Does anyone remember Caramac bars?
My grandparents used to buy them for me when I was small, if it was my sister's birthday, as a sort of token present. They were extremely sickly and probably lethal in large quantities. My Caramac bars were usually rationed by my mum, worried I'd scoff the lot and make myself ill. Probably all over the threadbare swirly, bad-taste 1970s carpet in the living room.
I'm reminded of the Caramac thing because of the ongoing T20 debate. Most people agree that there's been an awful lot of T20 games. I mean, an incredible amount of the stuff. Suddenly the county championship seems nothing more than a distant memory! And don't get me wrong, because I like a bit of T20, but so much emphasis is being put on this contest that it seems to have had the crazy fun aspect sucked out of it. Of course teams want to win and do well. What's the point of playing it otherwise? But every year seems a little more gimmiky in a desperate bid to bring in the crowds. The more they add to it, the less an event it seems to become. And it just goes on, and on, and on.
It's a bit like the Caramac I mentioned earlier. It's great in small, bite sized portions, but too much will most likely lesson the initial appeal and desensitise the tastebuds.
Surrey have one more game to play, unless a miracle happens. Hang on, I think I’ve got my head around this.
In order to make any progression in the T20 competition and reach the knockout stages, we require things to go our way with the other results. So, ideally we would need:
Hampshire to lose twice.
Middlesex to lose once.
Surrey to win their last game against Gloucestershire.
The latter is very much in Surrey’s hands, and they can do nothing about the other results. Middlesex play Hampshire on Friday, so it would be very useful, ironically, if our pink and luminous neighbours across the Thames would do us a big favour and give Hants a bit of a pasting. Of course, they themselves are still in the hunt for a place in the next round so they will be pretty much up for it. Then again, so will Hants...
I’m useless working out permutations of things. My brain goes into shock if it’s given anything more difficult than remembering which bus to get on in the morning. Not sure what happens if the weather interferes to the extent where games are abandoned. One point apiece? What would that do to the table? *clutches head* Help! Meltdown! T20 overload!
I think I’ll just let whatever happens happen. Basically, even if everything goes Surrey’s way there’s that little matter of ‘run-rate’ to contend with. I think this means that we should expect to see the final game against the Gladiators played at double speed, with Surrey hopefully scoring buckets of runs off every over.
If this were the case, a bowler’s run-up would come from off a single pace and balls would be lobbed as if they were hand grenades (hand grenades actually disguised as balls might help to reduce the opposition even quicker). And a couple of specially trained Doberman Pinchers would be deployed to make the batsmen run more quickly between the wickets...
Additionally, in order to make sure that Surrey field the fastest team on the day, anyone over 35 would be on the bench (sorry Ramps). Anyone carrying any injuries, slight or otherwise, obtained within the last few weeks would also be out of the team (sorry Batty, Linley, Nel, Dernbach, Wilson et al). Anyone recovering from recent England duties you could forget (sorry Davies).
I hope Chris Tremlett and Rory Hamilton Brown have a nice game.
Too much T20, anyone?
Thursday, 15 July 2010
Sunday, 11 July 2010
Not quite buried yet...
It’s still an awfully big ask, but there’s still life in the old dog!
Or rather, life in the old Lion. Having been made to look a rather toothless moggy with our last T20 performance Surrey came roaring back against a Sussex team that never quite got into a rhythm following some fast, accurate bowling. It was definitely one of Surrey’s ‘going’ days. It can be a bit of a lottery sometimes as to what you’re going to get but today the dunce’s cap was swapped for a rather swanky mortar board hat complete with little dangly tassel thing. Chief swot was the skipper. Well done that man. Someone give him an apple!
I noticed a post on the Sussex board (for I do love a furtive read of other forums when I get the chance) that mentioned that Arundel could easily hold 3000 people but that the pre-sold tickets already amounted to 5000, and that they were predicting multiple hold-ups getting into the ground. They were of course spot on with their prediction. As Churchy muttered the word ‘chaos’ under his breath I couldn’t help but think of Lesley, our Rampant representative, who had quite cleverly decided to take her own chair with her. I do wonder if she managed to get out of the ground okay or if she’s still stuck there!
Talking of Churchy, a word of praise here – and for Mr Barran as well. It can’t be easy commentating al fresco, so to speak; especially when you’ve got microphone mishaps, barrier collapses and people sitting directly in front of you obscuring your view. Churchy was very restrained, I thought. I’m a gentle soul but I’d have been tempted to use the man’s head as a coconut shy and aim something round and heavy at the back of his unguarded cranium...
Top marks to ‘Rob the trumpeter’ as well. Loved the improvised tune that accompanied the sight of one of the umps falling over!
Sussex have an awful lot of good players. There’s just no two ways about it. There are one or two players who fall into the category of ‘not a favourite’ for various reasons. Take Matt Prior for example. Much improved over the years in the batting department, and still very much England’s number one test wicket keeper despite recent strides by Kieswetter. But the fact he, how shall we put this, has a limited grasp of the word ‘humility’ at times hasn’t endeared himself to the Rampants as a whole. So, when Mr Prior went for a magnificent fourth ball duck there wasn’t just a “thank goodness; that’s one danger man gone” feeling but more of a general “yipppppeeee!”
