Somerset 2017

Same bonus would do. Level and we go above on no. Of wins.

True, but we'll then contact the High Court about Arrowgate and our deducted points...

Nice quiet day at Taunton...,

Take a bow, Mr Groundsman

Is that a bow to go with the arrow.

Somerset appear to have produced a results pitch but one that should still have enabled a reasonable batting line up to have made 300 plus in first innings. I don't see that they have done anything different to what Middlesex arranged for their last match at Lords other than that pitch was in favour of the seamers.

Why don't Middx declare now? 3-2 ahead on bonus pts.

There also needs to be a better way of deciding weather disrupted matches.

A roof?

Beau Nash wrote:Middlesex ought to have declared at the fall of the third wicket.  

Hampshire wouldn't be happy, but it would at least show what a nonsense the scoring system is and why the bonus points system should be abolished.

There also needs to be a better way of deciding weather disrupted matches.

You aren't allowed to declare just to prevent the opposition getting bonus points:

"14 Law 14 – Declaration and Forefeiture
14.1 Extraordinary Declarations
An Extraordinary Declaration for the purposes of this rule is usually a declaration aimed primarily at denying the bowling side the opportunity to acquire further bonus points in that innings, but without enhancing the batting side’s prospects of winning or saving the match.
Such a declaration may, depending on the particular circumstances, be deemed as bringing the game into disrepute, penalties for which may include the deduction of points from the offending team.
A captain who is contemplating a declaration which has potential to be deemed an Extraordinary Declaration may, if he wishes, first approach the Officiating Umpires, providing due notice of his intention, in order to request an indicative ruling as to whether or not such a declaration is likely to be deemed an Extraordinary Declaration with the potential for bringing the game into disrepute.
The Officiating Umpires shall then request advice from the ECB Cricket Department who will (in liaison with the Cricket Discipline Commission and time permitting) provide an indicative ruling to the captain.
ECB Cricket Department may appoint an official to such matches to facilitate good communication between all relevant parties."

Come on Warwickshire or this topic may lose comrade next season.

In response to Peter Newman's point about the Lord's pitch for the Lancashire match, please remember that Middlesex do not own their own ground and cannot influence the groundsman's preparations. Quite simply, we have to accept whatever Mick Hunt, an MCC employee, gives us.

Having said that, unless the ECB show some backbone, Somerset are quite within their rights to produce what they want to favour their players. Quite how producing wickets like this one will help develop spin bowlers for England I'm not sure, yet that is a claim of the powers that be - for a second XI spinner to take 7 wickets on the first day and a part time one to open the bowling as Stirling did today, adds to the farce which this season's county championship has been on many occasions.

From a Middlesex point of view I obviously didn't enjoy my visit to Taunton today, but it was certainly an engrossing day. The crazy wickets sacrificed by Voges and Simpson couldn't be blamed on the pitch and later Hildreth and Abell showed how a sensible approach could prosper. Somerset probably already have enough to win, but I guess the feeling is that the pitch is becoming easier and Middx surely can't bat so badly second time around.

However, if we are relegated it will be for our dozy approach to most of the season. I suppose our best hope now is for Warwickshire to beat Hants and that's when Somerset's problems may start. The ECB announcement on the pitch has been delayed to the end - you had better hope that Mr Bransgrove doesn't have the same influence he apparently had 12 months ago over Durham!

Congratulations Somerset - you've had a great end to the season and took your chance well.
As for the ECB...

Well, why is supporting Somerset, like City, never simple. From the disappointment of 2nd place 12 months ago to the delight of survival. How on earth did we do that given our awful form for most of the season? I guess the League table doesn't lie and it wasn't all down to one game, but for Middlesex its a helluva come down from that um game with Yorkshire a year ago. Instead of planning for the champions game in Abu Dhabi its...well just planning for Derby !

I'll be delighted to buy a beer for our long baited Middlesex fan at the Mermaid next Saturday to show no hard feelings !

No, it was all down to 2 points! I'll have a pint for each...

Apparently Middlesex have requested a meeting with the ECB to get the decision to have 2 points deducted revoked.

