| Scorecard: | Somerset v Australians |
| Event: | Australia in British Isles 2013 |
Somerset v Australians
Close of play: Somerset (320 and 260) lost to Australians (321/5 dec and 263/4) by six wickets.
This match finished pretty well as expected, a fairly comfortable victory for the tourists in mid-afternoon. All their top order made runs without anybody standing out, and there was nothing the Somerset bowlers could do to seize the small chance they had of winning. Usman Khawaja, with 73, was the highest scorer, and his innings was probably the most valuable, as he gave his team a solid start on their victory path. But at the death Brad Haddins 40-ball fifty was the most entertaining as he rushed his side to victory.
The Australians resumed on their overnight score of 36 for no wicket, chasing a none-too-difficult target of 260 to win. Gemaal Hussain helped them on their way by opening the bowling with two long hops, from which the batsmen helped themselves to five runs. Then the batsmen, Ed Cowan and Khawaja, settled down to a policy of steady accumulation, no doubt their individual aim being to give themselves good practice in the middle for the Test matches.
They were helped by the loss of Somersets seamer Jamie Overton, with a minor knee injury. They took the score to 86, when suddenly Cowan indulged in an uncharacteristic slash outside the off stump at a ball from Hussain, which he edged to the keeper. He was out for 46 and the total was 86 for one.
Khawaja went on the reach his fifty off 90 balls, and continued batting until soon after lunch. Then he fell for 73, misreading an arm ball from the left-arm spinner George Dockrell and edging it to slip; 162 for two. Phil Hughes in the meantime was batting with confident and aggression, running to his fifty off 87 balls. He tried to celebrate by coming down the pitch to hit a ball from Dockrell out of the ground with a slog-sweep, an attempted third six, but missed and was bowled for exactly 50; 201 for three.
Michael Clarke was playing an enterprising innings, but he too fell a victim to Dockrell, in similar manner to Hughes, although his aim was over the sightscreen. He was bowled for 26; 204 for four. With victory in sight the Australians had forsaken their steady game and paid the price of two quick wickets.
Brad Haddin and James Faulkner played themselves in with care, and then Haddin decided to take on Dockrell, driving him for a straight six and then pulling a four off successive balls. While Faulkner blocked it out for 5 runs off 30 balls in a partnership that realized 59, Haddin hammered 52 not out off 40 balls, winning the match with a six over midwicket off Dockrell.
The Australians showed clearly in this match that they have talent in all departments of the game, although they did not always put it together as consistently as they will need to do in the Test matches. If England underestimate them, they could be in for a shock.
(Article: Copyright © 2013 John Ward)