A rainy farewell to Azhar
August 16 Vitality Blast T20 Somerset v Gloucestershire
Match abandoned
They've been forecasting heavy rain for Friday evening since last week-end and it has been raining steadily all day, with no sign of any respite, so the abandonment comes as no surprise. It's a huge shame, for the home T20 against Peter Trego's "filthy Glosters" (he doesn't really mean it!) in front of a full house at Taunton is one of the season's great occasions. But full marks to the club and the umpires for calling it off early, so saving the supporters of both sides some thousands of wasted journeys.
Earlier in the day, the news came through that Azhar Ali is to return early to Pakistan, at the behest of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Registration issues meant that (a) he wasn't due to play in the Championship game against Warwickshire, starting on Sunday, with Babar Azam taking his place and (b) that if he were to play in the home game v Yorkshire in September, which he could have done and still met the PCB's deadline, Somerset wouldn't have enough time to sign a replacement overseas player for the final two championship matches. So he volunteered to go early. Full marks.
Azhar only came to Somerset in July last year, as a replacement for Matt Renshaw, but he has made a big and wholly positive impression during his time with the club, both on and off the field. A century on debut, which set up a win against Worcestershire at New Rd, was the perfect entrance, and further valuable contributions followed against Yorkshire at Headingley (89) and Surrey at Taunton (61*).
An ultra-orthodox accumulator of runs, with no great track record in white ball cricket, I had my doubts about his inclusion in the side for the Royal London One Day Cup at the start of this season. But he swiftly proved me wrong, with a vital 68 against Sussex at Hove and a classy 110 in just 93 balls in the win over Essex. He and Peter Trego added 219 for the second wicket. "Twins, we are" announced Peter at the press conference afterwards, with Azhar beaming his approval alongside.
From what I can gather, he has been the perfect team man, always ready to help the younger players with suggestions and advice, and always giving of his best, even if his red ball form has rather deserted him for most of the current season. He isn't the quickest in the field, but he took a vital catch to dismiss Glamorgan's last man when they needed only three runs to win, and his occasional leg-spin wrapped up the RLODC quarter-final at Worcester, as he finished with 5/34. The smile on his face when I spoke to him afterwards fairly lit up the ground.
But, that century apart, perhaps his three best innings for Somerset this season were played when the county really needed them: 72 in the RLODC semi-final against Notts; 45 in the final, as he and Tom Banton put together what proved to be a match-winning opening partnership of 112; and that gritty 65 not out in the second innings of the championship game against Notts at Taunton, with wickets falling all around him. Given that he came in after only three balls of the innings, he as good as carried his bat, and without those runs, I very much doubt if Somerset would have won that match.
So farewell Azhar, and all the very best for the future. We will forgive you a disappointing return in this season's Championship because, in all other respects, you have been the model overseas player. You may not be remembered as one of Somerset's greatest overseas stars, but you will certainly be remembered as one of the nicest.
Who then might Somerset sign to replace Azhar for those final three championship games? It was a question I posed on Twitter. Why bother to sign anyone, wondered one respondent, when you've got Marcus Trescothick waiting in the wings? Others, tongues firmly in cheek, suggested overseas heroes from the past, like Jamie Cox and Buck Rogers. Kane Williamson was mentioned as was Joe Burns, who seems to have fallen out with Lancashire, and the West Indies' Kraigg Brathwaite. But the cricketer who got the most support was one we're already very familiar with - Matt Renshaw. If he's available, then Somerset could certainly do a lot worse.
Match abandoned
They've been forecasting heavy rain for Friday evening since last week-end and it has been raining steadily all day, with no sign of any respite, so the abandonment comes as no surprise. It's a huge shame, for the home T20 against Peter Trego's "filthy Glosters" (he doesn't really mean it!) in front of a full house at Taunton is one of the season's great occasions. But full marks to the club and the umpires for calling it off early, so saving the supporters of both sides some thousands of wasted journeys.
Earlier in the day, the news came through that Azhar Ali is to return early to Pakistan, at the behest of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Registration issues meant that (a) he wasn't due to play in the Championship game against Warwickshire, starting on Sunday, with Babar Azam taking his place and (b) that if he were to play in the home game v Yorkshire in September, which he could have done and still met the PCB's deadline, Somerset wouldn't have enough time to sign a replacement overseas player for the final two championship matches. So he volunteered to go early. Full marks.
Azhar only came to Somerset in July last year, as a replacement for Matt Renshaw, but he has made a big and wholly positive impression during his time with the club, both on and off the field. A century on debut, which set up a win against Worcestershire at New Rd, was the perfect entrance, and further valuable contributions followed against Yorkshire at Headingley (89) and Surrey at Taunton (61*).
An ultra-orthodox accumulator of runs, with no great track record in white ball cricket, I had my doubts about his inclusion in the side for the Royal London One Day Cup at the start of this season. But he swiftly proved me wrong, with a vital 68 against Sussex at Hove and a classy 110 in just 93 balls in the win over Essex. He and Peter Trego added 219 for the second wicket. "Twins, we are" announced Peter at the press conference afterwards, with Azhar beaming his approval alongside.
From what I can gather, he has been the perfect team man, always ready to help the younger players with suggestions and advice, and always giving of his best, even if his red ball form has rather deserted him for most of the current season. He isn't the quickest in the field, but he took a vital catch to dismiss Glamorgan's last man when they needed only three runs to win, and his occasional leg-spin wrapped up the RLODC quarter-final at Worcester, as he finished with 5/34. The smile on his face when I spoke to him afterwards fairly lit up the ground.
But, that century apart, perhaps his three best innings for Somerset this season were played when the county really needed them: 72 in the RLODC semi-final against Notts; 45 in the final, as he and Tom Banton put together what proved to be a match-winning opening partnership of 112; and that gritty 65 not out in the second innings of the championship game against Notts at Taunton, with wickets falling all around him. Given that he came in after only three balls of the innings, he as good as carried his bat, and without those runs, I very much doubt if Somerset would have won that match.
So farewell Azhar, and all the very best for the future. We will forgive you a disappointing return in this season's Championship because, in all other respects, you have been the model overseas player. You may not be remembered as one of Somerset's greatest overseas stars, but you will certainly be remembered as one of the nicest.
Who then might Somerset sign to replace Azhar for those final three championship games? It was a question I posed on Twitter. Why bother to sign anyone, wondered one respondent, when you've got Marcus Trescothick waiting in the wings? Others, tongues firmly in cheek, suggested overseas heroes from the past, like Jamie Cox and Buck Rogers. Kane Williamson was mentioned as was Joe Burns, who seems to have fallen out with Lancashire, and the West Indies' Kraigg Brathwaite. But the cricketer who got the most support was one we're already very familiar with - Matt Renshaw. If he's available, then Somerset could certainly do a lot worse.
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