Seconds fall short of target
Fri 9 Sep 2016
REPORT | By Pete Johnson
Another beautiful Autumn morning greeted us upon arrival for day three of this SEF encounter between Somerset and Leicestershire.
The calm early morning stillness of this Somerset Savannah was frequently punctuated by the ‘squawking’ of seagulls circling overhead. A flock of crows, numbering well over a hundred, were also pecking feverishly at the outfield. A few of them even had the audacity to venture onto the square.
Leicestershire lost the game by 115 runs, the target of 344 to win was never threatened with three of the first four Leicestershire batsmen failing to get off the mark. Brief resistance was offered by Tom Wells, Sam Evans, and Rob Taylor. The final total was given an air of respectability thanks to a last wicket stand of 81 between George Dockrell and Gavin Griffiths.
When play commenced a strong breeze had got, blowing in from a south westerly direction. Somerset decided to bat on, and resumed on their overnight 311-8 from 83 overs. County immediately took the new pink ball, with Rob Sayer the first to be handed it.
Sayer bowled the first over from the Hockey Stadium End, with Griffiths bowling the second over from the Town End. In Sayer’s second over the Somerset innings was wrapped up. With the first ball Byrom (64) was caught off a skier in the wide mid-on area by Harry Dearden, and with the fourth ball of the over Sayer had Ollie Sale (0) caught at mid-on by Griffiths.
Just a word on Ed Byrom’s mother who had attended the first day’s play, on which her son opened the innings, and was dismissed for 0. She did not attend on day two, on which Byrom posted an undefeated 59, turned up early for day three, and saw Ed add 5 to his overnight score before being dismissed.
Speaking with Mrs Byrom she does not get to watch much cricket as she had lived in the USA for 20 years, and was paying a fleeting visit to the UK after recently moving to the Czech Republic. Just a little background info for you on one of the spectators, the compassionate side of me did feel a little sorry for her. The brothers Sayer may feel a little guilty as they were responsible for his dismissal in both innings, there again they might not!
Somerset’s last 2 wickets this morning falling in 2.4 overs, for a final total of 330. Rob Sayer returning figures of 5-57 from 19.4 overs. Leicestershire needing 344 to win from a minimum of 91 over’s, an asking rate of 3.78 per over.
Just before the end of the Somerset innings, as if yesterdays abundance of Hockey and Netball players was not enough, we had a Ladies Rounders team passing alongside the Scorebox, so I was told that by my ‘oppo’ Col. Being the modicum of decorum that I am, my eyes were permanently transfixed on the cricket. What? Of course they were!
The rapid end to the Somerset innings caught the Taunton Vale groundstaff off guard, and we witnessed Umpires Lungley and Lavis pulling the light roller across the outfield towards the square. Fortunately said groundstaff appeared shortly afterwards, and took over rolling duties.
Any thoughts County may have had of chasing the total down were drastically challenged when they lost two wickets in the first over of the innings. Aadil Ali (0) was bowled first ball by Josh Davey, charging in from the Town End, and then with the 4th ball of the first over Harry Dearden (0) nicked behind to keeper Banton. County 1-2 at the end of the first over.
Davey, the man responsible for this early carnage, could easily fit into the lyrics of Widecombe Fair. He could slip in unnoticed taking the place of Peter Davy alongside Ian Stewer, Peter Gurney, Dan’l Whiddon and Harry Hawke. Uncle Tom Cobley would greet him with open arms to his motley crew.
Rob Sayer became the third batsman to go for 0, when after playing out 16 balls he chased a wide one, to keeper Banton off the bowling of Ollie Sale. Sale getting yet another bargain, dismissing Sayer in both innings. County on the back foot at 14-3 after 7.3 overs.
Wells meanwhile was playing a dogged gritty innings, and found an ally in effervescent Sam Evans. During over number 10 we had a brief rain shower, but the players did not leave the field. Wells was treating the bowling respectfully, but took three beautifully crafted boundaries.
Wells was also credited with a 5, the batsmen took a quick single, and a shy at the stumps hit Evans’ bat as he was grounding it, and went for 4 overthrows. Evans also found the ropes a number of times with some delightful cover drives.
The pair brought up a run a ball 50 partnership from, would you believe, 50 deliveries. One further run had been added when Evans (32) was pinned lbw by leg spinner Max Waller.
Harry Swindells joined Wells, had progress to 7, but was then bowled by off-spinner Tim Rouse. Waller, from the Town End, and Rouse, from the Hockey Stadium End, were to bowl in tandem for nearly the entirety of the Leicestershire innings.
Taylor joined Wells and the pair took County into lunch on 86-5 from 26 overs. I must say we did not expect that on the menu come lunchtime. In the 2nd over after lunch Wells (30) was adjudged lbw to Rouse.
Tom Nightingale (1) was not ‘on song’ and went caught behind square (the Somerset skipper putting a ‘Berkeley’ in for Nightingale) by Sale off the bowling of Waller. County on 107-7 from 39 overs.
Taylor, who had been very circumspect before lunch, then opened up, taking two boundaries off Rouse, and a boundary and a towering maximum off Waller. Taylor had been joined by George Dockrell who was to play a major part in the remainder of proceedings.
There was an occurrence of an Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman in combination at the fall of a wicket, Scotland international Taylor (35) going lbw to Yorkshireman Rouse with Ireland’s Dockrell at the non-striker’s end.
James Sykes joined Dockrell, but was unfortunately run out at the bowler’s end for 4, County 147-9 from 45.4 overs. Last man Gavin Griffiths joined Dockrell, and if anyone had any idea of starting the car, they soon had second thoughts.
Dockrell really set about the bowling, being particularly brutal in the square/backward square area. Dockrell brought up his 50 (7x4/1x6) from 56 balls with a maximum over long-off off seamer Ben Green, who had replaced Rouse at the Hockey Stadium End.
Griffiths meanwhile was blocking steadfastly, and giving anything ‘the treatment’ when it so deserved. The pair’s 50 partnership came up from 78 deliveries with the score on 201-9 from 58.4 over’s. This milestone was reached thanks to another maximum by Dockrell over long-on off spinner George Bartlett.
The pair had added 81 when Dockrell (75) was trapped in front by the returning Waller. An entertaining knock from Dockrell from 81 balls (8x4/2x6). Gavin Griffiths was not out 19 from 61 balls (3x4). The pair adding 81 runs for the last wicket from 18.4 overs, in a partnership lasting for 61 minutes. County all out for 228, Somerset winning by 115 runs.
Rob Sayer returned impressive match figures of 41.4-11-110-9. So 3 days in this West Country Wonderland comes to an end. A fixture arranged at somewhat short notice giving our players a welcome game of cricket after a couple of weeks with no Second XI game. I shall remember Taunton Vale not only for cricket, but for hockey, netball and also rounders!
