily. “Sheltering in Hammond Bar,” he adds, rather more happily. So that one’s almost certainly a draw, inviting the question: will Durham offer to make a game of it against promotion-chasing Glamorgan tomorrow, with innings-forfeits and such? Should they?
There is actual play up the road from Taunton at Bristol, where Gloucestershire have advance briskly from 80 for 6 to 124 for 6, Ben Charlesworth unbeaten on 47. Their promotion looks in the bag though, with Glamorgan unable to get on the field today at Durham, who are 262 for 8 in their first innings. And at the Oval, Notts have finally got rid of Scott Borthwick, caught by Jake Ball off Steven Mullaney for 137, and Will Jacks, lbw to the same bowler for 17. Rikki Clarke has biffed three fours and a six though, and Surrey are 380 for 6. Derbyshire are 110 for 4 replying to Middlesex’s 260.
Play not abandoned yet. The umpires are going to have another look at 4.30pm. These are my straws and I’m clutching at them. Of course it’ll start getting dark by 7. Because, you know, it’s late September, the perfect time of year for Really Important Cricket.
No sooner had I drifted into a nostalgic reverie about the dramatic denouement of the golden Championship summer of 1984, than we’ve launched an article on that very thing. The best title race finish ever? It’d certainly give 2016 a run for its money.
Weather news: it’s not raining at the moment, and the umpires have just been out giving the outfield another once-over; they look worried about the dampness though. The pitch itself is still under cover, as an understandable precaution. More as we get it …
Gary Naylor got here way before most of the rest of us with player-based verbs. He wrote this, way back in 2007. Lots to enjoy here. Choice cuts: “Kallis (v.t) – To selfishly guard something painstakingly accumulated over years in the mistaken belief that anyone else cares about it. ‘We didn’t go on holiday for three years as all the money was spent converting the loft so he could kallis his Hornby train set in there’.”
And as we’re doing an Essex match: “Petersuch (v) – to achieve far beyond the parameters of your natural talents. ‘I resent the accusation that Steve McClaren has petersuched his way into the England manager’s job, he was the 4th person on my list after all.’ Brian Barwick, 2006”
More verbing: “I don’t know if it was ever a thing,” writes Kim Thonger, “but someone dismissed by stumping by that marvellous Indian cricketer Farokh Engineer, should surely have considered themselves ‘engineered’?” And we could all have hailed feats of Engineer-ing etc.
And a pithy one from Geoff Wignall: “I’m not sure about players’ names used as verbs - to Sober is certainly not in homage to the GOAT - but maybe the reverse happened with to boycott entertainment/ team spirit/ sportsmanship/ basic human decency.”
Quirky nostalgia stat-nugget: If it rains all day tomorrow, Essex will have won the title at Taunton without playing for the second time. The previous occasion was a proper cliff-hanger in 1984, when Somerset beat Nottinghamshire by three runs, the visitors’ defeat handing Essex – who had completed victory against Lancashire a day earlier – the title. I’ve got fond, hazy childhood memories of listening to the closing stages of this one on the Radio Four news at dinner time, in days when they’d actually interrupt the news for county cricket thrills and spills. Let’s return to those times – it’s not as if there’s much else going on in the news after all.
Thanks Tanya, well this is maddening isn’t it? Rain! In late September! Whodda thunk it? Whodda scheduled it? I’m not actually in Taunton, so not able to alleviate the frustration by ambling around a cricket ground (one of life’s great pleasures), but gazing out on what are currently quite sunny conditions in That London, for what it’s worth. Two matches are taking place in the capital, of no great significance, where Surrey have mooched along to 339 for 4 against doomed Notts at The Oval (2013’s Scott Borthwick is 134 not out), and Derbyshire are 90 for 3 in reply to Middlesex’s 260
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I went for my walk. The umpires came out. Loyal Somerset fans came through the gates. A huddle of over-tankered fans sang, “take the covers off” to the tune of KC and the Sunshine Band’s Give it up. Then it started to rain again. We’re taking tea at three and then, well, who knows? But, and apologies, that’s Somerset’s Championship dreams over for another year.
