Somerset County Cricket Club are playing in Division Two of both the County Championship and the Sunday League in 2005. Somerset started at 10-1 to finish Division Two County Champions. Batting seems strong with Smith, Jayasuriya, Blackwell and Trescothick. But the same cannot be said of the bowling, which will find it difficult to dismiss teams twice on the flat Taunton pitch.

The first match of the season was against Durham UCCE, which showed how good a batting pitch Taunton is, with both teams scoring well. The first County Championship game was a draw against Lancashire at Old Trafford. The next game was a totesport League game against Warwickshire, which was abandoned as a draw because of rain.

Somerset's second Championship game was a comprehensive innings defeat at the hands of Yorkshire, which was followed by another heavy defeat to Yorkshire on the Sunday, and a 9 wicket defeat by Essex in the Championship. They then lost by 8 wickets to the Foxes at Taunton, but on the May Day Bank Holiday thrashed Surrey. Yorkshire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Headingley in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. ... Essex County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Chelmsford, though with grounds elsewhere. ... Leicestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Leicester. ... The following places are named Taunton: Taunton, Somerset in England Taunton, Massachusetts Taunton, Minnesota Taunton, New York Also: Taunton Deane is a local government district with borough status in Somerset, England. ... Surrey County Cricket Club (SCCC) is an English domestic first-class cricket team based at The Oval in London. ...

Tables

Championship

The Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street Durham County Cricket Club (Durham CCC) is an English domestic first-class cricket team based at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street, County Durham. ... Essex County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Chelmsford, though with grounds elsewhere. ... Worcestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at New Road, Worcester, England. ... Yorkshire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Headingley in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. ... Lancashire County Cricket Club is a first-class cricket club based at Old Trafford cricket ground, Manchester External links Official Lancashire County Cricket Club website Categories: Cricket stubs | English first class cricket teams ... Northamptonshire Cricket Club is one of the 18 major counties which make up the English domestic cricket structure. ... Somerset County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Taunton. ... Leicestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Leicester. ...

totesport League

Yorkshire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Headingley in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. ... The Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street Durham County Cricket Club (Durham CCC) is an English domestic first-class cricket team based at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street, County Durham. ... Somerset County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Taunton. ... Warwickshire County Cricket Club is a cricket club (team) based in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England (Birmingham historically being part of Warwickshire). ... Sussex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major counties which make up the English domestic cricket structure. ... Kent County Cricket Club is an English county cricket club based at Canterbury, Kent. ... Leicestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Leicester. ... Surrey County Cricket Club (SCCC) is an English domestic first-class cricket team based at The Oval in London. ...

Match details

Somerset v Durham UCCE (9-11 April)

Match drawn

At Taunton, the first day of the season for these two teams made up Somerset's first innings. In 105 overs Somerset made a mammoth 580 for 5 declared. Ian Blackwell contributed 191, John Francis 123 and Matthew Wood 95 as Durham UCCE struggled. Francis and Wood's partnership is a new record fifth-wicket partnership for Somerset, beating the 235 put on by CCC "Box" Case and Jack White in 1927. Somerset declared on their overnight total. However, on a good pitch, Durham UCCE fared well, making a mammoth 304 for the first wicket, and were 327 for 1 at close on the second day. Will Smith scored 156 and Alistair Maiden 211 not out before Durham UCCE were able to declare on 433 for 4, 147 behind. Also, this was against a first-class attack including Andrew Caddick and Nixon McLean. Somerset chose to bat out the rest of the day for a draw, finishing on 211 for 2 declared, with John Francis scoring 112. [1] (http://live.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005/ENG_LOCAL/UCCE/SCORECARDS/SOMERSET_DURHAM-UCCE_UCCE_09-11APR2005.html) The following places are named Taunton: Taunton, Somerset in England Taunton, Massachusetts Taunton, Minnesota Taunton, New York Also: Taunton Deane is a local government district with borough status in Somerset, England. ... Somerset County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Taunton. ... Matthew Wood is an American filmmaker who is currently the Supervising Sound Editor (2003) employed at Skywalker Sound in Marin County, California. ... Events January 7 - First transatlantic telephone call - New York City to London January 9 - Military rebellion crushed in Lisbon January 14 - Paul Doumer elected president of France January 19 - Britain sends troops to China February 12 - First British troops lad on Shanghai February 14 - Earthquake in Yugoslavia - 700 dead February... Andrew Richard Caddick (born 21 November 1968) is an England cricketer. ...

