By Christopher Lyles at Taunton
First day of four: Somerset (135-6) trail Northamptonshire (187) by 52 runs
AFTER their humiliating two-day defeat at Leicester last week, Somerset needed a shot in the arm to resuscitate their ailing season and they were given the required impetus by two of their bowlers on a lively Taunton pitch yesterday before their batting nightmares returned to haunt them.
Andrew Caddick, who was absolved of any blame for the innings defeat by Leicestershire, and Graham Rose each took five wickets to shoot out Northamptonshire for 187 after Kevin Curran had elected to bat on a greenish pitch.
There was certainly some movement off the pitch and in the air, though it was scarcely lavish, and it was more the extra bounce that Caddick in particular elicited with his high action which unsettled the Northamptonshire batsmen.
As proficiently as Rose bowled to realise his second five-wicket haul of the season, it was Caddick who caused more problems as he beat the bat with regularly. He finished with five or more wickets for the fourth consecutive innings. He remains an enigma but he is unquestionably playing himself into contention for a place on the Ashes tour.
Another hopeful winter tourist is Mal Loye but, after both openers had departed in the first 10 overs, he suffered a rare failure as he pushed an away swinger from Rose to third slip. It is only the third time in the last 10 first-class innings that Loye has failed to reach fifty.
Curran and David Sales went some way towards repairing the early damage as they put on 67 for the fifth wicket to take the score to 100. Curran mixed his own brand of unorthodox defence with some typically aggressive strokes, while Sales interspersed some handsome cover drives with some indeterminate shots outside the off stump.
Only some spirited hitting from the fast bowlers enabled Northamptonshire to glimpse a bonus point but they fell just short when Devon Malcolm timidly edged Caddick to the wicketkeeper.
Somerset did not fare much better when they batted. Peter Bowler was unbeaten on 53 at the close but he found few allies, though Marcus Trescothick played some scorching drives before skying a catch to point from an attempted pull.
Off-spinner Jason Brown gained a degree of turn to pick up three wickets and with the occasional ball starting to keep low, it is unlikely that this match will go the distance.
As a matter of course, the pitch will have to be reported to the ECB's pitch consultant, Harry Brind, though umpire David Shepherd commented afterwards that in no way was it a rogue pitch.
Day 2: Caddick nudges selectors again
By Christopher Lyles at Taunton
Northamptonshire 187 & 205 v Somerset 179 & 29-1
SOMETIME England bowler Andrew Caddick, one of the most enigmatic of modern cricketers, is playing some of the most superlative cricket of his career as the England selectors begin to ruminate over the alternatives for the Ashes tour.
He captured 17 wickets in his previous two matches, including seven in the shambolic innings defeat at Leicester, and added another nine in this game to increase his championship tally to 64 at an average of 23. Oh, to be a selector.
Mal Loye, the Northamptonshire batsman and another would-be tourist who came into this match with a championship average of 93, considered Caddick's bowling on Friday to be the best that he had encountered all season. And that was prior to being dismissed by Caddick for a golden duck in the second innings yesterday.
Northamptonshire's Jason Brown again bowled his off-spin to commendable effect and deservedly claimed his first five-wicket haul in his 10th match. His spoils included the wicket of Peter Bowler, who had intrepidly stood alone in the trenches before being ninth out for a patient 78.
When Northamptonshire batted again, they soon slipped to six for two as that man Caddick bowled with vim and vigour once more. Only another belligerent innings from Kevin Curran, who made his 44 from 56 balls, and determined half-centuries from Tony Penberthy and David Ripley enabled the visitors to set any sort of testing target.
Caddick was brought back to break a defiant last-wicket stand, but was denied a 10th wicket in the match when very occasional off-spinner Bowler took a third wicket. Funny old game, cricket.
The game is delicately poised and Somerset will have to produce the highest score of the match to win.
Day 3: Battling Bowler tames turner
By Christopher Lyles at Taunton
Third day of four: Somerset (179 and 214-8) bt Northamptonshire (187 and 205) by 2 wkts)
IT was fitting that the two Somerset players who did most to expedite a victory of high drama should be together in the middle when the home side staggered in by two wickets on a Taunton turner.
The obdurate Peter Bowler scored 119 runs in a match when they were at a premium and also captured three wickets with his rarely employed off-spin, while Andrew Caddick sustained his outstanding recent form to ensnare a further nine victims in this game.
Spare a thought, though, for Jason Brown, Northamptonshire's 23-year-old off-spinner, who bowled with impressive acumen and maturity. In only his 10th first-class match, he twice returned career-best figures to finish with 11 for 102 and still wound up on the losing side.
Without Bowler's 78, made from 197 balls, Somerset's first-innings' deficit would have been more damaging than eight runs. And when Northamptonshire batted again, Caddick once more bowled with pace and penetration as the steep bounce began to dissipate to take another four wickets, including that of the in-form Mal Loye first ball.
Bowler and Adrian Pierson each chipped in with three wickets on a pitch that was taking an appreciable amount of turn and Somerset were left to score the highest total of the match if they were to prevail.
Marcus Trescothick scored 30 valuable runs as he twice hooked the ineffectual Devon Malcolm to the boundary with disdain. But it was Bowler who again held the innings together after he had come in at the fall of the fourth wicket. His patient sojourn lasted for 165 deliveries and included just two boundaries.
He received worthy support from the extras column and from the lower order, who all batted with the utmost application. Michael Burns was especially unfortuitous to be leg before to Brown when the ball shot along the ground.
The off-spinner bowled an exquisite line and length in conditions which were admittedly conducive and he can certainly give the ball a generous tweak. He showed much promise.