And the pitch inspection result will be announced on Monday. Would not surprise me at all if Middx remain and we go down.

The pitch was a disgrace but I'll be amazed if the decision goes our way. However anyone can see that the handling of the Oval incident was appalling and reflects really badly on the ECB. How about them showing some sense and rescinding that decision, but only relegate Warwickshire. I haven't seen a single benefit of reducing the top division to 8 teams, so an extra team would hurt no one next season.

2 teams will be relegated for sure.

The pitch was declared below average and not poor. Not sure what below average means as that must apply to virtually 50% of all the pitches used throughout the season. The Taunton pitch assisted the slow bowlers but let's face it Somerset were around 160/170 for 3 in first innings before a stupid run out started one of their regular collapses. In second innings they seemed to have no real problems scoring runs and only lost wickets through playing risky shots going for quick runs, in order to set up an earlier than intended declaration. It would have been difficult to complain about a pitch if Somerset had made around 300 for 6.
I think that the emphasis on the 2 points would indicate the pitch route is now a non-runner. I am still not clear how Middx are claiming that the arrow impacted on their over rate as they were batting at the time.
I was at Taunton on Weds and they were wasting a lot of time that the over rate that started at something like +10 was down to +6 within hour and half of play.
The views from the bar when rain came was that irrespective of what the final table showed a Middx relegation would not be the final outcome.
The way things are going would now tend to support that view and to the powers that be Somerset are expendable.

I stand by what I said about the pitch being a disgrace. For Patel to take 12 wickets in the match backs this up - he was playing in only his 3rd match in 2 seasons and hadn't previously taken a single wicket in the present one. A lot has been made about Somerset batsmen, especially Hildreth, later on proving it wasn't such a spiteful surface. True, but surely a match shouldn't start in such conditions. Despite George Dobell being a Somerset supporter, his Cricinfo report on the first day included...

Patel's first wicket came when Trescothick left one that turned sharply out of some old foot marks - this pitch was used for the game against Lancashire a few weeks ago - and was struck dead in front.  

While I agree it sounded like sour grapes from Voges, he wasn't the only one to observe that the pitch had clearly been raked on a length prior to play. For Maynard to claim in his post match interview that preparing a pitch like this was down to skill on the groundsman's part is perhaps true but damning - I expect Ashley played on better wickets for his village team this summer. But if in the ECB's eyes Somerset did nothing wrong then you have nothing to worry about.

Yes, Middx were time wasting at Taunton - it was not deliberate at the Oval. For all his virtues, TRJ completes his overs very slowly and the minus sign is a regular feature on the scoreboard. They usually manage to redress the balance with the spinners during the opponents' 2nd innings. Very risky I agree! Simpson was on 88 at the time of the interruption - the intention was to declare if and when he reached 3 figures and there would be sufficient time to improve the over rate with the likes of Rayner and Stirling.

Of course William Tell scuppered that plan, but Franklin was assured by the umpires that we had nothing to worry about. I was at the Oval that day and witnessed the chaos - Surrey players especially were apparently white faced in the dressing room, spectators were ordered into covered areas and armed police surrounded the ground. It's a pity Franklin didn't check that the paperwork was as he had been promised but perhaps understandable in the circumstances. It's the ECB's intransigence which I can't accept.

Having said that, it would be wrong for Somerset to suffer for others' mistakes. They should be relegated in our place if the pitch fails the enquiry but not for the missing 2 points.

Seems as though the pitch is staying as ‘below average’ so no points defuction

With Andy Hurry and Jason Kerr now in charge let's hope player recruitment improves. An overseas player would be handy !

I see that the below average rating has also been given to the Lords pitch for the Middx- Lancs game. This is, presumably, for uneven bounce and the potential to be more dangerous for batsmen. Perhaps the ECB could have docked Somerset 3 points for its pitch but 5 for Middx due to the danger element. It could then have reinstated the lost over points and nothing changed.

Luton Roman wrote:With Andy Hurry and Jason Kerr now in charge let's hope player recruitment improves. An overseas player would be handy !

No, simply give your groundsman a decent bonus and encourage him to continue the good work. In the words of Maynard "It takes great skill to produce this pitch!"