I think it would be more sporting to say “well bowled, Symonds” rather than enthusiastically celebrating the demise of one of the opposition. But in this case we’re fairly unrepentant!
Only three were on the board for Sussex when Prior departed. And only seven were on the board when Joyce went, bowled by Tremlett. I feared for Tremlett this year, given his past history. He seemed like the sort of bloke who would shatter if someone in the same room hit a top C, but he has been a complete triumph thus far, especially in the T20. If we do sneak through to the next round by some miracle, a lot of it will rest on CT’s very broad shoulders.
It got even better, when moments later Nash made his way to the crease, faced a ball, and then wandered his way back to his team mates, yet another Symonds victim. Things were looking rather too good to be true, especially as Goodwin was beginning to tick. I’m not bringing up the whole Goodwin saga again. But if you think the celebrations amongst the Rampants was jubilant when Prior went, that was nothing to the delighted cheers that marked the departure of Muzza for 11. Give that man Tremlett a medal, that’s what I say! Although you’d probably need a ladder to pin it on him.
It would be fair to say that the middle and lower order fared better for Sussex than their top order did, with Smith reaching 21, Gatting 16 and Arafat 12, but the wickets kept falling steadily. I did wonder if the pitch had a few tricks in it, but the Surrey bowling has generally been decent this year and so it appeared more likely that it was down to this rather than any unseen gremlins. For a while a rather handy little partnership in the guise of Keegan and Rayner got going, and the former’s last minute heroics hauled the Sussex total over a hundred and beyond. But then Andre Nel struck and removed him for 26, leaving Rayner on 25 and Beer not out on 1 at the end. The finally tally for Sussex was a rather tame 121, and it seemed that it would just take a few overs from RHB and Davies to put the whole game to bed.
Things never quite work out the way you expect them to, however.
Surrey’s reply was cautious, although rightly so considering they had no need to go hell for leather after such a small target. The skipper rode his luck when Kirtley dropped him at the start of the Surrey reply, and from that moment onwards it seemed to galvanise him into positive thought. Davies seemed a little subdued at the other end, maybe mindful of his duck in the previous game. They crawled slowly, run by run, all the way up to a solid if unspectacular 41, with the occasional boundary from RHB to enliven proceedings, until Davies fell for just 9. This brought Jason Roy to the crease who sadly, after the two monster innings he had earlier in the competition, did what Nash did and perished for a quacker.
You’d have still rather have been Surrey at this point. It was a pretty decent toss to lose in the end. Even although they were two batsmen down, giving Sussex a glimmer of hope, the runs on the board gave Walters licence to tick around for singles whilst the skipper set about his former county with consummate ease. Once the sixes and fours were unleashed the outcome was never really in any doubt, with the Sussex faithful beginning to exit the ground as soon as the Surrey hundred was reached. It was in the end a facile victory from a team who had been so roundly and deservedly thrashed in their last game.
I was pleased for Rory in particular, who finished not out on 87, with Walters not out on 24 with just under two overs to spare. Qualification still seems unlikely, but with Middlesex losing to Glamorgan and Kent beating Essex the fourth spot is still open to many of the chasing pack. Whoever gets there in the end will have earned it, that’s for certain. As for the game itself, it was one of the most enjoyable T20s I’ve listened to this year. And considering Mr Ramprakash wasn’t playing today, that’s quite a compliment!
Or rather, life in the old Lion. Having been made to look a rather toothless moggy with our last T20 performance Surrey came roaring back against a Sussex team that never quite got into a rhythm following some fast, accurate bowling. It was definitely one of Surrey’s ‘going’ days. It can be a bit of a lottery sometimes as to what you’re going to get but today the dunce’s cap was swapped for a rather swanky mortar board hat complete with little dangly tassel thing. Chief swot was the skipper. Well done that man. Someone give him an apple!
I noticed a post on the Sussex board (for I do love a furtive read of other forums when I get the chance) that mentioned that Arundel could easily hold 3000 people but that the pre-sold tickets already amounted to 5000, and that they were predicting multiple hold-ups getting into the ground. They were of course spot on with their prediction. As Churchy muttered the word ‘chaos’ under his breath I couldn’t help but think of Lesley, our Rampant representative, who had quite cleverly decided to take her own chair with her. I do wonder if she managed to get out of the ground okay or if she’s still stuck there!
Talking of Churchy, a word of praise here – and for Mr Barran as well. It can’t be easy commentating al fresco, so to speak; especially when you’ve got microphone mishaps, barrier collapses and people sitting directly in front of you obscuring your view. Churchy was very restrained, I thought. I’m a gentle soul but I’d have been tempted to use the man’s head as a coconut shy and aim something round and heavy at the back of his unguarded cranium...
Top marks to ‘Rob the trumpeter’ as well. Loved the improvised tune that accompanied the sight of one of the umps falling over!
