Sellsy's Sunday Supplement

Rain, seems to be the most common word I’ve heard this week, at the Test, Taunton and even here at Over Stowey.

Frustration is another word I’ve been using this week when I discuss or watch (when it’s not raining) Somerset. The Set were on Sky earlier in this week, playing Sussex in a T20 game, all the experts saying the pitch is a belter, two big hitting sides, should be a mammoth score etc. What do Somerset do, 91 all out. Admittedly, The Set made Sussex work for their win, but another 30 runs, played out their 20 overs etc. and I might off enjoyed my evening in Bungle’s Bar supping my cider.

What next, they go to Essex; Trescothick smashes the ball all around Chemslford, finishes on 108 not out, Somerset 225–2 after their 20 overs and then blast their hosts out for 82, with Craig Meschede taking three wickets in nine balls!

And then to Friday, more frustration, more rain (used both words in the same sentence) and for the third consecutive home game the weather becomes the winner. Ok Somerset pick up three points for the abandonment's, however I feel they would of won all three and not looking over their shoulder to see what they need to do to qualify for the quarter-finals.

Fair play to Guy Lavender, Somerset’s new Chief Executive, for sorting out and communicating the refund and exchange policy, good PR. Has it gone far enough? I don’t know, however, it’s had a lot of positive responses on some social network sites and from people I speak to. I would imagine even Guy is frustrated with the rain (those words again), with all that revenue going down the drain (excuse the pun), and with fewer T20 matches next year, it must do carnage to their budgets.

So what do you do at cricket when it rains? For me the answer is simple; as a spectator I go to the nearest bar have a few ciders and talk bollocks with some friends; when I was a player, go back to the dressing room, still talk bollocks, this time with my fellow playing colleagues and with no cider – I took the game seriously then!

Rain will inevitably lead to abandonment, which will lead to an early visit to the nearest hostelry to try their local ales and cider. Another reason for an early finish, or even no play at all is an under prepared pitch.

In one such match for Over Stowey 2nds, we visited a Taunton side on the last game of the season, knowing a win would secure us promotion. Having turned up at the ground, and inspected the pitch we found it was under prepared and dangerous to play on. After a brief discussion with the home captain, the match was abandoned and we were given maximum points…… let the celebrations begin, boy we know how to celebrate, getting home in the early hours of the morning!

Unknown to me until about a week later, one of our players, who shall remain anonymous, told his wife that we played and won. However, the wife then asked the question: why his kit was still neatly folded in his kit back, like it had just come out of the airing cupboard! I think you can guess the rest! They are still married by the way!

Despite the early downpours on Saturday morning, both Stowey sides managed to play in the afternoon, a testament to the ground staff in getting the ground ready – for me the wind done most of the job!

The 1^st XI made it four wins out of the last five matches, beating Bishops Hull by six wickets, however the 2^nd XI were not so fortunate, going down away to Bishops Hull’s second string.

A couple of notable performances over the weekend, Julian Pocock claimed five wickets, and at one stage was on a hat-trick. The disappointing thing about that Michelle is that I missed out on Julian buying a jug, cider as well I hear!

The other, think I shall call it not so notable, was poor old Nick Rich, having not dropped a thing for the last two seasons, dropped two catches again on Saturday. Talking to him afterwards, he claims that his glasses are to blame. The week he forgot to wear them, he caught two blinders (one I hear in dispatches that he leapt like a salmon to grab the cherry). However the past two weeks he has been wearing them he couldn’t catch a cold! Nick, believe me, form is temporary, class will always tell – good job the ball didn’t go to Dale!!!!

Well, it’s 10.57ish, time for a pint!