Sellsy's Sunday Supplement

Yet another innings defeat for Somerset, this time Lancashire inflicting the humiliation, again inside three days. Now these experts who tipped Somerset to win this year, wonder how they are feeling now, a serious error of judgement?

The trophies are not handed out in April, but in September, so there is still a long way to go this season, and don’t forget The Set lost their two opening County Championship games last season (admittedly not by the margins inflicted on them this season), and they just lost out on title by the narrowest of margins.

A few post scripts from the Warwickshire game:

• Steve Kirby and Gemaal Hussain were out twice, not only in the same day, but in the same session of that day!
• Charl Willoughby, got a king pair in the Warks match, and his form continued in the match at Liverpool, another duck, but lasting 15 balls, and in the 2^nd innings, at least he was 0 not out (incidentally my most common score for Over Stowey!)

The Set travel to Trent Bridge today, to take on Nottinghamshire in a 40 over game, and then a trip to The Rose Bowl, where they continue their quest for the County Championship as they take on Hampshire. Hopefully this will be the turning point of their season, I just wonder what is going through the mind of Marcus, I should imagine confusion and bewilderment!

One thing which fascinates me is the way we keep ourselves updated on the scores throughout the day. We have the luxury of the internet, mobiles etc. I must admit in having Cricinfo open on my PC at work, hidden discreetly in the corner of my screen, it is just so handy.

It was so handy, hat even throughout the whole Ashes series of 2005; I think I was more interested in the scores on Cricinfo than anything else which was happening in the world.

Where would we be without this technology; do you remember watching the updates on Teletext? Talking on the pub one evening after a Somerset victory, chatting about Somerset’s success, and the number of people who said, it was great watching in on Teletext! I suppose Cricinfo is just as bad!

I can go as far back as when I was at school, listening to Test Match Special, with an ear piece attached to my little transistor radio, no wonder I failed Geography!

Well that’s about it for this week, Over Stowey start next weekend, with the youngsters starting on Friday night, the seniors have a friendly on Saturday against a touring side, Peartree, and then travel to Chew Magna for the National Village Competition, first round.

All updates can be found on the club website: www.overstoweycc.moonfruit.com on Facebook or Twitter, should be fun.

It’s now 10.57, and time for a pint!

Sellsy's Sunday Supplement - Post Script

Steve Little cycled to Taunton to watch the cricket, got there at 3.00, and the gate man said it was all over two hours ago!!!

Sellsy's Sunday Supplement

Peter Trego can hold his head up high as the only Somerset batsman to hold out against the Warwickshire attack – not out in both innings, well done Pete.

What a way to start the season, a hammering by an innings and two million runs, well it seemed like it. Ok, first game of the season, nearly everyone’s tip to be champions this season, the pressure really got to the Somerset boys!

The word relegation was mentioned three times, by three different people on three separate days (would have been four, but the game was over on the third day). One at 5.25pm on day one, the second at 2.43pm on day two and lastly on day three at 12.14pm!

Well the bad game is now behind the lads, surely things can’t get any worse than that, I hope not otherwise William Hill would of earned the easiest money I have ever given them.

It does remind me of a story Fred Ham told me about a game Over Stowey played on their first game of the season. It was a friendly against Fiddington, and like most village sides for the first game of the season, the ground was slightly unprepared. So much so, the outfield came up to just about knee high in places.

Winning the toss Fiddington stuck in Stowey, and promptly bowled them out for 11, with nine out of 10 dismissals being caught as the players tried to go aerial to clear the outfield!

Of course, the Fiddington lads were cocky, early tea, 10 over game after etc. However, Stowey had the last laugh bowling out Fiddington for just 10 runs, winning the game by one run, and oh boy how they celebrated!!!!

Well, here’s to a better second game when The Set travel to Liverpool for a four day game against Lancashire starting on Wednesday (watch your wallets), and then across to Trent Bridge to play Notts in a 40 over competition. Best of luck lads, let’s show some bounce-back-ability.

Right, 10.57, time for a pint I think!

Somerset 2011

Drew against the students from Cardiff. Hopefully Kirbs will be fit for Thursday, plus Mendis will be available. Need to take 20 wickets. Will we miss Alfonso?

Hmmm...... Thoughts?

Sellsy's Sunday Supplement

What a beautiful day down at Taunton Vale yesterday, watching Somerset play their final warm up match before the real action starts on Thursday.

At the Vale, Somerset were taking on a Cardiff University XI in a three day game, and I was quite happy sitting there with a few ciders watching Trescothick and Co smash the ball to all parts of the ground, thinking to myself, what could be better than this (answers on a postcard please). Plus when the cider kicks in, we do start to talk absolute bollocks; a couple of quotes from yesterday: “Compo makes an ordinary bowler look good!”; “Who is this bowling pies for Cardiff? First names Peter Ian Edward, surname: Chucker!”

Reading the papers this week, there have been some interesting reviews of the forthcoming season, predictions, who’s going down, players to watch etc. The interesting on for me is the article in Wisden Cricketer magazine.

In this publication they asked the coaches various questions about the new season, and it seems that they think Somerset is going to win the lot. So as per normal, I’m putting on my annual bet for The Set to win all three competitions, and with a little persuasion, a couple other have joined in the agony or hopefully ecstasy of the 2011 season.

One who’s articles I have enjoyed reading is Steve James of The Daily Telegraph, this guy talks some sense, and on the odd occasion has written a piece which I have talked about some days before, some examples:

·         Simon Jones – Steve wrote this piece in January while Simon was playing for his new county Hampshire in the Caribbean T20 competition. I ha already said something along the lines, that Jones is doing well, and the way he is bowling could be in for an England recall, an low and behold, Steve  puts an article in The Telegraph.

·         Cricket to the Cricketers – One of my bug bears, people who come in with loads of money and then try to run the club and pick the sides. These guys no nothing about the sport the pump money into. To be fair to Steve he wrote an article about Glamorgan and how the people with money are ruining the club, and he is right in what he says.

·         More recently, Steve wrote about the World Cup, and he mentioned why didn’t Mendis play in the World Cup final for Sri Lanka. I think I tweeted that a couple of days earlier.

Anyway, it is 10.57, time for a pint and will see you at the County Ground on Thursday, usually not far from the Old Pavilion!

Sellsy's Sunday Supplement

What a way to win the World Cup, MS Dhoni smashing the white thing into the crowd for a six, cue the celebrations of one billion people! If you went for an Indian meal last night, you may of got some free poppadoms in celebration!

Fair play to India, was probably the best side in the competition, at least we can say that we never lost to them, in fact we should of beaten them. When I say we, I do of course mean England!

The final was supposed to be about two of the greatest cricketers the planet has seen, Tendulkar and Murali, however neither contributed much to the match. Some might say Murali should of never played due to injury, however a half fit Murali will walk into any major team in the world (maybe even Over Stowey as well).

Having once met Murali, I can say what a nice guy he is, full of fun and laughter, and he can't stop talking about cricket. It was only by chance that when I was in Sydney (watching the Ashes), the Sri Lankans were also in the country getting ready for a ODI series against the Aussies.
I was in the same hotel as the cricketers, and they had just come back from training, I was propping up the bar, and I thought: get Murali's autograph. I asked him to sign a notepad, he went to sign it and there was no ink in my pen! He smiled and walked on.
The next evening, I was in the bar again, wondering if they would come through again, this time with a pen which worked. Luckily they did, he smiled at me, said something like "you have a pen that works now Englishman?" He gladly signed it with much laughter amongst the other players!

Well, that's it for another week, and the start of The County Championship is only just around the corner, come on The Set!.

10.57, time for a pint!