Yep, people take aim at the batters but to echo what others are saying, not for the first time this season we're just not bowling as well as out opposition have. Be it individually or as a unit. You look at the bowlers man for man, there's are better than ours. Hampshire game stood out as being similar to a degree where the opposition bowlers just made better use of the conditions than ours did.

Andy wrote:

Yep, people take aim at the batters but to echo what others are saying, not for the first time this season we're just not bowling as well as out opposition have. Be it individually or as a unit. You look at the bowlers man for man, there's are better than ours. Hampshire game stood out as being similar to a degree where the opposition bowlers just made better use of the conditions than ours did.

I agree with the above but look at the batting lineup we have available today, I would not swap it for Somerset's talent wise but Bethell & Bernard have just thrown their wickets away..........I did not see the Davies wicket but doubtless it was to a rash shot again, having played his way in.

Our fielding was sloppy at times as well unlike Somerset so it is every discipline that we are 2nd best in.

I wouldn't swap our batters for theirs either but that just emphasises the gulf in quality of the 2 bowling attacks. This pitch just doesn't look as flat as our bowlers made it look! As a unit Somerset have got that bit more pace, a bit more menace and have swung it a bit more. Somerset had some rash dismissals too, probably even more rash, the difference was though we'd given them so many freebies until then.

I don't think Somerset have been any worse or better than us in the field, generally.

Re. Keepers, ironically James Rew has just dropped Kai Smith.

And he missed a stumping yesterday.

We need to get the 39 runs to avoid the follow on & that should secure the draw.

Pointless the tail enders prodding away at balls, go for a few shots to bring the target down and be proactive.

On Smith, I don’t think his selection is simply a case of “is his keeping good enough”. His batting needs work too.
He’s one of a number of players in CC for us who are undoubtedly talented, but lack consistency.
Davies, Yates, Bethell, Mousley, Smith, Simmons, Booth, Shaikh, all fall into that category. For some of them, it’s due to their age. But it’s hard to consistently win, if you’re not consistent in your performances.
And consistency doesn’t always mean just in stats, but in how they play, not giving their wickets away, if they’re not taking wickets then don’t go for runs.

Is Simmons injured or has Davies overlooked him yet again in this second innings?

Not sure it's a nailed on draw, Somerset can easily get 100 very quickly tomorrow and we could be chasing 350-360 in 75 overs. Felt for Hain after grafting for so long and then getting out before tea but thought Rocky played well.

BristolBear wrote:
> On Smith, I don’t think his selection is simply a case of “is his keeping good enough”. His batting needs work too.

He’s one of a number of players in CC for us who are undoubtedly talented, but lack consistency.
Davies, Yates, Bethell, Mousley, Smith, Simmons, Booth, Shaikh, all fall into that category. For some of them, it’s due to their age. But it’s hard to consistently win, if you’re not consistent in your performances.
And consistency doesn’t always mean just in stats, but in how they play, not giving their wickets away, if they’re not taking wickets then don’t go for runs.

No I agree which is why I said if he isn't gonna keep he shouldn't be in the side. Definitely got potential, I'm in favour of him, but since Durham away he hasn't really made any runs.

paulbear wrote:

Not sure it's a nailed on draw, Somerset can easily get 100 very quickly tomorrow and we could be chasing 350-360 in 75 overs. Felt for Hain after grafting for so long and then getting out before tea but thought Rocky played well.

Yeah tomorrow could be a good test of character for us. Somerset are hugely experienced.

It's true his batting needs work as well, but his keeping is significant because that's the only thing stopping Davies with his ridiculous triple role, just about the only thing this forum is united on!

BristolBear wrote:

On Smith, I don’t think his selection is simply a case of “is his keeping good enough”. His batting needs work too.
He’s one of a number of players in CC for us who are undoubtedly talented, but lack consistency.
Davies, Yates, Bethell, Mousley, Smith, Simmons, Booth, Shaikh, all fall into that category. For some of them, it’s due to their age. But it’s hard to consistently win, if you’re not consistent in your performances.
And consistency doesn’t always mean just in stats, but in how they play, not giving their wickets away, if they’re not taking wickets then don’t go for runs.

BBC live feed very critical of our attempts to slow things down this morning, yet Somerset have just lost Abell and still not declared.

Good that our latest import has taken some wickets. I thought that his first innings performance was very mixed - not a good start, then a spell of good control and then lost it again.
(Describing him as our latest import is easier than having to check how to spell his name).

Not sure why we are being criticised, Somerset have surely got enough, have 2 spinners, one of them has 142 Test wickets and are in control.

Somerset's tactics are strange, Vaughan & Overton are just pushing singles. I would of thought they'd be looking for boundaries by now.

That from Leach to dismiss Yates then turned a long way.

Yet another "best in the championship" performance by our openers!

Will Yates have another mysterious illness to explain his replacement in the next game?

I'm a little disappointed we don't appear to be having a go at winning from this position. 47 overs with 8 wickets to go, we can shut up shop as soon as we lose one.

The criticism of us was very unfair. They hardly got away, they went at pretty much 4 an over. Which is decent considering they would have wanted to be going faster. The spinner bowled well. We took the expensive bowlers out the attack very quickly. Did what needed to be done.
We kept it to less than 70 overs for Somerset to bowl us out. Which you’d hope on this pitch shouldn’t be enough time, and at the moment Latham and Hain look comfortable. But it’ll all depend on how much the ball turns as it gets softer.