Story Somerset - [ICC 05]

[w3lshrugby]

yes mate, that is brilliant - keep it up!

 

[treva]

Ian Botham - Welcome back to all of you at home to this Tote Sport League match between Durham and Somerset here at Chester le Street. I have with my Ian Ward today, Ian seeing as Durham are going to have a bowl on a very flat pitch do you feel the pitch will improve or do you think it will deteriorate as the game progresses?

Ian Ward - Personally I think it will deteriorate throughout the match and will become a very friendly surface for the spin bowlers. The likes of Blackwell and Godwin, in my opinion, will thrive on this pitch and we could be in for an upset here today!

Ian Botham - Ok thanks Ian. Well as the players start to head out onto the field we can take a look at the two lineups. Firstly Durham's...

...Well it seems we have a slight glich with the Durham team so we will show you at the break between innings. But we can take a look at the Somerset team sheet...

1) Matthew Wood
2) Ed Smith (c)
3) Ian Blackwell
4) Michael Burns
5) James Hildreth
6) Mike Godwin
7) Aaron Laraman
8) Carl Gazzard (wk)
9) Richard Johnson
10) Shane Bond
11) Nixon Mclean

Due to injury to Niel Edwards the young Left Hand batsman Michael Burns the experienced top order batsman has replaced Edwards in the side after a run of good form in the 2nd XI. Marcus Trescothick is away on international duty so James Hildreth will regain his place and Matt Wood will open up with the skipper. Poor form has kept Hancock out of the XI and Nixon Mclean ex West Indian fast bowler will play at number 11.

Well the team are out on the field so lets go down to the action. Your commentators are Nasser Hussain and Graeme Fowler...​

 

[plympilgrim]

nice work trev, it looks a strong somerset side, even without cam

 

[w3lshrugby]

yes, i think somerset will win this match comfortably!

 

[GrayNicolls]

You should easily beat a mediocre Durham side. Good luck.

 

[treva]

9.6 Overs: Oh and he's knocked that straight back at Noffke and we have our first wicket of the match with the score at 20. A poor shot really from Matt Wood and a simple catch for Noffke.

 

[GrayNicolls]

Shame. Bad start for Somerset, they should come back, though. Great presentation, trev.

 

[pinchinator]

great presentation trev :happy

 

[plympilgrim]

shame somerset with the early loss of wood hopefully we don't collapse

 

[treva]

11.5 Overs: Iqbal to bowl and that's pitched on off, oh and it's caught the edge and a simple catch at silly point for Barrick. Poor shot! He tried to work it away on the legside but just found the edge. 7 ball duck for Blackwell.

 

[treva]

A great knock by Michael Burns the Somerset old timer in his first game of the season has got to 51* in solid. It has taken him 82 balls with 5 fours. A good return to the game for the ex-Somerset captain!

 

[gamerkid22]

Burns is playing well . he should go on with his good innings now

 

[plympilgrim]

wow grt pres trev keep it up

 

[treva]

40.5 Overs: Well Ed Smith has picked up his bat and showed us what a player he is today with a brilliant captains knock in a defficult time. It has taken him 113 balls to get to his half century but played the kind of innings needed in the circumstances. He has been on top form this season rarely missing out on a half century or more. With Somerset on 134/2 with just 4 overs left they will look to get up to 160-170.

 

[plympilgrim]

somerset aren't going to badly really even though the run rate is around 3, for this sort of pitch they can still win