2021 domestic season

it sounds like a right ding dong of a match, a yo-yo down Taunton.  Could still go either way.   

meanwhile at Leicester, Gloucestershire 80 for 1 lost 9 for 80 on a pitch that is now a Bunsen.  Somerset have to think of themselves first and foremost, but a defeat of Hampshire does Gloucestershire a favour.  

the break from 4 day stuff and fact they have two games at Cheltenham helps Gloucestershire, they are still very much in it and could be okay.  Somerset foxes home and Surrey away, Hampshire play Surrey and visit Gloucestershire, lots of top 4 clashes.  Weather forecast for first few weeks July is poor on most models, so rain effected draws should put Somerset through and tight between the other three.    

The Somerset declaration denying Gloucestershire chance of bowling point could knock Gloucestershire out after all. 

Yes,but it’s a strange situation, imo. I’ve been here all the time and yesterday after tea we had Hampshire on the ropes, 250 ahead, 7 wickets left and the bowlers completely worn out. Yet we meandered along at about 3 an over for the century stand between Goldswirthy and Bartlett. Not much in the pitch and I’d be surprised if we could bowl Hampshire out in less than a day. They are batting now with Banton in so I’m looking for an exciting 30 minutes before the declaration.
But, an alternative view, Somerset will be happy with a draw and always would have been to keep themselves 10 points above Hampshire. They won’t be unhappy with Somerset and Hampshire going through because we’ve beaten Hampshire and we take more points through if it’s Hampshire and not Gloucestershire. Gloucestershire’s loss yesterday afternoon may have influenced how this game went. And Somerset may bat on to ensure they don’t lose. I may be wrong but I’m not sure there is a great enough incentive to go for the win and risk the defeat in the current position. If so it’s a shame after 3 very good days.

When they resumed today it wasn’t declaration run rate I could see from afar, because not giving Hampshire whiff of win was more important.  

a couple of groups very tight now for top 2.   

Looking at the long range forecasts looks like weather will make draws out of last rounds of fixtures.    

Up Next, the Bash.    

It is a shame we’ve no batsmen nor spinners.
But tbh why haven’t we got spinners? They don’t want to play Leach and seem to be messing with him, he’d be better off back at Somerset. And I’m honestly not just saying that because we actually want him and need him. England seem to be muddled over Leach they think he should be in the squad to quell the media but seem not to want him in the team. 
3 years ago Mason Crane was pressing for a place but he seems to have disappeared off the radar. I saw him do 12th man duties for Hampshire at Taunton last week. Organ was their spinner with Dawson. Dawson bowled few overs in the first innings and Organ had a long spell on the third afternoon. He got 3 wickets, 2 were given away from Somerset batsmen but he outwitted Abell who was on 98 at the time. But he was expensive and will not be better than Leach. My point is Crane is now third choice spinner at Hampshire. Who else? Parkinson at Lancashire and Verdi at Surrey.
Counties we’re encouraged to create spinning pitches for days 3 and 4. What’s happened to that? Again muddled thinking from the ECB esp when other counties who didn’t necessarily have the spin attack to take advantage when they came across a spinning pitch started to complain. Somerset now, after their fine which seems to have lasted forever, will not be looking at producing real turning pitches I don’t think, though I’ll be interested to see the state of the August and September pitches. Anyway with Leach twiddling his thumbs for the last two Summers in the England dressing room Somerset will go for pitches to help their pace attack I hope.


Sorry Jack, it’s a long way to answer your question why aren’t there any spinners. But simply a few are there but England don’t want to play them or prepare pitches to help them which, with India about to visit may not be completely surprising! Counties by and large are not producing them either, they’d prefer to have pitches to help the healthy crop of county fast/medium bowlers instead. And, from a biased pov as a Somerset fan we did produce pitches which helped spinners and Nottinghamshire, Lancashire, Surrey and Essex all benefitted from those pitches yet got fined.

There's a welcome post 😊, as we enter the longest daylight hours days of the year, and now begin the slide into Winter !!

The weather forecast is awful isn’t it? It will really decimate the 20/20 and even the Hundred if it persists into August. For once the North group seems to be getting the better weather whilst the South group has been badly hit. What with all the foreign withdrawals from the Hundred from overseas players the ECB plans look to be falling apart. I actually hope the Hundred gets the weather we need and it’s a success, I think English Cricket needs it to be successful but everything looks to be working against it.
Pouring down here at the moment so I don’t think India v NZ will have much play today being only 40 miles away.

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/57638291

must be hard to score just two extras!!!