Sussex have an awful lot of good players. There’s just no two ways about it. There are one or two players who fall into the category of ‘not a favourite’ for various reasons. Take Matt Prior for example. Much improved over the years in the batting department, and still very much England’s number one test wicket keeper despite recent strides by Kieswetter. But the fact he, how shall we put this, has a limited grasp of the word ‘humility’ at times hasn’t endeared himself to the Rampants as a whole. So, when Mr Prior went for a magnificent fourth ball duck there wasn’t just a “thank goodness; that’s one danger man gone” feeling but more of a general “yipppppeeee!”
I think it would be more sporting to say “well bowled, Symonds” rather than enthusiastically celebrating the demise of one of the opposition. But in this case we’re fairly unrepentant!
Only three were on the board for Sussex when Prior departed. And only seven were on the board when Joyce went, bowled by Tremlett. I feared for Tremlett this year, given his past history. He seemed like the sort of bloke who would shatter if someone in the same room hit a top C, but he has been a complete triumph thus far, especially in the T20. If we do sneak through to the next round by some miracle, a lot of it will rest on CT’s very broad shoulders.
It got even better, when moments later Nash made his way to the crease, faced a ball, and then wandered his way back to his team mates, yet another Symonds victim. Things were looking rather too good to be true, especially as Goodwin was beginning to tick. I’m not bringing up the whole Goodwin saga again. But if you think the celebrations amongst the Rampants was jubilant when Prior went, that was nothing to the delighted cheers that marked the departure of Muzza for 11. Give that man Tremlett a medal, that’s what I say! Although you’d probably need a ladder to pin it on him.
It would be fair to say that the middle and lower order fared better for Sussex than their top order did, with Smith reaching 21, Gatting 16 and Arafat 12, but the wickets kept falling steadily. I did wonder if the pitch had a few tricks in it, but the Surrey bowling has generally been decent this year and so it appeared more likely that it was down to this rather than any unseen gremlins. For a while a rather handy little partnership in the guise of Keegan and Rayner got going, and the former’s last minute heroics hauled the Sussex total over a hundred and beyond. But then Andre Nel struck and removed him for 26, leaving Rayner on 25 and Beer not out on 1 at the end. The finally tally for Sussex was a rather tame 121, and it seemed that it would just take a few overs from RHB and Davies to put the whole game to bed.
Things never quite work out the way you expect them to, however.
Surrey’s reply was cautious, although rightly so considering they had no need to go hell for leather after such a small target. The skipper rode his luck when Kirtley dropped him at the start of the Surrey reply, and from that moment onwards it seemed to galvanise him into positive thought. Davies seemed a little subdued at the other end, maybe mindful of his duck in the previous game. They crawled slowly, run by run, all the way up to a solid if unspectacular 41, with the occasional boundary from RHB to enliven proceedings, until Davies fell for just 9. This brought Jason Roy to the crease who sadly, after the two monster innings he had earlier in the competition, did what Nash did and perished for a quacker.
You’d have still rather have been Surrey at this point. It was a pretty decent toss to lose in the end. Even although they were two batsmen down, giving Sussex a glimmer of hope, the runs on the board gave Walters licence to tick around for singles whilst the skipper set about his former county with consummate ease. Once the sixes and fours were unleashed the outcome was never really in any doubt, with the Sussex faithful beginning to exit the ground as soon as the Surrey hundred was reached. It was in the end a facile victory from a team who had been so roundly and deservedly thrashed in their last game.
I was pleased for Rory in particular, who finished not out on 87, with Walters not out on 24 with just under two overs to spare. Qualification still seems unlikely, but with Middlesex losing to Glamorgan and Kent beating Essex the fourth spot is still open to many of the chasing pack. Whoever gets there in the end will have earned it, that’s for certain. As for the game itself, it was one of the most enjoyable T20s I’ve listened to this year. And considering Mr Ramprakash wasn’t playing today, that’s quite a compliment!
Friday, 9 July 2010
It isn’t over ‘til the fat laddie swings...
That title's a bit cruel, given how fond I am of Cosgrove. Today, alas, more or less saw the end of Surrey’s chance of progression (not that those chances were great anyway), but as I keep attempting to remind myself, T20s only a bit of fun. It’s the cricket equivalent of Dali’s wobbly, melting clocks. It’s not the Mona Lisa and it’s not a masterpiece by Titian or Renoir. It’s still art and it has broad appeal to many, though. Nowt wrong with paintings of people with both eyes on the side of their face. I used to draw like that...
Surrey’s up and down form has of late been more akin to a dead sheep pickled in Formaldehyde and suspended upside down in a tank but, for all that, today’s game (final nail in the T20 coffin as it was) at least provided some thrilling moments. Stewie Walters got a well deserved 53; his first half century in the contest. And on the Glamorgan side of things we got to see a whole lot more of Cosgrove. As one wag recently said, if telly puts 10lbs on to your frame then Cosgrove has eaten a lot of tellies...
Firstly, from a Rampant point of view, Mr R was sadly not playing as it appears he damaged his shoulder during the run out in yesterday’s game. Fingers crossed it’s nothing too serious. However, with Davies back from Lions duty and Lancefield opening again it looked like it might be an interesting match. So it proved: and that was without mentioning the streaker! Whilst I love a good streaker during a game you do have to wonder why they do it. A bet? Because they’ve had several skinfuls? Whatever, they have to have a huge...brass neck.
