Sunday, April 8, 2007
Conrad Sutcliffe writes
FORMER England opener Marcus Trescothick lashed a whirlwind 256 as Somerset beat Devon by 216 runs at Taunton in their second pre-season friendly.
Trescothick showed Devon's bowlers no mercy at all, not that a 50-yard boundary on one side of the ground helped, as Somerset piled up 502 for four against the Minor Counties champions in 50 overs.
Ian Bishop, whose eight overs cost 47 runs and included the wicket of former Devon team-mate Matt Wood, managed seven successive dot balls to Trescothick – the longest the ex-England opener went without scoring a run during his stay at the crease.
Trescothick reached his first 50 off 32 balls, putting Neil Hancock away for four behind square to get there, and reached three figures 24 balls later with six over mid-wicket, also off Hancock.
Hancock won't forget the treatment meted out to him by Trescothick in that over as he was carted for 26.
Twenty-four balls was all it took Trescothick to go from 100 to 150, which came up with a pulled four off Somerset's dual-registered Devonian Arul Suppiah.
Soon it was Andy Procter's turn to suffer – his over cost 24 runs – as Trescothick eased from 150 to 200 in a mere 21 deliveries – the last one a six off the Devon spinner.
James Burke, the Exmouth all-rounder learning his trade in the Somerset Academy, was next into the attack and was smashed for 34 in an eight-ball first over. A second one had to wait a while.
The dash from 200 to 250 took all off 21 balls, during which time James Hildreth went from 21 to 23! Trescothick didn't look like getting out whatever he did and his end, when it came, was bizarre.
Left-armer Rob Woodman (pictured), like Suppiah dual-registered, bowled a low full-toss at Hildreth, who smashed it straight back. Woodman stuck out a hand, the ball hit it and deflected on to the stumps with Trescothick a good yard out of his ground.
When Trescothick was out he had faced 117 balls in total, had hit 19 of them for six and 24 for four and, Bishop excepted, not waited more than four balls for a run! The total was 319 for two with 19 overs to go – and Somerset had another centurion on his way there.
Hildreth, who came in at 132 for one and was on 23 when Trescothick got out, batted through to make an unbeaten 102 at better than run-a-ball rate.
The only other wickets to fall were those of Ian Blackwell's, thrown away needlessly with a big heave off Burke towards mid-wicket, and Kevin Parsons for 39.
Devon captain Bob Dawson wasn't too perturbed by the stick handed out to his bowlers as Somerset have their priorities and he has his.
“Trescothick is still one of the best batsmen in the world and put him against our bowling on a ground with a short boundary one side and these things can happen,” said Dawson.
“The boundary was only about 50 yards on one side and he miss-hit a couple of sixes that would have been out any other day.
“Banger (Trescothick) has done what he felt he had to do and got something out of the game.
“For us the game was all about time out on grass to bowl and bat and work on our game. We are preparing for Dorset in the KO Cup in three weeks time and need time outside to do it.”
Batting-wise Devon had something to show from the game, although not always where they would have expected it in a respectable total of 286 all out.
Richard Foan and Arul Suppiah both played instantly forgettable strokes to Andy Caddick and went to catches in the cordon for scores below 20.
Sandy Allen made a tidy 32 and put on 69 for the third wicket with Hancock, whose run-a-ball 42 signalled he is in the same form he ended last season in.
Devon stammered as David Court, Lye and Dawson, middle-poled second ball by Jones, all went cheaply in a collapse from 128 for three to 152 for six that included Hancock as well.
Somerset probably fancied an early finish at that stage, midway through the 22nd over, but Devon were having none of it.
Woodman made 91, which will have impressed his handlers at Somerset succession planning for the eventual retirement of Parsons, and Trevor Anning stroked 46 in a stand of 111 that kept Somerset out there.
Anning missed out on a deserved 50 when he brushed Peter Trego to Parsons at short mid-wicket. Trego claimed Woodman in the next over thanks to a great catch at deep mid-wicket by Parsons.
Somerset 502-4 (M E Trescothick 256, J C Hildreth 102no, K A Parsons 39, I D Blackwell 20), Devon 216 (N D Hancock 42, R J Woodman 91, T S Anning 46, A W P Allen 32; P D Trego 3-54, S P Jones 3-19). Somerset bt Devon by 216 runs.
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Rob Woodman |
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