TAUNTON is renowned as a small and fast scoring cricket ground, but Somerset wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter made it look like a postage stamp as he flayed Lancashire to all parts.
The South African born 21-year-old walloped eight sixes and 14 fours in an entertaining 170-ball innings of 153, helping his side to a substantial first innings total of 557-8 declared in reply to the visiting side’s 344.
On this evidence, his qualification for England, which is due in February of next year, just can’t come quick enough.
He shared a record sixth wicket partnership for Somerset against Lancashire, which totalled 183 in 55 overs, with Peter Trego (80 off 98 balls).
The pair of them made it a difficult day for Lancashire’s bowlers, in fact one of the toughest of their season so far.
If their batsmen have an equally tough day, they will be contemplating their third County Championship defeat of the season.
They will also have to face up to a nervous final two weeks of the summer because they will be plunged deep into a relegation dogfight.
“It was certainly tough work on that wicket,” said Kyle Hogg, who returned figures of 1-91 from 19 overs. “It was hard to keep somebody like Kieswetter at bay on a slow wicket with short boundaries. Wickets were hard to come by.”
Facing a first innings deficit of 213, Lancashire lost Luke Sutton and Paul Horton before close, reducing their arrears to 126 as they reached 87-2 after 34 overs of their second innings.
Sutton fell to Alfonso Thomas and Horton to David Stiff for 32. Mal Loye finished the day on 23 not out, while Laxman will resume today on 16.
“It’s going to be a massive day for us, and the first session is very important,” continued Hogg. “If we lose a couple of wickets we could be in trouble.
“But we have got batters there who looked set. When you get in it is not only very hard to get out, but very hard to stop them scoring runs as a bowling side.”
Lancashire all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has not had his England central contract renewed, but has been awarded one of seven incremental contracts by the ECB.
Freddie has a year left on his Lancashire deal, and the club’s cricket director Mike Watkinson said yesterday: “We are currently in the middle of talks with his management company about a new one.”
Click
here for the latest scorecard from the BBC.
Lancs struggle at Taunton
September 11, 2009
Comments
Login or Register to comment
David of Ashton was spot on with his analysis at the end of day 1! Spot the difference between Kleiswetter and Du Plessis. Which south african is worth a place in his team?????
worst lancs team in the last 20 years - should be able to bat out for a draw on what must be a featherbed of a wicket - however............................
already 2 wickets down - the club coaches should be ashamed !!
The season is panning out much as I predicted before it began. I still think that we will avoid relegation this time round, but without a good deal of remedial work over the Winter we will be prime candidates next season. I think one or two posters have been a little harsh on Du Plessis who is little worse than some of the other batsmen. What is lacking is someone (or two) who will really get after the bowling. Look at the contrast in run rates between Lancs and Somerset in the current match! This is not untypical. Although I think that Laxman is a terrific batsman, I wonder if he is the kind to lead this group on. He is too much the relaxman, so even he rarely pushes things on or demoralises the bowlers. (He would be ideal if we had Fowlers, Fairbrothers, Flintoffs or Graham Lloyds in the team, but our current crop are much more measured in their approach.) There is also something wrong with the pace attack when Chapple, even at his advanced age, regularly produces the best return. I, for one, do not feel that the younger bowlers have taken their opportunities this year in the championship. Keedy also seems to be past his best but would surely be encouraged if there were a good off spinner operating at least some of the time from the other end. All in all, this has been a poor season in championship cricket. But having foreseen these performances, I can't really say that I am disappointed.
I don't think any remedial work will be done over the winter blue. For the last ten years or so the club has been run along the lines of "an old boys club" so why would it change now ? Every season a positive spin is put on underachievement. Mediocrity is the norm and goes unpunished. They are all in the comfort zone - we are the only county to play our players all year round. Maybe pay should be linked to performance. In how many sports or for that matter in how many other professions would the management keep their jobs after failing so miserably ? With our support and resources the buck must stop with the management. How have Sussex and Durham managed to achieve so much more success with so fewer resources ?
We are being totally humiliated in this game. Even so Kyle Hogg said on the official website that we have as many good players as they do !!!!!
If we don't bat out the day for a draw on this track we deserve to go down. Next season we need two top batsmen and above all Cross as our regular keeper in place of Sutton. An ever present with a top score of 34 shows "jobs for the boys" is more important than giving local talent a chance.