Somerset at the Oval

The $64,000 question is will the drinks carrier Mr Atkinson be allowed to play!!

If so he should come in for big Jamie. If fit Frankie Worrall in for Lawes.

If the weather stays fair lets send the cider mob back home with a beating.

I thought the big question was how late will it be today before we find out the squad news.

Coatesy wrote:I thought the big question was how late will it be today before we find out the squad news.

I think the big call could be dropping Steel, because Lawrence proved he can bowl a bit now, and do we really 2 spinners?

Hopefully after the exertions of booking into a hotel for 4 nights in Manchester doesn't mean any other England candidates in our squad need to take a rest.

Just don't know why you would drop Lawes. I'd pick him ahead of Atkinson or Overton if all three are fit and available, especially while Kemar is on hand to provide the extra pace and Pope and Foakes are still here to maximise our batting strength.

Jackers wrote:Just don't know why you would drop Lawes. I'd pick him.ahead of Atkinson or Jamie Overton if all three are fit and available, especially while Kemar is on hand to provide the extra pace and Pope and Foakes are still here to maximise our batting strength.

Yes I think that is the quandry, Lawes is going to be someone available to us all season (hopefully) when the rest aren't, so we need to put our faith in him and give him the games. Also if we want him to be a genuine all-rounder he needs to be up the order in 7 or 8.

Remember during the first day of season where they'd lay on tea/coffee and some pastries, or if you were lucky a bacon roll. Is that a thing this year?

Anyway, will be nice to be back, weather looks decent for first 3 days...

There's also the other first-day tradition of celebrating the championship win by selling beer at the price it was when we last won it. That was a good deal in 2019 (2002 prices), but with inflation sharply down since 12 months ago I am not sure it will be noticeable if they do tomorrow.

Jackers wrote:There's also the other first-day tradition of celebrating the championship win by selling beer at the price it was when we last won it. That was a good deal in 2019 (2002 prices), but with inflation sharply down since 12 months ago I am not sure it will be noticeable if they do tomorrow.

Jackers,

I think you may have missed the memo about the hike in beer prices from the start of the season together with an additional and compulsory £1 donation to a charity of the Club's choosing on the first drink bought each day.

I'm not sure about a donation being compulsory but no doubt Adelaide can put me right

guildfordbat wrote:

Jackers wrote:There's also the other first-day tradition of celebrating the championship win by selling beer at the price it was when we last won it. That was a good deal in 2019 (2002 prices), but with inflation sharply down since 12 months ago I am not sure it will be noticeable if they do tomorrow.

Jackers,

I think you may have missed the memo about the hike in beer prices from the start of the season together with an additional and compulsory £1 donation to a charity of the Club's choosing on the first drink bought each day.

I'm not sure about a donation being compulsory but no doubt Adelaide can put me right  

As a "non-beer drinker" the price hike doesn't bother me unduly, though it is another example of the new regime's penny-penching approach, which grates when we are such a relatively wealthy club.

I am struggling to see what the point of the compulsory charity donation is. Previously, there was a £5 (I think) deposit which was fully refundable if you returned your cup. That made perfect sense; it prevented plastic cups being thrown away and (at T20 matches) killed the plague of 'beer snakes' which were the scourge of stewards' lives during the second innings of the match. What, now, is the incentive to return cups to the "donation stations" after you've had your last pint? I can see the beer snakes making a comeback. Bring your umbrellas to all T20 games (even if there is no rain forecast, you are likely to experience showers!)

guildfordbat wrote:

Jackers wrote:There's also the other first-day tradition of celebrating the championship win by selling beer at the price it was when we last won it. That was a good deal in 2019 (2002 prices), but with inflation sharply down since 12 months ago I am not sure it will be noticeable if they do tomorrow.

Jackers,

I think you may have missed the memo about the hike in beer prices from the start of the season together with an additional and compulsory £1 donation to a charity of the Club's choosing on the first drink bought each day.

I'm not sure about a donation being compulsory but no doubt Adelaide can put me right  

I think if you bring a cup from last season you can swap it for a new one for free.

Peter.M.Gardens wrote:

Jackers wrote:Just don't know why you would drop Lawes. I'd pick him.ahead of Atkinson or Jamie Overton if all three are fit and available, especially while Kemar is on hand to provide the extra pace and Pope and Foakes are still here to maximise our batting strength.

Yes I think that is the quandry, Lawes is going to be someone available to us all season (hopefully) when the rest aren't, so we need to put our faith in him and give him the games. Also if we want him to be a genuine all-rounder he needs to be up the order in 7 or 8.