Surrey won the toss and opted to field first. RHB is improving in the tossing stakes! Unfortunately it seemed to take the Surrey bowlers a little time to get used to the slower conditions and whilst they were doing so Glamorgan – and Cosgrove in particular – were making hay. 75 runs were on the board before Allenby eventually obliged Meaker by getting out. For a while Surrey flattered to deceive as Meaker struck moments later by removing recent hero Maynard without scoring, but then Glamorgan went back to scoring as they liked. It didn’t even look as if another wicket was going to occur.
Fortunately for Surrey, the next six wickets fell in rapid succession. Just as it appeared as if Cosgrove would launch himself (figuratively, as it would take one heck of a canon to propel him through the air) towards a century Tremlett struck, getting him for 76. And then came the deluge of wickets: Wallace for 5, Dalrymple for a well made 33, Wright for a duck, Harris for 1 and Croft run out without scoring. From what had looked a hopeless situation Surrey’s bowlers had managed to pull it right back. It was a valiant effort from Meaker and Tremlett, with some good fielding from Schofield to boot, although in retrospect I bet they wish they could have struck a few overs earlier.
Having recovered from the amusing sight of Chris Tremlett in a girl’s wig (not during the game, but as shown in a photo by his housemate Michael Brown), we all listened in as Surrey responded by immediately losing Steven Davies without scoring. I’m sure most people were holding their heads in their hands and thinking ‘here we go again’, but Lancefield played a good knock and put on 22. Others around him didn’t fare quite as well, with Jason Roy out for 17 and RHB for 11. Symonds also scored 22, although he got out just as Surrey needed a batsman to really kick on.
In the meantime Walters had taken on the Ramps mantle of accumulator and was quietly going about his business. Alas, whilst his score was creeping ever upwards, so did the run rate. Overs were coming and going with alarming frequency, as were the Surrey batsmen as Spriegel fell for a duck and Schofield, who sounded a little lame in the foot, departed for 5. It was pretty much looking like curtains for Surrey at this point, until Walters and Nel began to get on a last minute charge with fours and sixes galore. But when Nel went for 9 the brief spark of hope was snuffed, and with Walters not really seeing much of the strike in the last few overs Glamorgan kept up the pressure, winning by 10 runs.
A mere 10 runs sort of sums up Surrey’s T20 effort this year. There have been flashes of brilliance from Symonds, Davies, Roy and Ramps with the bat, and with Tremlett, Nel, Spriegel and Dernbach with the ball. We’ve really missed Dernbach in the latter stages of this contest: I think that shows in some of the tighter finishes. There has also been some really heinous cricket as well from virtually all the players at some point. Yes, Surrey has improved markedly but I suppose the sad thing is that there were at least three games which perhaps they should have won. And had we done so, we’d have been in a mighty fine position to go through to the next stage.
Oh, well. C’est la vie! T20, just like wobbly clocks, is fine but it doesn’t make the world tick!
And besides, if there was no T20 we wouldn’t have had this fabulous quote from Mark Church:
“We've all done it in the back garden up against the coal bunker...”
(He was talking about providing ones’ own commentary whilst playing an imagined innings at Lords, btw. Just in case you were wondering!)
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Finding the positives
I only caught little bits of tonight’s T20 game against Middlesex due to ‘technicals’ (a computer that decides to switch itself off without prompting doesn’t help matters) but I have to say under the circumstances it’s probably for the best. In short, we got thumped.
And in fairness you can’t really argue with the result because we were outplayed in nearly every respect. That we actually made it to 120 in the end came as something of surprise given the rather grisly start Surrey got off to. It was a rather unfortunate game for the Rampants, in that (due to more technicals) when the commentary cut in, Ramps was immediately run out without a score on the board. Not the best start. And when Roy went for 0 as well, it sort of set the tone for the game.
As I’m not really in a position to relay what happened in either innings, and because I prefer to be positive in adversity (following on from half an hour of superstition-led ‘mea culpas’ and banging my head off the desk), let’s just say the better team won on the day, just as Surrey were the better team against Middlesex at Lords. However, make no bones about this: our chances of qualifying for the next round of the T20 has gone from ‘possible but difficult’ to ‘oh look, there’s a whole squadron of Gloucester Old Spot flying over the OCS stand...’
On a personal and selfish level, I am a little disappointed. Not with the fact that we won’t qualify but because I do love the idea of beating Middlesex in London derby’s. Oh, well...there’s a championship game coming up in the near future. *rubs hands*
And I’m sooooooooo not reading any on-line papers for a week, or visiting Oval World or indeed the rather amusing Middlesex forum either. If I want to be depressed I’ll watch the EastEnders omnibus.
I challenged myself to find a positive after tonight’s drubbing and I’ve managed to come up with one: we got to hear Michael Brown in the commentary box again! If there was a T20 for commentary the Surrey boys would win hands down. The Rampants are rather taken with Browny. He fits in very well with Churchy.
He’s honest, loquacious and likes a slice of jam sponge.
*************
Okay, next morning and feeling a little more positive than yesterday. It's Friday, the boss isn't in, and I've made a few decisions regarding the trip to the Oval in September that were weighing on me a little. Feeling much happier than before and can only attribute last night's uncharacteristc angst and gnashing of teeth to the uncertainty of this past month. Going to just chill out and listen to the game tonight. Qualification is a virtual no-no, but as one of the Rampants said "the fat lady ain't singing yet."
