The precocious are rarely forgiven their effrontery, so James Hildreth will not play for England. Not now. And yet, at 30, with youth and experience in alignment, he may be considered to be at the summit of his career as a batsman.
He scored his fourth first-class century of the season here on Friday to confirm the superiority Marcus Trescothick and Tom Cooper had given Somerset in their vital match against Worcestershire. Earlier this season he had already become the first man to reach 1,000 runs.
But that, essentially, is what Hildreth has become; a classy 1,000-a-season man, a player whose brightness has faded after a dozen years in the shop window.
The casual thought is that he is older than he really is. There is the temptation to consider him, along with Trescothick, as one of the senior players in the Somerset side. And so he is. But Trescothick is nine years older.
A couple of poor seasons before this put paid to Hildreth’s already remote chances of playing for his country, that and the damaging suspicion that he is not really that comfortable against the short ball.
Against Worcestershire, though, the words of his former captain, Justin Langer, were recalled. Langer, hardly known for heaping praise on Poms, described Hildreth as “an extraordinary talent”. Perhaps the prodigy from Millfield school, who first played for Somerset when he was only 18, has never had the ferocious will to make it at the highest level.
His century was effortless. It came from 143 deliveries and there were 17 fours, and his drives and cuts brought despair to an already dispirited attack; Worcestershire, after all, had won the toss and chosen to bowl.
It is difficult to be critical of their captain, Daryl Mitchell. Dark clouds rolled over the County Ground and the pitch, like one of Robin Hood’s merry men, was clothed in Lincoln green. But the ball did not really do anything, either off the pitch or through the air.
This is a crucial fixture because two of Somerset, Worcestershire, Sussex and Hampshire will be relegated. Somerset have played one match fewer than the others, so victory would give them breathing space.
In May, at Worcester, Somerset had been beaten by an innings and 62 runs, with the fast bowler Charlie Morris collecting match figures of nine for 86. And Worcestershire took first blood here too, when Jack Shantry slanted one in to have Johann Myburgh lbw for a duck in the fourth over. But Trescothick and Cooper, the Australian who plays international cricket for Holland, then swung the game towards Somerset.
Trescothick was the first to his half-century but Cooper got there from fewer balls, 71 against 94.
At lunch Somerset were looking strong at 112 for one. Cooper fell to a tumbling slip catch from the third delivery after the break; there had been 10 fours in his 57. But then Trescothick and Hildreth brought further pain to the Worcestershire attack, with a partnership of 93 in 24 overs.
Trescothick will be 40 on Christmas Day. Soon he will be seen ambling around the ground, like the county’s former players Andy Caddick, Alan Whitehead and Ken Palmer we saw on Friday. But he can still look masterful. He has been such a successful opening batsman it is easy to forget that he is such a wonderful player of spin, and the way he worked Saeed Ajmal down to the third-man boundary, time and again, was a joy to watch.
But it was a spinner, Brett D’Oliveira, who did for the former England player. Trescothick attempted a sweep and had his off stump knocked back by what appeared to be a googly. He made a very good 85, not only full of fine shots but also a great deal of application.
Hildreth, though, had been the more fluent of the two players and he put on 122 for the fourth wicket with Jim Allenby. Allenby made a resolute 50 but his innings was placed in the shade by Hildreth. He is 133 not out. He has faced only 182 balls and hit 21 fours.
He may not be an England player but he enriches county cricket.