Anyway (clear’s throat) that’s it from me for today, I’m handing over to Tom Davies. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon, and thank you very much for all the emails and chat BTL. Till tomorrow, ta-ra!
Here, at last, through the ether, is Poppy.
No sign of Brian the cat as this Championship decider at Taunton dribbles towards a draw, but I did meet Poppy the labrador, one of many lovely dogs on a day out @SomersetCCC . pic.twitter.com/RFSGFc0dTB
— tanya aldred (@tjaldred) September 25, 2019
And how could we forget this? Thanks Dave.
@tjaldred There was of course the time when Ed Bevan was Tregoed https://t.co/zKO4e3vLdu
— Dave McNally (@olias120676) September 25, 2019
Round the counties - there will be an inspection at 2 at Canterbury and Gloucester, 2.30 here and Hove, 2.45 at The Riverside, There will be no play at Edgbaston today. So we have THREE games where the players have made it to the middle.
Lords: Middlesex 260 (Malan 72) v Derbyshire 40-0
Grace Road: Leicestershire 155 (Gleeson 6-43) v Lancashire 5-1 (of course it was Keaton, bowled for 0)
And The Oval, where Surrey are 302-3 v Notts, with the marvellous glory that is Ollie Pope just out for 106.
On the same pitches, against the same attacks, Pope is scoring almost 25 runs-per-dismissal more than his contemporaries. Permission to get excited well and truly granted. https://t.co/q6M0d58Jsm
— Ben Jones (@benjonescricket) September 25, 2019
Thank you! So we’ve got Cooked (thank you Malcolm Ogilvie), Mankaded, Dilshaned, Tino’d (Pettsvaldo), Waqared (Oharar).
“Hi Tanya,” writes Geoff Wignall. “I don’t suppose it was a cunning plan, but....CC finale in 4th week of Sept; no enthralling climax in the rain; so need for a new competition to create new enthusiasm: Ladeez an’ Gentermen, I give you The Hundred!”
Geoff, you could be on to something. But the weather doesn’t always play ball even in the summer... I’m sure the ECB are on it.
Apropros of nothing much, I’ve been reading a book called When in French, Love in a second language which is very good, if typed in very small print. Anyway, it talked about the French verb zlataner, to amaze or dominate, coined after the footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It got me wondering about verbs named after cricketers. I’ve used Morkelled which, in my head at least, means delivering a stump splattering. There must be more.
And the latest news is that there will be a further inspection at 2.30pm, with the skies looking slightly brighter and the groundstaff folding some of the covers away. A nice lunch btw, couscous salad and coleslaw followed by toffee apple tart.
Something to listen to in your lunch hour.
The Spin podcast hits Taunton – @em_john, @norcrosscricket, @Vitu_E are joined by Marcus Trescothick and Jack Leach https://t.co/keYZDJ1uXG
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) September 25, 2019
8 Back in 1980, Botham scored 228 against Gloucester, 180 odd between lunch & tea. Does Vic have any memories of this rather speedy innings?
I was playing, I’m sure I enjoyed the innings, but my main memory is that we failed to win and Zaheer caressed me all around Taunton while saving the game for Gloucester.
And that is the end of ASK VIC for today as we are going to find some lunch which is being served in the Ondaatje pavilion. In even better news - the covers are coming off!
7 Has Leach spent a lot of time with Trescothick honing his batting technique? It certainly looks like it. In which case, this helps make the case for a role in the England coaching set up for Tres wouldn’t you say?
