One Day Cup Group B, Northampton Sunday August 8 2021, Northants 305-6 (46 overs) beat Somerset 223 all out (Goldsworthy 80, Davey 53) by 81 runs (DLS)
I’ve said many times I try not to get too down when Somerset lose and remember that this is a game not life and death. I try to keep a sense of perspective. But my goodness this was a pretty dreadful performance only given the slightest veneer of respectability but Lewis Goldsworthy and Josh Davey’s eight an over 120 run sixth wicket partnership. It gave Somerset the outsidest of chances going into the last ten overs but in truth the task their poor performance for the first three quarters of the game in all departments had left them too much to do.
I see no point in conducting an autopsy – it wouldn’t be much fun to read or write. So instead, in bullet point form, here are my thoughts this evening.
Without Ben Green’s leadership and all-round contribution and Jack Brooks’ experience the Somerset bowling attack is severely compromised.
There appears to me to be no real leaders on the field when they are needed. No disrespect to the experienced trio of Davey, Davies and Hildreth but they are not particularly vocal and find the sort of rallying crises that Tom Abell constantly provided easy. There were many times in the Northants’ innings that that was needed.
Both Eddie Byrom and George Bartlett needed big One Day Cup campaigns and both are woefully short of runs and confidence. Their part in the remainder of the season is very much in doubt.
Josh Davey, admirable cricketer that he is, is not a number seven in List A cricket.
Northants, who have been far less affected by the dreadful draft, were very much the men in a men v boys contest. But I’ll have our boys now, anytime over our opponents as the upside and future for Somerset is huge. We mustn’t lose site of that.
The youngsters are developing leaps and bounds and in the long run they will learn a lot from the last two games but that is hard to appreciate when we need points on the board to reach the knockout phase.
Lewis Goldsworthy IS A SUPERSTAR.
We didn’t manage to lose as badly as Surrey did against Leicestershire yesterday!
We have two games to go. We are now third in the group but with a game in hand still have every chance of qualifying and potentially topping the group. But I’d be happy at this point with a home quarter-final.
I’m still keeping Thursday 19th free in my diary!