Lancashire v Somerset (13-16 April)

Lancashire (10 pts) drew with Somerset (9 pts)

At Old Trafford, Somerset won the toss and elected to field on a seaming pitch after a delayed start. Mal Loye was the only Lancastrian to score a half-century, as Somerset made the most of the conditions. Sutcliffe, Law and Chilton all worked themselves into the 30s, but failed to progress. Lancashire finished the first day on 235 for 7. Old Trafford cricket ground has been the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since 1856. ... Somerset County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Taunton. ...

Second day honours went to Lancashire. First their not out batsmen, Dominic Cork and Sajid Mahmood, took the eighth wicket partnership to 94, and Lancashire finished on 323. Andrew Caddick took 4 for 78. James Anderson and Dominic Cork then set about damaging Somerset's batting. Only Ian Blackwell, who was dropped by Stuart Law at slip when on 17, put up much resistance, with captain and England opener Marcus Trescothick making only 11. At one stage Somerset were 53 for 4, and they finished the day on 193 for 7, with Blackwell not out on 74. Andrew Richard Caddick (born 21 November 1968) is an England cricketer. ... James Anderson can refer to: James Anderson, administrative head of Norfolk Island James Anderson, a founder of the Scottish Enlightenment James T.M. Anderson, Premier of Saskatchewan from 1929 to 1934 James Anderson an actor James Anderson, a tennis player James Anderson, a cricket player James Anderson, a Harvard University... Marcus Edward Trescothick (born in Keynsham, Somerset on 25 December 1975) is an English cricketer who plays Test cricket for the England cricket team and County cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club. ...

Just as Somerset's tail pushed on at the end of their innings, so did Lancashire's. Blackwell made his second century in two innings, finally surrendering on 122. The second-highest scorer was Richard Johnson with 40. Blackwell explained, "I've changed a few things this year and started to bat on off stump. A lot of bowlers have been going across me because they know that I go at widish balls. The ball's now closer to me if it's slanted across and I'm backing my hand-eye co-ordination to avoid being lbw." The day itself was very cold, with Blackwell saying, "It was absolutely perishing out there. I think play should be abandoned if it gets that cold." After Somerset were dismissed for 272, six Somerset men came out to field sporting woollen hats. Bad light and rain meant the day ended at 2.07pm, with Lancashire on 33 for 1, 84 runs ahead. Whilst a Lancashire victory was not out of the question, the most likely result was the draw.

Lancashire batted on for another 49 overs, scoring 195 for 6 declared, and setting Somerset a target of 247 runs in 31 overs. Horton and Loye put on 94 for the first wicket. But all in all, taking 61 overs to score 195 was hardly declaration batting. Somerset did not go for the win (which would have meant scoring at well over 7 an over), and made 69 for 3 off 22.3 overs before play ended because of bad light. Lancashire's Mal Loye, who fell just short of his century on 92 in the second innings to go with his 53 in the first said, "To get a couple of 50s against a pretty good attack is a good start. It was a pretty difficult pitch to bat on during the first day but it got easier as the match wore on and I was disappointed to miss out. Getting a century is a psychological thing for a batsman. I don't set myself goals or anything like that, but it's always nice to get a hundred." [2] (http://live.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005/ENG_LOCAL/CC2/SCORECARDS/13-16APR2005/LANCS_SOMERSET_CC2_13-16APR2005.html)

Warwickshire v Somerset (17 April)

Match abandoned - Warwickshire (2pts), Somerset (2pts)

Warwickshire won the toss at Edgbaston and put Somerset in to bat. Mike Burns dominate proceedings with his 107 from 134 balls, supported by Keith Parsons' 51 and James Hildreth's 54, as Somerset scored 254 for 5 in their 45 overs. However, then bad weather put an end to the day's play before Warwickshire had a chance to bat. Warwickshire County Cricket Club is a cricket club (team) based in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England (Birmingham historically being part of Warwickshire). ... Edgbaston constituency shown within Birmingham Edgbaston is an area in Birmingham, England. ... Somerset County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Taunton. ...

