YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! x Infinity.
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! x Infinity.
We needed a perfect day ad we got it. Quite surprised at the declaration but we needed plenty of overs and so glad that 'Bad' Somerset turned up for the 2nd innings and not 'Good' 1st innings Somerset. Great atmosphere but with the usual 'Children at school' scenario at this time of the year, the crowd was not as big as it could have been but we still made plenty of noise. Thoroughly deserved if you consider injuries and no really decent overseas pro. Great to see the trophy presented at the end but a pity they didn't let us poor onto the pitch with a 15 minute delay to let the players leave first. Got a picture with Sam Hain and the trophy. He was so accommodating and letting everyone who wanted to, have a picture, lovely bloke. This is a monumental achievement if you consider the team we had 2016-17 which needed refreshing and needed young, new blood. Lancashire will be miffed but no more so than we were in 2011. In 2011 we had a poor performance v Hampshire at home followed by a good one away at Yorkshire, just like this season. Somerset lost to Lancs on the last day and Hampshire stopped us at the Rose Bowl from being champs. Strange how all those sides should feature in this drama again. Just goes to show that never giving up is a key element in any success. At 2pm yesterday I was discussing with one of the stewards, how we had probably blown it. He was as grumpy as me. Just before I left the ground, I saw him and another steward having photos with the trophy. What a day.
Wow! What a day. I’m still buzzing!
Managed to “work from home” at Edgbaston yesterday and today (including having a Teams meeting at the back of the Hollies this afternoon!) and I’m so glad I did.
A perfect performance today. I think the wicket just before lunch was the turning point - that meant we went to lunch in good spirits. It was looking a bit dodgy up to that point.
I also managed to get photo of me holding the trophy, as well as with Hain and Rhodes. What a wonderful group of players we have. Rhodes is also really growing as a captain, that was a great declaration and great bowling changes all day.
Exciting times ahead!
Simply brilliant today; I honestly didn't see this coming back in April, at the start of the season I would have been satisfied with qualification for Division 1.
As others have suggested, this is a developing team. Personally, I don't think we have the best team in terms of the best XI (Especially given the bowlers we have been missing this year) but we have the best team in the way that they work as a unit; that side play for each other.
This Championship means more to me than any since 1995; I was away with work for much of 2012 (So hardly saw any cricket) and 2004 was mainly won by batting teams into submission. This was a memorable season in so many ways, partially due to the fact we couldn't go last year.
I will be interested to see how the side develops over the next couple of years, but that is a discussion for another day; tonight is for enjoying the moment. My congratulations to all at the club!
Bears fan, Wolves fan, no longer a not so vital statistician...
Just too much to say about this team.
But what does it for me is the attitude they play with. They clearly love being a team, they pull together in the hardest moments, and fight through adversity every time.
Be it the run chase against Essex, finding a way to win against Notts twice, the win against Yorkshire away, and now this almost miraculous win against Somerset. They have a bloody minded drive to win.
Can Chris Woakes play in the Bob Willis Trophy?
From what I have seen on various sites, the answer is no.
paulbear wrote:
At 2pm yesterday I was discussing with one of the stewards, how we had probably blown it. He was as grumpy as me. Just before I left the ground, I saw him and another steward having photos with the trophy. What a day.
Was it JT and the lady at the main gates? Hope so. Great characters. Hopefully this win and the stories from yesterday will help reverse a long term decline in the membership I have reason to believe we are down to something like 4000 which from the heady 1990's days when we had the biggest membership in the country and the largest away followings is some drop. Great day yesterday. I shall watch a replay of the YouTube of the 6 hours of play on Xmas Day this year
Sounds like a good idea. Even the attendance yesterday was poor but then again, I have said it for years, why put the final day of CC cricket during weekdays. You could easily have a Thursday start and finish on a Sunday. Also, no school children get to ever see a CC title decider if they wanted to and I didn't even any children there yesterday pulling a 'Sickie', blimey, the youth of today, no rebellion.
What a week that was! Such a good feeling, no stars in this side, no superstar overseas, just good honest pros and a sensible level headed coach. Glad we didn't produce a result wicket either, we did it the right way as Robbo said. Everyone contributed to every win we had, everyone put their hand up at different stages throughout the season. Every single one of them has been fantastic. I wouldn't swap any of them for anybody else. Proper team effort. So satisfying.
More satisfying to sink both Lancs and Hampshire who both did plenty to mess up our 2011 campaign. It may be 10 years ago but the frustration on that last day never leaves you and then Hampshire beat us in the 2012 final when we were going for the double and it left a damp feeling to the end of the season as it was the very last game. I phoned up today to see if they will be selling any finished scorecards like the ones they sell at Lord's after finals. No one is really that accommodating at our club when it comes to this sort of thing. I phoned up the Lord's shop after the 2019 World Cup Final to ask about programmes and scorecards and they went out of their way to help me and sent me an e-mail about how much they would cost.
A month on, this is worth a look:
https://edgbaston.com/news/behind-the-scenes-film-as-warwickshire-win-county-championship/
I'm not sure if it was reported anywhere else; but when Will Rhodes was asked after the match if he had the ball which he caught to win the Championship, he said: "I've given it to Briggsy's kid!" I think that, at about 47 minutes and 30 seconds into the video, you can see the young lad with the ball.
There is no sign of Olly Stone on the video, nor do recall seeing him on the day. Does anyone have any ideas of his whereabouts at the moment as he recovers?
He was at Carrow Road last weekend based on his latest Instagram post.
He was away on holiday for the game v Somerset but was back for the game at Lords.
Hello all,
By way of introduction, I am a Somerset supporter who, since the 2018 season, has written detailed match reports on all CC and BWT Somerset matches (and some days of cricket in 2017). I write from a Somerset perspective but try to be even-handed in describing the play of both sides. I try too to capture the atmosphere of a day at the cricket as well as the play itself. I lodge the reports on my website, 'Farmer White Somerset Cricket Writing', and (eventually) collect them in self-published books. More recently, whether Somerset win or lose, I have taken to posting links to the reports on opposition supporters' online forums (and have survived thus far!), including on this site's predecessor.
The process for the 2021 season has been much-delayed, but the reports are now all finally in place on my site. In case anyone wants a mid-winter look back at a Somerset perspective on Warwickshire's final CC match (from memory it was quite an important match!), here are the links to my reports. (They do take a while to read):
First day Hard Grind:
Second day In the Balance:
Third day Championship Cricket at its Best:
Final day "You bears!":
The following link will take you to all reports I have written on Somerset v Warwickshire matches:
https://farmerwhite.co.uk/tag/v-warwickshire/
I trust this post is considered appropriate coming from an opposition supporter. If not, I would fully understand should a moderator decide to remove it.
With best wishes to all, and congratulations to Warwickshire on their eighth County Championship.
Farmer
Thanks for those links. All those permutations over the final 2-3 days. Championship cricket is still the best. I've enjoyed my trips to Taunton over the years
I agree - many thanks.
Taunton is my second favourite ground (well, maybe equal second with Lord's).
And kudos for using the name of a Somerset legend from the past!
Yes, thanks for these! Views of opposition supporters are always welcome. Very nice to be able to relive the final day drama!