She is frantically polishing her trident before she goes on stage, however!
And in fairness you can’t really argue with the result because we were outplayed in nearly every respect. That we actually made it to 120 in the end came as something of surprise given the rather grisly start Surrey got off to. It was a rather unfortunate game for the Rampants, in that (due to more technicals) when the commentary cut in, Ramps was immediately run out without a score on the board. Not the best start. And when Roy went for 0 as well, it sort of set the tone for the game.
As I’m not really in a position to relay what happened in either innings, and because I prefer to be positive in adversity (following on from half an hour of superstition-led ‘mea culpas’ and banging my head off the desk), let’s just say the better team won on the day, just as Surrey were the better team against Middlesex at Lords. However, make no bones about this: our chances of qualifying for the next round of the T20 has gone from ‘possible but difficult’ to ‘oh look, there’s a whole squadron of Gloucester Old Spot flying over the OCS stand...’
On a personal and selfish level, I am a little disappointed. Not with the fact that we won’t qualify but because I do love the idea of beating Middlesex in London derby’s. Oh, well...there’s a championship game coming up in the near future. *rubs hands*
And I’m sooooooooo not reading any on-line papers for a week, or visiting Oval World or indeed the rather amusing Middlesex forum either. If I want to be depressed I’ll watch the EastEnders omnibus.
I challenged myself to find a positive after tonight’s drubbing and I’ve managed to come up with one: we got to hear Michael Brown in the commentary box again! If there was a T20 for commentary the Surrey boys would win hands down. The Rampants are rather taken with Browny. He fits in very well with Churchy.
He’s honest, loquacious and likes a slice of jam sponge.
*************
Okay, next morning and feeling a little more positive than yesterday. It's Friday, the boss isn't in, and I've made a few decisions regarding the trip to the Oval in September that were weighing on me a little. Feeling much happier than before and can only attribute last night's uncharacteristc angst and gnashing of teeth to the uncertainty of this past month. Going to just chill out and listen to the game tonight. Qualification is a virtual no-no, but as one of the Rampants said "the fat lady ain't singing yet."
She is frantically polishing her trident before she goes on stage, however!
Sunday, 4 July 2010
Thar be Dragons!
If someone makes a score of over 60 in a T20 game and still ends up on the losing side, you know the other side has played an absolute blinder.
Unfortunately that was the case today for Surrey in their game against the Glamorgan Dragons at the Oval this afternoon. Certainly the blistering start from openers Lancefield and Ramprakash (it still feels funny writing that!) promised an enormous target in the 200 plus region, which would have put the game right out of Glamorgan’s reach. In fact, 68 runs were on the board before Lancefield departed! Lancefield looks like a very good option in the shorter form of the game, and might be an option for any 40 over games if stuck.
I think we’re missing Davies a little here, to be honest. Not so much as a keeper, as Wilson was tidy enough, but certainly as a hard-hitting top order batsman. Imagine if he could have slotted in at four, although if he had been available I suppose there’s a good chance Lancefield might not have got the opportunity he did.
I guess another key moment was the dismissal of Jason Roy. We all know how destructive he is, and if he had stayed in with Ramps he could have juiced up the middle period of the game. As it was, when he was dismissed for 9 the Surrey innings continued reasonably enough, but the boundaries dried up a touch. The slower Glamorgan bowlers were much more difficult to get away, by the sound of things. Symonds also got out cheaply for 4, and the skipper fell for 18, leaving Stewart Walters to come in and see the Surrey innings out with a fine 31 to his credit at the end.
I think one of the problems for Surrey was the fact nobody was able to create a dominant partnership with Mr Ramprakash, who finished a marvellous 63 not out, in the way that the Glamorgan duo Maynard and Dalrymple did (with each other, not with Mr Ramprakash). It was a tricky situation for Ramps, as he had to make sure he was there at the end and not take the risks he had at the start of the innings once the Surrey firepower had been doused.
At one point it looked as if Surrey would struggle to get 150, but in the end they managed a healthy and competitive 168-4. Not brilliant, nor was it woeful either. The question on everyone’s lips: was it enough?
And the answer to that is: yes, if you win. No, if you don’t.
Frankly, you could score an unlikely 230 and feel reasonably comfortable that it was enough. But if the opposition score an equally unlikely 231, then it’s simply not! Glamorgan’s innings appeared to be the antithesis of the Surrey one. Ramps and Lancefield (which is a brilliant surname; very ‘knights of the round table’) had attacked from the get-go whilst Cosgrove and Allenby were a tad more sedate. I do love Cosgrove, I admit it. I know I’m repeating myself, but it’s difficult not to love a sportsman who is sculpted entirely of pies and chip butties yet still manages to play so beautifully.
After the first five overs it definitely seemed to favour Surrey. Allenby went for 5, with Spriegel continuing his great form, but Wallace came in and formed a great pairing with the looming Cosgrove, who appeared to have channelled his inner Whippet. He’s a bit like my cat, is Cosgrove. He may look a bit baggy and loose at the seams, but he can move when he wants to! Although I’m not sure tempting him with a bowl of Purina will spur him on between the wickets, and his fielding is probably not as good as it might be it’s fair to say he does what he does very well. Unfortunately for Surrey, what he does well is stick around far too long!