I was interested in and encouraged by Alec Stewart's comments about Lawes' batting. However, his Championship batting average fell from an ok 22 in 2022 to a disappointing 11 last season. If he is to go in at number 7 or 8 (and perhaps above the likes of Clark, Abbott and Overton), he needs to earn that right by better showing his batting ability wherever he is in the order. I suspect Alec would not strongly disagree.

TEAM NEWS
Craig Overton is available for selection after injury and new signing Migael Pretorius is in line to make his Somerset debut. Alfie Ogborne has also been added to the squad but Jack Leach and Tom Abell are still both sidelined by injury.

Somerset have named the following squad for the fixture: Lewis Gregory, Sean Dickson, Matt Renshaw, Tom Lammonby, Tom Banton, James Rew, Lewis Goldsworthy, Craig Overton, Migael Pretorius, Kasey Aldridge, Jake Ball, Shoaib Bashir and Alfie Ogborne.

Atkinson back in the squad (so no idea why we still need Dunn) but no Worrall.  

I would go: Burns, Sibley, Pope, Lawrence, Smith, Foakes, Clark, Overton, Lawes, Atkinson, Roach

A bit harsh on Steel, perhaps, but assuming we are still preparing pitches for our seamers Lawrence should cover any few overs of spin that may be needed.

Burns, Sibley, Pope, Lawrence, Smith, Steel, Foakes, Patel, Batty, Majid, Virdi

Wishful thinking on my part.

More realistically, Clark, Lawes, Atkinson, Roach 8-11.

Only seven spinners, RB?

In an interview last week Sam Billings was rueing his limited England opportunities but stating that "you can only play one wicketkeeper". Didn't Surrey get up to five once? Even England have often had three (e g Foakes, Bairstow and Pope). I would have said that Sam B's opportunities were limited more by his talent than anything else. He's doing the world T20 circuit now, no more red ball.

I can remember an article suggesting he had the ability to play Test cricket for England as a specialist batsman.

Mind you, they said that about Jason Roy.

Mark Butcher is on the current Wisden cricket podcast bemoaning the non selection of Shoaib Bashir by Somerset last week. I can imagine with their new overseas signing Migael Pretorius and Craig Overton both available since last week there isn't much chance the England spinner will be selected at the Oval.

Story on BBC about his release from Surrey

Here's my preview of the County Championship clash between @surreycricket and @SomersetCCC which starts today at the Oval http://www.ovalworld-online.com/prevsursomcc2024.htm

First-class stats sheet for @surreycricket vs @SomersetCCC http://www.ovalworld-online.com/fc_stats_surrey_somerset.pdf

For Surrey's fixtures and scorecards go to: http://www.ovalworld-online.com/cards.htm

Wonderful weather today. Even bringing my shorts!

Also I assume the bar credit on membership is no longer a thing either? Sad days because that was a nice gesture

Alex! wrote:Wonderful weather today. Even bringing my shorts!

Also I assume the bar credit on membership is no longer a thing either? Sad days because that was a nice gesture

I was considering shorts, but i think thats a little optimistic, maybe tomorrow

Peter.M.Gardens wrote:Mark Butcher is on the current Wisden cricket podcast bemoaning the non selection of Shoaib Bashir by Somerset last week. I can imagine with their new overseas signing Migael Pretorius and Craig Overton both available since last week there isn't much chance the England spinner will be selected at the Oval.

I wouldn't put money on it but I'm pretty confident that Bashir will play today. If so, it'll be interesting to see him in action and how he does.

Somerset ended up feeling they lacked sufficient variety to overcome Kent in last week's opener and imo that may well influence their selection today. They've already allowed for the inclusion of Pretorius and COve by axing from the current squad Davey and Leonard who played last week. Thus only one other needs to make way for Bashir, maybe Aldridge.

I haven't heard Butcher bemoaning on the podcast but tbf to Somerset, they should always pick the eleven they consider is the best for them even if that's at odds with what England might want. Shades of Surrey and Virdi.

Surrey won the toss and will field...

Surrey
Rory Burns(c)
Dom Sibley
Ollie Pope
Dan Lawrence
Jamie Smith
Ben Foakes(wk)
Cameron Steel
Jordan Clark
Jamie Overton
Gus Atkinson
Kemar Roach


Somerset
Matt Renshaw
Sean Dickson
Tom Lammonby
Lewis Goldsworthy
Tom Banton
James Rew(wk)
Lewis Gregory(c)
Migael Pretorius
Kasey Aldridge
Craig Overton
Shoaib Bashir

Lawes dropped, Bashir selected

Shame Lawes has been dropped. Overton is more of a white ball player now and he should have been dropped.

Absolute madness. Lawes should be up there with Clark as an automatic pick. Rotate the faster guys.

I mean, glad with that wicket, and felt like it was coming

But dropping that in the first place was a bit of a shocker