The Cricket Thread

I don’t think the crowd would like it very much!

 

I make it that we'd be on 108, with Gloucs still ahead on 109?

 

Oh yes, I forgot about the 2 points Gloucs will get. Still, you would have to beat them in the last game anyway.

 

Yeah. In terms of us finishing top two, this match is the least important of our final three. Assuming that Gloucs lose to Leics, then wins for us vs Gloucs and Surrey (or maybe even a draw vs Surrey) should see us finish second.

Although still relevant to phase one, this match's importance for us is more in relation to phase two.

 

Tom Abell plays on on 98

 

Revenge for getting McManus for 91 earlier.

 

Good news is Glos being on 198-9!

 

Somerset will have to bat out most of today before they reach a total they feel comfortable we won't chase.

 

How can you lose by an innings and 93 runs to Leicestershire?

 

Leicestershire win by an inning and 93 runs, so Somerset will go top unless the wheels fall off completely and Hampshire win,

 

Callum Parkinson has a career average of 44, but he’s got 10-108 in that match.

 

I suppose the one thing which no-one has considered (or at least not me!) is Leicester going to Taunton next game and winning.

You would fancy Leicester to beat Middlesex in the final round. So if they were to somehow win at Taunton too (they clearly won't), that would give them an outside chance of finishing top two.

 

I don't understand why you'd send in a nightwatchman here. Odd.

(I'm not complaining!)

 

Yeah, very odd.

 

Another step towards the draw ticked off.

Next step is for Somerset to not declare overnight. Or, even better, the risk of rain tomorrow morning comes to fruition. Either would be fine, in order to cut down on the potential 96 overs which we might need to bat out.

 

Very strange tactics at the end, don’t get that at all. If Banton had followed Goldsworthy we might have had another 20-30 runs tonight and put Hampshire in tomorrow. And Davey as a night watchman doesn’t make much sense either.

Oh well, I think Somerset have made the game safe now, but there’s a good chance of rain spoiling things tomorrow.

 

Banton. Gregory. RVDM. Even De Lange! It's not like you were short of options for someone to come in and swing from the off. Could easily have afforded to burn one of them tonight.

Maybe Abell really does want us to draw this, to help assist with eventually kicking Gloucs out of a top two spot.

 

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if that was the case. And most Somerset fans would rather Gloucs didn’t qualify, regardless of the points carried over!

 

Essex are in real danger of not qualifying for D1.

Looks almost certain that their current match will finish a draw. And depending on bonus points, it's likely to leave them about 1 or 2 points behind Warks and about 3 or 4 points ahead of Notts. But with only one game left, whereas Warks and Notts will have two.

 

Somerset haven't declared. That and sending in Davey last night very much tells me they will settle for the draw. The chances of us chasing 372 were extremely remote so no reason not to declare if they were chasing the win.