By the time Wallace went, 44 were on the board for the Dragons which was still behind the Lions score with Surrey no doubt still fancying the win from that point. But, like a multi-headed Hydra, having smote one neck there were yet others to deal with. Enter Maynard the younger. I don’t know enough about Maynard the elder to comment but everyone says he was a little bit good. Well, daddy Maynard, your boy’s a little bit good as well! To say that his innings was crucial would win the main prize in the Sybil Fawlty School of ‘stating the bleedin’ obvious!’ And, drat him, he wouldn’t go away no matter how Surrey tried!
And in fairness they did try very hard to get rid of him, but although Cosgrove finally went for a well-rounded (pardon the pun) 19 and Rees for 6, the man they desperately needed to remove was sticking tighter than the contents of a tin of Uhu. Gradually Maynard began to up the tempo, until the required rate was almost on par, and with only three or so overs to go you could begin to see the momentum swing the Dragon’s way. Dalrymple was yorked beautifully for 28 by Tremlett reviving hope once again. I think we will have to call him ‘The Tremulator’, a cross between the ‘Terminator’ and ‘crenulator’, which is a machine used for mashing bones. It seems rather apt given the way the big man has bowled in the T20 so far.
For as long as Maynard stayed in you felt that it was Glamorgan’s game to lose, and even although Tremlett bowled an absolutely corking second last over, it just proved to be too much in the end with something like 10 required off 7 balls. It was a very exciting, tight finish to a game that swung all over the place and must have made for a good spectacle for those at the Oval.
Maynard finished the game on 78 not out, and Wright 6 not out, whilst Surrey might yet find themselves ruing losing to a team that most others in the division have beaten so far. They won’t have long to wait for the re-match: the end of the coming week sees the Dragons take on the Lions once more. But will the Lions be Kings, or will the Dragons flambé them? Will Ramps continue his fine start as Surrey T20 opener? Can we tempt Cosgrove with a raspberry Pavlova to get out early?
Tune in on Friday to find out!
Unfortunately that was the case today for Surrey in their game against the Glamorgan Dragons at the Oval this afternoon. Certainly the blistering start from openers Lancefield and Ramprakash (it still feels funny writing that!) promised an enormous target in the 200 plus region, which would have put the game right out of Glamorgan’s reach. In fact, 68 runs were on the board before Lancefield departed! Lancefield looks like a very good option in the shorter form of the game, and might be an option for any 40 over games if stuck.
I think we’re missing Davies a little here, to be honest. Not so much as a keeper, as Wilson was tidy enough, but certainly as a hard-hitting top order batsman. Imagine if he could have slotted in at four, although if he had been available I suppose there’s a good chance Lancefield might not have got the opportunity he did.
I guess another key moment was the dismissal of Jason Roy. We all know how destructive he is, and if he had stayed in with Ramps he could have juiced up the middle period of the game. As it was, when he was dismissed for 9 the Surrey innings continued reasonably enough, but the boundaries dried up a touch. The slower Glamorgan bowlers were much more difficult to get away, by the sound of things. Symonds also got out cheaply for 4, and the skipper fell for 18, leaving Stewart Walters to come in and see the Surrey innings out with a fine 31 to his credit at the end.
I think one of the problems for Surrey was the fact nobody was able to create a dominant partnership with Mr Ramprakash, who finished a marvellous 63 not out, in the way that the Glamorgan duo Maynard and Dalrymple did (with each other, not with Mr Ramprakash). It was a tricky situation for Ramps, as he had to make sure he was there at the end and not take the risks he had at the start of the innings once the Surrey firepower had been doused.
At one point it looked as if Surrey would struggle to get 150, but in the end they managed a healthy and competitive 168-4. Not brilliant, nor was it woeful either. The question on everyone’s lips: was it enough?
And the answer to that is: yes, if you win. No, if you don’t.
Frankly, you could score an unlikely 230 and feel reasonably comfortable that it was enough. But if the opposition score an equally unlikely 231, then it’s simply not! Glamorgan’s innings appeared to be the antithesis of the Surrey one. Ramps and Lancefield (which is a brilliant surname; very ‘knights of the round table’) had attacked from the get-go whilst Cosgrove and Allenby were a tad more sedate. I do love Cosgrove, I admit it. I know I’m repeating myself, but it’s difficult not to love a sportsman who is sculpted entirely of pies and chip butties yet still manages to play so beautifully.
After the first five overs it definitely seemed to favour Surrey. Allenby went for 5, with Spriegel continuing his great form, but Wallace came in and formed a great pairing with the looming Cosgrove, who appeared to have channelled his inner Whippet. He’s a bit like my cat, is Cosgrove. He may look a bit baggy and loose at the seams, but he can move when he wants to! Although I’m not sure tempting him with a bowl of Purina will spur him on between the wickets, and his fielding is probably not as good as it might be it’s fair to say he does what he does very well. Unfortunately for Surrey, what he does well is stick around far too long!