[3] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/fds/hi/statistics/cricket/scorecards/2005/4/11517/html/scorecard.stm)

Yorkshire v Somerset (20-23 April)

Yorkshire (22pts) beat Somerset (3pts) by an innings and 44 runs

Rain meant no play was possible on the first day at Headingley. The second day was dominated by Ian Harvey, who, at close, was on a career-best 161 not out after being dropped by Andrew Caddick on 96. Yorkshire were on 401 for 7. Matthew Wood had added 95 in 174 balls earlier in the day. Headingley is also the name of a city in Manitoba, Canada. ... Andrew Richard Caddick (born 21 November 1968) is an England cricketer. ... Yorkshire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Headingley in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. ... Matthew Wood is an American filmmaker who is currently the Supervising Sound Editor (2003) employed at Skywalker Sound in Marin County, California. ...

The third day Somerset acting captain, Marcus Trescothick, was away, as he first child was born in the night. On the field Yorkshire declared on 501 for 9, after Harvey got 209 not out, and Tim Bresnan 74. Their eighth-wicket partnership of 238 is the second-highest for Somerset after the 292 put on by Lord Hawke and Bobby Peel in 1896. Somerset, batting with 10 men, lost opener Sanath Jayasuriya for 0 after 3 balls, and were all out for 182. Following-on Somerset plummeted to 10 for 3, and then 37 for 4 (which might as been for 5 given Trescothick's absence). However, they avoided losing further wickets on the Friday, finishing on 109 for 4 at close, still 310 runs behind. Somerset County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Taunton. ... Marcus Edward Trescothick (born in Keynsham, Somerset on 25 December 1975) is an English cricketer who plays Test cricket for the England cricket team and County cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club. ... Martin Bladen Hawke (16 August 1860-10 October 1938), from 1887 known as Lord Hawke was an English cricketer who, Wisden wrote, strode the cricketing world like a colossus for half a century, as a player and administrator, and one who played a major part in the modernisation of the... 1896 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Sanath Teran Jayasuriya (born June 30, 1969 in Matara) is a Sri Lankan cricketer and member of the Sri Lankan cricket team since 1989. ...

Somerset clung on on the fourth and final day for 66 overs, with John Francis carrying his bat for 125 as they recovered to 275. This left Yorkshire with their first win of the campaign, and a comprehensive victory. [4] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/fds/hi/statistics/cricket/scorecards/2005/4/11525/html/scorecard.stm)

Yorkshire v Somerset (24 April)

Yorkshire (4pts) beat Somerset (0pts) by 5 wickets

The home side won easily at Headingley. The Sabres batted first and made 209 for 9 in their 45 overs. Yorkshire were always in control, thanks to a third-wicket partnership of 84 in 15 overs between Phil Jaques, who scored 84 off 78 balls, and Michael Lumb. Yorkshire finished in style to win by 5 wickets with 32 balls remaining. [5] (http://live.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005/ENG_LOCAL/NLS/SCORECARDS/24APR2005/YORKS_SOMERSET_NLS_24APR2005.html) Headingley is also the name of a city in Manitoba, Canada. ...

Somerset v Essex (27-30 April)

Essex (22pts) beat Somerset (2pts) by 9 wickets

On 35 overs were possible on the first day. On a green Taunton pitch, Somerset fared poorly against Essex's seam attack. Alex Tudor, late of Surrey, took the first two wickets, including Marcus Trescothick for 4. Somerset were on 119 for 5 at stumps. The following places are named Taunton: Taunton, Somerset in England Taunton, Massachusetts Taunton, Minnesota Taunton, New York Also: Taunton Deane is a local government district with borough status in Somerset, England. ... Somerset County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Taunton. ... Essex County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Chelmsford, though with grounds elsewhere. ... Surrey County Cricket Club (SCCC) is an English domestic first-class cricket team based at The Oval in London. ... Marcus Edward Trescothick (born in Keynsham, Somerset on 25 December 1975) is an English cricketer who plays Test cricket for the England cricket team and County cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club. ...