Probably. He almost looks like him if you half-close your eyes. Marcus has already done some work with England, he was around in one or two of the Test matches helping and I’m sure he’s got much to offer as a batting coach. He may still be wary of a permanent role because of the amount of travelling required. He has plenty of options I’m sure which may involve a combination of coaching, broadcasting and he has also been employed by one of the local schools in the winter. He’d probably make a good selector too.
I was lucky enough to be present for the 705/9d against Hampshire in 2003 - what’s the best team innings you’ve ever seen at Taunton?
I was at the other end when Viv Richards hit a triple century against Warwickshire in 1985 and my main contribution was managing not to run him out. However, off the top of my head, I remember in 1984 a run-chase against Leicester in what Peter Willey at the toss described as “proper game of bloody cricket” since he was deputising as captain for Gower and I was deputising for Botham. He set us a challenging fourth-innings target with Andy Roberts and, I think, Jonathan Agnew in his attack and Martin Crowe hit a sublime century with Peter Roebuck making one that wasn’t quite so sublime but invaluable.
5 What would be your XI for the first test in New Zealand? And who should be the next England Coach?
Burns, Sibley, Denly, Root, Stokes, Pope, Buttler, S Curran, Archer, Broad, Leach.
The next England coach: if it was internal, Chris Silverwood would most likely get the job. The problem is that the most experienced coaches and maybe the wisest have decided they prefer an IPL franchise or even a surprisingly lucrative gig in the Hundred to the rigours of ten months on the road. So this enhances the chances of England reverting to an English coach. This time, however, it might not be Peter Moores.
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4 Hameed?
On Hameed, perhaps Somerset would be a good new home if only on the basis that it is just about the furthest point away from Old Trafford. And he is a very good player of spin which sometimes helps round here.
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3 I was told once in my early career as a Lanky supporter that Lanky flogged Somerset within an inch of it’s life and to this day it still brings on the tremors to a Somerset player/fan if you mention Archie MacLaren and Lanky’s 801 and the flogging in three days. Is this still so Vic?
Well, Archie MacLaren scored 424 at Taunton against Somerset - I know this because in 1988 as we were wearily clapping Graeme Hick on his way to the pavilion on 405 not out I churlishly mentioned that MacLaren got many more than that. In one of my last Sunday league games in a forlorn chase at Worcester I hit Graeme Hick for two sixes. “I owe you 43 more I said.” Boom, boom.
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2 Of all the spinners to play in a World Cup for England, which were the three best performances in a tournament?
Well, obviously me! 5-39 v Sri Lanka at Taunton in 1983 on a slightly drier day than today. No idea about the others though...
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ASK VIC
1 Who should Somerset sign next year? Overseas and/or local?
Well, our bowling stocks are as strong as they’ve ever been assuming we keep all our players (Dom Bess especially) so we need a top-order rock-solid someone. Warner? He may not be required at Test level too often. More seriously, there are not that many top openers around. They are very hard to find now especially on a long-term basis so it may well be a big year for Eddie Byrom who played in the first match of the season and hasn’t been since against the red ball since. He was renowned as an old-fashioned crease occupier at the start of the season but by August he had transformed into a one-day basher. Somewhere in between is a damned good player.
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Lunch
With no sign of the umpires peering at the pitch, there comes the announcement that lunch will be taken at 12.40.
I’ve got a lovely picture of Poppy the black labrador to cheer you up but my b**** phone won’t send it to me. Apologies to Poppy’s owner if you’re reading this - hopefully the photo might come through to me in the next 6 hours.
UPDATE: 🌧 🌧 #WeAreSomerset #SOMvESS pic.twitter.com/nFOwqdCgOq
— Somerset Cricket 🏏 (@SomersetCCC) September 25, 2019
Paul Frame has emailed in to ask the state of the Division Two title race. Quite right Paul, so this is what I think is the case. Please let me know if I’m wrong.
Northants currently have 181 points, Gloucestershire 176 and Glamorgan 160. So Northants need a further two points to secure promotion and Glamorgan need to win with max points to overtake Gloucestershire, which seems unlikely in the current weather situation.