By the time Wallace went, 44 were on the board for the Dragons which was still behind the Lions score with Surrey no doubt still fancying the win from that point. But, like a multi-headed Hydra, having smote one neck there were yet others to deal with. Enter Maynard the younger. I don’t know enough about Maynard the elder to comment but everyone says he was a little bit good. Well, daddy Maynard, your boy’s a little bit good as well! To say that his innings was crucial would win the main prize in the Sybil Fawlty School of ‘stating the bleedin’ obvious!’ And, drat him, he wouldn’t go away no matter how Surrey tried!
And in fairness they did try very hard to get rid of him, but although Cosgrove finally went for a well-rounded (pardon the pun) 19 and Rees for 6, the man they desperately needed to remove was sticking tighter than the contents of a tin of Uhu. Gradually Maynard began to up the tempo, until the required rate was almost on par, and with only three or so overs to go you could begin to see the momentum swing the Dragon’s way. Dalrymple was yorked beautifully for 28 by Tremlett reviving hope once again. I think we will have to call him ‘The Tremulator’, a cross between the ‘Terminator’ and ‘crenulator’, which is a machine used for mashing bones. It seems rather apt given the way the big man has bowled in the T20 so far.
For as long as Maynard stayed in you felt that it was Glamorgan’s game to lose, and even although Tremlett bowled an absolutely corking second last over, it just proved to be too much in the end with something like 10 required off 7 balls. It was a very exciting, tight finish to a game that swung all over the place and must have made for a good spectacle for those at the Oval.
Maynard finished the game on 78 not out, and Wright 6 not out, whilst Surrey might yet find themselves ruing losing to a team that most others in the division have beaten so far. They won’t have long to wait for the re-match: the end of the coming week sees the Dragons take on the Lions once more. But will the Lions be Kings, or will the Dragons flambé them? Will Ramps continue his fine start as Surrey T20 opener? Can we tempt Cosgrove with a raspberry Pavlova to get out early?
Tune in on Friday to find out!
Friday, 2 July 2010
Sooner or later, karma’s always going to get you!
I am happy to report that Kenny Kennington’s fast footwork was not required in today’s game, as the Lions absolutely thumped a rather lacklustre, er...what are they called these days? They used to be the Sabres but I’m informed they now go by the rather catchy name of ‘Somerset.’ Surely a team that boasts the likes of Trescothic and Hildreth deserves a catchy name!
The atmosphere seemed pretty charged at the Oval this evening and, judging by the way the crowd got behind the team (no doubt fuelled by yesterday’s gritty championship win), this must have spurred Surrey on into over-achieving. Having won the toss and elected to bat first, the total they posted wasn’t exactly commanding, and yet it was certainly a solid one. And then – knock me down with a paper clip – young Lancefield opened the batting with Mr Ramprakash! Ramps, opening??? It’s been a few years since that happened!
You will recall that Surrey are missing a few players at the moment. Gareth Batty has apparently broken his finger, although it didn’t stop him from screaming delightedly in the commentary box whenever Surrey were doing well (it really was brilliant commentary on tonight’s game)! Michael Brown was a little more restrained with his comments from what should be termed ‘crock’s corner’, instead settling for telling Pollard off whenever he got up to anything not really in the spirit of the game. Quite right, too!
There were one or two annoyed Rampants listening in as Pollard decided he was going to shoot his mouth off to Mr R. Nobody had evidently told Pollard that sledging never works on Ramps. I couldn’t help but chuckle at Michael Brown’s insistence that the cricketing gods had taken their revenge on Pollard during the game for all the rather foolish things he’d done. I was awaiting a Monty Python-style giant foot to come hurtling down from the sky to squash him!
Lancefield did not too badly on his T20 debut and made 16 before being caught by Suppiah, but there followed a nice little partnership between Jason Roy and Mark Ramprakash which lasted until 96 runs were on the board, with Ramps getting caught by Trescothic for 34. I was just glad Pollard didn’t catch him. Could you imagine the gloating, considering all the lip he was giving?
And not just Mr Ramprakash, for it sounded as if Jason Roy copped some backchat as well, as Pollard patrolled the pitch like a malevolent Dalek. I guess you expect it in cricket these days, and I suppose in certain circumstances sledging can be mildly amusing. It’s a rather underhand tactic though, in my opinion, and rather than simply being another weapon in a bowler’s armoury I tend to view it as unimaginative and showing a lack of faith in one’s ability to get the batsman out with deeds rather than words.
Roy was a joy – again! After Ramps went he put on a further excellent partnership with the skipper (or the stripper as I accidentally dubbed him, much to the amusement of the Rampants), Younus Khan having gone for only 2 runs previously. Surrey did look like they were teetering a touch, with the runs just about coming but gradually drying up. Fortunately Roy hit 3 sixes to get the score moving again, pushing on whenever the innings looked in danger of stagnating. RHB made 25, and Roy hit an impressive 74 before he was caught. Walters remained not out on 1 at the end, with Wilson being run-out for the same score off the last ball.