Somerset were soon dismissed on the Thursday for 190. Essex's youngsters, Alastair Cook, who looks to be headed for an England call-up before long, and Ravinder Bopara, aged 20 and 19 respectively, made merry with the bat. Although the pitch did not seam as much as the first day, they put on 181 together. Cook was finally out for 111, and Bopara not out for 71 at close, with Essex on 224 for 3, 34 runs ahead.

Bopara could not add to his overnight total on the third day. But Essex were able to take control, finally declaring on 427 for 8 when Tudor was run out for 57. Foster was not out on 78 when the declaration came. In reply, Somerset fared okay till Trescothick went with the score on 57, and then, at 65 for 1, Andre Adams, Somerset's New Zealand import took a hat-trick. Michael Burns edged an outswinger, and Sanath Jayasuriya and James Hildreth were both leg before. With Adams picking up one more wicket before close, Somerset finished on 128 for 5, still 109 runs off making Essex bat again. The New Zealand cricket team, also known as the Black Caps, played their first Test in 1930 vs England in Christchurch, New Zealand. ... Sanath Teran Jayasuriya (born June 30, 1969 in Matara) is a Sri Lankan cricketer and member of the Sri Lankan cricket team since 1989. ...

On the Saturday, Somerset's tail was quickly reduced to 180 for 9. There was then something of a rearguard action with 63 put on by Andrew Caddick and Robert Turner for the ninth wicket, and Turner and Nixon McLean putting on 70 for the tenth. This left Essex with a target of 77 to win, which they did easily with the loss of just one wicket. [6] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/fds/hi/statistics/cricket/scorecards/2005/4/11540/html/scorecard.stm) Andrew Richard Caddick (born 21 November 1968) is an England cricketer. ...

Leicestershire v Somerset (1 May)

Somerset (4pts) beat Leicestershire (0pts) by 8 wickets

The Leicestershire Foxes were restricted to 211 for 8 at Taunton. John Francis and Keith Parsons then completed the win for the Sabres with 73 and 91 respectively. This gave Somerset their first win in any competition this season, and meant that the Foxes were still waiting for their first win. [7] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/fds/hi/statistics/cricket/scorecards/2005/5/11548/html/scorecard.stm) Leicestershire County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Leicester. ... The following places are named Taunton: Taunton, Somerset in England Taunton, Massachusetts Taunton, Minnesota Taunton, New York Also: Taunton Deane is a local government district with borough status in Somerset, England. ... Somerset County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Taunton. ...

Somerset v Surrey (2 May)

Somerset (4pts) beat Surrey (0pts) by 99 runs (D/L method)

Surrey were never in this game, which was played at Taunton. The Sabres totalled a mammoth 325 for 6 in their 44 overs, with Sanath Jayasuriya (61 off 49), Marcus Trescothick (52 off 43) and Keith Parsons (85 off 75) doing most of the damage. The Lions were never in the hunt in reply. Whilst Ali Brown top-scored with 65 wickets fell at regular intervals, and they finally finished on 226 for 9, 99 behind. [8] (http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/2005/ENG_LOCAL/NLS/SCORECARDS/02MAY2005/SOMERSET_SURREY_NLS_02MAY2005.html) Surrey County Cricket Club (SCCC) is an English domestic first-class cricket team based at The Oval in London. ... The following places are named Taunton: Taunton, Somerset in England Taunton, Massachusetts Taunton, Minnesota Taunton, New York Also: Taunton Deane is a local government district with borough status in Somerset, England. ... Somerset County Cricket Club is a county cricket club based at Taunton. ... Sanath Teran Jayasuriya (born June 30, 1969 in Matara) is a Sri Lankan cricketer and member of the Sri Lankan cricket team since 1989. ... Marcus Edward Trescothick (born in Keynsham, Somerset on 25 December 1975) is an English cricketer who plays Test cricket for the England cricket team and County cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club. ...