A team is awarded 16 points for a victory, with both sides earning eight points for a tie and five points apiece if a match is drawn. Plus bonus points.
No luck with Brian, but that could be because, I’m sorry to say, it is now raining hard. Press box now smells of damp coats and is getting steamy in a deeply un-erotic kind of way. But, I have Vic Marks here who is available to answer any of your questions about Somerset and more, so do ask questions BTL or via email and we can start the first series of ASK VIC.
Ok, so I’ve got some info on Brian the cat. His real name isn’t Brian but he was named after someone who worked at Somerset who has ginger hair. He doesn’t belong to the club but lives with loving owners who work long hours, and mooches over to the club for some attention during the day. These owners were unaware that their cat had a twitter feed until a couple of weeks ago. I shall hunt for him now.
The umpires have spoken: we have another inspection at noon. And I’m afraid the skies are darkening again. Still, I’ve got my hands on some bourbons so all is not lost.
Ah, I know some of you have been doing this BTL, but the Beeb also have their CC team of the year.
Sibley, Alastair Cook, Labuschagne, Northeast, Malan, Vilas, Higgins, Gregory, Harmer, Abbott, Rushworth.
Ah here we have the three umpires. Black trousers, white shirts neatly tucked in. They stamp on the outfield with their matching white trainers, trying to squeeze water out of a sponge. One has a rolled up umbrella that he is swinging with a jaunty air. Round the covers they walk with the groundsman - how much is there to talk about I wonder? Perhaps they’re just comparing breakfasts.
UPDATE: There will be another pitch inspection at 12pm.#SOMvESS pic.twitter.com/TkwnZroZ8t
— Essex Cricket (@EssexCricket) September 25, 2019
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Play at Lord’s will start at 11.15 am if there is no further rain.
We’re down to three plastic rain sheets and the wheel-on covers now at Taunton, I’m sniffing a noon start in the breeze. The drainage lines that are so prominent when you watch on the television are just as prominent on the ground, criss-crossing the grass like archaeological remains suddenly visible after a dry summer. I was talking to a journalist who has covered Somerset for many years and he was saying how much more interesting the cricket was here now than when teams scored 400 then 600 and everything was drawn. So in the good-natured end-of-season spirit of CCLive!, can anyone else come up with things that have got better in the last 15 years? Email me, go on.
Oh BP, I wish I’d seen your post BTL. No sign of Brian but I will go and search I promise. The stands are slowly filling up here, and I’m tempted to return to the ice-cream stand where they sell chocolate chuckle, honeycomb and vegan chocolate cones.
Ok, so things are looking up. The rain has stopped and they are pulling the sheets off and doing things with hoses. It’s actually quite warm though I’ve got soggy trousers after sitting on one of the benches to watch a shaggy golden retriever. The floodlights are off.
Around the counties
No play before lunch at Grace Road, Edgbaston, The Riverside, Hove or Canterbury.
A delayed start at The Oval and Bristol due to a wet outfield but, promisingly, just drizzle reported at Lord’s.
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This is the scene.
UPDATE: Inspection at 11am #SOMvESS #WeAreSomerset pic.twitter.com/frWEyYFx8v
— Somerset Cricket 🏏 (@SomersetCCC) September 25, 2019
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Preamble
Good morning from a soggy Taunton, where the sky is slate and the groundstaff, who were pulling sheets off the field when I arrived, are now pulling them back on again. The super sopper zips backwards and forwards round the boundary edge, as if ironing a particularly stubborn shirt. There will be an inspection at 11am.
It’s all a great shame as both teams reckon this is only a 200-over game. However, in the definition of optimism, a few hardy souls settle into the Sir Ian Botham stand, an hour before the scheduled start. Hoods up, arms folded, stoicism origami - this is county cricket in late September!
I’m going to walk round the ground now to find a coffee, back in 15 minutes.
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