With 172 needed to win Somerset would have fancied their chances on a good batting surface like the Oval. It seemed a total that was just a smidge better than par. But if Roy had been a hero with the bat, Spriegel proved equally brilliant with the ball. The rapidity in which Somerset lost their top order was quite astonishing, and never really allowed them back into the game. Compton (1) went first to a re-energised Tremlett, hyped up after yesterdays win no doubt, and then the massive wicket of Trescothic fell to Spriegel for 4, with de Bruyn falling almost immediately afterwards to Schofield for a duck! In T20 it is so difficult to pull that kind of thing back. A brief word of praise for Mr Meaker, who took his first ever T20 wicket, made all the sweeter no doubt by whose it was! *cough* Pollard *cough*
When Tremlett got Hildreth for 10 it was Surrey’s game to lose. Young Buttler played excellently and for a time looked like he was holding things together for Somerset, but the mounties always get their man and eventually Wilson had him stumped for 29. It was pretty much game over at that point, leaving Surrey fans in the crowd to bask in what was an inevitable win.
Suppiah made 13, Phillips 5, whilst Kartik (16no) and Turner (11no) were left trying to keep an eye on the run-rate situation. With so many teams bunching in the table behind Sussex (who lost to Middlesex) these things might well determine who gets a qualifying spot and who doesn’t.
And what of Pollard, I hear you ask?
Well, he made 19 with the bat, swaggered around in the field, made lots of errors and nearly fell down the stairs as well. He played very well for Surrey, overall. Pity he didn’t do so well for Somerset!
Thursday, 1 July 2010
All shook up
Well, it’s hats off to Surrey for a hard-fought and well deserved victory at Chesterfield.
When I say well deserved, I’m not belittling the effort of the Derbyshire team. Tenaciously clinging on to the bitter end, I have to say they gave me a real fright as the overs ticked away! Yesterday I mentioned the fact that Surrey were soldiering on despite missing various limbs and essential body parts, which sort of puts their win over Derbyshire in an even better light. What we saw from the team today was, er, ‘balls!’
Even when the chips were down they fought on...even when Andre Nel was bowling on one leg he kept running in with typical Günter determination. Or rather, hopping in. There’s an old rhyme about a lady who fought alongside her Scottish compatriots against the ‘auld enemy’, and when her legs were cut off in battle, “fought upon her stumps”. It’s kind of the image I get of Surrey over the last day!
Again, I didn’t hear most of the day’s play. Work is playing havoc with my ability to tune into the four day game. I settled for sneaking little looks at the BBC score card. It didn’t look promising at 12.30. Or 13.30 either for that matter. And even although it was a tad healthier at 15.10 as I was preparing to leave for the day, four wickets didn’t seem to be enough. You see, Surrey has a nasty habit of getting opposing batsmen into nick if they’ve been out of sorts. It’s the same with teams as well, and you could just see Derbyshire making club history by chasing down their highest ever total. It’s the kind of thing that just happens to Surrey.
But then, by the time I got home some 25 mins later, a total of 7 wickets had gone! Suddenly it seemed as if all results were possible. I have to admit that even I couldn’t see where the game was heading at that point. With Andre Nel doing his best impression of a human pogo stick, and Tim Linley off the field of play due to his considerable resemblance to Mr Bump (only not quite so blue), the physiotherapists definitely earned their fees today! I’m also informed that Spriegel’s eyes may have been left watering a tad due to fielding a ball with his lower torso, shall we say?
Nor was it just Surrey who ended with walking wounded. Derbyshire’s Lungley managed to get struck by a ball from his own team mate and had to leave the field of play. Whether it made any psychological difference as well as the blow to the arm he received effecting his grip, who can really say, but the interruption brought Groenewald to the crease whilst Lungley temporarily retired hurt. And then, when Groenewald departed for just 3, you couldn’t help but feel the game was in Surrey’s grasp once again.
It was left to the towering Tremlett to deliver the ball that sent Lungley’s stump somersaulting through the air for 21. So agonisingly close for Derbyshire, and yet so very far! ‘Stumps’ were actually very appropriate, as I think that was just about all that was left of my fingernails! I’m beginning to think Surrey should be sponsored by Bisodol rather than Brit Insurance, considering the peptic ulcer that has probably formed over the last 4 years.
This win for a team comprised entirely of men held together by a combination of willpower and blutack will come as such a relief and delight for not just the players and staff but the supporters as well. There have been many struggles to get to this point, and some ugly cricket mixed in with some really decent play as well, but because there had only been the one win up to this point the good stuff tends to get swept under the carpet. There have been times in previous games where Surrey have had the upper hand and indeed played the better cricket, so it’s not as if they are as bad as the papers sometimes like to make out. Certainly, the tables don’t lie at the end of the day but at least they are off the bottom now, and who can say that they might not win a few more now they have that hunger to do well? If the T20 has done one good thing, its show the squad that they have the ability to potentially beat anyone. Well, anyone except Sussex, but then most teams are struggling against them at the moment.
In the midst of this jubilation, however, we should add a note of caution. Surrey are taking on Somerset at the Oval tomorrow. With Dernbach, Linley, Brown, Jordan, Wilson, Nel and possibly Batty looking more shook up than an Elvis impersonator, just who the heck is going to be fit to play?
Is it too late to send for Kenny Kennington?
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